I haven't heard that anyone thought it helped in the final battle. You may just get XP. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give items you really don't need. I have a lot of gold I won't be using. You can also give runes, gems, metal shards, elf root etc.

Yup, I also thought it couldn't hurt, so I just tossed in what I wasn't using for myself.

Playing on normal, I didn't even need all the armies at my disposal - in fact, I could have done the entire thing with only the dwarves alone, although I used the mages for the very final bossfight.

All of it was a bit too easy, I thought. I simply couldn't believe the final boss went down so quickly...

If I ever get the time to play it again, it will definitely be on Hard or Nightmare.

I am in Red castle and killed everything but smiths daughter I sent her home, on main floor. I am facing a door that is locked and needs a key. Where do I find the key? I have no open doors that I can see on this main floor. The blood mage I left locked up in cell. I looked at walkthrough but still can't find the key. Thanks in advance.

EDIT.........I am trying to get to the 2nd floor.

If you've encountered a locked door then it's most likely the castle vault. You'll need to find/defeat the possessed Chamberlain to get that key.

While inside the castle, you should be able to bring up the map and locate the available exits (double arrows) as long as you've revealed the entire map (by going into all the rooms)

Sherrah have you opened the gate in the courtyard yet? There's another important battle there and I believe you have to do that to progress.

Thanks John I took your advice found the court yard and defeated my first reverant. tough battle he casts weaken how do I protect my party with only morganna for mage?

I always use Wynne and Morganna. Wynne to heal and Morganna for power spells. I recommend getting Cone of Cold and Fireball as soon as possible. These spells are really helpful.

If you haven't been to the circle I suggest going there next. That's where you'll meet Wynne.

Also as a hint

How are characters included in the group. There is Commander Mabari, Morrigan, Alstair and Aeaen(spelling). Leliana helped me kill Loghain's thugs and I've freed Sten but thier icons are not displayed at upper left with the original 4. That page with all 6 characters appeared but only 4 portraits at bottom of page. I think Oblivion spoiled me for these kind of games.

Yankee, if you go to your camp, and then try to leave it you should get a screen with 4 slots. You rotate through the characters and pick the one want, and hit Accept I think.

When your party is complete, you head on out. :wave12:

Aaah, so you only have a party of 4 - darn I want the 6 - too bad. Maybe I'll stay with the original - I know I'll not give up the hound. Really don't like the fighting controls.

Yep, only 4 and I'm with you--I want 6 or 8 or 12--the more the merrier and the less damage I take :rotfl12:

I'm not sure if this has been covered before, but I can't figure out how to unlock specializations. For example, my newly-acquired elf assassin has offered to train any rogue in my party to be an assassin, and then I get a message that the specialization has been unlocked, but my PC is a mage, so it obviously doesn't affect her, and I don't see any changes to Leilana. He actually says I should send the person to him, but I have no idea how to do that.

Also, I saw a book to train the ranger skills, and I bought it, wanting to give it to Leilana, but I couldn't find it in my inventory afterwards. In fact, I never see the books I purchase in my inventory, so I've just always reloaded. Consequently, no specializations yet.

Also, a couple of times I'm sure someone has said something in the course of a quest that indicated specializations unlocking, but I've not seen any newly available specializations in any of my party members. I hope I haven't missed anything important, but this just doesn't seem to be working.

I don't recall that you see the book in your inventory. When you buy it, it unlocks the specialization. If you reload then, you still have the specialization. Seems like the specialization selection only shows up when you level up, but I may be wrong.

Hagatha each class has 4 specializations but they can only choose 2 of the four and that is only if they have been unlocked. However you only get a point to choose one at levels 7 and 14.

In your case of Leilana I believe she comes with the bard skill already. So you won't be able to add the ranger skill until she reaches level 14.

Each time a character reaches level 7 they will have one point for specialization and then when they reach 14 another point. If the skill is already unlocked you can choose it otherwise you have to buy a book or get a character to teach the skill.

I hope I didn't confuse the issue more. It's a little hard to explain really.

I think oldman explained that very well.

Got it. Thanks. Leilana is just about to reach level 14.

Thanks Hagatha for asking, I am level 11 and had the same thing happen to my rogue the book disappeared and I searched in vain in the inventory. Do buying the Tomes work with that special bonus in the glitch that I love in the game?

