Dragon Age: Origins gameplay and discussion thread.

[Beskar]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Alistair stuff is sarcastic. I love some of the combinations between your character and him. (especially if you are female.) Though at a point I just saved at, I did the response "Haha... wait... me and you? You ever thought that?" and I got a -100 penalty hit with Alistair. He is touchy.

[seireikhaan]

Since I'm waiting on the game to reinstall, I have a question, since I'm a bit of a pansy and I was pretty frustrated with it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How do I unlock the Arcane warrior specialization for mages? I know its somewhere in the elfen areas out east, but I for the life of me can't find it...

[Beskar]

Since I'm waiting on the game to reinstall, I have a question, since I'm a bit of a pansy and I was pretty frustrated with it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How do I unlock the Arcane warrior specialization for mages? I know its somewhere in the elfen areas out east, but I for the life of me can't find it...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I found it almost straight away. I won't be able to give you the exact location, but it is on the undead floor of the ruins. You see a room with books/etc near the end, and there is this glowly gem object thing, you select to touch it, and it talks to you, you go through the options and it teaches you Arcane Warrior spec, in return for you putting it on the altar to release the trapped spirit.

Only other notes is that companions remark that the gem looks like it has blood inside of it.

[Monk]

Discovering recipe locations.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bartender!

Yes, if you can find a bartender, chances are they have recipes on them for potions, poisons and injury kits. You can make health potions, lyrium potions and injury kits with recipes gained from the Bartender at Redcliff Villiage, 'tender at the Gnawed Noble Tavern in Denerim and the Quartermaster of the Mage Tower to name only a few places

Recipes are very hard to find and unless you defeat one of the "mega" bosses, you probably won't get them from a drop. Just keep an eye out at every general store you visit, recipes will have a greenish icon.

In reponse to Beskar.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Oh yes, Alistair is very sensitive about that sort of thing and i've been very careful not to hurt his feelings if I'm going after a romance. Though I agree, the back and forth is definitely humorous at times.

[rajpoot]

Unexpected Easter Egg during travel -

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Was taking care of a few quests from the Chanter's Board in Redcliffe, when on one random encounter while traveling on the world map, I got a cut-scene with a man and a woman standing on the edge of a crater wondering aloud as to how the boy survived such a crash, and finally after making sure that he had ten fingers and ten toes, deciding to raise him themselves.
it was out of the blue.
You can descend into the crater afterward, and get a lump of metal from the wreckage. This can, I believe be made into a sword by a good smith...so the game says atleast)

[Beskar]

Thoughts on playing a dual-wield warrior

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Very interesting, but overall not something I will be repeating. It feels like you're playing a rogue with heavy armor and the inability to pick locks. It's sorta like playing a rogue.. and not at the same time, hard to explain. The damage output is pretty hefty, hwoever, but I can't help but feel i'd be doing more if I went 2-hand. I'll deffinately be going that route next time.

Unlocked the Templar specialization but haven't put points into it, also I think i figured out how to unlock "reaver" or :ravager: or whatever the spec for warriors is on the far right. The basic "evil" spec, but I won't be getting in on this play-through.

Everyone is two-handed, so making a dual-wield makes your character different.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You get ravenger during the urn quest, you accept their offer about the blood.

I would like to point out, that if you unlock Specialists, they work for every playthrough, you don't have to keep-regaining them. Admittedly, I like this, as it allows you to go specs in a new game which were unavailible to you.

[FactionHeir]

I would like to point out, that if you unlock Specialists, they work for ever playthrough, you don't have to keep-regaining them. Admittedly, I like this, as it allows you to go specs in a new game which were unavailible to you.

Time to spend the excess gold on tomes eh?

[TinCow]

Apologizes if this has already been discussed, but I'm wary of reading this thread in detail for fear of spoiling myself. Essentially, I feel like the specialization options available for Mages are pretty poor. I just got to level 7 and I've been trying to figure out which specialization I wanted to pursue, so I looked up the options here.

Of the four options, two of them make the mage better at melee. From playing around with Morrigan, it seems you cannot cast while shapeshifted... so that's only useful for making you better at melee. The Arcane Warrior class peaks my interest a bit, but it looks like using it will vastly limit my spellcasting ability due to sky-high fatigue, and that's not taking into account using the actual abilities of the Arcane Warrior, which are essentially pure-melee. Thus, since it seems ridiculous to play a mage that isn't doing much spellcasting, both of these specializations are unappealing to me.

So, I'm left with two specialization classes that boost spellcasting. The Blood Mage has serious problems because you have to power your spells with your health and the only effective way to heal yourself to refill potentially kills your allies. All that is compensated for by a single damage spell and a charm person spell. Seems like more trouble than it’s worth, considering there are already plenty of mega-damage spells and incapacitating spells in the regular mage list.

