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[Chaelura]

Spoiler

I feel like with the mage rebellion, and the general fact that more Chantry followers fear Mages, it just creates a wonderful dichotomy when mages are the leaders of all these uprisings, and indeed the *heroes* frequenty when the **** hits the fan - the darkspawn, the mage uprigins at Kirkwall, and the Breach.  To me it is one of the best ways to create wonderful tension in the story - all good stories have that tension and urgency.

 

As such, I can't resist playing the underdog - mage elf.  If that person can get **** done, one must imagine that they may be more valuable and the Chantry might stop treating them like dangerous pariahs simply because they don't understand their abilites; templars basically have the right to lobotomize mages on the suspicion that they will inevitably be possessed by a demon.  If that were even true, given that mages have their phylacteries stored away, it eases the hunt for the demons they *may* become.

 

Not to mention the fact that were they raised as *human beings* instead of locked up threats to humanity, they may learn and grow in the same way anyone else does; read Pavlov to see what I mean.

 

</rant>  It's absurd.  How many soldiers have cut down armies without having any idea what they were really fighting for?

 

EDIT:  I also love how the took the archetype of mages and elves being wonderful amazing beings and basically turned them into pariahs/slaves, although this could have been a consquence of the elves screwing themselves hardcore

Spoiler

.  I have a soft spot for the underdog

[Xerrai]

Well DA elves/mages are a fresh breath of air when compared to Tolkien's one-with-nature, always-fair-and-just-and-wise elves/mages. 

Elves and magic wielding beings were constructed as such "morally superior beings" that it became offensive to me because they were literally written to be incapable of doing anything wrong (unless tricked).

 

The inherent flaws in characters like Solas, the real Elvhenan and the Creators/Evanuris really adds depth to them as a race and set of characters. Similarly, the oppression of mages proves to be an invigorating experience when compared to how in many works of fiction, they were so rare and powerful as to be revered to almost the same degree as Tolkien's Elves.

[AFA]

Non-Mage Hawke is awesome, protecting your little sister, etc. Really gives you the everyman feel that I think Hawke requires

 

I rolled a mage for Origins and DAI, will in DA4 though.

 

I probably would have gone with an Elf rogue in DAI if it was a City Elf background, just so my second Warden could become canon. 

[Tidus]

I also play a Elven mage  and rescue the mages since that makes perfect sense.  I favor the underdogs because 90% of the guys in my platoon was from the poor side of town. We know the true meaning of We few we happy few we band of brothers.

[Ghost Gal]

You're probably gonna get a wave of backlash by the human noble fanboys, but I agree.

 

I love playing elves (sue me, I love nature, art, poetry, magic and mysticism) but I also love playing underdogs ("here comes halfling death!"), and the DA series combined the two beautifully. I also love how they made Thedas into Fantasy Medieval Europe, with Andrastian humans as fantasy Medieval Catholics, and made the elves "Fantasy Medieval Jew/Gypies" (my boyfriend's words, not mine), which I personally relate to given how I grew up on the receiving end of anti-Semitism by the WASP kids I went to school with.

 

That said, I love the city elf narrative too. While I'm not really interested in playing a mage human, I'll gladly play a non-mage elf to roleplay the plight of a city elf who's constantly exposed to human employers on the field, rather than just human Templars in a tower. (Although I think the city elf and mage elf experience can be combined with a Circle elf, which has been tragically under-explored this series. The devs act like the second that city elves come into their magic and get sent to the Circle, they should ONLY identify as mages and only care about mage issues, and completely discard their elven identity or experiences. I think this is too limiting, given elves' separate historical and cultural attitude regarding magic, and their separate treatment by humans.)

 

I just find the elves' stories so much more interesting, and I find the elves' historical and cultural "take" on magic more interesting to roleplay than the Andrastian humans. (If I have to pretend to care about human mages and templars arguing about how much weight Andraste's line, "Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him" holds in running an ideal Andrastian human society, I'm gonna throw something. The elves had their own social and cultural view of magic, which was suppressed when humans conquered them. The post-Quickening elves were almost always subjugated by humans, first by Tevinter then by Andrastians, so it's very possible to roleplay an elven mage PC who doesn't have the exact same views on magic and society as an Andrastian human mage. And that's the "mage roleplay experience" I prefer.)

[CardButton]

I played an Elven Mage that allied with the Templars in DA:I. 

