Dragon Age Origins...Bug in acquiring specialization while leveling up?

[GloatingSwine]

You can technically get Blood Magic in a non-bastardy way if you have Master Coercion and okay Strength, enough to make the highest intimidation check in the game. It's what I did, since getting it normally would otherwise have frightened me off.

Irving: "Now remember, desire demons like to tempt people with offers. Don't bargain with demons, it never works out."
Me: "I understand, master. I won't bargain with it."
*steps into the Fade*
Me: "Welp, he didn't say anything about not extorting demons!"
*finds demon*
Demon: "You're pretty strong, so I doubt I could take you in a fight. Tell you what, how about I leave for a while, and only come back later?"
Me: "I have a better idea. I'm here, you can't beat me, so you're going to leave the kid. Permanently, end of discussion. Now, what will you give me so I don't rip you apart?"

On the other hand, Blood Magic is a terrible specialisation so who really got the last laugh there?

 

[Denamic]

On the other hand, Blood Magic is a terrible specialisation so who really got the last laugh there?

wut?
What are you on about? Blood magic is crazy powerful.

 

[GloatingSwine]

On the other hand, Blood Magic is a terrible specialisation so who really got the last laugh there?

wut?
What are you on about? Blood magic is crazy powerful.

Not compared to literally everything else a mage can do in Dragon Age.

Arcane Warrior with stacked defensive buffs? Invincible.

Freeze and shatter for instant kills, cc and destroy whole rooms at once from range.

Or a single target puppet spell or a worse AoE than the ones you alraedy have, and a mode that lets you cast from HP but you;re a mage and almost certainly stack MP not HP anyway.

 

[Denamic]

On the other hand, Blood Magic is a terrible specialisation so who really got the last laugh there?

wut?
What are you on about? Blood magic is crazy powerful.

Not compared to literally everything else a mage can do in Dragon Age.

Arcane Warrior with stacked defensive buffs? Invincible.

Freeze and shatter for instant kills, cc and destroy whole rooms at once from range.

Or a single target puppet spell or a worse AoE than the ones you alraedy have, and a mode that lets you cast from HP but you;re a mage and almost certainly stack MP not HP anyway.

Worse AoE? It's basically an AoE crushing prison that doesn't affect allies. It's the most powerful form of crowd control in the game. It is GLORIOUS on nightmare mode. Blood Magic is extremely powerful. If you don't think so, you're simply not using it right. Or you're trying to be a blood mage without having any HP.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Thanks for your informative post. I think you might be able to answer some questions that have been bothering me for some time. Actually, I finished the Arl of Redcliffe quest before the Broken Circle quest.The reason being that the Circle of MAgi was not accessible on the map. Only after completing the Arl of REdcliffe quest, did I realize that first you have to go to Lake Calenhad and then to the Circle. If I had known this before, I would have first gone to the Circle of Magi. And before going into the fade, I wasn't very attentive during the conversation between Jowan and Isolode (spelling may be incorrect). I assumed that oeither Isolode or Connor has to be sacrficed. After the Arl of Redcliffe quest, I completed the Broken circle quest. But neither was I able to save Irving nor take the help of mages. Is it because I had already completed the Arl of Redcliffe quest?

I hope Carrington gave the right answer, because I'm honestly not sure. Once Jowan hinted that there was a way to finish the Arl quest without having to kill someone, I leaped at the chance (I already knew I wanted Blood Magic, but it would have left a bad taste if I'd sacrificed someone to get it), and I saved Irving on my first try. Those two quests are essentially all of the game I've beaten so far (plus some of the DLCs).

On the other hand, Blood Magic is a terrible specialisation so who really got the last laugh there?

I've been laughing with delight since I got it, and without even using it to total capacity (I refuse to use Blood Sacrifice). As soon as I get Spirit Healer my concept will be complete.

 

[Sarge034]

Thanks for your informative post. I think you might be able to answer some questions that have been bothering me for some time. Actually, I finished the Arl of Redcliffe quest before the Broken Circle quest.The reason being that the Circle of MAgi was not accessible on the map. Only after completing the Arl of REdcliffe quest, did I realize that first you have to go to Lake Calenhad and then to the Circle. If I had known this before, I would have first gone to the Circle of Magi. And before going into the fade, I wasn't very attentive during the conversation between Jowan and Isolode (spelling may be incorrect). I assumed that oeither Isolode or Connor has to be sacrficed. After the Arl of Redcliffe quest, I completed the Broken circle quest. But neither was I able to save Irving nor take the help of mages. Is it because I had already completed the Arl of Redcliffe quest?

I hope Carrington gave the right answer, because I'm honestly not sure. Once Jowan hinted that there was a way to finish the Arl quest without having to kill someone, I leaped at the chance (I already knew I wanted Blood Magic, but it would have left a bad taste if I'd sacrificed someone to get it), and I saved Irving on my first try. Those two quests are essentially all of the game I've beaten so far (plus some of the DLCs).

There is a way to link these two quests for the "best" ending (and no, doing the Earl of Redcliff mission first has no bearing on the Circle quest). You have to save the circle first, keep Irving alive during the final boss fight, NOT pick the Templar "solution", and pick the help of the mages so you don't have to use blood magic to enter the fade saving Isolde's life. You then have to kill (for the true hero feels) or intimidate (for the good guy feels) or bargain with the demon (but one could assume you're just postponing the inevitable death of Connor and everyone in Redcliff) to save Connor's life. They even have a rather heartwarming slide for their family at the end of the game if you save the entire family (will make sense once you beat it).

What platform are you playing it on Arch Demon? Just a curiosity.