I finally just finished the nature of the beast and my husband was showing me his dis-approval because I played 24 hours to finish it. He says he misses seeing my face it is always in the computer. I showed him my character profile which I think looks really pretty, but well he just shook his head and said " that is not the same thing. "

"I've posted some tips for people about the end fight in the Brecilian forest quest, but I've put spoiler tags for the benefit of people who had not reached that point yet. Read only if your stuck.

.

[/spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Oh Oh and now I just got 3 new games, Oblivion, Morrowind, and Nancy Drew at Wavery Academy.

EDIT.............There were 2 chests I could not open in the Ruins of the Werewolves. I suppose that means I have to return because

How do I get through the elven gates in Denarian? They are locked and I cannot find all the houses to mark the bloody handprint on the doors. Please help I read the hints but can't find the answer to these questions. Thanks in advance

Oops, Sheryah, you might want to put some spoiler tags in your post there

About the gates to the Elven Alienage: You cannot go in there for a long time. Only once you have gathered all your armies, and you are almost ready for the final part of the game, will you be able to go into that area.
You could always try looking for those houses in some of the other areas that you can go to when you visit "other" eareas of Denerim by using the fast travel thingie.

Yes, the Tomes do work with that special glitch - once you have unlocked a speciality, you have it for keeps.

The jug of water and the fountain and altar have to do with a seperate sidequest. You will pick up information about that in the area. Be sure to check your notes in your Codex (Quest related notes) in case you might have done so already.

Enjoy!

I believe if you make a quest the active one in your journal, you will get quest markers that show you where to go.

Moondancer, I don't want to spoil the quest so it is a good suggestion that you gave me to put spoiler alert.

I would have done this many times before in my postings but never realized the spoiler tags are so easy to insert. Thanks Moondancer for teaching me how to use them.

Warning now people I have a new addiction and it is spoiler alerts they are are quite fun! :tweety:

EDIT................
Moondancer I don't understand when you write about the travel thingie you mean the map? You wrote

You could always try looking for those houses in some of the other areas that you can go to when you visit "other" eareas of Denerim by using the fast travel thingie.

Thanks Pokey and everyone for information on elves gate now I understand why I can't get in yet.

Can someone please tell me where in Denarian I can find fozzle the mage's item he is looking for it is a side quest? and most likely spelling his name wrong. Thanks in advance.

BTW I started playing oblivion and Morrowind but in my opinion there is no better game than Dragon Age.

The others are not keeping my interest. I sure hope there will be sequels to Dragon Age and they keep all the stories and dialog the game is awesome to say the least. If anyone can recommend another like this besides Witcher enhanced and Sacred 2 which I also enjoy, please let me know.

Sherryah, do you remember when you went to Denerim first, and you fought some gangs in the back streets and back alleys of the city? You had to go to that gate exit from the main market, that gives you map travel options, but for the city. Please don't shoot me if I'm wrong, though.

I'm afraid the word fozzle doesn't ring a bell for me - maybe it does for someone else?

So...how do you actually backstab with a rogue? My rogue never seems to get any backstabbing bonus, despite using stealth before attacking.

Are you literally getting around to the back of the opponent where the black part in the red circle surrounding him is? That black area is supposed to be the area that is vulnerable to backstabs. Some characters might have a btter defense against this, and their black area will be smaller or even non-existent.

If DA: Origins is like any other Bioware game, you'll need to go the map's edge(s), then a symbol that looks like a wheel should appear.

As for continuation of the story be sure to keep your eyes out for March 16th. The Expansion 'The Awakening' is coming. Here's the full press release and here's the thread on the Bioware forums thread,
and here's the Dragon Age page for The Awakening. The Awakening

You'll get the continue the fight after the endgame, there's 5 new companions you can recruit and some new monsters as well. Pricing seems to be 40 US dollars for 15 hours of gameplay - or so it is rumored.

Thank you Karstan, looking forward to it. Do you know if they will also have new stories for the new characters like there is now? Giving of gifts in the extension also? I haven't finished this yet and really enjoying it. My characters are all 11 soon to be 12. Bioware should hire you because you do a better job at promoting the game.