Skills (Dragon Quest IX)

Skills in Dragon Quest IX are awarded using a points based system that is tied to character level. As a character gains levels, they may apply a certain number of skill points toward class-specific skills. For full lists of each different skill type, see Lists of skills in Dragon Quest IX.

Earning Skill Points

For each character class, a total of 200 skill points can be earned by growing from level 1 to 99. These points are distributed in a bell curve over the span of levels.

Level Skill Points Total 5 3 3 6 3 6 8 3 9 9 3 12 11 3 15 12 3 18 14 4 22 15 4 26 17 4 30 18 4 34 20 4 38 21 4 42 23 5 47 24 5 52 26 5 57 27 5 62 29 5 67 30 5 72 32 6 78 33 6 84 35 6 90 36 6 96

Level Skill Points Total 38 6 102 39 6 108 41 5 113 42 5 118 44 4 122 45 4 126 47 3 129 48 3 132 50 2 134 51 2 136 53 2 138 54 2 140 56 2 142 57 2 144 59 2 146 60 2 148 62 2 150 63 2 152 65 2 154 66 2 156 68 2 158

Level Skill Points Total 69 2 160 71 2 162 72 2 164 74 2 166 75 2 168 77 2 170 78 2 172 80 2 174 81 2 176 83 2 178 84 2 180 86 2 182 87 2 184 89 2 186 90 2 188 92 2 190 93 2 192 95 2 194 96 2 196 98 2 198 99 2 200

Applying Skill Points

For each class, only a subset of skills are available to be improved using skill points. This means that strategy must be applied in order to maximize the capabilities of a character as they gain levels and change classes. Skill points must be applied wisely due to the fact that certain skills are only available to a small number of classes.

Classes/Skills Matrix

This table does not include skills which are available to only a single class or the Hero skills.

Class	Sword	Spear	Staff	Knife	Shield	Claw	Whip	Fan	Axe	Hammer	Fisticuffs	Wand	Bow	Boomerang
Minstrel	yes				yes		yes	yes
Warrior	yes	yes		yes	yes
Martial Artist			yes			yes		yes			yes
Priest		yes	yes		yes							yes
Mage				yes	yes		yes					yes
Thief	yes			yes		yes					yes
Gladiator	yes								yes	yes	yes
Armamentalist	yes				yes							yes	yes
Paladin		yes			yes					yes		yes
Ranger									yes		yes		yes	yes
Sage					yes							yes	yes	yes
Luminary					yes		yes	yes						yes

Maximizing Character Skills

It is impossible to fully maximize a single character's skills without the use of skill seeds before beating story mode. There are 14 multi-class skills and only 12 classes. This means that a minimum of 2 skill types cannot reach the max of 100 points for any single character. Skill seeds can be used to fill the remaining 200 skill points if desired.

Once the story is completed for the first time, a character at level 99 in a vocation can revocate back to level 1 and regain skill points again without losing the ones used. This allows that character to fill in the remaining 200 missing points.