I LOVE seeing people discover Dragon Age, so jealous that you get to play it for the first time 😂❤ I'm consuming every content I can find, cannot wait for the latest one this fall
I’m in the same boat, so excited for Veilguard I *need* DA content to carry me through. It’s so fun to watch newer fans instinctively character-build and ask themselves “wow, how must this feel to live through?” Shows how good the writing is in Origins 🙂↕️
I love Dragon Age's approach to ethics and morality. Look at what Conner did - all that death and destruction, because he's a vulnerable child-mage with a frightened and biased mother. After helping Redcliffe and seeing the chaos and damage he caused, it's clear he needs help and there needs to be something in place to stop him from getting that far and he needs to be somewhere where he can learn to control himself and make sure that doesn't happen again. It exists - the Circles and the Templar Order exist to protect mages from themselves but also to protect society from weak mages, to prevent similar events from happening. And they don't get them all, similar things happen to child-mages all over Thedas (the continent where Dragon Age is set). If child-mages aren't taken to the Circles, they are a risk. Compare mages to fire; it's useful in the right circumstances with the right mitigations, but it's dangerous if you don't keep an eye on it. But of course, that's just the practical uses of a mage, it's not really considering them as thinking and feeling beings, which they are. But then that's also part of the problem. Hence, Tranquility. You look at the Circles and you see corruption; corrupt Mages who play the system, corrupt Templars who abuse their power. Most people hate Gregoir, but imagine the horrors he's seen and the massacres he's prevented - it's easier to understand where his no-nonsense attitude comes from. I just love DA.
Out of all the dragon age protagonists the hero of ferelden is actually the most insane when you think about their achievements i mean in this mission alone you just enter a tower full of demons and walk a couple hours later like "yeah towers safe now"
@@kiki_maliki That's on point! He also likes when you make him see other perspectives. It's amazing when you use your time to open that hard shell and get to bond with him, going through his storyline.
Gregoir isn't evil and actually one of the nicest Templars. He is still doing his duty which is watching out for any magical threats. He was right about Jowan. Alistair has never wanted to kill all mages. I don't remember a single piece of dialogue or lore where he expresses that. Not all mages are innocent and there is another country called Tevinter Imperium ruled by mages, learn their history and you will see it's not so black and white. I still believe mages should be free but i don't think templars are all evil. Alistair is actually cool. Wait until later games where you meet Cassandra.
Yeah see from what I've learned so far I know mages aren't all innocent but I personally feel that all mages are treated poorly because of what some of them did prior. Not condoning what the mages did but I feel like all mages are impacted by those who chose to do wrong. And yhhh Gregor isn't evil 😅 but I just don't like how cold he is but I guess he's gotta keep a distance from us 🤷🏽♀️ and I like Alistair he makes me laugh. I guess as I go on and learn more I'll understand it a lil better 😊
You probably don't realize it, but it's possible to kill Wynne as soon as you meet her, if you tell her you want to destroy the Tower. I do that in all my playthroughs. Don't know why, but I just hate Wynne 😊
Hello ! Regarding Alistair and the doll ; all gifts sold by Bodahn are part of a dlc which is litterally a cheat code to increase/decrease approval of companions at will. I would advise against using it unless you are curious or stuck in their relationship, because you would trigger all the character development in one go, nearly like what the doll did.
Equip yourself and your party with the best items you have, keep the potions and crafting ingredients, sell everything else to Bodahn, you can always buy it back if you want to. But you won't, because there's always something better to be found. Keep your inventory count below 20 whenever you can. Also, skip any gifts that are free, only use the ones that cost money or that you find in the world.
Just some tips and thoughts of mine -I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but the moment at 14:00 is a travel encounter. A lot of RPGs are inspired by the original Baldur's Gate, in which when you're traveling between certain maps, there'll be a random chance you'd be attacked on the road. All you've got to do is fight them for XP, loot 'em if you want, and then keep going to where you intend. There's nothing of note in those between areas. -"The tower is no longer under our control." "Ohhh, god forbid!" "Abominations and demons stalk our halls." "Ah, nevermind." Lol, I love that Griegor humbled you. He's an ass, but a corrupted tower is no joke. Hope you're enjoying the fade! I didn't -I find it interesting you remember Owain, the tranquil inventory keeper, but not Wynne from your brief time as Ostagar. You even spoke to her. Honestly I loathe the concept of tranquility. It's very sad :((
Mage Tower is so strange and you are forced to adapt to the fade places, its a lot to overcome. You got this Ehlara. The permanent ability stat increases are amazing.
The circle is a complicated situation as being locked away isn't right, but giving free reign and no over site isn't right either. It has nothing to do with Irving though, he is a mage trapped in the tower the same as the others. The chantry rules and the templars inforce what the chantry says.
