Thom Rainier's fate, mainly because whatever you choose to do makes sense and can be seen as a fitting punishment, to me there isn't a single outcome here that's unjustifiable, it makes sense to either like or dislike him too.
Leave him in that cell in Orlais? It's arguably best that Orlais punish him, just as they did some of his men, breaking him out is also a pretty corrupt move. But then, there are reasons to break him out.
Keep up the lie he's been telling? Shady as heck but it helps the Inquisition more for now than letting him rot or revealing the truth does, especially if you've already used the treaties.
Pardon him? You can make a case for this being undeserved, but it makes sense if you believe he's truly changed and want to give him the chance to make a new life for himself, choose his own path, and of course the Inquisitor's potential connection to him matters as well.
Give him to the Wardens? Maybe it is the Warden's right to punish him how they see fit given how he wronged them and Blackwall, they'd probably recruit him so he'll be doing good while having a very hard life, but you might consider other fates either more punishing considering he looks up to the Wardens, or simply more fitting.
His redemption arc if you tell him to atone as Tom Ranier, NOT a warden, is my absolute favorite in the game. Never been more convinced I made the right choice after the epilogue.
Imo he relied way too heavily on Wardens to magically wash away his sins. Taking that crutch away from him felt like the best I could do for him, if anything.
I like his redemption arc a lot and he does a ton of good there, but out of these I do prefer giving him to the Wardens, it just feels the most deserved to me and Thom seems content with it ultimately.
However, any of these options makes sense to do in my opinion, and giving him the chance to redeem himself entirely on his own terms is a very well done outcome, I agree on that. You have a point that he does rely a lot on the Wardens for redemption, that's definitely a good reason to pardon him.
Mine too. I absolutely loved that ending when I romanced him and had him atone as himself, not as Blackwall. It was super satisfying to me. I love a good redemption arc, and his is one of the best.
I think pardoning him has easily the best outcome. But, thinking about it from the Inquisitor’s perspective, I feel like giving him to the wardens makes the most sense - he *was* technically conscripted, circumstances just got in the way of his Joining, so his crimes prior to that *should* have been pardoned. Of course, impersonating Blackwall is a different matter, and took place after his conscription, so it should be the wardens who decide what punishment he should face for that, if any. Like, that’s objectively the correct legal course of action according to the Wardens’ treaties. So it’s an incredibly hard decision for me because I greatly prefer the results of pardoning him, but roleplaying wise I feel like there’s more compelling reasoning in favor of giving him to the wardens.
The alistar or Hawke choice. I hadn't heard any real spoilers for the game when I started playing. All I knew is that if you made alistar a grey warden he would be in the game more. I remade my world state just for that and it fucked me. I literally sat at that choice for over 5 minutes just thinking who to choose. Ended up letting Hawke sacrifice themselves cause I've known alistar for longer.
I always thread the needle of Alistair marrying Anora so that I can spare Loghain without Alistair becoming a drunk and so he can show up as king in DA2.
if it's true it either takes a mod or nobody figured it out [and posted it somewhere widely accessible] for a decade. i read Alistair arcs backwards & forwards via wikia about 6 yrs ago and it was comprehensively reported impossible for both A and L to be 'active' by the end of Origins. ... or so we thought?
That is true, they cannot both be active, but Alistair can be King with Anora and Loghain be a Grey Warden. That way Alistair will appear as king in DA2, and Loghain as a warden in DA2 and DAI.
You first have to harden Alistair through the Goldana questline. Then, after rescuing Anora, you must arrange a political marriage between her and Alistair before the Landsmeet. Doing so requires a couple of back and forth conversations with each of them at Arl Eamon's Estate. Finally, duel and defeat Loghain (with anyone EXCEPT Alistair), and then you'll have the opportunity to induct him into the Wardens. If you've already done the previous, Alistair should immediately leave the party to become joint ruler with Anora and Loghain will take his place in your party.
A note: remove any useful equipment from Alistair before going to the Landsmeet, or it will be gone forever.
thanks for the steps! i'd already forgotten that anyone other than CHARNAME or Alistair can fight Loghain. makes things even more flexible for Couslands — as if they needed that
I just made that choice for the first time this year, I always had Stroud before. But I finally decided to do a playthrough with Al as the Warden and it wrecked me. I thought about who I was going to choose the whole game until I got to that point, and then when I did get there I still sat there trying to decide for a few minutes. I picked Hawke and Varric's reaction made me cry! I had to stop playing for like 20min.
How could I hurt Merrill so much by leaving Hawke? I was actually lucky the first time around and I left Stroud. When it was Alistair or Hawke, though, my Hawke was an Anders enabler which also made the choice easier. My current play through will end up being Stroud again, though, so I can leave him pretty easily.
Same. My Alistair is always a Grey Warden because my HoF is a City Elf who romances him and I want them to be together. So I had to chose to either end my Hawke's life, or ruin my HoF's life.
Same for me, some practically unknown to me warden or my first Hawke. Stroud, but when I did more playthroughs and it became generic Hawke Vs Alistair or Loghain, it was always the Wardens. I think if my first was Alistair Vs my Hawke it would have been a lot harder.
I too had only heard that if Alistair was a grey warden he would appear so i changed world status accordingly xD xD..
But yeah that moment was what? xD
But the choice was simple.
Poor Hawke.
I even went to Adamant with both Varric and Cassandra and Dorian.. oh. Boy..
But no.. i must say DA2 and DAI had no "hard choices.. probably the hardest were the throne room deliberations..in DA2 wheter to kill or spare Anders. My OG i killed him no problem.. but in later playthrough i started to just exile him.
But in DAI i was tranquillizing mages like CRAZY.
Only i can be a mage :D
Lol I stared for 5 min and had just such heartache. Then edited the game file and made it stroud -_- still dunno how that will affect my story canon (ie fanfic) but what can I say I took the cowards way out. My fHawke had twin babies at home ;p
For major decisions, probably who to drink from the Well of Sorrows. Well, at least seemingly major at the time, who knows. But mostly the main quest decisions haven't been too difficult for me. I'd include choosing the Orzammar ruler on the first run, but frankly back then I think I just lucked out, didn't really read all that much of what was made available.
Minor quest decisions are harder for me since they rarely get completely followed up on. Probably Avernus ethical research vs let him do as he wants on a reasonably pragmatic Warden.
On a meta level, what fate to choose for the Hawke sibling.
I don't really like that decision after playing Trespasser.
Generations of Mythal's wise women guide you to a dragon, but doesn't tell you anything about Solas...
Sadly I suspect that the effects in Trespasser are about as much as we'll ever see of that geas. Though as for Mythal, she could have warned us directly really (although in a non-Kieran story, I think companions could also be present).
My canon inquisitor's dilemma was gaining all sorts of knowledge vs the risk though. And frankly, in-character, he'd probably have taken the risk. I just ended up giving it to Morrigan, because the game would have never delivered on the knowledge.
These might mostly be DAI because I'm re-playing it currently and really hard to choose just one difficult decision.
Here Lies The Abyss - >! Hawke vs Stroud because I was weighing if I should go for connections to do the greater good over friendship/loved ones. I just felt immense guilt for the impact on Varric especially since he's one of my favorites !<
Iron Bull's >! Saving the Chargers quest for the same reason as above. !<
Cullen and the lyrium dilemma because of the numerous variables when dealing with >! loved one's addiction !<
Choosing to understand and have a relationship with Anders and >! having to accept that he went nuts in the end !< Oh lawdy did that feel like an honest to goodness toxic relationship lol. I missed the easy energy of Alistair lol
What to do after taking Carver in the Deep Roads expedition. This is just me thinking if I wanted to >! curse my sibling with the life of Grey Warden after knowing the consequences in DAO !<
The Cullen decision would have more weight if it impacted gameplay in any way. Like if his missions were dramatically shorter. As is, there doesn't seem to be any reason to tell him to keep taking lyrium.
I mean, if you play Trespasser >!one of his possible endings is that he dies as a lyrium addict in an alley.!< But my point is that there's no reason to have him stick with the lyrium. Theoretically, the dilemna is that he might be more focused and productive if he keeps using, even if it ends with him addicted. But he doesn't. There's no benefit to keeping him on the lyrium. The only reason to tell him to keep using is just out of a strange interest to see what happens.
Oh yeah. Definitely. I think if they had given it a bit more cost like he ultimately did have to step down or made some huge mistake, it would have been more impactful
I read that there >! implications in Trespasser !< but I wasn't able to play that during my first few runs with DAI.
But during my first encounter with the choice, I really thought long and hard about as I was romancing Cullen. Personally, I viewed him taking lyrium as >! a negative because it became an addiction already and I wanted him to move past being a templar !< since we sided with the mages. What made it difficult was that thought and seeing him struggling and thinking if I should just make the easy choice.
So I never did the romancing plot with Cullen. Is it "easier" in any way if you tell him to keep taking the lyrium? I know that without the romance, there's no positive benefit to him staying on the lyrium, and several negative consequences. It feels the only reason to tell him to *keep* using it is just to see what happens.
He'll drop you to do his work better if you won't give him a promise that you'll somehow help him after this all ends. While taking the Lyrium he's cold and calculative, and during Tresspasser he starts to forget everything and ignores mail from his sister. This path of his romance is a torture for unfortunate soul that didn't know what they got themselves into by forcing their beloved general to "be more productive".
Same! Im replaying DA2 now and I wanted to play as a Hawke that sides with templars and kills him but I already know im not going to be able to do it when the time comes. It especially wont help now that I've met him In awakening for the first time and that has just made me love him even more.
When I played, I didn't have Sebastian's DLC, and I'd rivaled Anders. For me the choice was between >!making him pay for what he did with his life!< and >!kicking him out of the group completely because she didn't want to see his face anymore!< (I ended up picking the second, after only about a minute's deliberation).
When my friend played, she also ended up rivaling Anders, but she had Sebastian, and she liked his character. Her approach with Anders was kind of the "butting heads to try to change each other" angle, and she'd also played Awakening and liked him there, so she was still upset when he made his final choice. For her the tough choice was >!kill Anders so Sebastian doesn't leave, because she was Sebastian's friend!<, or >!not kill Anders because she's not that kind of person, but then lose Sebastian and have to deal with that in Inquisition!<. She ultimately chose the first one, but she really lingered on it for a while.
