Chrono Trigger FAQ

There are several questions regarding Chrono Trigger that pop up often from new players and others who simply missed something the first time around. Some of these fall into analysis, and some are simply gameplay inquiries. This is the Compendium FAQ for 'em.

Gameplay questions[edit]

How do I input names less than five letters and avoid having spaces at the end?[edit]

If you name Crono "Jack", he'll show up in dialogue as "Jack ". Like, if an NPC references his name, he'll say something like "Oh look, it's Jack ". See that extra space? The trick is to put the space BEFORE the name, so in the naming screen, you type " Jack". These preceding spaces are nullified in dialogue, whereas succeeding spaces are not. This displays short names correctly in conversation.

Alternatively, just type the name and fill any remaining spaces with spaces. Any space is nulled and the name displays correctly.

Thanks to Biccy, Jeff

My characters won't learn any new techs, help![edit]

You must take characters to see Spekkio before they can learn magic or new techs; otherwise, they'll be limited the rest of the game to their initial, physical attacks.

What's the best place to level up?[edit]

If you haven't gone through Mt. Woe yet, be sure to kill every Rubble there, as they give Tech Points galore. The Black Omen is, by far, the best place to level as much experience awaits. However, if it has been defeated, use the Geno Dome conveyor belt (it's available if Mother Brain hasn't been defeated). If it too is no longer accessable, use the Giant's Claw.

The best place to get tech points?[edit]

Be sure to take out the Rubbles mentioned above; you can also visit the Black Omen to defeat Sidekick monsters for 100 TP a piece (they also respawn). The Nu at the Hunting Range also provides 30 TP when defeated.

What's the best party?[edit]

Each character has strengths and weaknesses, and until around level 40 the story drives which characters must be in the party anyway. You should customize and play around with combinations to find your favorite group.

How do I get New Game +?[edit]

Defeat Queen Zeal in the Black Omen, then kill Lavos to win the game. At the end, reset and start a new game. Note that if you already defeated her but gated out of the Lavos battle, you can still fight Lavos and access the new game.

Is there a way to delete save files?[edit]

At the save game selection screen, select the save you wish to delete and press Start and Select on Controller 2. You will be given a Yes/No confirmation box before the save is deleted.

What's the difference between the SNES and the PSX versions?[edit]

In terms of Pros, the PSX version has

-Anime cutscenes -Libraries of monsters and bosses -A song jukebox with four new Mitsuda tunes -Treasure chest locator

In terms of Cons, the PSX version has

-Horrendous loading times that make it nearly unplayable -Botched and worse sounding sound effects

I lost my Epoch and now I'm stuck![edit]

Go to The End of Time. It should be there waiting for you in it's usual spot. If your Epoch does not yet have wings, check the Keeper's Dome in 2300 A.D. Also, use the pillars at the End of Time to warp to each time period and press select on the overworld map. The Epoch will appear as a flashing yellow dot.

9. I can't seem to be found not guilty![edit]

There are certain things you need to do in the beginning of the game to be found not guilty, not that it matters. You go to prison either way; however, you will get gifts based on how many not guilties you have.

1. Help the girl find her cat.
2. When you hit Marle, check on her before getting the pendant.
3. Don't eat the man's lunch.
4. Talk to Melchoir, but tell him you can't sell the pendant.
5. Wait for her to buy the candy.
6. During the trial, say it was your fault, but you didn't want anything from her.
7. The second juror is glitched, and will randomly choose "Guilty" or "Not Guilty".

That should get you found not guilty.

The gifts you receive in prison are as follows:
7 Not Guilty=6 Ethers
6 Not Guilty=3 Ethers
5 Not Guilty=2 Ethers
4 Not Guilty=1 Ether

10. Password help![edit]

Several times throughout the game, you are required to input a key code. These codes often give people trouble for various reasons. Most often because of slight confusion of when to activate the code. These instances are as follows:

The ZABY code
The LARA code

a. The ZABY code is required to escape the factory in the future. When the message box appears to enter the code, press the A button to close the text box, then press the X,A,B, and Y buttons in order. Sometimes you can accidentaly push the A button twice, causing an incorrect code input.

b. The LARA code is required in the lucca flashback, to save Lucca's mother Lara from being crippled. This one is most commonly plagued by the double press of the A button. As you have to press A at the sparkling dot, then press it again to close the text box, then enter the password. After closing the text box, press the L, A, R, and A buttons in order. Spelling Lara. If you fail, don't worry, its not needed to complete the game, it just changes a few minor in game events.