You need to be selling way more stuff. Going to camp is the best as you can easily check everyone's gear, give gifts (they are taking up inventory space) and sell all that stuff to the dwarf. You might want to keep flawless crystals as they are for a particular companion, extra good armour and weapons and gifts. You should have found quite a few injury kits by now or buy them. If a character has an injury they will fall and die more easily in a fight so you need to use those as you go.
If you haven't already, I recommend you play the Mass Effect Trilogy at some point. Its the best game ever lol I have a feeling you'd like it. Just a suggestion😁
This is one of the points where Bioware could have done a far better job of portraying its own lore. Mages ARE inherently dangerous, to themselves and everyone around them. That's not supposed to be a point of debate or contention. Per the lore, just being a mage and practicing ANY magic at all makes a person attract demons and spirits like a magnet. The more magic you do, the more you attract them. Also, the more magic is used, the thinner the veil becomes, which makes it that much easier for demons and spirits to get to mages. Yes, this does mean that all Circles are places where the Veil is thinner than elsewhere. But the entire point of corralling mages into a single location is SUPPOSED to be the answer to a bad situation with NO win-win situation. Mages are kept away from population centers where they can potentially wreak havoc, and Circles, at least in theory, are places where mages can study and practice magic in peace. Because the other side to this is that a lot of people are terrified of mages and would cheerfully kill them on sight. This is at least partially the fault of the Chantry teaching that mages are to blame for humankind's original sin, but be that as it may, mages are not necessarily safe outside of Circles. Parents have been known to abandon or even try to kill their mage children, and communities have been known to turn against a family when a kid's magic manifests for the first time. Because it's pretty common for a kid to discover that they're a mage by accidentally setting something on fire, etc. Sometimes their own hair, sometimes the family barn. And the fact is, Templars do not simply exist to police mages, they ALSO exist to protect mages. Their role is as much to keep communities from killing those children when their magic is discovered, or to stop a mob from blaming a local mage for some random accident. And so on. The other part of the equation is that all that is the actual law of the land - Templars are trained to protect communities from rogue mages and to stand guard over mages at the Circle in order to keep magic from being abused and hurting people, but they are also supposed, BY LAW, to protect mages. They are not just anti-mage guards who exist to kill mages with the slightest excuse. However, in practice, the culture of individual circles depends a great deal on the temperament and ideology of the Knight-Commander in charge. Some Circles are VERY oppressive and mages ARE treated like prisoners who are guilty until proven innocent. But the Ferelden Circle is, canonically per the lore, a much more moderate Circle that operates MOSTLY as it is intended to - with the Templars under Greagoir working to protect mages as much as they work to police them. That's what this quest tries to do with Greagoir here in the Broken Circle quest. Your introduction to him as a mage shows you his seemingly more oppressive side, but the entire point of his interactions with Irving is to show you that while the two men have a contentious relationship, they ARE actually friends and have a mutual respect. Greagoir IS one of the more moderate, reasonable Templars: he recognizes that mages are people too, and he does believe that it is as much his responsibility to protect them as it is to protect others FROM them. But he's also got to be prepared to make the hard, ugly choices. Because, again, as horrifying as the system appears, the fact remains that mages ARE perpetually at risk of possession, and a possessed mage is nothing more than a destructive force of nature, not unlike a wildfire or a tornado. It's also worth pointing out that mages in the Ferelden Circle DO have greater freedom of movement than mages in many other Circles. Per David Gaider, the former lead writer of Dragon Age, the Ferelden Circle was known in-universe for being the most liberal of all the CIrcles in Thedas. Anyway, that is what Bioware TRIED to set up here. The point was to show players a world in which, while it might suck for mages to be subjected to this law, there are actual, legitimate reasons for having this system in place. Because mages are quite literally ALWAYS being stalked by demons who want to use them as a doorway into the physical world. But the game itself does not actually do a good job of communicating this. The oppressive Circle system is pretty blatant, while content demonstrating WHY it is considered necessary is pretty lacking. This whole quest line is supposed to do that - show that Greagoir is NOT the villain he first seems to be during the Mage Origin, and that there's good reason why they try to keep mages contained as much as possible. But the way it's actually written does more to suggest that the Circle system itself creates the environment that leads to mage resentment, etc. While that's certainly part of the equation, it was always supposed to be the case that this system was recognized as the least bad answer to a problem with NO good solutions at all.
Oh gosh, I just love all the soundtrack in this game so much. All of it, every bit. Even the smaller, ambient ones, like the Lake Calenhad shore theme, or the Camp theme, so iconic. 💜
Use injury kits on injuries, there are plenty of them, easy to make and cheap to buy. Sell, sell, sell This game was designed for you to collect stuff and sell it no hoarding allowed. Also offload your gifts, give them to your party members and they disappear from your inventory. Sell all gems except for garnets, sell blank vellum, trade documents. It would probably be good to set Morrigan to aggressive, otherwise she will stand there doing nothing unless you take control of her or she is attacked.
