Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)

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Achievements

Complete the following achievements to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points.

AchievementHow to unlock
Annulment Invoker ( 20 points )Sided with the templars in "Broken Circle".
Archmage ( 25 points )Main character achieved level 20 as a mage.
Bhelen's Ally ( 20 points )Sided with Bhelen in "A Paragon of Her Kind".
Blight-Queller ( 25 points )Killed 1000 darkspawn.
Bloodied ( 10 points )Completed an origin story without the main character ever falling in battle.
Bully ( 10 points )Succeeded at five difficult Intimidate attempts.
Casteless ( 10 points )Completed the Dwarf Commoner origin story.
Ceremonialist ( 20 points )Defied the Cult of Andraste in "The Urn of Sacred Ashes".
Conscripted ( 10 points )Completed the City Elf origin story.
Corrupted ( 10 points )Completed the Dalish Elf origin story.
Easy Lover ( 10 points )Experienced the thrill of romance with Zevran.
Educated ( 15 points )Used a tome to improve the main character's attributes, talents, spells, or skills.
Elite ( 30 points )Main character learned two specializations.
First Knight ( 10 points )Experienced the thrill of romance with Alistair.
Grey Warden ( 20 points )Killed 100 darkspawn.
Harrowed ( 10 points )Completed the Magi origin story.
Harrowmont's Ally ( 20 points )Sided with Harrowmont in "A Paragon of Her Kind".
Heavy Hitter ( 10 points )Main character inflicted 250 damage with a single hit.
Hero of Redcliffe ( 20 points )Completed "The Arl of Redcliffe".
Hopelessly Romantic ( 25 points )Across all playthroughs, experienced all possible romances.
Kinslayer ( 10 points )Completed the Dwarf Noble origin story.
Last of Your Line ( 10 points )Completed the Human Noble origin story.
Last of the Wardens ( 20 points )Completed Ostagar.
Liberator ( 20 points )Destroyed the Anvil of the Void.
Magic Sympathizer ( 20 points )Sided with the mages in "Broken Circle".
Master Warden ( 25 points )Killed 500 darkspawn.
Master of Arms ( 25 points )Main character achieved level 20 as a warrior.
Menacing ( 20 points )Succeeded at 10 difficult Intimidate attempts.
Mercenary ( 20 points )Complete 15 job-board quests.
Perfectionist ( 50 points )Across all playthroughs, discovered all possible endings.
Persuasive ( 10 points )Succeeded at five difficult Persuasion attempts.
Pilgrim ( 10 points )Completed a Chanter's Board quest.
Poacher ( 20 points )Sided with the elves in "Nature of the Beast".
Pragmatist ( 20 points )Preserved the Anvil of the Void.
Rabble-Rouser ( 20 points )Completed "The Landsmeet".
Recruiter ( 25 points )Across all playthroughs, recruited all party members.
Sacrilegious ( 20 points )Sided with the Cult of Andraste in "The Urn Of Sacred Ashes".
Shadow ( 25 points )Main character achieved level 20 as a rogue.
Silver Tongued ( 20 points )Succeeded at 25 difficult Persuasion attempts.
Slayer ( 20 points )Sided with the werewolves in "Nature of the Beast".
Standard-Bearer ( 20 points )Used the Grey Warden treaties to recruit all possible allies.
Tinkerer ( 10 points )Crafted an item.
Traveler ( 35 points )Set foot in every area in the game.
Veteran ( 25 points )Main character learned a specialization.
Wine, Woman, and Song ( 10 points )Experienced the thrill of romance with Leliana.
Witch Gone Wild ( 10 points )Experienced the thrill of romance with Morrigan.

Achievements: Return to Ostagar

Complete the following achievement to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points.

AchievementHow to unlock
In War, Victory ( 25 points )Defeated the ogre that killed King Calin.

Achievements: The Stone Prisoner

Complete the following achievements to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points.

AchievementHow to unlock
Rock and a Hard Place ( 25 points )Completed "The Golem in Honnleath".
Stone's Lament ( 25 points )Completed "A Golem's Memories".

Achievements: Warden's Keep

Complete the following achievements to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points.

AchievementHow to unlock
Diabolist ( 25 points )Took advantage of Avernus's research.
Master of the Peak ( 25 points )Completed "Soldier's Peak".

