Main Walkthrough

Dauna Mine

Breath of Fire III starts out before you even begin the game proper by watching the title sequence, where a pair of miners, Mogu and Gary, discuss a race of dragons known as the Brood. Start a new game and, after naming your main character - whom we'll call Ryu by default in this guide - you'll see the miners cracking open a big, purple crystal. Turns out a dragon is inside the crystal, and you are that dragon.

This begins your first battle in Breath of Fire III. You have several options right off the bat, though regardless of what you do your dragon will lash back at the miners with Whelp Breath whenever it gets hit, killing them both. We'll discuss the intricacies of combat a bit later in the guide, when it matters more.

After the miners go down you'll gain navigation control over the dragon. Check Mogu's burned body for a Melted Blade, then start exploring. Run around the edges of this chamber to the east to find an exit. A third miner will briefly question you in the next room before running off. If you follow him a Miner and an Engineer will stop you, though a quick Whelp Breath will do them in.

You can explore the confines of the mine and terrify the remaining miners, if you like, but ultimately you need to head southeast through the tunnel. You'll emerge from the side of what appears to be a giant skull. Carry on southeast a bit further and you'll run into an Operator and a Worker, and they will end the little dragon's rampage the next time you command it to use Whelp Breath.

When you regain control the dragon will be trapped in a cage, on the back of a train. Mash the controls in any direction you like enough times and the cage will fall off of the train.

Cedar Woods

A couple of cut scenes later, the dragon - now a boy, now Ryu - will be nestled up in bed, rescued by a young man named Rei. Taken home to another orphan named Teepo, Ryu is left to recuperate while his new buddies go off to scrounge up some food. An odd dream will follow that heavily, heavily foreshadows some far-distant events in the game, but... don't worry about that stuff for now.

Once Ryu is out of bed you can explore the humble home of Rei and Teepo. There are a number of things to note and grab:

  • Near the bed is a diary. You can use diaries spread throughout Breath of Fire III to save your game. Do this often, just in case you run into trouble and hit a Game Over.
  • There are two dressers on the lower level of the house. One contains a Vitamin, the other a Worm. Both items will come in handy. You should make a point of checking every dresser you encounter, as most contain items.
  • Off the lower level is a small kitchen with a ladder. You can't go down the ladder while Ryu is in his jammies, so just remember it for later. Once you can climb down you'll find a Healing Herb in a cabinet at the bottom of the ladder.

Time to leave Rei and Teepo's home. Normally when you walk around Cedar Woods you would get into battles with monsters. Since Ryu is alone, however - and not exactly dressed for combat - they will leave you alone. This gives you the perfect opportunity to explore without being harassed.

Leave the house and walk along the outer walls to the adjoining dirt path. It will take you over a log bridge and to a clearing in the southeast, where you'll run into some friendly monsters and an old man who doesn't care for Rei and Teepo. If you climb the slope and make your way to the east you'll find a chest containing Skill Ink in the middle of the clearing. Skill Ink is quite important, as far as items go, though we'll look into it in greater detail later. Look northwest of the chest, behind the trees near the water running through this area, for a hidden Ammonia.


There are two paths you can take from the house, one to the west and one to the south. Start with the western path. It will bring you to the area where Rei found Ryu. To the southeast of the cage you'll find an item bag containing a Green Apple. There's a second Green Apple behind the big tree near the cage. Always grab these bags when you come across them. In the southeast of this area you'll find a path back to the rest of the Cedar Woods.

Regardless of how you get to the southern section of the Cedar Woods, you'll now be in an area with a number of branching paths and exits. The only thing worth noting here is the home of a man named Bunyan. Follow the eastern paths to the southeast and you'll wind up at his front door. Bunyan will be important shortly.

Choose one of the two exits (east or south) and you'll wind up on the world map. You're in the Yraall Region at the moment, and though you can wander around a little bit you're more or less forced to head southeast. There's a village waiting for you.


McNeil

A wee farming community, McNeil seems to be the favored target of Rei and Teepo, who it turns out are a pair of thieves. You'll find them trying to steal from a house upon arrival, and they'll decide to get Ryu some proper clothes. You can't enter any of the homes just yet, so for now, follow the pair southeast. Speak to Teepo and Rei will filch your boy some clothes.

Ryu will change out of his PJs on the road to the southeast of McNeil, and Rei and Teepo will choose the group's next course of action: Mug some folks. Sounds great. Before you do, though, you must as well have a look around McNeil, now that all the houses are unlocked:
  • There are two homes in the north of McNeil. The upper dresser in the first home contains a Healing Herb, while the lower dresser in the second home contains an Antidote.
  • At the moment you're penniless, but once you start fighting monsters and earning Z (zenny, this game's currency) you can spend it at McNeil's weapon and item shops. Despite what he says, the owner of the weapon shop is happy to take your money.
  • If you angle your camera a bit (hold down the R button and press the directional buttons) you can spot a guy lollygagging between the houses on the east side of McNeil. He isn't useful, but he's a good reminder to move the camera around from time to time to see if there any hidden items nearby.
  • In the south of McNeil is an inn. Again, once you have money, you can stay here to fully restore your party's health. (Though while you're in the Yraall Region, you can also just rest at Rei and Teepo's home for free.) You can also save at inns without spending any money. Check at the end of the hedge path to the left of the inn to find a hidden Vitamin.
That's all for McNeil for the moment. Head southeast through town and you'll be back where Ryu got changed into his armor.


Farm / McNeil Manor

Southeast of McNeil you'll find the Farm, a stretch of road filled with wheat and workers. The farmers largely complain about the harvest, and how their mayor, McNeil himself, is keeping too much for himself and giving nothing back to his villagers. There's nothing much to see along here at the moment.

If you take the road northeast out of the Farm you'll find the outskirts of McNeil Manor. You can't enter the manor at the moment, but you'll be heading in there soon. In the south of this area is a small cabin, and if you check the dresser inside you'll discover a Vitamin.

Leave the Farm and head southeast a little further along the road to reach your next destination, the Yraall Road. 

Main Walkthrough