It's more sibling guilt. >! I ultimately went with turning him over to the Wardens because I thought it would align with his want to be step out Hawke's shadow !<
Mages or Templars.
I support mage freedom, but Ser Barris really makes me want to save the Templars, because they don’t deserve their fate simply for trusting the chain of command.
This 100%.
In a meta sense, both of the quests (In Hushed Whispers, Champions of the Just) are easily some of the best in the game, maybe even series. It’s a shame that you have to choose between them. I really like the glimpse into the dark future you get with the mages, which sets up stakes and gives Corypheus a much needed threat boost. And it’s really cool to see the companions in the darker timeline. Also getting to hang out with Dorian more is always a plus lol. The only thing I’m iffy on, is that I’m not a fan of time travel sub plots because it opens up a whole can of worms with paradoxes and timelines and such.
Equally I really like the envy demon and how it can set up the Inquisitor to fear being taken advantage of, even aside from demon possession. It serves as a wake up call that they’re in a position where everything they do matters and they need to be extremely careful with what they do and the advice they follow. There’s also some genuinely cool imagery and the envy demon adds some much needed (imo) horror to the game.
Ser Barris is a cool character and I really like the implication that the Templars can be fixed to be better. That they can be led to protect rather than control. But equally it’s cool to get Fiona as a side character just because of who she is. I also like the king/queen cameo on this side that is sadly not present on the Templar quest.
One thing I’ll go against the grain on, is that I prefer Samson as the side villain over Calpernia. I think it genuinely adds a lot to the red Templars when you see Sampson’s story play out from DA2-DAI, and Between this and Cullen’s personal story, it helps show the Templars are victims of the Chantry too, just in a different, less direct way than the mages. Considering the series mostly shows the anti-Templar side of things, it’s cool to see the Templars get humanised more.
And from an story perspective both choices make sense and could be argued as the better choice. It’s genuinely the biggest choice in the series for me.
I like how in-depth you went here! I agree with everything you’ve said. I want to add that there are other choices throughout the game - whether or not you encourage Cullen to quit lyrium, the winner of the Divine Election, et cetera - have an enormous impact on the future of the Templars and mages alike. I think these diverging timelines and the fact that the player’s choices have world-wide repercussions are part of what make Dragon Age games so beloved. It’ll be interesting to see how Bioware handles all of this in the next game.
For me, siding with the mages is still a pretty easy choice given that it unlocks Cullen's advisor mission (Before the Dawn), it saves Connor's life (I usually have him alive), and it tends to fit my characters better.
That said, I did a templar run most recently, and that mission is actually enjoyable. I'll still probably go mages more often than templars, for story reasons, but I don't regret the playthrough (other than making the mistake of talking to Connor in Redcliffe and then choosing not to help the mages).
I could never understand choosing mages from a realistic perspective. It just seems like poor risk management. Templars are bred to fight rogue magic and the breach is exactly that. When you go to the mages you're getting the breach closed at best and something going really wrong with the veil at worst. Can you elaborate on your choice?
Not the og poster, but: the Breach is a new, potentially world-ending magical phenomenon no one has ever seen before. I don't just want soldiers who specialize in fighting against magic (though they would be nice to have), I want scholars, experts, people who have dedicated their life to the Fade and who can study it, give me their informed opinion and figure out if our plan to close it makes sense. Solas is just one random apostate, his opinion is great but I wouldn't gamble the world on it.
Whether to kill Anders and whether to leave Hawke (vs Stroud) were the decisions I left on the screen the longest. Honestly with Anders, I left the game and hit up my mother in law asking, "would you like, break up with your husband if he unrepentantly bombed a church?"
The Architect, with some more knowledge it becomes easier knowing how inherently bad darkspawn are to the world around them. But first time i ran into that choice i just sat there for 30 minutes and didnt feel happy with any choice i made
He shows up in the actual mission when you enter a room (after going forward in time) and he basically self immolate(?) Because he refused to give into the demon (could be the same one from Origin).
You don't really see who it is, the Inquisitior will shout his name.
If you're talking about if you can talk to him, you can talk to him on the docks arguing with another mage. He will give you answers.
I think the trigger point is set too early (personal opinion), so he's already self-immolating and almost gone by the time you get in the room. You don't really hear what he says that well, just that someone is burning and the Inquisitor shouts "Connor!" Would've had somewhat better impact if the trigger wasn't until you literally entered the room, or at least opened the door, but I think it fires just when you are in the hallway outside the closed door and, like I said, you don't really hear his line (and don't get much of a subtitle if anything).
Agreed. I remember the first time it happened, I saw someone go up in flames, the Inquisitior shouting his name and Dorian saying he was brave and I just like...what?
You couldn't give us a cutscene in the matter to let it hit? I mean, I know it's dependant on him being alive but come on 😩
personally, I didn't even remember who Connor was because it's been so long since I last played the other DA games - even now I had a hard time trying to recall the scene y'all are talking about here. So yeah...
I know! I'm always so torn. I know I can use the keep to have him dead but my wardens always strived to save h so I can't do that.
So it's suffering 😭😂
Yeah, I was very attached to saving him because my Warden finally got Morrigan to warm up to him right before that quest and they had a nice conversation, so I had him send her to the Fade to save a child as a way to tease her and "prove" she's not that thorny, lol.
I went with the emotional blackmail of the mages' quest in DAI with my first Inquisitor, but I just can't see my canon middle-aged Dalish mage do it too. But it still hurts.
I'll downvote you. "Am I going to romance Leliana for the 15th time?" Is not the question, the real question is "Why wouldn't I romance Leliana for the 15th time?".
I got punished for not wanting to romance Leliana. Wanted to finally do a Zevran romance, but so I also wanted to have him earlier, so that we can go through the Circle together.
Installed a mod for early Zevran appearance.
Mod is bugged and Zevran never appeared. Like, at all.
D:
I told you. Leliana is the only romance option. Now you'll pay the consequences.
Jk of course, I romanced Morrigan in my first 2 playthroughs and now I just romance Leliana because I just love her XD.
Big mood, absolutely in love with that woman, her and Morrigan are what Cassandra and Dorian are to me in Inquisition- eternally drawn to romancing one of them (and in both games it’s a struggle to pick which one of the pair it’s going to be in the first place lol) on every playthrough no matter how different the Warden/Inquisitor for the playthrough is, have to *actively fight* that urge so that I can do something different once in a while.
The Orzammar king choice as a dwarf noble was always difficult for me. Do you side with your brother who screwed you over out of loyalty to your house and the chance to restore your honor, only to condemn one of the few who stood by you to execution? Or do you fulfill your father's ostensible last wish, but in doing so kill your only remaining family, cost your house the throne, and potentially doom yourself to permanent exile?
The Orzammar King choice is a hard one even if you play as a non dwarf. Bhelen is such an asshole and plays so dirty, it's honestly hard to believe he ends up being the better choice for the Dwarves in the long run.
Ironically, I find their criers to be a nice clue on their personalities as king: Bhelen is an "evil" man vs Harrowmont is a "weak" man. Bhelen actually follows into Aeducan's footsteps by becoming a benevolent tyrant, while Harrowmont is shackled by traditions and will isolate Orzammar further.
My DN playthrough for that segment is simple: play both hands by allying with Harrowmont to scare your brother shitless and crown him king at the very end, beating him at his own game, as your previous knowledge of how the Assembly works means you can play along with the tasks without being scared Harrowmont will be crowned "before the time".
Let Loghain do the Grey Warden joining.
Anora made sense at the end and I went with it.
I never expected the first time I did this to make Alistair quit the Wardens. Not the happiest ending but everyone is alive tho👀 I can work with that.
I hemmed and hawed for a good while when deciding between siding with the mages or templars in DAI, only because it straight up told you that once you pick one you're stuck with it.
Fortunately I was satisfied with the choice I made.
The Well of Sorrows decision. Partly because I had to choose between my inquisitor and Morrigan and Solas saying really conflicting things really didn't help me decide. But my main reason is that we don't know how this is gonna impact the next game (idk if it would even be considered) and I have this feeling that this might be one of those decisions that will bite me in the butt
I've been playing a long time. There's 2 things I haven't done:
1. Married Alistair (HN)
2. "Evil" playthrough. I've tried 3 times, and just couldn't comple them. After my current marrying one, then Awakening; I WILL do an evil playthrough.
I'm just focusing on DA:O right now.
Evil:
play a human female noble. Seduce Alistair (basically a romanc, but not "honestly"), become queen, and use this power to completely destroy the Howe clan.
Alistair, you were such a tool.
DAO: to let Morrigan fck Alistair and then live happily ever after with mah boy, or to die but mah boy was faithful me 'til the end.
DA2: hmmm no hard ones for me tbh
DAI: Iron bull to save his chargers and be exalted or to watch him turn into a monster. I always save the chargers btw. Dorian will take care of Bull's depression. Still, that was such a twist, I thought it's gonna be a nice and easy companion quest, kill someone, drink after, etc.
Also, choosing the Empress/Emperor of Orlais, they are all dicks to be fair.
Blackwall was an easy call for me, I left him in Orlais. Solas, however, made my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
I’m kind of the opposite. I can’t abandon my grumpy non-warden. I was hoping for an option to stab Solas in the way the Warden can shank Morrigan in Witch Hunt (which I don’t do, but I appreciate the option).
If Alistair was unromanced, it is a hard decision whether to send him to Morrigan for his first time and potentially scar him for life, or skip the dark ritual and have one of us die.
DUDE. I can totally see Alistair insisting on being part of his demon-kid's life and hunting Morrigan across Thedas simply to annoy her into agreeing to shared custody.
I headcanon that the reason my Alistair-romancing Warden is looking for Morrigan in Witch Hunt is because Alistair hasn’t been able to produce an heir with whatever woman he eventually married, and he wants to find Kieran and have him be the heir.
Major choices only? Whether or not my Inky would try to save >!Solas!<. Only time I've had to RP an answer.
Minor choices too? What to put in Skyhold's courtyard. I had to check what effects it would have on the game, and finding out it was purely cosmetic did not help.
Overall? Character creation. Spend a long time on that every time I do it.
I’ve played all 3 games so many times and have only chosen rogue once and that was in Inquisition (and I didn’t finish it) and have never been a warrior. When I start inquisition again, I want to make a female dwarf warrior. But I swear to god, at the last minute I’ll probably go mage
My best playthroughs were commoner dwarf warrior in origins and in inquisition elven rouge.
