Dragon Age Inquisition Notes

• Character Creation:
  • Don't use any mods until after you gain control of your character. Only then should you save your game, quit, then launch Frosty.
  • The camera, even in cutscenes, is aimed for human and elf inquisitor heights. Playing as a dwarf or qunari leads to lots of akward scenes.
  • When you meet Hawke, the character creater comes up, and you can't import your custom character from DA2, but you can choose a default appearance. Otherwise, good luck spending hours trying to recreate your custom Hawke.
  • Camera angles (in both converstions and cutscenes) don't work well for dwarf and qunari player characters.
• System:
  • The 60fps fix isn't worth it, but if you really want it, put this at the end of the command line:
    -GameTime.MaxSimFps 60 -GameTime.ForceSimRate 60+
    Paste it into Origin under Game Properties -> Advanced Launch Options
    In Frosty it goes in File -> Launch Options or Tools -> Options -> Mod Manager Options -> Command Line Arguments
    It must be removed in Tresspasser when entering a mirror from the Winter Palace.
  • Disable mods just before reaching the camp after Haven, as the game won't load upon reaching Skyhold with mods enabled.
  • NEVER USE A TRAINER - you won't be able to use shops afterwards. Just use the save editor to edit money.
• Gameplay:
  • Be in the mood for lots of long conversations. More than any other game I've ever played. There's probably as much talking as actual gameplay - maybe more.
  • The game can be soloed. You don't have to fill your party on the selection screens. There will be a dialog box that pops up every time for you to acknowledge. This is useful if you only want one companion to speak their lines. On the other hand, there are places in the game that require a specific class to access - breakable walls or magic barriers.
  • When characters are talking, don't move. The conversations will cut off if they're interrupted by some other trigger.
  • Get the following Perks early: Underworld, Nobility, Enhanced Studies, Arcane.
  • Some Skyhold Decor won't be available until after Adamant.
  • Not hiding helmets will remove them in cutscenes, but they stay on in posed conversations.
  • The Golden Nug syncs some collectables and schematics with previous playthroughs. If you don't have it already, it is purchasable in the upstairs shop in Val Royeux. Once you have it, you can find it next to the stables in Haven, or in the crafting dungeon in Skyhold. The final place to sync is in Trespasser, at the top of the guard tower in Darvaarad before the locked puzzle door.
  • Many Companion quests require high-ish approval. So if they won't ask for help, it's because you've pissed them off.
  • The Zones can be tedious. Try doing one between each of the main quests, so that the exploration doesn't become tedious.
  • If you take two mages in your party, each with a different elemental staff, then you won't have to worry about holding different elemental staffs in your inventory.
• Misc Notes:
  • In Val Royeaux, you can purchase missed collectables in a shop around back, on the southeast side.
  • Recruit Mages or Templars? Going to Val Royeaux opens up the options. You must then go to Redcliffe and complete "In Hushed Whispers" to open up the War Table option of mage recruitment. Skipping this and going straight to Therenfal cuts off the mage quest and a possible Agent. Once you have two War Table options with the green smoke above them, that's the time to choose.
  • The Mages/Templars choice also leads to a follow-up with either Cullen or Leliana, having to do with Corypheus's general. Choosing Templars leads to more lore and background on Corypheus during this quest.
  • If Bull's Chargers survive "The Demands of the Qun," Krem will offer War Table missions after each main quest.
  • Hold off on the Calpernia/Samson quest until just before Arbor Wilds.
  • Who's in charge in Orlais? See my two guides to the "Wicked Games and Wicked Hearts" quest: A Full Walkthrough and a Quick Run Guide
  • Who to sacrifice between Hawke and Stroud/Alistair/Logain? Whoever stays to fight the demon is missing and presumed dead.
  • What to do with the Wardens? Keeping them leads to some War Table Missions. A saved Warden helps rebuild the order, a saved Hawke returns to Kirkwall.
  • Who is Divine? Leliana opens up the Chantry, Vivienne surpresses mages, Cassandra redirects the Chantry. See my guide to the Divine Election
  • Cure Cullen's lyrium addiction? (He ends badly if you don't, and you can promise to let him off later.) This affects all Templars.