How do I climb Death Peak?[edit]

If you haven't been told to in-game, then you can't. If you have, however, you need to be exactly behind and up close to a tree to avoid the wind. Running up behind a tree often takes the party right or left of it and around its base; it's more prudent to run up to it, but before reaching it, to stop and continue walking upwards to maintain position within a relatively close position.

I can't run three laps to get magic![edit]

Try this. Start at the door, and just hold down. When you get to a corner, hold right. At the next corner, hold up, and at the next, left, and so on. Don't hold down when you're on the wall with the door all the way, however, as you must sidestep the door. Try to hug as closely to it without exiting.

How can I access the Northern Ruins?[edit]

Go to Cafe in 600 AD on the same island as the Northern Ruins and talk to the guy who looks like Taban. He says he lost his tools. Now go to Choras Inn in 1000 AD and talk to his descendant. Go get the tools from his wife. Give them to the guy in 600 AD and he gets to work. Now go to the ruins and talk to the guys. Clear out the monsters. Go to the guy's house and give him some cash to get back to work. Congrats. You now have entry to the Northern Ruins.

How do I save Fiona's Forest?[edit]

In Zeal Palace, tell the woman with the Sapling to plant it. If Zeal has fallen, you can find her in the Commons of 12000 B.C.

Where is the Hunting Range?[edit]

In 65,000,000 BC on the way to the Dactyl Nest, there should be an alcove in the forest to the left. There it is.

Where is Sun Keep?[edit]

Go to the highest tip of the right side of the main continent. Now, continue going directly right and you should see it.

Where is Sun Palace?[edit]

Go to the Arris dome in 2,300 AD. Then fly directly down until you see a mountain on an island with a cave.

Where is Keeper's Dome/Death Peak?[edit]

From the right side of Lab 32 travel directly south on the Epoch. You should see a massive mountain on an island. Both of the places are on that island.

How do I get that Nu to move in that hut in 12000 BC?[edit]

Simply talk to him and wait until he leaves on his own.

I can't beat the Soda Contest at the Fair![edit]

Use a turbo controller of function on your keyboard. The 5 points aren't worth the trouble, though.

How do I get more cats and how many can I have?[edit]

Play the game of Norstien Bekkler to get a second cat. Continuously play this game to earn cat food. When you have enough cat food more cats will eventually come. You can have a total of 11 cats.

How do I get the tab on the wall in Kajar?[edit]

Go into the room directly above where you see the tab. Once there search along the bottom wall where it should be on the other side to grab the tab.

Emulator questions[edit]

I'm in 2300 A.D., and I can't see anything but fog![edit]

Your emulator is outdated. While you can opt to disable Layer 3 graphics with it if you know how, you'd be better off getting the newest version of ZSNES or Snes9x.

I can't open the door in the Arris Dome![edit]

This is a result of keyboards not inputting multiple keystrokes at once. Turn on these codes in your emulator, and press A at the console:

F69B3010
F69B3103

These codes modify the game content (instead of memory), so they can be left on all the time. Thanks to Geiger.

Story/ending questions[edit]

How do I get X ending?[edit]

Check Endings (Chrono Trigger) for a list of endings and how to obtain them.

Who is the Entity?[edit]

You may have seen an Entity referenced as creating the Gates. Its identity is very heavily implied throughout the Chrono series, but never directly spoken. This identity would be that of the planet, which created the Gates during hectic points in its life (when Lavos falls, awakens, is summoned; when Crono steps through the first Gate, and when the planet truly dies) in order to send Crono on a quest to rid it of Lavos.

