Dragon Age:Origins Lothering Bandits on the Road Quest

Question

When i got to Lothering and attacked the bandits in the quest "Bandits on the Road" one of the options was "Come fight for me, I could use some soldiers" however this is not mentioned on the wiki.

What do you gain from this option, as appose to killing them or letting them go?

Asked by Gareth Jones

Answer

If it is not mentioned in the wiki, my guess is that the bandits refuse to have anything to do with you in that regard. Having the dialog option does not mean that it will be accepted, even if it is not a persuasion or intimidation check. I haven't tried that option myself, but my guess would be that is declined and that you're left with two options - letting them go or killing them.

Answered by Kareen

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How to disarm traps in Dragon Age: Origins

Question

I was playing Dragon Age:Origins when i came across a trap, however i was unable to interact with it (other than set it off) and as i was in combat at the time, i waited until i had killed all the dark-spawn in the area, however i was still unable to get my rouge character to disable, or even interact with the trap.

Am i missing something?

I dont have the "Trap Crafting" perk, but is that needed for Trap disarming as well as crafting?

Asked by Gareth Jones

Answer

You need a rogue in your party in order to disarm a trap. So, that's the first thing to check. You will also need sufficient lockpicking skill, as discussed on this and other pages. As with any rogue ability, Cunning always helps.

The basic formula seems to be L = (cunning - 10) + 10 * [lockpicking rank]

Once a trap's been detected (remember - the faster you move, the less likely the trap is to be detected, so take your time in enemy dungeons), you just have to right-click on the trap and your rogue should disarm it. I'm not 100% certain if you need to be in active control of your rogue as I always was.

If you satisfy all the conditions but right-clicking still does not work, double-check your key bindings just in case.

Answered by Alex

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Gifts and Party Members

Question

I am finding a slew of gifts throughout my journeys. Which ones are most appropriate for which party members?

Asked by fbrereto

Answer

Some items (like Alistair's Mother's Amulet) you know by the plot whom you should give them.

For the others:

• Alistair: statuettes
• Dog: bones
• Leliana: church (Andraste) stuff
• Morrigan: jewelry
• Oghren: booze
• Shale: gems
• Sten: paintings
• Zevran: silver/gold bars

A complete list can be found here.

Answered by eL13

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Do I need to level up all of the characters in my party?

Question

In DA:O, is there any reason that I need to level up all of my characters to near the same level? I.e. are there any quests that require a certain character be in the party, and which will be extremely difficult if that character hasn't been leveled?

I ask because I'm finding some of the party members to be of very marginal utility, esp. Morrigan (who is redundant with my mage Warden) and Sten (who is inferior to Dog for melee/tank).

Asked by JSBᾶngs

Answer

Your party members gain experience automatically, you don't need to take them with you. Even if they are just sitting around in camp, they still get the experience. So for the most part you can just take whoever you like.

There are some quests where you have no choice and are forced to take a certain party member. But as they are automatically leveled it does not really matter much. I would recommend to keep all your party members outfitted with some reasonable equipment for that reason.

Answered by Fabian

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Do I need to own Orgins to play Awakening

Question

I really like DAO, but I am just burrowing it from a friend. I have found DAW for pretty cheap and I want to play it, but am I limited to playing it only while I still have DAO.

I know it is an expansion, and from my pc days I was able to play the original using the expansion CD. I don't expect that here, but what are the limitation of an expansion on PS3.

Asked by kwelch

Answer

• Do I need to insert my Origins disk to play Awakening?

If you are only playing Awakening, you do not need to swap discs on any platform. Simply start Dragon Age with your Awakening disc and away you go!

Many more common questions regarding the expansion pack are answered in the source below.

Source here

More information per the source:

On PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console, start up Dragon Age with the Awakening disc in the drive, then press New Game. Select Awakening campaign icon.

• How do I import my DA:O character?

To import your Dragon Age: Origins character into Awakening:

For PC:

Select OTHER CAMPAIGNS at the start menu.

Select Dragon Age: Awakening from the list of campaigns.

Select IMPORT FROM ANOTHER MODULE at the next screen.

