Research Assistant is the third chapter or pursuit in Dredge. The Fisherman’s quest to find the relics leads him to the Stellar Basin, a place once used as a testing ground for many experiments. The relic is located in the middle of the basin, but it is also guarded by a lurking presence in the deep abyss. Read ahead as we go through the events of Chapter 3: Research Assistant of Dredge and share some tips and tricks on how to complete the chapter.
See previous: Chapter 2 – Hermitage
On this Guide:
Upon arriving at the basin, you’ll see that there are a few points of interest to check, but first, as always, head over to the Starlight Pontoon to rest up and get your bearings. You will also see the huge basin plus the relic in the middle of it, but you can’t get it yet as the monster in the deep is still active and will attack your ship once you sail over the basin.
Researcher
Go over to the Old Fortress in D5, where you will meet the Researcher. She holds the key to staving away the monster, but she needs some help in completing her research first by capturing these specific species:
- Glowing Octopus – They can be caught using a Shallow Rod or Pot. Look for blue lights in the water with big silhouettes.
- Aurora Jellyfish – They can be caught using a Coastal Trawl.
- Firefly Squid – They can be caught using a Coastal Rod or Trawl. Look for blue lights in the water with small silhouettes.
After catching the required specimens, head back to the Researcher and she will give you your next task, which is to find the Prototype Parts from the Research Outpost.
Research Outpost
Sail over to G4, and you can rummage through the outpost to find the Prototype Parts, as well as some Research Parts. Head back to the Research Assistant and hand over the Prototype Parts to her, and she will give you the Sampling Device.
You will need to install the Sampling Device later on, so for now, stash it in storage.
For the next batch of specimens that the Researcher needs, they are usually found on the basin itself, but in order to repel the monster, she gives you the Repulsion Machine. Head back to the Research Outpost and go to the Generator where you can install the machine. Activate the machine, and it will repel the monster, allowing you to safely sail to the basin and catch the needed fish. The repulsion wave will only last until midnight, but you can reactivate whenever you need to.
Now that you can fish on the basin, make sure that you have researched the Bottomless Lines equipment for 1 Research Part as it will help you catch the fish you need. If you have upgraded your boat with enough rod spaces, you can install it along with the Sampling Device from earlier on the left side of the grid.
Relic #3 – Jewel Encrusted Band
While the repelling wave is active, head to the middle of the basin and dredge the relic from the marked spot, which will turn out to be the Jewel Encrusted Band, and you can travel back to The Collector.
But if you want to finish your quest with the Researcher, you will need to catch these fishes:
- Giant Amphipod – They can be caught using a Hadal Rod during the day or night. They can be found within the central basin.
- Snailfish – They can be caught using a Hadal Rod during the day or night. They can be found within the central basin.
- Anglerfish – They can be caught using an Abyssal Rod during the day or night. They can be found within the channel that leads to the central basin.
- Loosejaw – They can be caught using an Abyssal Rod during the day or night. They can be found outside the island perimeter of Stellar Basin. Look for red lights in deep water.
Completing all fishing requests will have the Researcher reward you with the A Plan For The Future book which gives a 15% chance to not reduce fish stocks when catching a fish with a rod.
Banish Ability
Handing over the ring relic to The Collector will earn you the Banish ability, which allows you to dispel any hostile attackers brought on by high panic. This will be useful in the next two regions of the story, where the sea monsters become more aggressive.
Side Pursuits
There are new side pursuits that you can take on during this part of the story, such as:
- Lost Dog – Look for the dog at F2
- Figure in Gold – Look for the Gold Hooded Figure in K2
See next: Chapter 4 – The Bitter End