363 replies to this topic

[CosmicGnosis]

I prefer to play as a mage, but the Dalish Elf story seems to be quite important to the larger series plot. Merril actually refers to Mahariel occasionally in DAII, whereas Amell doesn't get mentioned that much, despite being Hawke's cousin. So we have Mahariel's clan in DAII, the eluvian, and Flemeth... This is all rather intriguing. Especially since it can be arranged that a male Dalish Warden romances Morrigan, the daughter of Flemeth, who apparently has had some dealings with his clan. Very cool stuff! 

 

But I'm under the impression that the Dalish Warden's story isn't that interesting when limited to just the main Origins campaign. I'd apparently have to wait until Witch Hunt before the payoff begins. Is this impression accurate? I also hate that I wouldn't be able to play as a mage. So I'd just like some comments on these issues.

[straykat]

I prefer to play as a mage, but the Dalish Elf story seems to be quite important to the larger series plot. Merril actually refers to Mahariel occasionally in DAII, whereas Amell doesn't get mentioned that much, despite being Hawke's cousin. So we have Mahariel's clan in DAII, the eluvian, and Flemeth... This is all rather intriguing. Especially since it can be arranged that a male Dalish Warden romances Morrigan, the daughter of Flemeth, who apparently has had some dealings with his clan. Very cool stuff! 

 

But I'm under the impression that the Dalish Warden's story isn't that interesting when limited to just the main Origins campaign. I'd apparently have to wait until Witch Hunt before the payoff begins. Is this impression accurate? I also hate that I wouldn't be able to play as a mage. So I'd just like some comments on these issues.

 

Within the game itself....

 

 

Well, besides Aeducan it's the only origin with darkspawn experience. It's not all that exciting in the game, but it's worth roleplaying around in your head. It's also one of the origins that resembles some other things Bioware has done with ancient objects. Shepard finds Prothean artifact, Inquisitor gets the mark, Eluvian affects Mahariel.. Even Hawke's fate is shaped by the Deep Roads idol. Although it never taints them.

 

It's one of the origins that feels like an outsider and has no other representative in the group. Alistair covers some human noble territory, Leliana commoner, Morrigan apostate, Zev is city elf, etc..  The other one kind of missing is Dwarf Commoner.. and I think that's partly why they put in Sigrun and Velanna in Awakening.

[springacres]

Removed and reposted below.

[springacres]

I prefer to play as a mage, but the Dalish Elf story seems to be quite important to the larger series plot. Merril actually refers to Mahariel occasionally in DAII, whereas Amell doesn't get mentioned that much, despite being Hawke's cousin. So we have Mahariel's clan in DAII, the eluvian, and Flemeth... This is all rather intriguing. Especially since it can be arranged that a male Dalish Warden romances Morrigan, the daughter of Flemeth, who apparently has had some dealings with his clan. Very cool stuff! 

 

But I'm under the impression that the Dalish Warden's story isn't that interesting when limited to just the main Origins campaign. I'd apparently have to wait until Witch Hunt before the payoff begins. Is this impression accurate? I also hate that I wouldn't be able to play as a mage. So I'd just like some comments on these issues.

There is a mod that unlocks the mage class for all Origins.

[straykat]

I would add that with all the praise people give a Dalish in DAI, I don't see why DAO would be any different. But people sounded like they hated it the most when it came out. The main underlying thing is the same (touched an ancient object). Except you actually get to play the origin. And your fated to lead a neutral cause like the Wardens against the blight. Instead of playing around with Chantry stuff and Orlesian politics. I think the latter works better if you actually care about the subject matter. It isn't some catchall story, like DAO.. as much they try to make it so.

[CosmicGnosis]

There is a mod that unlocks the mage class for all Origins.

I'm aware of it, but I don't want to use it. BioWare didn't design the Dalish Warden to be a mage, and I want to honor that creative decision.

[straykat]

I'm aware of it, but I don't want to use it. BioWare didn't design the Dalish Warden to be a mage, and I want to honor that creative decision.

 

All i can say is it's fine if you don't play a mage. There's room for everything

 

And if you've already played Witch Hunt, you get a sweet bow for your new character. Just pretend it's in the chest with the amulet your mom left.