 

I ... just could not stand Fiona and the Rebel Mages and after seeing the epilogue if you conscript them, I simply don't want to interact with them again. It's not that I couldn't sympathize with them, but looking at it from an Inquisitor's perspective they are an unstable, irrational, completely non-unified group of desperate individuals who's core ideals and concept of freedom vary from person to person.  They are not an organization one can ally with, because they literally have no organization amongst themselves.  My issues with Fiona aside (and trust me their is a laundry list of issues I have with her) the Rebel Mages didn't even seem to have a coherent plan of what they were going to do once they gained their "freedom" from the circles.  Combine this with the fact that they lacked even the fortitude to take responsibility for the hundreds of apostate mages that were slaughtering their way across the Thedas countryside they themselves let loose through their actions (in fact doing the exact opposite and distances themselves from those psychos instead) ... even as a Mage I could not justify allying with them.  Which is sad because I gladly supported the mages in the previous two games.    

 

...if it weren't for the fact that their holding the town of Redcliffe hostage (the very people who had willingly sheltered them) and so many innocent people would be sacrificed if you don't choose them (including Mages), I wouldn't think twice about joining with the Templars.  At least they proved they have some honor left. 

 

As for Elves, their great!  It's nice to see the Human PCs get a run for their money in the story relevance department. 

[Elhanan]

I like Elven Mages, but they look so bad in the Fade during cut-scenes. And am uncertain, but believe a Human mage can terrify Ser Jory rather comically; a rare option in the dialogue.

But overall, gotta give it to the Dwarves. Sorry.

[Addictress]

Origins - human noble
DA2 - human, obv
DAI - Lavellan or gtfo, this game MUST be played as a female elf
DA4 - sounds like a qunari protagonist would be best.
DA5 - um...dwarves? And Titans.

[AedanStarfang]

You get a twofer by playing as an Elven Mage

[TheKomandorShepard]

Mages are heroes? Mages are pretty much source of almost every problem that we have to deal with in series not heroes, true heroes are templars that job is to clean and prevent crap they cause , altough due to flawed and not enough effective system when it comes to security means failure.

 

That said i still like play mages as it is usually entertaining gameplay-wise.

[Bayonet Hipshot]

I like the idea of playing as Badass Normal in RPG games, they are my favorite heroes because the idea of playing as the normal person with no special powers who saves the day is far more appealing than a god like figure with special powers who saves the day.

 

To me, Batman, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Batgirl > Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, Dr Fate, Dr Strange. Cunning + Wit > Innate Magic Powers

 

As a result, Humans are my favorite race, simply because they are the ones with no magical origin or innate biological tie to something supernatural. They are not inherently in-tune with the Fade and they are not linked to giant Titans. They are just a bunch of short lived apes that have a relatively large brain to body ratio who decided to develop culture and civilization and have somehow made it work.

 

My favorite character archetype in RPG is Human Rogue. He is not a thief but he fights dirty because the idea of fighting fairly in the front lines in a world filled with supernatural beings and monsters is just crazy and foolish.

 

As for Elves, I do play them but I can only play Elves as mages. I find the notion of an Elf without magical powers to be weird because of what they inherently are and where they came from in general mythology - From fairies.

[CardButton]

Origins - human noble
DA2 - human, obv
DAI - Lavellan or gtfo, this game MUST be played as a female elf
DA4 - sounds like a qunari protagonist would be best.
DA5 - um...dwarves? And Titans.

Origins - Agreed, either gender works pretty well.

DA2 - Agreed, cuz we have no choice in the matter. 

DAI - Female Levallan is amazing (especially if your a mage), though Humans still have a lot going for them here.

DA4 - Hmm ... depends on what side we're playing.  If we are in Tevinter Qunari makes no sense unless they are a slave.  If we are with the Qunari, then sure absolutely!

DA5 - YES PLEASE! 

[ArcaneEsper]

I find the Dwarves more interesting. Tbh I hope DA4 manages to have a little relevant Dwarf stuff thrown in. (Preferrably not DLC tho)

But I do like Elves and Mages. I stepped into DAI as a complete newb and my first Inquisitor was an Elven Mage, I still love her to bits and consider her my "canon" run though that's mainly because it was my first character.

And as far as DA Elves go in general it is nice to see Elves as something other than pretty, magical, babies of perfection. But, Dwarves are still my #1.

[Heimerdinger]

Well DA elves/mages are a fresh breath of air when compared to Tolkien's one-with-nature, always-fair-and-just-and-wise elves/mages. 

Elves and magic wielding beings were constructed as such "morally superior beings" that it became offensive to me because they were literally written to be incapable of doing anything wrong (unless tricked).

 

The inherent flaws in characters like Solas, the real Elvhenan and the Creators/Evanuris really adds depth to them as a race and set of characters. Similarly, the oppression of mages proves to be an invigorating experience when compared to how in many works of fiction, they were so rare and powerful as to be revered to almost the same degree as Tolkien's Elves.