Armed Mages

Mages are not just magic casters, Once you have acquired the Arcane Warrior style you can easily exchange the strength of armor and weapons to wield or wear them for Magic. You can now use spells and a sword. Do not worry about taking physical damage because of the armor. You do not have to keep your distance and use all the spells desired and still get up close with your enemies. Note: This ability is obtained in the "Nature Of The Beast" quest with the Dalish Elves. You must go into the temple and find a vial that seems odd. A short cinematic starts and it speaks to you. After a long series of questioning, it offers to pass on its talents of an arcane warrior to you and your party in exchange for its freedom.

Bonus items

Register an account on the Electronic Arts web site that is linked to your profile in Dragon Age: Origins. Play the Dragon Age Journeys mini-game at www.dragonagejourneys.com. Complete the indicated task in Dragon Age Journeys to unlock the corresponding item in Dragon Age: Origins.

Amulet Of the War Mage: Sign in to your EA account in Dragon Age Journeys.
Embri's Many Pockets: Save the Grey Warden Martine by completing The Missing Warden quest.
Helm Of The Deep: Unlock all five achievements in Dragon Age Journeys: The Deep Roads.

Duplicate items

This glitch will work for gear, ingredients, potions, and other things. For it to work, you will first need at least two of the item you want more of. For example, you can start with two Greater Injury Kits and you can end up with 99, or sometimes even more of them. This glitch is essentially the same as the "Easy gold" glitch. As with that, it is easiest to only have the items you want to copy in both your and the merchant's "Junk" inventory. This speeds things up, and helps organize things. Put at least two of the item you want to copy into the "Junk" section of your bag. Go to any merchant and press Y to sell all of the junk in your bag. Then, select the item from the merchant's side. Buy back all but one of the item. Next, select it when it is in your inventory again. Press Y then immediately press A. This requires precise timing like the "Easy gold" glitch, but becomes simple to do after a few times. Keep repeating the process until you have 99 of the item. Some items will show in the merchant's inventory as being one row of 99, then another of different number (for example, 22). Sometimes the extra items can be taken and they keep; at other times they will vanish from your inventory. Be careful about taking the correct row. Once again, with correct timing it will be fairly easy. This may require a few attempts. If you have the Warden's Keep downloadable content, you can store unlimited items so you will always have more if you ever run out and do not feel like doing this again. This glitch should also work with books that add Skill or Talent points. If you get any of those, hold out until you have two of them so you can make unlimited copies and max out your characters.

Use the following trick to duplicate Bodan's inventory. When first leaving Lothering you are automatically sent to party camp. If you use the "Easy gold" glitch, you can buy any item from Bodan then travel to any location and return to camp and he will still have it. This is useful to get two copies of the Veshialle Axe, Spellward Necklace, Bard's Dancing Shoes and multiple physical and arcane spellbooks very early in the game.

Easy "Silver Tongued" achievement

In Orzammar, there is a man in the Chamber of Assembly by the name of Vartag. Speak with him about earning Lord Behlen's trust. He should give you papers that state that Lord Harrowmont sold the same piece of land to two people. After he gives you the papers, go to the Shaperate in the Diamond Quarter. It is at the opposite end of the entrance to the Commons. Once you are in the Shaperate, talk to the Shaperate and give him the papers. He will tell you that they are forged. After that, return to Vartag and tell him the papers are forged. After you have done this, there is a Persuade line in which you can say. You can do this as many times as desired. Note: It helps if you have a high Coercion skill or high Cunning. Also, if you made a Dwarf Commoner, your sister will take you directly to Vartag once you have entered the Diamond Quarter.

Easy experience

To get more experience points earlier in the game, as soon as you leave Lothering, go to the city of Denerim. Once there, you will find a building named "Wonders of Thedas". Go inside it and purchase the Archivist's Belt. As long as it is equipped, you will get an experience point boost for everything in your Codex. Books will increase from 50 experience points to 75 experience points.

Easy gold

There is a way to get gold fairly quickly with minimal effort. Place your most expensive item into the junk section in your inventory. Go to a merchant, go to the "Junk" section, highlight your expensive item and press Y very quickly followed by A. If done correctly, your item will be sold at twice its value. Buy it back, and repeat the process. It may require a few attempts, but if done correctly it will work well. It is best if you use two fingers, with one on Y and another on A so you can press them almost simultaneously. It is recommended that you either do this with a merchant with whom you have not sold any junk before, or buy back all the junk you previously sold. This speeds up the process enough so that you can double the gold as fast as possible. Also, if the merchant has an item more expensive than the one you are selling, buy it and use that instead to increase the amount of gold you get. If you have the Blood Dragon Plate, this can be done easily at the first merchant.

