Triam was the eldest of the three Aeducan sons. The unnamed 'sibling' in the journal is the playable Dwarf Noble middle child. The dead dwarf in prison in the Carta hideout is the playable Dwarf 'Commoner' character. Both of these end up dead/lost without Duncan's intervention, as he'll always be where the player character is when you've finished creating your character.
@@ManyATrueNerd He's a character in the Dwarven Commoner Origin iirc. His dead friend would be the Dwarven Commoner Warden who manages to escape instead of dying if you play that origin.
Well I think you're doing a wonderful job with this playthrough, Jon. It's so easy to be all "Oh Jon, you forgot this" or "Oh Jon you really shouldn't have done that" but I'm going to say Jon, it's so nice to see you enjoying yourself. Well done, have a cookie.
A blight might relieve the pressure on the dwarves in the short term, but it's not in their long-term interest to let it go on. If nothing else, they'd eventually face a two-front war when the darkspawn attacked from the surface, too.
Hence why the dwarves (somewhat reluctantly) always help during a Blight. It probably helps that the Grey Wardens are such firm allies of the dwarves, and that the Wardens help Orzammar so much.
Hey Jon, there are two things you can easily miss in Orzammar - try taking Leliana into the city, and also you should re-read the 'Caged in Stone' codex entry before you appoint the king, there's something fun if you follow the text's instructions
@dragongrandmaster I was super sleep deprived when I wrote that, okay? (also, if you just skim the entry, it's pretty easy to miss that there are any - I did the first time I played)
@@obiwankenny1966 and why I love the series.. It's a game where the player gets to interpret what they see and experience. Many may choose not to read every scrap of lore, their character in RPG might just one that rushes headlong making impulsive decisions. Seeing Jon make those judgements is just part of the fun.
@@darronpreston2098 I think the problem isn't his jumping to conclusions per se, but the fact he makes those assumtions based on genre/videogame clichés, thinking he's being clever and ahead of the game. Which is everything else but roleplay. But you're right, it isn't only annoying, it's sometimes funny, almost absurd too
I wouldn't exactly describe the Deep Roads as a nightmare, but it is a very long series of dungeons. Make sure to bring tons of potions and as much free inventory space as you can manage. There is A LOT of loot down there.
Honestly it would be underwhelming if this area was too short given how much the deep roads is built up in Dwarven lore in game. It's supposed to be a huge place representing the entire Dwarven kingdom. Iirc, it was supposed to go underneath several countries like Orlais as well.
Frankly I think the dwarves are the coolest piece of the dragon age world building. With their massive deep road global empire nearly entirely collapsed and partially forgotten thanks to the darkspawn hordes all the way to their inability to use magic because they do not dream. The most interesting race in the series by far (in my humble opinion anyway)
Yep and there's some pretty interesting stuff regarding them in one of the DAI DLCs as well, though that met with mixed reception by some. I just really like to look of Orzammar. I could definitely see myself hanging out in the bar there and then going for strolls in the magma-lit main hall. Although lichen beer doesn't sound great...
I feel like them and the Dalish are both interesting, but they explored more into the Dwarves than the Dalish history. Hope they eventually go into both a bit more if they ever finally get around to making a 4th game.
As you’ve done one of them, and effectively excluded the other, I can talk about it now: I just want to say, I adore the subtle storytelling of the initial missions Bhelen and Harrowmont give you. It tells you a lot about their methods and personalities. Harrowmont wants you to sort out the proving for him. A traditional event, and ultimately symbolic. It won’t earn him any confirmed votes, it’s just a general approval based on the „favor of the Ancestors“. Bhelen’s own interference is blackmailing the fighter’s to refuse fighting. You are not supposed to help them win, only to get them to fight. Winning the Proving for him is more of a bonus. Bhelen’s mission is about getting two important votes on the election to his side directly. The evidence that makes this possible is dubious to say the least, but effective enough to give reason for shifting the votes, if only to avoid humiliation. Harrowmont doesn’t even really factor in. He’s made deals to buy votes for territory, but as far as we can tell, he’s not short-changing people. Bhelen’s actively trying to claim more votes for himself, and away from Harrowmont. Turning two Houses to his side, while also accusing Harrowmont of deceit, he also has a chance of making other Houses doubt their deals with Harrowmont. Harrowmont is full on traditional and doesn’t engage much in intrigue, as much as a Dwarf noble can, anyway. He’s relying on traditional and passive methods. Well known and predictable. Bhelen is fully willing to engage in dubious tactics to earn himself an advantage, and he’s very good at it. He’s proactive in his attempts to claim the throne, paying little attention to tradition or „Dwarven honor.“ There is more to it than just that, of course. But it's a great intro to these characters.
Yeah, I think whats interesting is how they subvert some of the tropes. Harrowmont is the ‘good guy’ in terms of tactics, but an arsehole when it comes to his policies, although they dont make a big deal of this. Bhelen is an scumbag in his deceit and double dealings, especially if you are a dwarf noble, but he has genuinely progressive policies. There is no easy answer to who you should help, which makes it super interesting. Compare that to the other choices in the game where the good vs bad choices are pretty clear cut.