  • When choosing between Connections/Secrets/Forces, there are more Forces options than Secrets, so be sure to choose some Connections if you want Secrets to dominate. There are more options on the Deep Roads War Table, too. Due to a bug, it appears to be impossible to get the balanced ending; the tie breaker goes to whichever you used last.
  • Clear Emerald Graves before Emprise du Lion, as there is a quest in the former that leads to a followup in the latter.
  • After the end credits, Skyhold gets cleared out. Gone are your advisors and most of your companions. Most of the decorations get cleared out, and the crafting tables disappear.
  • If you drink from the Well of Sorrows, you won't have to fight the spirits in Tresspasser's Elven Ruins area.
  • Companions:
    • Guide to the Divine Election (Cassandra, Leliana, or Vivienne?)
    • Blackwall: Romanceable by females only. Will not be present in Tresspasser if you ignore his quest in the main game.
    • Cassandra: Romanceable by males only.
    • Cole: Recruited earlier if you side with Templars, otherwise he shows up as Haven is attacked. Enjoys whatever fate you choose for him, but if you keep him as a human, he'll wind up dating the bard Maryden in Tresspasser. If Cole is turned to being a spirit, Maryden winds up with Krem.
    • Cullen: Romanceable by females only. Ends badly if you don't let him get over his lyrium addiction.
    • Doiran: Romanceable by males only. Recruited earlier if you side with Mages, otherwise he shows up as Haven is attacked.
    • Iron Bull: Romanceable by both males and females. Will turn on you in Tresspasser unless in the base game you save the Chargers and let the Qunari die. He'll also turn on you if you ignore the quest. If you let the Chargers die, it's best not to take him in your party to the Darvaarad in Tresspasser.
    • Josephine: Romanceable by males only. If you take Leliana's advice in dealing with Josephine's personal quest, the assassin's guild become her friend.
    • Sera: Romanceable by females only. If not romanced, winds up with Scout Harding (a.k.a. "wiggums").
    • Solas: Romanceable by females only. If you want him for the DLC, you'll need to do both before finishing the main quest, as he won't be available afterwards.
    • Varric: Each time you destroy a Red Lyrium Deposit increases Approval. There are more deposits than are required for his personal quest.
    • Vivienne: Not romanceable, desptie flirt options.
  • The Deep Roads (The Descent DLC):
    • Use the maps on this page to find all of the gears. Keep it open as you descend.
    • When collecting a Gear, you'll need to interact with it, then move away from it or jump before it'll enter your collection.
    • You can return here after the main zone quest if you like - with the exception of the final "Wellspring" area, of course. The final Landmark is also cut off if you miss it the first time.
  • Frostback Basin (Jaws of Hakkon DLC):
    • The Shards collected in this zone are only useable in this zone.
    • Plot-wise, it makes a bit more sense to finish "On Ameridan's Trail" before finishing "Guests of the Hold."
  • Tresspasser DLC:
    • Starting this cuts off all of the rest of the game, including the other DLC.
    • If you have the 60fps fix in your command line arguments, remove it just before going through the mirror from the Winter Palace. You can then save once in the fade, quit, and re-apply the fix. In my opinion, though, it's not worth using the fix.
    • Blackwall will not be present if you ignore his quest in the main game.
    • If you want to waste several hours on the Harlequin Tag collection, here is a good guide on Youtube.
    • There are several extra mirrors in The Crossroads fade area. Going through them leads to extra boss fights, loot, and codex entries.
    • In the first mirror area, the Eleven Ruins, there is a bug where companions might not follow the inquisitor. Control a different character when this happens.
    • Once the Anchor discharge ability upgrades to being destructive, you can return to the Elven Ruins to unlock a secret area, accessible on the southwest shore of the cathedral island.
    • Iron Bull will turn on you unless in the base game you saved the Chargers and let the Qunari die. He'll also turn on you if you ignore the quest. If you let the Chargers die, it's best not to take him in your party to the Darvaarad.
    • To free the dragon, you'll need to clear some explosive barrels. The Inquisitor's release anchor ability will blow them up nicely. If you intend to kill the dragon instead, more and more qunari will accumulate and attack you.
    • Before going through the final mirror, after killing the giant saarebas, I recommend saving, then launching the game without mods, as many can interfere with the final conversation.

last modified 9 February 2023