Dragon Age Origins Notes

• Character Creation:
  • Before starting a new game, turn the brightness up one notch brighter than you think it should be, as the character creator screens are very dark.
  • Choose "none" as a voice option. It breaks the 4th wall, otherwise.
  • If playing as a noble dwarf, note that your kin have ash-blond hair.
  • As a common Dwarf, your sister has orangish red hair.
  • The City Elf's cousin has red hair.
  • As a human noble, look for head preset mods that make you look like a Cousland.
    • If female, you can romance Alistair and rule with him.
    • If male, you can marry Anora (can't be king, just consort)
      1. Rescue Anora, (doesn't matter if you get captured) then tell her you'll support her for the throne.
      2. Propose marriage to Anora ASAP.
      3. Don't harden Alistair, and have him duel Loghain (or if Alistair is hardened, spare Loghain)
      4. Survive the Arch Demon by doing Morrigan's Ritual or have Alistair/Loghain kill it.
  • The Shoulders on Heavy or Massive Armor will block shots during conversation.
  • Save some gear in your inventory at the end of each module so that new characters in the next story can be equipped with some good stuff.
• System:
  • There is a bug where Tactics disappear if adjusted in Camp. Wait until you're somewhere else.
  • One sign that the game needs to be restarted is when the loading screens become noticeably longer.
  • If the game crashes when loading a save in Denerim, first load a save somehwere else, then load your desired save. Applying Large Address Aware to DAOrigins.exe also helps. If all else fails, try reducing graphics settings to their minimums.
  • See the DA2 save game creator or the Dragon Age Keep for inportable choices to later games. (Honestly, the choices are are cosmetic, audio, or Codex entries.)
  • The inventory size can be set to 999999999 with the save editor.
  • The save editor can also be used to manipulate companion Approval.
• Gameplay:
  • Be in the mood for looooooooong conversations.
  • See checklist for recommended play order of Origins. The other modules are: Leliana's Song, A Tale of Orzamar, Origins, The Darkspawn Chronicles, Awakening, The Golems of Amgarrak, Witch Hunt.
  • Put 1 point each in Herbalism, Traps, and Poison-Making to start the game - there are quests in Lothering that use them. You'll eventually want 4 in Herbalism for Orzammar, and 2 in Survival at the Dalish Camp.
  • The game can be played with no companions, or with only one if you want to hear only that character's reactions.
  • Melee players can get crowded if there's too many other melee characters around. Ranged players are fine, as the AI takes care of itself.
• Plot Choices to keep in mind:
  • Redcliffe:
    • Help the village with the seige or don't
    • Connor: Ritual to help, freed while possesed, killed by Isolde, killed by Player, or knocked out Isolde and killed Connor
    • If Ritual: done by Jowan (Isolde dies) or Circle Mages (everyone lives); Then intimidated or killed demon
    • Jowan let go or executed? If let go, must be done when first met.
  • Circle:
    • Side with either Mages (Templars still survive, but won't join) or Templars (mages die).
    • If you side with the Templars, you will have to kill Wynne. If you side with the mages, she'll join your party.
  • Haven:
    • If you defile the Ashes, is Leliana dead or Persuaded to stay? Also if you defile the Ashes, Wynne will leave the party regardless.
    • Genitivi: alive or dead (you can only kill him if he comes with you to the Ruins). If dead, the Ashes are lost to myth. If alive, tourists will flock to the site (and he'll reward you later in Denerim).
  • Brecilian Forest:
    • If you want to free the werewolves from their curse, Zathrian will attack, then change his mind. Freed werewolves get a happy ending, but won't join your cause, and you wind up with elves.
    • If you want werewolves instead, you'll need to kill elves.
    • You can also just get elves by killing the werewolves for Zathrian.
  • Orzammar:
    • There are several quests that will take you to the Circle and back again. Complete some Denerim quests the first time you're here, then come back again after turning those in, and going to the Circle, to complete more.
    • Side with either Bhelen (liberal) or Harrowmont (isolationist).
    • No matter which candidate for king you start out supporting, you can change your mind at the end anyway.
    • Keep or destroy the Anvil? Branka lives only if you keep the Anvil. Caradin dies regardless.
    • If you take Shale and destroy the Anvil, you'll have to kill Shale. If you destroy the Anvil without Shale in the party, she can be Persuaded to stay.
    • Burkel establish a Chantry in Orzammar?
    • Dagna join the Circle mages as a student? She shows up in Inquisition even if she stays in Orzammar.
  • Companions:
    • Don't limit them to their starting weapons. Give them what they need to complement your play style. For example, if you're playing melee, give bows to your rogues.
    • Alistair: Romanceable by female players. Hardening is an option from his side quest, not a certainty. To Harden him, at the end of the meeting say "Everyone is out for themselves ..." Then back at Camp say anything other than "That's not what I meant. Don't do that!"
      Lots of branches depending on conversations leading up to the Landsmeet.
