As a reminder to lurkers and active posters wondering about the current state of fan-run forums, there is a thread that lists all the current splinters that have sprung up with news of our impending doom. See here

Some have existed for months or years and some have been created within the last couple days, but it seems many people have jumped ship and/or signed up for multiple forums to see which one(s) are going to migrate information and be moderated the best.

http://bsn.boards.net/

This was just posted in the pinned "Concerning our Forums" thread. Looks like Cyonan is trying to maintain forum structure and eventually the theme. Brand new, so at the time of this post there is not much content yet, but it appears to be attracting former BSN members.

Lame, and ultimately unfortunate that copying abilities is not a viable path for making a "set and forget" mod. This is, however, useful to know that for a specific playthrough that will function good enough. I hardly ever use a mage other than my Warden for shapeshifting and the bonuses given by the other classes are a little more useful, so a cut and paste (essentially) isn't the end of the world.

I know it's been awhile, but I'm just gonna post this for the 82 other people who have looked at this topic. There is no builder to builder file, and unfortunately there is no complete tutorial on how to add a new class or specialization. Looking through old posts, it seems like there used to be one or two but the links and images are broken.

There is a caveat with specializations anyway in that (from my understanding) the game is hardcoded to only show specializations in groups of 4. Meaning that if you have 9 specializations available only 8 of those will show up in the GUI.

It sounds like a permissions change or somesuch related to Windows 10. I have Win10 Pro and when I create shortcuts on the desktop I can modify all the fields as normal. If by chance you have Dragon Age installed via Origin, you don't need to do the desktop shortcut route in order to enable the developer console, though. You can right click on the tile, select Game Properties and then paste in -enabledeveloperconsole

Because I have no sense, I decided to jump feet first into class/specialization and ability editing. Rather than making an entirely new class or specialization due to the intimidating complexity, I opted for outright replacing one specialization and its abilities with that of another class, specifically copying the Shapeshifting tree to replace the Reaver spec.

From cobbling together some incomplete tutorials and forum posts, I've managed to successfully copy the basic stuff such as: icon on the gui, string/talk table for tooltips, the ability to actually choose the spec and not have the icon show up 4 times on the character screen.

However, I'm still having trouble actually getting the shapeshifter abilities to show up instead of the reaver. I'm about 75% certain it has to do with keeping the same ids, but considering I've copy/pasted the different shapeshifter abilities in the ABI_Base over the existing ability data, I don't actually know from where the game is now referencing the original data. Aside from the original ids, I've pasted over every reaver ability line with a shapeshifter equivalent which...should actually replace it and its script in the game, yes?

Even for replacements, is this the sort of thing where I'd still have to make entirely new ids/references even though I'm not changing any of the spell data? Or is it because I'm trying to replace a stamina chain with a mana chain? There's an integer in the ABI that checks whether an ability uses mana or stamina, and for the warrior replacement I switched those to stamina under the assumption that it would a) show up properly and b) actually use stamina.

I noticed some old tutorials on the forums for (basically) exactly this kind of stamina and magic mixing, but the links to the websites are all dead and the images actually showing the tutorial are linked from those dead websites.
So..I'm a little lost at this point. What direction I should be looking at?

Don't forget that in Inquisition, most of the game is spent with you (the player) not actually having much more information than is presented to your character. Unless you're walking into the game with DAO and/or DA2 knowledge, all your connection to the conflicts and various circumstances are based on what information is actually given to you in-game via dialogue, letters, and codexes. It can be very...isolating to us as players because we're so used to being given OOC information to expand on what is given "in character."

So playing different classes or races in Inquisition seems to have much less effect than in DAO, for example, because the perspectives given are rather narrow compared to playing your own origin story or rivalmance/friendmancing different characters.

Regarding a former Saarebas training an Adaar: I feel like that's a mistake by whoever the writer was at the time, just like how an Adaar is called a Tal-Vashoth instead of Vashoth several times during the game. It's impossible for a Saarebas to perform Circle spells because magic isn't actually that flexible.

When it comes to magic, if a person does not receive formal training, then the manner in which they channel magic becomes set in certain "paths." A hedge mage or someone learning on their own develops a method for using magic in a certain way (which is different than Circle trained mages), and after a certain point they are no longer able to form new "paths." This means a hedge mage or a Saarebas would never be able to train in Circle methods for casting spells or bridge gaps in their knowledge. They simply cannot perform magic via new "paths" even if they tried. 

On the other hand, if a person has had formal training in a Circle, they are much more receptive to different styles of casting and different types of spells. They have had a much more generalized training that CAN be specialized later on.
It's a bit like a river that has multiple dams. Hedge mages have some of those dams rust and some of them are open based on how they tried to use magic. Circle or more formally trained mages potentially have all the dams partially open, with the potential to open a few completely in order to specialize of make use of innate talents.

tl;dr Saarebas shouldn't have been teaching our Adaars anything because they don't know southern mage Circle spells and can only perform Saarebas-specific magic. They might be able to academically learn how a spell should work, but they would have a super hard time teaching without demonstration.