[Lazarillo]

Dalish has a lot of advantages to it that make it the best "Warden" story, IMO.  For one, it's the only in the game that really makes the character's "personal" story focused on the Darkspawn as well.  Cousland loses everything to Howe, Aeducan to Bhelen, etc, but "Mahariel's enemy" is also the enemy of the game as a whole.  It's a pure focus on how the Blight ruins lives, and on stopping it.  Mahariel's also the greatest outsider character out of all the other origins.  Everyone else gets to go home again, however briefly, but even when you meet the Dalish, they aren't Mahariel's Dalish.  This makes Mahariel a pretty effective avatar, IMO, for a character in a brand new game series, where in many ways the character and the player are learning about the setting together.

[springacres]

I'm aware of it, but I don't want to use it. BioWare didn't design the Dalish Warden to be a mage, and I want to honor that creative decision.

This is partly why I don't use it either, to be honest.

[GoldenGail3]

Meh. So much meh.

[CosmicGnosis]

It just seems so fitting to walk through the Eluvian with a romanced Morrigan as a Dalish Warden. It's almost like Witch Hunt was designed specifically for that kind of Warden.

[Qun00]

I'm not quite sure what it is about the Dalish Origin that people find so lacking. However, it does make up for whatever the issue is with Witch Hunt and DA2. You just feel glad for choosing it.

And for all the so called greatness of the human noble origin, I thought that meeting Tamlen as a ghoul was more heart wrenching than the overused dead parents setup.

[straykat]

It just seems so fitting to walk through the Eluvian with a romanced Morrigan as a Dalish Warden. It's almost like Witch Hunt was designed specifically for that kind of Warden.

 

I think it's just as easy to play a Warden that feels cursed after the Eluvian and doesn't like her guilt free attitude of survival and power. Let alone wants to touch something like that again.

 

It definitely works though. But I'd be weary of revolving things around romance. It's what I keep hearing of DAI now. It's getting annoying. Little did I know the Inquisition would revolve around the Elven version of Twilight. Besides that, a surviving Warden has disappointed me a lot. I don't even want to play them anymore. I still have a few, but DAI failed to make it interesting.

 

My 2c. Not meant to be personally rude.

[Akrabra]

The Dalish Warden story is my favourite, which i posted a well thought out reason for in another topic not long ago. So instead of writing it down all again i will just say that i love it. 

[springacres]

And for all the so called greatness of the human noble origin, I thought that meeting Tamlen as a ghoul was more heart wrenching than the overused dead parents setup.

Hear, hear!

[GoldenGail3]

And for all the so called greatness of the human noble origin, I thought that meeting Tamlen as a ghoul was more heart wrenching than the overused dead parents setup.

Oh...... I never really got that far in my Dalish Elf origin to be honest; I just made mine on the Keep because I'm too lazy to play the game XD.

[Qis]

The whole Dalish origin is not great, it just a lame story to begin with, you and your bf/buddy exploring ancient ruin in a cave, found a cursed mirror, and suddenly a stanger come offering you a cure for the curse, claiming it is the only way to save you from the curse

 

As a Dalish, i have no motivation to become a Grey Warden other than to cure myself, so in the long run as a Dalish, i don't really care about everything else. I mean not like i have any oath to fulfil (Mage), i don't do any crimes i must get away with by being Grey Warden (City Elf, Dwarf Commoner, Mage), i don't have any mortal enemy i want to seek and take revenge (Human Noble, Dwarf Noble)...so other than klling Darkspawn and done with it, as a Dalish i really don't have any motivation at all.

 

And the whole game, there is no quest related to Dalish Warden personally, even the Dalish quests is not related personally, not like other origins where the quests will relate with them...like Dwarf Noble/Commoner with Orzamar politic, Human Noble with human politic, Mage with Circle problem, City Elf with Alienage problem...Dalish have nothing related to him/her, so playing as Dalish warden really feel detached from everything

[DeathWalksBehindYou]

What Qis said. I haven’t played every origin through to its conclusion, but I never made any progress with the Dalish beyond the origin. Just didn’t have anything to sustain my interest.