There's a way to gain blood magic but you would have to make an unfortunate choice. But if you really wanted to you could make the choice and then reload to an earlier save. The specializations stay after gaining them.
"All to save a stupid child...!" 😆 It may seem that way (because of the order you're doing the main quests in), but no. You have accidentally stumbled into another of the main quests. This is all part of the quest to get the mages to join the Grey Wardens, as per the Treaties you hold. If you'd come to the Mages' Circle before going to Redcliffe, you'd still have had to do this, even though you wouldn't have met Connor yet.
Only comment is I'd recommend either delaying using those special gifts from Bodhan (Dwarf Vendor), or, ideally, never using them at all. They were a silly Valentine's Day DLC that break one of the game's systems (companion affection and it's various triggers, cutscenes, and outcomes) and were for some reason included on the Ultimate Edition despite clearly having been made in the spirit of a toy for people who had already beaten the game. Without clarifying if this means "good" or "bad" outcomes, there are some story outcomes that don't seem to even happen to people anymore because of those gifts, which is just ... kind of diminishing the game slightly if you ask me. My only 2 cents.
Tbh most dragon age players I've met in 10+ years are on the mages side. But it's still a big topic of debate in the fandom. I generally agree with the pro-mage position as well, but I think the problem is more complex than it seems to some people. What is being done to mages in most of Thedas is inhumane and needs major change. At the same time, solving the problem simply by allowing thousands of walking nuclear weapons to do what they want is not an option either. And Tevinter (playing further you will learn more and more about this country, in DA4 we will finally see it with our own eyes) is an example of what will happen if we do this. Another example is Connor. It's just one kid with uncontrolled magical abilities in grief and look how many lives it took. There must be some settlement, but not the Circle. Locking a bunch of people in a tower for life is not only cruel, but also incredibly stupid. About Morrigan. It's a bit of a tricky situation because the narrative introduces us to a loveable ex-cop (Alistair) and a b*tchy person from a marginalized group (Morrigan). (And btw, you can clearly see that Alistair hasn't changed his views about mages at all since his time as a templar.) Morrigan is free, yes, but this isn't some kind of big privilege, in my opinion. All her life she had to shun society and hide from templars. All she had was her crazy abusive mother. No friends, no loved ones, no one. She is a product of society's attitude towards her (all her rare interactions with society were unpleasant to say the least) and her mother's questionable upbringing methods. It's not that she doesn't have empathy for the mages in the Circle (I think she respects those who managed to break free. Remember how she was the only one who wanted to let Jowan go, even if he wouldn't help), but she condemns their lack of initiative and lack of ambition, their willingness surrender to the church without a fight. That's how her mother treated her - never forgiving her for any weakness or mistake - and it's the only way she knows, so she projects it onto others. Not saying she's right, of course. Sorry about this long read . I love this franchise and these characters sm. Love hearing how you process what's happening in the game. You're very thoughtful. I wasn't like that when I first played this game 😂 but tbh I was 16 or something.
The first time I played this game, I found Sten's blunt responses boring, and I seldom took him out with me. Later I came to realise that his bluntness can be really funny, and if you do take him out adventuring with you, some of his exchanges with the other companions are priceless! Glad to see you're giving him a chance already! As for storage, I think you do get a stash/chest to store things in at the end of one of the DLCs. From memory it's the Warden's Keep DLC, if you have that.
It's funny to me how you've been craving Duncan's comeback and received it in a super twisted way 😂😅 Speaking of magi problem, I agree that the system they are stuck in the setting is depressing at best. Yes there are places like Tevinter but in most places their plight is troubling. Kunari's mages have it the worst imo. Won't elaborate in case you'd like to research it by yourself, but sheesh it sucks Anyway, great episode! 🎉
Got to admit, REALLY happy that they have re-visited the concept of "The Qun" with DA2 and DAI over the years. Because honestly, the way Sten can get at times is just annoying as can get. I mean, it IS funny (in a tick you off sort of way) to hear his opinions from time to time..... BUT it can also be "holy cow, how can you LIVE with that closed minded attitude". IF (which should be easy) you get the "Warden's Keep" DLC, you CAN get a "storage crate" at Soldier's Peak after completing the main quest. Only problem is, you have to KEEP going back and forth in order to use that crate. There ARE mods that add a "storage system" available, but the truth is.... you basically go through each section/companion and update what you CAN then sell the rest off and move on to new area to find new stuff. ALSO keep in mind.... you NEVER get "fair price" on your sell/buy exchange. You can spend several gold on 1 item, to eventually sell it off for a few SILVER, and if you want to buy it back... it is going to cost GOLD to get it.
