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I am playing Dragon Age Origins

Piotrovitz

Savant
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Dec 21, 2017
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Nope, man. This is some of the actual tangible C&C the game has. Same thing with the Blood Mage specialisation, you actually have to be pretty fucking vicious to unlock it.
Got it, though it's a huge bummer not being able to unlock this spec until endgame.

About C&Cs - agree that this has been implemented pretty fucking well here, at least from what I experienced so far, and actually it's one of the things that DAO did genuinely good.
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
20,287
Nope, man. This is some of the actual tangible C&C the game has. Same thing with the Blood Mage specialisation, you actually have to be pretty fucking vicious to unlock it.
Got it, though it's a huge bummer not being able to unlock this spec until endgame.

About C&Cs - agree that this has been implemented pretty fucking well here, at least from what I experienced so far, and actually it's one of the things that DAO did genuinely good.
Reaver, Blood Mage, Arcane Warrior, Duellist, Champion can all be lost permanently if you don't jump at the opportunity to get them.

Assassin, Bard will be lost until much later.

Assassin, Bard, Templar, and Shapechanger can be lost if you antagonise the respective specific companions to the point they hate your guts. Not sure about Berserker. It is hard to antagonise Oghren that hard, I think.

Ranger and Spirit Healer can only be gotten from a book, IIRC.
 

Nano

Arcane
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Messages
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Grab the Codex by the pussy Strap Yourselves In
All of the specializations can be bought in stores during Awakening. Also the specialization unlocks work by permanently taking effect across all playthroughs, meaning you can acquire them, reload, and you still have them.
 

Semiurge

Cipher
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The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.

But you can also steal a fairly powerful staff from the tower vaults, and when Irving asks you if you happened to take something with you from the vault, you can just say "Um...no" and he accepts that. May require one point in coercion.
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
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Messages
20,287
The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.

But you can also steal a fairly powerful staff from the tower vaults, and when Irving asks you if you happened to take something with you from the vault, you can just say "Um...no" and he accepts that. May require one point in coercion.
That staff is Nature based and Darkspawn are naturally resistant to Nature magic, IIRC. I don't believe I actually used that staff at all past the Origin story.
 

Semiurge

Cipher
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Asp Hole
The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.

But you can also steal a fairly powerful staff from the tower vaults, and when Irving asks you if you happened to take something with you from the vault, you can just say "Um...no" and he accepts that. May require one point in coercion.
That staff is Nature based and Darkspawn are naturally resistant to Nature magic, IIRC. I don't believe I actually used that staff at all past the Origin story.

Still it's the best you can acquire for some time if you follow the most natural quest progression, which is Lothering -> Redcliffe. It's better than what Morrigan starts with because of the +2 bonuses to spellpower and damage.
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
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Messages
20,287
The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.

But you can also steal a fairly powerful staff from the tower vaults, and when Irving asks you if you happened to take something with you from the vault, you can just say "Um...no" and he accepts that. May require one point in coercion.
That staff is Nature based and Darkspawn are naturally resistant to Nature magic, IIRC. I don't believe I actually used that staff at all past the Origin story.

Still it's the best you can acquire for some time if you follow the most natural quest progression, which is Lothering -> Redcliffe. It's better than what Morrigan starts with because of the +2 bonuses to spellpower and damage.
Get Dog to scavenge in Lothering until he gets you the staff.
 

Semiurge

Cipher
Joined
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Messages
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The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.

But you can also steal a fairly powerful staff from the tower vaults, and when Irving asks you if you happened to take something with you from the vault, you can just say "Um...no" and he accepts that. May require one point in coercion.
That staff is Nature based and Darkspawn are naturally resistant to Nature magic, IIRC. I don't believe I actually used that staff at all past the Origin story.

Still it's the best you can acquire for some time if you follow the most natural quest progression, which is Lothering -> Redcliffe. It's better than what Morrigan starts with because of the +2 bonuses to spellpower and damage.
Get Dog to scavenge in Lothering until he gets you the staff.

The piece of wood, yes, it is slightly better thanks to the better material and bonuses to constitution and nature resistance.
 

Piotrovitz

Savant
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Messages
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Paris, Texas
Do I get this right that the only option to get blood mage spec is to have main char mage and enter the Fade in Redcliffe?

My MC is a rogue - does it mean that getting blood mage for Moriggan is permanently locked out? : |
 

Cael

Arcane
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Messages
20,287
Do I get this right that the only option to get blood mage spec is to have main char mage and enter the Fade in Redcliffe?

My MC is a rogue - does it mean that getting blood mage for Moriggan is permanently locked out? : |
Yes, I believe so.
 

