Dragon Age: Origins - An Idea

[Secura]

Rogues can specialise as either Bards, Assassins, Duelists or Rangers; Awakening adds Shadow and Legionnaire Scout too.

Rangers can learn to summon bears, wolves or spiders, with their fourth ability being an upgrade for the three animals into bearskarn, blight wolf and corrupted spider.

[johnhughthom]

Leilana can become a Ranger.

[Double A]

Oh crap you're right I thought Ranger was for Warriors but it's for Rogues...

But now this means I potentially can summon animals.

(Wait, what's the best second specialization for an assassin dual wielder/archer?)

[Secura]

Assassin-Duelist is the best one for non-expac Rogues such as your PC or Zevran.

Leliana starts as an Archer, so I usually just keep her as that and take Ranger to compliment Bard.

[Double A]

I just had an interesting thought.

A party of 3 rangers and Wynne (for obvious reasons). That's 6 characters fighting and one on healing.

And yeah Duelist sounds kinda fun, they're harder to hit aren't they?

And Secura, what do you think of the stealth tree?

[Secura]

A party of 3 rangers and Wynne (for obvious reasons). That's 6 characters fighting and one on healing.

It isn't as good as you would think; the animals require alot more micromanagement than the normal characters and it's largely not worth it, at least in my opinion.

And yeah Duelist sounds kinda fun, they're harder to hit aren't they?

Pretty much.

And Secura, what do you think of the stealth tree?

I'm indifferenced when it comes to Stealth; I don't see enough occasions that warrant it's use, but that's mainly because I never bother to lay traps, make bombs or anything else like that.

[Double A]

I don't like trap-making... there are few occasions where I can see it being useful. I'm more of the "rush in behind my tanks in and start shooting and/or backstabbing everyone and pray that they don't have more than one mage" type instead of the "prepare the battlefield MWAHAHA" type.

[johnhughthom]

I'm trying to play through without using mages and it's been more fun than my other playthrough, Genlock Emissarys are the bane of my Ferelden existence though, hate those gits. I am confused though, the lore say Genlocks are corrupted dwarfs, how can they be so good at magic?

[Secura]

Mana Clash is the highest damaging attack in the game.

Have Wynne learn it, set her tactics to use it on the nearest Mage with >75% mana... pretty much guaranteed a one-shot if they're not a boss-level mob, even on higher difficulties.

It's a little bit cheap, but then again, so's being one-shotted by a Mage's fireball... if they're going to kill me instantly, I'll strike back in kind. :3

[Double A]

No mages is more fun?

How is EXPLOSIONS is more fun?

[Double A]

Mana Clash is the highest damaging attack in the game.

Have Wynne learn it, set her tactics to use it on the nearest Mage with >75% mana... pretty much guaranteed a one-shot if they're not a boss-level mob, even on higher difficulties.

It's a little bit cheap, but then again, so's being one-shotted by a Mage's fireball... if they're going to kill me instantly, I'll strike back in kind. :3

I knew there was a point to that tree!

[Secura]

I knew there was a point to that tree!

The tree is utterly pointless until that stage, so you do have to resign yourself to wasting three talents; however, Wynne doesn't utilise many attacking options anyway, principally acting as a healer/support role, and thus Mana Clash is a sound option for her once you've gathered the relevant Spirit Healer and Heroic/Glyph de/buffs you want.

For Morrigan, you might want to consider her wider range of attacks; she's excellent at crowd-control and will easily be able to lock down a tough caster with Cone of Cold, Crushing Prison and the like. :3

[Double A]

Wait, doesn't Mana Cleanse do the exact same thing as the cool Templar debuf thingy?

And Mana Drain... well that's good too isn't it? Free extra mana for you and less mana for them.

And yeah Wynne is really bad with attack spells, I think the only one I bought that she didn't already have was earthquake, and I use that to screw up the obligatory enemy archer ridge.

Heh, they're so vulnerable to knockdown.

[Secura]

Wait, doesn't Mana Cleanse do the exact same thing as the cool Templar debuf thingy?

Except the Templar is a Warrior specialisation, and Warriors have poor spellpower pools... compare it to my Wynne, who dealt around 2400 damage with a single Mana Clash... yeah. ¬_¬

And Mana Drain... well that's good too isn't it? Free extra mana for you and less mana for them.

Meh, easier to use a lyrium potion, you get so many of 'em. :3

And yeah Wynne is really bad with attack spells, I think the only one I bought that she didn't already have was earthquake, and I use that to screw up the obligatory enemy archer ridge.

Mana Clash all the way, nothing else really; stick to her healing and buffs/debuffs, Mana Clash for killing pesky mages, in my opinion.

[Double A]

I said Mana Cleanse not Mana Clash was like the Templar one (Cleanse Area)

And unfortunately I don't have 70 billion lyrium potions and health poultices, so I gotta use what I've got.