Companions... On their character sheets, in the bottom right corner, a tickbox, where they auto-level up, generally makes a better job of suiting them to their roles than a new player. Tactics screen, it's conditional programming, rather than YOU selecting each one manually, and making them neck a health potion, you can add a tactic to each to neck a potion when their health drops below 25%, this saves time and works better. Lel the rogue/bard, give her two short blades, for dual wield.. Selling junk, in a pinch you can "sell" anywhere, but at lower prices. can't remember the keys to press, download and RTFM, it's in there, a keyboard hold and click combo to insta-sell anywhere, good for ditching low level junk without trecking miles to a merchant.
Once you equip your party members you don’t need to keep the extra armor and weapons. You will pick up better stuff the further into the game you get so sell everything.
Just stumbled upon your channel and decided to subscribe. It's fun to witness you go on the Dragon Age wagon and play the games before the launch of The Veilguard.... it's a long road so full of emotions!
Everything you high lite in the tower with words will gain the eye when you find the right spot, finding that spot can be difficult. Each bit of torn paper is part of a quest. I find it better to just hover over the area slowly rather than click. So no, you don't have it, it's just frustrating to find.
i've been looking forward to the return to the tower! woo hoo! :D (Edit: I love Sten so much he is so confused by non-qunari society and it's really endearing lol)
The Mage Tower is such a mixed bag of a location. I love the lore and character interactions you see there, but... You didn't make it to the Fade in this upload, but if you've already recorded the next one then you know what I'm talking about. I would never commit the heresy of suggesting that *Dragon Age: Origins* is not a perfect game but, if there is one part of the game that we could do without, its the part of the Tower that you're about to enter. 🤣 Speaking of the Tower, I feel like you've got a solid grasp of the situation between the Chantry and the Mages. I was definitely supporting the mages throughout this game, even when I was playing as a rogue or warrior. I did a couple of playthroughs where I sided with the templars, but it always felt forced. I feel like there isn't much justification for the extreme abuse that the mages are subjected to. Sure, abominations are dangerous. But they wouldn't see so many abominations if they the mages weren't driven to desperation. The only rub is that, as we've seen referenced with the Telvinter Imperium, it can be a powerful tool for mages who have no regard for the lives of others. So, something I wanted to mention. You might've figured this out by now, but those "gift" items you purchased from the merchant in camp aren't a part of the base game. They were added by a DLC to give players more control over the disposition of their companions. That's why that first gift you gave Alistair had such a crazy impact; its just meant to max out his disposition even if you consistently make decisions he doesn't agree with. I really don't like that DLC, because it feels like a trap for new players. 😑 There are some gifts in the base game, but their impact tends to be less dramatic and they're all found out "in the wild", as it were. If you want to maintain the "vanilla" balance for companion disposition, you might want to buy the gifts that decrease disposition and use them to offset those huge gains. Though, honestly, it doesn't matter a whole lot. Even in the base game, its extremely easy to make all of your companions love you just by being agreeable in conversations. They won't ever dislike you unless you go out of your way to be a dick. The biggest issue the DLC gifts might cause is triggering the romance dialogue sooner than you might expect.
"it doesn't matter a whole lot" I have to disagree there, when the approval jump is that big you can miss out on several conversations with the companion, Including one conversation needed for a specific companions personal quest.
Yeah, lol you still have a few more companions to unlock,. And you've actually met Wynne back in... was it Ostagar? The Grey Warden camp in the beginning? You had some conversations with her but I can't remember what you talked about though. Be careful about her lol if you still wanna be a Blood Mage. She might have some words with you if you choose that specialization. And oh yeah, it just occurred to me, how the hell did Wynne survive the battle of Ostagar? I thought you and Alistair were the only survivors because Flemmeth saved you two.
You keep wasting points on Constitution and Willpower which are useless 😂 I guess the game is overwhelming for a new player. I'm enjoying this playthrough a lot, so much fun to see someone playing it the first time
I LOVE seeing people discover Dragon Age, so jealous that you get to play it for the first time 😂❤ I'm consuming every content I can find, cannot wait for the latest one this fall
I’m in the same boat, so excited for Veilguard I *need* DA content to carry me through. It’s so fun to watch newer fans instinctively character-build and ask themselves “wow, how must this feel to live through?” Shows how good the writing is in Origins 🙂↕️
I love Dragon Age's approach to ethics and morality. Look at what Conner did - all that death and destruction, because he's a vulnerable child-mage with a frightened and biased mother.
After helping Redcliffe and seeing the chaos and damage he caused, it's clear he needs help and there needs to be something in place to stop him from getting that far and he needs to be somewhere where he can learn to control himself and make sure that doesn't happen again. It exists - the Circles and the Templar Order exist to protect mages from themselves but also to protect society from weak mages, to prevent similar events from happening. And they don't get them all, similar things happen to child-mages all over Thedas (the continent where Dragon Age is set). If child-mages aren't taken to the Circles, they are a risk. Compare mages to fire; it's useful in the right circumstances with the right mitigations, but it's dangerous if you don't keep an eye on it. But of course, that's just the practical uses of a mage, it's not really considering them as thinking and feeling beings, which they are. But then that's also part of the problem. Hence, Tranquility.