You will be presented the character from your last played save game. Select IMPORT, or choose ADVANCED to select another save game you wish to use

For Console: To import your Dragon Age: Origins character into Awakening:

Start Dragon Age with the Awakening disc in the drive.

Select NEW GAME at the start menu.

Select the Awakening icon.

At the character creation screen, select IMPORT CHARACTER

Choose save game to import

In all platforms, if the character had not yet reached level 18, they will be elevated to that level instantly.

• What level do new Grey Wardens start at?

If you create a new Grey Warden for your adventure in Awakening they will start at level 18.

All specialization, attribute, talent and skill points will be unassigned, allowing you to customize your character from the very start.

• Will my items transfer to Awakening when I import my character?

Most items will import into Awakening from Origins. All items obtained from the Return to Ostagar DLC will transfer. Weapons, armor and other items that are unique to all other DLC releases will not transfer.

Your storage chest at Warden's Keep will not be accessible and items stored in it will not transfer to Awakening. Be sure to go back and retrieve anything you think you might want before importing your character to Awakening. You will have a new storage chest at Vigil Keep once you are in Awakening.

• Do I have to complete the base game to import my character?

No. You do not have to complete the base game to import your character. However completing Dragon Age: Origins may open different options for your character in Awakening.

When I try to install my Awakening expansion the auto-installer freezes and returns an "Installation Failed" message.

There is a potential workaround, which can be found in the Dragon Age Customer Support Site: http://help.dragonage.com/cgi-bin/eadragonage.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?&p_faqid=46545

Answered by Foxtrot

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Killing the High Dragon after the Urn of Sacred Ashes

Question

So I've got my pinch of ashes, and I've got the "I'd like to meet an angry dragon now, please" horn. Having been grilled a couple of times now, I'm curious:

a) Do I have to kill the High Dragon?

b) If I opt not to do so, can I do it later, once I've found some Tier 10 Asbestos Underpants of Well-Placed Drainage?

Asked by Stuart Pegg

Answer

You don't have to kill it at all. There is good loot available, and the scales of the dragon can be made into exceptional armor by the armorsmith (Master Wade in Denerim). If you so choose, you can definitely come back and try it. The best armor against it, however, is the armor you make from its scales. =P

Assuming you're a decent level, with good gear, the fight isn't too hard. Quaff some warmth potions, and beat the crap out of it. It's basically the same fight as the archdemon (so a good practice run) except not as tough, and without all the jumping around that the archdemon does.

Healing is critically important, so you know, make sure you've got Wynne, and that she doesn't get eaten early.

Answered by Satanicpuppy

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Is it worth completing Dragon Age Origins before playing Dragon Age 2?

Question

Is it worth the extra cost and time it'll take to complete Dragon Age Origins? Is there that much back-story I'll miss out on in Dragon Age 2?

Asked by fredley

Answer

From what I've heard, there isn't much impact on Dragon Age 2 from DAO. The story takes place in a different part of the world, and there are only a few side characters that carry over at all, none of which are in your party. So from just the standpoint of enjoying DA2, I'd say no.

On the other hand, DAO is a great game, and DA2 has been getting pretty mediocre reviews, so one could make the argument that you should play DAO first just because it is a better game for less money. =)

Answered by bwarner

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Are there any restrictions to getting a used copy of Dragon Age Origins?

Question

I was planning to try out Dragon Age Origins on the XBox 360 and I am wondering if I should buy it new or used. What will I miss out on if I buy the used version of Dragon Age?

Mass Effect 2 has the Cerberus Network which wont work if you have a used copy of the game, you have to buy it at the marketplace.

Does Dragon Age Origins have the same kind of restrictions?

Asked by tHeSiD

Answer

My copy came along with a card with a code for the The Stone Prisoner/Shale DLC pack which retails for $15. The same card also had a code for Blood Dragon Armor in Mass Effect 2.

The DLC itself is pretty short, but the character you can add to your party isn't bad. In my opinion, it's not worth $15 to buy yourself, but you're not missing out on a whole lot.

Answered by Doozer Blake

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Does my female character need to “date” Alistar in order to make him king?

Question

I want my female human noble to become queen with Alistar. Do I need to be romancing him at Landsmeet time in order to make him king? (I already know I have to complete his personal quest).

