Inquisition perks

Perk selection screen

When the Inquisitor has accumulated enough influence, they are able to unlock new perks that provide a variety of bonuses for the Inquisitor's advisors. Cullen commands the forces, Leliana oversees the secrets, and Josephine manages the connections.

Further perks can be gained through the acquisition of agents. Agents reduce the time it takes for advisors to complete war table mission by 5%.

There are 34 perks available in all. However a maximum of 20 perks, not counting agents, can be obtained during gameplay.

Where the perk requires a certain number of points in the category as a prerequisite, it should be noted that any agents in that category count towards this tally.

Forces

“Endurance training fit for a soldier”

Name	Description	Requirements
Underworld Knowledge	Detailed study of underworld customs and their brutal but practical applications. Opens up new dialogue options related to criminal activities and grants +50% XP for each codex entry unlocked.	—
Massache's Method	A methodology developed by an Orlesian blademaster and used by chevaliers to analyze their own performance in combat. Grants a 5% increase in XP earned from killing foes.	—
Rider's Posture	Training in proper weight distribution during hard riding significantly increases resistance to being unseated.	2 points in category
Antivan-Stitched Saddle	Proper tack of fine Antivan leather, custom-fitted to both horse and rider, significantly increases resistance to being unseated.	Rider's Posture.
Advanced Focus	Increase maximum focus from 100 to 200. Second-tier focus effect for abilities can now be triggered.	4 points in category
Master Focus	Increase maximum focus for all party members from 200 to 300. Third-tier focus effect for abilities can now be triggered.	Advanced Focus
True Grit	Harsh environment training can be dangerous, but will harden anyone into a survivor. All party members gain a 10% increase to all defenses.	Capture any keep.
More Healing Potions	Increase the maximum number of potions the party can carry by 4.	3 points in category
Mage Schematics	Many mages from all over Thedas have joined the Inquisition, hoping for some degree of order and protection. Reverse engineering their robes and staves will provide new, rare schematics.	4 points in category
Rogue Schematics	Many of Leliana's new agents bring gear from their previous employers. Gathering their collective gains will provide new, rare schematics.	4 points in category
Warrior Schematics	Sellswords, templars, chevaliers: the Inquisition's forces come from wide-ranging backgrounds. Scour the troops' arms and armors for new, rare schematics.	4 points in category
Lord Berand	Lord Berand of Ferelden has pledged his sword, and those of his forces, to the Inquisition. The addition of these soldiers bolsters the Inquisition’s forces. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit Berand.
Clemence, the Tranquil	Mage Clemence from Redcliffe is now using his knowledge of minor enchanting to reinforce the Inquisition’s defenses. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit Clemence.
The Blades of Hessarian	The Blades are unquestioningly loyal and relentless in battle. The group’s addition to the Inquisition lends significantly to its forces’ strength. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit the Blades of Hessarian.
Vale’s Irregulars	Corporal Vale has founded Vale’s Irregulars, a company of refugees willing and able to take up arms against the chaos. Reduces by 5% the time it takes Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit Corporal Vale.
Loranil	Loranil's involvement with the Inquisition cements an alliance with his clan. The perspective of a Dalish elf also gives the Inquisition's forces an added advantage. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit Loranil
Michel de Chevin	Michel de Chevin, Empress Celene’s former champion, brings to the Inquisition his considerable experience as a chevalier. Reduces by 5% the time it takes Cullen to complete operations.	Recruit Michel de Chevin.
Ser Barris	Ser Barris’s skill and leadership abilities make him indispensable to Cullen. With his understanding of the red templars, he is also well suited to preparing the Inquisition’s soldiers for what they will face. Reduces by 5% the time it takes Cullen to complete operations.	Complete Champions of the Just and ensure Barris survives

Secrets

“Developing keen eyes and an inquisitive mind”

