In the DAO trailer

The Huge spider turned out to be just an average small spider? and the wolf was just a blight wolf? is this specialization really word using in your character?

QUESTION: what is your favorite specialization ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tony2394 (talk • contribs) 06:37, September 1, 2012‎

Shap shifter is a waste of spec points. Mages are there to prvide healing, buffing and debuffing, are of effect spell. By using shapeshifting you actually reduce your usable charachters to three, and have a questionably effecctive animal. 87.97.84.109 (talk) 14:35, September 1, 2012 (UTC)

Well, from memory a Shapeshifted mage is immune to powerful debilitating attacks like Grab, but yeah other than that it's pretty useless. --Duranic (talk) 16:03, September 1, 2012 (UTC)

-_-;; I really hate it when people seem to think all mages (or any support character for that matter) are only good for healing and buffs...My mage was a HEAVY damage dealer, and thanks to mana clash, took out opposing mages in a single shot. I only specialized in Spirit healer for 2 reasons: 1) I felt my mage warden would have had a close relationship with Wynne, who would have acted as a great mentor. In honor of her, took up spirit healer. and 2) I hate depending on the CPU to be 100% healer. At least I could heal myself when I needed and revive the healer if they fell. I didnt use the shape shifter much... if i did, it was just to turn into a swarm of bees to move faster. From my understanding tho, shape shifter mages could be built to be a bit of a tank... I never tried the build, so i cant say for certain how useless the specialization is, but it does feel a little limiting since it cuts off your spells. Blood mages and Shape Shifters, to me anyways, sound way cooler in lore then in the actual game. Warden Mage: Ferris (talk) 11:15, September 4, 2012 (UTC)

• Agreed. I'm in the middle of a "get all spell combos" Nightmare run with only Wynne and Morrigan for mages, meaning I have no spare points for giving Morrigan Spirit Healer (she gets Entropy, Frost, Crushing Prison trees, Flame Blast, and the Glyphs), though Wynne maxes hers while learning Mana Clash, Walking Bomb, and Lightning trees up to Tempest, as well as Summon Wisp and Grease. Morrigan alone with CoC, Sleep, and Force Field/Crushing Prison keeps enemies under control for the party of Warrior Warden, Leliana, and any third to mop up, Wynne's abilities/healing are seldom needed, and this is from going through the Circle and Orzammar first and second. But, this also means that I have no use for Shapeshifter despite fully agreeing with your comment. RShepard227 (talk)

You have a point there. Bloodmagic and shapeshifting is cool lorewise. very cool indeed. :-D 82.131.205.97 (talk) 17:28, September 4, 2012 (UTC)

Shapeshifter isn't the best of the specializations but it does have its uses. When I played a mage and during some batles that had gone bad, with the party ended up being just me and Morrigan, I would turn her into a spider to tank while I continue to heal and damage. Saved my ass a few times. --Elshiro (talk) 23:35, September 5, 2012 (UTC)

I recall that my canon Warden was a mage with a Shapeshifter/Arcane Warrior build, until I later added Battlemage in DA:A. Anyways, I always played her in the thick of the battle. Looking back I really didn't use shapeshifter all that much, but I've always liked shapeshifting in lore. Therefore I abandoned sense and maxed out shapeshifter. But if you view it from a lore fashion you have to admit a build like that is pretty awesome (or at least I think so). GoldenNightKnight (talk) 02:13, September 6, 2012 (UTC)

I think the only reason I made my mage Warden, a Shapeshifter, because I like running around as a Spider, though I hardly use it in battle, but I think it can be done up to be better, and more useful. Not long ago, I was playing Dragon Age 2, and in my head, come up with things my Warden(s) would say, if they were a companion, and then I started to wonder what their specialization skill tree, would look it. So, I got thinking what would a revamp on the Shapeshifter skill set be, at the moment, the only one I'm 100% on is Swarm being like Merril's "Stone's Throw" ability, which is used to get back to the group, if you been separated or pinned down. I think for the Spider and Bear, more abilities, most of the time you spent waiting for the few to recharge, also make them the like basic yet essential abilities, you have for Rouges & Warriors, but done in the movements of a Spider & Bear. --2.217.54.83 (talk) 17:32, September 8, 2012 (UTC)

It's been a while since I played, so I don't remember the names. But I like getting the last talent of a shapeshifter, the swarm thing. Not for combat, but for speed. Turnes out, by turning into this, you move faster. Combine that with various speed-enhancing spells, I rush through boring maps quickly. :P Henio0 (talk) 14:12, September 9, 2012 (UTC)

Shapeshifting seemed more fun than useful to me, other than using swarm to run through maps quickly. Arcane Warrior was ok, but I would've preferred an Arcane Rogue. Spirit Healers could be replaced by health potions and paying close attention to when you needed them. Blood Mage was the best mage specialization in DAO in my experience. I had a Blood Mage/Arcane Warrior/Battle Mage Warden who was just godlike by the end of Witch Hunt.--Vampire Damian (talk) 14:46, September 9, 2012 (UTC)

Shapeshifter is more of an in-world benefit than anything else. Shapeshifter is something that isn't taught in the circles, for obvious reasons, and it's a magic that is mostly unknown. Morrigan expresses reluctance to teach others her mother's magic. This would benefit a circle mage greatly in escaping the circle and the templars. But in terms of what is useful in the game, Shapeshifter is mostly useless. You reduce your mage to something that can only use physical attacks on one target at a time (two if you have the fully powered swarm), but in the case of a swarm this will be gone as soon as your magic is depleted or it is dispelled by something, thus leaving your mage useless. A better specialization for a combat mage is Arcane Warrior. The only good form in Shapeshifter is the Deadly Swarm since it's insanely fast to cross maps, can root a side target, can't be hit by arrows, and allows for mana drain instead of physical damage. However, four talent points must be spent in this tree in order to make this form the most effective. Believe it! (talk) 21:00, September 12, 2012 (UTC)

Shapeshifting would be awesome if we could turn into some larger animals. It might cause problems if done in small areas, but I thing if you are stupid enough to turn into a large creature in a small room, you deserve whatever happens to you. That being said, I'd love shapeshifting into a monsterous spider, varterral, wyvern or dragon. --Vampire Damian (talk) 11:06, September 14, 2012 (UTC)

Yes, but unless you're planning on making a hero something completely unique, it would be impossible to explain why none of your enemies can do the same (I presume you wouldn't want to have any mage fight carry potential as a boss battle). This kind of immersion is crucial to the series that is supposed to be logical and realistic, and I wouldn't want it to be gone in favour of a gimmick gameplay mechanic. And of course, the mage class in general would become extremely overpowered. 4Ferelden (talk) 12:17, September 14, 2012 (UTC)

Flemeth, Morrigan and maybe a mage Warden seem to be the only ones that even know shapeshifting so it's not like any mage would be able to do it. Even if they technically could, they wouldn't know how. It would be a drastically overpowered move, but that'd be one of the things that make it fun. Plus mages are supposed to be overpowered, it's one of the key plot points. It could be somewhat balanced out by only being able to do it on rare occasions or at a really high level. They'd have to change alot of the mechanics to really make it fun though and it'd probably be too much work for what'd likely be a lousy end result riddled with bugs. --Vampire Damian (talk) 13:59, September 17, 2012 (UTC)