Also if I ask him to kill the final boss can my character rule as a queen alone?

Asked by happy_emi

Answer

If he dies in the final battle, you aren't queen yet, so you can't reign. You aren't married to him. If you both survive, the text at the end says that you marry him six months later. Anora stays queen if he dies.

The Dragon Age wiki says that you can make a political marraige even if you aren't in a romantic relationship with Alistair.

I don't see where it says anything about his personal quest, except that certain outcomes require him to be hardened. Staying with him as a lover, not a wife, requires hardening, (pun unintended), and a few other options won't happen unless he is hardened.

Answered by swbarnes2

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Can I play Dragon Age 2 without playing Dragon Age Origins? [closed]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Is it worth completing Dragon Age Origins before playing Dragon Age 2?

I have played about 3 hours of Dragon Age Origins before I decided that I didn't like it. I read some reviews of Dragon Age 2 and thought that I would give it a shot.

I'm well aware of the internet's preference for DAO to DA2, but my personal preference is for small scale, self contained stories about people and relationships over what is in my opinion boring shounen save the world quests.

Is there something I can do to get up to speed on the events of DA:O so that I feel connected to the world going into DA2. I'm looking for some kind of extensive summary / fanfiction kind of thing, or will DA2 provide everything that's needed?

Thanks.

Edit:

Err how is this a duplicate? THere are no links to any references to any fanfiction on the other question.

Answer

It has been a while since I last played DA2 but from what I remember there are only a few passing comments about what happened in the first game. You should be able to enjoy DA2 without playing DAO in my opinion.

And you can get a quick synopsis of the first game on wikipedia

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What is the effect of donating to Allied Supply Crates?

Question

In Dragon Age Origins, I've been recruiting factions and they now appear at my camp, along with Allied Supply Crates. I'm aware that you get XP for donating, but aside from that am wondering what the benefit is of donating and indeed how much I should be donating to each faction? Should I spend a while collecting materials for this, or am is as well simply skipping this?

Answer

Aside from the XP bonuses, the actual direct effect of donating to the allies isn't that clear. I wouldn't bother spending an excess amount of time collecting materials. Just throw whatever extras you have to them for the bonus xp, but going out of your way is unnecessary.

This page details a little more info on which items are specifically needed for each ally.

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How to kill Uldred on Dragon Age: Origins?

Question

I am in the mage tower now with Shale, Morrigan and Zevran and I am facing Uldred.

I am siding with the templars, because Morrigan said so, and I am having a really hard time beating Uldred.

I have been trying over 10 tries already, and it is starting to annoy me.

I do not have any healing spells and have some health potions left. I am a warrior human. Together with Shale, that makes two tanks.

Now I've read somewhere that you need to use that spell you get from the other mage to stop the abominations from appearing, or something. Have not tried that, but...

What would be the best course of action to beat this enemy?

Thanks

Answer

The trick to the fight is to use the litany every time he's going to convert a mage into an abomination.

I did that and the fight went fine - I don't remember it being particularly difficult.

If I remember correctly, Wynne shouts out each time you need to use the litany, so if you've killed her, this could be a bit trickier, but I think both Uldred and the mage glow white when he's about to convert them

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Can you… get it on… with anyone or just certain characters?

Question

In Dragon Age: Origins, is it possible to seduce anyone or are there only certain characters that each character is able to seduce?

I noticed that my female mage was able to start flirting with a female rogue, for example. Are any of the NPC characters fair game or will the the dialogue just turn me down?

Answer

Female characters have romance options available with Alistair, Zevran, and Leliana.

Male Wardens trade in Allistair for Morrigan, and can also romance Zevran and Leliana.

Basically, the rogues swing both ways.

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Can I unlock all the specializations from the start of the game?

Question

Is there a way (cheat and/or mod, savegame) to unlock all specializations in the first game run?

Answer

There is a mod for that, that will unlock all specializations. The specializations are unlocked for all playthroughs, once you unlock them.

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How do I kill the high dragon in Dragon Age: Origins?

Question

I summoned the dragon with the gong in Frostback Mountains. My party consists of my assassin rogue, Alistair as the tank, Sten for off-tank/DPS, and Wynne for heals. All characters are around level 11 or 12.

