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Dragon Age: Inquisition, like the previous two games in the franchise, has three main classes. These are Mage, Rogue, and Warrior. Mages are qunari, elves, and humans who have a connection to the Fade, which means they remain conscious while dreaming, they can use magic, and they attract the attention of spirits.
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Mages are some of the most powerful damage dealers in Dragon Age: Inquisition, though they are significantly less durable than the other classes, and their high damage output can attract the attention of enemies. They are also the only class that can cast barriers, activate Veilfire, and raise debris to create bridges or block tunnels. Mages also have special dialogue options, and the class has a specific connection to the conflict in the first act of the game.
After completing the main quests 'In Your Heart Shall Burn' and 'From the Ashes,' the Inquisition will arrive at their new stronghold in the Frostback Mountains. Using the map, leave the location and return. At the War Table, you can access the operation Specializations for the Inquisitor. Once they are complete, three new NPCs will appear at Skyhold; finish their quests to unlock specializations.
Updated by Lewis Smyth on June 20, 2024: Like all classes in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the versatile Mage class is split into three distinct specializations. This update completely reworks this guide to showcase the best specializations for spellcasters in Inquisition, as well as the best builds that suit these magical studies, focusing on which perks make the most out of each one.
Best Mage Specializations In Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Knight-Enchanter
- Necromancer
- Rift Mage
Knight-Enchanter: Barrier Specialist & Melee Enthusiast
Though patched to reduce its absurd strength, perhaps the strongest Mage specialization, still, is the Knight-Enchanter. As a support class, the Knight-Enchanter makes the most of the protective barriers that define that playstyle, while also being capable of dealing extreme amounts of damage with Spirit Blade. With a Knight-Enchanter on the team, constantly maintaining barriers for the squad couldn't be easier, making everyone much more damage-resistant.
First Enchanter Vivienne is the resident recruitable Knight-Enhanter in Dragon Age: Inquisition .
Necromancer: Highest Raw Damage
Arguably the second-best mage specialization in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Necromancer is the damage dealer of the class. While Rogues are better suited to high DPS, the Necromancer can wield powerful spells that summon undead and frighten foes to control the battlefield. Pummeling enemies with fiery spells, with Walking Bomb, you can set off chain reactions that decimate crowds of enemies with ease.
The Necromage Dorian is recruited during In Hushed Whispers — or after reaching Skyhold if you choose to go after the Templars.
Rift Mage: Master Of Crowd Control
Despite sounding the coolest, the Rift Mage is the weakest of the Mage specializations. Almost all the Rift Mage spells rely on the enemies around you being Weakened, and many of the offensive abilities are outclassed by other spells. That being said, the Rift Mage is still a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, and their Firestorm power is among the strongest Focus abilities in Inquisition.
Upon reaching Skyhold, the secretive Solas will unveil his Rift Mage powers.
Best Knight-Enchanter Build In Dragon Age: Inquisition
The Knight-Enchanter is the perfect build for mixing offensive capabilities with defensive spells. Controlling the battlefield by managing barriers, the Knight-Enchanter gets up close and personal with their quarry, striking them with Spirit Blade combos and fire magic while their barrier protects them and the squad. Important perks are highlighted in yellow, while the three green perks can be grabbed with bonus skill points beyond the level cap.
A fully charged Spirit Blade will be the Knight-Enchanter's special attack, charged by using Energy Barrage and high-damage Inferno spells. This build also takes the Spirit skill tree to its maximum in order to make the most out of the Barriers you will maintain throughout battles. Meanwhile, Fade Cloak and Fade Step allow you to reposition yourself in combat and deal vast amounts of damage to nearby enemies. Passives from these spell trees will greatly strengthen your barriers, increase your damage, and shorten your cooldowns.
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Best Necromancer Build In Dragon Age: Inquisition
Since the Necromancer specialization deals more damage to frightened foes, this build invests in the Inferno and Storm skill trees to keep enemies trapped and under constant duress. When using this build, it's worth bringing along an extra Mage, like Knight-Enchanter Vivienne, who can focus on maintaining barriers while you dish out the damage. Core abilities are highlighted in yellow and will take you to the level 27 cap. Perks in green can be acquired by earning the 3 bonus skill point pickups available to the player character in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Using Horror on enemies trapped by Static Cage will unleash a catastrophe of damage upon enemies who try to flee. Hitting them with Walking Bomb and Inferno spells will trap them in a hellish exploding lightning prison of your design, instilling fear in all who dare face a Mortalitasi-trained Mage. This build bombards enemies with damage to turn them into walking explosives, completely controlling the battlefield and consistently damaging enemies.
Best Rift Mage Build In Dragon Age: Inquisition
Though not as powerful as their conjuring counterparts, the Rift Mage is a master of crowd control and combo building. Capable of maintaining high magic reserves and dealing great damage with their basic attacks, they can draw enemies together and weaken them to leave them vulnerable. As ever, key skills are in yellow, while three optional perks are highlighted in green, and can only be obtained by acquiring Exclusive Training and Amulets of Power.
Weakening enemies with an upgraded Veilstrike, you can draw them together with Pull of the Abyss and pummel them with your Inferno and Storm spells. You can also Shatter enemies frozen by Winter's Grasp with a Stonefist and utterly destroy their defenses with powerful magic drawn straight from the weakened Veil that wards off the Fade.
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Best Crafting Materials For Mage Weapons In Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Dragon Bone (Fire)
- Ice Dragon Bone (Ice)
- Veil Quartz (Lightning)
Staves are the only weapons available to mages, the exception being the Blade of Tidarion. Staves deal elemental damage and, unlike in Origins, are capable of dealing critical hits. When crafted with Fade-Touched materials, these weapons are especially deadly. Though there are a number of named special staves available to be looted in Inquisition, the most powerful staves will always be ones that are crafted with rare and powerful materials.
One of the better Fade-Touched effects to aim for when crafting a staff is Guard on Hit. Combined with the Storm spell Energy Barrage with the Energy Bombardment upgrade, it results in multiple hits, bars of guard, and reducing enemy resistance to the staff's elemental damage.
Best Party Composition For Mages In Dragon Age: Inquisition
As a mage, the Inquisitor's party will preferably need at least one Rogue and one Warrior in the party, with the Warrior being a tank rather than an attacker. If there is one other Mage in the party at all times, the Inquisitor has the freedom to not have to focus on barriers and instead focus on damage.
Warriors like Cassandra or Blackwall are best in a party for a Mage Inquisitor. They both can attract and soak up enemy damage, leaving the more vulnerable Mage Inquisitor to deal damage from afar. Solas is good at crowd control and weakening enemies with his Rift Mage specialization, while Sera's Tempest specialization is great for dealing damage along with the Mage Inquisitor.
