Dragon Age Tactics

[Monte Carlo]

Because there are lots of options, I've only got around to exploring the wacky world of traps by throwing a couple of points in trapping at Zevran.

 

Those annoying choke points that enemies swarm through can now be seeded with simple, dirt-cheap leg traps that pin the bad guys in place while you hit them with spells and play attrition before they hit the melee line to get properly bashed. I also like the ability to open doors and chests while stealthed.

[Matthew Rorie]

Not to get off-topic, but I've always felt like the "berserker" option in RPGs is a poor choice, especially on harder difficulties. It seems like the tradeoff of higher damage for worse defenses/lower attack is almost never worth it. Everything will die eventually if you can survive, but surviving is usually the hard part.

 

My team now is Shale, Morrigan, Lileana, and the main character (two-handed weapon warrior). I wish Lileana could be easily respecced to dual-wielding, but she has so many points in archery when you get her it just seems silly to start her over again (wish you would get the characters with a relatively clean slate like you do in Mass Effect). Doesn't matter too much, though, as tank-specced Shale takes so little damage and is so good at drawing enemy fire that almost no one else ever gets hit.

[Monte Carlo]

The Respec mod on the DA social page is clean, well thought-out and allows you to make all the NPCs afresh from a clean slate.

[entrerix]

Not to get off-topic, but I've always felt like the "berserker" option in RPGs is a poor choice, especially on harder difficulties. It seems like the tradeoff of higher damage for worse defenses/lower attack is almost never worth it. Everything will die eventually if you can survive, but surviving is usually the hard part.

 

My team now is Shale, Morrigan, Lileana, and the main character (two-handed weapon warrior). I wish Lileana could be easily respecced to dual-wielding, but she has so many points in archery when you get her it just seems silly to start her over again (wish you would get the characters with a relatively clean slate like you do in Mass Effect). Doesn't matter too much, though, as tank-specced Shale takes so little damage and is so good at drawing enemy fire that almost no one else ever gets hit.

 

 

use the respec mod, it really is awesome

[HoonDing]

Leliana is awesome if you focus her completely on archery. Scattershot & arrow of slaying are very useful in the Deep Roads.

 

And if mooks manage to get close, use her level 4 bard ability to perma-stun them.

 

That Zevran dweep never even left camp in my game.

 

P.S.: is there any way to resist Overwhelm ability? I found that near the end of Brecilian forest even my sword&board with shield wall & high physical resistance got regularly overwhelmed by werewolves.

Edited November 17, 2009 by virumor

[Spider]

I think the wolves spawn in when you get a certain quest off the chanting board. And yeah, there are a lot of them. I got to that encounter before Morrigan even levelled up once and it was pretty rough going.

 

 

yeah, they're a chanter quest. I was the same as you, Morrigan hadn't gained a single level, so the only AoE I had was dual sweep (my love for that skill is verging on the edge of unhealthy by now, it's basically the answer to everything). The only other effects that would affect more than one enemy I had was Dog's Dread Howl (excellent skill) and Morrigan's Mind Blast (not so much on the excellent, the duration is awful).

 

Fortunately, so far, that is the only fight that has been that frustrating. The spiders on the smae map could have been as bad, if you couldn't get them to attack two at a time.

 

I never thought of running to the gates to put a limit on the wolves, but that was smart thinking. Will have to keep that in mind for the future.

[HoonDing]

Only a PC mage with meta-gaming knowledge that picks up Cone of Cold & Sleep early would have no problems with that fight.

 

I had that fight right after freeing Sten and the poor dude immediately got ripped apart.

[Guest Slinky]

Sten is really weak in the beginning. Actually, I didn't find much use for him in the whole game. But those wolves were pretty easy on normal. I just used Morrigans mind blast and dogs dread howl and made carpets out of them.

[HoonDing]

Is an Arcane Warrior DA's version of a cleric?

 

A mage running around in dragonbone plate or blood dragon armour (with magic replacing strength) sounds ridiculously overpowered. Definitely going to try this on a next playthrough.

[Oner]

Not to get off-topic, but I've always felt like the "berserker" option in RPGs is a poor choice, especially on harder difficulties. It seems like the tradeoff of higher damage for worse defenses/lower attack is almost never worth it. Everything will die eventually if you can survive, but surviving is usually the hard part.

 

My team now is Shale, Morrigan, Leliana, and the main character (two-handed weapon warrior). I wish Lileana could be easily respecced to dual-wielding, but she has so many points in archery when you get her it just seems silly to start her over again (wish you would get the characters with a relatively clean slate like you do in Mass Effect). Doesn't matter too much, though, as tank-specced Shale takes so little damage and is so good at drawing enemy fire that almost no one else ever gets hit.

All this "badmouthing" of Berserkers makes me rethink what second spec I should pick (already got Champion). Reaver I can't get (unless there's a book) and don't really want either, and I don't need Templar since Dog rips and tears apart anyone with a staff. Or Wynne shatters them.

As for Leliana, gave her a ranger spec, had hear learn Song of Courage, Aim, Suppression Fire and Summon Wolf. Maybe she isn't as powerful as she could be, but the others get all the buffs they can "carry".

 

While we're at it, anyone tried Captivating Song?

 

 

Is an Arcane Warrior DA's version of a cleric?