The dragon is wiping the ground with me. The fight usually goes okay for a minute or so and then Alistair gets eaten and we're done.

I know I need to stack a bit more fire resist, but my biggest problem seems to be the dragon's bite. Is there a way to prevent/avoid/mitigate it?

In general, what strategy/approach should I use to beat the dragon? I'm cool with changing up the party if needed. My options are Alistair, Sten, Morrigan, Wynne, Leliana, Zevran, and the dog, but I can go get others (Shale?) if needed.

Answer

I ended up beating the High Dragon with Shale as a main tank because she is immune to the Dragon Bite of Doom (not the official name!), which is a one-hit kill for any other character. I would highly recommend using her because of that. Get her equipped with some fire resistance crystals (Large Brilliant are the best) and she's quite the powerhouse, especially with Stoneheart as a skill.

I was assassin rogue main as well, with Wynne for healing, and I believe I had Morrigan for cold damage, which the dragon is weaker to. Alternatively, you could also use Leliana for additional ranged damage instead of Morrigan. Seeing as you'll be in melee as a rogue with Shale tanking, that will already put a lot of pressure for healing on Wynne, so I'd definitely recommend having your 4th be some kind of ranged character that can hopefully stay out of the way and not steal aggro.

Additionally, you may want to consider grabbing Wade's Drakeskin Armor Set for yourself before you face the dragon, if you don't have it already. You can come back and initiate battle with it any time after the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest is finished. Unfortunately, you cannot make the Superior version until you have the Dragon Scale that you receive from beating the dragon.

Once you've had a chance to stand off against the dragon for longer than a minute, as with any boss, make sure you learn the cues for its attacks. One problem as a rogue is that you'll want to backstab, but the Dragon uses its tail and a kick move in order to ward off flanking. You'll want to stay very mobile. You can still trigger backstab damage if you're standing a little to its side and stabbing the back of its thigh.

Occasionally, it'll fly up into the air and decide to come crashing down somewhere. If I recall correctly, there is a visual cue as to where it's going to land, so make sure your healer isn't standing within range, or else they'll take a ton of physical damage.

Save up Warmth Balms on hand for you and your tank, seeing as you'll be in the closest range and keep them micro'd, as every little bit helps. Even with Wynne healing, I'd still set Shale's tactics to chug Health Poultices because of her large health pool. Hopefully, with Shale holding aggro and you and your ranged character on DPS, you should be able to take the dragon down. Good luck!

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How can I save the kidnapped daughter while keeping my money?

Question

In the side quest "A Daughter Ransomed" is there a way to save the girl, keep your money, and kill the bandits?

Answer

Yes walk up to them and use intimidate or persuasion. Tell them they have to send the girl to you first then you'll give them the money. Once they do that you just kill them/pay them.

Listing at the wiki

Can someone editing the questions tags and mark it as Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. As it's a quest in the expansion not the original.

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How should I allot my attribute points as a Mage in Dragon Age: Origins?

Question

I'm starting to play Dragon Age: Origins and I want to know if there is a formula available for adding points to attributes of a Mage. For instance, every N levels, add X points to this attribute and Y to that attribute.

It looks like that Willpower and Magic are the most important ones for a Mage. But which is more important, and should I add the same to both?

Answer

While willpower and magic were both intended to be the primary mage stats, it didn't play out very well in practice.

Magic increases your spell power, which is definitely a great thing for mages to have.

Willpower, on the other hand, increases your mana pool and mental resistance. Mental resistance isn't all that important and can be effectively ignored. You might think having a huge mana pool would be a boon to mages, but mana potions are so incredibly cheap to make it's far more efficient to ignore willpower, stock up on mana potions, and set up a really liberal tactic slot for them (say, Self: < 50% Mana → Drink mana potion).

So, you have two options:

1. If you want to play as BioWare probably intended it, do 2 Magic for every 1 Willpower. By the end game, your spell power will still be pretty high and you'll have a decent size mana pool.