Easy money

You can buy two packs from the quartermaster when you begin the Grey Warden Joining (once before you go in the wilds and once you come out). Once you have them, you should have 100 item spaces in your inventory. Collect everything during the main and side quests. When you find a merchant or someone possibly to trade, do it. Keep adding more to your inventory space. A pack is 10 spaces extra, but prices tend to vary from those you buy. The quartermaster in the beginning sells them at the same price. The dwarf merchant that follows your party to camp varies. The quartermaster at The Tower of Magi has one for a heavy price, but it is worth it because you can hold more items and sell more as you see fit. By doing this you can make a lot of coin by mid-game. What you buy and sell depends on the coin you get to carry through the game.

Free Specialization Books

Save the game, then purchase a Specialization Book from a vendor. The message "Specialization Unlocked" will appear. Load your saved game file. You will have regained the gold you spent for the book, but the specialization will still be unlocked.

When you first get to your party camp, you will see Bodahn Fennick, the Dwarf trader. Speak to him and check his wares. Looking through, you will see the two specialization books, Ranger and Templar. Save the game, then buy one. It will unlock that specialty. Reload your game and buy the other one. You will now have both specialties unlocked and still retain your gold after reloading your game twice. This works every specialty book.

Free storage

When in Lothering, travel towards a bridge on the edge of town. There will be a bridge where a Dwarven father and son will be getting attacked. If you save them and are kind to them, they will be in your party's camp when you arrive shortly afterwards. They are merchants, and the son is an enchanting savant. The father has good items to start. Go to him and buy them, using the "Easy gold" glitch if needed. He never seems to lose what you sell him. You can essentially use him as free storage. This works well for players without the Warden's Keep downloaded content's bottomless chest, or if you just do not feel like always having to travel to Soldier's Peak to retrieve your excess inventory.

Free tier 4 mages staff

Use the following trick to get some items and gifts before you leave the castle. When playing as a human noble, after you go to your brother Fergus' room but before you leave, to go to bed ask your dog "Do you see anything interesting?". If he brings nothing back, ask him again. By doing this you will obtain the following items:

Piece of wood, which is a tier 4 mage staff that has a +1 Constitution and +10% Nature Resistance.
Found cake.
Dirty pair of pantaloons.
Tangled ball of yarn
Bottle of Garbolg's backcountry reserve.
Greenstone or elfroot.
Unique but seemingly useless Codex entry.

Gold for Potion

First buy the potent lyrium potion recipe at Wonders of Thedas in the Capitol, then buy lyrium dust at Circletower. Then buy flasks, concentrator component and distillition fluid at Party Camp. Use a character with master herbalism to create the potion and sell it at Gorim Stall in market district. You get 99 potions for 245 gold every time. Patience is the key here because you will have to repeat the process until you decide you have enough gold.

Gold for Traps

In Lotering, one woman ask you for traps. Go to the tavern and buy components for it. Make 3 traps and give them to woman. She give you 50 silver coins and some exp. Then again make 3 traps and give it to the woman. She again will give you money and exp.

Increasing approval

Sometimes your party might not care for you or bluntly tells you that they could be off better somewhere else. This can be changed easily. Each item that has "Gift" beside it can be given to a party member. You cannot give one to your own character. For example, some of the demon things that you get in your travels (like the totem or demon statue) can be given to Sten. You will get at least a 5+ approval. Each item varies from person to person. Some are meant more for others. You must learn which item fits what person.

How you choose to talk to a character can determine approval ratings. Some are minor changes, but still will be closer to the liking side or disgusted side however you so choose. The hardest two that you can speak to are Sten and Morhgan. Keep in mind that they can be persuaded. Sometimes the correct words can lead to a loving moment and others to a long argument or a discussion especially for learning about them. That is what takes the longest time. The only one you really never have to worry about is the Mabari of the group, or the dog in most cases. It will love you no matter what and will stay loyal to the end. Give it a treat for being such a good loyal character.

Item set bonuses

Equip the indicated item set to get the corresponding bonus.

