Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Things You Should to Know

Helpful Things

By Angzt.

Rook Abilities

Abilities are unlocked via the Constellation skill tree. Each level up provides a skill point to spend, with further points being rewarded for exploration. The skill tree is hexagonal, with you starting in the center.

There are 4 types of skills:

• Abilities are active actions you trigger during combat
• Ultimates are devastating abilities that take a special resource to use
• Traits are activated by button combos
• Passives are always active

Every other corner of the hexagon has a Specialization attached. Specializations then have their own mini trees using the same skill points. Specializations unlock at level 20 and only a single one can be active at a time. Each Specilzation’s Traits (X,Y,Z 5 and 11) have additional level requirements of 30. Once you pick one, the other Trait’s level requirement increases to 40.

The Factions mentioned in skill tree sections and Specializations have no gameplay relevance outside of their vendors potentially having more gear for the lore-linked classes. You can choose any Class and Specialization with any Background.

You can reset your skill points at any point outside of combat for free.

Click to enlarge…

The three skills at the very center (A0, A1, and A2) do not cost skill points to unlock. A0 is the base class. A1 and A2 are your class’ first Ability and Ultimate which unlock during the tutorial.

Some Passives do appear multiple times, both within a class and across classes.

(Damage numbers are my estimations for level 1 with no gear. These are likely not exact but should be in the right ballpark.

I believe that damage bonuses scale additively. So if you got +20% Cold damage, +15% Ability damage from an item, and +10% damage to Control Abilities, you’d simply get 20%+15%+10% = 45% bonus damage on a Control Ability with Cold damage. No multiplicative scaling between bonuses.)

Ability Enchantments

Abilities can be enchanted with additional effects at the Caretaker. New Enchantments unlock as the Caretaker ranks up. Applying them appears to be free.

• +25% Ability Critical Damage
• +25% Ability Stagger
• +50% Ability Armor Damage
• +50% Ability Barrier Damage

Companion Abilities

Companions start with all 5 of their active Abilities already unlocked once you fully recruit them. You earn additional skill points by deepening your relationship with them, not via level ups. Each increase in relationship rank grants 2 skill points.

Each Companion Ability has multiple upgrade options in the skill tree. These upgrade paths are mostly linear but also feature two pairs of mutually exclusive enhancements per ability.

Companion Abilities function purely on a cooldown basis, not using any resource. Using a Companion Ability will apply its cooldown to all of that Companion’s Abilities. All Companions also have the Attack My Target ability which orders them to focus on a certain enemy. This Ability can be enhanced by items.

Story choices can impact your Companion’s Abilities.

While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, Companions seem to be immortal in combat. They do get attacked occasionally and can be crowd-controlled. However, there is no health bar for them on the UI, their Abilities and items don’t provide defensive stats, and all heal abilities only target Rook. Combined with the inability to directly control them, all things point towards them being unkillable in battles.

Each Companion also has a non-combat Passive ability which aids in exploration. Rook can call upon Companions to use these even when they’re not in the active party.

(Damage for companion abilities, where listed, is an estimate for its level 1 value with no gear or other bonuses. I may be wrong on those.)

Equipment

You can get gear from chests or shops. When you find the same item twice, your first item gets better. It moves up in quality and gets new powers. It also matches your current Caretaker level.

Items come in different colors that show how good they are:

• White (basic) – usually no special powers
• Green – one power
• Blue – two powers
• Purple – three powers
• Orange – four powers
  These powers only show up after you’ve made your first item of that color.

Some things to know:

• Some items (like belts) work differently
• Better colors mean better basic stats
• Red items are special – they don’t change quality and come with their own powers

Your Workshop level sets how strong new items are. You can make items stronger at the Workshop up to your current level. This shows up as +1, +2, etc. next to the item name. You need materials to do this.

To get better items in shops, you need:

• Gold
• Materials
• Good standing with that shop’s group (if they belong to one)

If you can’t get an item the normal way because of story events, there’s always another way to get it.

Your companions can only use their own special gear slots (4 each). They can’t use things like rings. Their gear only has 2 powers per item. You’ll only find gear for your main character unless it’s companion gear.

Caretaker’s Workshop

You’ll find the Workshop inside the Lighthouse. It’s where you go to improve your stuff.

All new items start at basic level. You can make them stronger at the Workshop, but only up to your current Workshop level. When you upgrade something, you’ll see numbers like +1 or +2 next to it. Each upgrade needs materials.

When your Workshop gets to higher levels, you unlock new special powers for your items and abilities.

To level up your Workshop, you need to collect things called Mementos. You can find them while exploring or buy them. Level 10 is the highest you can go.

Caretaker Power Requirements:

• Rank 1->2: 500
• Rank 2->3: 750 (+250)
• Rank 3->4: 1250 (+500)
• Rank 4->5: 2000 (+750)
• Rank 5->6: 2750 (+750)
• Rank 6->7: 4000 (+1250)

(These are cumulative. You don’t lose any when you upgrade).

Status Effects

Certain abilities and items affect all Advantages or Afflictions. It’s not clear whether all the listed entries actually count for those. There is a full list of all these and their effects accessible in-game.

