BioWare games are known for two things: fun, engaging romances and presenting difficult choices to players (like who to romance). But the choices inDragon Agegames are far more nuanced than just “mages vs. templars” (and who to romance).
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Since 2009, Dragon Age games have plagued players with hard choices, like should they side with the werewolves or the Elven leader who condemned them to save everyone else? Not every choice is a Trolley Problem, but every choice is nerve-wracking as it can have big effects on gameplay — including outcomes in future Dragon Age games. We’ve collected the hardest choices in all Dragon Age games!
This article contains major spoilers for all mainline Dragon Age games, including Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
10Mages Or Templars?
The Eternal Question In Dragon Age Games
It’s the age-old question posited in every Dragon Age game so far: does the player side with the mages or the Templars? For the uninitiated, Templars guard “dangerous” mages and hunt down rogue or apostate mages to prevent them from becoming abominations. They take magic potions to do this. Mages, in contrast, are kept in towers, must undergo a test of will called a “Harrowing” where they could literally die, and are looked at as threats most of their lives.
Those aren’t hard and fast rules, but that’s the basic concept of the Mage vs. Templar conflict. Mages want freedom and the Templars want to control magic. The player character is often put in the middle of this, but Dragon Age 2 is perhaps the most violent depiction of what happens when that conflict goes haywire – especially if Hawke has romanced Anders. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, the player must also choose a side, but it really just determines who they face off against as Corypheus' main minion.
9Should The Inquisitor Allow The Rite Of Tranquility To Continue?
A Heinous Punishment, A Desired Relief, Or Just Plain Wrong?
Since Origins, there have been a number of “Tranquil” mages the player can encounter. These are mages who have undergone the Rite of Tranquility that cuts a mage’s Fade Connection. That means they cannot draw on the Fade for magic or dream as mages do, and their emotions are also removed to make them less desirable for demons to possess. It’s often performed on mages deemed too dangerous — either by lack of control or evil intent — or as a punishment against mages who abuse their power (as in the Imperium).
Notable Tranquil mages include Elsa from Dragon Age 2 and Clemence in Inquisition. Many are known for their ability to enchant items with Lyrium as they resist its effects. Additionally, as discovered in Inquisition, Seekers like Cassandra are made Tranquil and then reversed by a Spirit of Faith in the Fade. This can lead the Inquisitor to call for developing a cure for Tranquility or to abandon the concept – a difficult choice since the Rite of Tranquility can prevent demonic possession, but at such a steep cost.
8Should The Player Use Morrigan’s Dark Ritual?
We Need To Talk About Kieran
Dragon Age: Originspresents the player with a couple of options as to how to end the game—- one of which involves the Wild Witch. Morrigan created an “Old God Baby” with Alistair, Loghain, or the player character if they are a male Grey Warden. This essentially traps Urthemiel’s soul in the unborn fetus where it can later be released or otherwise used.
If the player opts for the Dark Ritual, they’ll encounter Kieran in Inquisition — Morrigan’s son — who seems a bit…off. More happens with Kieran in Inquisition involving Flemeth, but mostly, players just want to force Morrigan and Alistair to get busy for the “lulz” and unique story outcome.
7Should The Player Sacrifice Leliana For A New Specialization?
Don’t Worry…Her Death Doesn’t Stick
The player character can truly be kind of a “bad dude” in Origins and this choice makes that abundantly clear. To get the Reaver specialization, the player MUST taint the Urn of Sacred Ashes as the cult desires. Leliana will vehemently oppose this, going so far as to fight the Warden if they try to spoil the Urn. This results in her death.
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If the Warden has previously romanced Leliana, it makes the choice all the more difficult as her romance is sweet and vulnerable. Betraying her like this is such a heartless maneuver reminiscent of her mentor’s abuse of her. But if the player really wants that Reaver specialization, then this is the decision they must make. Obviously, Leliana’s death either got retconned or she was resurrected somehow, as she appears as a key advisor in Inquisition and even in Dragon Age 2.
6Choosing Who Will Become A New Ruler
Control The Fate Of Entire Countries (Kind Of)
It wouldn’t be a Dragon Age game without a little political intrigue and a few duels here and there. Across the games, players select rulers of entire kingdoms multiple times. They also select who might be a minor lord, uplift commoners, or expose a royal who just wants to chill in the woods and help people. Each choice has effects in other games and will, undoubtedly, come up inDragon Age: The Veilguard, as well.
Deciding these fates never gets easier despite multiple playthroughs. Supporting Loghain means that Alistair leaves the party permanently and Alistair becomes a drunk! The Inquisitor can let Celene die and uplift Briala as ruler of Orlais by blackmailing Gaspard. The only political choice that feels a bit empty is Bhelen vs. Harrowmount in Origins as the repercussions never come up in DA2 or Inquisition. But choosing one of them still means meddling in Thedosian affairs.