      • If you spare Loghain, Alistair leaves the party regardless of Hardening, and Loghain takes his place. Anora will suggest executing Alistair right then and there, and you can agree or spare him. If Hardened, Alistair declares himself king or marries Anora, while a soft Alistair becomes a wandering drunk.
      • If you execute Loghain, Alistair stays in your party. A Hardened Alistair will agree to be king, either marrying Anora or imprisoning her, while a soft Alistair will allow others to rule (Anora alone or with player).
      • If Alistair is available for the attack on the Arch Demon, and is in your party, he'll offer to take the final blow. He'll only survive if either Morrigan's Ritual is performed (doesn't matter by whom), or if he's left out of your party.
    • Dog: A human noble won't get the quest at Ostagar to help him. All other origins completing the quest will meet him in a random encounter as soon as you leave Flemeth's Hut.
    • Leliana: Romanceable by either male or female players. She'll be hHrded at the start of Inquisition even if you leave her soft at the end of her personal quest here.
    • Morrigan: Romanceable by male players. If you refuse her Ritual just before the Battle of Denerim, she'll leave the party. Flemeth will appear in DA2 regardless of the outcome of Morrigan's personal quest.
    • Oghren: If you help him reunite with Felsi, he will later track her down and live happily ever after (lie on the 3rd dialog choice).
    • Shale: Recruited? Survived Anvil of the Void or Persuaded to stay if wasn't in party at the time? Being Friendly leads to a joint ending with Wynne. Otherwise she spends the rest of eternity in the Deep Roads fighting darkspawn.
    • Sten: Recruited? Retrieve Sten's sword for him but make sure he is at Friendly. This way when he returns he doesn't lead a Qunari invasion on Ferelden.
    • Wynne: Being Friendly leads to a joint ending with Shale. Otherwise she becomes advisor to the crown.
    • Zevran: Romanceable by either male or female players. You meet him after the 1st group is recruited. Recruited him? Told him to leave? If Friendly he will stay after ending.
    • Isabella: Can only sleep with her if not currently romancing anyone. Alone? Threesome with: Alistair, or Leliana, or Zevran? Foursome?
  • Return to Ostagar:
    • Cailan's Body burned? left to wolves? left to darkspawn?
  • Warden's Keep:
    • Sophia or Avernus alive? You'll have to kill one or the other or both. If one is alive, you'll find them in DA2.
    • Avernus doing good or bad experiments?
    • Return later for a new vendor, and if you have the Meteorite Ore, you can have a sword made by the blacksmith.
  • The Landsmeet:
    • If you fail to convince them, you'll fight Loghain and all his supporters, then you'll have to duel him.
    • Ruler choices: Alistair alone, Anora alone, Alistair with Anora, Anora with male human noble Player, Alistair with female human noble Player. Other female Player can be Alistair's mistress if romancing him.
    • Loghain: Dead or Alive? To get Alistair to accept Loghain being alive, Alistair must be Hardened. Loghain will replace Alistair in the party if left alive, and Alistair will leave.
    • Alistair: made King, remains a Warden, wandering drunk, or executed by Anora?
  • Battle of Denerim:
    • Morrigan's Ritual perfomed or no? If yes, on Male Player, Alistair, or Loghain? If the Ritual is not performed, Morrigan will leave immediately, and will not be available for the final Battle.
    • Whoever kills the Archdemon must be in the party. For that person to survive, Morrigan's Ritual must have been performed, even if it wasn't on the person making the final blow. For the Player to take the final blow, no other Warden can be in the Party. Having another Warden along may or may not lead to a dialog choice, depending on conditions. If you want Alistair to make the final blow, don't do the Ritual, and have him in your party.
  • Post Coronation:
    • Boon: Each Origin will have their own possible boons.
    • Durin the ending slideshow, pressing the space bar advances.
  • Awakening:
    • Imported or no?
    • Recruited Anders? Nathaniel, Velanna? Alive or dead?
    • Sigrun is quite bugged. This mod fixes the issues.
    • Recruit Justice last. The last person recruited triggers the end game events, and talking to Seneschal Varel will just move the plot along, not allowing you to let anyone else join (Justice is already a warden). You can wait to max his approval until after returing to the main hall of the keep, and his companion quest will trigger upon entering the courtyard with him in your party.
    • Wending Wood: Remove your gear before entering the Silverite Mine. This prevents a bug where your equipment disappears forever.
    • Saved Amaranthine or no? (The Keep will also survive if it was fully upgraded, in spite of npc comments)
    • Obtained Silverite Ore?
    • Vigil's Keep survived or no?
    • Defend trade routes or farms? You can quell the peasant revolt by not persuading them in the 2nd dialog choice.
    • Ending: Architect killed or accepted offer? Companions with high approval can be Persuaded if the Architect is left alive.
  • The Golems of Amgorak:
    • Fairly straightforward. The only trick is the colors on the 2nd map. A bit of backtracking is necessary.
    • If you loot everything, you'll complete all the quests.
  • Witch Hunt:
    • If you loot everything, you'll complete all the quests.
    • Morrigan alone (for most), followed (only if romanced), or stabbed (only if agressive dialog choices).

last modified 1 January 2022