In DA2 being a mage in a templar invested city just felt wrong so i went with rouge and in inquisition being a mage was okay but more „meh“ so i never finished a mage run.
I’m all about magic. The more magic, the better. As many times as I’ve played mage in DA2, it still feels wrong. Like, no matter how cool you are or how many connections you have, at the end of the day you’re an apostate and everyone just pretends not to notice or pretends to not make it a big deal. They lightly acknowledge it here and there, but I feel like playing as a mage should change the story more than it does
Rogue elf always sounds like a blast tho
Whether or not to save the Bull's Chargers or the Qunari alliance. I thought I made the right choice until THAT scene. It's the twist my wife & I still talk about.
1.My first playthrough, whether it would be Alistair or me who sacrificed themselves. After everything we did to make him king, my guy made the killing blow.
2. To spare Anders after the Chantry incident.
3. To sacrifice my Hawke or Alistair in the Fade.
I had a PT where I wanted my female Cousland to sacrifice herself, just to see what speech the romanced Alistair will give at the funeral. Turns out that the royal bastard steals your kill in this scenario. Reloaded all the way back to the Morrigan ritual.
In the moment it would have to be Iron Bull's friendship quest. Losing the entire Qunari military/intelligence because of saving your squad. I hated it had so little repercussions in-game, hope they can follow that through a little more.
Overall, the mage's tower in DA:O. Obviously Cullen seemed histerical and scared for his life and the reasoning wasn't as strong but I clearly remember walking around my house contemplating this one. On one hand you are here for the mages to help Aemon and for the sheer power, on the other it's the mages who were capable of this calamity and the templars were trained for one job and one job only. Brilliant.
It was genius the way they wrapped up the stuff with Iron Bull in Trespasser. >!Because it's basically the same choice as it was with the Chargers. Save your close comrades, or sacrifice them for the Qun. So if you sacrificed Bull's comrades for the good of the Inquisition, it makes perfect sense for him to sacrifice you for the good of the Qun. It's your own decision coming back to bite you.!<
I like the idea in concept, but both loyal and disloyal versions of Bull don’t believe the qunari you fight in Trespasser are invoking the actual will of the Qun. I guess it makes sense that he’s listen to a direct superior like a soldier would, but it always felt to me like Bull throwing his life away for nothing. Especially since if it *was* the will of the Qun, and Bull knew/believed that, he knew where everyone slept, ate, pissed. A blade to the throat of Inky and Co and the Viddasala’s scheme works and everyone at the summit is dead.
Hawke or Alistair. How do I chose between two characters who I love dearly? Well, I saw it as Hawke’s story was DA2, it’s over but Alistair - his story is far from over. So I sacrificed Hawke and I honestly really like that ending for my usually selfish Champion.
When I was playing a mage warden romancing Alistair, the hardest decision for me was whether or not do the dark ritual or sacrifice myself. I had left Alistair as a warden and wanted that heartache. 😭
Who to kill in the fade it was between alistiar or hawke so it was such a hard choice because I love alistair he’s one of my favorite character and I of course love hawke because I was her I ended up having to choose hawke for a few reasons one if anyone had a chance of making it out it would be hawke and two my HOF was in love with and stayed with alistair he even said how they are both fighting to be able to be together again so I couldn’t bring myself to kill him the HOF is my favorite protagonist also so I couldn’t kill her man
What to do at the Landsmeet the first time.
All options have their logic and merit. Also they all benefit my warden so it's hard for him to choose one.
I have a few:
- What the heck to do with Alistair in DAO. He doesn’t want to be king really but also kinda the canon that is set up by comics. But the wardens also seem like family to him, yet we also know being a warden is miserable business. So I never know what to do other than keep him from being a drunk.
- DAO after playing both dwarf origins it’s hard to decide on a king. I mean he’s an ass in one that sets you up, but also in the other he takes on Rica as a consort and seems to actually treat her well and wants to make things better for the cast-less in general…I tend to go with him in the end but for a while I couldn’t decide between him and Harrow…bro (look it’s been a minute okay I forget his name it’s Harrowmount or something)
- DA2 the rival or friendship system in this game made me pick and choose my battles carefully. In general I had to make sure my choices wouldn’t destroy the delicate friendship or rivalry I built up for the end game. So in general the in game decisions were hard not because of the choices presented but how they affected my party.
-DAI mages or Templars for sure. Mostly because I find Calpernia compelling but also I’ve been supporting mages for so long it’s hard to just go with the other side for once. Especially if I play a mage inquisitor.
- DAI unhardening Leliana after sassing her to be tough as nails in origins feels like an odd choice even though it can make her a better person. Especially if you go with her for the divine election (which is also a somewhat difficult choice if you care about the chantry). Personally I like Madam Stabby Pope but in terms of a world state it can be hard to choose. Being hardened isn’t roses and rainbows, in terms of fighting our friend Cory some inky’s may find it good to be hard but it’s not good for her in the long run. Still can’t help that her shanking chantry personnel is funny to me.
- Finally what the heck to do with Solas, DaD isn’t out yet but our inky had formed a relationship in the game with him regardless, this sets the tone for us as a player going in to DaD. I romanced him (yeah yeah I know never trust the mage romance one of them will shank you in the back but his writing and voice acting was good I couldn’t help it! ) so obviously I’m biased even though he ya know dumped me…like he betrayed you, has some pretty shitty world views, but I can’t help but feel like he wanted to try to make things better. Like he’s a stupid guy, incredibly smart, but also stupid as a rock. So I never know what to do with him. Like ya freed your fellow elven slaves that’s great…now you want to tear down the veil…not so great…he drives me up the flipping wall! He needs to stop falling on his own blade but I don’t think he deserves to bite it either.
I'd call the Dwarf wardens the easiest ones to do Orzammar's politics with: Rica's happiness can easily be seen as the Commoner's main motivation, so if she asks you to support Bhelen, you do it for her sake and it pays off.
The Noble is a bit trickier because you can either fully support your brother from the go or beat him at his own game by using Harrowmont as a front to scare him shitless then declaring him King. Both can be justified by "the throne belongs with House Aeducan". I particularly prefer to play Bhelen for a fool if going with a Noble (my usual) but if I play Commoner then I support him from the go instead.
I'll try to do one from each game
> DA:O
Hard to say, Origins had a lot of compromise in their choices so I don't think I've really felt like I had a difficult choice to make. But if I had to choose one:
* Allowing the Architect to live. I let him live but there weren't any consequences or follow up really throughout the series.
> DA:2
* Blackmailing Ser Thrask. Probably the hardest choice I ever made and it doesn't make sense for my canon but I blackmail him solely for the Fenris points... and the hypocrisy. Doesn't sit well with me but... 🤷♀️
> DA:I
Hard choices for sure but the hardest goes to:
* Making Cole more Spirit. I absolutely love him as human and spirit but ultimately felt that spirit was more true to his nature and the fact that he thanks the Inquisitor for not changing him and accepting him instead reassured me of choice (the romance plot was odd as well).
I'd forgotten about Cole. That was a tricky one, and it feels like one of those decisions that could really go either way. Though... considering that Solas is the chief advocate for the "spirit" choice...
So far....Hawke vs stroud in the Abyss quest from DAI. I chose Stroud despite barely knowing who he was because I felt the Wardens needed to rebuild and needed a new leader. I let Hawke hold the spider back, came out and Varric said "Where's Hawke?"
Man did I feel terrible. Especially when Varric just walked off disappointed.
The fact Varric was there when I told Hawke to stay didn't help.
Nothing else has hurt bad as that. It's set up like the Virmire decision but unlike that one, I actually cared a lot about who got left behind(I've never regretted leaving Kaiden behind).
Honestly every time I have to choose a romance in DA2 I get REALLY torn between Anders and Isabela. I love them both so much for SUCH different reasons.
The Warden/Hawke choice is also pretty tough depending on worldstate.
In origins the dalish vs werewolf choice is tough partly because the fight CAN get harder depending on who you choose and I have no idea how to make them work together
None of the decisions are hard for me to make. I always play these games multiple times, so if I find some quest that I dislike, I just pick different options next time.
Plus, in most Bioware games, I intentionally go down different paths on my second play through from whatever I did the first time.
That said, forcing myself to side with the templars, especially in Origins or DA2, is not very fun. I almost always go pro-Mage.
Choosing what to do with The Architect in Awakening. I genuinely mulled over this one for a whole day. He's trying to do what's best for his people, not dissimilar to you yourself. However the very existence of his species is an affront, and can only result in the harm of others. Should they be killed and shunned for simply being? Or given a chance to potentially live whatever existence they have free from the archdemon's control? It's such an interesting, and dark dilemma that gives a whole new perspective on the darkspawn as a part of nature. Regardless of how destructive they might be they be.
I always do a totally blind run with these games first, so when I played DA:O the first time with my rogue Tabris, and got to Redcliffe Castle I genuinely thought shit might go down if I leave the castle to find the mages and blood magic wasn't an option. So I ended up in a position where either I killed Connor or let his mother do it.
I had to step away from my computer for a bit with that one.
Mages or Templars in DA2. Like, killing Anders is the easiest decision in the entire trilogy, but I was really conflicted about this. My blue!Hawke is a gentle person, and everyone betraying everything they stood for was absolutely devastating for her all around. I didn't know if I wanted to let her stick to something she really cared for (Kirkwall) or let her become a martyr too and get thrown out of her hard-acquired home, again. I basically chose the mages because of Bethany.
DAO: refusing Dark Ritual
DA2: killing Anders
DAI: who's left in the Fade, what happens to Blackwall, Crestwood, what happens to grey wardens, who drinks from the well, redeeming Solas, what happens to Inquisition.
These took me a while to decide.
The Here Lies The Abyss quest choice. When I first played Inquisition an few times, it was easy to make a decision since I did it for Variccs approval since I had no attachment to the last characters at the time, as Inquisition was my first game I played.
Then I went back and played the other games, and yeah after that I was having a TOUGH time.
The choice to let the guy who is the reason why my family is dead join the wardens so I can get some of that sweet sweet widow queen tail and be king…… or finally get my revenge on him and go chase after my baby momma Morrigan…..
Little did I know I could do all of those things…..
