Welcome to Chrono Trigger! An adventure spanning the beginnings of the world to its end, Chrono Trigger begins in a rather humble little home. Your first task is to name your main character, who by default goes as Crono. We'll stick with Crono for this guide. Go downstairs and you'll meet Crono's mom, who will also get you to name one of Crono's friends. She'll go by Lucca.
Speak to Crono's mom after she's done talking. She'll give you 200 G - the game's currency - and send you on your way. Your destination is the nearby Millennial Fair, but we're going to explore the kingdom a bit first. If you ever need to heal up you can return to Crono's House and inspect his bed for a free rest.
Truce
Behold, the residential section of the kingdom of Guardia. A lovely, bustling place, Truce (Crono's hometown) is full of houses to check and people to engage. Most of what you want to see is at the Millennial Fair, north of Crono's House, but there are a few things to check out in the homes near here as well.
- To the sorth of Crono's House is an Inn. You can stay at his house for free, so you don't need to stay here. Inside the Inn you'll find a piano player who will play an unfamiliar song for 10 G, which is... not worth the bother. There's a mysterious black box in the room with the beds, though you can't open it yet. Mark its location for later.
- East of the Inn is the Ferry Office. You can ride the ferry to a town called Porre, to the south, for 10 G. There are things to see along the way, so we'll walk instead.
- On the west side of Truce is the Market. There's no one inside right now. You'll find things for sale here later on in the game.
- In the southwest of Truce is the Mayor's Manor. Inside you'll learn the ins and outs of Chrono Trigger. Chat with the NPCs if you think you need a tutorial. You can also find a Potion and 100 G in the chests on the first and second floor.
- On a small island south of the village is Lucca's House. She's not home, though you can speak to her mother on the second floor. This place will come in handy later in the game.
To the west of Truce you'll see Guardia Castle. In front of it is the game's first combat area. You don't have to go through here, but... why not? It'll only take a moment. Make sure you save your game before going inside, just in case.
Guardia Forest - Enemies
Your first little dungeon! Guardia Forest is the easiest area in the game, and it's possible to run through the entire thing without encountering a singe enemy. You shouldn't ignore them, however, as fighting will earn you experience, and experience will earn you levels, and levels will help you get through the game. We'll discuss the basics of combat in another section of the guide.
The enemies in Guardia Forest are the most basic of the basic. The only enemy here that might cause you the tiniest bit of trouble is the Gilded Bellbird in the middle of the forest, as it can Confuse your characters and cause them to attack erratically. Take it out first. Ideally you should fight long enough for Crono to learn the Cyclone Tech, which will only take you two victories to learn. Cyclone is a good move for quickly wiping out groups of weaker enemies.
To get through the forest all you need to do is take a left at the entrance, then slip north through the trees. The exit is in the north. There are two things to note as you explore, besides the enemies:
- If you take a right at the entrance you'll find a clearing with three Amanites. If you check the upper-right corner of the clearing you'll see a little sparkle in the grass. Inspect it for a Strength Capsule. Capsules are single-use items that permanently raise a character's stats.
- If you go east before exiting the forest in the north you'll find a little clearing by itself. In the upper-right corner of the clearing is another mysterious black box. You won't be able to open these things for a while.
Exit Guardia Forest on the north side and you'll be standing in front of Guardia Castle. Attempt to enter, however, and the guards will immediately kick you out. You'll have business here in a few hours, but for now you'll have to hoof it back to the rest of the world map.
Head west of Guardia Forest and you'll find the Zenan Bridge, which spans two continents. You can enter the bridge to find people rushing to the Millennial Fair, though there's nothing of use here. The last location we're going to check is to the south of here, on the other side of a desert wasteland.
Porre - Market Items
More small town life. Porre isn't terribly important in Chrono Trigger, though it plays a significant role in Chrono Cross. This little town is nevertheless worth a look, as a few tasks throughout the game will pull you down here.
- Porre's Inn is the first building you'll find. You may want to rest here, if you spent any time fighting in Guardia Forest.
- Next to the Inn is a Market, with some basic items. You don't need any of them right now, though it never hurts to buy a Potion or two.
- South of the Market is the Snail Stop, a sort of pub. The owner of the Snail Stop will offer to sell you Jerky for 9,900 G. You probably don't have that much cash right now, nor do you need the Jerky at the moment. This will come in handy for a side quest, much later in the game. The odd fellow at the piano will play you some different music, if you speak to... it?
- On the west side of Porre is the Mayor's Manor. The mayor himself, sitting on the couch, will give you 10 G if Crono spins around and crows. You can do this as many times as you like, though it's an inefficient way to earn money. You'll find a chest containing a Shelter on the second floor, as well as two more mysterious black boxes that you can't open.
Aaaaand that's all for Porre, as well as the current world map. You can take the ferry back to Guardia, if you like - the Ferry Office is on the docks of Porre - or just walk back the way you came. Either way, we're headed to the fair.
Part Two: The Millennial Fair, 1000 AD
Part Two: The Millennial Fair, 1000 AD