Item Set 1: Griffon: Immunity to Flanking
Item Set 2: Effort: -10% Fatigue
Item Set 3: Juggernaut Plate: +3 Strength +3 Constitution
Item Set 4: Imperium Rings: +2 Armor
Item Set 5: Legion of the Dead: +3 Damage +3 Constitution
Item Set 6: Dalish Leather: +5 Defense
Item Set 7: Duster Leather: +2 Armor
Item Set 8: Wade's Drakeskin: -10% Fatigue
Item Set 9: Wade's Dragonskin: -25% Fatigue
Item Set 10: Wade's Dragonscale: -20% Fatigue
Item Set 11: Wade's Dragonbone Plate: -10% Fatigue
Item Set 12: Leather Armor: -5% Fatigue
Item Set 13: Studded Leather Armor: +1 Defense
Item Set 14: Chainmail: -2.5% Fatigue
Item Set 15: Scale Armor: +4.5 Defense vs. Missiles
Item Set 16: Splint Mail: +1 Armor
Item Set 17: Dwarven Medium Armor: +1 Armor
Item Set 18: Ancient Elven Armor: +5 Defense
Item Set 19: Ceremonial Armor: +6 Defense vs. Missiles
Item Set 20: Diligence: +5 Willpower
Item Set 21: Dwarven Heavy Armor: +1 Armor
Item Set 22: Heavy Chainmail: -3% Fatigue
Item Set 23: Chevalier Armor: +3 Willpower +3 Constitution
Item Set 24: Commander's Plate: +5 Willpower
Item Set 25: Dwarven Massive Armor: +2 Armor
Item Set 26: Heavy Plate: +7.5 Defense vs. Missiles
Item Set 27: Wade's Superior Drakeskin: -10% Fatigue +5 Defense
Item Set 28: Wade's Superior Dragonskin: -25% Fatigue +5 Defense
Item Set 29: Wade's Superior Dragonscale: -20% Fatigue +5 Defense
Item Set 30: Wade's Superior Dragonbone Plate: -10% Fatigue +5 Defense
Secret: Warden's Commander: +? Health +? Strength
Secret: Armor Of The River Dane Set: +6 Willpower +1 Cunning +6 Attack +4 Defense

Leveling Up Early in the Game

In Ostargar, there is a mission called Tainted Blood. Simply collect the three Vials of Darkspawn Blood but NOT the Grey Warden Treaties. Return to camp and talk to Duncan and report "We have the blood, but not the scrolls." This will exit out of the conversation, but WILL get the experience for the mission. Rinse and repeat until you are at the desired level. It takes very little time to shoot up to lvl 25(cap) if you press X to skip the conversations and speed up the process.

Mass Effect reference

You can find a book in the Orzammar underground section "The Dead Trenches", near the "Legionnaire Shrine" at the end of a broken bridge. The book is called "Load Limit Reached". The first line reads "'Mass will have an effect," he says. It mentions a Dwarf named Shepard, the same name as the main character of Mass Effect.

Ostagar: Extra backpack

Upon arriving at Ostagar, purchase the Backpack from the Quartermaster. Note: You should have enough money if you collected sell-able items and gear from the beginning storyline. Complete the quest where you and the other recruits enter into the Wilds. Note: Make sure you explore the entire map. Complete the "Joining" ritual and become a Grey Warden. Before going to attend the meeting with Duncan and the King, return to the Quartermaster. There should be another Backpack available at the same price as earlier.

Portal reference

Note: You must have Sten in your party for this to work. At the end of the game, if you choose to perform the ritual with Morrigan, you will go to the crowning of the new king or queen. After the dialogue with Alistair you can walk around and speak with your companions. Find Sten and he will say "Where is the cake? They promised there would be cake. The cake is a lie..."

Redcliffe: Possessed child

Eventually once you reach Redcliffe, there will be an option to enter the boy, aside from killing him and confronting the demon inside of the boy. Do not kill the boy. You will not gain much from his death and most likely your allies will disapprove. Instead, choose the option to enter the boy and let the Blood Mage do his ritual. Once you are inside, talk to the father. Once this is done, you must talk to the child "Possessed" and kill the demon inside him multiple times. Once you reach a certain part where you do not talk to the child, but the demon straightforward, try to converse with her. Conversing with her will get you more than just killing her. She will request that in exchange for her life, and the permission to enter the boy's body again in the near future, she will offer you gifts. One is a new specialization. Another is a certain rare item, armor, or weapon. Finally, is pleasure. Pleasure should not be an option, as it does not give you anything in exchange, not even an intimate scene. Select either the item or the specialization. However if you truly do not want to obtain anything useful, kill her. Killing her alone results in the same experience you would get from killing the boy, not to mention the previous times you have also killed her.

Secret Achievements

Complete the following achievements to unlock Xbox Live Gamerscore points.