Advantages (Positive)

• Adrenaline: Attacks deal bonus damage and are more likely to disrupt
• Blight Armor
• Enhanced Damage
• Flaming Weapons: Deals additional Fire damage on weapon attacks
• Immovable
• Invulnerable
• Necrotic Weapons: Deals additional Necrotic damage on weapon attacks
• Precision
• Quickened
• Rejuvenation: Heals over time
• Resistant
• Shocking Weapons: Deals additional Electric damage on weapon attacks

Afflictions (Negative)

• Arcane Mark
• Arcane Bomb
• Bees!: Physical damage over time.
• Bleeding: Physical damage over time. Deals increased damage against health
• Blighted
• Burning
• Chilled: Cold damage over time. Slows movement and attacks
• Frozen
• Knocked Down
• Necrosis: Necrotic damage over time. Deals increased damage against Barrier
• Quietus
• Shocked: Electric damage over time. Reduces Resistances
• Siphoned
• Staggered: Take bonus damage. Susceptible to Takedown
• Taunted

Primers

• Overwhelmed: Unknown debuff, causes massive area damage if detonated
• Sundered: Unknown debuff, causes massive area damage if detonated
• Weakened: Unknown debuff, causes massive area damage if detonated

(These seem not to count as Afflictions).

Miscellaneous

Enemy Health

Aside from an enemy’s regular (red) health bar, there are two more types of defenses that, if present, need to be overcome first:

• Barrier: Teal bar that is weak to ranged attacks
• Armor: Yellow bar that is weak to heavy attacks

Additionally, player attacks can fill up a violet Stagger bar which, once full, puts the enemy in the Staggered state, allowing the player to perform a takedown for massive damage.

Ultimates

Only one ultimate ability may be equipped at a time. Using an Ultimate requires a fully charged Ultimate meter which is achieved by damaging enemies.

Rogue Move Set

• Light attack (dual blades): 5 attack combo that moves you forward.
• Charged light attack (dual blades): forward dash followed by upwards slash.
• Jumping light attack (dual blades): slams down & forward.
• Heavy attack (dual blades): slower attack combo with larger arcs that moves you forward.
• Charged heavy attack (dual blades): for a forward whirlwind spin.
• Ranged attack (bow): Quick-fires an arrow.
• Charged ranged attack (bow): Lets you precision aim your shot.

Warrior Move Set

• Defend (1h+shield): Parries an attack if timed or blocks if held.
• Ranged (shield): Quick-fires your shield at an enemy
• Charged ranged attack (shield): Lets you precision aim your shield throw
• Defend (2h): Parries an attack if timed

Mage Move Set

• Light attack (dagger & orb): Shoots a medium range projectile. Apply Arcane Mark
• Heavy attack (dagger & orb): Slices enemies in front of you. Consumes Arcane Mark to crit. 3 stacks of Arcane Mark become Arcane Bomb for a more powerful finish.
• Block (dagger & orb): Block or parry.
• Light attack (staff): Shoots ranged bolts at a target
• Charged heavy attack (staff): Channel Mana into Staff Energy, boosting the next heavy attack
• Jumping heavy attack (staff): Slams the ground, dealing damage around the impact area
• Sprinting heavy attack (staff): Deals damage around you, moving you past the impact area
• Block (staff): Summon a magical barrier that absorbs damage at the cost of mana
• Ranged attack (dagger & orb or staff): Fires a channeled elemental beam. Costs mana.
• Ranged attack in air: Temporarily float while channeling the beam

Experience

Experience is earned from completing quests, killing enemies, and finding codex entries. Earn enough and Rook levels up. A level up earns you a skill point but it’s not clear whether/how your stats change (health, damage, etc). Skill points can also occasionally be acquired through exploration.

• Level 7->8: 1600

Enemy Types

Antaam

Typically vulnerable to Necrotic and resistant to Electricity damage.

• Known types: Anadaam.

Darkspawn

Typically vulnerable to Fire and resistant to Necrotic damage.

• Known types: Ghoul, Hurlock, Hurlock Blighter, Hurlock Spiker, Ogre.

Demons

Typically vulnerable to Cold and resistant to Necrotic damage.

• Known types: Shade, Demonic Experiment, Pride Demon.

Fade-Touched

Typically vulnerable to Electricity and resistant to Cold damage.

• Known types: Sentinel.

Mages

Typically vulnerable to Cold and resistant to Fire damage.

• Known types: Cult Make.

Undead

Typically vulnerable to Necrotic and resistant to Cold damage.

• Known types: Skeleton: Revenant.

Potions

Potions can be used to heal Rook in and out of combat. You can only carry a very limited amount of potions, starting at 3. Potions can be replenished by breaking large green jars in the environment. Healing amount and method are determined by Rook’s equipped belt. Most belts cause instant healing but others give Rejuvenation on Potion use which heals over time.

Creature Enhancements

Enemies can appear with certain Enhancements, empowering them in various ways.

• Arcane Orb
• Armor: Additional yellow bar that is weak to heavy attacks
• Barrier: Additional teal bar that is weak to ranged attacks
• Captain: Continually grants Frenzy to other enemies in the area
• Cold Imbued: Hits apply Chilled. Gain Cold Resistance and immunity to Chilled
• Colossal: Large amount of additional health
• Devouring: Testores a portion of own health on each hit
• Electric Imbued: Hits apply Shocked. Gain Electricity Resistance and immunity to Shocked
• Exploding
• Fire Imbued: Hits apply Burning. Gain Fire Resistance and immunity to Burning
• Frenzy: Improves attack speed and damage
• Glass Cannon
• Juggernaut
• Knockback
• Necromancer
• Necrotic Imbued: Hits apply Necrosis. Gain Necrotic Resistance and immunity to Necrosis