Dragon World RPG: Strategy Guide
Not just how to play: how to play well.
Strategy & Gameplay Tips
Dragon World has a lot of interconnected systems. You don't need to master them all on day one, but understanding the big picture will help you make better decisions from the start. This section covers the strategic thinking that separates good players from great ones.
Growing Your Power Level
Power Level is the single most important number on your character sheet. It determines your League advantage in combat, which cascades into bonuses to Attack, Defense, Damage, and Damage Reduction. But how you grow it matters more than how often you train.
Training gains are exponential, meaning every percentage point of efficiency compounds over time. A character consistently training at a higher rate will dramatically outpace one training at a lower rate over the course of several Quarters, even if they spend the same total EXP. This gap only widens as your Power Level climbs. Prioritize how much you gain per training session over how frequently you train.
The key is stacking bonuses. Gravity Training is better than Basic Training. Adding Sparring on top of that is better still. Weighted Clothing pushes it further. Every bonus matters because of that exponential scaling, so always look for ways to improve your training rate before you spend a single point of EXP on it. Check the Training section in Activities & Quests for the specific gains and caps.
That said, don't let the pursuit of perfect efficiency paralyze you. If Basic Training is your only option right now, do it and move on. Power Level comes from many sources beyond Training: combat victories award Base Power Level, Events and Sagas hand out some of the largest Power Level gains in the game, Special Quests like Hidden Potential and the Room of Spirit and Time can provide massive boosts, and the Dragon Balls can increase your Power Level significantly in a single wish. A character who participates in everything — fights, Events, Quests, Sagas — will stay competitive even if their Training isn't perfectly optimized.
Where to Start
Your starting planet matters. Each world offers different training opportunities, items, and Special Quests, and your first few Quarters will be shaped by what's available to you. There's no single correct answer, but here's what to think about.
Starting on your homeworld is a natural fit for most characters. It gives you immediate access to your race's best Special Quests, which are often some of the most impactful in the game. Saiyans on Vegeta can pursue Galick Gun, Final Flash, and the Saiyan Elite Training skill evolution early. Humans on Earth have access to Kamehameha, Destructo Disc, Turtle and Crane School, and Senzu Beans. Changelings on Cold #01 can pick up Death Beam and Death Ball while training in the planet's strong natural gravity. Androids on M-1 are immune to the toxic atmosphere that taxes organic visitors and have access to items at favorable rates.
But there are compelling reasons to start somewhere other than your homeworld, too.
Konats is a strong opening move for any character planning to use weapons. The Konatsian Blade Tempering quest permanently improves your weapon, and the Z-Sword quest (if you can handle it) offers one of the most powerful items in the game. The Konatsian Swordsman Training skill evolution is available here as well. If your character build centers around Slashing, Bashing, or Piercing effects, visiting Konats early gives you tools that will pay off for the entire Campaign.
The Interstellar Market is the only location where all items are at base price. Everywhere else, you pay a significant markup. Starting here, or making an early trip, lets you gear up cheaply and stretch your starting Zeni further. Special Contracts, only purchasable here, boost your Working income and pay for themselves almost immediately. If you're playing a character with high Intelligence who plans to Work often, the Market is especially appealing.
Namek is worth considering even for non-Namekians. It has a Dragon Ball set with multiple wishes, and the Elder Secrets skill evolution and Masenko quest are available to anyone. If you're planning to pursue the Dragon Balls early, being on a planet with an active set from the start puts you ahead.
Yardrat is a planet worth planning around, though not necessarily starting on. The Spirit Control skill evolution, Instant Transmission, and the Yardrat Cloning Technique are all here, and they require multiple Quarters of questing. Characters who plan to visit Yardrat should budget their trip carefully and try to complete everything in one extended stay.
The Afterlife deserves special mention. You can't start there (unless you're Shinjin), but many of the most powerful Special Quests in the game are locked behind the Afterlife's various locations. Skill evolutions, powerful techniques, unique items, and training rates well above what the living universe offers are all waiting. Every character should have a rough plan for what they want to accomplish when they inevitably die.
Don't feel locked to your starting planet, though. The whole point of Dragon World is to explore the universe, and most characters will visit many worlds over the course of a Campaign.
