If your Inquisitor chooses to specialize as a Rift Mage, there is a dialogue that you can get from the Dread Wolfegg about how the Inquisitor use their Mark as a catalyst for Rift Magic.
The thing is, after the events in Trespasser, you lose your arm and the Mark. Does that mean your Inquisitor is no longer a Rift Mage ? Or does it mean that your Inquisitor has to relearn Rift Magic ? Or does it mean your Inquisitor's Rift Mage spells are weaker ? Or does it not mean anything ?
Well, I guess it depends on whether the Inquisitor has gained enough experience that they no longer need the Mark as a catalyst.
But let's be clear: even as a mage, the loss of your arm has greatly diminished your fighting ability. Even mages use their hands in casting spells.
"Nu-uh! Mages don't need no hands! My Inquisitor could lose all four limbs and he'd still kick ass!"
Oh yeah? Have your one-armed Inquisitor use Spirit Blade without letting go of their staff. Neener neener.
Rift mages have no spirit blade 
(Besides, I find it odd that people feel the loss of a limb makes somebody useless. Sure, it requires retraining and using different techniques/spells to compensate, but it is not the end of the world...)
Well - both Rift magic and Time magic were a source of the Breach... in theory they should have both disappeared forever (and one of them does).
Yeah, Rift Mage as a specialization is gone as far as future games are concerned. Remember the Breach altered how magic normally worked as long as it was around.
Yeah, Rift Mage as a specialization is gone as far as future games are concerned. Remember the Breach altered how magic normally worked as long as it was around.
I wouldn't count on it in regards to and Inquisitor themselves as the Breach had been two years gone prior to the events of "Trespasser" and yet the Inquisitor still retained their Rift Mage Abilities. From how I understood Rift magic, its a new field of study that focuses the raw energy of the Fade into substantive forms. So rather than using Magic in order to create varying elemental effects (fire, lightning and so forth) you are channeling the "element" that is the Fade itself (Cole mentions something similar if you talk to him about it). 
From the dialogue that you have with "Your teacher" it seemed that the fundamental difficulties in learning Rift Magic was that in order to start learning it a person required direct contact physically with the Fade itself (most commonly through a Rift), which drove most of those trying to learn it insane, or outright killed them. While I'm sure the Anchor helped this process for the Quizzy the fact that others (including Your Teacher as bonkers as she was) were capable of channeling that energy of the Fade without such an advantage proves that at least, in some capacity, it can be used without the Anchor. Even if you take away the Anchor from the Inquisitor that physical exposure has already occurred (its like a gate or an initiation) as the Inquisitor has been thrust into the Fade physically two (if you have OGB, three) times already. Granted a Rift Mage Inquisitor (like any Inquisitor) will still have to reteach themselves to fight in order to compensate for the missing limb.
Though, if you were to ask me if the Rift Mage Specialization will return in future games (assuming the Inquisitor themselves will not be playable in any form), then ... no. The Inquisitor is Unique in that it was the Anchor that allowed their retained sanity or survival during training. They have already survived that training with their health and sanity intact so presumably they should still have the power, but no-one else is going to have access the shortcuts or advantages that the Quizzy had. Trying to self-teach Rift Mage specialization from a Venatori Tomb would be absurdly dangerous. 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that the Rift Mage attack spells are taken from Force Mage in DA2 (Veilstrike is basically renamed Fist of the Maker) and Pull of the Abyss is the same. Stone Fist existed in DAO in the Earth tree. Many of the passives' effects to weaken enemies are just re-colored Entropy spells. So, while they may not call it "Rift Mage" in the future, I don't think it's a stretch to see the same abilities be available, but just called something different. It's too bad they didn't create something truly unique for this specialization.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that the Rift Mage attack spells are taken from Force Mage in DA2 (Veilstrike is basically renamed Fist of the Maker) and Pull of the Abyss is the same. Stone Fist existed in DAO in the Earth tree. Many of the passives' effects to weaken enemies are just re-colored Entropy spells. So, while they may not call it "Rift Mage" in the future, I don't think it's a stretch to see the same abilities be available, but just called something different. It's too bad they didn't create something truly unique for this specialization.
Well yes, I didn't mention this because it's been a noted fact for some time that Rift Mage and Necromancer just added several old spells into their trees. Come next game
I wouldn't count on it in regards to and Inquisitor themselves as the Breach had been two years gone prior to the events of "Trespasser" and yet the Inquisitor still retained their Rift Mage Abilities. From how I understood Rift magic, its a new field of study that focuses the raw energy of the Fade into substantive forms. So rather than using Magic in order to create varying elemental effects (fire, lightning and so forth) you are channeling the "element" that is the Fade itself (Cole mentions something similar if you talk to him about it).
From the dialogue that you have with "Your teacher" it seemed that the fundamental difficulties in learning Rift Magic was that in order to start learning it a person required direct contact physically with the Fade itself (most commonly through a Rift), which drove most of those trying to learn it insane, or outright killed them. While I'm sure the Anchor helped this process for the Quizzy the fact that others (including Your Teacher as bonkers as she was) were capable of channeling that energy of the Fade without such an advantage proves that at least, in some capacity, it can be used without the Anchor. Even if you take away the Anchor from the Inquisitor that physical exposure has already occurred (its like a gate or an initiation) as the Inquisitor has been thrust into the Fade physically two (if you have OGB, three) times already. Granted a Rift Mage Inquisitor (like any Inquisitor) will still have to reteach themselves to fight in order to compensate for the missing limb.