Name	Description	Requirements
Arcane Knowledge	A detailed study of magic and the places and creatures that interact with it. Opens up new dialogue options related to the Fade or arcane studies. Grants +50% XP for each codex entry unlocked.	—
Optimal Cutting	Detailed studies show how to get the maximum harvest from each plant. Grants a 10% chance to receive extra herbs with each harvest. The amount of extra herbs gained is a random amount between 1 and 9. This perk does not function when harvesting rare herbs.	—
Eagle-Eyed	Training in spotting where the pattern breaks, in nature or in civilization. Grants a significant increase to the discovery range of the searching action.	—
Enhanced Studies	Bolster the number of researchers working to study those who stand against the Inquisition. Grants an additional +50% XP for each foe studied, including those already completed (applied retroactively). Bug! This perk's effects are greater than the description claims. See here for details.	2 points in category
Deft Hands, Fine Tools	The training, gear, and experience working with master locksmiths needed to tackle the toughest and most ingenious locking mechanisms. Allows all rogues in the party to open masterwork locks.	4 in category
Forward Scouts	With access to a forward training camp, the Inquisition's scouts can receive training to cover a wider area and identify items of interest to the Inquisitor. Reveals additional landmarks and points of interest on the maps of every area.	4 points in category Capture any keep
Trainee Herbalists	Gain a collection of Tier 1 herbs.	—
Veteran Herbalists	Survival and harsh environment training will push Inquisition herbalists to gather more exotic and rare plants. As part of the training push, a large collection of uncommon herbs will be delivered for personal use.	Trainee Herbalists
Master Herbalists	Combat training, top-line equipment, and experience in both allows Inquisition herbalists to find the rarest specimens. A large collection of rare herbs will be delivered for personal use.	Veteran Herbalists
Smuggler Tanner	Tanner’s contacts in the underworld supply the Inquisition with both rare goods and vital information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Recruit Tanner.
Witty Ritts	Scout Ritts is now under Leliana’s command, and has proven herself adept at intelligence-gathering, employing her wit and charm to coax secrets from her targets. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Recruit Ritts.
Servis	Servis now aids the Inquisition as an informant. Intelligence from this contacts in the Tevinter Imperium will keep the Inquisition advised of Venatori movement. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Judge Servis
Frederic of Serault	Frederic’s extensive research into dragons intrigues scholars all over Thedas and draws them to the Inquisition, which benefits from shared knowledge. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Recruit Frederic.
Speaker Anais	Speaker Anais has instructed her followers to spread out and gather information for the Inquisition. Their reports have been extremely useful. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Tell Anais to "Listen and gather information"
The Eager Recruit	The young elven woman from Crestwood has joined the Inquisition. Her enthusiasm and dedication have set her apart from other recruits, and she has found a mentor in one of Leliana’s best agents. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Recruit Jana
A Magister in Disgrace	Former magister Alexius has been pressed into service for the Inquisition, improving its understanding of the arcane with his experience in pushing the boundaries of magic. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Leliana to complete operations.	Judge Alexius.

Connections

“Training in the fine arts of persuasion”

Name	Description	Requirements
Nobility Knowledge	Detailed study of politics, rhetoric, and those who wield them to best effect. Opens up new dialogue options related to nobles and politics. Grants +50% XP from each codex entry unlocked.	—
Sterling Reputation	Thanks to a few well-placed acquaintances and a carefully crafted reputation, merchants will pay the Inquisition 10% more for items sold to them.	—
A Favor for a Favor	From an expanding network of contacts among artisans, suppliers, and noble patrons, merchants will offer the Inquisition a 10% discount on their goods.	—
Elite Clientele	Every merchant wants to say they once did business with the Inquisition. Shops offers to buy and sell for 15% better prices. [Easter Egg] Opens up a vault at the basement of Skyhold, where you can find Lord Trifles Minutiae.	Sterling Reputation and A Favor for a Favor.
The Rare Stocks	Inquisition procurers can leverage the organization's reputation to purchase a shipment of rare and valuable raw materials for crafting.	—
Exacting Buyers	A little shrewd negotiation will allow Inquisition procureres to buy a shipment of high-quality materials for their craftsmen.	The Rare Stocks
Only the Finest	A word to the right people, and our Inquisition procurers can bid at auction on the very highest-quality, rare materials for their craftsmen.	Exacting Buyers
The Short List	Merchants eager to win favor from the Inquisition will give access to special offers for rare inventory.	5 points in category
Friends in High Places	Where the Inquisition deigns to spend its coin, people take notice. Merchants will send messengers when they have sales at their stores in hoped the Inquisitor will put in an appearance. Note: You must speak with Josephine to find out where sales are taking place.	Capture any keep.
Speaker Anais	Speaker Anais has spoken of the Inquisition to her followers. They in turn spread the word of the Inquisition and its mission. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Tell Anais to "Spread word of an Inquisition"
Barter by Belle	Belle's trading connections all over Thedas give the Inquisition access to valuable commodities and increase its influence with several merchant cartels. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Recruit Belle
Enchanter Ellendra	Enchanter Ellendra was persuaded to use her impressive knowledge of healing and protection spells to aid the Inquisition. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Recruit Enchanter Ellendra.
Fairbanks	The rebel Fairbanks’s close ties with the commoners in the Dales and his familiarity with the Emerald Graves will contribute significantly to the Inquisition’s efforts to gain influence. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Recruit Fairbanks.
Lord Berand	Lord Berand of Ferelden has returned to the Bannorn, bearing news of the Inquisition. His voice has turned many to the Inquisition’s cause. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Recruit Lord Berand.
Sky Watcher	Convinced that the Herald of Andraste was sent by the Lady of the Skies, a shaman of the Avvar tribes has sworn himself to the Inquisition’s cause. Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Recruit Sky Watcher.
The Noble Cadaver	The Grand Duchess Florianne in a pine box is now among the Inquisition’s assets. Florianne would be gratified to know that she is as formidable in death as in life (if only because of her odor). Reduces by 5% the time it takes for Josephine to complete operations.	Kill Florianne and make her remains do community service.