[Secura]

I said Mana Cleanse not Mana Clash was like the Templar one (Cleanse Area)

I thought the fourth tier Templar ability was like an awful version of Mana Clash; it does damage to spellcasters and drains their mana, whereas Cleanse does the latter.

And unfortunately I don't have 70 billion lyrium potions and health poultices, so I gotta use what I've got.

What are you doing with them? I had tonnes after leaving Lothering.

[Double A]

Using them?

And secondly, I didn't go do every single DLC quest...

[TheFlax]

Edit: I missed a page apparently.

[Double A]

Aren't there only 2 Tevinter gods left? What happens after that? BioWare said they could (and would) make lots and lots of games in the Dragon Age world.

The Chantry's god goes crazy and sides with the Darkspawn? Crusade on the Qunari? Start off in Tevinter?

[TheFlax]

Its been stated numerous times that Old Gods --> Archedemon is what the Chantry says is happening, but its not necessarily true. Besides, there's a lot more to Thedas than blights, any of the nations in the setting could easily be the center of an interesting plotline. There's also the option of going back in the past.

[Double A]

Oh yeah hehe prequels.

I'm pretty sure that the Grey Wardens, as well as the game lore itself, say the Old Gods get corrupted by the Darkspawn underground and all that. I mean... how many giant dragons live underground, exactly?

[johnhughthom]

Never mind all this lore nonsense, there is one vital question I don't believe has been asked. As the game is set in Orzammar, will we have a nug called Schmooples taking part?

[Double A]

What about Sir Schmoopy of Awesometon? He's a dwarf!

[TheFlax]

Oh yeah hehe prequels.

I'm pretty sure that the Grey Wardens, as well as the game lore itself, say the Old Gods get corrupted by the Darkspawn underground and all that. I mean... how many giant dragons live underground, exactly?

Most DAO lore = Chantry lore. The devs have said numerous times on the Bioware forums that its not necessarily true. Heck, the lore in DAO basically says Darkspawn are mindless, yet the expansion contradicts that.

Never mind all this lore nonsense, there is one vital question I don't believe has been asked. As the game is set in Orzammar, will we have a nug called Schmooples taking part?

Seconded!

[Double A]

The Grey Wardens said it too, though, and they're the closest to experts on the matter.

And I haven't even bought Awakening yet, so if you ruin it, I'll metagame you FO' EVA!

[TheFlax]

The Grey Wardens said it too, though, and they're the closest to experts on the matter.

Actually, in the second novel, IIRC, Grey Wardens admit not knowing much about the Darkspawn, except how to kill them. With the Chantry ever present and since in the end it doesn't really matter for the people living in Thedas, moslty everyone has accepted that story.

And I haven't even bought Awakening yet, so if you ruin it, I'll metagame you FO' EVA!

I did my best to keep it vague, I usually don't spoil stuff for people. What I said can be seen in the trailer, which everyone interested in Dragon Age should have already seen.

[Secura]

Never mind all this lore nonsense, there is one vital question I don't believe has been asked. As the game is set in Orzammar, will we have a nug called Schmooples taking part?

There will not be a nug character, no; they're docile animals that are unlikely to have any disposition towards attacking someone. However, it's possible that there might be a nug item...

I've largely completed the seventeen roles and their chosen alignments, it's now a case of adjusting abilities and STR/CON values, making sure personal goals are achievable within the limits of the game and thus one can reap the rewards of doing so before the game ends (none of this "your personal goal is to save X's life", though one character does have a Victory Condition that requires a player's survival) and so-on. Got to make sure that the mafia aren't obvious either. :P

Some of the roles are entirely new to the game, created by me as a means of keeping the storyline fresh and to make my own impact upon it, so among the Bhelens and Trians you'll see a few additions of my own. :3

[Double A]

Actually, in the second novel, IIRC, Grey Wardens admit not knowing much about the Darkspawn, except how to kill them. With the Chantry ever present and since in the end it doesn't really matter for the people living in Thedas, moslty everyone has accepted that story.

Exactly, CLOSEST to experts :P

I did my best to keep it vague, I usually don't spoil stuff for people. What I said can be seen in the trailer, which everyone interested in Dragon Age should have already seen.

Relax, you didn't spoil anything.

[Double A]

I still can't get past this.

Why do all of the hats that aren't at least heavy armor look SO DAMN UGLY? I don't care HOW good that cowl is, it is NOT going on Morrigan!

[johnhughthom]

I still can't get past this.

Why do all of the hats that aren't at least heavy armor look SO DAMN UGLY? I don't care HOW good that cowl is, it is NOT going on Morrigan!

Normally what items look like is pretty much irrelevant to me, but even I consider not having my mages wear cowls as they look daft. I always keep them on though.