Thus, the only mage specialization that adds any ‘new’ magic to the mage is the healer class, which lets me raise dead people in the middle of a battle. Not a bad option, and that's clearly going to be my choice, but I'm rather irked that the only serious choice for someone who wants to play a spellcaster essentially turns me into a cleric. What happened to the concept of the mega-damage specialist? Or the mind-control specialist? Or the necromancer? Or the illusionist? Gah... seems like such poor options.

[Beskar]

Go with Arcane Warrior, for at least the first option. That alone allows you to wear heavy armour using magic as the modifier and not strength.

Spirit healer is good if you got healing skills. Blood Magic best offensive. Shapeshifter is for the lulz.

[LeftEyeNine]

I heard there is some "Ishal Tower" in the game, is that true ? I really can't imagine what they do in that "Diarrhea Tower". Will be some scenery indeed.

[Beskar]

I heard there is some "Ishal Tower" in the game, is that true ? I really can't imagine what they do in that "Diarrhea Tower". Will be some scenery indeed.

Says the guy who comes from a Big Bird.

[al Roumi]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Apologizes if this has already been discussed, but I'm wary of reading this thread in detail for fear of spoiling myself. Essentially, I feel like the specialization options available for Mages are pretty poor. I just got to level 7 and I've been trying to figure out which specialization I wanted to pursue, so I looked up the options here.

Of the four options, two of them make the mage better at melee. From playing around with Morrigan, it seems you cannot cast while shapeshifted... so that's only useful for making you better at melee. The Arcane Warrior class peaks my interest a bit, but it looks like using it will vastly limit my spellcasting ability due to sky-high fatigue, and that's not taking into account using the actual abilities of the Arcane Warrior, which are essentially pure-melee. Thus, since it seems ridiculous to play a mage that isn't doing much spellcasting, both of these specializations are unappealing to me.

So, I'm left with two specialization classes that boost spellcasting. The Blood Mage has serious problems because you have to power your spells with your health and the only effective way to heal yourself to refill potentially kills your allies. All that is compensated for by a single damage spell and a charm person spell. Seems like more trouble than it’s worth, considering there are already plenty of mega-damage spells and incapacitating spells in the regular mage list.

Thus, the only mage specialization that adds any ‘new’ magic to the mage is the healer class, which lets me raise dead people in the middle of a battle. Not a bad option, and that's clearly going to be my choice, but I'm rather irked that the only serious choice for someone who wants to play a spellcaster essentially turns me into a cleric. What happened to the concept of the mega-damage specialist? Or the mind-control specialist? Or the necromancer? Or the illusionist? Gah... seems like such poor options.

Yeah, I agree. The increased accessibility doesn't immediately look like it offers the same degree of specialisation and variety in spells or tactics as in say BG. Happy to be set right by someone who is playing as a mage and feels differently though.

[Beskar]

Camp Storage mod, released by one of the Bioware lot for free -
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/8/index/132134

Download here -
http://social.bioware.com/project/463/#details

[frogbeastegg]

Since I'm waiting on the game to reinstall, I have a question, since I'm a bit of a pansy and I was pretty frustrated with it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How do I unlock the Arcane warrior specialization for mages? I know its somewhere in the elfen areas out east, but I for the life of me can't find it...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.

The Arcane Warrior class peaks my interest a bit, but it looks like using it will vastly limit my spellcasting ability due to sky-high fatigue, and that's not taking into account using the actual abilities of the Arcane Warrior, which are essentially pure-melee.

I picked that one and I'm stomping things to death with boots of stomping +4. I could have built a far stronger version of the character too; I made a lot of mistakes with point allocation and spell choices.

The ability which places a high drain on your mana and boosts your combat rating is a toggle off/on jobby so you can stand back with your staff and fling spells until matters require you to get closer, then turn it on and swap your weapon set to your sword (or whatever). Until you turn that ability on the only difference compared to a standard mage is your ability to equip heavy weapons and armour thanks to subbing your magic stat for strength.

The final ability in the skill tree is a bit good too. Boosted mana rengen plus better chance to dodge attacks! The tier 3 spell is a high powered defensive model that will keep you alive through nearly anything - for a short time, as it burns through mana like there's no tomorrow. Perfect for those battles where things go badly wrong and you need to scramble ASAP for anything that might keep you alive long enough to pull things back.

Note: You don't want to load up in heavy armour if you go this route. The heavier your armour the more enemy attention your character gets. High level weapons, that's another matter. I use the best quality light leather armour and a high end long sword. When it comes to close combat I can kill faster with a blade than Alistair or Sten, and toss in close range flame and lightning bursts as and when they recharge. However I reckon I spend 75% of my time at a range playing traditional mage.