What is Gaspar's last quest?[edit]

Before the end of the game, you may read the quote "One of you is close to someone who needs help. Find this person, FAST." While this seemingly alludes to another sidequest, or to the Black Omen and Queen Zeal, it is in fact a mistranslation. In the Japanese version, Gaspar simply told the party to speak to its members at the End of Time in order to learn about events or sidequests in their respective eras.

Where did Schala go!?[edit]

Schala's fate is unknown in Chrono Trigger, but if you want to know, play Chrono Cross. A different version of her future history is presented in Radical Dreamers, as well.

Is Janus Schala's step-brother?[edit]

This is another translation difference. It is not the result of a line being mistranslated, but rather, it was added to the US version of the game for no apparent reason. There is no evidence in the rest of the series substantiating the claim that the two are step-siblings.

Should I recruit Magus or kill him?[edit]

The only benefits of killing Magus are receiving his Amulet and being able to see the human form of Frog at the ending of the game. However, if you let him live, you not only get a powerful magic user and the Amulet (he comes equipped with it anyway), but get to see the rest of his dialogue and a special scene on the Black Omen if you bring him with you. Magus has very memorable lines and quips, making his addition valuable. His only drawbacks are his inability to use Double Techs and Triple Techs without the aid of a Black or Blue Rock.

Is Flea a guy or a girl?[edit]

Flea is a guy, because he explicitly states this fact in-game. In the Japanese version, his Flea Vest was better known as a Flea Bra, which, like training bras in young girls, "pads" his chest area.

Does this game connect with Chrono Cross and Radical Dreamers?[edit]

Yes, by all means. The two others could not stand as separate titles. However, Chrono Cross has a somewhat complex plot and a bit if poor pacing (a lot of information is bunched up at the end), so it may benefit you to read the Chrono Cross Condensed Plot Summary if you've played through it but did not understand it.

Is this game related to Chrno Crusade?[edit]

No, it's a separate series altogether.

Bosses[edit]

How do I beat Magus?[edit]

Magus is another boss that seems to give people fits. First off, you should be in the low to mid 20's in level. Lower than that, you might want to level up in the castle a bit first. Magus's attack strategy is simple, he has a barrier, that prevents you from hitting him with anything but the type of magic he's currently using. If he's hit with the masamune, his magic defense for that type of magic lowers. In order to make sure you can always hit him, choose lucca as your third party member. With her fire magic, and the crono frog and lucca's triple tech, you'll have all four elements covered. Use frog to heal the party when needed. Eventually magus lowers his barrier to cast dark matter. You can hit with everything you have at this point. The key is to only hit him with the magic that can damage him, otherwise he'll be healed.

How do I beat the Golem Twins?[edit]

Make sure that you have the level 2 versions of Fire, Lightning, Water/Ice. Take your crew of Crono, Lucca, Marle/Frog to the fight with these spells learned, and keep an eye on your action bars. Cast off two of these spells, while the third character waits a bit until the other two characters action bars are almost completely filled. Then, fire off two more spells, and repeat. If you do this correctly, the Golems will never get off a move and you should win rather easily. If you need to heal, try to time the characters actions so they are pretty close together to enable Marle or Frog to get off a Heal/Cure spell off.

How do I beat Son of Sun?[edit]

First thing you need to do is equip fire resistant armor to make the battle easy. If you need to, take a trip to 65,000,000 BC to pick up some Ruby Armors from the trading hut. When fight the Son of Sun, it is important to know that you NEVER attack him directly. That means no all enemy attacks. Just attack the flames surrounding him randomly with normal attacks until one doesn't counter-attack you. Now concentrate you attacks on that flame. After a while, Son of Sun will shuffle the flames and you'll have to find the right one again. Repeat this process for a while and with a little luck, this battle should be over soon.