Try starting out with Harrowmont and switching to Bhelen. You get the betrayed from within quest. Bhelen has you plant evidence on Jarvia linking the Carta to Harrowmont's family.
Not even sure where he was getting this LOL. The letter implies she's a very subservient girl, yet Jon thinks she can claw her way up to the top of a fearsome criminal organization.
@@ManyATrueNerd Lol, we love Jon's ability to weave incomprehensibly Machiavellian schemes and plots whole cloth out of innocuous details. It's fantastic!
I wasn't expecting Leske's cameo on the prison, I always pick Dwarf Commoner so never crossed my mind that "me" would die on an alternate timeline and he would still be in jail but is nice to see my sister is still having a good life at least.
I have to admit, DA:O feels like the game where almost one hour episodes feel like nothing. Like it feels like Naruto would somehow get its through its storyline faster than this series is.
The Jarvia fight is pretty tough on nightmare mode. The traps instantly kill you, she tends to stealth and ambush you a lot. The assassin's apply injuries, and the enemies keep coming.
I love how in the last episode the historian said that one golem could take out any four dwarves, as though it was a fact everyone knew, yet you still keep being attacked. It's as if they all see you coming and say, "Look here, boys, if there were just four of us it would all be up, but with five here we can definitely take that golem. It's not like the mage, the templar and the grey warden will do anything..."
By the way, if one of your party is the victim of a crushing prison, you can actually destroy it by casting forcefield on them. But be careful when you do this, it will create a shockwave in the process knocking down everyone around the afflicted party member, including your own party.
I remember first playing DAO and thinking "Oh this won't be long" when I first encountered the dwarves...all I can say is that they did a masterful job. Another reason is still one of my all time favourites.
(5:55) There are a few ways to improve items found early in the game to have a higher base level. The easiest is to store them in a chest at Warden's Peak.
Harrowmont is actually a nice guy, but he's a staunch traditionalist who stands for same old same old, which for the dwarves means a rigid and unpleasant caste system and a dying city that will inevitably fall to the darkspawn someday. Bhelen is a first-class bastard as a person and is an any means necessary type, but his policies are more likely to move the dwarves forward. He seems to actually care about the removal or at least weakening of the caste system (at least that comes across in the dwarven peasant storyline) and he seems to have other ideas to push his people forward rather than continuing their stagnation/decline. It's an interesting choice actually, the conflict between a likeable person whose policies will perpetuate oppression, or a bastard who will at least fight for progress.
@40:05 Leske: Thank you. We've been down here... it's been so long. M-My friend didn't make it. Just stopped eating one day and... All for a stupid bet! This moment in the game made my jaw drop. When you start a new game, you're not just choosing which race you want to play as in the character creation, you're also choosing where Duncan will go for potential recruits. This line from Leske is meant to showcase that all the possible wardens that you can create via their race selection (Or mage class) all actually exist. This dead friend of Leske is the 'Dwarven Commoner'. If Jon had gone as a Dwarven Commoner, Duncan would have gone to Orzammar instead of Highever. This would have resulted in the 'Human Noble' (Character that Jon is playing here) getting killed during Rendon Howe's betrayal.
The Dwarven commoner escapes from the carta jail when you're playing them though. Duncan only saves them after they get back to the commons. And if we assume that they got captured again because Duncan wasn't there, it would be silly for the authorities to bring that character all the way back to the carta jail of all places.
"Sooner or later, they're gonna learn, you don't run up to me and say "Haha, your going to die, I'm so much better than you" Because, I just kill you" How to teach bad guys to stop attacking you is by killing them so no one learns how good you are at fighting. Gotta love that Jon level logic.
It doesn't matter if the letters you have are forged or not. Both nobles confirmed that the papers describe lands promised to them by Harrowmont, and that they are the same area for both.
@@rpbuilds although both games systems are better than inquisition’s; you need to take a peek that is tied to the inquisition level up to get rouges to unlock anything while warriors and mages have no limits
Harrowmont does want to maintain the class system, so yes, he is absolutely that level of bastard. Like, he wants to make the class system even stronger. It's kind of nuts.
I've seen it elsewhere but I think it's a really good idea worth reiterating. After you're done with DA:O, but before you jump into Awakenings, it would be interesting to see you do a video of the other origins you haven't done to help contextualize some things that you may miss during this run (especially the Orzammar sections)
I'm very much lookin forward to how Jon handles the decision at the end of the deep roads, morality might finally get completely tossed out the window 😂
The ability to make Golems is useful, but it's a lot like blood magic. I don't think will endorse it, or actually keep the events that would follow that course of action in his video.
I dunno man...if you're not playing a mage and you don't build up either Morrigan or Wynne in a cool way, the Deep Roads become more the nightmare I feel. At least the Fade is always easy...although playing through it on subsequent playthroughs is slightly boring.