2. If you want to cheese the game and treat the game as it is, do 2 Magic for every 1 Willpower until you get to ~25 willpower. After that, dump all your points into Magic. Make sure you have someone taking the Herbalism skill, and make mana potions yourself.

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Why is Dragon Age randomly freezing?

Question

Well actually Dragon Age is a pretty nice game, but it is freezing pretty often: i.e. i have to push the reset-button. Some pixels get weird colors and the sound gets in a loop.

I ...

• installed the newest patch (1.04)
• installed newest graphic card driver (also tried it with some older versions 190.x)
• switched down graphics
• started DA with only one processor
• stopped AntiVirus
• installed Windows new
• played in windowed mode (i actually could play pretty long without any freeze)

Actually I even called the EA-Hotline ...

First I thought it freezes only during dialogs, but just right now it freezed somewhere standing in the landscape...

Some information on my system:
Windows 7 64bit, Intel i5, Geforce 9400GT, 4 Gig ram, Asrock P55M Pro mainboard

Answer

Your grahpics card could also be defective. I had a similar problem with a graphics card that later ended up dying on me. If you have a spare kicking around, try swapping it out and see what happens.

Or alternatively, install the card in another PC (if available) and see what happens.

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Is there a respec mechanism in Dragon Age: Origins?

Question

I'm starting to regret some earlier decisions regarding my skills and talents. Is there some sort of respect mechanism that I can find later in the game?

Alternatively, are there mods for this?

Answer

If I remember well it is not possible respec characters in game without mods.

But there is a really nice mod, called Character Respecialization.

This addin allows the player to reset the base attributes, specialization points, spells, talents and skills of the hero character and any of the party members to the default values and returns the remaining points so they can be spent again.

This is a link to the official Dragon Age Nexus mod page.

The instructions are well describe here. Just a hint: do a backup of your profile before to be sure to not accidentally loose or corrupt it.

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What are the Magic Combos in Dragon Age: Origins?

Question

One of the loading screens mentions that there are some extra strong magic combos.

So what are those combinations and what is their effect?

Are there also special combos for warrior/rogue-skills?

Answer

Spell Combination                                     ResultGrease + Any Fire Spell                               Grease Fire
Death Hex + Death Cloud                               Entropic Death
Glyph of Paralysis + Glyph of Replusion               Paralysis Explosion
Spell Might + Blizzard + Tempest                      Storm of the Century
Grease Fire + Blizzard                                Flame-Quencher
Force Field + Crushing Prison                         Shockwave
Vulnerability Hex + Drain Life/Mana Drain             Improved Drain
Spell Might + Animate Dead                            Advanced Reanimation
Sleep + Horror                                        Nightmare

• Grease Fire: Burns for 30 fire dmg/1.5sec for 20 sec, friendly fire
• Entropic Death:: Targets with Death Hex entering Death Cloud instantly suffer 200+2.0Xcaster's spellpower spirit damage
• Paralysis Explosion: All targets withing 7.5m are paralyzed for 20secXtarget rank
• Storm of the Century: Caster loses additional 100 mana, causes (30+0.3XSpellpower) electricity damage every 2 sec for 30 sec and drains Stamina equal to damage dealt, friendly fire
• Flame-Quencher: Puts out a Grease Fire
• Shockwave: Knocks down nearby targets and causes 50+0.5XSpellpower physical damage, friendly fire
• Improved Drain: Drain Life deals 100% more damage to enemy and 100% more healing to caster, while Mana Drain steals 50% more mana
• Advanced Reanimation: A skeleton minion at 0.9Xthe caster's level with additional abilities is summoned
• Nightmare: Removes Sleep, applies Horror, then causes 100+1.0XSpellpower instant spirit damage

This one's slightly different, but in the same vein: Hit a target that is Petrified/Frozen, then get a Critical Hit or use Stone Fist/Crushing Prison and they will Shatter, which is an instant kill.

Source

In regards to your bonus question, no, there's not really an equivalent functionality with warrior/rogue talents. There are tactical synergy options, like having your melee characters hit frozen/petrified targets to one-shot them. Rogues also get a Coup de Grace talent which does additional damage against stunned/paralyzed targets, so you could send them after enemies your mage mezzes. But there are not really "combos" in the same way that the mage spells work.

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