Dragon Age Inquisition Guide: How to Get Started

Hit the Search Key Like You’re Hunting for Red October

The goodies of Dragon Age: Inquisition aren’t going to sing the Russian national anthem for you. You’re going to have to find them the hard way. That means using the new Search key. If you’re unfamiliar, Search sends out a little ping from your character. Its range is actually fairly impressive. It highlights important resources, loot, and also leads you to special treasures.

But you need to mash it. Constantly. Walking around the Hinterlands? Be Searching. Wandering in a cave? Searching. Always have Search going unless you’re actively in combat. You never know what goodies you’ll turn up.

Aggro Management 101

Dragon Age: Inquisition has no healing spells. No news there. But that means that the management of aggro is now more important than ever. No matter what class you’re playing, you need to pay very close attention to who’s getting slaughtered. More often than not, you want the warriors to have it. Keep your rogues and mages safe.

If you’re not playing as a warrior, use the tactics and behaviors to make sure they’re doing their job right. If you’re a rogue or mage, help disrupt enemies by freezing them, stunning them, and so forth. Warriors, shield wall. Taunt, and shield wall.

Disrupt Fade Rifts for Free Stuns

The Inquisitor has a unique ability to seal Fade rifts. He or she can also disrupt them whilst battling hordes of demons. This action, which does take time, deals a solid amount of damage to the demons as well as stuns them. Warriors might not get the free time to pull this off. But mages and rogues of the Inquisition should take advantage of the warriors’ aggro draw to pop a stun on every demon.

Know Thine Enemy

The Inquisition’s enemies in the first area vary greatly in level, sometimes as high as 8. Be very careful when engaging these groups. They are conquerable, but strategy is needed. And don’t even think about the rift to the south east until you’re a tad tougher. The rift will spawn level 8 demons in large numbers. Unlike the few bandits, they will swarm you and murder you. Handle with care. Caution over boldness – at least in the beginning.

Wanna ride a horse? Forget Searching

Horses are a great way to move about the country in a rapid manner. If you choose to use one, however, don’t count on finding the resources that litter the map. With a horse, you are unable to activate Search. Be warned. And trading off rapid movement for Searching isn’t too bad when you consider all the potions you’ll be able to make.

Fast. Travel.

Did you know you can fast travel to any Inquisition camp you’ve set up on a map? And from anywhere on a map you can fast travel to other World Map locations?

Abuse it. Sometimes a horse just isn’t fast enough. Sometimes, teleporting from camp to camp is the only way to go.