The Best Dragon Age Origins Class To Play

A Well Rounded Party. Warrior, Mage, and Rogue.

With Dragon Age Origins offering players such a vast selection of classes to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming for players unfamiliar with the game. In total, there are three base classes to pick from; Warrior, Mage, and Rogue. Each class comes with four specializations that help further define a player's character. These classes can provide players a way to make their Dragon Age Origins experience more unique, especially if you are the kind of player who feels the need to replay the game over and over again. 

If you are looking to learn more about DAO classes, or trying to decide which one is for you, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a breakdown of the different classes from Dragon Age Origins, and which you should be playing.

The Warrior Class

The Warrior, Sten

Warriors are a class of fighters that can usually be seen fighting on the frontlines. The Warriors' preferred weapons are either melee or ranged weapons. They are described as having the ability to withstand and deliver great deals of damage, as well as having a strong understanding of different tactics and strengths.

Strengths:

• Unlike Mages or Rogues, Warriors are not limited to what kind of weapons they can use, staffs of course being the only ones excluded. They also have access to all weapon talents.
• Warriors can be classed with any race in DAO, allowing players a wider choice of origin story options.
• Warriors have 4 specialized sub-classes that vary in difficulty. Berserkers, Champions, Reavers, and Templars round out a player's selection, with Templars being the easiest, and Berserkers being the hardest. 

Stats:

• +4 Strength
• +3 Dexterity
• +3 Constitution

Why Choose Warrior?

Warriors are the perfect choice for beginner DAO Players. While some…experienced players may consider Warriors a more basic or boring option, beginner players, or long-term players who are more interested in romancing their favorite characters over fighting, can enjoy the hours of gameplay just by simply hitting Darkspawn and other enemies as hard as they can.

The Rogue Class

The Rogue, Zevran

Let’s be honest, Rogues are pretty important during your Dragon Age Origins journey. A large part of your journey comes from taking the time to loot various locked chests and rooms you stumble across, gaining players access to a larger range of weapons and items. 

Rogues harness the ability to pick locks and spot traps, making them essential for any party. While they may not be the first choice for front-line fighters, Rogue players can still find a way behind enemies in order to stab them in the back, making them great assassins.

Strengths:

• Rogues allow players to access locked chests and doors in order to obtain higher-level weapons or loot. The higher a Rogues level and skills are the better likely they are to pick open locks.
• Unlike Warriors or Mages, Rogues are able to place talent points into two weapon types; dual wielding and archery.
• Throughout the game, Rogues unlock 4 types of specializations; Assassins, Bards, Rangers, and Duelists. 

Stats:

• +4 Dexterity
• +2 Willpower
• +4 Cunning

Why Choose Rogues?

Playing as a Rogue allows players the option to be more stealthy when playing. While Mages and Warriors are more in your face when it comes to fighting, Rogues are more stealthy, giving you as a player the chance to play the game differently. Being a Rogue also gives you a better reason to talk to Zevran, and who wouldn’t want that?

The Mage Class

DAO Elf Mage

Look, I’m trying not to be too biased here…but I love Mages. Mages, of course, harness magical abilities. Due to malevolent spirits wishing to join the living world, Mages are their preferred vassals to carry them. Because of this, Mages are often isolated from the world, with most of them only being found within the Circle of Magi.

As you can see, they’re pretty mysterious, which can make gameplay quite interesting as you begin unlocking the different abilities a Mage can master.

Strengths:

• Unlike Warriors or Rogues, Mages can obtain the ability to heal your party, making them crucial for more intense battles.
• Mages are able to cast individual spells, as well as combination spells. Using spell combinations grants players the ability to at least double the damage being dealt to an opponent.
• The weapon of choice for Mages is primarily a staff. While a staff will not deal critical damage, its ranged damage attacks never miss. 
• Mages of course have their own unique specializations, including Spirit Healer, Shapeshifter, Arcane Warrior, and Blood Mage

Stats:

• +5 Magic
• +4 Willpower
• +1 Cunning

Why Choose Mages?

First off, who doesn’t like playing with magic during RPG playthroughs? Players who choose the Mage class are able to play around with all that the game's magic system has to offer. Aside from the gameplay, there is also a rather interesting background that is pretty unique to Mages. While you are only able to explore the Mage class as an Elf or Human, sorry Dwarf fans, there is still so much to discover and love about DAO’s Mage system.

So What’s The Best Class to Play?

To say one class is distinctly better than the other isn't something that can easily be done. Depending on the type of fighting you prefer or the type of story you want to try out, each class holds its own specialties that can be tailored for any player. 

But if you are truly looking for a more definitive answer, then I’m going to have to go with The Mage Class. Mages have such an interesting group of abilities that make fighting even more interesting. Also, playing with different specializations, like Blood Mage, makes the game's story more hard-hitting, especially when it comes to a certain mission in Redcliffe.

Playing as an elf Mage is such a fun time, but truthfully, any DAO class can be enjoyable for any player looking for a great introduction to fantasy gaming.