Vocations are the classes in Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, the mobile game in the Dragon Quest series. Every character in your party of three has one, and it shapes their role in battle, the weapons they suit best and the trait they bring to a fight. If you've played other Dragon Quest games, many of the names will feel familiar, and knowing what each class does will help you build a party that covers more of what the game throws at you.
Vocation Type
Base Vocations
Warrior
Sometimes reduces damage to the party and raises its defenses.
- Favored Weapons
- Sword; Spear
- Vocation Traits
- Sometimes reduces damage taken by the Warrior or another ally while the Warrior is in the party. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the effect.
- Party Effect
- Increases party Defense and Spell Defense by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
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Mage
Charges the Coup de Grâce gauge while you control it and improves gauge gain for the party.
- Favored Weapons
- Whip; Staff
- Vocation Traits
- While you control the Mage, it periodically charges a small amount of Coup de Grâce gauge. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the charge.
- Party Effect
- Increases party Coup de Grâce gauge gain by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
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Priest
Periodically heals the ally with the least HP and boosts party healing.
- Favored Weapons
- Whip; Staff; Spear; Boomerang
- Vocation Traits
- While you control the Priest, it periodically heals the party member with the lowest HP. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the healing.
- Party Effect
- Increases party healing by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
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Martial Artist
Can sometimes finish off a weakened enemy and boosts party critical damage.
- Favored Weapons
- Sword; Claw; Spear
- Vocation Traits
- A normal attack on a low-HP enemy can rarely defeat it instantly. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the chance.
- Party Effect
- Increases party critical damage by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
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Thief
Sometimes dodges while you control it and makes the party move faster.
- Favored Weapons
- Sword; Claw; Boomerang
- Vocation Traits
- While you control the Thief, it can rarely dodge an enemy attack. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the chance.
- Party Effect
- Increases party movement speed by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
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Vocation Type
Advanced Vocations
Paladin
Sometimes reduces damage to the party and raises its health and defenses.
- Favored Weapons
- Sword; Spear
- Vocation Traits
- Sometimes reduces damage taken by the Paladin or another ally while the Paladin is in the party. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the effect.
- Party Effect
- Increases party Max HP, Defense, and Spell Defense by 3% at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 10% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
- Reach vocation level 50 as both a Warrior and a Priest.
Sage
Charges the Coup de Grâce gauge and heals the lowest-HP ally while you control it.
- Favored Weapons
- Staff; Whip
- Vocation Traits
- While you control the Sage, it periodically charges a small amount of Coup de Grâce gauge and heals the party member with the lowest HP. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the effect.
- Party Effect
- Increases party magical attack and Coup de Grâce gauge gain by 5% at level 1, 7% at level 2, and 12% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
- Reach vocation level 50 as both a Mage and a Priest.
Ranger
Throws knives at nearby enemies while moving and increases party movement speed.
- Favored Weapons
- Claw; Whip; Boomerang
- Vocation Traits
- While you move with the Ranger selected, it throws a knife at a nearby enemy for damage and charges a small amount of Coup de Grâce gauge. Trait levels 2 and 3 shorten the interval between throws.
- Party Effect
- Increases party movement speed by 5% at level 1, 7% at level 2, and 12% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
- Reach vocation level 50 as both a Martial Artist and a Thief.
Battle Master
Can sometimes finish off a weakened enemy and briefly raises its critical rate when it does.
- Favored Weapons
- Sword; Claw; Spear
- Vocation Traits
- A normal attack on a low-HP enemy can rarely defeat it instantly. When this happens, the Battle Master's critical rate rises for 10 seconds. Trait levels 2 and 3 increase the chance and the critical-rate boost.
- Party Effect
- Increases party Attack and critical damage by 5% at level 1, 7% at level 2, and 12% at level 3.
- How to Unlock
- Reach vocation level 50 as both a Warrior and a Martial Artist.
The Base Vocations and What They Do
The base vocations are Warrior, Mage, Priest, Thief and Martial Artist. Warriors and Martial Artists fight up close, Mages stay back and cast spells, Priests keep the party healthy, and Thieves are quick and suited to steady farming. Each one has a clear job in a fight, and that's what makes them useful together.
Weapons come in six types: swords, spears, staves, boomerangs, claws and whips. Each vocation fits some of these types better than others, so when you pick a job, think about the weapons you'll actually use with it.
Each base vocation also has a trait, a built-in ability that works in battle on its own. Traits differ from one vocation to the next, which is why picking a mix of jobs matters as much as picking strong ones.
How to Change a Character's Vocation
Each vocation tracks its own level, so a character who has been leveled as a Mage keeps that progress when you move them to a Thief. The level you built stays attached to that vocation, which means switching back later picks up right where you left off.
That setup lets you spread your effort across several base vocations on the same character instead of pushing one job to the top. It matters later, because advanced vocations need more than one base vocation at a high level.
Vocation Trees and Nodestones
Leveling isn't the only way to get stronger. Each vocation has its own tree of nodes, and unlocking them is a second path to growth that runs alongside leveling. Nodes cost Nodestones and gold, and they can unlock permanent stat boosts, new vocation traits and extra Memory slots.
Because the boosts are permanent, it's worth choosing nodes that fit the weapons and role you have in mind. Extra Memory slots let a character equip more Memories at once, so they're worth considering alongside the stat boosts.
Advanced Vocations: Paladin, Sage, Ranger and Battle Master
Advanced vocations are the step beyond the base set: Paladin, Sage, Ranger and Battle Master. Each one requires two base vocations, and each of those has to reach level 50 first. That's a real investment of time, so it helps to decide early which base jobs you'll level.
Battle Master favors swords, claws and spears. Now and then, its normal attack can finish off an enemy that's already low on health. Afterward, it briefly gets a boost to its own critical hit chance.
Paladin, Sage and Ranger each have a role of their own, which you can weigh against your base picks when you build a party.
Building a Party With the Right Vocations
Your party has three members, so you can give each one a different job to cover. Priest or Sage is the pick when healing matters most, since both help keep allies standing. Mage or Sage helps charge your Coup de Grâce, the big special attack that builds up during battle.
Warrior or Paladin is the choice when you want to cut the damage your party takes. Thief or Ranger is the one to pick for speed. Splitting the roles this way covers more of the game than three of the same vocation would.
FAQ
Can any vocation use any weapon?
Yes. Weapons aren't locked to one vocation. Some weapons give a bonus only when a matching vocation is using them, so the same weapon can hit harder on one character than on another.
Does changing vocation lose levels?
No. Each vocation keeps its own level, so you can try a new job on a character without losing the progress you made in the old one. That makes it easy to test a vocation before you commit to it.
How do you unlock Battle Master?
Reach level 50 as both a Warrior and a Martial Artist, and Battle Master becomes available. Leveling those two base vocations is the route to it.