User:IN

DAO Revis(it)ed

Introduction
During the last couple of years I found myself replaying DAO quite often. Gradually, my interest - probably under the influence of my BGEE excesses - began to gravitate towards solo, non-mage, no consumables, minimum gear, limited talents playthroughs. In the other words, I tried to play DAO in as challenging a form as possible. Some of these playthroughs I've finished, though most were definitely abortive. Anyhow, over the course of many hours invested into planning and playing, I have stumbled unto quite a lot of new info either complementing or outright contradicting this wiki (and my own older assumptions, since I was a very active contributor back in 2009-10). Since DAO has firmly joined the pantheon of classic Western RPG titles, I thought that withholding these findings from the general public is both selfish and unwise.

General technical notes
It's important to note most of the info supplied below was discovered over the course of solo playthroughs under a very restrictive, albeit ever-changing, set of home rules. The typical setting was something along the following lines: solo (obviously), Nightmare (you don't say!), non-mage (simply put, DAO is a different game, and - let's be honest about it! - a very trivial one, for a mage), limited DLC areas and items (little risk:huge reward ratio), no consumables (no poultices sort of goes without saying, but at some point I have decided poisons, grenades, traps, and balms/salves are way too efficient as well), minimum gear (typically, I used 3-5 items over the course of the whole playthrough), limited abilities (optional; for instance, with a rogue, I've limited my active hotbar talents to three - an option definitely not for the weak-hearted), clean profile.dap file (optional; = specializations locked).

That said, I believe a lion's share of my findings has a universal value (strictly within the limits of this game, of course, not that I'm having a sudden fit of megalomania here): after all, core game mechanics stay the same, while solo tactics can always be adapted to the party format with ease. With this out of the way, let's get down to outlaying a structure of this page. My findings will be divided into three rough categories: Battles, featuring annotated videos of some of the most iconic and notoriously difficult fights in DAO done solo with respect to fair play; Abilities, featuring addenda and corrigenda on different - guess what? - abilities; Miscellaneous, featuring assorted topics that didn't fit into the two categories above, be it the relative amount of xp gained in different Origin stories, or the peculiarities of defense-based builds.

Warrior
Warrior, without a shadow of a doubt, is the weakest solo class in DAO. That's why playing a minimum gear solo warrior requires the whopping six key elements, namely: (1) good health regeneration, is probably the lowest value that should be considered (achievable via  or just a combination of 's  with something); while  is a great talent, it's corpse-dependent, and thus, useless in big boss fights; (2) decent spell resistance, anything below 40% is probably out of question:  is an obvious solution, as it also provides 19 armor, the downside being it literally forces the Warden to pick  as one of the specializations; (3) reasonably high armor rating, 30-35 should be enough, if one starts with the Broken Circle and Nature of the Beast questlines in order to avoid Uldred's and werewolves' high damage at later stages: in this respect, both items mentioned above come handy,  is indispensable, and  become really attractive; (4) solid to high nature resistance, 30% (for instance, from four points in  plus ) is the lowest you should aim for:  shines in this department; (5) a semi-decent ranged weapon is probably mandatory for one critical path fight: the obvious candidates are the  (low Dex requirement, high damage potential) and the  (very low Dex requirement, 10% nature resistance: see element number 4 above); (6) either three points in  skill or  talent ( specialization, once again): otherwise, the final fight of the Nature of the Beast quest will be unwinnable in a fair way. Fire resistance probably deserves a special honorable mention: -capable creatures will make you weep (especially during the final fight of the Arl of Redcliffe). Still, it's not enough of a reason to warrant an introduction of fire resistance as a seventh obligatory element, IMHO.

The fights I wanted to cover, in a (highly probable) chronological order. Only relevant abilities listed. Passive abilities appear in parentheses:

(1) Gazarath. Level 5 Human Noble W&S. Str 32. ,, , , . , , ,.



A very repetitive fight that involves a lot of kiting till both and  come off cooldown, after which Gazarath is knocked down and 'ed. Rinse and repeat. The fight is safe as milk, unless you decide to stop and fight this guy fair and square: he will you for half of your hp, then finish the job with  and. The obvious corollary of this rather horrible hypothetical scenario is pretty simple -- don't try to be a hero. Not in this fight, at the very least.