Inquisition

“Improved coordination and infrastructure”

Name	Description	Requirements
History Knowledge	Detailed history of Thedas's past. Opens up new dialogue options related to history and the Chantry. Grants an additional +50% XP for each codex entry found.	—
Antivan tailoring	Antivan tailors are famed for their ability to hide pockets seamlessly in garments A few words to the Inquisition's friends to the north, and its forces can carry more items in the field. Increases inventory capacity by 15.	—
Imperial Court Tailoring	The best tailors in Val Royeaux, experienced in the intricacies of the Grand Game, can add hidden compartments to armor and clothing, allowing even more items to be carried at once. Increases inventory capacity by 15. Bug! Some players have experienced that gaining this perk breaks inventory for the remainder of the game, causing items acquired later to be lost or for inventory capacity to get stuck at a lower value. (this may have been fixed with recent patch)	—
Tempered Glass Flasks	Better techniques in glassworking make more durable flasks, allowing more potions ro be carried safely at one time. Adds one more potion slot for all party members.	—
Exclusive Training	Gain 1 combat ability point, for the Inquisitor only.	4 points in category
Horsemaster Dennet	Dennet lends his considerable experience with the training and handling of various steeds for the Inquisition.	Recruit Horsemaster Dennet

Tips

The following tips are not firm rules to follow, as it is entirely up to the player to decide how to play the game since there's so many different ways to play this game; something one Inquisitor feels is absolutely necessary another may feel is not worth getting. Rather, they are guidelines based on several forums and guides written about the subject, condensed onto one page.

Given that there are many perks to choose from and that you won't be able to get all of them, not to mention that Inquisition perks only come by leveling up the Inquisition's Influence, a feat not as common as leveling up a party member, it is important to consider not just what to select, but when.

The four "Knowledge" perks are almost unanimously seen as the most important, and therefore the first four that should be obtained:

• Underworld Knowledge
• Arcane Knowledge
• Nobility Knowledge
• History Knowledge

The first result is the new dialogue options that are unlocked. Most of the time, these options are one-time offers and have more favorable results than the default dialogue, such as more detailed or more favorable responses from NPCs, which may in turn lead to greater rewards, including but not limited to:

• Acquisition of agents
• Unlocking of unique war table operations
• Larger approval gains from companions
• Additional gold, items, or Influence.

Therefore, not having the perk unlocked when it is most needed will cost you opportunities you will never see again in that particular playthrough.

The second result is the additional XP when you unlock Codex entries. The base value is 50 XP, which translates to 25 extra XP per Codex, for a total of 150 per entry with all four perks unlocked.

Mathematically speaking, 10 codex entries with no perks equate to 500 XP, whereas getting 10 of them with the perks will grant 1500 XP. Taking it further, 100 codex (no perk) = 5000, whereas 100 codex (all perks) = 15000. Considering the sheer volume of Codex entries over the course of the entire game, there are tens of thousands of additional XP to be had just from having these perks as early as possible.

As these perks do not retroactively add XP like Enhanced Studies does for Creature research, it is prudent to ignore easily-obtained Codex entries until at least one or two, if not all, of the perks are unlocked, to maximize the returns. However, be warned that while lost Codex entries will appear in a store in Val Royeaux, they will not yield any XP, so it is advisable to seek out as many as possible in the unique main quest locations, regardless of how many Knowledge perks have been unlocked.

