Creature Arcane horror
Affiliation:	Demons
Rank:	Lieutenant, Boss
Class:	Mage
Appearances:	Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age II

Arcane horrors serve as proof that the dangers of possession extend even beyond a mage's lifetime. Encountered in the Fade and the Circle tower, as well as several other places.

Locations Edit

Dragon Age: Origins Edit

Dragon Age II Edit

• One in the Danarius's Manor during Bait and Switch in Act 1
• One guarding the altar atop Sundermount during Long Way Home in Act 1
• One in the Ruined Passage during Magistrate's Orders in Act 1
• One in the Underground Passage underneath Harimann Estate, during Repentance in Act 2

Abilities Edit

Dragon Age: Origins Edit

Arcane horrors have three types and one unique boss, and like party members has conditions for Combat Tactics:

Arcane Horror Types
Balance	Nuker	Support
Death Syphon Fireball Miasma Misdirection Hex Paralyze Spirit Blast Swarm Vulnerability Hex Walking Bomb Winter's Grasp	Blizzard Chain Lightning Crushing Prison Death Syphon Fireball Spirit Blast Swarm Walking Bomb Winter's Grasp	Death Hex Death Syphon Miasma Misdirection Hex Sleep Spirit Blast Swarm Vulnerability Hex Walking Bomb Winter's Grasp

Dragon Age II Edit

• Exhaustion
• Spirit Shield
• Spirit Bolt
• Teleport

Elemental resistances Edit

Dragon Age II Edit

• Cold: Very weak
• Electricity: Very weak
• Fire: Normal
• Nature: Very weak
• Spirit: Normal, or immune for Nightmare mode

Drops Edit

Dragon Age: Origins Edit

Ashes gloves (Lower Ruin) Some gems

Strategy Edit

Dragon Age: Origins Edit

Arcane horrors are easily killed, but have very high damage output. When they are immediately attacked, they are easily dispatched, but left alone they will devastate a party. It is a good idea to ignore other enemies and attack the arcane horror first.

In a party with ranged attacks, it's possible to kill the demon without it even damaging the party. In a party with a mage, using spells that drain mana like Mana Cleanse, Mana Clash, or Mana Drain can severely inhibit the arcane horror, especially when used in the improved drain Spell Combo.

When fighting the arcane horror in the Werewolf Lair, it is easy to kill it swiftly if you can get all party members a ranged weapon (either a bow or a staff), and keep them on the stairs above the arcane horror. Make sure to have hold position on however.

1. All four party members must stay near the door.
2. Send one of them, an animated dead, or a summoned wolf near arcane horror and immediately run with it to the party. The arcane horror will attack that party member with spells like paralyze, weakness, or etc., and a horde of undead will follow.
3. After killing the undead, the arcane horror changes his position and you can target him from the stairs.

Alternate strategy: 1. Kill off the minions around the horror. 2. Select whole party and then move em way back up on the stairs or so, this sometimes drags the Arcane Horror to follow you there. 3. Now away from the platform-like thingies, the Arcane Horror is unable to teleport, making him an easy target.

Dragon Age II Edit

In the sequel, the arcane horror is every bit as dangerous, if not more.

On the attack, it has three spells with short cooldowns. Against characters who are clustered together, it will use an area of effect spell that damages and stuns everyone. The damages done is not huge, but more than enough to finish off mages and rogues who are not at full health. If melee attackers are sent against it, the Arcane Horror will launch a spell that emits a very bright blue light and does massive spirit damage that can easily take down a tank in mere seconds. Unless your characters have heavy spirit resistance such as that afforded by a Rune of Spirit Warding, they should use this opportunity to flee. One positive side effect of this is that while this counter-melee spell is active, the arcane horror is immobilized so ranged characters can get some free shots at it. Lastly, it will sometimes use a knockback spell that sends a member of your team (typically a mage) flying, but does very little damage. Fortunately, all three spells require two or three seconds to activate: this is represented visually by the Arcane Horror spinning its arms. This gives the player a very short but crucial window to interrupt its spellcasting using certain abilities and spells (for example, Winter's Grasp (Dragon Age II) or Pinning Shot (Dragon Age II).

To fight an Arcane Horror, one tactic is to try to make it Brittle (since it has low physical resistance) and thus vulnerable to followup with Archer's Lance.

• Note that on Hard mode the AoE effect is quite brutal as it both stuns you and ticks for roughly 65-95 damage per second. It can kill even tanks at over 95% magic resistance in a single cast, making killing the arcane horror a priority. Since you are stunned you don't get the chance to move out of the area, so it is advised to keep your party spread out so that it can not kill more than person at once.

Gallery Edit

Concept art

A Dragon Age II Arcane Horror

A Dragon Age II Arcane Horror casting a spell