So this episode happened to be one I wanted to watch and as my sister is home for the holidays she watched it to and got hooked both on Jon's letsplays and on dragon age as she loves Game of Thrones and found the paralels from Dragon Age origins interesting. I am now rewatching MATN's Skyrim series as she views it for the first time with me. (We just got to Ivarstead)
Pro Tip! Get that final dual-wield skill and place the sword in your off-hand! Dagger in the main hand means if you switch to dual-striking mode, you'll swing faster.
During my second playthrough, Orzammar was my first recruit mission, right after Denerim and some side-quests. That fight with Jarvia is a nightmare in early game, I had to leave and come back later to beat her. Even then, the final fight still was almost impossible for me.
I just love how he chooses to help the bad guy choice by accident even with accidentally unleashing abominations into the world some parts ago I just hope he plays the other dragon age games and see how his choices turned out
The spell anti-magic burst is what gets rid of curse of mortality, but it also gets rid of your spells. If you start the fight with mana clash, all the mages will be dead and you won't need to worry about it, anyway.
If slaughtering your way through the Carta or punchng a hole through the deep roads felt easy, it's beause this is late in the middle part of the game. This area can be accessed just as soon as you leave Lothering and the game doesn't discourage the player from doing so in any way. Only the comment section has hyped up Orzammar and the deep roads. It's entirely possible to tackle this part of the game right after getting out of Lothering and if you happen to play a dwarven character, there's good RP reasons to do so. As a result, the game has to account for a low level character stumbling through Orzammar and can't ramp up the difficulty up too much. The same tends to happen in a lot of Bioware games that open up in the middle. For example in Mass Effect, the last planet of Noveria/Feros/Therum will always be easier than the other two because the player has had time to level up.
This game while free to select any main quests in any order, does have order you are supposed to go to areas; redciffe, circle, temple, dalish, and dwarfs; it is also worth noting while you have to go to deirver to advance the temple, it is expected that you explore later
He gets smooshed pretty bad in my games. Compared to Alistair who tanks like a beast (he handled Jarvia with ease in Jon's video). I would get rid of Shale once he's done with the deep roads and go with Oghren. It's a shame not seeing the funniest character not being used. Or just have Shale tank (he's an awesome tank as well) and Oghren DPS.
@@JimmyMon666 it is probably because of all combat styles; two handed is easily the weakest one; slow and inaccurate, bad options, etc Also not exactly much left for him st this point
Funnily enough Curse of Mortality can be cured with Dwarven Regicide Antidote which you just concocted for that quest (it can be dispelled also). Out of note Vartag Gavorn has one of the best shields in game (Champion Shield which grants +15 Defence in total) which can be stealed up to 3 times. Good job on getting Key to the City - it is really powerful. I always go for it straight after Lothering as it basicaly grants 4 levels worth of non-scalable with enemies power. I also fear that you will run into bleeding DOT bug with Lacerate and Dual Wield passive because you don't have combat fix.
Still early in the video for me, but you just mentioned using two long swords. It looks cool, and won’t be such a hindrance as to keep from finishing or anything like that, but two daggers really is way more effective in combat. Oh, if you haven’t picked up the sustained ability momentum yet, grab it! It is a huge boost to your DPS with the extra hit speed.
Jon- Gets upset Harrmont's followers attack someone. Hey Jon remember when you entered the ciyty and Behlin's follower murdered someone in the street for objecting to him as king? That was cool then I take it?
Bioware when they made this series made the decision that to give the races more uniqueness dwarfs and I believe quania have American accents while humans and elves have British (thou I may have gotten a few of those backwards; in 2 they gave the dalish elves a welish accent and they removed this rule in inquisition
Jon's insistence to always bring up the possibility of forgeries with double dealings. I don't see how it could possibly be forgeries! If you go to a family and ask "Hey, did you get promised land for a vote?" and then go to the other guys and ask the same, you wouldn't even need the papers. How could a forgery create a conflict in this case!?
I am upset Jon did not show the dialogue when you leave the Carta hideout via the back entrance into Janars shop. If I didn't get to play the game myself I'd have no idea it was there. I'm not going to watch Jon play dragon age 2 or Inquisition since I probably won't get to play those. Sadly, I'll have to find someone else.
Jon, you think the Deep Roads are big now lolol. You'll see. Oddly, I prefer the caves in DAO. They were very extensive and I had to pause while getting through them at times, but there was a lot more going on in them that made them fun to explore.
Caridins cross is probably the most annoying in this game as you need to find one very specific exit to continue but not as bad as the backtracking in descent
@@dragongrandmaster DA2 really disappointed me with the dungeons. The story was great for me, but the dungeons were lacking. I'm hoping in DA4 they will make another hell dungeon like they did here.
Just want to say this now and hopefully the next part hasn't been recorded yet. BRING SHALE. BRING SHALE. BRING SHALE. I'm not going to be much more specific than that, just make sure that whatever party you put together for going to find Branka, it is of paramount importance that SHALE comes along.
"Sooner or later they are going to learn the don't run up to me and say Haha, I'm so much better than you". You mean all the dead people that all die will learn this lesson?