(2) Ishal First Floor. Level 5 Human Noble W&S. Str 32. ,, , , . , , ,.



Mark Laver aka soteria, in the very first video of his instructional series, stated: 'If you are anything like me, this is about the point where you said: "Holy cow! This game is kinda hard."' Turns out I'm not anything like him (and I don't mean to be arrogantly ironic or vice versa here!), because this specific fight has never stricken me as a particularly difficult one. Certainly not with a full party. A solo warrior is a different kind of beast, though. Still, the grease trap is easily bypassed (don't rush, let the fireball hit first); the emissary CC'ed and brutally slain; the rest is actually quite easy even without that blessed level-up. By the way, you will level up at this exact point with a Human Noble, if you were an xp completist both during the Origin and at Ostagar/Korcari Wilds.

(3) Ishal Ogre. Level 6 Human Noble W&S. Str 35. ,, , , . , , ,.



Probably the most iconic fight in the whole Dragon Age series. Amazingly difficult the first time you get there, not a pushover later on, either. That guy has an array of uncompromisingly great talents:, , ,. The only weak point in his arsenal is, that never hits (unless the player is asleep) at the same time leaving the ogre open to attacks for a while. Now, the wiki claims W&S and 2H warriors 'do not have any reliable means of staying out of reach'. This is true, but only to an extent. In fact, this fight plays very similar to the Gazarath one: stun the ogre with your trusty (at Str 35, the ogre has a rather low chance of resisting the stun), then either hit him with an auto-attack, or, if you can afford it, with. Please note that you don't have any health regeneration with this setup. However, the provides you with 15% dodge, so it's all a question of who will outlast whom. This fight definitely requires a bit of luck, but not anything unrealistic, by any means. FYI, duration is modified by party size, therefore, for a non-soloist, it's only possible to stun the ogre very briefly (he recovers before you can even land an auto-attack).

(4) Ishal Ogre. Level 6 Dwarf Noble 2H. Str 35. ,, , , , , . , ,.



An alternative, 2H, no-armor, health regeneration take on the Ishal Ogre. The basic algorithm is the same as above: stun the bastard with or  (via  passive), then hit him with. A 2H warrior excels in this role, or at least finishes the fight faster than his W&S counterpart due to higher damage output per time unit.

(5) The Arl of Redcliffe, final fight. Level 15 Dwarf Noble 2H. /. Str 66 (post-Fade). ,, , , , , , . ( x 2: Bodahn), ,.



The most demanding fight in the game for a solo character. It's long, it's diverse, and its most dangerous phase is the penultimate one. Desire Demon by herself is not a huge problem as long as you can CC her (and as long as the RNG decides to side with you when she manages to cast or ). The undead phase is the easiest one, actually allowing you replenish your hp and stamina. The second appearance of Desire Demon is more dangerous than the first one, since it's crucial that you save the CC abilities for the next phase. The rage demon phase is really where it's at: you fight three rage demons at once, and if you don't CC them reliably enough, you will succumb to a couple of spells -- have no doubt about that. Luckily, spell resistance affects, so 50% of the time they will get sucked into abyss. More importantly, you have quite a CC repertoire at your disposal:, (very long duration),  (mass CC),  (mass CC). Play your cards right, and you will probably emerge alive from this phase. The problem is that your hp bar will almost certainly be severely depleted when you face the Desire Demon in her final phase. That's where you will need some luck: if you manage to resist her damaging spells, there is not much she can do.

(6) Broodmother. Level 15 Dwarf Noble 2H. /. Str 68 (post-Fade). ,, , , , , . ( x2: Faryn, restocked Gorim;  x1: random drop), , , ,. 3 points in skill.



Please note: the Broodmother fight features a very different, non-, Dwarf Noble build. While / is a tenable possibility when coupled with and some Dweomer runes, I don't recommend it for a soloist.

