Dragon Age: Decisions That Have Consequences

Summary

• Dragon Age Keep logs choices, with impactful decisions affecting the series, like the fate of Awakening characters.
• Choices like defiling the Ashes of Andraste or romancing have lasting repercussions across games.
• Origin and early choices impact follow-up entries, like companions fates and Morrigan’s child in Trespasser.

Dragon Age is one of Bioware’s most beloved RPG series, standing as one of the greats in the genre. And though the series has at times had a rocky path, it’s an unforgettable journey with many, many choices for players to make that fulfill not just role-playing, but have a genuine effect in the world at large.

The introduction of Dragon Age Keep allows you to keep a log of basically every choice you can make across the series, making it easier at a glance to see what choices may have an impact. But what choices have the greatest effect across the entirety of the series?

Updated January 19th, 2025 by Hilton Webster: Dragon Age The Veilguard is finally behind us, and with it many of the choices that were made over the 15 years from Origins to it. While it might be disappointing now, at least the original trilogy of games still accoutns for plenty of your choices. Here are some of the most notable.

14

The Fate Of Awakening’s Characters

The Awakening expansion to Dragon Age Origins feels mostly self-contained, detaching itself from the majority of the base game’s trappings (bar Oghren) and introducing brand new companions, such as Anders and Nathaniel. While choices made with the former have little impact on his appearance in DA2, the same is not true of the latter.

Nathaniel can be denied entry to the Grey Wardens entirely, and can still die if recruited. In this case, he no longer appears, though has an exclusive quest in DA2 if he lives. The fate of the Architect, though much smaller, is also referenced by both Nathaniel and Anders throughout DA2, with Anders even saying freeing Corypheus might be a dangerous choice considering they haven’t seen the impact of letting the Architect live yet.

A unique item in DA2, the Architect’s Legacy staff, can only be bought if the Architect survived.

13

The Ashes Of Andraste

One of the most memorable quests in Dragon Age Origins is that involving the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Without every giving confirmation, the belief is that these ashes are of the prophet Andraste herself and have incredible healing powers. With many religious members in your party, the choice to defile them has rather impactful, and immediate, ramifications.

Wynne will leave you immediately, and Leliana will potentially battle you to the death. While she appears in each subsequent game in this scenario, she suddenly disappears at the end of Inquisition, with it revealed that it was just a spirit of the Fade in the shape of Leliana. A unique quest will also unlock in DA2 if the ashes are not defiled, and Brother Genitivi is sent on an expedition.

12

Dagna’s Journey

Back in Origins, the remaining Grey Wardens must travel to the city of Orzammar to recruit the help of the Dwarves there to help fight the Darkspawn. But of course, you make many stops along the way, investing in the stories of the people there. One such person is the aspirational Dagna.

Dwarves cannot use magic but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to, much to her father’s disapproval. Provided you side with the mages, she can study at the Circle, and will even travel there. She also appears as a major character in Inquisition. Though she will appear no matter what, much of her dialogue will reflect the various ways her quest could have ended, including an option from Keep not even possible in-game.

It seems Dagna was proven right, with both The Descent DLC and Dragon Age The Veilguard showing that some Dwarves can, in fact, use magic.

11

Hawke’s Personality

When the news came that Hawke would be a fixed, voiced, human protagonist, it wasn’t exactly met with glee seeing as Origins had much more variety. Dragon Age 2 remains something of the black sheep of the family, though still has its strong suits, with Hawke’s personality notably at the forefront.

Throughout the acts of the game, Hawke’s personality shifts to match your choices, having them react differently to different scenarios. This carries over into Inquisition as well, with every encounter with Hawke playing out based on their personality, even affecting how Varric refers to them.

10

Merrill’s Story

Merrill is one of the many companions in Dragon Age 2 that accompanies the Hero of Kirkwall on their journey. She’s a Dalish Elf with an obsessive touch when it comes to Eluvians, the mystical mirrors of the series. But what many may have missed, is that she’s actually in the original game.

If the player picks a Dalish Elf origin, Merrill is one of your companions during it and has first-hand contact with Eluvians. She can reflect in DA2 that she knows the Hero of Ferelden. But her Eluvian obsession is important too. Whether or not she destroys her Eluvian will be shown when you enter the crossroads with Morrigan in Inquisition, with a smashed or preserved Eluvian depending on the outcome.

9

Your Romances

Central to any Bioware game is an abundance of romanceable characters. And though Dragon Age may suffer from a lack of diversity of love interests (only Humans and Elves until Inquisition) compared to things like Mass Effect, its characters are still as lovable. So as central as they are, of course, there’s some carry-over.

For instance, Zevran may appear in Dragon Age 2, but will not offer sex if previously romanced. For Hawke, all romances are mentioned with unique dialogue, even wishing them farewell if left behind in the Fade in Inquisition. Leliana will also make mention of the Warden in Inquisition and may be one of the multiple ways of hearing of the Warden’s whereabouts in the game. This of course, also affects Morrigan’s rather important child.