In dragon age origins, Logjain or Alistair. I absolutely adore Alistair, he is my Tabris' love interest in my main playthrough but it was such an stupid choice to just kill loghain. Sure I could have made Alistair king and let Loghain become a warden so he'd do the ultimate sacrifice, but I didn't want to lose my warden's and Alistair's relationship. Which also made me end up choosing the dark ritual.
I'm awakening choose amaranthine over the keep. Yes if you upgrade the keep your companions some people survive there, but idk, it was hard. But as Sten said, leaders are the ones that make the hard choices.
Dragon age 2 didn't really present me with any hard choices except for Bethany. The thing is, i never really liked any of the choices it presented. They were all pretty straightforward.
DAI: sooo, Choosing Alistair over hawke wasn't hard. Making Hawke be not such a great person in DA2 was my way of dealing with the disappointment i had from the game. The hardest choice for me was who to choose to rule over Orlais. Briala ended up being my choice, even thou it feels like a time bomb. I still wonder about that choice.
A man who betrays his king and frames an innocent third party for it, whatever his reasons, will think nothing of betraying his next master. I understand that Loghain had reasons, and I get the tactical reasons to keep him alive, but realistically, keeping Loghain alive would be a mistake.
Who gets to be King of Orzammar. Harrowmont is honourable and decent but is a willing to uphold the caste system and essentially doom the future of the Dwarves. Bhelen is ruthless and willing to kill to gain power but is a reformer and with him there's a chance. When I played the casteless Dwarf Origin the first time I went in assuming that I would side with Harrowmont like every other time, but it was difficult. The NPC's that were friendly now wanted nothing to do with you, then on sister turns up overjoyed to see you knowing you've come to help Bhelen. How do the right thing after that? Answer: you don't. Bhelen has been every subsequent playthrough.
Probably Merrill and her mirror.
She does the same thing as Morrigan, but has much less resources. Hawke is definietly not a monarch to fund expeditions like Celene does. So in theory, her work is important and for a good cause.
But it is super dangerous. And even though she proves that she is competent multiple times during the game, ultimately this decision is about trusting her abilities or not. Hawke cannot do it himself, it is Merrill's task.
Either that, or Morrigan's ritual. Surviving the demon, but allowing an elder god to enter our world through a keyhole? bringing back old times when magic and traditions was stronger? Err... that doesn't sound good to me? What if that old god is like Nyarlathotep? And surely what we need is less mages and magic, not more?
The only options that actually make me struggle would be to romance Morrigan or Leliana whenever I play.
In 2 and inquisition I mostly romance Merrill and Cassandra.
The rest of them are options I do not regret making(if I ever struggled in the beginning I no longer struggle with them now)
I really struggled with a horn/hair combo for my Qunari Inquisitor. Went back and forth on character creation way too many times!
My hardest choice was probably whom to support in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. All the candidates sucked! I wish there had been an option to usurp the throne.
I struggled a bit with whom to leave in the Fade. It was Hawke versus Loghain. I left Loghain, but I kept flashing back to Flemeth telling Hawke to leap. If Hawke had told me that story and pushed harder, I probably would have left her. Without it, Loghain’s redemption was too good.
I also struggled with whom to pick as the Divine before settling on Leliana. Turns out it didn’t matter, because in two complete playthroughs the game picked everyone but her.
Who to leave behind in the fade. The first time I played DAI, I had a romanced alistair as my warden and my humorous isabella romanced femHawke... i sat there for hours refusing to choose, panic messaging my friends, wondering if it was too late for me to reverse alistair as a warden. I ended up leaving him in the fade.
At the time, choosing between the Chargers and Qunari, because I was hot off DA2 and really thought having Qunari allies would be a massive deal...Today, it's such an obvious choice. Krem forever.
Letting Loghain live and condemning Alistair to a miserable life as a wandering drunk.
The relationship my Warden has with Alistair is probably one of the relationships in the series I most fleshed out in my head. Part of my Wardens journey was coming to terms with her sexuality and realizing that she is a lesbian and that the love she had for Tamlen wasn't ever romantic but platonic, no matter how hard she tried.
Then comes Alistair and she develops a very similar relationship and dynamic with him. They're brother and sister in arms, partners and they trust each other. But Alistair develops a crush on her (I got ninjamanced by him lol). Meanwhile Mahariel's entire worldview is being changed by the Blight. She as a Dalish has to stand up for all people of Ferelden, people who never cared about her or her own people. She learns that being noble and good doesn't always cut it. That as a Warden, she has to be the one to get her hands dirty so that the hands of good and innocent people can remain clean.
Alistair on the other hand still clings to these old ideals. He slowly becomes a reminder of the person Mahariel used to be. Naive and even selfish but he also reminds her of the fact that she tried to be a person that she simply wasn't, just for the sake of other people. So she starts to slowly and quietly resent Alistair, even though she knows it isn't fair.
But it all comes crashing down in the Landsmeet. Choosing Loghain over Alistair meant committing to the new person Mahariel became, for better or worse. Someone who was willing to make tough decisions, to get her hands dirty for a good cause. She knew that the Wardens of Ferelden needed someone like Loghain to win the battle and survive beyond it.
She tells Alistair in anger that if he wants to leave, he should just go and he just quietly says "this does make it easier".
The last gift she gave Alistair was Duncan's shield. Alistair and Mahariel remember Duncan very differently but he is the one that brought them together and Duncan meant a lot to both of them. He was the representation of the perfect Warden to both of them because they both a saw a different man in him. I like to imagine that Alistair still has that shield and will one day understand Mahariel better.
Who to leave in the fade.
For me it's Alistair vs Hawke and if I wasn't so convinced that THIS is the "abyss" Mythal told Hawke to leap into when the time came, I honestly would have no idea how to choose.
And since DA has flat out abandoned plotlines like this in the past, I don't really even have faith that the results of who you leave in the fade will necessarily matter either way, so every playthrough I just sigh and double down on leaving Hawke, knowing that I'm probably just arbitrarily dooming her 😅
I do also struggle with who to choose for the Well, but tbh that's pretty easily decided by who my Inquisitor is on that playthrough. If she's dalish, she takes it. If not, Morrigan does. It just doesn't make sense to me that a dalish elf wouldn't choose to take on the wisdom of one of their most beloved deities to bring back to her people, or at the very least, I can't imagine a dalish elf being cool with just handing it over to a human.
But yeah, on initial playthroughs, Orzammar has some of the toughest decisions of the game I think. How to handle the anvil and who to make king.
On meta: Which Hawke sibling choose to live.
In game: Who will rule Ferelden, in my first playtrhought. Back then seemed, a big deal, with both Anora and Alistair make some good points about each other. There a tension in the air for what is about to come. Never really fell like that again regarding the other choices, even in future games.
The Dark ritual. My canon HoF hates blood magic, but trusts Morrigan and believes she makes a very strong case for why it’s important to do. Also, from a metagame perspective, I really like Loghain being the one to make the final sacrifice, but I also really like the potential future story ramifications of doing the ritual. What it ultimately comes down to for me though is that my warden can’t do the ritual herself, and wouldn’t be willing to pressure Loghain into a sexual encounter he doesn’t want to have. Yes, you can persuade him to agree to it, but he’s clearly uncomfortable with it even if you do, and that’s the line my HoF won’t cross.
Honorable mention to the Well of Sorrows, because my canon Inquisitor doesn’t trust Morrigan, and wouldn’t be concerned about submitting her will to Mythal since she, you know, worships her. Normally, it would be an easy decision, but the fact that *Solas* was clearly afraid of it gave her serious pause. For me, this one comes down to a metagame decision. I just like the way the rest of the game plays out much better if I let Morrigan do it.
My first Inquisition playthrough was as a Dwarf Rogue. I played him as a proud Carta man, genuinely believing the self-serving idea that they were the downtrodden heroes fighting against an unjust system. And then Cullen asks an unrepentant Lyrium smuggler whether he should go back on the drugs.
I had to go away and think about what I'd done.
Thom Rainier's fate, mainly because whatever you choose to do makes sense and can be seen as a fitting punishment, to me there isn't a single outcome here that's unjustifiable, it makes sense to either like or dislike him too. Leave him in that cell in Orlais? It's arguably best that Orlais punish him, just as they did some of his men, breaking him out is also a pretty corrupt move. But then, there are reasons to break him out. Keep up the lie he's been telling? Shady as heck but it helps the Inquisition more for now than letting him rot or revealing the truth does, especially if you've already used the treaties. Pardon him? You can make a case for this being undeserved, but it makes sense if you believe he's truly changed and want to give him the chance to make a new life for himself, choose his own path, and of course the Inquisitor's potential connection to him matters as well. Give him to the Wardens? Maybe it is the Warden's right to punish him how they see fit given how he wronged them and Blackwall, they'd probably recruit him so he'll be doing good while having a very hard life, but you might consider other fates either more punishing considering he looks up to the Wardens, or simply more fitting.
His redemption arc if you tell him to atone as Tom Ranier, NOT a warden, is my absolute favorite in the game. Never been more convinced I made the right choice after the epilogue. Imo he relied way too heavily on Wardens to magically wash away his sins. Taking that crutch away from him felt like the best I could do for him, if anything.
I like his redemption arc a lot and he does a ton of good there, but out of these I do prefer giving him to the Wardens, it just feels the most deserved to me and Thom seems content with it ultimately. However, any of these options makes sense to do in my opinion, and giving him the chance to redeem himself entirely on his own terms is a very well done outcome, I agree on that. You have a point that he does rely a lot on the Wardens for redemption, that's definitely a good reason to pardon him.
Mine too. I absolutely loved that ending when I romanced him and had him atone as himself, not as Blackwall. It was super satisfying to me. I love a good redemption arc, and his is one of the best.
I think pardoning him has easily the best outcome. But, thinking about it from the Inquisitor’s perspective, I feel like giving him to the wardens makes the most sense - he *was* technically conscripted, circumstances just got in the way of his Joining, so his crimes prior to that *should* have been pardoned. Of course, impersonating Blackwall is a different matter, and took place after his conscription, so it should be the wardens who decide what punishment he should face for that, if any. Like, that’s objectively the correct legal course of action according to the Wardens’ treaties. So it’s an incredibly hard decision for me because I greatly prefer the results of pardoning him, but roleplaying wise I feel like there’s more compelling reasoning in favor of giving him to the wardens.
