spoiler Blood Mage

[willjk57]

Since I reinstalled my game I started out as a human male mage and this has

been different.

 

This seems to be Jowan's origin and not mine...poo

 

There doesn't seem to be much difference in reactions to npcs anyway.

 

I noticed the blood mage specialization and never knew that was in the

game for a player. Is it bad or good? How does Alistair react?

Where is it learnt and the benefits?

[theskymoves]

Some people swear by the usefulness of the blood mage spec, just as others swear by shapeshifter or arcane warrior, but whether they are 'good' is a matter of individual playstyle (and roleplay). I found that the main advantage to the spec is that the mage can 'toggle' between using health and mana to power their spells... using one source while the other replenishes.

 

For that reason, it does require a lot of micromanaging, and a very different build approach than a 'traditional' mage, as you will want quite a bit of CON (the usual recommendation is ~ 25, IIRC), which, of course, means diverting points that would normally go into MAG and/or WP.

 

The spec is unlocked through making certain choices during dialogue in the Fade with the Desire Demon possessing Connor Guerrin. (The dialogue is only available to the player character, and not to any other mage character, i.e., Morrigan or Jowan.) Or, it can be unlocked by purchasing a tome in Awakening.

 

And I don't recall Alistair reacting to my blood mage Amell at all (even when she was using his blood *facepalm*). Ditto pretty much everyone else, though I think Morrigan can mention it, in an offhanded way, near the very end of the game.

 

[edited to add some pedantic nonsense]

Edited May 14, 2015 by theskymoves

[willjk57]

Thank you for your input, there is an immersion to this game that my poor scatterbrain doesn't want to deal with so I'm more interested in the adventure angle. I'll tend to regard blood magic as evil and not go there.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

The developers intended to make NPCs and companions notice the usage of blood magic (there are videos on YT if you want to see the reactions), but eventually they cut it out, so the problem with immersion is indeed an issue. The same with Jowan... You won't get as much of him as it was intended.

[willjk57]

There's too much of Jowan I think already, so I play the noble Cousland male mage with the origin override. Now that is cool and more to my liking. I think pops called me home before he and Fergus go South so I was kind of 'on leave' from the tower, maybe an invisible templar may be out of sight somewhere there watching me, ha

 

Whether this screws the game up or not i don't know, but instead of the groans of seeing Jowan in the gaunlet (oh not you again!) there is my father, which is better.

 

If I could only find some way to play as a mage/rogue hybrid I would be like 100% happy!

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

If I could only find some way to play as a mage/rogue hybrid I would be like 100% happy!

 

Unlock the class and talents you want through the console. I allowed my Arcane Warrior to sneak this way ;).

[willjk57]

I remember a trainer for Am Fluss der Zeit that would let any character have any abilities, if for how to do that in DAO? Tell me

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

I remember a trainer for Am Fluss der Zeit that would let any character have any abilities, if for how to do that in DAO? Tell me

 

Enable the console, then use "runscript addtalent X" with X being any ID of a talent or ability from here: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ability_ID_codes_%28Origins%29. Remember to unlock respective classes first. If you have a mage and want to get Blood Magic, you'd have to type:

runscript addtalent 4017

runscript addtalent 1072

 

The first one unlocks the class, the other - just Blood Magic. If the class matches your archetype (warrior, rogue, mage), you only have to unlock the specialisation, all talents will show up among others. But if you are a rogue who wants Blood Magic, before you type those lines, unlock the mage archetype first (runscript addtalent 4023). Those other-archetype talents will not show up in the regular menu, but in the first quickslot of your quickbar instead. You can drag them farther then.

[willjk57]

Ok, thanx für the input but I think it may be more trouble than it's worth. I have a rogue with one spell, and not very effective at that, so I may have a mage with stealth so I can make sneak attacks?

 

I don't understand.

[MagdalenaDwojniak]

I don't think there is a limit on spells and talents outside your primary class. You just need to drag a new one to another slot in the quickbar every time you add it. Your spell works badly now, because you probably haven't invested in magic yet. See how it changes when you do. If I was to choose one spell, I'd go with Cone of Cold: ideal crowd control and even bosses don't resist it.

 

In fact, I believe arcane warriors were meant to have access to rogue talents (lore would imply they were also trained in martial arts): if you give your mage with this specialisation Spellweaver into the main hand and a dagger (or another Spellweaver obtained through the console) in the off-hand, it works wonders. If you are an elf, even visually. There is even a mod for casting without sheathing your weapons.