I can understand why people dislike the Deeproads, but I really like them. They are atmospheric (the good stuff is still to come) and the overview map alone is so promising. What is this tower? Does the dragon only means there is a dragon hoard or is there more behind it? What is the meaning behind the crossed axes?
Considering your appreciation of the classics, I wonder if you’ve noticed the similarities between the characters of this storyline and those of a period in antique Roman history, involving a certain honorable conservative and a power hungry reformer...
"Who is the pretty one?"
Shale, obviously.
The unmistakable truth.
I imagine all four were like; "Oh, no you will be dead before you touch me!"
Triam was the eldest of the three Aeducan sons. The unnamed 'sibling' in the journal is the playable Dwarf Noble middle child.
The dead dwarf in prison in the Carta hideout is the playable Dwarf 'Commoner' character.
Both of these end up dead/lost without Duncan's intervention, as he'll always be where the player character is when you've finished creating your character.
Well at least I rescued... whoever that other person in prison was.
@@ManyATrueNerd He's a character in the Dwarven Commoner Origin iirc. His dead friend would be the Dwarven Commoner Warden who manages to escape instead of dying if you play that origin.
@@ManyATrueNerd Your would-be temporary companion had you played as a Dwarf Commoner.
@@ManyATrueNerd The City Elf Origin actually involves the Riot in Alienage too.
Well I think you're doing a wonderful job with this playthrough, Jon. It's so easy to be all "Oh Jon, you forgot this" or "Oh Jon you really shouldn't have done that" but I'm going to say Jon, it's so nice to see you enjoying yourself. Well done, have a cookie.
If your having fun then your playing correctly
I like your comment, so I'll right a message INSTEAD of hitting that very NICE like button
A blight might relieve the pressure on the dwarves in the short term, but it's not in their long-term interest to let it go on. If nothing else, they'd eventually face a two-front war when the darkspawn attacked from the surface, too.
Not to mention it definitively means there's an Archdemon around, which is not good for just about anybody.
Hence why the dwarves (somewhat reluctantly) always help during a Blight. It probably helps that the Grey Wardens are such firm allies of the dwarves, and that the Wardens help Orzammar so much.
Also it sounds like they really rely on the trade from the surface, even if they are reluctant to admit it
Hey Jon, there are two things you can easily miss in Orzammar - try taking Leliana into the city, and also you should re-read the 'Caged in Stone' codex entry before you appoint the king, there's something fun if you follow the text's instructions
follow the texts instructions never knew that
@dragongrandmaster I was super sleep deprived when I wrote that, okay? (also, if you just skim the entry, it's pretty easy to miss that there are any - I did the first time I played)
"Lord Bhelen's impending marriage to a casteless proves his dedication to change! No dwarf is without worth, he has been heard to say!"
I'm glad this episode is almost an hour long, all these dwarves, I thought it would be a little short.
that's racist. Ding
Although... can it be racist if it's true. Dwarves are short. There are no tall dwarves in this game. 🙂
GO SHORT PEOPLE 💚With 🥈⚔️SWORD'Z🗡️😘
@@JimmyMon666 Iam not sure there are tall dwarves in any game or any "universe" where dwarfs are a thing :)
Oof
@@Haarba1 Only the Elder Scrolls.
Amazing watching Jon project unsupported conclusions onto characters in the game, e.g. Bhelen, with nary a scrap of evidence
I know, it's the reason I've lost interest in this series
@@obiwankenny1966 and why I love the series.. It's a game where the player gets to interpret what they see and experience. Many may choose not to read every scrap of lore, their character in RPG might just one that rushes headlong making impulsive decisions.
Seeing Jon make those judgements is just part of the fun.
@@darronpreston2098 I think the problem isn't his jumping to conclusions per se, but the fact he makes those assumtions based on genre/videogame clichés, thinking he's being clever and ahead of the game. Which is everything else but roleplay. But you're right, it isn't only annoying, it's sometimes funny, almost absurd too
I love that Jon’s walking around like, “WILL NO ONE TALK TO ME !?!?” And slaughtering waves of attackers. 😆
I wouldn't exactly describe the Deep Roads as a nightmare, but it is a very long series of dungeons. Make sure to bring tons of potions and as much free inventory space as you can manage. There is A LOT of loot down there.
Lol this is actually my favorite nightmare dungeon. Evey time I get to this section when replaying, I have to set aside hours just for it.
While it does go on longer than it should I like the fact that we are shown what the dark spawn are capable of and what will happen if we fail
@@Vikki_T I didn't even think of the terminology, but it does actually devolve into a literal nightmare down there.
Honestly it would be underwhelming if this area was too short given how much the deep roads is built up in Dwarven lore in game. It's supposed to be a huge place representing the entire Dwarven kingdom. Iirc, it was supposed to go underneath several countries like Orlais as well.
@@JimmyMon666 entire thedas actually and I agree it serves a purpose
Frankly I think the dwarves are the coolest piece of the dragon age world building. With their massive deep road global empire nearly entirely collapsed and partially forgotten thanks to the darkspawn hordes all the way to their inability to use magic because they do not dream. The most interesting race in the series by far (in my humble opinion anyway)
Yep and there's some pretty interesting stuff regarding them in one of the DAI DLCs as well, though that met with mixed reception by some.