You look at the Circles and you see corruption; corrupt Mages who play the system, corrupt Templars who abuse their power. Most people hate Gregoir, but imagine the horrors he's seen and the massacres he's prevented - it's easier to understand where his no-nonsense attitude comes from.
I just love DA.
Merchant at camp keeps everything you ever sell to him. A storage chest, sort of. Sell almost everything please.
Out of all the dragon age protagonists the hero of ferelden is actually the most insane when you think about their achievements i mean in this mission alone you just enter a tower full of demons and walk a couple hours later like "yeah towers safe now"
Sten is kinda an interesting guy because of his qunari culture, he actually likes it if you are blunt and to the point, even if you disagree with him.
Yeah he's very direct and just the way he is, is very interesting I can't wait to find out more about him 🙃
@@kiki_maliki That's on point! He also likes when you make him see other perspectives. It's amazing when you use your time to open that hard shell and get to bond with him, going through his storyline.
Gregoir isn't evil and actually one of the nicest Templars. He is still doing his duty which is watching out for any magical threats. He was right about Jowan.
Alistair has never wanted to kill all mages. I don't remember a single piece of dialogue or lore where he expresses that.
Not all mages are innocent and there is another country called Tevinter Imperium ruled by mages, learn their history and you will see it's not so black and white.
I still believe mages should be free but i don't think templars are all evil. Alistair is actually cool. Wait until later games where you meet Cassandra.
Yeah see from what I've learned so far I know mages aren't all innocent but I personally feel that all mages are treated poorly because of what some of them did prior. Not condoning what the mages did but I feel like all mages are impacted by those who chose to do wrong.
And yhhh Gregor isn't evil 😅 but I just don't like how cold he is but I guess he's gotta keep a distance from us 🤷🏽♀️ and I like Alistair he makes me laugh. I guess as I go on and learn more I'll understand it a lil better 😊
You probably don't realize it, but it's possible to kill Wynne as soon as you meet her, if you tell her you want to destroy the Tower.
I do that in all my playthroughs. Don't know why, but I just hate Wynne 😊
Standing up to Sten, gains approval.
Hello ! Regarding Alistair and the doll ; all gifts sold by Bodahn are part of a dlc which is litterally a cheat code to increase/decrease approval of companions at will. I would advise against using it unless you are curious or stuck in their relationship, because you would trigger all the character development in one go, nearly like what the doll did.
Equip yourself and your party with the best items you have, keep the potions and crafting ingredients, sell everything else to Bodahn, you can always buy it back if you want to. But you won't, because there's always something better to be found. Keep your inventory count below 20 whenever you can.
Also, skip any gifts that are free, only use the ones that cost money or that you find in the world.
Just some tips and thoughts of mine
-I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but the moment at 14:00 is a travel encounter. A lot of RPGs are inspired by the original Baldur's Gate, in which when you're traveling between certain maps, there'll be a random chance you'd be attacked on the road. All you've got to do is fight them for XP, loot 'em if you want, and then keep going to where you intend. There's nothing of note in those between areas.
-"The tower is no longer under our control." "Ohhh, god forbid!" "Abominations and demons stalk our halls." "Ah, nevermind." Lol, I love that Griegor humbled you. He's an ass, but a corrupted tower is no joke. Hope you're enjoying the fade! I didn't
-I find it interesting you remember Owain, the tranquil inventory keeper, but not Wynne from your brief time as Ostagar. You even spoke to her. Honestly I loathe the concept of tranquility. It's very sad :((
Mage Tower is so strange and you are forced to adapt to the fade places, its a lot to overcome. You got this Ehlara. The permanent ability stat increases are amazing.
1:57 You and your squad die because you have wounds you don't heal with injury kits.
The circle is a complicated situation as being locked away isn't right, but giving free reign and no over site isn't right either. It has nothing to do with Irving though, he is a mage trapped in the tower the same as the others. The chantry rules and the templars inforce what the chantry says.
You need to be selling way more stuff. Going to camp is the best as you can easily check everyone's gear, give gifts (they are taking up inventory space) and sell all that stuff to the dwarf. You might want to keep flawless crystals as they are for a particular companion, extra good armour and weapons and gifts. You should have found quite a few injury kits by now or buy them. If a character has an injury they will fall and die more easily in a fight so you need to use those as you go.
If you haven't already, I recommend you play the Mass Effect Trilogy at some point. Its the best game ever lol I have a feeling you'd like it. Just a suggestion😁
Yesss a few people have recommended it and it's definitely on my list of games to play 😊
This is one of the points where Bioware could have done a far better job of portraying its own lore.
Mages ARE inherently dangerous, to themselves and everyone around them. That's not supposed to be a point of debate or contention. Per the lore, just being a mage and practicing ANY magic at all makes a person attract demons and spirits like a magnet. The more magic you do, the more you attract them. Also, the more magic is used, the thinner the veil becomes, which makes it that much easier for demons and spirits to get to mages.