The second most demanding fight in the game, for all the same reasons. Its first phase is a cakewalk: just pelt the Broodmother with arrows and use whenever it's off cooldown. The second phase is more problematic, but no big shakes, either: kill the hurlock that attacks you; relocate to the left path to lure the archers there; the bodies and heal back to full hp. The third phase is Broodmother again, though this time I don't recommend using as liberally as before, because stamina spent on it will be missed dearly during the next phase. The fourth phase is just plain hard. I suggest heading to the left path right away, don't fight those shrieks at you regular position near the Broodmother. No tricks here, it's just a significantly harder version of phase 2. The fifth phase is where Broodmother may get you, if the shrieks and the genlock archers left you with a low hp: her is quite damaging, and you won't be able to outheal it. During this final phase, you obviously should use religiously, since your goal is to finish her off ASAP.

Rogue
Rogues make much stronger soloists than warriors (though they still lose hard to the mages). Suffice to say, I was able to solo DAO with a Ranger/Duelist that used exactly one consumable (Incense of Awareness), two permanent items (Sorrows of Arlathan and Senior Enchanter Robe), and three hotbar skills (Defensive Fire, Arrow of Slaying, Summon Spider). While it surely wasn't a piece of cake, it was definitely doable. What are the cardinal differences between a warrior and a rogue, then? In my book, there are two of these: (1) rogues lend themselves much more easily to the defense-based builds, which are very efficient: +5 starting defense rating; +1 starting Dex; both Duelist and Assassin grant +2 Dex; Keen Defense; Evasion; (2) as Rangers, they have summoning talents, especially Summon Spider: the poisonous spider the talent summons with Master Ranger passive can tank/lure, hits hard, has excellent CC (Web) and ranged elemental damage (Poison Spit); if that's not enough, it also has 75% nature resistance and +2.5 health regeneration, which basically means Broodmother is automatically defeated in a Spit duel between the two. In other words, if we look at my solo warrior requirements list above: rogues don't need health regeneration, spell resistance, or armor, since they are ranged and they have a tanky animal defending them; rogues don't need nature resistance, the spider has it in abundance; and, finally, they have a much easier time getting three points in Coercion.

So, the rogue fights in a chronological order:

(7) Uldred. Level 8 Dwarf Noble Archer. Ranger. Dex 45 (post-Fade). Defensive Fire, Arrow of Slaying, (Master Archer). Litany of Adrala (plot), Incense of Awareness. Sorrows of Arlathan, Senior Enchanter's Robes.

Once I considered Uldred the most difficult boss for a solo character. I wasn't mistaken, mind you: try to fight him at, say, level 14, and you'll see what I mean. To cut the long story short, since I considered him so strong, I was doing the Broken Circle last, which was the reason he was so strong in the first place! No kidding, a level 14 Uldred has a ton of armor, an insane amount of hp, and crazy damage to boot. A level 8 Uldred, on the other hand... Well, don't get me wrong, the big guy is still no slouch. But the player's chance to defeat him rises tenfold. What I usually do in my playthrough is getting to level 7 ASAP (usually at Lothering; at Flemeth's Hut for a Male City Elf rogue), then level squat aggressively. It basically means doing the necessary minimum in order to advance: no side quests, no non-mandatory enemies, no codices. After a quick run through Lothering (after the scripted encounter with the bandits, I usually head directly to the Bodahn darkspawn group), I move to the Lake Calenhad Docks, stop for a moment to buy an Incense of Awareness at the Spoiled Princess, proceeding to the Circle Tower immediately. Wynne kindly provides me with those wonderful Senior Enchanter's Robes. After I complete the Fade: Lost in Dreams, I hit level 8. So, getting to Uldred so early is not only possible, it is very much advisable.

The fight itself is nothing to write home about. Dispose of the abominations first. Uldred won't use Massive Attack against an archer, and with Defensive Fire plus Incense of Awareness, he can't hit you at all. When the Incense wears off, he should be at about 1/3 hp. From that point, it's a clear-cut victory for you, unless you are very unlucky, and he manages to hit you several times.

(8) Bloody Plains. Level 14 Dwarf Noble Archer. Ranger/Duelist. Dex 65 (post-Fade). Arrow of Slaying, Summon Spider, Defensive Fire, (Master Archer), (Master Ranger), (Evasion). Sorrows of Arlathan, Senior Enchanter's Robes.