Though, if you were to ask me if the Rift Mage Specialization will return in future games (assuming the Inquisitor themselves will not be playable in any form), then ... no. The Inquisitor is Unique in that it was the Anchor that allowed their retained sanity or survival during training. They have already survived that training with their health and sanity intact so presumably they should still have the power, but no-one else is going to have access the shortcuts or advantages that the Quizzy had. Trying to self-teach Rift Mage specialization from a Venatori Tomb would be absurdly dangerous.
As noted in the OP, The Inquisitor can use their Mark as a catalyst for Rift Magic. Since the Mark is gone at the end, I would imagine acess to the old Rift Mage spec is also gone for good.
Well yes, I didn't mention this because it's been a noted fact for some time that Rift Mage and Necromancer just added several old spells into their trees. Come next game
As noted in the OP, The Inquisitor can use their Mark as a catalyst for Rift Magic. Since the Mark is gone at the end, I would imagine acess to the old Rift Mage spec is also gone for good.
True, the Rift Magic spec for the Inquisitor would assuredly change (either due to their missing limb, the removal of the Anchor, or a combination of both), but they should still be able to use it. After all both Solas and "Your Teacher" are apparently capable of using Rift Magic without an Anchor of their own.
As for teaching it to others ... Rift Magic is probably going the way of the (Arcane Warrior) from DA:O. It did kind of seem the access to the specialization was the problem with both, over the actual use of it after the fact.
Though that does make me wonder about something? Do you suppose there are any side effects of the Inquisitor going to into the Fade physically so many times? Even the Dalish Inquisitor doesn't seem to mention anything, so I am curious. 
It means nothing. Your Trainer confirms that others can be Rift Mages as well.
Solas is just talking out of his ass when he speculates that you're using the mark as a catalyst. He didn't have the mark, yet he uses rift magic.
I think some of you don't know what the term "catalyst" means. A catalyst makes a reaction easier or much faster than it normally would be, without being altered in of itself. It doesn't automatically mean that without the catalyst such a reaction is impossible.
The same applies here. As I understand it Solas comments that you have used the mark as a Catalyst to learn Rift Magic, and thus were able to master magic in weeks that took him years to master (and as other posters have noted drove other would be rift mages either insane or killed them). However, that doesn't mean you lose the ability to use Rift Magic without the Mark. The Mark just made the initial mastery of the field easier.
@Dai Grepher: It IS stunning how many forms of magic a thousands year old ancient uber-mage elf is unfamiliar with actually... he says it over and over throughout the game about new magics.
I think some of you don't know what the term "catalyst" means. A catalyst makes a reaction easier or much faster than it normally would be, without being altered in of itself. It doesn't automatically mean that without the catalyst such a reaction is impossible.
The same applies here. As I understand it Solas comments that you have used the mark as a Catalyst to learn Rift Magic, and thus were able to master magic in weeks that took him years to master (and as other posters have noted drove other would be rift mages either insane or killed them). However, that doesn't mean you lose the ability to use Rift Magic without the Mark. The Mark just made the initial mastery of the field easier.
Yeah, now I feel like an arse. Doubly so because I studied Chemical Engineering and should have not forgotten the definition of catalyst.
But let's be clear: even as a mage, the loss of your arm has greatly diminished your fighting ability. Even mages use their hands in casting spells.
Isn't there a bit in DA2 about this? Some dumb thug is like "I heard they can't cast nothin' if they can't use their hands!" and then the mage they're harassing goes all Abomination on 'em and they all get set on fire.
I think some of you don't know what the term "catalyst" means. A catalyst makes a reaction easier or much faster than it normally would be, without being altered in of itself. It doesn't automatically mean that without the catalyst such a reaction is impossible.
The same applies here. As I understand it Solas comments that you have used the mark as a Catalyst to learn Rift Magic, and thus were able to master magic in weeks that took him years to master (and as other posters have noted drove other would be rift mages either insane or killed them). However, that doesn't mean you lose the ability to use Rift Magic without the Mark. The Mark just made the initial mastery of the field easier.
Yes but sometimes without a catalyst, the reaction is next to impossible. More in the line of entering the Fade physically.
@Dai Grepher: It IS stunning how many forms of magic a thousands year old ancient uber-mage elf is unfamiliar with actually... he says it over and over throughout the game about new magics.
Considering he was a mage when their was no (or little) Veil, I am not really surprised he is unfamiliar with the current types of magic. It would not surprise me that magic works differently in the current age compared to the time Solas was born.
Perhaps Solas is deliberately misleading the Rift mage so that they will not discover more about the veil on their own, that'd be cool actually.
Rift Mage could come back in future games, it's just going to go back to being called "Force Mage" or possibly have a new name. Seriously, none of the actives in Rift Mage are new abilities that haven't been in previous titles...BEFORE the breach made rift magic possible.
Veilstrike --> Fist of the Maker (Dragon Age 2)
Stonefist --> Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 (only difference is in Rift Mage it did spirit damage...as if that really changes what it is)
Pull of the Abyss --> Dragon Age 2
Firestorm --> Dragon Age 2
Rift Mage could come back in future games, it's just going to go back to being called "Force Mage" or possibly have a new name. Seriously, none of the actives in Rift Mage are new abilities that haven't been in previous titles...BEFORE the breach made rift magic possible.
Veilstrike --> Fist of the Maker (Dragon Age 2)
Stonefist --> Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 (only difference is in Rift Mage it did spirit damage...as if that really changes what it is)
Pull of the Abyss --> Dragon Age 2
Firestorm --> Dragon Age 2
Yeah there's a lot there that is Force Mage, but then there's Firestorm. Its up to Bioware if they want to continue this 'messing with the fabric of reality/physics' deal as Rift Mage, Force Mage, or whatever else.
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