Traveling Smart
Travel takes time, but it's not dead time. You still accumulate EXP every Quarter whether you're training, traveling, or doing anything else. Since Training and Working both cap on EXP per Activity, a few Quarters of travel means you'll arrive at your destination with a bank of EXP ready to spend on whatever that planet offers. Think of travel as saving up for a big investment.
While in transit, you can still write. Free Quests, ongoing threads with other characters, Scouter conversations with allies across the universe — none of this stops because your character is on a ship. Some of the best stories in Dragon Ball happen during the journey, not just at the destination. You might also consider writing about the journey itself; what your character does, thinks, or plans during weeks in space can be compelling material for a Free Quest claim.
If you're investing in a spaceship, think carefully about your engine choice and add-ons. The jump from Basic to Warp Engines is significant, but the Zeni investment is steep. For many characters, Advanced Engines are the sweet spot of cost and speed. The Training Deck and Gravitron Deck add-ons are particularly valuable because they let you train during transit, effectively eliminating travel's opportunity cost. The Quantum Communicator lets you buy items at Interstellar Market rates from anywhere, which pays for itself quickly.
Money Matters
Zeni fuels everything: ships, items, medical care, Gravitron Facility access, and more. The Working Activity is your primary income source, and it scales dramatically with your Intelligence skill. Even a few ranks in Intelligence can make a meaningful difference in your economic output, and at the highest ranks the difference is enormous.
The markup on purchases outside the Interstellar Market is one of the most impactful rules in the game. Whenever possible, plan your major purchases around trips to the Market, or invest in a Quantum Communicator to get Market rates from anywhere. Some planets also sell specific items at Market rates, so check what's available locally before overpaying.
Your first big Zeni decision will likely be your spaceship. A Space Pod with Basic Engines gets you moving for cheap. But remember that every Zeni spent is Zeni you could have spent on gear, consumables, or Gravitron Facility access. Budget for what you need, not what you want, in the early game.
Plan Around the Dragon Balls
The Dragon Balls are not a side quest. They are arguably the most powerful tool in the entire game, and you should be thinking about them from the moment you create your character. A single wish can dramatically increase your Power Level, revive the dead, restore a destroyed planet, grant Immortality, or unlock God Ki. Multiple wishes from the Namek set can reshape an entire Campaign.
To gather Dragon Balls, you need a Dragon Radar. Acquiring one early is a strong investment. Gathering takes time on the planet where the set is located, and if someone else is also collecting, it triggers a confrontation. Once all seven are gathered, an Event begins and everyone on the planet gets a chance to show up and fight for the wish. This means gathering Dragon Balls is inherently social and often violent — plan accordingly.
Earth has a single-wish set and Namek has a multi-wish set. Both planets become strategic hotspots because of this. Characters who want wishes need to be on those planets, and characters who want to stop others from wishing need to be there too. Something else might soon follow, as well...
Play With Others
Dragon World is built around player interaction. Nearly every system in the game rewards you for doing things with other people rather than alone.
Sparring adds a training bonus to any Training Activity, which is a significant boost that costs you nothing but coordination. Find someone on your planet and Spar with them every time you train. This is the single easiest way to improve your growth rate.
Teaching techniques to other players reduces the learner's EXP cost and time. Learning from other players is almost always better than learning alone.
Free Quests are threads you write with other players that can be claimed for Bonus EXP each Quarter, and potentially much more depending on creativity. Free Quests are also your platform for requesting unique rewards: items, abilities, narrative developments, anything within reason. The key is that they must involve other players, so build relationships.
Factions are the backbone of the rulership system. Forming or joining a Faction lets you conquer and hold planets, earn passive Zeni, build Planetary Improvements that reshape worlds over time, control who enters your territory, and eventually declare war on rival Factions. A well-managed Faction with multiple planets and the right Improvements can become the dominant power in the galaxy. See Rulership & Factions for full details.
Embrace Death
Death in Dragon World isn't a failure state. It's a change of scenery with some of the best opportunities in the game.
