Material

Along with typical crafting materials like iron or steel, Dragon Age: Origins features several exotic and mystical materials from which armor and weapons are forged. Materials are rated by "tiers" according to their quality, from tier 1 to tier 7 (Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening introduces tier 8 and tier 9 materials). Higher-tier materials can do more damage, protect against more damage, have more special qualities, and a larger capacity for runes. They also require higher levels of strength, dexterity, or magic to wield.

Leather
Light armor (helmets, chest pieces, gloves, and boots) is made from leather. High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening/ Witch hunt:
 * Tier 1 - Rough Hide (10 strength) - beige
 * Tier 2 - Cured Hide (11 strength) - brown
 * Tier 3 - Leather (12 strength) - red
 * Tier 4 - Hardened Leather (14 strength) - green
 * Tier 5 - Reinforced Leather (17 strength) - dark grey
 * Tier 6 - Inscribed Leather (18 strength) - light blue
 * Tier 7 - Drakeskin Leather (20 strength) - deep blue
 * Tier 8 - Dragon Wing (22 strength)
 * Tier 9 - High Dragon Hide (24 strength)

Metals
Metals are used to craft waraxes, battleaxes, daggers, greatswords, longswords, maces, mauls, and staves. Medium, heavy, and massive weights of armor are also made from metal, as well as some shields.

Strength requirements for equipping armor varies based on the type of armor (medium, heavy, massive) and its material. Likewise, strength requirements for wielding weapons are based on both the type of weapon (longsword, greatsword, battleaxe) and its material.

High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening/ Witch Hunt:
 * Tier 1 - Iron - grey and red
 * Tier 2 - Grey Iron - yellowish-brown and red
 * Tier 3 - Steel - white and blue
 * Tier 4 - Veridium - greenish-grey and yellow
 * Tier 5 - Red Steel - bright red
 * Tier 6 - Silverite - shiny white and blue
 * Tier 7 - Dragonbone - dark red
 * Untiered - Starmetal (the meteorite ore that Starfang is forged of, shares the stats of tier 8)
 * Tier 8 - White Steel - whitish
 * Tier 9 - Volcanic Aurum - golden

Wood
Wood is used to craft crossbows, longbows, and shortbows. Some shields are also made from wood. High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening:
 * Tier 1 - Elm - dark grey
 * Tier 2 - Ash - beige
 * Tier 3 - Yew - tan
 * Tier 4 - Whitewood - white
 * Tier 5 - Ironbark (a wood crafted by the Dalish; stronger than steel) - olive
 * Tier 6 - Sylvanwood - tan
 * Tier 7 - Dragonthorn - dark red
 * Tier 8 - Vhenadahl
 * Tier 9 - Ancestral Heartwood

Resources

 * David Gaider
 * Georg Zoller
 * Dragon Age: Origins - PRIMA Official Strategy Guide