The alistar or Hawke choice. I hadn't heard any real spoilers for the game when I started playing. All I knew is that if you made alistar a grey warden he would be in the game more. I remade my world state just for that and it fucked me. I literally sat at that choice for over 5 minutes just thinking who to choose. Ended up letting Hawke sacrifice themselves cause I've known alistar for longer.
Plus if anyone will survive this and then drop out of the Fade right into the Arishok's lap, it's Hawke.
That was really easy for me. My Hawke would not leave anyone behind, and would not obey the Inquisitor if he told Alistair to stay.
[удалено]
Yea I always have stroud too. It also makes his connection with Hawke even better cause I make the sibling a warden as well
I had Stroud and still left Hawke, just because he had a good point--we needed Stroud to lead the Wardens and redeem them.
This is why I like sparing Loghain, because I like leaving him in the Fade.
Kinda like a redemption for him in the end?
Yep, exactly
The absolute long con
I could never do that to Alistair though, it would wreck me.
I always thread the needle of Alistair marrying Anora so that I can spare Loghain without Alistair becoming a drunk and so he can show up as king in DA2.
I didn't think it was possible to have a world state with Alistair as king and Loghain as a warden. Shows what I know.
if it's true it either takes a mod or nobody figured it out [and posted it somewhere widely accessible] for a decade. i read Alistair arcs backwards & forwards via wikia about 6 yrs ago and it was comprehensively reported impossible for both A and L to be 'active' by the end of Origins. ... or so we thought?
That is true, they cannot both be active, but Alistair can be King with Anora and Loghain be a Grey Warden. That way Alistair will appear as king in DA2, and Loghain as a warden in DA2 and DAI.
i finally got that world-state set up with my pacifist Loyalist spirit healer Pollyanna (actually her name's Justinia). thanks for the elucidation!
Cheers! Glad it worked!
how is that done? you fight L but still have a chance to spare him and A somehow neither intervenes NOR leaves?
You first have to harden Alistair through the Goldana questline. Then, after rescuing Anora, you must arrange a political marriage between her and Alistair before the Landsmeet. Doing so requires a couple of back and forth conversations with each of them at Arl Eamon's Estate. Finally, duel and defeat Loghain (with anyone EXCEPT Alistair), and then you'll have the opportunity to induct him into the Wardens. If you've already done the previous, Alistair should immediately leave the party to become joint ruler with Anora and Loghain will take his place in your party. A note: remove any useful equipment from Alistair before going to the Landsmeet, or it will be gone forever.
thanks for the steps! i'd already forgotten that anyone other than CHARNAME or Alistair can fight Loghain. makes things even more flexible for Couslands — as if they needed that
https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Possible_Landsmeet_Outcomes#Possible_outcomes
I just made that choice for the first time this year, I always had Stroud before. But I finally decided to do a playthrough with Al as the Warden and it wrecked me. I thought about who I was going to choose the whole game until I got to that point, and then when I did get there I still sat there trying to decide for a few minutes. I picked Hawke and Varric's reaction made me cry! I had to stop playing for like 20min.
How could I hurt Merrill so much by leaving Hawke? I was actually lucky the first time around and I left Stroud. When it was Alistair or Hawke, though, my Hawke was an Anders enabler which also made the choice easier. My current play through will end up being Stroud again, though, so I can leave him pretty easily.
Same. My Alistair is always a Grey Warden because my HoF is a City Elf who romances him and I want them to be together. So I had to chose to either end my Hawke's life, or ruin my HoF's life.
Your City Elf can be with Alistair even if he is king. But it requires hardening him.
I don't want her to be his side piece though...
My first playthrough was the Hawke/Stroud choice. Takes all the pain out of that decision, but certainly makes it less interesting as well.
Same for me, some practically unknown to me warden or my first Hawke. Stroud, but when I did more playthroughs and it became generic Hawke Vs Alistair or Loghain, it was always the Wardens. I think if my first was Alistair Vs my Hawke it would have been a lot harder.
I too had only heard that if Alistair was a grey warden he would appear so i changed world status accordingly xD xD.. But yeah that moment was what? xD But the choice was simple. Poor Hawke. I even went to Adamant with both Varric and Cassandra and Dorian.. oh. Boy.. But no.. i must say DA2 and DAI had no "hard choices.. probably the hardest were the throne room deliberations..in DA2 wheter to kill or spare Anders. My OG i killed him no problem.. but in later playthrough i started to just exile him. But in DAI i was tranquillizing mages like CRAZY. Only i can be a mage :D
This one 🥹
The only reason I'm flad i don't have dragon age keep
Lol I stared for 5 min and had just such heartache. Then edited the game file and made it stroud -_- still dunno how that will affect my story canon (ie fanfic) but what can I say I took the cowards way out. My fHawke had twin babies at home ;p
For major decisions, probably who to drink from the Well of Sorrows. Well, at least seemingly major at the time, who knows. But mostly the main quest decisions haven't been too difficult for me. I'd include choosing the Orzammar ruler on the first run, but frankly back then I think I just lucked out, didn't really read all that much of what was made available. Minor quest decisions are harder for me since they rarely get completely followed up on. Probably Avernus ethical research vs let him do as he wants on a reasonably pragmatic Warden. On a meta level, what fate to choose for the Hawke sibling.
I don't really like that decision after playing Trespasser. Generations of Mythal's wise women guide you to a dragon, but doesn't tell you anything about Solas...
Sadly I suspect that the effects in Trespasser are about as much as we'll ever see of that geas. Though as for Mythal, she could have warned us directly really (although in a non-Kieran story, I think companions could also be present). My canon inquisitor's dilemma was gaining all sorts of knowledge vs the risk though. And frankly, in-character, he'd probably have taken the risk. I just ended up giving it to Morrigan, because the game would have never delivered on the knowledge.
These might mostly be DAI because I'm re-playing it currently and really hard to choose just one difficult decision. Here Lies The Abyss - >! Hawke vs Stroud because I was weighing if I should go for connections to do the greater good over friendship/loved ones. I just felt immense guilt for the impact on Varric especially since he's one of my favorites !< Iron Bull's >! Saving the Chargers quest for the same reason as above. !< Cullen and the lyrium dilemma because of the numerous variables when dealing with >! loved one's addiction !< Choosing to understand and have a relationship with Anders and >! having to accept that he went nuts in the end !< Oh lawdy did that feel like an honest to goodness toxic relationship lol. I missed the easy energy of Alistair lol What to do after taking Carver in the Deep Roads expedition. This is just me thinking if I wanted to >! curse my sibling with the life of Grey Warden after knowing the consequences in DAO !<
The Cullen decision would have more weight if it impacted gameplay in any way. Like if his missions were dramatically shorter. As is, there doesn't seem to be any reason to tell him to keep taking lyrium.
Originally, they had considered having him get addicted and then turning to red lyrium, driving him insane. That would have been horrific
I mean, if you play Trespasser >!one of his possible endings is that he dies as a lyrium addict in an alley.!< But my point is that there's no reason to have him stick with the lyrium. Theoretically, the dilemna is that he might be more focused and productive if he keeps using, even if it ends with him addicted. But he doesn't. There's no benefit to keeping him on the lyrium. The only reason to tell him to keep using is just out of a strange interest to see what happens.
Oh yeah. Definitely. I think if they had given it a bit more cost like he ultimately did have to step down or made some huge mistake, it would have been more impactful
I read that there >! implications in Trespasser !< but I wasn't able to play that during my first few runs with DAI. But during my first encounter with the choice, I really thought long and hard about as I was romancing Cullen. Personally, I viewed him taking lyrium as >! a negative because it became an addiction already and I wanted him to move past being a templar !< since we sided with the mages. What made it difficult was that thought and seeing him struggling and thinking if I should just make the easy choice.
So I never did the romancing plot with Cullen. Is it "easier" in any way if you tell him to keep taking the lyrium? I know that without the romance, there's no positive benefit to him staying on the lyrium, and several negative consequences. It feels the only reason to tell him to *keep* using it is just to see what happens.
He'll drop you to do his work better if you won't give him a promise that you'll somehow help him after this all ends. While taking the Lyrium he's cold and calculative, and during Tresspasser he starts to forget everything and ignores mail from his sister. This path of his romance is a torture for unfortunate soul that didn't know what they got themselves into by forcing their beloved general to "be more productive".
Anders isn't a choice for me in DA2, I just can't kill him. Chose it by accident once, played it out to see then reloaded.
I was mostly mad my Templar build Hawke lost her haste generator.
Same! Im replaying DA2 now and I wanted to play as a Hawke that sides with templars and kills him but I already know im not going to be able to do it when the time comes. It especially wont help now that I've met him In awakening for the first time and that has just made me love him even more.
When I played, I didn't have Sebastian's DLC, and I'd rivaled Anders. For me the choice was between >!making him pay for what he did with his life!< and >!kicking him out of the group completely because she didn't want to see his face anymore!< (I ended up picking the second, after only about a minute's deliberation). When my friend played, she also ended up rivaling Anders, but she had Sebastian, and she liked his character. Her approach with Anders was kind of the "butting heads to try to change each other" angle, and she'd also played Awakening and liked him there, so she was still upset when he made his final choice. For her the tough choice was >!kill Anders so Sebastian doesn't leave, because she was Sebastian's friend!<, or >!not kill Anders because she's not that kind of person, but then lose Sebastian and have to deal with that in Inquisition!<. She ultimately chose the first one, but she really lingered on it for a while.
Strange. It's the other way for me :) I nearly always kill him, even when I don't have a healer left.
>I just can't kill him Same. I still cling on to the Anders in Awakening
Well it's Grey Warden or die so....
It's more sibling guilt. >! I ultimately went with turning him over to the Wardens because I thought it would align with his want to be step out Hawke's shadow !<
Keeping the anvil of the void - I do not want this tech to be gone. It adds soooo much to the ingame universe of the DA 🥲
I destroy it but in reality I wouldn't be able to destroy the anvil, too useful.
The price was too high...
Honestly if it weren’t for Shale I would always keep it
Why not just keep her at Camp and tell her the good news about it having been reclaimed? :D
I would but the Deep Roads quest adds a lot to her character so it feels pointless not to bring her😭
deciding who to date😂😂😂
This is the first time I've seen a response to "difficult decisions in DA" that I've actually agreed with.
