Octopath Traveler is a beautiful homage to classic JRPGs, offering deep mechanics, rich storytelling, and a charming visual style. Whether you’re just starting your journey or already exploring the world of Orsterra, these 5 essential tipswill help you better understand the game’s hidden systems and avoid common pitfalls.

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1. Your First Character Matters More Than You Think

While the game gives you freedom to choose any of the eight protagonists to start with, your first character is locked into your party until you complete all four chapters of their personal story.

If you pick a character whose combat style or utility doesn’t click with you, it may impact your long-term experience. Consider selecting someone versatile like Cyrus, Tressa, or Olberic if you want broader utility. If you’re early in your playthrough and unhappy with your pick, it might be worth restarting.

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2. Secondary Jobs Are Hidden—and Powerful

You can assign secondary jobs to your characters by discovering shrines hidden across the world. These allow for powerful class combos—like turning a Dancer into a Cleric, giving her access to healing magic while retaining support capabilities.

Each shrine corresponds to a primary class and unlocks that job for anyone in your party. However, they’re often located in moderate to high-level areas, so aim to find them once your party reaches level 15–20 or higher.

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3. Cyrus Makes the Game Easier—In and Out of Battle

If you’re unsure who to add to your team early on, Cyrus the Scholar is an excellent choice.

• His Study Foe ability reveals one random weakness of every enemy at the start of combat, helping you break enemies faster without trial and error.
• He also learns Evasive Maneuvers, a support skill that reduces random encounters, making it easier to explore tough regions or backtrack for side quests.

Cyrus adds both utility and consistency to your party—especially for new players.

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4. Use Inquire, Scrutinize, and Steal on Every NPC

Path Actions are an underutilized mechanic that can yield hidden items, shortcuts, and powerful gear.

• Inquire (Alfyn) and Scrutinize (Cyrus) reveal NPC lore and unlock secrets like discounted shop prices, treasure locations, or quest triggers.
• Steal (Therion) lets you acquire items directly from NPCs—including healing items, accessories, and weapons—without spending a single leaf.

Just be careful: repeated failed steal attempts lower your town reputation, which requires a fee at the tavern to restore. But with careful saves and planning, the rewards far outweigh the risks.

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5. Don’t Miss Tressa’s Parents’ Accessories

In Rippletide, Tressa’s hometown, her parents hold two of the most valuable early-game accessories:

• Dragon Scarf – Restores 6 SP per turn; incredibly useful for mages like Cyrus or Ophilia.
• Blessed Scarf – Restores 100 HP per turn; perfect for tanky characters or drawn-out boss fights.

These can be purchased if you have the coin, or stolen if you’re using Therion. Either way, acquiring them early gives a big edge in both exploration and battle.

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Final Thoughts

Octopath Traveler is a game full of depth, secrets, and strategic freedom. These five tips will help smooth out the early game and give you a strong foundation to explore all the systems the game has to offer.

If you enjoyed this guide and want more tips, deep dives, or advanced builds, let me know! Until then, happy adventuring in Orsterra!

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