Dragon Age: Origins gameplay and discussion thread.

[seireikhaan]

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Have you been to the Elven forest yet? In that quest line there's a big ruin you enter, and on the 3rd (IIRC) floor of that ruin there's a phalacory (or however it’s spelt!) buried in the rubble in a smallish room which also contains a small altar. Treat the phalactory gently and follow the conversation choices which let you view it's memories, then pick the line which allows you to gain the specialisation in exchange for placing the phalactory on the altar and destroying it.

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Yes, I've cleared through the entire area, ended the werewolf curse and everything. I know the altar you're speaking of, but I'll go through once more to see if I can find this thing.

Be wary of blood mages. From the way the world treats them I expect choosing that option will put you in for a lot of pain. It's hard to see good party members sticking with you for a start.

I picked it for my first specialization as a mage, and I've not run into anything nearing a serious complication yet. Now that its later, I've combined it with a healing spec, and the two work very nicely together. Blood magic really is meant for control- neutralizing a large group of people into nothing, switching allegiances, and generally allowing for your party to beat on one person at a time, while still inflicting damage during the control process.

Plus, there's little that is more humorous than sending the ogre leading a group of enemies crashing into his own frontlines.

[frogbeastegg]

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Yes, I've cleared through the entire area, ended the werewolf curse and everything. I know the altar you're speaking of, but I'll go through once more to see if I can find this thing.

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There are two altars in the ruins. It's not the one where you can do the water ritual, if that's any help. The spot you're looking for is to the right if you stand staring at the wall with the altar to your left.

I picked it for my first specialization as a mage, and I've not run into anything nearing a serious complication yet.

That's disappointing. Considering the number of quests to hunt blood mages down, and the world's hatred for them, I'd expected it to be a flavoured option.

[seireikhaan]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There are two altars in the ruins. It's not the one where you can do the water ritual, if that's any help. The spot you're looking for is to the right if you stand staring at the wall with the altar to your left.

Indeed, I'll check it out.

That's disappointing. Considering the number of quests to hunt blood mages down, and the world's hatred for them, I'd expected it to be a flavoured option.

Well, there's one issue, as far as I know, and its to do with how you get access to blood magic.

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Nobody, particularly Alistair, can see you when you acquire it. Won't spoil further if you haven't gotten it. Could be very wrong, but I believe the only way to get access to it is with a Mage.

It does seem very odd, however, that nobody seems to notice me actually use it all the times I have.