 

The history of Tolkien's elves goes further back than the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, all the way to the early days, Years of the Trees and the First Age in the Silmarillion. There was treachery, kin-slaying, greed and corruption. Although they did always oppose the evil forces of Morgoth and Sauron, they were never written as morally superior beings incapable of doing wrong. Tricked or otherwise.

 

The same can be said for Tolkien's "mages". Gandalf is a Maia. But so is Sauron. And the balrogs. Not always just and wise.

 

What sets DA aside is the world's reaction to mages - they are feared and people want them kept under control. And for elves, the fact that they are underdogs and not a powerful race.

[jlb524]

I still think dwarven mages are the true underdogs of the series. They aren't even allowed to exist

[TheKomandorShepard]

What sets DA aside is the world's reaction to mages - they are feared and people want them kept under control. And for elves, the fact that they are underdogs and not a powerful race. This is indeed an interesting new approach.

It isn't new, Witcher did it before Da. 

[TK514]

The history of Tolkien's elves goes further back than the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, all the way to the early days, Years of the Trees and the First Age in the Silmarillion. There was treachery, kin-slaying, greed and corruption. Although they did always oppose the evil forces of Morgoth and Sauron, they were never written as morally superior beings incapable of doing wrong. Tricked or otherwise.

 

The same can be said for Tolkien's "mages". Gandalf is a Maia. But so is Sauron. And the balrogs. Not always just and wise.

 

What sets DA aside is the world's reaction to mages - they are feared and people want them kept under control. And for elves, the fact that they are underdogs and not a powerful race.

 

 

Thank you, you beat me to it.

 

 

 

It isn't new, Witcher did it before Da. 

 

The 'why' they're mistrusted is completely different in the two franchises, as is the way they are ultimately treated.

[daveliam]

I've never played an elven mage, but I can see the appeal (especially in DA: I).  For me, they are a little too close to the major conflicts.  I enjoy being one step removed from it.  I find it much more enjoyable to experience it from a character that doesn't feel so directly impacted by the major events.  It's one of the reasons I prefer dwarves. 

[TheKomandorShepard]

The 'why' they're mistrusted is completely different in the two franchises, as is the way they are ultimately treated.

 

Not rly, in both universes mistrust and hate comes from racial prejudices rather than rational reasoning plus in both mistrust is fueled by bandits/terrorists with pro-elven attitude that are dalish elves and scoia'tael.Both live in ghettos or forest and are victims of purges done by humans.

 

When it comes to mages both are mostly rationally justified by mages being dangerous troublemakers only difference that people deal with mages by killing them in the witcher instead locking them up.  

[Witch Cocktor]

I've never played an elven mage, but I can see the appeal (especially in DA: I).  For me, they are a little too close to the major conflicts.  I enjoy being one step removed from it.  I find it much more enjoyable to experience it from a character that doesn't feel so directly impacted by the major events.  It's one of the reasons I prefer dwarves. 

Same here, except I prefer playing a qunari rogue, because when I make decisions, they definitely feel more like MY decisions instead of my races or professions decisions.

[CardButton]

It isn't new, Witcher did it before Da. 

And X-Men did it before either of them!  

[Midnight Bliss]

I'll stick with my fiesty, redheaded human rogue TYVM.

 

I see the allure, though. I actually almost wanted to play a elf, but ultimately the fact none of the player voices are so distinctly different from the welsh/scottish accents every other elf uses (I think? If any don't I never encountered them) pretty much killed any immersion that would have been.

 

Not to mention the whole "what's a Mythal?" And "What does THAT elven god do?" Stuff during the temple, just... Nasty.

[TheKomandorShepard]

And X-Men did it before either of them!  

Real life did that before X-Men!

 

We talk about elves being underdogs rahter just about random minorities like mutants.

[CardButton]

I'll stick with my fiesty, redheaded human rogue TYVM.

 

I see the allure, though. I actually almost wanted to play a elf, but ultimately the fact none of the player voices are so distinctly different from the welsh/scottish accents every other elf uses (I think? If any don't I never encountered them) pretty much killed any immersion that would have been.

 

Not to mention the whole "what's a Mythal" and "What does THAT elven god do?" Stuff during the temple, just... Nasty.

Real icky writing their Bioware ... this was especially distracting because my Dalish had Mythal Vallaslin.  "Who is Mythal?" says the woman who has Mythal magically stapled to her face. 

[CardButton]

Real life did that before X-Men!

 

We talk about elves being underdogs rahter just about random minorities like mutants.

Exactly.