I just really like to look of Orzammar. I could definitely see myself hanging out in the bar there and then going for strolls in the magma-lit main hall. Although lichen beer doesn't sound great...
I feel like them and the Dalish are both interesting, but they explored more into the Dwarves than the Dalish history.
Hope they eventually go into both a bit more if they ever finally get around to making a 4th game.
As you’ve done one of them, and effectively excluded the other, I can talk about it now:
I just want to say, I adore the subtle storytelling of the initial missions Bhelen and Harrowmont give you. It tells you a lot about their methods and personalities.
Harrowmont wants you to sort out the proving for him. A traditional event, and ultimately symbolic. It won’t earn him any confirmed votes, it’s just a general approval based on the „favor of the Ancestors“. Bhelen’s own interference is blackmailing the fighter’s to refuse fighting. You are not supposed to help them win, only to get them to fight. Winning the Proving for him is more of a bonus.
Bhelen’s mission is about getting two important votes on the election to his side directly. The evidence that makes this possible is dubious to say the least, but effective enough to give reason for shifting the votes, if only to avoid humiliation. Harrowmont doesn’t even really factor in. He’s made deals to buy votes for territory, but as far as we can tell, he’s not short-changing people. Bhelen’s actively trying to claim more votes for himself, and away from Harrowmont. Turning two Houses to his side, while also accusing Harrowmont of deceit, he also has a chance of making other Houses doubt their deals with Harrowmont.
Harrowmont is full on traditional and doesn’t engage much in intrigue, as much as a Dwarf noble can, anyway. He’s relying on traditional and passive methods. Well known and predictable.
Bhelen is fully willing to engage in dubious tactics to earn himself an advantage, and he’s very good at it. He’s proactive in his attempts to claim the throne, paying little attention to tradition or „Dwarven honor.“
There is more to it than just that, of course. But it's a great intro to these characters.
Yeah Bhelen is a bit of a bastard, but he's actually best for the whole of Dwarf society in terms of actual progress.
Yeah, I think whats interesting is how they subvert some of the tropes.
Harrowmont is the ‘good guy’ in terms of tactics, but an arsehole when it comes to his policies, although they dont make a big deal of this.
Bhelen is an scumbag in his deceit and double dealings, especially if you are a dwarf noble, but he has genuinely progressive policies.
There is no easy answer to who you should help, which makes it super interesting.
Compare that to the other choices in the game where the good vs bad choices are pretty clear cut.
Try starting out with Harrowmont and switching to Bhelen. You get the betrayed from within quest.
Bhelen has you plant evidence on Jarvia linking the Carta to Harrowmont's family.
Jon: "Rica might, MIGHT have been Jarvia the whole time."
Not even in the same ballpark.
Not even sure where he was getting this LOL. The letter implies she's a very subservient girl, yet Jon thinks she can claw her way up to the top of a fearsome criminal organization.
It seemed possible that a particularly sneaky criminal who wanted to rob the Royal Palace might do so by putting on an act to seduce a prince.
@@ManyATrueNerd Lol, we love Jon's ability to weave incomprehensibly Machiavellian schemes and plots whole cloth out of innocuous details. It's fantastic!
@@davididiart5934 Even Inquisition doesn't get that deep
I wasn't expecting Leske's cameo on the prison, I always pick Dwarf Commoner so never crossed my mind that "me" would die on an alternate timeline and he would still be in jail but is nice to see my sister is still having a good life at least.
I have to admit, DA:O feels like the game where almost one hour episodes feel like nothing. Like it feels like Naruto would somehow get its through its storyline faster than this series is.
The Jarvia fight is pretty tough on nightmare mode. The traps instantly kill you, she tends to stealth and ambush you a lot. The assassin's apply injuries, and the enemies keep coming.
Yep. Hard a f### but very fun with the right crowd control.
Being "instantly killed" by a trap is entirely dependent on how much health you have. The assassins have never applied injuries to me
30 sec into deep roads "this is manageable" give it a moment
I love how in the last episode the historian said that one golem could take out any four dwarves, as though it was a fact everyone knew, yet you still keep being attacked. It's as if they all see you coming and say, "Look here, boys, if there were just four of us it would all be up, but with five here we can definitely take that golem. It's not like the mage, the templar and the grey warden will do anything..."
To be fair, Shale is significantly smaller than most golems after getting chipped down to a small enough size to fit through doors
Soon the Hedgehogs of Monetization will be needed for a certain encounter in the Deep Roads. Many large Hedgehogs of Monetization will be needed.
Would that even count. Who would get excited about whats up ahead? (If youre talking about what i think you are)
@@DarkNight3603 I am talking about what you think I am. RUclips would certainly detect the multiple pairs of boobs with that encounter.
@@TheCorpsehatch One of the best (and messed up) quests in video games.
By the way, if one of your party is the victim of a crushing prison, you can actually destroy it by casting forcefield on them.