AchievementHow to unlock
A Dark Promise ( 50 points )Defeated the archdemon and, through a dark ritual with Morrigan, spared your own life.
Defender ( 20 points )Preserved the lives of half the troops at Denerim's Gates in "The Final Battle".
Dragonslayer ( 30 points )Defeated the dragon guarding the Urn of Sacred Ashes.
The Ultimate Sacrifice ( 50 points )Made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of Ferelden.

Specialization classes

Note: Specialization points are obtained at levels 7 and 14.

Mage
Arcane Warrior: In the "Nature of the Beast" quest line, you will find a place in Brecilian Ruins where a spirit is trapped inside something. Set the spirit free and ask it to teach you the specialization.
Blood Mage: In "Arl of Redcliffe" quest line, choose to go into the Fade. Instead of killing the Desire Demon, negotiate with her. When given a reward, choose to learn Blood Magic.
Shapeshifter: Learn from Morrigan (companion) when approval is high enough; or Varathorn (Dalish Camp).
Spirit Healer: Learn from Wynne (companion); or manual from Wanders of Thedas in Denerim (after Landsmeet starts).

Rogue
Assassin: Learn from Zevran (companion) when approval is high enough; or bought from Alarith's Store (Denerim, after Landsmeet starts).
Bard: Learn from Leliana (companion) when approval is high enough; or Alimar (Orzammar).
Duelist: Learn from Isabela (The Pearl in Denerim) if your DEX is high enough to catch her cheating and make her teach you.
Ranger: Learn from Bodann's Wares (Party Camp).

Warrior
Berserker: Learn from Oghren (companion) when approval is high enough; or manual bought from Gorim at Denerim Market.
Champion: Choose to accept reward form Arl Eamon after completing the "Sacred Urn Of Ashes" quest line.
Reaver: Meet with Kolgrim in the Wyrmling Lair just before the mountain top and help him with his task. Pour dragon's blood on the ashes. Note: If Wynne and Leliana are in your party they will join the Guardian in their fight against you.
Templar: Learn from Alistair (companion) when approval is high enough; or Bodahn's Wares (Party Camp).

Superman reference

The following is a random event that happens while traveling on the world map. You will encounter a farmer and his wife who find a baby in a meteor crash, just after it happens. They decide to take the baby and raise it as their own. You will get the Meteor Ore that the baby came in. It can be made into armor by Wade in Denerim. Your best chance of getting this event is from one of the Chantry Board mission in Redcliffe. Travel straight from Redcliffe to Refugees.

Unlimited experience

If you use the "Easy gold" glitch and amass a fortune in gold, you can basically get unlimited experience. When you save the life of the Arl of Redcliffe, a soldier of his will appear in your party's camp. There will be a box for donating to the army. Enter the screen, and the first option is to donate 30 gold. You can do this as many times as desired and gain a good amount of experience from each donation. If you just keep pressing A then X repeatedly, you will be quickly donating large sums of gold, skipping through the dialog screens, and earning a lot of experience. If you run low on gold, repeat the "Easy gold" glitch again at the merchant in your camp. Note: Be careful with this. Enemies will also level as you do. If you get too high of a level and do not have the correct equipment, you can be quickly defeated.

Note: This only works in the unpatched version of the game. In Ostargar, there is a mission called "Tainted Blood" that takes place immediately before you become a Grey Warden. Collect the three Vials of Darkspawn Blood but not the Grey Warden Treaties. Return to camp, talk to Duncan, and report "We have the blood, but not the scrolls." This will exit out of the conversation, but will give you the experience for the mission. Repeat those steps until you are at the desired level. It takes very little time to reach the maximum of level 25 skip the conversations and speed up the process.

In Lothering, immediately run to the right upon exiting Dane's Refuge. There will be a quest giver by the name of Allison. She will ask you to make traps for her. She requires three traps for the quest. Upon completion, you will receive a moderate amount of experience and 50 Silvers. Take advantage of this, because the quest is repeatable and will no longer be exploitable as you progress in the game. To do this, go back into Dane's Refuge and purchase Trap Triggers. He has an unlimited supply of them. Assuming you have Trap Making, create Spring Traps. Spring Traps only cost approximately 3 Silvers to create, and she requires three traps per turn in. Therefore it only costs you roughly 9 Silver for the quest. She will reward you with 41 Silvers profit per turn in, not to mention the experience that comes along with it. Note: Take advantage of this exploit because Lothering will be unavailable to you as your progress in the game.