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For the lore about the specialization, see Reaver.
For the specialization in other games, see Reaver (Origins) and Reaver (Inquisition).


Reaver is one of the specializations available to the warrior class in Dragon Age II.

Demonic spirits teach more than blood magic. Reavers terrorize their enemies, feast upon the souls of their slain opponents to heal their own flesh, and can unleash a blood frenzy that makes them more powerful as they come nearer to their own deaths.

Background[]

Life is power. Blood Mages know this, but they are not the only ones. Warriors can also command the energy that flows through blood and bone, but it is not an easy path. The Reaver specialization trades pain for strength in a constant balance of selfish sacrifice. At first it seems that Reavers are doing the work of their enemies, damaging themselves in gruesome fashion. But Reavers can transform their own living essence into raw damage, and then replenish that health by stealing the life from their foes. It's a dangerous gamble that counts on added strength to destroy enemies before incoming attacks or the Reavers' own abilities kill them. At its best, the Reaver specialization results in a brutal harmony. The closer they are to their own deaths, the more efficient they are at inflicting the same on others.[1]

Talent tree[]

Talent tree

Talents[]

Blood Frenzy Blood Frenzy
Passive
Requires: Level 7
The reaver knows no pain, but is no stranger to vengeance. For every wound the Reaver sustains, attack damage increases.

Damage: Up to +50% (inverse proportion to health)
Devour Devour
Activated
Activation: 20
Cooldown: 120s
Requires: Level 8
The Reaver tears into an enemy, consuming its life force to heal the Reaver.

Physical damage: 1x
Health regeneration: 1x base weapon damage
Voracious Voracious
Upgrade
Duration: 5s
Requires: Level 12
Devour becomes so vicious that enemies are automatically STAGGERED, leaving them open to devastating follow-ups from a mage or rogue.

Physical damage: +0.25x (total: 1.25x)
Health regeneration: +0.25x base weapon damage (total: 1.25x)
STAGGERStaggered chance: 100%
Stun chance: 100% vs. normal enemies
Stun duration: 5s
Insatiable Insatiable
Upgrade
Requires: Level 14
Requires: 2 points in Reaver
Devour is now much more effective, particularly if a rogue has lowered the enemy's defenses.

Physical damage: +0.25x (total: 1.25x)
Physical damage: 300% vs. DISORIENTED Disoriented targets
Health regeneration: +0.25x base weapon damage (total: 1.25x)
Health regeneration: 300% from DISORIENTED Disoriented targets
Cooldown: -20s (total: 100s)
Sacrificial Frenzy Sacrificial Frenzy
Activated
Duration: 10s
Cooldown: 25s
Requires: Level 7
Requires: Blood Frenzy
Requires: 2 points in Reaver
The reaver sacrifices health to increase the effect of Blood Frenzy. For a short time, every wound the reaver sustains further increases attack damage.

Blood Frenzy damage: 2x
Health: -20
Sustained Frenzy Sustained Frenzy
Upgrade
Sacrificial Frenzy can now be used more frequently.

Cooldown: -5s (total: 20s)
Aura of Pain Aura of Pain
Sustained
Range: 6m
Upkeep: 10%
Cooldown: 5s
Requires: Level 10
Requires: Blood Frenzy
Requires: Devour
Requires: 2 points in Reaver
Radiating an aura of psychic pain, the reaver takes constant spirit damage while this mode is active, as do all enemies nearby.

Spirit damage: 0.5x every 4s
Health: -5% every 4s
Torrent of Pain Torrent of Pain
Upgrade
Requires: Level 14
Requires: 3 points in Reaver
The Aura of Pain now causes greater harm to enemies without increasing the reaver's own health loss.

Spirit damage: +0.25x every 4s (total: 0.75x)
Frenzy of Pain Frenzy of Pain
Upgrade
Requires: Level 16
Requires: 5 points in Reaver
Aura of Pain now consumes less health to maintain as the reaver's health decreases.

-2.5% health every 4s instead of -5%
Fervor Fervor
Passive
Duration: 10s
Requires: Level 13
Requires: Sacrificial Frenzy
Requires: Aura of Pain
Requires: 4 points in Reaver
The death of a foe quickens the reaver's actions for a short time.

Attack speed: +30% upon enemy death

Tactics[]

This Reaver might not be as powerful as it seems. Most talents of the Vanguard tree are at least equally powerful, but are way more reliable. The combined damage boost of Might and Cleave might be higher than the bonus granted by Blood Frenzy and Sacrificial Frenzy. The regular area damage of Aura of Pain might be less impactful than Assail plus Besiege.

So the easiest way to play a Reaver is to simply combine the Reaver and Vanguard talents for a maximum damage output. You'll be able to dish out tons of damage just with basic attacks alone. Activating Cleave right before you use Devour might be enough to fully recover your hitpoints and the deathblows caused by Massacre will trigger Fervor faster and more frequently.

Alternatively, a Reaver can be played as a sort of tank. Aura of Pain not only deals regular damage, it also generates threat automatically. Using other threat-increasing talents like Taunt, Bravery or Battle Synergy, will ensure that most enemies engage the player.

Due to the fact that Devour recovers three times the amount of hitpoints should the player hit a disoriented foe, it's highly recommended to bring a rogue along. A Fatiguing Fog (plus the Overpowering Fog upgrade) not only helps to trigger the additional life-stealing effect, the 50% loss attack speed also helps to avoid taking too much damage.

Last but not least: Always try to use a Hex of Torment (plus the Death Hex upgrade) right before you use Devour.

Notes[]

  • As with Blood Mage mechanics, the Reaver's health loss due to skills can be mitigated using 'damage transfer' and 'damage reduction' talents, most notably Bodyguard, Battle Synergy and Aveline's Serve and Protect. These damage transfers combined with Aveline's own damage reduction talents can make the damage taken by Hawke trivial at best.

Bugs[]

  • The game treats -20 hp from Sacrificial Frenzy and the -5%hp from Aura of Pain as melee damage received by Hawke and FROM Hawke, making the "100% of basic attack damage vs. enemies that attack in melee" modifier on certain accessories or shields bug and causes extra life loss. This bug has been fixed in patch 1.03.
  • Upgrades of devour talent (Voracious and Insatiable) are not compatible with each-other thus gaining both upgrades result in no extra health gain from DISORIENTED enemies!

References[]

  1. "Warrior Class". Retrieved 02-09-2011.
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