Yes, this does mean that all Circles are places where the Veil is thinner than elsewhere. But the entire point of corralling mages into a single location is SUPPOSED to be the answer to a bad situation with NO win-win situation. Mages are kept away from population centers where they can potentially wreak havoc, and Circles, at least in theory, are places where mages can study and practice magic in peace. Because the other side to this is that a lot of people are terrified of mages and would cheerfully kill them on sight. This is at least partially the fault of the Chantry teaching that mages are to blame for humankind's original sin, but be that as it may, mages are not necessarily safe outside of Circles. Parents have been known to abandon or even try to kill their mage children, and communities have been known to turn against a family when a kid's magic manifests for the first time. Because it's pretty common for a kid to discover that they're a mage by accidentally setting something on fire, etc. Sometimes their own hair, sometimes the family barn.
And the fact is, Templars do not simply exist to police mages, they ALSO exist to protect mages. Their role is as much to keep communities from killing those children when their magic is discovered, or to stop a mob from blaming a local mage for some random accident. And so on.
The other part of the equation is that all that is the actual law of the land - Templars are trained to protect communities from rogue mages and to stand guard over mages at the Circle in order to keep magic from being abused and hurting people, but they are also supposed, BY LAW, to protect mages. They are not just anti-mage guards who exist to kill mages with the slightest excuse. However, in practice, the culture of individual circles depends a great deal on the temperament and ideology of the Knight-Commander in charge. Some Circles are VERY oppressive and mages ARE treated like prisoners who are guilty until proven innocent. But the Ferelden Circle is, canonically per the lore, a much more moderate Circle that operates MOSTLY as it is intended to - with the Templars under Greagoir working to protect mages as much as they work to police them.
That's what this quest tries to do with Greagoir here in the Broken Circle quest. Your introduction to him as a mage shows you his seemingly more oppressive side, but the entire point of his interactions with Irving is to show you that while the two men have a contentious relationship, they ARE actually friends and have a mutual respect. Greagoir IS one of the more moderate, reasonable Templars: he recognizes that mages are people too, and he does believe that it is as much his responsibility to protect them as it is to protect others FROM them. But he's also got to be prepared to make the hard, ugly choices. Because, again, as horrifying as the system appears, the fact remains that mages ARE perpetually at risk of possession, and a possessed mage is nothing more than a destructive force of nature, not unlike a wildfire or a tornado.
It's also worth pointing out that mages in the Ferelden Circle DO have greater freedom of movement than mages in many other Circles. Per David Gaider, the former lead writer of Dragon Age, the Ferelden Circle was known in-universe for being the most liberal of all the CIrcles in Thedas.
Anyway, that is what Bioware TRIED to set up here. The point was to show players a world in which, while it might suck for mages to be subjected to this law, there are actual, legitimate reasons for having this system in place. Because mages are quite literally ALWAYS being stalked by demons who want to use them as a doorway into the physical world. But the game itself does not actually do a good job of communicating this. The oppressive Circle system is pretty blatant, while content demonstrating WHY it is considered necessary is pretty lacking. This whole quest line is supposed to do that - show that Greagoir is NOT the villain he first seems to be during the Mage Origin, and that there's good reason why they try to keep mages contained as much as possible. But the way it's actually written does more to suggest that the Circle system itself creates the environment that leads to mage resentment, etc. While that's certainly part of the equation, it was always supposed to be the case that this system was recognized as the least bad answer to a problem with NO good solutions at all.
Oh gosh, I just love all the soundtrack in this game so much. All of it, every bit. Even the smaller, ambient ones, like the Lake Calenhad shore theme, or the Camp theme, so iconic. 💜
Use injury kits to heal your cracked skull.
The camp does not have storage no. There are mods for it, if you're willing to try those. You can also do Levi's quest for storage.
Use injury kits on injuries, there are plenty of them, easy to make and cheap to buy. Sell, sell, sell This game was designed for you to collect stuff and sell it no hoarding allowed. Also offload your gifts, give them to your party members and they disappear from your inventory. Sell all gems except for garnets, sell blank vellum, trade documents.
It would probably be good to set Morrigan to aggressive, otherwise she will stand there doing nothing unless you take control of her or she is attacked.
Wynne is the mage you met at ostegar
I turned Jowan in for breaking the rules. and it was the correct decision.
Honestly I don't blame you, he wasn't the greatest of friends 😅
Rage towards the Templars. You have to play as a Mage in Dragon Age 2. "Someone has to take the first step" will come back.
Ooooo see I love playing as a mage so the chances of me playing as a mage are around 95% 😂
There's a way to gain blood magic but you would have to make an unfortunate choice. But if you really wanted to you could make the choice and then reload to an earlier save. The specializations stay after gaining them.