I picked up healer as my second specialisation. Meh. Powerful healing spells and resurrection. If you use Wynne it's useless, if not then it's a lot more valuable.

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.

Time to spend the excess gold on tomes eh?

Better yet, save before you buy the tome and then reload. That way you get the specialisation and keep the gold. Same applies for places where you need to make a decision you don't want in order to get it as a reward; save, make the choice and wait for the pop up box, reload.

I'm only missing two warrior specialisations now. I got all of the mage ones a while ago, and picked up the final rouge one last night.

[Beskar]

Better yet, save before you buy the tome and then reload. That way you get the specialisation and keep the gold. Same applies for places where you need to make a decision you don't want in order to get it as a reward; save, make the choice and wait for the pop up box, reload.

I'm only missing two warrior specialisations now. I got all of the mage ones a while ago, and picked up the final rouge one last night.

I was going to test that, but I wasn't sure if you had to have it saved somewhere to be able to do it.

[frogbeastegg]

I was going to test that, but I wasn't sure if you had to have it saved somewhere to be able to do it.

Nope. I found it out the hard way. :mutters about the lack of autosave when you leave the camp to travel to a new area:

[seireikhaan]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.

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.

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.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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.

[Zenicetus]

Essentially, I feel like the specialization options available for Mages are pretty poor.
(snip)
So, I'm left with two specialization classes that boost spellcasting. The Blood Mage has serious problems because you have to power your spells with your health and the only effective way to heal yourself to refill potentially kills your allies. All that is compensated for by a single damage spell and a charm person spell. Seems like more trouble than it’s worth, considering there are already plenty of mega-damage spells and incapacitating spells in the regular mage list.

Thus, the only mage specialization that adds any ‘new’ magic to the mage is the healer class, which lets me raise dead people in the middle of a battle. Not a bad option, and that's clearly going to be my choice, but I'm rather irked that the only serious choice for someone who wants to play a spellcaster essentially turns me into a cleric. What happened to the concept of the mega-damage specialist? Or the mind-control specialist? Or the necromancer? Or the illusionist? Gah... seems like such poor options.

Well, it is what is. Everything in this game is streamlined down to fewer options than we had in D&D-based games, but they're still pretty good. Arcane Warrior and Shapeshifter doesn't have any appeal for me because I'd rather go just straight Warrior or Rogue if I'm going for a melee-based character, and armor attracts aggro. But I can see where it's in the game for people who like those styles.

I chose Blood Mage because it does seem to be the one "pure damage-dealing mage" category, although there's still some crowd control on that line. As party leader I wanted to be the main AOE and ranged damage specialist, with another mage for crowd control and DPS support (Morrigan), or else doing the priest/healer thing (Wynn). I'm currently using Morrigan because I don't like Wynn's personality that much, and we're doing okay with healing pots and the occasional spot heal from Morrigan or me.

I haven't been using it long, but Blood Magic doesn't have as bad an effect on the caster as the description sounds, especially if you've been adding a few extra points into constitution like I've been doing. Being able to throw a few extra spells without tapping mana is a powerful option, since I'm often standing at the back of the room with full health and drained mana. The one big drawback is that it only works on organic creatures, but it's still nice to have those extra offensive and CC spells available for many of the fights.

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.

That was my one hesitation, but I'm throwing blood mage spells right and left, with no change in how NPC's or party members treat me. Even with Wynn in the party, which is really an immersion-breaker. Maybe the idea here is that the only real evidence for a Blood Mage is what happens when the spells are actually used in combat, and everyone else is too distracted while fighting to notice what I'm doing. Or maybe some negative reactions will kick in if I follow the entire spell tree, but so far... nothing.

It also feels odd to go down dialogue trees that involve denouncing Blood Mages (for the sake of plot advancement) while actually being one. I'm playing a fence-sitter/neutral character that isn't pure good or evil. Maybe it would feel better if I was role-playing a more evil character and enjoyed hiding the path I went down.

[LeftEyeNine]

Says the guy who comes from a Big Bird.

It had been quite some time since someone had made teh epic "turkey" joke. I was quite worried actually, thought of the probability that the matrix had shifted was depriving me of sleep. Thank you.

Oh, the last joke was Wayne Rooney's.

[Beskar]

It had been quite some time since someone had made teh epic "turkey" joke. I was quite worried actually, thought of the probability that the matrix had shifted was depriving me of sleep. Thank you.

Oh, the last joke was Wayne Rooney's.

No problem, its handy that you are already next to the Greece.

[Vladimir]

No problem, its handy that you are already next to the Greece.

Stop it. You guys are making me Hungary.

[LeftEyeNine]

No problem, its handy that you are already next to the Greece.

Oh-kay, now that one insulted me. Let's move on.

[Beskar]

Stop it. You guys are making me Hungary.

