Note: This topic has been unedited for 2820 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over. Do not continue it unless it really needs a response.
I'm starting a replay of DA:O with the Mage origin. First time playing a mage in DA:O; my other plays have always been Rogue and Warrior. I've played Mage on DA2, but from what I've gathered it's different than the one in Origins. So what I'm asking:
1. Do you guys have any advice? What spells are best? Equipment? Especially on the beginning? How to not get killed easily? Who are the best companions?
2. What is the best order of Main Quests for the Mage?
If there is already a thread of this, or a walkthrough, please post the links. And sorry if this repeating something, it's my first time posting...
Thanks in advance!
DarthLadyRevan
- RE: #1 First, decide on what kind of mage you want to play, there are several different ways to play mage. You can focus on support or damage, or you can become an arcane warrior and be a super tank. If you're going for a support or damage role, you will want a warrior around constantly to soak up enemy fire.
- RE: #2 The recommended quest order is the same as any other class. Redcliffe/Circle Tower first, then Brecilian Forest, then Orzammar, then Denerim and the Landsmeet. If you have any DLC, you should play them any time after completing Redcliffe/Circle Tower (I recommend doing those two in conjunction, for plot reasons and because of the stat bonuses you get in the Fade). Silver Warden (talk) 20:37, July 25, 2016 (UTC)
- I don't really see the appeal of tank. Can you use the Arcane Warrior to be able to equip heavy armor and still cast spells? What other specialization would you recommend?
- I have all the DLCs; usually I got straight to Warden's Keep after Lothering to get the Warden Commander armor and the use of the storage chest. I leave the Return to Ostagar for after the Landsmeet.--DarthLadyRevan (talk) 23:18, July 25, 2016 (UTC)
- I strongly recommend to take Blood Magic for any build. At first, I didn't like the idea of being a tank too, but as an Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage your character can be very, very tough (tougher than any warrior), nearly invulnerable with proper choice of equipment and sustainables and still be fine at spellcasting (not as good as specialiazed spellcaster-damager, of course; sword is still your main weapon if you are playing that way). I recommend to finish the Circle Tower first, especially if you want to have a try at saving everyone during The Attack at Nightfall. After the tower, I usually go to Warden's Keep (additional storage space never hurts, as well as some useful items) and then to Redcliffe, though you may consider finishing Brecilian Forest prior to Redcliffe because, unless you side with werewolves, it provides you with oppurtunity to reach level cap by buying elfroots from Varathorn and donating them to your elven allies. I also recommend to have one companion in your party with maximum Herbalism as soon as possible because it allows you to make quick money by creating and selling Potent Lyrium Potions. Equipment very depends on your playstyle, though there is one musthave belt: Andruil's Blessing. If you want to make nearly invulnerable tank, who still posses ability to cast some decent spells (like Blood Wound, Cone of Cold etc) with help of Blood Magic, you would need Cailan's Arms and Armor. People usually just take advantage of Cailan's Arms high mana regeneration rate and use other armor, but I still think that Cailan's Armor health regneration rate can't be ignored, especially when you use health instead of mana in order to cast spells. Then you will need The Spellward and Dweomer runes for your weapon because having your sustainables dispelled during the tanking is extremely dangerous. Also, Lifegiver is very useful for blood mage tank. The second ring slot use as you will, I usually place The Wicked Oath there for additional mana regeneration, Blood Ring and Key to the City are also very fine options. Choice of equipment like the one listed above provides you with mana regeneration high enough to have Shimmering Shield constantly sustained and have health regeneration high enough to use spells often enough, and you can always drain some health from your allies, for you are Blood Mage with Blood Sacrifice spell. As to the spells, I recommend to get the whole line of Arcane Warrior (you are free to ignore the last spell of this line, provided you have high enough mana regeneration rate), first three of Blood Magic (last spell is pretty optional, better to take it when you have nothing else worth investment), first three of Fire line, two first from Stone line, first three from Cold line, the first spell of healing line (Regeneration spell can be useful in many cases as well, feel free to take it if you wish), get the whole Mana Drain line in order to get Mana Clash for getting rid of pesky spellcasters, who dispel your sustainables and heal your foes. You may also want to get Miasma spell, Spellshield for resisting dispel when one Mana Clash is not enough to deal with dangerous mage, some hexes (I usually take first three of them). The rest for this build is optional, though I don't recommend getting spells from the second and the fourth lines of Creation tree (Spellwisp may still be useful in order to get high numbers of spellpower) and Chain Lightning (in Dragon Age II this spell is far more useful). Now if you still don't want a tank, here is choice of equipment and spells for a regular nuker (nuker is a frail mage, who deals heavy damage to foes (and pretty often to allies) with different spells and is in great need of reliable tank, who draws hatred of enemies). For that build I recommend to buy Staff of the Magister Lord (until you have money for it, make your mabari find Piece of Wood and then acquire Winter's Breath in Warden's Keep), Andruil's Blessing, Reaper's Vestments ( Archon Robes is fine option until you have it, and Tevinter Enchanter's Robes is considerable option even when you can afford Vestments, but it doesn't offer any