But be careful when you do this, it will create a shockwave in the process knocking down everyone around the afflicted party member, including your own party.
One of my favorite combos, the other one being Glyph of Repulsion and Paralysis. I mean even just the name "Paralysis Explosion" is kickass.
oh like a mass effect biotic? NEAT
Enchantment?
Enchantment!
I remember first playing DAO and thinking "Oh this won't be long" when I first encountered the dwarves...all I can say is that they did a masterful job. Another reason is still one of my all time favourites.
(5:55) There are a few ways to improve items found early in the game to have a higher base level. The easiest is to store them in a chest at Warden's Peak.
I thought you had to sell them to the wardens peak guy and buy them back?
@@skywise001 The wiki says you can store them in the chest.
For half a second, I read the timestamp as "5 Hours". And was like "Jesus! I Knew The Deep-roads Were Long, But Not That Long!"
Would not surprise if it takes Jon a long time to full so everything down in all deep roads
Harrowmont is actually a nice guy, but he's a staunch traditionalist who stands for same old same old, which for the dwarves means a rigid and unpleasant caste system and a dying city that will inevitably fall to the darkspawn someday. Bhelen is a first-class bastard as a person and is an any means necessary type, but his policies are more likely to move the dwarves forward. He seems to actually care about the removal or at least weakening of the caste system (at least that comes across in the dwarven peasant storyline) and he seems to have other ideas to push his people forward rather than continuing their stagnation/decline. It's an interesting choice actually, the conflict between a likeable person whose policies will perpetuate oppression, or a bastard who will at least fight for progress.
The Deep Roads have arrived! Summon The Hedgehogs!
(51:50) Have no fear. Harrowmont is just as much of a bastard.
@40:05
Leske: Thank you. We've been down here... it's been so long. M-My friend didn't make it. Just stopped eating one day and... All for a stupid bet!
This moment in the game made my jaw drop. When you start a new game, you're not just choosing which race you want to play as in the character creation, you're also choosing where Duncan will go for potential recruits. This line from Leske is meant to showcase that all the possible wardens that you can create via their race selection (Or mage class) all actually exist. This dead friend of Leske is the 'Dwarven Commoner'. If Jon had gone as a Dwarven Commoner, Duncan would have gone to Orzammar instead of Highever. This would have resulted in the 'Human Noble' (Character that Jon is playing here) getting killed during Rendon Howe's betrayal.
The Dwarven commoner escapes from the carta jail when you're playing them though. Duncan only saves them after they get back to the commons. And if we assume that they got captured again because Duncan wasn't there, it would be silly for the authorities to bring that character all the way back to the carta jail of all places.
32:00 Well if nobody has any flasks then it would make the ingredients quite rare wouldn't it?
The deep roads are one of my favorite things about this game ngl
Random Carta Thugs: Oh, you wanna die, punk?"
Jon: *Cracks knuckles like Kiryu.*
*Essence of Egg-Carton*
Would that make Dan majima?
@@aerialmacaroon6312 ...I mean Dan is not in this series but that's not a bad parallel. XD
@@jamesmchenry4708 true sorry
Great job with Jarvia. On my first playthrough she was easily the most difficult boss for me, but you made killing her look so easy.
"Sooner or later, they're gonna learn, you don't run up to me and say "Haha, your going to die, I'm so much better than you" Because, I just kill you"
How to teach bad guys to stop attacking you is by killing them so no one learns how good you are at fighting. Gotta love that Jon level logic.
Jon: I"ve defeated you easily, so I hope your friends will hear of this and back down.
Also Jon: Die where you stand!
It doesn't matter if the letters you have are forged or not. Both nobles confirmed that the papers describe lands promised to them by Harrowmont, and that they are the same area for both.
If you show them to the shapers you learn they are true but times altered
Jon, deep stalkers are nothing like velociraptors. The monsters don't even have feathers!
This game was made at a time when the evidence wasn't discovered jet they had feathers so it was accurate to call them Raptors back then.
@@NoName-it4th no? We've known that since the 90s
8:44 - You know, it's too bad that you despise lockpicking.
You _could_ walk away with a lot of good loot.
Oh well...
If anything he will have no excuse in 2 since the skill is tied to cunning stat so he would be crazy to make a rouge not have good cunning
@@rpbuilds but it also needs that ability chosen on level ups
@@rpbuilds although both games systems are better than inquisition’s; you need to take a peek that is tied to the inquisition level up to get rouges to unlock anything while warriors and mages have no limits
@@rpbuilds yep
Harrowmont does want to maintain the class system, so yes, he is absolutely that level of bastard. Like, he wants to make the class system even stronger. It's kind of nuts.
Man, every episode I just love comparing Jons speculations vs my own memory of the game.
Of the two choices for king or Orzammar, Bhelen is definitely the bigger bastard…BUT he is also the one who is more open to changing the caste system.
I love the Deep Roads, tho. It's a dreadful place and its great for it.