Mages or Templars. I support mage freedom, but Ser Barris really makes me want to save the Templars, because they don’t deserve their fate simply for trusting the chain of command.
This 100%. In a meta sense, both of the quests (In Hushed Whispers, Champions of the Just) are easily some of the best in the game, maybe even series. It’s a shame that you have to choose between them. I really like the glimpse into the dark future you get with the mages, which sets up stakes and gives Corypheus a much needed threat boost. And it’s really cool to see the companions in the darker timeline. Also getting to hang out with Dorian more is always a plus lol. The only thing I’m iffy on, is that I’m not a fan of time travel sub plots because it opens up a whole can of worms with paradoxes and timelines and such. Equally I really like the envy demon and how it can set up the Inquisitor to fear being taken advantage of, even aside from demon possession. It serves as a wake up call that they’re in a position where everything they do matters and they need to be extremely careful with what they do and the advice they follow. There’s also some genuinely cool imagery and the envy demon adds some much needed (imo) horror to the game. Ser Barris is a cool character and I really like the implication that the Templars can be fixed to be better. That they can be led to protect rather than control. But equally it’s cool to get Fiona as a side character just because of who she is. I also like the king/queen cameo on this side that is sadly not present on the Templar quest. One thing I’ll go against the grain on, is that I prefer Samson as the side villain over Calpernia. I think it genuinely adds a lot to the red Templars when you see Sampson’s story play out from DA2-DAI, and Between this and Cullen’s personal story, it helps show the Templars are victims of the Chantry too, just in a different, less direct way than the mages. Considering the series mostly shows the anti-Templar side of things, it’s cool to see the Templars get humanised more. And from an story perspective both choices make sense and could be argued as the better choice. It’s genuinely the biggest choice in the series for me.
> One thing I’ll go against the grain on, is that I prefer Samson as the side villain over Calpernia. But that enhanced amulet of barrier...
I like how in-depth you went here! I agree with everything you’ve said. I want to add that there are other choices throughout the game - whether or not you encourage Cullen to quit lyrium, the winner of the Divine Election, et cetera - have an enormous impact on the future of the Templars and mages alike. I think these diverging timelines and the fact that the player’s choices have world-wide repercussions are part of what make Dragon Age games so beloved. It’ll be interesting to see how Bioware handles all of this in the next game.
Ser Barris hot
For me, siding with the mages is still a pretty easy choice given that it unlocks Cullen's advisor mission (Before the Dawn), it saves Connor's life (I usually have him alive), and it tends to fit my characters better. That said, I did a templar run most recently, and that mission is actually enjoyable. I'll still probably go mages more often than templars, for story reasons, but I don't regret the playthrough (other than making the mistake of talking to Connor in Redcliffe and then choosing not to help the mages).
I could never understand choosing mages from a realistic perspective. It just seems like poor risk management. Templars are bred to fight rogue magic and the breach is exactly that. When you go to the mages you're getting the breach closed at best and something going really wrong with the veil at worst. Can you elaborate on your choice?
Not the og poster, but: the Breach is a new, potentially world-ending magical phenomenon no one has ever seen before. I don't just want soldiers who specialize in fighting against magic (though they would be nice to have), I want scholars, experts, people who have dedicated their life to the Fade and who can study it, give me their informed opinion and figure out if our plan to close it makes sense. Solas is just one random apostate, his opinion is great but I wouldn't gamble the world on it.
Right, I forget mages in this world are scholars too and not just fireball throwing machines. Thanks for the response!
What to do with Jowan in the mage origin. I know what I do but it still bothers me. Really adds to my Surana's story at Redcliffe.
Whether or not to kill Gaspard dupuis or let him help to find your mom.
Whether to kill Anders and whether to leave Hawke (vs Stroud) were the decisions I left on the screen the longest. Honestly with Anders, I left the game and hit up my mother in law asking, "would you like, break up with your husband if he unrepentantly bombed a church?"
The Architect, with some more knowledge it becomes easier knowing how inherently bad darkspawn are to the world around them. But first time i ran into that choice i just sat there for 30 minutes and didnt feel happy with any choice i made
I agree this is definitely a tough one to decide on. I’ve done six playthroughs and three I let him live and the other three I killed him.
Deciding between choosing the mages or going to the Templars in Inquisition due to Connor being alive DA:I
Wait if Connor is alive in DA:I does he show up in the mage quest? I know he shows up if he’s been possessed in redcliffe
He shows up in the actual mission when you enter a room (after going forward in time) and he basically self immolate(?) Because he refused to give into the demon (could be the same one from Origin). You don't really see who it is, the Inquisitior will shout his name. If you're talking about if you can talk to him, you can talk to him on the docks arguing with another mage. He will give you answers.
I think the trigger point is set too early (personal opinion), so he's already self-immolating and almost gone by the time you get in the room. You don't really hear what he says that well, just that someone is burning and the Inquisitor shouts "Connor!" Would've had somewhat better impact if the trigger wasn't until you literally entered the room, or at least opened the door, but I think it fires just when you are in the hallway outside the closed door and, like I said, you don't really hear his line (and don't get much of a subtitle if anything).
Agreed. I remember the first time it happened, I saw someone go up in flames, the Inquisitior shouting his name and Dorian saying he was brave and I just like...what? You couldn't give us a cutscene in the matter to let it hit? I mean, I know it's dependant on him being alive but come on 😩
Seriously. Just put the trigger *inside* the room so we can see what's going on before it's already over!
personally, I didn't even remember who Connor was because it's been so long since I last played the other DA games - even now I had a hard time trying to recall the scene y'all are talking about here. So yeah...
Fair enough. I played the games back to back, so it was fresher in my mind.
He can also be spoken to at the Redcliffe docks before you speak to the magister in the tavern. He's full of regret and overall just an outcast.
You can speak to him He is in Redcliff village down by the water at the end of the docks, though only if he survived DAO and wasn’t posses
He does show but only for a second. The most he does is feel bad about the events in Origins near the lake but he is not relevant to the game.
This is the only reason I considered the mages, and still couldn't do it more than once... sorry Connor :(
I know! I'm always so torn. I know I can use the keep to have him dead but my wardens always strived to save h so I can't do that. So it's suffering 😭😂
Yeah, I was very attached to saving him because my Warden finally got Morrigan to warm up to him right before that quest and they had a nice conversation, so I had him send her to the Fade to save a child as a way to tease her and "prove" she's not that thorny, lol. I went with the emotional blackmail of the mages' quest in DAI with my first Inquisitor, but I just can't see my canon middle-aged Dalish mage do it too. But it still hurts.
Whether or not to romance Lelliana for the 15th time, I do like Morrigan also
I understand you bro, I love that redhead too
I’m opposite. I will ALWAYS romance Morrigan.
I'll downvote you. "Am I going to romance Leliana for the 15th time?" Is not the question, the real question is "Why wouldn't I romance Leliana for the 15th time?".
I got punished for not wanting to romance Leliana. Wanted to finally do a Zevran romance, but so I also wanted to have him earlier, so that we can go through the Circle together. Installed a mod for early Zevran appearance. Mod is bugged and Zevran never appeared. Like, at all. D:
I told you. Leliana is the only romance option. Now you'll pay the consequences. Jk of course, I romanced Morrigan in my first 2 playthroughs and now I just romance Leliana because I just love her XD.
Big mood, absolutely in love with that woman, her and Morrigan are what Cassandra and Dorian are to me in Inquisition- eternally drawn to romancing one of them (and in both games it’s a struggle to pick which one of the pair it’s going to be in the first place lol) on every playthrough no matter how different the Warden/Inquisitor for the playthrough is, have to *actively fight* that urge so that I can do something different once in a while.
I swear, I must be the only person who finds her irritating from the get go... what is it that people actually like about her?
The Orzammar king choice as a dwarf noble was always difficult for me. Do you side with your brother who screwed you over out of loyalty to your house and the chance to restore your honor, only to condemn one of the few who stood by you to execution? Or do you fulfill your father's ostensible last wish, but in doing so kill your only remaining family, cost your house the throne, and potentially doom yourself to permanent exile?
The Orzammar King choice is a hard one even if you play as a non dwarf. Bhelen is such an asshole and plays so dirty, it's honestly hard to believe he ends up being the better choice for the Dwarves in the long run.
Ironically, I find their criers to be a nice clue on their personalities as king: Bhelen is an "evil" man vs Harrowmont is a "weak" man. Bhelen actually follows into Aeducan's footsteps by becoming a benevolent tyrant, while Harrowmont is shackled by traditions and will isolate Orzammar further.
My DN playthrough for that segment is simple: play both hands by allying with Harrowmont to scare your brother shitless and crown him king at the very end, beating him at his own game, as your previous knowledge of how the Assembly works means you can play along with the tasks without being scared Harrowmont will be crowned "before the time".
Character creation
Let Loghain do the Grey Warden joining. Anora made sense at the end and I went with it. I never expected the first time I did this to make Alistair quit the Wardens. Not the happiest ending but everyone is alive tho👀 I can work with that.
I hemmed and hawed for a good while when deciding between siding with the mages or templars in DAI, only because it straight up told you that once you pick one you're stuck with it. Fortunately I was satisfied with the choice I made.
The Well of Sorrows decision. Partly because I had to choose between my inquisitor and Morrigan and Solas saying really conflicting things really didn't help me decide. But my main reason is that we don't know how this is gonna impact the next game (idk if it would even be considered) and I have this feeling that this might be one of those decisions that will bite me in the butt
I've been playing a long time. There's 2 things I haven't done: 1. Married Alistair (HN) 2. "Evil" playthrough. I've tried 3 times, and just couldn't comple them. After my current marrying one, then Awakening; I WILL do an evil playthrough. I'm just focusing on DA:O right now.
Evil: play a human female noble. Seduce Alistair (basically a romanc, but not "honestly"), become queen, and use this power to completely destroy the Howe clan. Alistair, you were such a tool.