protection, so Vestments are still better in my opinion), one of +20% <type of elemetnal damage> damage gloves (depending on what type of elemental damage you deal more often than others). Acquire Helm of Honnleath (it requires 20 points in strength, but after the Circle Tower and with temporary equipped strength increasing items, you will be able to equip it), Warden Commander Boots (unless you take Arcane Warrior, I recommend to get them as soon possible because level-up leads to increasing of material tire of finded items and this leads to increasing of strength requirement and fatigue; until you have them use The Lion's Paw or Fade Striders ), Blood Ring, Key to the City (wear Lucky Stone, Dalish Promise Ring until you get them; you may also consider using Lifegiver instead of one of those, for you are blood mage), Lifedrinker (until you get it use The Spellward, Pearl of the Anointed or any other amulet you like). For a Nuker, I would rather take Blood Mage and Spirit Healer specializations, though Arcane Warrior with Blood Mage is considerable build too (in case if you still want to equip heavy armor, but cast spells during major part of combat). In the second case, I recommend to use Evon the Great's Mail along with Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale Gloves and Boots instead of listed above Gloves, Boots and Robes. You will have very low fatigue due to set bonus of listed armor pieces, but I still think that pure tanks and nukers are better. As to the spells, treat Blood Magic line in the way described above (get first three and do what you will with the fourth), if you take Arcane Warrior after all, you need only the first spell of the line in order to use heavy armor, if you take Spirit Healer instead of Arcane Warrior, the first spell of the line is musthave, after that you may either forget about this specialization or take two and even three more spells from here if you want to be more helpful and flexible, but leave it to Wynne if you want to concentrate on raw power and/or want to get more other spells (you finished Dragon Age: Orgins and I think that you know that each talent/spell point counts). Then get the whole Fire line (you may leave the fourth spell without attention if you want to have more spells), first two of stone line, the whole ice line, first three of electricity line. Treat healing line of the Creation tree as described above (either get the first spell or get first three spells), ignore the second and the fourth lines of that tree (except spellwisp for additional spellpower), get the whole Mana Drain line from the Spirit Tree, don't pay much attention to the first line of the Entropy tree, get at least two first hexes (the rest two are interesting, but optional for a nuker), either get first three of Disorient line or don't take any, either get the whole line of Drain Life tree or don't get any (the first spell may still be useful in some cases, especially in the early game; the fourth spell really useful only if you have whole line of hexes, other two are too situational, so I recommend just to take the first spell and be done with that line). The rest is optional. but consider getting spells from Walking Bomb line (just the first spell or three of them), spellshield (not as needed as for tank), first three of glyphs. Also, learn about spell combinations (article can be easily found on this wiki) to decide which of optional spells are better. You may also want to read some guides on Bioware forum, I can provide links to the ones that helped me. When you are specialized (level cap is reached and most of the attributes, specialization and spell points are used) and have all that equipment (well, major part of it), I recommend to do The Urn of Sacred Ashes, then Paragon of Her Kind (but Orzammar you'll have to visit earlier in order to buy some items and do some side quests) and the rest of the game. I don't recommend taking Shapeshifter. It is weak specialization and it doesn't make combination with any other specialization, it's on its own. Also remember that main disadvantage of being a nuker is friendly fire. Your large and powerful A-o-E spells will likely deal decent amount of damage to your allies in the center of action. As to the party choice, most of the game I use Alistair, Wynne and Morrigan. This combination especially useful in Redcliffe if you are trying to save everyone (Morrigan needs to learn Heal to be useful here). If someone in party has Cleansing Aura, it is even easier. In the Deep Roads if you are not tank, you may consider replacing either Morrigan or Wynne with additional tank (Oghren is better than Sten both plot and combat wise) or rogue. I usually use rogues only to come back to cleared locations and pick locks of containers and doors. If you are described above tank, you can play solo at all, so you can pick your party just for the sake of plot. How to not get killed easily? Let your tank draw the aggression of foes and don't get to a center of battles. If you see that enemies are too large in number to be handled, then retreat as far as possible. Only part of melee foes will follow you, ranged ones and part of tanks will stay behind. Once you've dealt with the ones that followed you, return to the rest of enemies. If you finished this game, I believe you have decent enough knowledge to survive beginning of the plot and then just make fine build and you will handle it.178.162.216.38 (talk) 14:10, July 26, 2016 (UTC)
- Yes you can equip heavy armor with arcane warrior. Your strength stat gets replaced by your magic stat so you can use the same caliber of weapons and armor that a warrior would. The only limit to your spell casting is mana regen (which an AW needs lots of) and which spells require you to redraw your weapons, although you can always just use armor and a shield and just use spells as offense. Blood mage and spirit healer are also good specializations, both on their own and mixed with AW, just not together. Avoid shapeshifter like the plague - I never even use those spells on Morrigan. Silver Warden (talk) 15:42, July 26, 2016 (UTC)