Palworld DB
Breeding
PaldeckPal LocationsAlpha PalsTier ListType ChartCompare Pals
Active SkillsPassive SkillsPartner SkillsTrust Levels
All ItemsWeaponsArmor & ShieldsAccessoriesAmmoSkill FruitsSphere ModulesGliders
Interactive MapTower BossesRaid BossesFishingNPCsArenaMerchants
StructuresBase RaidsSupply DropsPal RecruiterExpeditionsDungeonsTech TreeBest Base PalsWork OptimizerFarmingRanch PalsBase Planner
Team BuilderCapture CalculatorPal CalculatorMount Speeds
Guides

Hillside Cavern Guide: Pals, Bosses, and Loot

Updated 2026-07-22

Hillside Cavern is the grassland starter dungeon — the one you'll stumble into first, tuned for level 5–10. Runs are quick, the danger is low, and the payoff is real: early spheres, a Copper Key, and a boss room whose winner might become the strongest Pal on your team for the next ten levels. Every cavern rotates its entrance spots, so check the List of All Dungeons for what else is out there.

Why Run It Early

Two things make this cavern worth detouring for before level 10. First, chests: Mega Spheres this early trivialize catches that would take five Pal Spheres otherwise, and the Copper Key opens the locked chests you've probably been walking past. Second, the boss room — an oversized boss Pal at level 10–13 that, once caught, outclasses nearly anything wild at this stage.

Chest LootWhy Grab It
Mega SphereA big capture-rate jump at this level
Copper KeyOpens early locked chests
Pal SphereStock up for the boss
Training Manual (M)Fast EXP for a fresh catch
BreadCheap hunger management
Frag GrenadeReal burst damage before you have guns
Gold CoinEarly spending money
ArrowFree bow ammo
Low Grade Medical SuppliesPatch up mid-run

The Pals in the Corridors

The regular spawns are a small dark-leaning crew at level 5–10 — nothing a starter team can't handle, and Fuddler is a genuinely useful early catch for base mining. Turtacle paddles in the water pockets.

PalElementsBest Work
DaedreamDarkHandiwork
FuddlerGroundHandiwork
KillamariDark, WaterTransporting
MauDarkFarming
TurtacleWaterWatering

The 30-Pal Boss Pool

Hillside Cavern has the widest boss lottery of any cavern — 30 possible bosses, one rolled per run at level 10–13. Standouts worth re-running for: Eikthyrdeer (your first proper mount), Direhowl (a fast, cheap ride), and Dinossom (a sturdy grass bruiser). The full pool:

Possible BossElementsBest Work
CaprityGrassFarming
CattivaNeutralHandiwork
CelarayWaterWatering
ChikipiNeutralFarming
CloveeGrass, NeutralPlanting
CremisNeutralFarming
DaedreamDarkHandiwork
DepressoDarkFarming
DinossomGrass, DragonPlanting
DirehowlNeutralGathering
EikthyrdeerNeutralLumbering
FoxparksFireKindling
FuackWaterWatering
FuddlerGroundHandiwork
GumossGrass, GroundPlanting
HoocratesDarkGathering
JellietteWaterWatering
JolthogElectricGenerating Electricity
KillamariDark, WaterTransporting
LamballNeutralFarming
LifmunkGrassPlanting
MauDarkFarming
MelpacaNeutralFarming
PengulletWater, IceWatering
RoobyFireFarming
RushoarGroundMining
TanzeeGrassPlanting
TeafantWaterWatering
TombatDarkMining
VixyNeutralFarming
TipWeaken the boss and throw spheres instead of finishing it — a caught boss Pal comes at the level it fought you, which is a head start on anything you could catch outside at this point.

Keep the early game rolling: - List of All Dungeons: Caverns and Sealed Realms - Mountain Stream Grotto Guide: Pals, Bosses, and Loot - Capture Rate Calculator: Best Spheres to Use - Best Base Pals for Every Work Type - Interactive Map: All Pal Locations - Best Pals Tier List: Combat, Work, and Mounts