I'd like to point out that the Trespasser-specific accessories ARE available in the base game as blue items, not purple. You acquire them at various points as loot drops, special chest deliveries, etc. Snagging the barrier generating amulet gives Cole some excellent survivability, especially when combined with a guard generating weapon. He gets hit a lot, especially if not respecced to archery, and definitely can make use of it.

If it's any consolation, you CAN get to a second chalice in the Trespasser DLC. The area even contains phat l00t to fill your pockets with.

Jumping on all the red lyrium I find. Touching all the pyramids. 

Honestly, I doubt it would even be possible to train dragonlings. They imprint upon a parent, and seem to be drawn to a high dragon's screeching call (see: Highland Ravager), but more than that would have to depend upon how intelligent they actually are and the nature of any human training going on. Dragonlings are voraciously hungry, so they would have to be constantly fed, or else they would be super dangerous for anyone trying to handle them. 

It's  best to think of the mission as being another OGB. A decision that has LOTS of potential, but will get swept under the rug or ignored.

Ah, Kylo Ren, I'm having such a huge crush on him   I wanted to try making him myself, but figured it would be too hard (dude has an unusual face), and I just can't make myself play the game anymore (at least the beginning of it..).

 

Anyway, good job! I would suggest one of the pulled back hairstyles and much paler skintone

He probably would look better with a different hair style, but the pageboy one seemed the most similar to Kylo Ren, not necessarily Adam Driver. It's the floof. Unfortunately there are no mods for this hairstyle that apply to human males. ):

If you'd like, I could upload the sliders so you (or anyone else I guess) can fiddle with it and see if you can get some of his features more accurate. The nose and his cheeks were the most difficult, given the limitations of the CC. 

Deliberately impossible to get to. It's a Holy Grail easter egg and there isn't actually a way to get to it.

Necromancy has quite a bit of stigma associated with it in southern Thedas. Really, only the Tevinter Imperium and the Mortalitasi of Nevarra are the only ones who equate the practice with other "normal" magic such as primal or healing spells.

Anything to do with interacting with or manipulating spirits is given the Chantry Seal of Disapproval, which largely extends to the common populace as well. Circle mages may have less prejudice about it, depending on what Circle they are from. Necromancy is not considered unethical in terms of its treatment or its use of spirits, but more like edges on "immoral" due to religious stigma associated with interacting with spirits. Many people in Thedas don't really understand the difference between Necromancy and Blood Magic either, so that's an extra bit of prejudice that limits the study and application as well.

On a personal level, I don't really see necromancy as unethical. The spirit pieces that Cole mentions are not even quite on the same level as sperm or egg because it would imply that they have structure or the beginnings of a consciousness. The pieces are more like condensed collection of Fade stuff, like gas coalescing in space that could either form a planet or a star. Because it's a higher concentration of magic and more "dense," it can be used to power things in a different way. Magic is all about using your will, and a necromancer is willing that piece to perform a function that other spells can't replicate yet (e.g. animating a dead person's body to fight for you).

Outside of combat, necromancers such as the Mortalitasi actually use fully formed spirits to teach apprentices. This is the purpose of the skull the necromancer specialist has you craft. It houses the spirit of a dead Mortalitasi (supposed to, at least), which will whisper secrets and teachings from the skull. In that sense, necromancy is actually quite useful and reverent.

The biggest issue I'd say is whether a person actually chooses to reanimate dead bodies for combat and stuff. That is an ethical/moral line that I personally wouldn't normally be willing to do, even if the body is some skeleton that's long been dead. Reanimating some guy who you just killed is...an uncomfortable thought. That's the morally grey area I personally have issue with, and it's easy enough to just not take the skill as far as game mechanics goes.

I think everyone is forgetting a small part of Inquisition that potentially gives us ownership of several dragons in the future.

The war table mission from Frederic of Serault looking into extended research on dragons. If you choose the breeding ground option (Cullen's, iirc), then Frederic mentions that several eggs were taken and are now being incubated at Skyhold.

There's no possible way Bioware will actually let us use or keep any dragonlings, but it doesn't hurt to dream of letting your gaggle of dragons eat your enemies.

Ashkaari Adaar, in various stages of hair

Fineas Trevelyan

Kylo Ren. An attempt, at least. His nose is impossible to get right in the CC. Imagine him in Calpurnia armor with a Blade of Tidarion.

These first two aren't so much bad, as they are surprising. I had forgotten about a small retexture in my mod list and had no idea it was coming. After seeing it the first time, I kept it in anyway, which gives a new layer of meaning to the second image.

These next two are serious crimes of fashion. Poor Blackwall skipped...everything day. There's also Corypheus with his team uniform showing. I mean, ancient Tevinter garments of +2 Cunning.