When you die, you go to the Afterlife, where Special Training is available at several locations at rates well above what the living universe typically offers. The Four Kaio Worlds offer the Kaioken transformation, the Spirit Bomb, Magical Weighted Clothing, powerful skill evolutions, and additional Skill Points. rand Kaio's World lets you Work for Zeni and Purchase items while dead, access a library of free techniques, and enter the Otherworld Tournament for massive EXP prizes. Even the Check-In Station allows Working, so you can start earning Zeni the moment you arrive. Hell provides enhanced training rates and its own unique skill evolution and quests. Kaioshin Sei, accessible via invitation from the Grand Kaio, offers even more Skill Points, the Potara Earrings, Kai Kai, and powerful techniques.
All of these come with their own Special Quests that can evolve your skills, grant unique items, and teach powerful techniques. And when you're revived — whether by Dragon Ball wish, Fruit of Life, or another method — you bring all of that growth back with you.
The strategic calculus is simple: dying hurts in the short term (you lose access to living-world activities and might lose items or Zeni in the fight that killed you), coming back can be very difficult (especially without allies!), but the Afterlife's training rates and quest density often mean you come back stronger than you would have been if you'd survived. Don't seek death recklessly, but don't fear it either.
Fighting Smart
You will fight in Dragon World, and often. Whether it's a Challenge from a rival, a Saga Event, or a Quest gone sideways, combat is inevitable. A few principles will serve you well.
Power Level isn't everything. Yes, League advantages are significant, but a well-built character with the right techniques, items, and skills can punch above their weight. Critical Hits ignore Defense entirely and bypass Temp HP. Status Effects like Bleed, Severed, and Stunned can cripple even the strongest opponent. The League system also expands the weaker fighter's Critical Hit Range, meaning that even outmatched fighters always have a chance.
Items matter more than you think. Armor, Senzu Beans, consumables like Battle Stimulants and Smelling Salts — these can swing a fight. Consumables are limited per battle, so choose wisely and always bring something.
Skills shape your build. Your five Skills define how you fight. Balanced investment across all five unlocks powerful milestone bonuses that can be some of the strongest abilities in the game. Don't neglect a skill entirely unless you have a very specific reason to.
Killing has trade-offs. Killing a defeated opponent increases your Power Level gain from the fight. But a dead opponent might come back from the Afterlife stronger, and you've just made an enemy who has nothing left to lose. Sometimes letting someone live — and taking their best item and half their Zeni — is the smarter play, and sometimes it is not.
Events Are Everything
If there is one piece of advice to take above all others, it is this: participate in Events.
Events are the beating heart of Dragon World. They don't cost EXP or Quarters to participate in. They reward Power Level, EXP, and sometimes items or abilities in quantities you can't get anywhere else. They are the primary way the Campaign's story unfolds, the means by which the Game Master(s) will build upon your actions and your character's personal story, and the characters who participate are the ones who shape the world.
Even if you think you're too weak, too new, or on the wrong side of the conflict — join anyway. Even dying during an Event typically rewards you more than you would have earned staying home and Training. And the stories that come out of Events, the alliances forged, the rivalries ignited, the dramatic moments where everything hangs in the balance — those are the experiences that make Dragon World worth playing.
Not just how to play: how to play well.
Strategy & Gameplay Tips
Dragon World has a lot of interconnected systems. You don't need to master them all on day one, but understanding the big picture will help you make better decisions from the start. This section covers the strategic thinking that separates good players from great ones.
Growing Your Power Level
Power Level is the single most important number on your character sheet. It determines your League advantage in combat, which cascades into bonuses to Attack, Defense, Damage, and Damage Reduction. But how you grow it matters more than how often you train.
Training gains are exponential, meaning every percentage point of efficiency compounds over time. A character consistently training at a higher rate will dramatically outpace one training at a lower rate over the course of several Quarters, even if they spend the same total EXP. This gap only widens as your Power Level climbs. Prioritize how much you gain per training session over how frequently you train.
The key is stacking bonuses. Gravity Training is better than Basic Training. Adding Sparring on top of that is better still. Weighted Clothing pushes it further. Every bonus matters because of that exponential scaling, so always look for ways to improve your training rate before you spend a single point of EXP on it. Check the Training section in Activities & Quests for the specific gains and caps.