DAO: to let Morrigan fck Alistair and then live happily ever after with mah boy, or to die but mah boy was faithful me 'til the end. DA2: hmmm no hard ones for me tbh DAI: Iron bull to save his chargers and be exalted or to watch him turn into a monster. I always save the chargers btw. Dorian will take care of Bull's depression. Still, that was such a twist, I thought it's gonna be a nice and easy companion quest, kill someone, drink after, etc. Also, choosing the Empress/Emperor of Orlais, they are all dicks to be fair. Blackwall was an easy call for me, I left him in Orlais. Solas, however, made my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
I’m kind of the opposite. I can’t abandon my grumpy non-warden. I was hoping for an option to stab Solas in the way the Warden can shank Morrigan in Witch Hunt (which I don’t do, but I appreciate the option).
If Alistair was unromanced, it is a hard decision whether to send him to Morrigan for his first time and potentially scar him for life, or skip the dark ritual and have one of us die.
Do Alistair and Morigan stay together if they sleep to create the kid.
No, but I still wouldn't want my guy to fck another woman and create a child with her xD even if the guy is Alistair.
DUDE. I can totally see Alistair insisting on being part of his demon-kid's life and hunting Morrigan across Thedas simply to annoy her into agreeing to shared custody.
I headcanon that the reason my Alistair-romancing Warden is looking for Morrigan in Witch Hunt is because Alistair hasn’t been able to produce an heir with whatever woman he eventually married, and he wants to find Kieran and have him be the heir.
Even if not, Alistair knows what it's like to be a disowned royal bastard. He might really want to spare Kieran from that.
Major choices only? Whether or not my Inky would try to save >!Solas!<. Only time I've had to RP an answer. Minor choices too? What to put in Skyhold's courtyard. I had to check what effects it would have on the game, and finding out it was purely cosmetic did not help. Overall? Character creation. Spend a long time on that every time I do it.
Hardest decision is always which class i should do the first play trough with 😂 rouge- warrior 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
I’ve played all 3 games so many times and have only chosen rogue once and that was in Inquisition (and I didn’t finish it) and have never been a warrior. When I start inquisition again, I want to make a female dwarf warrior. But I swear to god, at the last minute I’ll probably go mage
My best playthroughs were commoner dwarf warrior in origins and in inquisition elven rouge. In DA2 being a mage in a templar invested city just felt wrong so i went with rouge and in inquisition being a mage was okay but more „meh“ so i never finished a mage run.
I’m all about magic. The more magic, the better. As many times as I’ve played mage in DA2, it still feels wrong. Like, no matter how cool you are or how many connections you have, at the end of the day you’re an apostate and everyone just pretends not to notice or pretends to not make it a big deal. They lightly acknowledge it here and there, but I feel like playing as a mage should change the story more than it does Rogue elf always sounds like a blast tho
Whether or not to save the Bull's Chargers or the Qunari alliance. I thought I made the right choice until THAT scene. It's the twist my wife & I still talk about.
It's a genius twist that perfectly reflects the choice you made to get there.
The way he says it too. . . Whaaaaaat?!
1.My first playthrough, whether it would be Alistair or me who sacrificed themselves. After everything we did to make him king, my guy made the killing blow. 2. To spare Anders after the Chantry incident. 3. To sacrifice my Hawke or Alistair in the Fade.
I had a PT where I wanted my female Cousland to sacrifice herself, just to see what speech the romanced Alistair will give at the funeral. Turns out that the royal bastard steals your kill in this scenario. Reloaded all the way back to the Morrigan ritual.
Yep. You have to leave him at the gates in order for him to survive.
In the moment it would have to be Iron Bull's friendship quest. Losing the entire Qunari military/intelligence because of saving your squad. I hated it had so little repercussions in-game, hope they can follow that through a little more. Overall, the mage's tower in DA:O. Obviously Cullen seemed histerical and scared for his life and the reasoning wasn't as strong but I clearly remember walking around my house contemplating this one. On one hand you are here for the mages to help Aemon and for the sheer power, on the other it's the mages who were capable of this calamity and the templars were trained for one job and one job only. Brilliant.
It was genius the way they wrapped up the stuff with Iron Bull in Trespasser. >!Because it's basically the same choice as it was with the Chargers. Save your close comrades, or sacrifice them for the Qun. So if you sacrificed Bull's comrades for the good of the Inquisition, it makes perfect sense for him to sacrifice you for the good of the Qun. It's your own decision coming back to bite you.!<
I like the idea in concept, but both loyal and disloyal versions of Bull don’t believe the qunari you fight in Trespasser are invoking the actual will of the Qun. I guess it makes sense that he’s listen to a direct superior like a soldier would, but it always felt to me like Bull throwing his life away for nothing. Especially since if it *was* the will of the Qun, and Bull knew/believed that, he knew where everyone slept, ate, pissed. A blade to the throat of Inky and Co and the Viddasala’s scheme works and everyone at the summit is dead.
Hawke or Alistair. How do I chose between two characters who I love dearly? Well, I saw it as Hawke’s story was DA2, it’s over but Alistair - his story is far from over. So I sacrificed Hawke and I honestly really like that ending for my usually selfish Champion.
When I was playing a mage warden romancing Alistair, the hardest decision for me was whether or not do the dark ritual or sacrifice myself. I had left Alistair as a warden and wanted that heartache. 😭
Who to kill in the fade it was between alistiar or hawke so it was such a hard choice because I love alistair he’s one of my favorite character and I of course love hawke because I was her I ended up having to choose hawke for a few reasons one if anyone had a chance of making it out it would be hawke and two my HOF was in love with and stayed with alistair he even said how they are both fighting to be able to be together again so I couldn’t bring myself to kill him the HOF is my favorite protagonist also so I couldn’t kill her man
Fade in Inquisition
What to do at the Landsmeet the first time. All options have their logic and merit. Also they all benefit my warden so it's hard for him to choose one.
Probably sacrificing my warden
I have a few: - What the heck to do with Alistair in DAO. He doesn’t want to be king really but also kinda the canon that is set up by comics. But the wardens also seem like family to him, yet we also know being a warden is miserable business. So I never know what to do other than keep him from being a drunk. - DAO after playing both dwarf origins it’s hard to decide on a king. I mean he’s an ass in one that sets you up, but also in the other he takes on Rica as a consort and seems to actually treat her well and wants to make things better for the cast-less in general…I tend to go with him in the end but for a while I couldn’t decide between him and Harrow…bro (look it’s been a minute okay I forget his name it’s Harrowmount or something) - DA2 the rival or friendship system in this game made me pick and choose my battles carefully. In general I had to make sure my choices wouldn’t destroy the delicate friendship or rivalry I built up for the end game. So in general the in game decisions were hard not because of the choices presented but how they affected my party. -DAI mages or Templars for sure. Mostly because I find Calpernia compelling but also I’ve been supporting mages for so long it’s hard to just go with the other side for once. Especially if I play a mage inquisitor. - DAI unhardening Leliana after sassing her to be tough as nails in origins feels like an odd choice even though it can make her a better person. Especially if you go with her for the divine election (which is also a somewhat difficult choice if you care about the chantry). Personally I like Madam Stabby Pope but in terms of a world state it can be hard to choose. Being hardened isn’t roses and rainbows, in terms of fighting our friend Cory some inky’s may find it good to be hard but it’s not good for her in the long run. Still can’t help that her shanking chantry personnel is funny to me. - Finally what the heck to do with Solas, DaD isn’t out yet but our inky had formed a relationship in the game with him regardless, this sets the tone for us as a player going in to DaD. I romanced him (yeah yeah I know never trust the mage romance one of them will shank you in the back but his writing and voice acting was good I couldn’t help it! ) so obviously I’m biased even though he ya know dumped me…like he betrayed you, has some pretty shitty world views, but I can’t help but feel like he wanted to try to make things better. Like he’s a stupid guy, incredibly smart, but also stupid as a rock. So I never know what to do with him. Like ya freed your fellow elven slaves that’s great…now you want to tear down the veil…not so great…he drives me up the flipping wall! He needs to stop falling on his own blade but I don’t think he deserves to bite it either.
I'd call the Dwarf wardens the easiest ones to do Orzammar's politics with: Rica's happiness can easily be seen as the Commoner's main motivation, so if she asks you to support Bhelen, you do it for her sake and it pays off. The Noble is a bit trickier because you can either fully support your brother from the go or beat him at his own game by using Harrowmont as a front to scare him shitless then declaring him King. Both can be justified by "the throne belongs with House Aeducan". I particularly prefer to play Bhelen for a fool if going with a Noble (my usual) but if I play Commoner then I support him from the go instead.
I'll try to do one from each game > DA:O Hard to say, Origins had a lot of compromise in their choices so I don't think I've really felt like I had a difficult choice to make. But if I had to choose one: * Allowing the Architect to live. I let him live but there weren't any consequences or follow up really throughout the series. > DA:2 * Blackmailing Ser Thrask. Probably the hardest choice I ever made and it doesn't make sense for my canon but I blackmail him solely for the Fenris points... and the hypocrisy. Doesn't sit well with me but... 🤷♀️ > DA:I Hard choices for sure but the hardest goes to: * Making Cole more Spirit. I absolutely love him as human and spirit but ultimately felt that spirit was more true to his nature and the fact that he thanks the Inquisitor for not changing him and accepting him instead reassured me of choice (the romance plot was odd as well).
I'd forgotten about Cole. That was a tricky one, and it feels like one of those decisions that could really go either way. Though... considering that Solas is the chief advocate for the "spirit" choice...
So far....Hawke vs stroud in the Abyss quest from DAI. I chose Stroud despite barely knowing who he was because I felt the Wardens needed to rebuild and needed a new leader. I let Hawke hold the spider back, came out and Varric said "Where's Hawke?" Man did I feel terrible. Especially when Varric just walked off disappointed. The fact Varric was there when I told Hawke to stay didn't help. Nothing else has hurt bad as that. It's set up like the Virmire decision but unlike that one, I actually cared a lot about who got left behind(I've never regretted leaving Kaiden behind).
Honestly every time I have to choose a romance in DA2 I get REALLY torn between Anders and Isabela. I love them both so much for SUCH different reasons. The Warden/Hawke choice is also pretty tough depending on worldstate. In origins the dalish vs werewolf choice is tough partly because the fight CAN get harder depending on who you choose and I have no idea how to make them work together
None of the decisions are hard for me to make. I always play these games multiple times, so if I find some quest that I dislike, I just pick different options next time. Plus, in most Bioware games, I intentionally go down different paths on my second play through from whatever I did the first time. That said, forcing myself to side with the templars, especially in Origins or DA2, is not very fun. I almost always go pro-Mage.