5Should Hawke Save Isabela From The Arishok?
Would You Start A Potential War For Love?
DA2 trades in a ton of interpersonal conflict regarding Hawke and their allies. The friend/adversary romance options mesh well with this and perhaps explain why choices like this one are many in the game. After discovering that Isabela stole a relic from the Qunari and the Qunari plan to execute her for it, Hawke has two choices. They can save Isabela, cementing their loyalty to her, but having to fight the Arishok as a result. Some instances see Hawke fighting ALL the Qunari and the Arishok while others see them only dueling the Arishok one on one.
If Hawke does not fight the Arishok and lets Isabela remain a prisoner, she escapes on her own instead, declaring Hawke dead to her for siding with the Qunari. However, this maintains a type of peace with the Arishok who will leave Kirkwall without causing any more problems. Though the choice has such powerful implications for Free Marches-Qunari politics, the bigger emotional impact is how Isabela feels about Hawke.
4What Should The Player Do About Connor?
A Quandary Of Blood Magic, Family, & Demons
If players choose the mage origin, they’ll run into another mage named JOawn who practices blood magic. The player later finds him in Redcliffe having poisoned the Arl and tutored the Arl’s son Connor to accept a demon possession. All the while, there are nightly Darkspawn attacks on Redcliffe village with many casualties and dwindling supplies.
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The Warden can easily opt to kill Connor or let the demon have him. But, if the player wants to save everyone in the castle, they must make very specific choices. This outcome lets the Inquisitor meet Connor in Redcliffe as part of the rebel mage group (though he’s not a fan of being lobbed in with that lot). The player can ask him about his infamous life, and he will, begrudgingly, explain it.
3Should Hawke Forgive Anders?
It’s Even More Difficult If Players Romance Him
This is another choice in the franchise where interpersonal feelings clash with political tensions in the game world. Here’s the scene: mage vs. Templar issues are coming to a head and Anders, a rebel mage, runs a clinic in the poor part of Kirkwall. He becomes fed up with the Templar crusade against mages when there are real threats to people like Slavers and exploitative guilds. So his plan to stick it to the Templars is to blow up the Chantry.
Convincing Anders to stop or letting him do it can be a very difficult decision for Hawke as their sibling could have joined the Templars or Chantry and they could have romanced Anders in the game. Moreover, maybe Hawke had sided with the Templars in the first place instead of the mages. And even still in addition, Anders is possessed by a Spirit of Justice that his emotions corrupted into a Spirit of Vengeance. Will Hawke save Anders, their friend and potential lover, or take him out to save others?
2Who Should Stay Behind In The Abyss In Dragon Age: Inquisition?
Lik If U Cri Ever Tim
The choice the Inquisitor faces in Here Lies the Abyss is perhaps one of the most difficult in all RPG games — especially if they loaded a save where a previous Dragon Age character is the Grey Warden instead of Stroud. After battling through the Fade and encountering a seemingly unbeatable Fear demon, the Inquisitor must decide if the Grey Warden or Hawke stays behind while everyone else escapes alive.
If Stroud is left behind, the Grey Wardens will be in tatters. Alistair and Loghain have sentimental implications on top of their status in the Wardens. But if Hawke is left behind, Varric will be inconsolable for some time as his best friend just sacrificed themselves (permanently this time). It’s a very emotional decision that has real in-game consequences. However, no one knows what happens to the person left behind for now.
1Who Should Players Romance In Dragon Age Games?
No Vampires Here, But Plenty Of Romance
There may not be as many steamy moments in Dragon Age games as players saw in Larian Studio’sBaldur’s Gate 3, but the romances can run just as deep or even deeper emotionally. They can be made more complicated by choices the player faces that pits their feelings with what their morals tell them to do. In addition, the player can have dalliances with some characters and still commit to one person by the end of the game. However, not everyone works this way, so be careful. Certain characters also have specific preferences, like Solas who will only romance a female elf, while Cullen will only romance a Human or Elven female.
Romantic shenanigans can ensue in Origins with love triangles and one instance of polyamory. DA2 lets players flirt with everyone until they fully commit to someone. Inquisition is a bit more straight-laced in this regard, but it does have the most romance options so far. Characters can also romance others apart from the player such as Dorian and Iron Bull — a fan-favorite combination. It’s unclear how previous romances might play a role in theupcoming Dragon Age game, but time will tell if previous characters (other than Varric and Solas) will even appear in the game at all.