This very common random encounter is actually one of the toughest fights for a solo character. Small area with no cover, many traps, a mage, two Berserk-capable archers, two Berserk-capable W&S warriors, and a 2H lieutenant that can literally one-hit an unarmored character if he hits. The most efficient approach here is pretty simple: kill the mage right away with Arrow of Slaying, summon a spider, help it get rid of both genlock archers. Then it's best to kite the remaining darkspawn in wide circles until Arow of Slaying and Summon Spider come off cooldown.

(9) River Crossing. Level 14 Dwarf Noble Archer. Ranger/Duelist. Dex 65 (post-Fade). Arrow of Slaying, Summon Spider, Defensive Fire, (Master Archer), (Master Ranger), (Evasion). Sorrows of Arlathan, Senior Enchanter's Robes.

Even tougher than the previous random encounter, and just as frequent to pop up. This time, we have two 2H warriors, three Scattershot-happy archers, and a dual-wielder. Fortunately, no mages this time, but the odds still look overwhelming. Oh, and I forgot to mention the path directly in front of you is littered with traps! The best way to tackle this difficult encounter is running all the way to the exit area, so that the trees will obscure the line of fire for the archers. The normal melee fighters will follow you to the cul-de-sac on the bridge, while the lieutenant will switch to the bow. Once on the bridge, immediately summon your spider, which should draw the aggro. Kill the 2H first, then the DW. Proceed to dispose of the lieutenant. He is not so tough while paralyzed (Web). Lastly, deal with the archers, but be careful not to eat those Scattershot’s (defense is of no avail against this talent). Poison Spit and Arrow of Slaying work wonders here.

Mage
I don't like mages, and almost never play them. DAO mages are way too godly for my taste. I made an exception only in order to demonstrate how the infamous Fort Drakon fight versus Ser Cauthrien and her cohorts can be done solo, without leaving the room, with no consumables, limited gear, and just three spells. If it proves anything, it's how ridiculously overpowered DAO mages are.

(10) Ser Cauthrien. Level 16 Elf Mage. Shapeshifter/Arcane Warrior. Mag 70 (post-Fade). Sleep, Horror, Flying Swarm, (Combat Magic), (Master Shapeshifter), (Arcane Mastery). Maric's Blade, Cailan's Shield, Battledress of the Provocateur, Cailan's Greaves, Cinch of Skillful Maneuvering, The Spellward.

The gear I use here is not hard to come by: Battledress of the Provocateur and Cinch of Skillful Maneuvering are instant delivery DLC; Maric's Blade, Cailan's Shield and Cailan's Greaves are all found within the first 10 minutes of playing Return to Ostagar; the Spellward is sold at the camp. This setup translates into 95% dodge and +5.5 mana regeneration. The main idea is disabling the whole room with Sleep, hit the mage with Nightmare spell combination (Sleep + Horror), then shapeshift into the Flying Swarm and attack the middle group. Concentrate your efforts on the mage, he's the real problem here. If necessary, Divide the Swarm. Then just fly around and kill people. Try not to get hit by all the Scattershot’s at once. When all the guards are dealt with, you will be left face to face with Cauthrien. Overall, she won't be able to hit you much (if at all), but whenever you have less than 150-200 mana, kite and replenish it: you have insane mana regeneration, and that's exactly why. Eventually, Cauthrien will fall. Congratulations on beating the toughest encounter in DAO with 6 items and 3 spells.

Abilities
Stun duration is modified by party size. The exact formula is very similar to the Mind Blast, with base 4 seconds duration instead of 3: (4.0 + (4.0 - (Party Size))) * (Target Rank Duration Modifier). Sources: talent_constants_h.nss, talent_singletarget.nss.

Evasion:

This passive is quite a mixed bag due to the attack animation interrupts it forces. In this respect, 20% dodge provided by this ability is radically different from 20% dodge from any other source. In fact, I don't think these two kind of dodge should be considered the same mechanic. Whenever a character successfully dodges an attack with Evasion, attack animation interrupt is always forced and an Evasion status icon briefly appears; on the other hand, whenever a character successfully dodges an attack with, for instance, Cailan's Greaves, there is no animation interrupt, and no status icon, just no damage is dealt. This is clearly demonstrated in these two videos: Evasion (20% dodge) vs Cailan's Greaves (20% dodge).