I've seen it elsewhere but I think it's a really good idea worth reiterating. After you're done with DA:O, but before you jump into Awakenings, it would be interesting to see you do a video of the other origins you haven't done to help contextualize some things that you may miss during this run (especially the Orzammar sections)
I'm very much lookin forward to how Jon handles the decision at the end of the deep roads, morality might finally get completely tossed out the window 😂
If he wants to keep his team intact, the choice is a no brainer.
Golems. Always Golems.
@@smward87 You can keep the team intact either way.
The ability to make Golems is useful, but it's a lot like blood magic. I don't think will endorse it, or actually keep the events that would follow that course of action in his video.
The Deep Roads are kinda fun actually.
It's the Fade that's the nightmare.
I dunno man...if you're not playing a mage and you don't build up either Morrigan or Wynne in a cool way, the Deep Roads become more the nightmare I feel. At least the Fade is always easy...although playing through it on subsequent playthroughs is slightly boring.
So this episode happened to be one I wanted to watch and as my sister is home for the holidays she watched it to and got hooked both on Jon's letsplays and on dragon age as she loves Game of Thrones and found the paralels from Dragon Age origins interesting. I am now rewatching MATN's Skyrim series as she views it for the first time with me. (We just got to Ivarstead)
Pro Tip! Get that final dual-wield skill and place the sword in your off-hand! Dagger in the main hand means if you switch to dual-striking mode, you'll swing faster.
You also can't crit or backstab which, for an assassin rogue is pretty terrible because at that point you're just a much worse dual wielding warrior.
@@tortoiseoflegends4466 Fair, but it IS better than the asthmatically slow swinging speed Jon's doing now, I think.
@@davididiart5934 True, for Jon who never backstabs and only ever uses abilities it would probably be an increase of DPS.
best series ever
when morrigan has her staff out she walks like some sort of troll lol
(3:00) The Deep Roads are very bad if you try them as your first dungeon after Lothering. Not so bad if they're your last dungeon.
Not sure if Jon is gonna read this, but I'd love to see him playing DA2 after this run end
I do love the music in dragon age especially the score for orzammar.
27:05 Either a Dark Elf or Assuming Direct Control
Ah, you gave the Black Runestone to Morrigan... 😬
Just saying, if you want to explore the Dwarven city, you may want to bring an archer along.
6:05 ...did I hear that right? "So I could put four-handed swords in both hands"?
Yeah, yo; he wants to hold two buster swords, one in each hand.
During my second playthrough, Orzammar was my first recruit mission, right after Denerim and some side-quests. That fight with Jarvia is a nightmare in early game, I had to leave and come back later to beat her. Even then, the final fight still was almost impossible for me.
Yeah, in my first playthrough i did it in mid game but without almost any healing, i had to do this fight like 3 hours straight
I just love how he chooses to help the bad guy choice by accident even with accidentally unleashing abominations into the world some parts ago I just hope he plays the other dragon age games and see how his choices turned out
Trian died, middle brother was framed by Bhelen and exiled.
Dwarf Noble Origin starts you as middle brother.
How will anyone learn not to attack you if you keep killing all the witnesses?
(33:02) Morigan is floating ^^
I recommend walking bomb for morrigan. Great crowd control and blends so well with cone of cold
The spell anti-magic burst is what gets rid of curse of mortality, but it also gets rid of your spells. If you start the fight with mana clash, all the mages will be dead and you won't need to worry about it, anyway.
If slaughtering your way through the Carta or punchng a hole through the deep roads felt easy, it's beause this is late in the middle part of the game. This area can be accessed just as soon as you leave Lothering and the game doesn't discourage the player from doing so in any way. Only the comment section has hyped up Orzammar and the deep roads. It's entirely possible to tackle this part of the game right after getting out of Lothering and if you happen to play a dwarven character, there's good RP reasons to do so. As a result, the game has to account for a low level character stumbling through Orzammar and can't ramp up the difficulty up too much. The same tends to happen in a lot of Bioware games that open up in the middle. For example in Mass Effect, the last planet of Noveria/Feros/Therum will always be easier than the other two because the player has had time to level up.
This game while free to select any main quests in any order, does have order you are supposed to go to areas; redciffe, circle, temple, dalish, and dwarfs; it is also worth noting while you have to go to deirver to advance the temple, it is expected that you explore later
@54:00 There's too much panic in this town... ;-)
I really enjoy this series
My favorite combination with Shale is Quake, then go into Range to use Hurl Rock and Rock Barrage. Amazing AoE Damage; easily deals with fodder.
Once you do get to the end of the Deep Roads questline, you should switch out Alistair for Oghren. He's got some interesting dialogue.
He gets smooshed pretty bad in my games. Compared to Alistair who tanks like a beast (he handled Jarvia with ease in Jon's video). I would get rid of Shale once he's done with the deep roads and go with Oghren. It's a shame not seeing the funniest character not being used. Or just have Shale tank (he's an awesome tank as well) and Oghren DPS.
@@JimmyMon666 it is probably because of all combat styles; two handed is easily the weakest one; slow and inaccurate, bad options, etc
Also not exactly much left for him st this point
Only Jon could commit a crime serious crime for Belen to help him get on a throne then judge Harrowmont as the possibly evil one lol.
