In addition to its main quests and side stories, Octopath Traveler has a few optional dungeons for players to explore. One such area is the Maw of the Ice Dragon, a cave in the Southern Northreach Wilds. Despite the name, there's no dragon living here, however, plenty of other creatures do, allowing players to quickly level up their party members.
Many players find this area a great opportunity for grinding at higher levels, due to enemies that grant high EXP. However, there are a few things they could have missed between enemy encounters. Here are a few secrets and tricks that players might not notice their first time through this dungeon.
10 A Bow Makes It Easy To Traverse
Most enemies here are vulnerable to bow attacks. Taking a Hunter like H'aanit through the Maw of the Ice Dragon and using the ability Arrowstorm is a good strategy to get through encounters fast and cut down on time spent grinding. This attack rains several arrows down on all foes at once, quickly immobilizing enemies weak to bows.
Even without Arrowstorm, several bow attacks in quick succession are highly useful. H'aanit and Tressa use bows by default, but any character can gain bow proficiency depending on their side job.
9 Wind Attacks Are Also Useful
As with bows, Wind-based elemental damage can help make tedious battles brief. Having a Sorcerer or a Merchant in the party is another way to make traversing the Maw easier. Additionally, Wind Soulstones can prove invaluable.
While more of the Maw's inhabitants are weak to Fire-based damage (as one might expect in the Frostlands), War Wolves possess this key Wind weakness and often appear in packs of four. A single Ventus Saltare attack makes short work of this common encounter.
8 Caits Are More Common Than In Most Locations
Caits are slippery foes that provide tremendous amounts of EXP if the player can beat them. They're very rare encounters, but a bit more common in the Maw of the Ice Dragon than in most other places. This is just another one of the many reasons this cave is great for grinding.
A good way to defeat them is by using Soulstones. Though these enemies are notoriously hard to hit, Soulstones deal an even amount of damage and can take them out before they manage to flee.
7 The Chest With The Wakeful Stone
Though there are a few chests throughout the Maw, all with highly useful items, this one can be trickier to find. To reach this chest, the player walks forward until they see the chest beneath where the party is standing. Down a ramp to the left, there is a landing with a hidden path leading to this container.
Equipping a character with the Wakeful Stone prevents them from falling asleep. This incapacitating condition can be devastating even in mini-boss battles, so this amulet is helpful to have on a party member.
6 It's A Little Bit Haunted
Zombies, skeletons, and other undead creatures appear occasionally in Octopath Traveler, usually when the party is en route to fight evil mages or delving into crypts. Wilderness caves like this one, though, contain mostly wildlife: wolves, drakes, and sometimes elementals.
However, players do run into an enemy called the "Accursed Armor." In a location that doesn't appear to harbor any dark secrets, it's interesting to see these disembodied suits of armor. Are they mobilized by lost spirits? Perhaps every cave has some amount of sinister magic lurking within.
5 Therion Can Find An Adamantine Hat
It's easy to miss items in locked chests since there's no way to obtain them unless Therion is in the party. Taking him through the Maw of the Ice Dragon is worth the payoff because the locked chest in this location holds a high-level helmet.
The Adamantine Hat isn't just a great piece of armor; it also provides a huge boost to the wearer's elemental attack. This makes it a great choice for magic users, such as Scholars, Clerics, and Sorcerers.
4 Players Can Collect Dozens Of Healing Items
War wolves and snow leopards, the two most common enemies in this location, frequently drop healing grapes and inspiriting plums respectively. Some enemies also drop Revitalizing Jam, a hugely powerful item that restores HP, SP, and BP all at once.
Considering these drops, EXP isn't the only thing players can farm in the Maw of the Ice Dragon. Hoarding these healing items becomes crucial towards the end of the game when the player makes their way through the Gate of Finis.
3 The Dreadwolf's Deadly Attack
The boss in this optional dungeon is a fearsome beast called a Dreadwolf. Like most enemies, it has a few unique attacks — one of which is called "Vorpal Fang." This may be a reference to writer Lewis Carroll, who coined the word "vorpal" in 1871, meaning "sharp or deadly."
This adjective has also been used in RPGs to describe weapons that have special powers increasing the chances of decapitation. In other words, the Dreadwolf is literally attempting to bite the player's head off.
2 There's a Rare Weapon Here
After defeating the Dreadwolf, the player can access a chest containing a Forbidden Dagger. There are several such forbidden weapons throughout Orsterra, each providing massive power with a negative side effect. When it comes to this one, though, the tradeoff is worth it.
The Forbidden Dagger decreases Fire and Dark damage dealt by the user, but its physical attack is the third most powerful of any dagger in the game. The monster lurking in this cave is no pushover, but it's worth fighting to get this powerful item.
1 The Potential Implications Of Its Name
Many players likely entered the Maw of the Ice Dragon for the first time expecting to fight the creature for which it was named. Yet obviously, there is no dragon of any kind living here. The closest approximation is the Snow Drakes, which spawn as random encounters.
In that case, where is this ice dragon? Perhaps it was slain long ago, and this cave's name has withstood throughout the years. Or perhaps, when the party visits its home, the dragon is busy hunting or pillaging the countryside.