That said, don't let the pursuit of perfect efficiency paralyze you. If Basic Training is your only option right now, do it and move on. Power Level comes from many sources beyond Training: combat victories award Base Power Level, Events and Sagas hand out some of the largest Power Level gains in the game, Special Quests like Hidden Potential and the Room of Spirit and Time can provide massive boosts, and the Dragon Balls can increase your Power Level significantly in a single wish. A character who participates in everything — fights, Events, Quests, Sagas — will stay competitive even if their Training isn't perfectly optimized.
Growth Tip! Always be thinking about how to push your training rate higher, but remember that a character who fights, explores, and participates will earn Power Level in ways that a character who only trains never will. Don't underestimate the power of simply being involved.
Where to Start
Your starting planet matters. Each world offers different training opportunities, items, and Special Quests, and your first few Quarters will be shaped by what's available to you. There's no single correct answer, but here's what to think about.
Starting on your homeworld is a natural fit for most characters. It gives you immediate access to your race's best Special Quests, which are often some of the most impactful in the game. Saiyans on Vegeta can pursue Galick Gun, Final Flash, and the Saiyan Elite Training skill evolution early. Humans on Earth have access to Kamehameha, Destructo Disc, Turtle and Crane School, and Senzu Beans. Changelings on Cold #01 can pick up Death Beam and Death Ball while training in the planet's strong natural gravity. Androids on M-1 are immune to the toxic atmosphere that taxes organic visitors and have access to items at favorable rates.
But there are compelling reasons to start somewhere other than your homeworld, too.
Konats is a strong opening move for any character planning to use weapons. The Konatsian Blade Tempering quest permanently improves your weapon, and the Z-Sword quest (if you can handle it) offers one of the most powerful items in the game. The Konatsian Swordsman Training skill evolution is available here as well. If your character build centers around Slashing, Bashing, or Piercing effects, visiting Konats early gives you tools that will pay off for the entire Campaign.
The Interstellar Market is the only location where all items are at base price. Everywhere else, you pay a significant markup. Starting here, or making an early trip, lets you gear up cheaply and stretch your starting Zeni further. Special Contracts, only purchasable here, boost your Working income and pay for themselves almost immediately. If you're playing a character with high Intelligence who plans to Work often, the Market is especially appealing.
Namek is worth considering even for non-Namekians. It has a Dragon Ball set with multiple wishes, and the Elder Secrets skill evolution and Masenko quest are available to anyone. If you're planning to pursue the Dragon Balls early, being on a planet with an active set from the start puts you ahead.
Yardrat is a planet worth planning around, though not necessarily starting on. The Spirit Control skill evolution, Instant Transmission, and the Yardrat Cloning Technique are all here, and they require multiple Quarters of questing. Characters who plan to visit Yardrat should budget their trip carefully and try to complete everything in one extended stay.
The Afterlife deserves special mention. You can't start there (unless you're Shinjin), but many of the most powerful Special Quests in the game are locked behind the Afterlife's various locations. Skill evolutions, powerful techniques, unique items, and training rates well above what the living universe offers are all waiting. Every character should have a rough plan for what they want to accomplish when they inevitably die.
Don't feel locked to your starting planet, though. The whole point of Dragon World is to explore the universe, and most characters will visit many worlds over the course of a Campaign.
Traveling Smart
Travel takes time, but it's not dead time. You still accumulate EXP every Quarter whether you're training, traveling, or doing anything else. Since Training and Working both cap on EXP per Activity, a few Quarters of travel means you'll arrive at your destination with a bank of EXP ready to spend on whatever that planet offers. Think of travel as saving up for a big investment.
While in transit, you can still write. Free Quests, ongoing threads with other characters, Scouter conversations with allies across the universe — none of this stops because your character is on a ship. Some of the best stories in Dragon Ball happen during the journey, not just at the destination. You might also consider writing about the journey itself; what your character does, thinks, or plans during weeks in space can be compelling material for a Free Quest claim.
If you're investing in a spaceship, think carefully about your engine choice and add-ons. The jump from Basic to Warp Engines is significant, but the Zeni investment is steep. For many characters, Advanced Engines are the sweet spot of cost and speed. The Training Deck and Gravitron Deck add-ons are particularly valuable because they let you train during transit, effectively eliminating travel's opportunity cost. The Quantum Communicator lets you buy items at Interstellar Market rates from anywhere, which pays for itself quickly.