Nano

Arcane
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Messages
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Grab the Codex by the pussy Strap Yourselves In
Do I get this right that the only option to get blood mage spec is to have main char mage and enter the Fade in Redcliffe?

My MC is a rogue - does it mean that getting blood mage for Moriggan is permanently locked out? : |
You still don't want to install the mod?
 

Piotrovitz

Savant
Joined
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Messages
805
Location
Paris, Texas
I was reluctant to do this, as it kinda feels like cheating, but the ultra restrictions of having to have a specific class MC in order to unlock specs for other NPCs are ridiculous.
I assume it was implemented that way in order to encourage to play the game few times with different classes, since specs are remaining unlocked forever.

Does this mod require to start a new game?
If not, I'm rushing to nexus and getting this shit asap.
 

Mexi

Dumbfuck!
Dumbfuck
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
6,811
Lots of edgy fucktards here, but it's a damn good game. One of the best AAA games I've played in a long time. The Origins stories are all really fucking good and give some minor clues about the game world.

Morrigan's story with the god-child was really fucking interesting. The Black City in the Fade too.
Didn't Morrigan say she was trying to go there during Witch Hunt or something? Would've been a badass game if they allowed us to visit it.
. Anyways, I can't imagine they did Morrigan's storyline justice in the next few games. Standalone game for me because I'm not playing the sequels.

A few issues I disliked was that you're only limited to a 4 group party. 6 to 8 has to be fucking standard. Lots of overlap with character skills and Morrigan's shape-shifting was an utterly retarded specification. I never fucking used it. Just made her a blood mage and mainly used her base powers+blood magic. The shape-shifting should've been instantaneous like in the trailer where she transforms into a spider.

The combo system was really fucking. Surprised the hell out of me when I pulled off my first shatter by chance. A few of the classes were really fucking great. Playing a two-hander warrior is just as good as playing a mage. That was a fun ass build. Damn, I just wish they didn't go full "push a button, something awesome happens" and voiced-protagonist. It's just a fun AAA RPG, which there are minimal or zero that I've liked other than this one. Golems of Amgarrak by the way was ridiculous great DLC. Fucking beating the boss on Nightmare was actually fun as all hell.

Anyways, series had a lot of fucking potential. I'd have bought ever iteration if they didn't go full voiced protagonist.
 

Piotrovitz

Savant
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
805
Location
Paris, Texas
Does this mod require to start a new game?
Nope. DA:O mods are generally mid-playthrough friendly.
Thanks - installed this and it works without any problems.

I'm currently at the end of deep roads, and same as with Fade, I cannot fucking grasp all the hate that it gets here.
Sure, it's just your generic run of the mill dungeon crawl, without any surprises or sophisticated puzzles, but it isn't nearly as bad as people are making it. Plus it's relatively short.

You know what's a fucking atrocious dungeon design? Black mountain caves or Ashbury Castle. Deep roads are pinnacle of dungeon architecture comparing to those.

QQ - are paralyze runes stacking with each other?

I'm wondering on what to put in my daggers. Currently running with +elemental dmg runes, but since my rogue's DPS is already obscene, I'm thinking about paralyze/slow or the ones that grant physical resistance. Are slow ones even worth it, or should I just go for the paralyze ones?
 
Vatnik Wumao
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大同
Nope, man. This is some of the actual tangible C&C the game has. Same thing with the Blood Mage specialisation, you actually have to be pretty fucking vicious to unlock it.
The specialization requirements tend to be too restrictive IMO. Jowan, for instance, learned blood magic from books in the Mage Tower that slipped through the cracks. What prevents your PC from having done the same? It's a blank slate protagonist after all.
A mechanical extension of the game's replayability. "You want to play with [unlockable specialization] from the getgo, customer? Sorry, gotta unlock it in a different playthrough first."
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
20,287
Does this mod require to start a new game?
Nope. DA:O mods are generally mid-playthrough friendly.
Thanks - installed this and it works without any problems.

I'm currently at the end of deep roads, and same as with Fade, I cannot fucking grasp all the hate that it gets here.
Sure, it's just your generic run of the mill dungeon crawl, without any surprises or sophisticated puzzles, but it isn't nearly as bad as people are making it. Plus it's relatively short.

You know what's a fucking atrocious dungeon design? Black mountain caves or Ashbury Castle. Deep roads are pinnacle of dungeon architecture comparing to those.

QQ - are paralyze runes stacking with each other?

