Since we're already at Galbadia Garden, let's start our item collecting there and make our way over to Timber and then finally, Dollet. Outside Galbadia Garden, you can encounter several new enemies. The first to look for is the Geezard, which you may have fought during the SeeD exam. You can steal many of the Screw item from them that is required to create a good number of weapons. Try to pick up a minimum of 60-70 of these.
The undead Blood Soul monsters carry Zombie Powder to steal. Unless you're looking to refine it into Zombie spells, this item is only of interest to us completionists. Blood Souls also have the Float spell to draw; make sure to stock up on it because it will be useful for an upcoming boss.
The flying Belhelmels are your source of Saw Blades to steal. Other than for Rinoa's Rising Sun weapon, Saw Blades can be refined into Death spells which are excellent for your status defense.
Belhelmels, that are over level 30, also very rarely will drop the Laser Cannon item. Outside of the Elastoid enemies in Laguna's dreams, and a boss late in the game, it is the only place in the game you can acquire this item. Like mentioned in the previous chapter, Laser Cannons teach Quistis the blue magic, Homing Laser, and can be refined into Pulse Ammo.
Before you leave the Garden area, you can find a hidden Cura draw point by the edge of the mountain range to the northwest.
Only in the forest where Squall and party entered the last Laguna dream, and if you hug against the cliffs, you can encounter Grendels. Be very wary of this monster as its physical attacks can be devastating. Being able to encounter Grendels here is likely a programing error due to having to be touching the cliffs where later, when you have the Ragnarok, you can land on the cliffs and they are encountered there, but, anyway, you can steal Dragon Fins from them. Dragon Fins are used to create one of Zell's weapons and can be refined into Double magic. They can also be used in the menu to raise the compatibility with a later Guardian Force, Cerberus, but like usual, this will lower compatibility with your other GFs. Lastly, if your party's average level is under level 30, Grendels can drop Dragon Fangs, which four are required for Squall's best weapon. If you can't get them now, because of level, don't worry, we can acquire them much easier later on.
Now, let's head back to Timber to tie up a few loose ends. First, talk to the guy outside the Timber Maniacs building and tell him that he shouldn't give up on his dream; this will result in obtaining a missable item later on.
If you stop by the train tracks where Squall and company boarded the train for Galbadia Garden, Squall can rescue a little girl and will get a free nights stay at the inn.
Where you can then plunder the Timber Maniacs magazine on the table. That's all here, for the moment, now let's look at the enemies in the vicinity of Timber.
On the grassy plains, the common Thrustaevis monsters carry two items: both of which can be stolen or dropped at varying percentages depending on their level. The Windmill is incredibly useful. First, you can refine it into 20 Tornado spells, which is an amazing stat-junction spell and two of these are required to create Rinoa's best weapon. You can also use them to raise a character's compatibility with a GF, Pandemona, that will be obtained later on, but has the usual side-effect of lowering other GF's.
Shear Feathers are basically the little brother of Windmills. They do almost the same thing except refine into Aero spells instead of Tornado. Once the Thrustaevis is over level 30, you can no longer steal Shear Feathers from them, but they will continue to drop them.
You more than likely have some of these already, but the Funguar can be mugged for Sleep Powder. Their only use is to refine into Sleep magic.
In the forests of Timber, you can encounter a myriad of monsters. The Cockatrice you can pilfer Cockatrice Pinions from. You need one for a Rinoa weapon, but other than for creating Break magic, they are just for item collecting.
The ever-dangerous Wendigos are home to several rare items. Make sure at the beginning of every battle with them to draw from and cast Berserk to keep them from using their ridiculously damaging "Shoot" attack that hits the entire party. You can mug Steel Pipes from them. These are used for a Squall weapon, plus a few of Irvine's weapons, and to obtain a Guardian Force much later on in the game. You can refine them into useful Aura Stones, as well. They teach a Guardian Force the SumMag+10% ability if you happened to have discarded it with an Amnesia Green.
Wendigos actually have three rare items that they can drop. Steel Orbs, which you can steal from a limited-time enemy a little bit later on, Wendigos can drop. Two of these are needed for Selphie's next weapon and they raise compatibility with Diablos, while lower other GF's. You can refine several Demi spells from them, as well. Keep in mind that if you steal from an enemy, it will no longer have an item to drop.
The Strength Love is the second item Wendigos have to drop. You can use this item to teach a GF the Str+20% ability, which could be useful at the moment for whomever doesn't have the ability to junction to the Str stat yet.
Wendigos will rarely drop the Black Hole as their third item. This teaches Quistis the blue magic, Degenerator. Other than through Card Mod, and the Gesper enemy in Laguna's dreams, this is the only other way to obtain Black Holes.
Still in the forests, Anacondaurs can be mugged for Venom Fangs. You can use these to refine into the useful Bio spell as well as Dark Ammo to use with Irvine's limit break. They are also a compatibility item of the Doomtrain GF you will obtain much later in the game.
Anacondaurs can drop the very important Dragon Skin item. Many of these are needed (at least 8) for a weapon for Quistis and Zell's best weapon. They can be used as a compatibility item for Carbuncle, a GF will will acquire very soon; as well as refining into the Reflect spell. Reflect is one of the best spells in the game you can junction to a character's Spirit, and can be useful for status defense junctioning, as well.