20% resist stun/knockdown needs a clarification. It's not a physical resistance bonus, it's just a 20% chance to shrug off any stun/knockdown effect. Normally unresistable abilities like Ram and Scattershot may be resisted this way.

Shattering Shot:

Enemy AI uses this talent based on chestpiece type only. If it's medium, heavy, or massive, the AI will try to fire a Shattering Shot. The actual armor rating, as well as helmet, gloves, and boots type are not taken into account.

DW Sweep:

According to the code in talent_aoe_instant.nss, this talent generates an auto-hit. However, in reality, it sometimes occurs that the game engine would not recognize a target clearly standing inside the AoE, and so the talent will miss. These pseudo-misses are not caused by target's defense rating or dodge chance; they tend to happen whenever there are slight terrain height differences between the character and the target. Such problematic locations are nearly impossible to foresee, but they are consistent and can be avoided (i. e., if you didn't hit your target from a certain position, relocate and retry, instead of trying again from the exact same location).

Shield Pummel:

This talent executes a weapon-shield-shield attack chain in rapid succession.

Stun duration is modified by party size. The exact formula is very similar to the Mind Blast, with base 4 seconds duration instead of 3: (4.0 + (4.0 - (Party Size))) * (Target Rank Duration Modifier). Sources: talent_constants_h.nss, talent_singletarget.nss.

Overpower:

It’s worthy to note the amazing synergy Overpower has with Cone of Cold/Petrify: as of patch 1.05, to the contrary to what the Combat Mechanics page seems to claim, it is possible to shatter lieutenant-rank creatures, as demonstrated in this video. The chance of shattering a lieutenant creature on Nightmare difficulty is 5%. Now, Overpower generates three quick auto-crits into the same target, out of which, we need at least one to succeed. Consequently, the overall chance to shatter a lieutenant enemy on Nightmare difficulty with Overpower is 14.26%.

Shield Expertise and Shield Mastery:

Shield Expertise is generally considered the go-to option for a W&S warrior, while Shield Mastery is mostly frowned upon. In part, that might be justified: W&S warriors tend to invest in Str instead of Dex, so Dex 26 required for Shield Mastery might seem somewhat harsh. Another point against Shield Mastery is that it actually reduces damage from shield hits due to an engine bug (inverted shield damage range 5-1). That said, Dex 26 means only that one needs to invest 8 or 9 attribute points into Dex post-Fade. While these points do not contribute to the damage dealt, they do contribute to attack and defense ratings. Besides, a character gains: +10 defense in Shield Wall mode, the only shield mode you will probably ever use; +10 deflection in Shield Cover mode, which might be marginally useful for a solo player; double attribute bonus on shield hits from both Shield Bash and Shield Pummel, which is nice; always maximized weapon damage roll with Assault, which is great; always minimized (due to a bug) shield damage roll with Overpower, which is not-so-great. As we can see, Shield Mastery grants some pretty good passive upgrades at the cost of weakening Overpower's damage output (as if somebody uses Overpower for damage!). Shield Expertise, on the other hand, grants immunity to knockdown effect while in Shield Wall mode and +5 defense in a very rarely used Shield Defense mode. The immunity surely sounds nice, but is actually more limited than you'd think: it does not include slip effect most spells that apply knockdown use, so what is automatically resisted is, basically, W&S and 2H talents and a couple of monster abilities (Ram is one example). It's still a good upgrade to have, no doubt, but if you need those talent points, and cannot decide between the two, I would surely take Shield Mastery over Shield Expertise.

Stunning Blows:

This talent has no resistance check and thus cannot be normally resisted.

Sunder Armor:

Enemy AI uses this talent based on chestpiece type only. If it's medium, heavy, or massive, the AI will try to Sunder Armor. The actual armor rating, as well as helmet, gloves, and boots type are not taken into account.

Mighty Blow and Critical Strike:

Mighty Blow staggers enemies very briefly upon successful hit, interrupting normal attack animation. It won't interrupt any talents or spells.

...with a 20% chance [talent_constants_h.nss] of killing non-boss opponent outright if its health is equal to or below 20%.