Funnily enough Curse of Mortality can be cured with Dwarven Regicide Antidote which you just concocted for that quest (it can be dispelled also). Out of note Vartag Gavorn has one of the best shields in game (Champion Shield which grants +15 Defence in total) which can be stealed up to 3 times. Good job on getting Key to the City - it is really powerful. I always go for it straight after Lothering as it basicaly grants 4 levels worth of non-scalable with enemies power. I also fear that you will run into bleeding DOT bug with Lacerate and Dual Wield passive because you don't have combat fix.
I've been dirty dancinged, but it doesn't matter. - Jon
holy shit i've spent the last 3 months watching a dnd campaign and missed a lot
Still early in the video for me, but you just mentioned using two long swords. It looks cool, and won’t be such a hindrance as to keep from finishing or anything like that, but two daggers really is way more effective in combat. Oh, if you haven’t picked up the sustained ability momentum yet, grab it! It is a huge boost to your DPS with the extra hit speed.
never played this far into the game, bhelen makes my teeth itch.
This one was exciting. ty sm Jon.
I'm not sure if you picked this up, but the Gorim you see in the journal is the same one selling goods in the market district of Denerim.
Jon- Gets upset Harrmont's followers attack someone.
Hey Jon remember when you entered the ciyty and Behlin's follower murdered someone in the street for objecting to him as king? That was cool then I take it?
jon, you say you gave them chances to walk away yet the one guy that did try to walk away you laughed in his face and killed him
Being an American from the west, I enjoy the accents in these past few episodes.
Bioware when they made this series made the decision that to give the races more uniqueness dwarfs and I believe quania have American accents while humans and elves have British (thou I may have gotten a few of those backwards; in 2 they gave the dalish elves a welish accent and they removed this rule in inquisition
In case you haven't noticed, taking the two more valuable pieces of loot from the chest has given you injuries.
This is interesting; I've never supported Bhelen before.
Jon's insistence to always bring up the possibility of forgeries with double dealings. I don't see how it could possibly be forgeries! If you go to a family and ask "Hey, did you get promised land for a vote?" and then go to the other guys and ask the same, you wouldn't even need the papers. How could a forgery create a conflict in this case!?
I am upset Jon did not show the dialogue when you leave the Carta hideout via the back entrance into Janars shop. If I didn't get to play the game myself I'd have no idea it was there. I'm not going to watch Jon play dragon age 2 or Inquisition since I probably won't get to play those. Sadly, I'll have to find someone else.
Jon, you think the Deep Roads are big now lolol. You'll see. Oddly, I prefer the caves in DAO. They were very extensive and I had to pause while getting through them at times, but there was a lot more going on in them that made them fun to explore.
Caridins cross is probably the most annoying in this game as you need to find one very specific exit to continue but not as bad as the backtracking in descent
alot better the dragon age 2
@@dragongrandmaster DA2 really disappointed me with the dungeons. The story was great for me, but the dungeons were lacking. I'm hoping in DA4 they will make another hell dungeon like they did here.
Just want to say this now and hopefully the next part hasn't been recorded yet.
BRING SHALE.
BRING SHALE.
BRING SHALE.
I'm not going to be much more specific than that, just make sure that whatever party you put together for going to find Branka, it is of paramount importance that SHALE comes along.
Oof somehow jon has got himself set up in such a way that Alistair outdamages him.
Blizzard is so good, they named a company after it. You should give it a go.
Jon, you've lost so much good loot by not investing into lockpicking
turn the difficulty up if you want, looks like ur getting really strong.
I wonder if Jon ever realized the quake deals damage to the rest of his team too...
25:49
What's unfortunate is that you keep ignoring deft hands. That's how you open chests, and you're missing lots of stuff, good stuff.
"Sooner or later they are going to learn the don't run up to me and say Haha, I'm so much better than you". You mean all the dead people that all die will learn this lesson?
So people really hate the Deep Roads and the Fade that much? I like both sections
If someone has curse of mortality on them, just use Morrigan and forcefield them, then they cant take any damage as it wears off
have a look in alistars temperlar skills...
I can understand why people dislike the Deeproads, but I really like them. They are atmospheric (the good stuff is still to come) and the overview map alone is so promising. What is this tower? Does the dragon only means there is a dragon hoard or is there more behind it? What is the meaning behind the crossed axes?
Go THE DWARF💂♀️LORD💂♀️⚔️
I hope they never learn just keep saying: "I am going to kill you all" then Jon's team kills them all.
Joooooooooon! Read your companions' codex entries! Pleaaaaaaaaase!
Actually, there is a shop in Orzamar that sells potion materials, but....
Considering your appreciation of the classics, I wonder if you’ve noticed the similarities between the characters of this storyline and those of a period in antique Roman history, involving a certain honorable conservative and a power hungry reformer...
Et warden
"honourable conservative" feels a little generous
The only points of Deep Stalkers is for it to feel good when you use AoE on 'em.