Reaver (Origins)
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- For the reavers as a group, see Reavers.
- For the specialization in Dragon Age II, see Reaver (Dragon Age II).
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| Type:
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| Effects:
| +1 constitution
+5 physical resistance | ||
| Description:
| 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.
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Reaver is one of the specializations available to the warrior class in Dragon Age: Origins.
Contents |
Reaver talents 
Edit
 Devour | Activated Range: Personal Activation: 25 Cooldown: 30s | The reaver revels in death, absorbing the lingering energy of all nearby corpses, each of which partially restores the reaver's own health. |
 Frightening Appearance | Activated Range: Personal Activation: 25 Cooldown: 20s Requires: Level 12 | This talent focuses the Reaver's unsettling countenance into a weapon, making a target cower in fear unless it passes a mental resistance check. Frightening Appearance also increases the effectiveness of Taunt and Threaten. |
 Aura of Pain | Sustained Upkeep: 60 Fatigue: 5% Cooldown: 45s Requires: Level 14 | Radiating an aura of psychic pain, the reaver takes constant spirit damage while this mode is active, as do all enemies nearby. |
 Blood Frenzy | Sustained Upkeep: 60 Fatigue: 5% Cooldown: 60s Requires: Level 16 | Driven by pain, the reaver gains larger bonuses to damage whenever health decreases. Because this mode also incurs a penalty to health regeneration, the reaver flirts with death the longer the frenzy persists. |
Unlocking Edit
- During The Urn of Sacred Ashes quest, the Warden will meet a man named Kolgrim in the Mountainside Caverns. If he is not provoked he will offer the Warden a vial of blood to pour on Andraste's Ashes. Once the Warden has navigated through the Gauntlet, pour the blood into the urn and speak with Kolgrim outside. He will teach you the Reaver specialization.
It is recommended that you do not have Wynne or Leliana in the party when fouling the Ashes as they will automatically attack you; as the Guardian also attacks you it can be an incredibly hard fight, especially as you will only have yourself and one party member remaining. So other party members should be taken rather than them. However, if you hardened Leliana after her quest, she will still object to pouring blood on the Ashes, but she can be intimidated into obedience.
Defiling Andraste's Ashes with the blood will not automatically cause Leliana to leave the party. You can persuade/lie to her, which will work if she wasn't in the party when you completed the quest. She will just take an approval hit which is easily countered by gifts and more pious or charitable actions later.
If you do not wish to suffer the repercussions of tainting Andraste's Ashes, you can pour the blood in the Urn to complete the quest with Kolgrim and receive the Reaver specialization. Then load any previous saved game (such as right before pouring the blood in the Ashes) and the specialization will be still unlocked to put a point in upon your character's next advancement in level.
- Additionally, it can be unlocked in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening by purchasing the manual from the bartender at The Crown and Lion tavern in the City of Amaranthine for 9 90 0.
90
0
Strategy Edit
- Devour: This is useless, because it is non-continuous. Death Magic is handy for Blood Mages, but essentially it was a necessity that it be continuously active for reasons about corpses. Devour is restricted because corpses take time to become usable.
- Frightening Appearance: The improvements to Taunt and Threaten are particularly useful once the third talent is achieved...
- Aura of Pain: Many dislike this ability, but it is actually quite handy. Essentially, the Reaver carries an AOE effect spell around with himself, taking friendly fire damage. The trick, of course, is to restore that health. Cleansing Aura from a Spirit Healer, or just diligent Heals, and the Reaver won't be too affected by this ability. You could also improve Spirit Resistance.[confirmation needed]
- Blood Frenzy: Given the pittance of a bonus, useless, especially since you are so much better served by Aura of Pain. If this was more powerful, it would have fit neatly into the strategy since your health will (in my experience) hover about 50-60% with Wynne in the party.
Now, the Reaver is a death sentence on its own. You draw enemies towards you and damage yourself constantly.
Where the Reaver shines is with support and with supplement.
- For example, a Reaver/Champion with Threaten enhanced by Frightening Appearance, heavy armor, and Aura of Pain active. Trying to maximize your attractiveness as a target. Wynne, let us say, on standby with her awesome healing skills. Add War Cry having drawn them in (with Superiority), and they will be disabled and taking a significant amount of damage in a small window of time. To focus on Tanking, talents should be in weapon + shield, mostly because of distance opponents. To focus on DPS, Dual-Weapons and Two-handers are serviceable, largely for the AOE attacks.
- The Reaver's entire point is AOE. Instead of focusing on one enemy and letting others slip through the cracks or assail him/her unmolested, hitting everyone constantly and making certain they're all focused on him/her.
Squadron Management
- The Warden - Reaver/Champion, in Wade's dragon plate; Howe's Shield if you're into that sort of thing. Chasind Great Maul or Nug Crusher for stamina;
- Wynne - Spirit Healer/Arcane Warrior, Spellweaver equipped and Cleansing Aura + Vessel of the Spirit active. Effort is recommended.
- Morrigan or Leliana - Long-range threat neutralization. For the former, primal spells and blood mage robes; for the latter, Marjolaine's Recurve and drakeskin armor.
Have Wynne in the thick of things both hacking and using Cleansing Aura, coupled with a preference for healing the Warden. Oghren serves as a heavy-duty warrior: more of a tank than the Warden but powerful in his own right, given good Mauls (bulk up his Armor Penetration when appropriate). Morrigan or Leliana should be dedicated against ranged opponents but especially against those with AOE attacks. AOE effects are the bane of this loadout; it tends to present a clustered target.
Trivia Edit
- Considering this specialization is acquired from the memories of a wyvern, it's unclear why demons are mentioned at all.
- Becoming a reaver is the only time dragons are ever referred to as wyverns in the game. However, in Dragon Age II Mark of the Assassin, wyverns are revealed to be related to dragons.
References Edit
Dragon Age: Origins - PRIMA Official Strategy Guide
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