Travel Tip! Plan your travel around your goals. If you need to visit Yardrat for Instant Transmission, that's a multi-Quarter commitment across several Special Quests. Bundle your trip: train while traveling there, complete your quests, and Spar with anyone else on the planet while you're at it. Arriving with banked EXP and a plan means you're making the most of every Quarter spent.
Money Matters
Zeni fuels everything: ships, items, medical care, Gravitron Facility access, and more. The Working Activity is your primary income source, and it scales dramatically with your Intelligence skill. Even a few ranks in Intelligence can make a meaningful difference in your economic output, and at the highest ranks the difference is enormous.
The markup on purchases outside the Interstellar Market is one of the most impactful rules in the game. Whenever possible, plan your major purchases around trips to the Market, or invest in a Quantum Communicator to get Market rates from anywhere. Some planets also sell specific items at Market rates, so check what's available locally before overpaying.
Your first big Zeni decision will likely be your spaceship. A Space Pod with Basic Engines gets you moving for cheap. But remember that every Zeni spent is Zeni you could have spent on gear, consumables, or Gravitron Facility access. Budget for what you need, not what you want, in the early game.
Zeni Tip! Special Contracts, purchasable only at the Interstellar Market, boost your Working income and pay for themselves almost immediately. If you plan to Work multiple times early on, pick some up before you leave. Rulers also earn passive Zeni income per Quarter, which can fund your adventures over time. Even one conquered planet provides a steady stream of income.
Plan Around the Dragon Balls
The Dragon Balls are not a side quest. They are arguably the most powerful tool in the entire game, and you should be thinking about them from the moment you create your character. A single wish can dramatically increase your Power Level, revive the dead, restore a destroyed planet, grant Immortality, or unlock God Ki. Multiple wishes from the Namek set can reshape an entire Campaign.
To gather Dragon Balls, you need a Dragon Radar. Acquiring one early is a strong investment. Gathering takes time on the planet where the set is located, and if someone else is also collecting, it triggers a confrontation. Once all seven are gathered, an Event begins and everyone on the planet gets a chance to show up and fight for the wish. This means gathering Dragon Balls is inherently social and often violent — plan accordingly.
Earth has a single-wish set and Namek has a multi-wish set. Both planets become strategic hotspots because of this. Characters who want wishes need to be on those planets, and characters who want to stop others from wishing need to be there too. Something else might soon follow, as well...
Dragon Ball Tip! Wishes that give you something you can't get any other way are generally more valuable than wishes that give you more of what you can already earn. A Power Level increase is strong, but it's something training will eventually match. Immortality, God Ki Knowledge, reviving a dead ally at a critical moment, a wish that isn't on the list and is particular to your character and circumstances, or restoring a destroyed planet? Those can change the entire course of a Campaign.
Play With Others
Dragon World is built around player interaction. Nearly every system in the game rewards you for doing things with other people rather than alone.
Sparring adds a training bonus to any Training Activity, which is a significant boost that costs you nothing but coordination. Find someone on your planet and Spar with them every time you train. This is the single easiest way to improve your growth rate.
Teaching techniques to other players reduces the learner's EXP cost and time. Learning from other players is almost always better than learning alone.
Free Quests are threads you write with other players that can be claimed for Bonus EXP each Quarter, and potentially much more depending on creativity. Free Quests are also your platform for requesting unique rewards: items, abilities, narrative developments, anything within reason. The key is that they must involve other players, so build relationships.
Factions are the backbone of the rulership system. Forming or joining a Faction lets you conquer and hold planets, earn passive Zeni, build Planetary Improvements that reshape worlds over time, control who enters your territory, and eventually declare war on rival Factions. A well-managed Faction with multiple planets and the right Improvements can become the dominant power in the galaxy. See Rulership & Factions for full details.
Interaction Tip! The characters who thrive in Dragon World are the ones who are doing something with others. Fighting, training, scheming, questing, forming alliances, making enemies — all of it generates EXP, Power Level, narrative rewards, and most importantly, a good time. A lone wolf can survive, but a character with allies, enemies, and rivals will thrive.
Embrace Death
Death in Dragon World isn't a failure state. It's a change of scenery with some of the best opportunities in the game.
