If you’ve just bought or about to pick up Dragon Age: Inquisition, you’re in for an epic journey. This is an RPG capable of engrossing you for over 100 hours. Given its massive length, you don’t want to choose a main character that you’ll regret. So, we have a guide for you.
When making a main character in Dragon Age you’ll have a choice between male and female, select from one of four races, customize the looks of your character, in addition to committing to a class for the protagonist. There are three classes, which isn’t many, but your choice has huge ramifications on the battlefield.
Early on in your journey, you’ll meet companions who will accompany you when exploring and battling. You can choose a total of three to join you at any given time, but your main character must remain in the party. You can control any of the four characters of the party in or out of combat, though.
Also: Dragon Age: Inquisition Review – Saving the World
There are a lot of things to weigh when choosing a class to play as. Ultimately, this character will be highlighted in much of the game’s narrative evolution, so the class type may come down to if you want to see your character appear in light, medium, or heavy armor. Or, what you may want to do is look at the nine companions available and determine which you want in your party, and then fill the final slot with your main character as a class that complements the others well. You will want a member of each class in the party, that’s for certain.
Below are the three classes, and the vital information you need to know about them for playing Dragon Age: Inquisition like a boss.
Mage
Why you should play this class in Dragon Age: The Mage is a critical component of the party, offering barriers to teammates which replace healing spells in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Not only is it the only class capable of casting barriers, it is also the best at controlling enemies. It can freeze groups, and paralyze foes who charge toward thinly armored characters. Due to the importance of control and barriers, it’s not a bad idea to make your main character a Mage and routinely control the character to ensure that casts are accurate. It is also capable of high damage output in situations where enemies are grouped together, making it the go-to class for AoE clear.
Specs:
- Inferno – Masters of this school of magic dominate the battlefield with unrelenting fire. Enemies who survive the initial blast are driven mad with terror or burn to death in unquenchable flames.
- Spirit – Masters of this schoool of magic call upon spirits for protection, as well as the essence of the fade itself. Their spells disrupt hostile magic, create defensive barriers, and even heal injuries.
- Storm – Masters of this school of magic call forth the power of thunder and lightning. Their spells paralyze foes and arc from one enemy to another.
- Winter – Master of this school of magic summon cold that bites deeper than the cruelest winter. Their icy spells slow and weaken enemies.
Mage Companions:
- Dorian – An Altus mage of the Tevinter Imperium. Has access to Necromancer specialization.
- Solas – An elven apostate mage. Has access to Rift Mage specialization.
- Vivienne – An Orlesian mage and Enchanter of the Imperial Court. Has access to Knight Enchanter specialization.
Pros: High area of effect damage, support capability, lots of crowd control options.
Cons: Light armor, lower single-target DPS than Rogue.
Rogue
Why you should play this class: The Rogue is the highest damage class in the game. It can be specialized to play as either melee focused with double daggers, or a master of ranged bombardment with a bow. The Rogue is also the class that is played worse by the A.I., making it a premier choice for your control. Instead of employing thick armor, they use high mobility to avoid damage. If there’s one class that feels extremely rewarding when played well, this is it.
Specs:
- Archery – Experts in this style are masters of ranged combat. They can avoid enemies that attempt to close, put arrows or bolts through multiple foes, and even unleash explosive shots to devastating effect.
- Double Daggers – Experts in this style are fast and deadly. Their blades slicing through enemies’ defenses—and throats—before they have time to react.
- Sabotage – Experts in these talents specialize in poisons and traps. Their dirty tricks leave enemies sick and limping, easy pickings for a sharp blade or a barbed arrow.
- Subterfuge – Experts in these talents are masters of misdirection. Whether leaping to safety, disappearing into the shadows, or tricking enemies into slashing at empty air, they are never where anyone expects them to be.
Rogue Companions:
- Cole – A spirit and the “Ghost of the White Spire”. Has access to the Assassin specialization.
- Sera – An elven archer and one of the Friends of Red Jenny. Has access to the Tempest specialization.
- Varric – A surface dwarf marksman, merchant, storyteller, and former companion of the Champion of Kirkwall. Has access to the Artificer specialization.
Pros: Great single target damage, high mobility.
Cons: Medium armor, poor area of effect damage, requires babysitting.
Warrior
Why you should play this class: Warriors are the generals of the battlefield, charging into battle and drawing the attention of foes. Their job is to keep enemies away from the back line, and pummel them with a barrage of melee attacks. Capable of taking a lot of hits due to their guard mechanic, they are great at keeping things under control, and are the lifeblood of your party.
Specs:
- Battlemaster – These cunning warriors control the battlefield and everyone on it. They bolster their allies, hamper their enemies, and take advantage of any sign of weakness.
- Two Handed Weapon – Experts in this style crush their enemies with massive blows that can break any guard, shatter their armor, and destroy any opponent.
- Vanguard – These stalwart Warriors protect their allies by making themselves the biggest target on the battlefield. When enemies take the bait, Vanguards pick them apart with brutal precision.
- Weapon and Shield – Experts in this style are still on their feet after punishment that would kill their allies. They use their shield to protect themselves and stagger their enemies.
Warrior Companions:
- Blackwall – A Grey Warden Constable. Has access to Champion specialization.
- Cassandra – A Nevarran Seeker, the famed Hero of Orlais, and the Right Hand of the Divine. Has access to the Templar specialization.
- Iron Bull – A Qunari warrior mercenary and Ben-Hassrath operative. Has access to the Reaver specialization.
Pros: High survivability, good control, access to group buffs and taunts, can destroy guard.
Cons: Poor mobility, low to moderate damage.
What I Play
I’ve settled on a party that consists of the following:
- Support Mage (Main Character) – Specializes in Spirit for group barriers and Storm for area of effect damage and crowd control.
- DPS Rogue (Sera) – Specializes in Tempest and Archery for high single target damage and mobility.
- Tank Warrior (Blackwall) – Specializes in Champion and Vanguard for top-tier survivability, high threat, guard break, and control.
- DPS Warrior (Iron Bull) – Specializes in Reaver and Two-Handed Weapon for high melee damage and brute force in the front line.
While this setup has been effective, in hindsight I would have made my main character a Double Dagger Rogue. Cole is the only Double Dagger Rogue in the game and I don’t like his personality very much, so I dropped him from my party. Double Dagger seems to be much more effective than Archery, but requires a ton of babysitting due to their melee attacks and medium armor.
Also: Why Dragon Age Inquisition is Bigger and Better Than Dragon Age 2
I hope this guide helps. Let me know what you decide to play as in the comments below.