Mighty Blow is a tier 1 talent with a 20s cooldown, that hits at +10, causes an auto-crit, and staggers enemies, interrupting their melee auto-attacks (it won't interrupt any talents or spells!). Critical Strike is a tier 4 talent with a 60s cooldown, that hits at +5, and has a 20% chance to finish off normal or lieutenant rank enemies below 20% hp. I think this comparison speaks for itself. With all my experience in DAO, I have yet to see a lieutenant under 20% hp that would warrant an attempt to finish him off with Critical Strike (instead of using Sunder Arms, for example). It's useful as 'that second auto-crit thingie' when Mighty Blow fails to stun or you just need to deal a lot of damage ASAP, though.

Two-Handed Sweep:

The sweep is executed at -10 attack penalty. Source: talent_constants_h.nss.

Devour:

If the talent is used immediately after an enemy is slain, it won't heal. Lootability is a good indicator of when to use Devour: the moment a corpse becomes lootable, Devour can be used to its full effect.

Frightening Appearance:

This talent is much more powerful than its description implies. Basically, it's a Str-based Horror unaffected by magic resistance. Frightening Appearance will completely disable powerful physical enemies (e. g., ogres) very reliably for a long duration.

Cleanse Area:

This talent is only useful during a very limited number of mage-dominated fights in the game. However, it can make those fights really easy. It is at its most powerful in the final fight of the Nature of the Beast, provided one sides with werewolves against Zathrian: Cleanse Area will remove the paralysis from Witherfang and the werewolves, and this otherwise challenging battle will be over in a matter of seconds.

Rock Barrage:

Bug workaround. Bringing up the inventory screen, then resuming the action will allow Rock Barrage to complete normally.

Overwhelm:

This talent generates an auto-hit.

Poison Spit:

One of the most dangerous enemy talents for a solo character. Spiders tend to appear in groups, Poison Spit always hits and deals a lot of nature damage. It is similar to rage demons' Flame Blast in this respect.

Flame Blast (spell):

One of the most dangerous enemy spells for a solo character. Rage demons tend to appear in groups, the spell always hits and deals a lot of fire damage. It is similar to spiders' Poison Spit in this respect, though slightly less powerful, as it is countered by spell resistance.

Terrorize:

Werewolves' Terrorize doesn't function properly: it never completes and has no effect. Shrieks, however, use this talent as intended.

Ram:

Ram generates an auto-hit.

Smash:

Smash generates an auto-hit.

Origins comparative evaluation
In terms of efficiency, most people clearly prefer Dwarf Noble origin to everything else. While 30 gold one can easily accumulate so extremely early in the game is a legitimate reason to prefer Dwarf Noble, origin choice is not as clear-cut. Below is my personal annotated non-mage origin rating, to whomever it might concern.

(1) Dalish Elf. Very high xp accumulated (second place after Male City Elf; at least on par with Human Noble, usually ahead, since it's really difficult to get xp for every single enemy in a Human Noble origin's big fight). The part where it really shines, though, is the unique gear: Dalish Leather set is by far the best starting non-DLC armor, otherwise unavailable until after Lothering; Keeper's Ring is a great parting gift; greatsword is gained reasonably early; Tevinter Mage Robes that can be taken from Merrill are very good; tier 5 (Ironbark) Dalish Shield buckler from Fenarel is an option to consider; Master Ilen has 20 Elf-Flight Arrows, a Swift Salve and an Acid Flask for sale. That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. Elven Ruins contain Tevinter type treasure, one of the containers is of normal, and two are of lieutenant rank. Thus, a Dalish rogue can finish this Origin with, for instance, a Saw Sword and two Expert Paralyze runes to boot. Not too shabby, huh?

(2) Male City Elf. This is an absolute champion as far as xp is concerned. Male City Elf rogue with Deft Hands 1 (picked at level 2 to disarm two traps outside the entrance to Arl of Denerim's Estate), High Regard of House Dace, and Memory Band was able to reach level 7 (50 xp into level 8, in fact) at Flemeth's Hut aka Deep in the Wilds. He also reached level 4 at Ostagar (day version), before ever heading into the Korcari Wilds. Unique gear: Borrowed Longsword is a great no-req longsword upgradable to tier 2 (Grey Iron) at the Quartermaster; Fencer's Cinch is a truly unique belt, +4 attack being an equivalent of 8 attribute points invested in Str/Dex. It's worth pointing out that this is also the only origin that actually starts with the greatsword (Duncan gives you a dagger and a greatsword in addition to the Borrowed Longsword).