The following perks are by no means required to maximize the playthrough, but come highly recommended from various player communities:

• Massache's Method
• Advanced Focus
• Master Focus
• True Grit
• More Healing Potions
• Enhanced Studies
• Deft Hands, Fine Tools
• Antivan Tailoring
• Imperial Court Tailoring
• Tempered Glass Flasks
• Exclusive Training

Massache's Method

Provides an additional 5% XP for each foe defeated. The increase is minimal with low level enemies, but its benefits come to light with the mid to late-game defeats of powerful bosses such as High Dragons.

Advanced Focus/Master Focus

Focus is used to power special abilities found in class specializations (see Specializations for details). Advanced Focus allows for a maximum of 200 Focus, Master Focus increases the maximum to 300, and with these increases enables the second and third-tier strengths of those abilities.

Focus abilities are not practical in every combat scenario, as they require some effort to charge. While waiting for them to charge, they occupy an ability slot, of which there are only eight. Using a different ability with a normal routine of stamina/mana cost and cooldown time and ignoring Focus abilities except for specific combat situations might be a more practical strategy. This in turn throws into question the necessity of a long-term, irreversible investment like an Inquisition perk on something that has situational use, much less two perks.

True Grit

Adds a flat 10% to all defenses, regardless of innate or equipment-augmented defenses. 10% defenses are augmented to 20%, 25% becomes 35%, and 0% becomes 10%. Defense is valuable in that, according to Inquisition's damage calculation formula, it serves as a flat reduction to the corresponding attack's damage, whether it is melee, ranged, or magic. Magic defense is especially valuable as magic attacks bypasses armor rating, warriors and rogues do not have many of the crafting options to add magic defense to their equipment that mages do, and only dwarf Inquisitors and Varric have innate magic defense.

At the time of this writing, the perk only gives the Inquisitor the bonus, even though it says for all companions. (Fixed in Patch 5/v1.06.) That said, the Inquisitor is always a member of the party, and as such is exposed to danger the most, making this worth getting.

More Healing Potions

This allows the party to carry 12 healing potions at a time instead of 8. Given that healing potions are shared by the party, this can be quite valuable during prolonged fights such as against High Dragons or during campaigns through both main quest and side quest dungeons with a notable lack of sufficient Supply Caches.

Enhanced Studies

This perk increases the XP and Influence gained through Creature research (see Enhanced Studies for details). It is also retroactive, providing additional XP and Influence to any studies you've completed prior to getting the perk, as well as any subsequent ones. Its value will not become apparent early on, but late in the game after several studies are completed it can be a good way to top off a level, even if the Influence gain does not compensate for the spent perk.

Deft Hands, Fine Tools

This perk enables rogues to unlock certain doors and other locked areas that are otherwise inaccessible. While this perk is not needed to complete the main story, it is necessary for some Inner Circle quests. The locked doors requiring the perk usually contain high-value chests containing rare items and schematics, increasing the means through which you can obtain valuable loot or a particularly elusive blueprint.

Antivan Tailoring/Imperial Court Tailoring

This increases the party's inventory capacity from 60 to 75, and from 75 to 90, respectively. They are not necessary to finish the game, but it can prevent unnecessary backtracking and having to leave valuable items behind when looting main quest locations.

Note: As of Patch 5, there is a Storage Chest at Skyhold, capable of holding 500 items. A great boon to those who struggle with inventory management, it reduces the need to worry as well as the necessity of this perk. The chest itself, however, is only accessible from the Undercroft in Skyhold.

Note: With Horsemaster Dennet recruited, players will need at least one point in Antivan Tailoring to unlock "Exclusive Training," see below for details.

Tempered Glass Flasks

This unlocks the upper right potion slot on the radial menu, allowing party members to carry a wider array of potions, tonics, and grenades. While potion upgrading is by no means necessary, players may prefer them over Focus abilities due to their utility.

Note: With Horsemaster Dennet recruited, and especially with the Storage Chest added in patch 1.05, this perk can be seen as a more valuable alternative to Imperial Court Tailoring in unlocking "Exclusive Training." See below for details.

Exclusive Training

This provides an additional ability point for the Inquisitor.

Unlocking it requires four perks already invested in the Inquisition category, which can include Horsemaster Dennet. This requires getting three of the following perks beforehand:

• History Knowledge
• Antivan Tailoring
• Imperial Court Tailoring
• Tempered Glass Flasks

The value of each of these perks has been stated above in this guide, and "Imperial Court Tailoring" requires "Antivan Tailoring" as a pre-requisite. Therefore, this perk should not be pursued early in the game but rather over the course of it, as the three perks of choice are unlocked in advance of it according to their own value in the player's eyes.

Notes

• Selected perks are presumed to have some impact on the state of the Inquisition in the epilogue.