 

A mage running around in dragonbone plate or blood dragon armour (with magic replacing strength) sounds ridiculously overpowered. Definitely going to try this on a next playthrough.

They have less endurance/hp and dex, so they can't be that powerful.

[HoonDing]

Is an Arcane Warrior DA's version of a cleric?

 

A mage running around in dragonbone plate or blood dragon armour (with magic replacing strength) sounds ridiculously overpowered. Definitely going to try this on a next playthrough.

They have less endurance/hp and dex, so they can't be that powerful.

With all the buffs from Arcane Shield, Rock armour, Shimmering Shield they should be able to get an armour rating double of that of normal warriors, defense over 100, 100% mental/physical resistance & 75% to elemental resistances.

 

With Combat Casting, they should get a decent attack percentage.

 

To me, it sounds they'd be able to solo bosses. And with Wade's dragonbone armour, fatigue should not be that astronomically high... throw a few bad AoE spells in the beginning of a fight, then toggle all Terminator buffs and go whopping.

 

Combined with Blood Mage spells like Blood Wound, it should even be more ub3r.

[Oner]

Uh-huh, definitely sounds painful.

[Enoch]

From what I've read over on Bio's site, Shimmering Shield is what makes the Arcane Warriors so crazy powerful. The "mana consumption" thing isn't working properly, in that the spell remains active even after your mana pool reaches 0. Combine that with the Blood Mage ability to cast spells out of their HP, and you've got a munchkin's dream. It's the Kensai-Mage of DA.

 

(That said, like all buff-spell-reliant fighters, it requires a lot of micromanagement.)

[mrmud]

No, it doesn't. You simply aren't playing the rogue right. Sorry, but it's true.

Then by all means please enlighten me.

[Monte Carlo]

Anyone care to post their re-spec builds for the NPCs.

 

I've just turned Imoen Chick into a 14th level dual-wielding assassin death goddess. Apparently.

 

Dual-wielding, traps, poison and 3 points in locks. Not much stealth though, as of yet am working on it.

 

Morrigan is getting the full Arcane Warrior treatment, am going to try to create a tank-mage with small but deadly spell selection.

[Guest Slinky]

I've just turned Imoen Chick into a 14th level dual-wielding assassin death goddess. Apparently.

 

Dual-wielding, traps, poison and 3 points in locks. Not much stealth though, as of yet am working on it.

Is poison worth the trouble? I never used it.

[Volourn]

That wolf battle was pretty easy as they didn't seem to rush all at one. Maybe 4 or so at a time. Weird that others are getting zerg rushed.

[HoonDing]

That wolf battle was pretty easy as they didn't seem to rush all at one. Maybe 4 or so at a time. Weird that others are getting zerg rushed.

Are you playing on console?

[Monte Carlo]

I've just turned Imoen Chick into a 14th level dual-wielding assassin death goddess. Apparently.

 

Dual-wielding, traps, poison and 3 points in locks. Not much stealth though, as of yet am working on it.

Is poison worth the trouble? I never used it.

 

It's a force multiplier for an otherwise mediocre melee character. The more potent poison (Soldier's Bane / Mage's Bane) are fairly good - they enable your rogue to weaken boss monsters / spellcasters at the start of a battle, use it with high stealth (this is what I do with Zevran). Of course, poison arrows seem like a good idea too.

 

Traps, as I've mentioned, are also surprisingly effective for their low monetary value and ease of use.

 

Cheers

MC

[HoonDing]

I don't see anything wrong with my henchmen's specs. Imoen chick is built more as an archer to give players a reason to use Zorro dude.

 

I stopped using stealth when encounters would trigger anyway after the stealthed henchman passed a certain point in a room with enemies. Hilarious seeing enemies rushing past the rogue when he's trying to be smart and lay some traps.

[Enoch]

I don't see anything wrong with my henchmen's specs. Imoen chick is built more as an archer to give players a reason to use Zorro dude.

Yeah, the only complaint I had was that Zevran should really start with at least a little bit of the lockpicking skill. Chests are one of the main reasons to take a rogue at all, so he really isn't a good Leliana replacement until you level him up a couple of times in camp. The character specs and abilities fit their backgrounds and personalities, and aren't wholly lacking in gameplay effectiveness. That's all I ask.

 

Also, wouldn't re-leveling all the companions make the game much much easier?

[alanschu]

Most likely.

[Monte Carlo]

Hmmm. Not providing nerfed NPCs isn't exactly too much to ask, like rogues who can actually open locks.

[Deraldin]

That wolf battle was pretty easy as they didn't seem to rush all at one. Maybe 4 or so at a time. Weird that others are getting zerg rushed.

 

The one inside Lothering was crazy easy for me because of the way the wolves respond to attacks. Attacking one wolf at range will set off the entire swarm, but instead of charging me, they all cluster on top of the body. This allows you to lure them away one or two at a time with ranged weapons.

 

The painful wolf encounter for me was the random encounter I hit just after Lothering. You spawn in the middle of a group of probably 10-12 wolves and there is no way to prepare or pick any of them off before you are surrounded.

[Gromnir]

Hmmm. Not providing nerfed NPCs isn't exactly too much to ask, like rogues who can actually open locks.

 

bio wanted you to not think of rogues as simply stealthy lockpickers... 'course then they goes ahead and makes stealth and lockpicking rogue-specific abilities. morons.

 

HA! Good Fun!