"All to save a stupid child...!" 😆
It may seem that way (because of the order you're doing the main quests in), but no. You have accidentally stumbled into another of the main quests. This is all part of the quest to get the mages to join the Grey Wardens, as per the Treaties you hold. If you'd come to the Mages' Circle before going to Redcliffe, you'd still have had to do this, even though you wouldn't have met Connor yet.
Only comment is I'd recommend either delaying using those special gifts from Bodhan (Dwarf Vendor), or, ideally, never using them at all. They were a silly Valentine's Day DLC that break one of the game's systems (companion affection and it's various triggers, cutscenes, and outcomes) and were for some reason included on the Ultimate Edition despite clearly having been made in the spirit of a toy for people who had already beaten the game. Without clarifying if this means "good" or "bad" outcomes, there are some story outcomes that don't seem to even happen to people anymore because of those gifts, which is just ... kind of diminishing the game slightly if you ask me. My only 2 cents.
Tbh most dragon age players I've met in 10+ years are on the mages side. But it's still a big topic of debate in the fandom. I generally agree with the pro-mage position as well, but I think the problem is more complex than it seems to some people. What is being done to mages in most of Thedas is inhumane and needs major change. At the same time, solving the problem simply by allowing thousands of walking nuclear weapons to do what they want is not an option either. And Tevinter (playing further you will learn more and more about this country, in DA4 we will finally see it with our own eyes) is an example of what will happen if we do this. Another example is Connor. It's just one kid with uncontrolled magical abilities in grief and look how many lives it took. There must be some settlement, but not the Circle. Locking a bunch of people in a tower for life is not only cruel, but also incredibly stupid.
About Morrigan. It's a bit of a tricky situation because the narrative introduces us to a loveable ex-cop (Alistair) and a b*tchy person from a marginalized group (Morrigan). (And btw, you can clearly see that Alistair hasn't changed his views about mages at all since his time as a templar.) Morrigan is free, yes, but this isn't some kind of big privilege, in my opinion. All her life she had to shun society and hide from templars. All she had was her crazy abusive mother. No friends, no loved ones, no one. She is a product of society's attitude towards her (all her rare interactions with society were unpleasant to say the least) and her mother's questionable upbringing methods. It's not that she doesn't have empathy for the mages in the Circle (I think she respects those who managed to break free. Remember how she was the only one who wanted to let Jowan go, even if he wouldn't help), but she condemns their lack of initiative and lack of ambition, their willingness surrender to the church without a fight. That's how her mother treated her - never forgiving her for any weakness or mistake - and it's the only way she knows, so she projects it onto others. Not saying she's right, of course.
Sorry about this long read . I love this franchise and these characters sm. Love hearing how you process what's happening in the game. You're very thoughtful. I wasn't like that when I first played this game 😂 but tbh I was 16 or something.
The first time I played this game, I found Sten's blunt responses boring, and I seldom took him out with me. Later I came to realise that his bluntness can be really funny, and if you do take him out adventuring with you, some of his exchanges with the other companions are priceless! Glad to see you're giving him a chance already!
As for storage, I think you do get a stash/chest to store things in at the end of one of the DLCs. From memory it's the Warden's Keep DLC, if you have that.
Really like the idea, you gave Alistair a doll, and he fell for you madly. All these deaths can not stop true love.
Traveling to the Warden Keep on the main map will take you to a storyline that will end with you getting a storage container you can use.
It's funny to me how you've been craving Duncan's comeback and received it in a super twisted way 😂😅
Speaking of magi problem, I agree that the system they are stuck in the setting is depressing at best. Yes there are places like Tevinter but in most places their plight is troubling. Kunari's mages have it the worst imo. Won't elaborate in case you'd like to research it by yourself, but sheesh it sucks
Anyway, great episode! 🎉
Got to admit, REALLY happy that they have re-visited the concept of "The Qun" with DA2 and DAI over the years.
Because honestly, the way Sten can get at times is just annoying as can get. I mean, it IS funny (in a tick you off sort of way) to hear his opinions from time to time..... BUT it can also be "holy cow, how can you LIVE with that closed minded attitude".
IF (which should be easy) you get the "Warden's Keep" DLC, you CAN get a "storage crate" at Soldier's Peak after completing the main quest. Only problem is, you have to KEEP going back and forth in order to use that crate.
There ARE mods that add a "storage system" available, but the truth is.... you basically go through each section/companion and update what you CAN then sell the rest off and move on to new area to find new stuff.
ALSO keep in mind.... you NEVER get "fair price" on your sell/buy exchange. You can spend several gold on 1 item, to eventually sell it off for a few SILVER, and if you want to buy it back... it is going to cost GOLD to get it.
Camp inventory also upgrades over time, as do the other merchants.
Sten gives the templar boat guard cookies as a bribe if you fail to convince him to take you to the tower haha
Companions... On their character sheets, in the bottom right corner, a tickbox, where they auto-level up, generally makes a better job of suiting them to their roles than a new player.