(3) Dwarf Noble. Low xp accumulated, even if you decide to ambush Trian. Virtually no unique gear to speak of: Gorim's Sword, Gorim's Shield, Noble's Dagger, and Proving Helm are all very nice, but have no impact on the game after you are exiled; Superior Dwarven Guard Armor is pretty useful, though. Still, this origin holds a respectable position: 30 gold (a freebie Knight Commander's Plate!), Gorim's discount, and Aeducan Family Shield are simply that good.

(4) Human Noble. Extremely close to a third place, to be honest. High xp (on par with or slightly behind Dalish Elf). Some truly wonderful unique gear: your Family Sword, that amazing Shield of Highever, and - a fanfare! - either a Heavy Maul or an Executioner's Helm from Howe Knight. FYI, Heavy Maul is a damage equivalent of a tier 3 greatsword with much better armor penetration and Str scaling, and the only unique two-handed weapon worth equipping until after Lothering. That said, it's probably the poorest Origin story gold-wise.

(5) Female City Elf. It's different from the male version in two key aspects: no outside area is present; you get no greatsword in the beginning (no dagger, either, but that's less of an issue). However, this origin bears an unusual distinction of being a speedrunner's paradise: the whole story can be completed in four and a half minutes, as demonstrated here.

(6) Dwarf Commoner. Very low xp. Bad starting skills for a warrior, unless you want to invest into Cun to steal runes from Duncan. Dwarven Warrior's Belt is good, but, sadly, that's about the only thing to recommend without reservations about this origin (the second one is Dwarven Resistance). With almost no redeeming qualities present, I wouldn't pick it but for role-playing reasons, or as a special challenge.

The shortcomings of pure defense builds
This write-up was inspired by the Dex rogue solo guide I accidentally stumbled upon (http://forum.bioware.com/topic/42357-a-nightmare-solo-guide-for-dual-weapon-assassinduelist/). I have only one rebuttal in regard to that post, really: It's important to realize the author did not do so well by the virtue of his brilliant build. DAO is extremely easy without self-imposed restrictions, and the poster clearly did not limit himself as far as both gear and consumables are concerned. As long as you keep that in mind, it's a fine guide.

It's interesting to note that this wiki also seems to think (Defense page) that high Dex build is an ultimate strategy of sorts. This is incorrect. As any lopsided build, it's indeed extremely strong in some situations, but also extremely vulnerable in some others.

Below, I list the most common abilities that, in my experience, routinely lead to quick and brutal demise of defense-based characters (my working assumption is that the character has spell resistance, so I won't mention any spells):

Dirty Fighting: extremely common from the very start of the game. An unavoidable auto-hit stun: only Indomitable and Evasion can help here. It is important to understand that any stun effect applies a -1000 Dex debuff (effect_stun_h.nss), which basically means while our defense-based character remains stunned, his defense rating takes a nose-dive.

Scattershot: extremely common starting roughly at level 10. Again, an unavoidable auto-hit stun that also deals a lot of damage. Those archers also tend to appear in groups.

Poison Spit: very common in certain areas of the game, namely: Brecilian Ruins, Ortan Thaig, Darkspawn Tunnels of Return to Ostagar DLC. It auto-hits and deals a ton of nature damage. Plus, spiders are never alone. In general, spiders are the most dangerous regular enemy the defense-based character will face, since they also have Overwhelm.

Overwhelm: very common beast/animal ability (wolves, bears, spiders, werewolves, drakes). Simply put, a defense-based character that got Overwhelm'ed is dead. High Dex means the character has very little in the way of armor, and that's the only thing that counters Overwhelm.

Ram, Smash, Grab: ogres have Grab, Ram and Smash; many bigger creatures have Grab. All of these talents generate auto-hits and deal incredible amount of damage to a lightly armored character. Ogres tend to use Ram three times in a row, which is really tough to survive even with poultices.