The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a very faithful re-imagining of the first entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. With that comes some of the quirks of the original, such as the possibility that you might completely miss out on the side quest that lets you promote your party into better classes.
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There are only a few hints as to this possibility, such as some dialogue from NPCs and the fact that your Black Mages and White Mages cannot yet learn the Warp and Teleport spells, respectively. The only surefire way to learn about this quest is to come across some dragons directly.
How To Upgrade Your Classes
The power to promote comes directly from Bahamut, the King of Dragons. He can be found on the Cardia Islands in the Dragon Caves. You can find these easily by taking a quick look at the world map — the Cardia Islands are a stretch of small islands to the north, between the two northern continents.
- There are many holes on these islands, each leading to a different Dragon Cave. There are no random encounters here, so feel free to explore them all to pick up some good loot.
- Bahamut can be found in the first hole from the left.
- The King of Dragons will tell you that you need to retrieve a symbol of your bravery before he will upgrade your classes — this symbol is the Rat Tail, which can be found in the Citadel of Trials (also called the Castle of Ordeals in different versions of the game).
Retrieving The Rat Tail
The Citadel of Trials is conveniently close to the Cardia Islands, just to the east. However, you cannot land your airship nearby thanks to the marshes and the forests. You must land a little distance away and then walk the perilous journey to the citadel. Landing just south of the very small desert to the east is a good choice.
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Once you've made your way to the citadel, you'll have to talk to the man inside who will explain that the citadel is a test of courage. Head to the room in the upper-left and sit on the throne to begin this dungeon.
- The first floor is a teleporter puzzle. Don't worry though, as you will not have to make the wrong choices to pick up treasure or anything as many RPGs are wont to do. Simply keep this rule in mind at all times: when presented with a choice, take the lower teleporter.
- This is true of the last teleporter, which is one of many scattered around a corridor. If you are confused, just remember not to take a teleporter that lines up with a door leading to a treasure room.
- Mercifully, the citadel has a low encounter rate, but it does have some tricky enemies to be wary of. Medusas are weak but they can petrify your characters, and Mindflayers have an instant-death attack that can ruin your day. Try to defeat them as soon as possible, or flee if you're feeling less confident.
- The third floor is a very simple corridor all the way to the boss. On the way are plenty of chests to loot and a forced encounter with a Nightmare that should be a dream, honestly. The Healing Staff that you get here is very nice, as it casts Heal when used in battle — that is unlimited healing!
- At the end of the corridor, you'll find the Rat Tail in a chest, but there's a fight you must complete before you're allowed onto the throne to teleport out of the citadel.
BOSS: How To Defeat The Dragon Zombies
- HP: 268
- Resistances: Ice
- Weaknesses: Fire, Dia
- Abilities: Poison physicals
You've fought enough undead creatures by now to know what to do. There are two Dragon Zombies and spells like Firaga and Diaga will deal with them handily. They have low HP and you're not likely to be weakened by this very short dungeon, so just go all out.
Once you win, sit on the throne and you'll be teleported back to the ground floor of the citadel.
Taking The Rat Tail Back To Bahamut
Head back to your airship and return to the King of Dragons. When presented with the Rat Tail he will upgrade your classes as follows.
| Initial Class | Promoted Class | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Knight | Can cast up to level three White Magic and use the best weapons and armor in the game. |
| Thief | Ninja | Can cast up to level four Black Magic and use a hugely expanded range of weapons, including the best katanas. |
| Monk | Master | Vastly increased damage output. |
| Black Mage | Black Wizard | Access to the best dagger, the best staves, the Black Robes, and the highest level Black Magic. |
| White Mage | White Wizard | Access to best hammers and staves, the White Robes, and the Exit spell. |
| Red Mage | Red Wizard | Access to the best swords and some higher-tier magic such as Blizzaga and Life. |
The upgrades are not readily apparent, but you'll soon notice the bump in power once you level up a bit. However, the first order of business should be to go and collect the Warp and Exit spells from Melmond and Crescent Lake.