Tactics screen, it's conditional programming, rather than YOU selecting each one manually, and making them neck a health potion, you can add a tactic to each to neck a potion when their health drops below 25%, this saves time and works better.
Lel the rogue/bard, give her two short blades, for dual wield..
Selling junk, in a pinch you can "sell" anywhere, but at lower prices. can't remember the keys to press, download and RTFM, it's in there, a keyboard hold and click combo to insta-sell anywhere, good for ditching low level junk without trecking miles to a merchant.
Spoiled Princess barkeep is a merchant
Halfway through, and excited to see, if you find the way to learn to be a Blood Mage. Maybe it will not be until episode 6 though.
Once you equip your party members you don’t need to keep the extra armor and weapons. You will pick up better stuff the further into the game you get so sell everything.
Welcome to the most tedious level in the entire game. Thank God for mods.
12:35 girl that was the warning 🥲
Never seen someone struggle with inventory space so much. Actually excited to see what you do with all that trash you carried around
Get a rune and let Sandal enchant a weapon for you
The Mage collective sack will have multiple requests within it, come back for additional quests later on.
Just stumbled upon your channel and decided to subscribe. It's fun to witness you go on the Dragon Age wagon and play the games before the launch of The Veilguard.... it's a long road so full of emotions!
Everything you high lite in the tower with words will gain the eye when you find the right spot, finding that spot can be difficult. Each bit of torn paper is part of a quest. I find it better to just hover over the area slowly rather than click. So no, you don't have it, it's just frustrating to find.
i've been looking forward to the return to the tower! woo hoo! :D (Edit: I love Sten so much he is so confused by non-qunari society and it's really endearing lol)
PS: there's a mod that adds a storage chest to camp if you're on PC. It's a must have for me.
The Mage Tower is such a mixed bag of a location. I love the lore and character interactions you see there, but... You didn't make it to the Fade in this upload, but if you've already recorded the next one then you know what I'm talking about. I would never commit the heresy of suggesting that *Dragon Age: Origins* is not a perfect game but, if there is one part of the game that we could do without, its the part of the Tower that you're about to enter. 🤣
Speaking of the Tower, I feel like you've got a solid grasp of the situation between the Chantry and the Mages. I was definitely supporting the mages throughout this game, even when I was playing as a rogue or warrior. I did a couple of playthroughs where I sided with the templars, but it always felt forced. I feel like there isn't much justification for the extreme abuse that the mages are subjected to. Sure, abominations are dangerous. But they wouldn't see so many abominations if they the mages weren't driven to desperation. The only rub is that, as we've seen referenced with the Telvinter Imperium, it can be a powerful tool for mages who have no regard for the lives of others.
So, something I wanted to mention. You might've figured this out by now, but those "gift" items you purchased from the merchant in camp aren't a part of the base game. They were added by a DLC to give players more control over the disposition of their companions. That's why that first gift you gave Alistair had such a crazy impact; its just meant to max out his disposition even if you consistently make decisions he doesn't agree with. I really don't like that DLC, because it feels like a trap for new players. 😑 There are some gifts in the base game, but their impact tends to be less dramatic and they're all found out "in the wild", as it were.
If you want to maintain the "vanilla" balance for companion disposition, you might want to buy the gifts that decrease disposition and use them to offset those huge gains. Though, honestly, it doesn't matter a whole lot. Even in the base game, its extremely easy to make all of your companions love you just by being agreeable in conversations. They won't ever dislike you unless you go out of your way to be a dick. The biggest issue the DLC gifts might cause is triggering the romance dialogue sooner than you might expect.
"it doesn't matter a whole lot" I have to disagree there, when the approval jump is that big you can miss out on several conversations with the companion, Including one conversation needed for a specific companions personal quest.
Liliana still only one small sword 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Yeah, lol you still have a few more companions to unlock,. And you've actually met Wynne back in... was it Ostagar? The Grey Warden camp in the beginning? You had some conversations with her but I can't remember what you talked about though. Be careful about her lol if you still wanna be a Blood Mage. She might have some words with you if you choose that specialization. And oh yeah, it just occurred to me, how the hell did Wynne survive the battle of Ostagar? I thought you and Alistair were the only survivors because Flemmeth saved you two.
entering the fade in the mage circle quest is the most annoying thing in the game😂
Oh god now I'm nervous 😬
No it isn't, it's one of the coolest quests in the game apart from the deep roads.
That's just your opinion.
You keep wasting points on Constitution and Willpower which are useless 😂 I guess the game is overwhelming for a new player. I'm enjoying this playthrough a lot, so much fun to see someone playing it the first time
Do you want some help with the gifts? Or would you prefer to figure them out by trial and error?
If no is using it sell it ❤
U literally have 0 armor one reason why u die so fast
Look, woman, Gregor has seen the horrors of mages, he's wise and just. But he's strict.