As for LeftNine, it shouldn't insult you as there was no insult in the comment (as Turkey is geographically neighbours to Greece) though, it was a pun on the word Greece to mean Grease, as in basting your Turkey.

---


Anyway, it is amazing to see there are so many mods out already, like unofficial fixs for the dagger bug, and other things.

[Zenicetus]

Addendum to that last post about Blood Mages. I just remembered, last night a certain NPC said that the Grey Wardens have no prohibition on blood magic, and (spoiler only if you haven't if you haven't finished the Ostagar sequence near the beginning of the game):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

...there is that sequence in the Joining where you drink blood as part of the ritual of becoming a Grey Warden. That provides an ability to find nearby Darkspawn, and it could be seen as a minor form of blood magic.

So apparently it's just the Circle of Mages and the Templars that have a problem with it, and not the entire good-aligned game world. It does seem to fit the "whatever it takes to get the job done" alignment of the Wardens.

Also, (spoiler if you have, or are planning to get the Warden's Keep DLC and haven't played it yet):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This relationship of the Wardens to blood magic is further explored in the Warden's Keep story line, and it's related to the extra ability you can gain there. Although, it's hard to tell if the use of blood magic in that case was an extreme outlier, or a common thing with Wardens in the past.

[LeftEyeNine]

As for LeftNine, it shouldn't insult you as there was no insult in the comment (as Turkey is geographically neighbours to Greece) though, it was a pun on the word Greece to mean Grease, as in basting your Turkey.

---


Anyway, it is amazing to see there are so many mods out already, like unofficial fixs for the dagger bug, and other things.

Oh was it so ? Enjoyable.

I got my DA:O shipped yesterday. I give around 2 weeks for it to arrive and I can taste that awesomeness at last.

[Krusader]

Just finished Arl Eamon questline and started on Circle of Magi.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Had my first dragonfight and got Dragonslayer achievement. Was tough as nails and had Morrigan set to heal me at 75%, my character being the tank (got all Sword & Shield abilities).

But I haven't seen much of the "make tough choices" feature that was supposed to be in Dragon Age. And also got Romance with Leilana...have to say, I felt the romance plot with Bastila Shan in KOTOR was better written and the "bed scenes" weren't great...Mass Effect had better.
I've also gone for Champion + Templar specializations on my Warrior. Swapped out Morrigan for Wynne to see how that is.

And began the Fade portion of Circle of Magi quest...I have a feeling if someone adds a mod that skips the part it might become popular.

[rajpoot]

Just finished Arl Eamon questline and started on Circle of Magi.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Had my first dragonfight and got Dragonslayer achievement. Was tough as nails and had Morrigan set to heal me at 75%, my character being the tank (got all Sword & Shield abilities).

But I haven't seen much of the "make tough choices" feature that was supposed to be in Dragon Age. And also got Romance with Leilana...have to say, I felt the romance plot with Bastila Shan in KOTOR was better written and the "bed scenes" weren't great...Mass Effect had better.
I've also gone for Champion + Templar specializations on my Warrior. Swapped out Morrigan for Wynne to see how that is.

And began the Fade portion of Circle of Magi quest...I have a feeling if someone adds a mod that skips the part it might become popular.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I thought so too when I began, but keep going, you get play as a rock golem.

Question-

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I've been looking for someone to forge a sword out of that lump of alien metal for me, but no luck as yet....the little I found online says that you can't use the metal in any way until you get Warden's Keep DLC, because only the smith in there can forge it....Is that right?

And I don't know if this is the right place, but my DAUpdater isn't working. The game's working smoothly, but the updater, each time I try to start it, gives me a message saying that the application failed to initialize properly....I tried reinstalling .NET Framework, but now, it says that Windows can't find a runtime of the application........
Going from bad to worse....

[Krusader]

Question-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I've been looking for someone to forge a sword out of that lump of alien metal for me, but no luck as yet....the little I found online says that you can't use the metal in any way until you get Warden's Keep DLC, because only the smith in there can forge it....Is that right?

And I don't know if this is the right place, but my DAUpdater isn't working. The game's working smoothly, but the updater, each time I try to start it, gives me a message saying that the application failed to initialize properly....I tried reinstalling .NET Framework, but now, it says that Windows can't find a runtime of the application........
Going from bad to worse....

Answer:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

So far the only smith who can forge that sword is in Warden's Keep DLC it seems, (Don't know about Wade, but think he's only for dragon scales).
Specifically, you have to first clear the Keep and return to it later. He gives a choice between one-handed or two-handed sword. I got the one-handed variant.

---

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Finished Circle Tower. Fade-area improved and boy they were handing out attribute boosts as hell.
Also whacked Flemeth and was pretty kickass seeing Sten land the killing blow.

Question for those who are very far in the game:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How do I get into the Elven Alienage in Denerim?