How do I defeat inner Lavos?[edit]

Be at least level 45. If you are doing incredibly terrible, make your team Crono, Ayla, and Robo. Prism Spec Robo, and Sun Shade Crono. Ayla will have to make do with what accessories you have left. Also, equip Robo with the Crisis Arm. Make sure you have everyone equiped with a prism helm. Get as many mega elixers as possible. Don't be afraid to use them or any items you have. They will carry over on New Game+ as though you didn't use them.

For the first inner form, you should attack the right arm first as it can heal. After that, take out the left arm. Shouldn't take too long before it falls as well. The head will now start using powerful attacks, so keep healed up. Now go all out and finish him off.

For the second and final inner form, get Robo to 999 hp and have him cast uzi punch on the left bit. It should be a one hit kill. This is essential, because magic heals it and you want to be able to cast Luminaire and Shock freely. Now in a couple turns the right bit's defense should drop. Let loose and attack the right bit with everything you have. Uzi Punch when the opportunity occurs. He shouldn't last too long. Don't forget to use Megaelixirs when neccessary.

Equipment, items, and accessories[edit]

What's the best gear?[edit]

Males:

Nova Armor (Moon Armor doesn't lock status) Haste Helm / Prism Helm (your preference) Crono: Rainbow Frog: Masamune II Robo: Terra Arm / Crisis Arm

Females:

Prism Dress Prism Helm Marle: Siren (as it inflicts random Stop) Lucca: Wondershot Ayla: BronzeFist (she must be level 99-**)

Magus:

Gloom Cape Gloom Helm DeathScythe

It then becomes a matter of personal preference for accessories.

What should I take? Three Prism Helms, or the Dress?[edit]

Take the three helmets. You can aquire more helms and three Prism Dresses from the Black Omen. To do this, you'll need to take on the Black Omen in the year 1000AD first. Get to Queen Zeal, and charm both her hands. Be prepared for a nasty counter though since Ayla can't handle havin' no MP/1 HP for too long. Get the Dress and Helm, defeat all of the Lavos outer shell forms, then head back to 600AD. Repeat the Zeal steps, then head back to 12000AD. You will only have to fight the Lavos forms once, so don't worry about that.

Swallow or Safe Helm?[edit]

Take the Safe Helm. Its usefulness outlives the Swallow.

What are Ayla's fist levels?[edit]

1-23: Fist with a Critical of 20% 24-47: Fist with a Critical of 25% 48-71: Fist with a Critical of 30% 72-95: Iron Fist with a Critical of 35%. Gives enemies Chaos Status. 96-**: Bronze Fist with a Critical of 10%. Deals 9,999 damage on a critical hit.

How does the Wonder Shot work?[edit]

The mechanics guide states that the Wonder Shot attacks randomly dealing 10%, 50%, 100%, 200%, or 300% normal damage.

How does the Crisis Arm work?[edit]

The mechanics guide states that the Crisis Arm's normal damage is multiplied by the last digit of Robo's current HP then multiplied by 2.

How does the Doomsickle work?[edit]

If one ally has fallen in battle, the damage is increased to 200%. If two allies have fallen, the damage is increased to 300%.

What do Prism Specs and Sun Shades do?[edit]

These items make any attack deal more damage. Sun Shades increase damage to 125%, and Prism Specs increase damage to 150%.

Where is Magus' equipment?[edit]

Go to Ozzie's Castle. In the room with the item box under a guillotine, search the wall south of the north exit. You should find a secret passage leading to the items.

Where are the rocks?[edit]

Gold Rock - Once you have the upgraded Masamune, go to the Denadoro Mountains with Frog leading the party and climb normally till you get to the Crow throwing rocks. Frog will catch the rock. It turns out he was throwing gold at you. Black Rock - In the element puzzle room in Kajar. Silver Rock - Talk to the Nu in the Laruba ruins. Blue Rock - In the Giant's Claw. White Rock - In the Black Omen.

What does the Power Meal do?[edit]

These give you a random amount of HP, MP, or both. You can get one, if you have none in your inventory, by sleeping at the Dorino Inn.

Chrono Trigger DS[edit]

What did Chrono Trigger DS change?[edit]

Check Chrono Trigger DS.

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