I hope you'll be getting in touch with DawnlessSky, Otemis, or others from the SP modding circle. The ability to merge bundles and add new ones would be ridiculously useful if it could be added to the current SP tool, even if the coding language used is different between the two.

I get it. Druffy and friends were a total joke and super annoying to the more serious DAMP players, but I'm sure a large number of forum-silent players enjoyed the challenge and the ridiculousness. For my group of friends, it was the most fun we've had in multiplayer in quite some time and we'd love to see Druffy and his nug friends added to the existing factions.

No burnout from encountering the same thing every time you play. it's a challenge for non-pro gamers who are used to the mechanics of the other factions, yet are also not skilled enough or have friends who are skilled enough to play Perilous or Nightmare.

Nugs are good practice for support characters in charge of barrier, tanks for managing aggro, and ranged characters in regards to keeping an eye on enemies getting into melee range.

Shrieks/shadows/Sha-Brytol/Qunari all have tells or effects that show when they're about to attack or perform a special move, which also good practice for encountering them within their regular factions.

Basically all of the hair mods you find work within Jaws of Hakkon, as do most other mods available. Some particularly old mods, or some that alter things in a strange way may crash during the DLC. As far as mods go, Jaws of Hakkon is definitely the most stable and compatible of the 3.

Walking into Redcliffe gives you the one and only reason you need:

 

Time Magic.

 

That alone should be enough to turn back and get some professionals to suppress and deal with magic that nobody ever encountered and that wasn't even working until some monstrous, magical sinkhole appeared in the sky. Walking right into an obvious trap by a time warping magister was the last course of action in my mind.

 

Seeing how the mage quest turns out (as in: Without the dumb luck that Dorian get's sucked into the time warp with you, the entire world would've been doomed) was just the icing on the cake.

Yep. And it takes time to travel across a country to go get the professionals who wanted nothing to do with you to begin with. You've got weeks of travel time, and who knows how many days of negotiation to get through and there still wouldn't be a guarantee that the templars would help you. Time magic is freakin' weird and dangerous, and it would be a fantastic decision to say "hey..I think we need Templar help for this one" IF it wasn't attached to a hostile Tevinter presence.

That being said, I love the templar quest to bits and I normally choose that route anyway. I just offered up some political, logistical, and contextual reasons why it would be very difficult to choose going to the templars as an in-character decision AFTER meeting with Fiona and/or Dorian. I also offered several options for in-character reasons for an Inquisitor to actively try to gain the support of the templars IF they had not taken up Fiona's offer to meet her in Redcliffe.

I'm sure this has been stated already, but if you meet with Fiona in Redcliffe at all, there is no RP reason what so ever for an Inquisitor to go fetch the Templars. Southern mages notwithstanding, it would be dangerous and dangerously negligent to leave a hostile foreign power a defensible outpost in what is one of the major crossroads of Ferelden. The Imperial Highway is nearby, as is the Kinloch Hold Circle tower which contains artifacts, books, and whatever else they decided to store there. Not immediately dealing with Tevinter's foothold in the area (at the time your Inquisitor doesn't really know the Venatori are only a splinter group) could and SHOULD have had the consequence of possibly losing the Hinterlands to this foreign power. 

Saying you'll pick up the Templars to deal with Alexius and the other mages is a nice thought, but would never work. Your Inquisitor would have to march halfway across Ferelden to get to their outpost, and then engage in negotiations with Seeker Lucius, which would further waste time while Alexius does...whatever it is he's been send to Redcliffe to do. There's not even a guarantee that your Inquisitor would even be successful in getting the aide of the Templars. It could have ended up as a giant waste of time AND you'd still have Venatori with numbers bolstered by southern mages.

Really, the only reasonable RP reason to go get the templars, is if you don't go to Redcliffe at all. Your Inquisitor can have any reason they wish for wanting to get their aid, and it all works if you ignore Fiona. Maybe your Inquisitor is religious and had ties to the templars before the Conclave. Maybe you're a Lavellan who wants to leash or conscript the templars so that the mages in Redcliffe can continue to live freely, and save Dalish clans from being attacked by roaming templars. Maybe you're a Cadash or an Adaar who is highly suspicious of magic and wants the safety of the templars before potentially doing anything with Fiona. Any of those will work...as long as Redcliffe isn't on your list of places to go.

That little part makes the OP's post difficult to answer, since they specifically state that they went to Redcliffe and met with Fiona and now can't think of an RP reason to get the templars.

That is correct.  Theoretically you could be talking to all of your companions in their sleep. SpoOOookyyyyy.

I ALSO ALWAYS WONDERED HOW SHE ENDED UP IN HER OWN ROOM AFTER HAVEN DREAM XD sorry.. I had to scream XD

It's not actually clear in the flirt/romance dialogue with Solas when you talk to him, but for other Inquisitors he actually tells you that you appear to dream with a lot of focus and actually found HIM while you were both sleeping at night. So when you initiate the conversation in the rotunda, your Inquisitor is actually asleep at that point.