[sniper_arrow]

I think, on a narrative side, the Dalish origin shows what life is like in Ferelden as an outsider (and a newcomer to the game if you want to go meta). It doesn't have any close connections to the main plots (ex. Aeducan - Paragon of her Kind), thus one is not as conflicted in making choices (maybe except Nature of the Beast).

 

Right now, I'm playing Bioware's default Dalish Warden and I just sided with the werewolves and the templars, abandoned Redcliffe, killed Connor, etc. Fun times. 

[vertigomez]

Yeah, IMO the main issue with a Dalish Warden is that the origin itself is so bland compared to the others. But that doesn't mean it's not worth playing. Not only are you tied into the other games and the story of Thedas as a whole (particularly if you romance Morrigan), but you have a unique perspective in DAO.

Zev's mother was Dalish and he tried to live among them at one point, you can confront Leliana about her oops racism! comments, and you're a stranger in a strange land just like Sten. You can bond with Morrigan since you both grew up in the wilderness, outside "normal" human mores. The big difference is that you come from a loving, close-knit clan and she had... Flemeth for a mom, which speaks for itself.

Also, a Dalish Warden gets one of the most badass lines in the game.

Loghain: Pray our King is amenable to reason.
Mahariel: The Dalish have no Kings.

[luna1124]

Instead of unlocking the mage for all origins..(which can be buggy) there is one that just works for Dalish elf's. And it works very well.. even in Awakening.

[springacres]

Yeah, IMO the main issue with a Dalish Warden is that the origin itself is so bland compared to the others. But that doesn't mean it's not worth playing. Not only are you tied into the other games and the story of Thedas as a whole (particularly if you romance Morrigan), but you have a unique perspective in DAO.

Zev's mother was Dalish and he tried to live among them at one point, you can confront Leliana about her oops racism! comments, and you're a stranger in a strange land just like Sten. You can bond with Morrigan since you both grew up in the wilderness, outside "normal" human mores. The big difference is that you come from a loving, close-knit clan and she had... Flemeth for a mom, which speaks for itself.

Also, a Dalish Warden gets one of the most badass lines in the game.

Loghain: Pray our King is amenable to reason.
Mahariel: The Dalish have no Kings.

Also, the snarky replies to Cailan ("I'm no friend of yours, human lord") and the Chantry priest at Ostagar take on an added level of badassery for Dalish Wardens.

[Ghost Gal]

In conjunction with the overall game narrative? It's great.

 

As a standalone for this game? It's okay... I feel it has a little too much exposition (lots of explaining what the Dalish are and what they do for a living), and too little emotion (not much of who the Dalish are as people and how it would feel growing up with them and interacting with them as people).

[sylvanaerie]

Also, the snarky replies to Cailan ("I'm no friend of yours, human lord") and the Chantry priest at Ostagar take on an added level of badassery for Dalish Wardens.

 

I dunno I think the city elf's is far more badass than any other.

 

Cailan: "So, I have always wanted to go walk in the Alienage, but my guards won't let me.  How are things there?"

City Elf: "I killed a noble who raped my cousin."

Cailan: 

 

Best.  Bioware.  Line.  Ever.  

 

Aside from the Smuggler in SWToR about the Mandelorian (whose name escapes me atm) invading the Esseles.  "So, if I kill him, I'll be famous?"

 

As for the Dalish origin, it's okay.  The scene with ghoul-Tamlen takes on a note of poignancy (especially if you RP he and your lady Dalish were sweethearts).  But still doesn't stack up the feels like the scene in the Gauntlet with Papa Cousland (at least for me).

 

For me the worst part of those kinds of scenes is the emotional gut punch they can cause the player who's really getting into the story, and the lack of recognition from the other NPCs in the game.  "Oh, saw your dead friend?  Well, let's just move on.  Places to go, people to see..."

[springacres]

I dunno I think the city elf's is far more badass than any other.

 

Cailan: "So, I have always wanted to go walk in the Alienage, but my guards won't let me.  How are things there?"

City Elf: "I killed a noble who raped my cousin."

Cailan: 

 

Best.  Bioware.  Line.  Ever. 

Oh geez, how could I forget that one?  You're right, of course, especially with an F!Tabris.  But still, the snarky responses from a Dalish come off as pretty badass to me too.