8

The Fate Of Your Companions

Being a series about choices, there are of course then many opportunities for your beloved companions across the series to meet their demise as well, be it through your own choice or otherwise. And of course, the repercussions of this can be felt across many games.

Leliana is a key example. She can be killed in Origins, yet appears in Inquisition no matter what. But if killed, it is revealed she is a Fade Spirit manifesting as her through a codex entry at the end of Inquisition. The fate of Alistair and Loghain is of course critical. Even in Inquisition itself, the Trespasser DLC’s party is entirely determined by your living companions that remain.

7

The Ruler Of Ferelden

One of the most well-known of Origins’ quests is the Landsmeet. The quest is something of a culmination of your journey, where all your choices thus far show their effects for all to see. But one of the most central choices here is the ruler of Ferelden.

Anora is already the ruling queen, though this can change easily. She may be imprisoned and Alistair becomes sole king, or they may rule together (though not if he kills Loghain, her father). The Warden, if a Human Noble, may even choose to rule alongside Anora or Alistair. The monarch then appears in each subsequent game, though without the warden, seeing as they’re a bit busy with The Calling.

6

Morrigan’s Child

Presented to you at the end of Origins is a proposal by Morrigan. Rather than having a grey warden give their life to slay the Archdemon, instead enact a ritual with her that will have her conceive a child that will absorb the soul of the Archdemon. It’s a morally dubious choice, seeing as she gives no reason.

The character must be a male grey warden, which would match Loghain, Alistair, or even yourself, should you fit the description. Though the impacts of this choice are absent in Dragon Age 2, they come to a head in Inquisition. Morrigan may or may not have a child, and an entirely different quest is offered later depending on the outcome. Of course, the child may even be entirely normal, if you romance her instead.

5

The Living Grey Warden

The core dilemma of Origins comes in the inevitable death of a Grey Warden to defeat the Archdemon, though this can be countered by Morrigan’s ritual. But of course, the Landsmeet affects this as well.

Outside of choosing a new ruler, is the fate of Loghain and Alistair. If you choose instead to recruit Loghain to the Grey Wardens, Alistair will leave the Grey Wardens. Though if he remains, he may be seen in DA2 during the Qunari assault on Kirkwall, or in Inquisition, as the Grey Warden contact you meet in Crestwood. But failing this, it will instead be Loghain as the Grey warden. Provided Alistair is not a Grey Warden and Loghain executed, then it will instead be Stroud from DA2 as the Grey Warden.

4

The Inquisitor’s Race

After being mysteriously absent in Dragon Age 2, the ability to choose your playable race returned in Inquisition with the addition of Qunari. And just like in Origins, your race was central to your interactions with characters, including the inability for Dwarves to be mages.

For one, anything but a non-mage human is shunned upon entry to the Winter Palace, having to work harder to get the most ideal outcome to the quest. Qunari have unique interactions with Iron Bull and female Qunari are something of a thing for Sera, with plenty of unique dialogue. Being an elf, however, is the most critical, as it offers plenty of insight into the deeper lore of the Dalish, plenty of which Solas will counter.

3

Your Original Origin

One of Origins’ calling cards is, well, the origins. There are six in total, and across Origins have plenty of their own effects, from personal stakes in quests and unique dialogue to unique choices based upon race and origin as well. But more interesting is how this ties into later entries.

In DA2, a Human Mage is a cousin of Hawke, and if the Warden was instead a Dalish Elf, Merrill knows them and was from the same clan. In Inquisition, there are even more. If the Warden and the Inquisitor are both Dalish Elves or Dwarves, the letter received acknowledges this, and in the Descent DLC, the respective king will have built a statue to commemorate a Dwarven Warden.

2

Trespasser’s Everything

The first of its kind for Bioware is Trespasser, a DLC set entirely post-game. As a result of this, you can no longer return to the open-world after beginning, though the trade-off is a questline that is massively determined by your actual choices in Inquisition itself.

For one, your companions are there by choice, whether Blackwall is living or left, for example. Solas will have unique dialogue if romanced, Iron Bull may well betray the party if his own companions are left to die, and even your chosen Divine appears and enters the party with unique gear in the case of Cassandra or Vivienne. And the final choice feels like it may well hold repercussions for later entries.

1

The Warden’s Keep

In a surprising reveal, the Warden’s Keep DLC from Origins has subtle, but oddly enough consistent effects across all three entries of the series. Not even the Legacy DLC, which introduces the main antagonist of Inquisition, has nearly any effects compared to this. The Warden’s Keep, featuring Avernus and Sophia – they’re the highlight.

If during the Warden’s Keep DLC Sophia is allowed to escape and Avernus continues his research, then a unique quest is added to Dragon Age 2 that allows you to encounter and finally kill Sophia. You may also find a note about Avernus’ research, and whether or not it is ethical. But Avernus is also mentioned in Inquisition, with his research being one of the reasons the Warden is able to live so long past the Calling.