I'm wondering on what to put in my daggers. Currently running with +elemental dmg runes, but since my rogue's DPS is already obscene, I'm thinking about paralyze/slow or the ones that grant physical resistance. Are slow ones even worth it, or should I just go for the paralyze ones?
Paralyse is gold for any melee character, but doubly so for glass cannons like rogues.

In Awakening, they have that obscene spell resistance rune that basically turns anyone magic immune (mainly because they somehow made it into a weapon rune, not an armour rune).

EDIT: Have you gotten to that boss in the Deep Roads yet?
 

Piotrovitz

Savant
Joined
Dec 21, 2017
Messages
805
Location
Paris, Texas
EDIT: Have you gotten to that boss in the Deep Roads yet?
I'm just at the end (I guess) finally meeting Branka - not sure if she's the final boss there, or was it Broodmother a bit earlier.

Anyway, deep roads were rather ok for me, that's why I'm kinda fucking baffled why so many people here are so offended by this section of the game.

Btw. mana clash is ridiculous with it's one shotting almost every mage. they could really apply a bit of sawyerism here.
 
Vatnik Wumao
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Anyway, deep roads were rather ok for me, that's why I'm kinda fucking baffled why so many people here are so offended by this section of the game.
It's a dreary, combat-focused slog through bland, monotone environments.
Which is a perfect representation of the Deep Roads, so kuddos to the devs.
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
20,287
EDIT: Have you gotten to that boss in the Deep Roads yet?
I'm just at the end (I guess) finally meeting Branka - not sure if she's the final boss there, or was it Broodmother a bit earlier.

Anyway, deep roads were rather ok for me, that's why I'm kinda fucking baffled why so many people here are so offended by this section of the game.

Btw. mana clash is ridiculous with it's one shotting almost every mage. they could really apply a bit of sawyerism here.
Broodmother. Meeting Helspeth and then the Broodmother was when the game turned up the "shit's real" to the max.
 

Absinthe

Arcane
Joined
Jan 6, 2012
Messages
4,062
EDIT: Have you gotten to that boss in the Deep Roads yet?
I'm just at the end (I guess) finally meeting Branka - not sure if she's the final boss there, or was it Broodmother a bit earlier.

Anyway, deep roads were rather ok for me, that's why I'm kinda fucking baffled why so many people here are so offended by this section of the game.

Btw. mana clash is ridiculous with it's one shotting almost every mage. they could really apply a bit of sawyerism here.
It one-shots every Mage with enough spellpower behind it. Wearing spirit damage multiplying gear or using the vulnerability and/or affliction hexes works too.

Another one-shot spell combo is Entropic Death. Just cast Death Hex on someone inside a Death Cloud. It does massive amounts of damage, especially if you precede it with vulnerability and affliction hexes.

And another way to render enemy mages irrelevant is to use Glyph of Neutralization. It dispels all magic, gives everyone 100% spell resistance, and drains their mana pools to zero.
 

Piotrovitz

Savant
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Messages
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All of that is kinda sad, given that mage battles are usually the most interesting encounters in majority of crpgs.

DAO seems to give you a shitload of tools that can trivialize those by pushing single button : |
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
20,287
All of that is kinda sad, given that mage battles are usually the most interesting encounters in majority of crpgs.

DAO seems to give you a shitload of tools that can trivialize those by pushing single button : |
It is also pretty fragging stupid that they have the Chantry with the massive hate on for mages because rogue mages are so dangerous, and ignore the fact that having mages on your side is the single most powerful thing against other mages. Mana Clash is AoE, for Pete's sake. Open the door, throw it in and the entire room of mages just drops dead.
 

Prime Junta

Guest
All of that is kinda sad, given that mage battles are usually the most interesting encounters in majority of crpgs.

DAO seems to give you a shitload of tools that can trivialize those by pushing single button : |

Mechanically DAO is pure cargo cult D&D. They piled on a ton of D&D-esque spells and abilities without a real understanding of what makes them work. Consequently you get a lot of stuff that's just really not worth investing in, and a bunch of things that are just so stupidly lethal they're effective win buttons. In particular the bosses are frankly pretty boring -- mountains of HP with a standard attack cycle, basically.

This is in striking contrast to BG2 where you had to figure out how to get past the defences and counter the attacks of the harder bosses. Firkraag is incredibly difficult if you try to brute-force him, but if you know how the mechanics work and look for strategies, you can reliably beat him in a few rounds. Kangaxx is impossible until you find out how to counter Imprisonment, after which he's trivial. And so on and so forth literally all through the game. There's nothing like that in DAO, all you have is a bunch of wildly OP abilities and baked-in combos that work everywhere. You really have to work hard to make actually playing the game at all entertaining.
 

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