Look, let’s be honest. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a massive, sprawling, sometimes overwhelming beast of a game. If you’ve just woken up in the Fade with a glowing green hand and a bunch of confused soldiers pointing swords at you, you’re probably wondering how people actually finish this thing without spending 300 hours picking elfroot. It’s a lot. I’ve spent way too much time in Thedas, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a dragon age walkthrough inquisition isn’t just about following a map—it’s about knowing when to walk away from the map.
BioWare designed this game during that era where "more content" meant "more icons," but not all icons are created equal. You don't need to clear every single requisition order. Seriously. Stop doing them. They are a power sink and a waste of your precious crafting materials. If you want to actually see the story and reach the Trespasser DLC with your sanity intact, you need a strategy that prioritizes the Inquisition’s influence over the Hinterlands' endless side quests.
The Hinterlands Trap and Getting to Skyhold
The biggest mistake players make—and I mean nearly everyone—is staying in the Hinterlands for too long. It’s the first big open area you hit. It’s beautiful. It’s full of bears. It’s also a pacing killer. Your dragon age walkthrough inquisition starts for real only after you leave this zone. You need to gather enough Power to trigger the "In Your Heart Shall Burn" quest. That’s the turning point.
Most people think they have to help every single refugee in the Crossroads before they can move on. You don't. Grab Mother Giselle, find Master Dennet to get your horses, and then get out. You can always come back later when you’re not getting one-shot by a random level 12 rift while you’re still level 4. The game doesn't really open up—meaning specialization classes, better romance triggers, and the actual War Table depth—until you relocate to Skyhold.
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Skyhold is your base of operations. It’s where the game shifts from "survivor" mode to "political powerhouse" mode. Once you’re there, talk to everyone. Varric, Solas, Cassandra—they all have layers that only peel back after the move. If you haven't sat on the throne to judge a prisoner yet, you haven't lived the full Inquisition experience. It’s surprisingly satisfying to exile a guy for throwing a goat at your walls.
Choosing Sides: Mages or Templars?
This is the first "big" choice, and honestly, it’s one of the few that radically changes the middle act of your dragon age walkthrough inquisition. You can’t have both. If you pick the Mages (In Hushed Whispers), you’re dealing with time travel, a dystopian future, and Dorian’s magnificent mustache earlier in the game. If you go with the Templars (Champions of the Just), you get a psychological horror quest involving an Envy demon and an early introduction to Cole.
From a purely mechanical standpoint?
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- Mages: Better for lore nerds. You get to see a "darkest timeline" version of Redcliffe.
- Templars: The quest is arguably tighter and the boss fight is a bit more interesting, plus you get permanent stat boosts through the quest rewards.
Which one fits your Inquisitor? A faithful human noble might lean Templar. An elven apostate? Probably Mages. Just remember that whoever you don't pick will show up later as enemies working for Corypheus. The Red Templars are a pain to fight, but the Venatori mages are basically glass cannons. Pick your poison.
Managing the War Table Without Going Broke
The War Table is where your advisors—Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine—do the dirty work. It’s a real-time mechanic. If a mission says it takes 14 hours, it takes 14 real-life hours. Now, if you're on PC, you can cheat this by changing your system clock, but if you're playing "legit," you have to be smart.
Don’t just click the first advisor you see. Read the descriptions. Cullen usually solves things with a hammer. Josephine uses words. Leliana uses knives in the dark. The rewards change based on who you send. For example, if you're looking for specific crafting materials, Josephine might get you gold, while Cullen gets you iron. If you want the best gear, look for the "Resource Procurement" missions and rotate your advisors based on your current needs.
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Power vs. Influence
There is a difference. Power is what you spend to unlock new areas like the Western Approach or the Emerald Graves. Influence is what levels up your Inquisition rank. Every time you level up your rank, you get a "Perk." Pro tip: Always, always take the "Deft Hands, Fine Tools" perk from Leliana's category as soon as possible. It requires four points in her tree, but it allows you to open masterwork locks. Without it, you’ll be staring at locked doors in ruins for the rest of the game, wondering what purple-tier loot you’re missing.
Combat Synergies That Actually Work
You can play this game as an action-RPG, but if you're on Hard or Nightmare, you need to use the Tactical Camera. It’s clunky. I know. But it's the only way to ensure your AI isn't standing in a pool of fire.
The "Combo" system is the secret sauce. You prime an enemy with a status effect (like Freeze or Sleep) and then detonate it with a specific move. A classic is the Shatter combo: have Solas use Winter’s Grasp to freeze a target, then have your Warrior use Mighty Blow. The damage numbers go from "okay" to "deleted from existence."
Dragon Hunting 101
There are ten High Dragons in the base game. Do not fight them until you are at least the same level as the dragon. Check your resistances. If you're fighting the Greater Mistral in the Emerald Graves, it breathes ice. If your armor doesn't have cold resistance, you’re basically a popsicle. Bring a Mage with fire spells. It sounds like basic RPG math because it is, but Inquisition punishes you hard for ignoring elemental types.
The Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts Social Game
This quest is the "Orlesian Ball" and it’s a total departure from the rest of the game. You're in Halamshiral, and you have a "Court Approval" meter. If it hits zero, you're kicked out and it's game over.
- Don't stay in restricted areas too long. The meter ticks down every second you're out of the ballroom.
- Listen to whispers. You can find "Red Jenny" stashes and eavesdrop on nobles to get blackmail material.
- The outcome matters. You're deciding who rules Orlais. Gaspard, Celene, or Briala. If you want the "happiest" ending, you can actually force them to work together, but it requires finding specific elven trinkets and high Court Approval.
This is the peak of the dragon age walkthrough inquisition political intrigue. It’s also where you realize that sometimes a well-placed rumor is more dangerous than a Two-Handed Axe.
Essential Next Steps for Your Playthrough
You’ve got the basics down, but the world of Thedas is fickle. To make the most of your time as the most powerful person in the world, keep these practical steps in mind:
- Visit the Black Emporium: It’s a free DLC. It lets you change your character's face and buy high-level crafting schematics. Go there as soon as you hit level 10.
- Specializations are Key: Around level 10-12 at Skyhold, a mission will appear on the War Table to bring in trainers. Whether you become a Knight-Enchanter (which basically makes you invincible) or a Reaver, this is where your combat style finally feels unique.
- Focus on the DLCs Last: Jaws of Hakkon and The Descent are significantly harder than the main game. Save them for right before the final boss. Trespasser, however, is the actual ending of the game. Do not start it until you are completely finished with everything else, as it acts as a point of no return.
- Crafting over Looting: In the late game, the stuff you make at the forge is 100% better than anything you find in a chest. Look for Tier 4 materials like Dragon Bone or Silverite to bypass class restrictions on armor. Want your Mage to wear heavy plate? Use Silverite.
The Inquisition isn't just about closing a hole in the sky. It's about the people you recruit and the choices you make when the music stops. Get out of the Hinterlands, talk to your companions, and don't forget to pet the druffalo.