The last enemy in the Timber forests to look for is the Ochu. They can be mugged for Ochu Tentacles. Two of these are needed for a Quistis weapon and can be used to refine into Blind magic.
Just below the town of Timber, inside the train tunnel, you can find a hidden Fira draw point.
One of the other train tunnels nearby you can search around the top of for a Thunder draw point.
Beyond a small forest, around the Obel Lake area, you can find a hidden Blizzard Draw point.
The middle of the bridge containing railroad tracks near the East Academy Station has a hidden Fire draw point.
To the east, near a cove, where the Galbadian Soldiers have a blockade keeping you from going to Deling City, you can find a Blizzara draw point.
The last Timber-area draw point is a Thundara one located in a neatly-carved alcove near the southwestern edge of the cliffs.
Heading for Dollet now, which is at the northeastern part of the continent, past the small forest nearby, a Cure draw point is hidden in the cliff.
At the extreme end of the peninsula opposite of Dollet, we find a hidden Water draw point.
The beaches of Dollet are home to another important monster, the Adamantoise, of which you can steal two different items. The most common, if over level 30, is the Orihalcon. You can use these to teach a GF the ability Vit+40%. They can refine into the Adamantoise's dropped item, Adamantine, as well.
Alternately, you will sometimes obtain Whispers from mugging Adamntoises. This teaches Quistis the excellent blue magic, White Wind, and is also an important refining item. However, at the moment, we lack the necessary Guardian Force abilities to create the items so we will return here once we have them. Quistis' White Wind restores the party's HP by the difference between her max and current HP.
Finally, Adamntoises drop the Adamantine item which is necessary to create most of the best weapons in the game. Try to get a minimum of at least 3 of these, for now. Like with the Whisper item, Adamantine is also a required item to refine into a few other rare items, but we lack the abilities to do so now, so this will be covered later on. Adamantine can also teach a GF the Vit+60% ability. No Guardian Force in the game has this ability by default, so if you want to give your character's the largest Vitality boost possible, you will need to teach a GF Vit+60%.
Before we move on to exploring Dollet and creating some weapons, I would recommend using the Card Mod ability to create two Sharp Spikes from Grand Mantis cards, if you have them, it not, we will be able to steal these from a monster coming up in a little while. This is to create Selphie's next weapon. You may consider Card Modding a Mesmerize Blade from a Mesmerize card for Squall, too. It's going to be a long while until we can obtain this item otherwise and one is necessary for his third weapon.
There is a remodel/junk shop in both Timber and Dollet you can use to create weapons. If you've been following along and collecting items, Squall can now change to the Shear Trigger weapon, the Cutting Trigger if you obtained a Mesmerize Blade, or if you have really been grinding, he can go all the way to the best weapon in the game: the Lion Heart, but myself, personally, won't be getting that until later. Zell can change to the Maverick. Quistis can skip the Slaying Tail and go straight to her next-to-last weapon, Red Scorpion. If you modded two Grand Mantis cards, Selphie can use the Morning Star weapon. Rinoa can pass on the Valkyrie and create her Rising Sun weapon. Lastly, Irvine can use the Ulysses now.
Now that we're in the Dukedom of Dollet, the first thing you may notice is the Random card game rule begins to rear its ugly head here. It's essential that you save before and after every card game when Random is in effect. Also, after playing cards here, anytime a player in another town asks to play by the Dollet rules, say no! Typically, if you save and then reload your game, they will no longer ask, or you can just keep declining and they will eventually stop asking you to play by other rules.
Per usual now, take a stay at the Dollet inn to find a Timber Maniacs magazine on the desk in the guest room.
Just outside the hotel, if you keep talking to the guard here, Squall will eventually have a chance to get by him and out onto the mountain path that lead to the communications tower during the SeeD exam.
Unfortunately, other than a humorous scene involving Galbadian Soldiers and some poorly-programed X-ATM092s, there is nothing else to do here and you cannot make it all the way back to the tower. You can, however, fight the typical enemies here that you did during the exam, which includes Anacondaurs if you need more Dragon Skins.
On the streets of Dollet, you'll notice a boy standing outside of one of the residences. If you follow him inside, you will begin a small quest. I recommend that you hold off on following up with this though and wait until much later on in the game where the rewards will be far better than they will if you complete it now. We will return here when the time comes.
Lastly, stop by the Dollet pub and on the second floor you can find a Timber Maniacs magazine upon the craps table. Also, equip Siren's Move-Find ability and you will be able to see a hidden save point in the corner of the room; we're about to play cards so make sure to use it. Talk to the pub's owner and successfully beat him in a game of cards and he will allow you to cross the balcony outside to his private room.
Talk with him inside his private room and he will hand over some basic cards to Squall and you can search his room and play cards with him again.
In the private room, he holds the rare Siren card in his deck. Just make sure to save often as your chances of losing with the Random rule in place are greatly increased.
The final thing to do in Dollet is to search the pile of magazines near the entrance; keep searching and you will eventually find up to three items. These include: Potion, Soft, Phoenix Down, Antidote, a Geezard card, or the magazine Occult Fan II; the latter you will receive only once. If you don't get the magazine, leave the room and then return and the magazine stack will be filled with items again. That's all for optional things at the moment. We can now head back to the train station near Galbadia Garden and board the train for Deling City.