When you die, you go to the Afterlife, where Special Training is available at several locations at rates well above what the living universe typically offers. The Four Kaio Worlds offer the Kaioken transformation, the Spirit Bomb, Magical Weighted Clothing, powerful skill evolutions, and additional Skill Points. rand Kaio's World lets you Work for Zeni and Purchase items while dead, access a library of free techniques, and enter the Otherworld Tournament for massive EXP prizes. Even the Check-In Station allows Working, so you can start earning Zeni the moment you arrive. Hell provides enhanced training rates and its own unique skill evolution and quests. Kaioshin Sei, accessible via invitation from the Grand Kaio, offers even more Skill Points, the Potara Earrings, Kai Kai, and powerful techniques.
All of these come with their own Special Quests that can evolve your skills, grant unique items, and teach powerful techniques. And when you're revived — whether by Dragon Ball wish, Fruit of Life, or another method — you bring all of that growth back with you.
The strategic calculus is simple: dying hurts in the short term (you lose access to living-world activities and might lose items or Zeni in the fight that killed you), coming back can be very difficult (especially without allies!), but the Afterlife's training rates and quest density often mean you come back stronger than you would have been if you'd survived. Don't seek death recklessly, but don't fear it either.
Afterlife Tip! Your Alignment determines your Afterlife path. Good characters get sent to Heaven and can travel freely to most locations. Evil characters go to Hell, which has its own powerful benefits. Neutral characters choose their destination but face restrictions on movement. Plan your Afterlife route the same way you'd plan a trip through the living universe — know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish before you get there.
Fighting Smart
You will fight in Dragon World, and often. Whether it's a Challenge from a rival, a Saga Event, or a Quest gone sideways, combat is inevitable. A few principles will serve you well.
Power Level isn't everything. Yes, League advantages are significant, but a well-built character with the right techniques, items, and skills can punch above their weight. Critical Hits ignore Defense entirely and bypass Temp HP. Status Effects like Bleed, Severed, and Stunned can cripple even the strongest opponent. The League system also expands the weaker fighter's Critical Hit Range, meaning that even outmatched fighters always have a chance.
Items matter more than you think. Armor, Senzu Beans, consumables like Battle Stimulants and Smelling Salts — these can swing a fight. Consumables are limited per battle, so choose wisely and always bring something.
Skills shape your build. Your five Skills define how you fight. Balanced investment across all five unlocks powerful milestone bonuses that can be some of the strongest abilities in the game. Don't neglect a skill entirely unless you have a very specific reason to.
Killing has trade-offs. Killing a defeated opponent increases your Power Level gain from the fight. But a dead opponent might come back from the Afterlife stronger, and you've just made an enemy who has nothing left to lose. Sometimes letting someone live — and taking their best item and half their Zeni — is the smarter play, and sometimes it is not.
Combat Tip! Don't neglect Techniques. Your custom Signature and Finisher Techniques are what make your character unique in a fight. A character with a well-designed set of Techniques that complement their build will outperform one who relies solely on raw Power Level and be less vulnerable to specific kinds of opponents. And remember: Special Techniques learned from Special Quests, like the Kamehameha or the Destructo Disc, often have unique effects that no custom technique can replicate.
Events Are Everything
If there is one piece of advice to take above all others, it is this: participate in Events.
Events are the beating heart of Dragon World. They don't cost EXP or Quarters to participate in. They reward Power Level, EXP, and sometimes items or abilities in quantities you can't get anywhere else. They are the primary way the Campaign's story unfolds, the means by which the Game Master(s) will build upon your actions and your character's personal story, and the characters who participate are the ones who shape the world.
Even if you think you're too weak, too new, or on the wrong side of the conflict — join anyway. Even dying during an Event typically rewards you more than you would have earned staying home and Training. And the stories that come out of Events, the alliances forged, the rivalries ignited, the dramatic moments where everything hangs in the balance — those are the experiences that make Dragon World worth playing.
The Golden Rule! When in doubt, do something. Train, fight, travel, write with other players, chase the Dragon Balls, enter a Tournament, conquer a planet, pick a fight with someone stronger than you. Dragon World rewards action. The worst thing you can do is nothing.
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