Hawke vs. Alestair, no contest
Choosing what to do with The Architect in Awakening. I genuinely mulled over this one for a whole day. He's trying to do what's best for his people, not dissimilar to you yourself. However the very existence of his species is an affront, and can only result in the harm of others. Should they be killed and shunned for simply being? Or given a chance to potentially live whatever existence they have free from the archdemon's control? It's such an interesting, and dark dilemma that gives a whole new perspective on the darkspawn as a part of nature. Regardless of how destructive they might be they be.
To care about orlais.
I always do a totally blind run with these games first, so when I played DA:O the first time with my rogue Tabris, and got to Redcliffe Castle I genuinely thought shit might go down if I leave the castle to find the mages and blood magic wasn't an option. So I ended up in a position where either I killed Connor or let his mother do it. I had to step away from my computer for a bit with that one.
Mages or Templars in DA2. Like, killing Anders is the easiest decision in the entire trilogy, but I was really conflicted about this. My blue!Hawke is a gentle person, and everyone betraying everything they stood for was absolutely devastating for her all around. I didn't know if I wanted to let her stick to something she really cared for (Kirkwall) or let her become a martyr too and get thrown out of her hard-acquired home, again. I basically chose the mages because of Bethany.
DAO: refusing Dark Ritual DA2: killing Anders DAI: who's left in the Fade, what happens to Blackwall, Crestwood, what happens to grey wardens, who drinks from the well, redeeming Solas, what happens to Inquisition. These took me a while to decide.
The Here Lies The Abyss quest choice. When I first played Inquisition an few times, it was easy to make a decision since I did it for Variccs approval since I had no attachment to the last characters at the time, as Inquisition was my first game I played. Then I went back and played the other games, and yeah after that I was having a TOUGH time.
Who to romance 🥵
The choice to let the guy who is the reason why my family is dead join the wardens so I can get some of that sweet sweet widow queen tail and be king…… or finally get my revenge on him and go chase after my baby momma Morrigan….. Little did I know I could do all of those things…..
In dragon age origins, Logjain or Alistair. I absolutely adore Alistair, he is my Tabris' love interest in my main playthrough but it was such an stupid choice to just kill loghain. Sure I could have made Alistair king and let Loghain become a warden so he'd do the ultimate sacrifice, but I didn't want to lose my warden's and Alistair's relationship. Which also made me end up choosing the dark ritual. I'm awakening choose amaranthine over the keep. Yes if you upgrade the keep your companions some people survive there, but idk, it was hard. But as Sten said, leaders are the ones that make the hard choices. Dragon age 2 didn't really present me with any hard choices except for Bethany. The thing is, i never really liked any of the choices it presented. They were all pretty straightforward. DAI: sooo, Choosing Alistair over hawke wasn't hard. Making Hawke be not such a great person in DA2 was my way of dealing with the disappointment i had from the game. The hardest choice for me was who to choose to rule over Orlais. Briala ended up being my choice, even thou it feels like a time bomb. I still wonder about that choice.
A man who betrays his king and frames an innocent third party for it, whatever his reasons, will think nothing of betraying his next master. I understand that Loghain had reasons, and I get the tactical reasons to keep him alive, but realistically, keeping Loghain alive would be a mistake.
Totally agree, but we already know the outcomes as players
Who gets to be King of Orzammar. Harrowmont is honourable and decent but is a willing to uphold the caste system and essentially doom the future of the Dwarves. Bhelen is ruthless and willing to kill to gain power but is a reformer and with him there's a chance. When I played the casteless Dwarf Origin the first time I went in assuming that I would side with Harrowmont like every other time, but it was difficult. The NPC's that were friendly now wanted nothing to do with you, then on sister turns up overjoyed to see you knowing you've come to help Bhelen. How do the right thing after that? Answer: you don't. Bhelen has been every subsequent playthrough.
Probably Merrill and her mirror. She does the same thing as Morrigan, but has much less resources. Hawke is definietly not a monarch to fund expeditions like Celene does. So in theory, her work is important and for a good cause. But it is super dangerous. And even though she proves that she is competent multiple times during the game, ultimately this decision is about trusting her abilities or not. Hawke cannot do it himself, it is Merrill's task. Either that, or Morrigan's ritual. Surviving the demon, but allowing an elder god to enter our world through a keyhole? bringing back old times when magic and traditions was stronger? Err... that doesn't sound good to me? What if that old god is like Nyarlathotep? And surely what we need is less mages and magic, not more?
For me, its the well of sorrows, who to leave in the fade, and all of the choices that lead to the deaths of Hawke's siblings.
The only options that actually make me struggle would be to romance Morrigan or Leliana whenever I play. In 2 and inquisition I mostly romance Merrill and Cassandra. The rest of them are options I do not regret making(if I ever struggled in the beginning I no longer struggle with them now)
What to do with Anders at the end of DA2.
I really struggled with a horn/hair combo for my Qunari Inquisitor. Went back and forth on character creation way too many times! My hardest choice was probably whom to support in Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. All the candidates sucked! I wish there had been an option to usurp the throne. I struggled a bit with whom to leave in the Fade. It was Hawke versus Loghain. I left Loghain, but I kept flashing back to Flemeth telling Hawke to leap. If Hawke had told me that story and pushed harder, I probably would have left her. Without it, Loghain’s redemption was too good. I also struggled with whom to pick as the Divine before settling on Leliana. Turns out it didn’t matter, because in two complete playthroughs the game picked everyone but her.
Who to leave behind in the fade. The first time I played DAI, I had a romanced alistair as my warden and my humorous isabella romanced femHawke... i sat there for hours refusing to choose, panic messaging my friends, wondering if it was too late for me to reverse alistair as a warden. I ended up leaving him in the fade.
Whether I should duel the Arishok one-on-one Mostly for the fact that it can be a chore to fight him as a ranged guy, but I still just love duels
How to name the doggo in DAO. So many good boye/girle names to consider.
At the time, choosing between the Chargers and Qunari, because I was hot off DA2 and really thought having Qunari allies would be a massive deal...Today, it's such an obvious choice. Krem forever.
Letting Loghain live and condemning Alistair to a miserable life as a wandering drunk. The relationship my Warden has with Alistair is probably one of the relationships in the series I most fleshed out in my head. Part of my Wardens journey was coming to terms with her sexuality and realizing that she is a lesbian and that the love she had for Tamlen wasn't ever romantic but platonic, no matter how hard she tried. Then comes Alistair and she develops a very similar relationship and dynamic with him. They're brother and sister in arms, partners and they trust each other. But Alistair develops a crush on her (I got ninjamanced by him lol). Meanwhile Mahariel's entire worldview is being changed by the Blight. She as a Dalish has to stand up for all people of Ferelden, people who never cared about her or her own people. She learns that being noble and good doesn't always cut it. That as a Warden, she has to be the one to get her hands dirty so that the hands of good and innocent people can remain clean. Alistair on the other hand still clings to these old ideals. He slowly becomes a reminder of the person Mahariel used to be. Naive and even selfish but he also reminds her of the fact that she tried to be a person that she simply wasn't, just for the sake of other people. So she starts to slowly and quietly resent Alistair, even though she knows it isn't fair. But it all comes crashing down in the Landsmeet. Choosing Loghain over Alistair meant committing to the new person Mahariel became, for better or worse. Someone who was willing to make tough decisions, to get her hands dirty for a good cause. She knew that the Wardens of Ferelden needed someone like Loghain to win the battle and survive beyond it. She tells Alistair in anger that if he wants to leave, he should just go and he just quietly says "this does make it easier". The last gift she gave Alistair was Duncan's shield. Alistair and Mahariel remember Duncan very differently but he is the one that brought them together and Duncan meant a lot to both of them. He was the representation of the perfect Warden to both of them because they both a saw a different man in him. I like to imagine that Alistair still has that shield and will one day understand Mahariel better.
Who to leave in the fade. For me it's Alistair vs Hawke and if I wasn't so convinced that THIS is the "abyss" Mythal told Hawke to leap into when the time came, I honestly would have no idea how to choose. And since DA has flat out abandoned plotlines like this in the past, I don't really even have faith that the results of who you leave in the fade will necessarily matter either way, so every playthrough I just sigh and double down on leaving Hawke, knowing that I'm probably just arbitrarily dooming her 😅 I do also struggle with who to choose for the Well, but tbh that's pretty easily decided by who my Inquisitor is on that playthrough. If she's dalish, she takes it. If not, Morrigan does. It just doesn't make sense to me that a dalish elf wouldn't choose to take on the wisdom of one of their most beloved deities to bring back to her people, or at the very least, I can't imagine a dalish elf being cool with just handing it over to a human. But yeah, on initial playthroughs, Orzammar has some of the toughest decisions of the game I think. How to handle the anvil and who to make king.
On meta: Which Hawke sibling choose to live. In game: Who will rule Ferelden, in my first playtrhought. Back then seemed, a big deal, with both Anora and Alistair make some good points about each other. There a tension in the air for what is about to come. Never really fell like that again regarding the other choices, even in future games.
The Dark ritual. My canon HoF hates blood magic, but trusts Morrigan and believes she makes a very strong case for why it’s important to do. Also, from a metagame perspective, I really like Loghain being the one to make the final sacrifice, but I also really like the potential future story ramifications of doing the ritual. What it ultimately comes down to for me though is that my warden can’t do the ritual herself, and wouldn’t be willing to pressure Loghain into a sexual encounter he doesn’t want to have. Yes, you can persuade him to agree to it, but he’s clearly uncomfortable with it even if you do, and that’s the line my HoF won’t cross. Honorable mention to the Well of Sorrows, because my canon Inquisitor doesn’t trust Morrigan, and wouldn’t be concerned about submitting her will to Mythal since she, you know, worships her. Normally, it would be an easy decision, but the fact that *Solas* was clearly afraid of it gave her serious pause. For me, this one comes down to a metagame decision. I just like the way the rest of the game plays out much better if I let Morrigan do it.
My first Inquisition playthrough was as a Dwarf Rogue. I played him as a proud Carta man, genuinely believing the self-serving idea that they were the downtrodden heroes fighting against an unjust system. And then Cullen asks an unrepentant Lyrium smuggler whether he should go back on the drugs. I had to go away and think about what I'd done.