Along with typical crafting materials like iron or steel, the Dragon Age universe features several exotic and mythical materials from which armor and weapons are forged. Each item is tinted with colors corresponding to the material it was made from.
Dragon Age: Origins[]
In Dragon Age: Origins, materials are ranked 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.
- 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
High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening and Witch Hunt:
- 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, etc.) and its material.
- Tier 1 - Iron - grey and red
- Tier 2 - Grey Iron - yellowish-brown and red
- Tier 3 - Steel - white and purple
- Tier 4 - Veridium - greenish-grey and yellow
- Tier 5 - Red Steel - bright red
- Tier 6 - Silverite - shiny white and blue
- Tier 7 - Dragonbone - burgundy
- Untiered - Starmetal (the meteorite ore that Starfang, longsword and greatsword, is forged of, shares the stats of tier 8)
High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening and Witch Hunt:
- Tier 8 - White Steel - whitish, very similar appearance to Silverite
- Tier 9 - Volcanic Aurum - golden
Wood[]
Wood is used to craft crossbows, longbows, and shortbows. Some shields are also made from wood.
- 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
High-tier materials exclusive to Awakening:
- Tier 8 - Vhenadahl
- Tier 9 - Ancestral Heartwood
Quick reference[]
Metal[]
Material | Damage | Armor | Critical | Penetration | Fatigue | PreReq + | Price multiplier | Range | Max runes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iron | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 0 |
Grey Iron | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.15 | 1.05 | 2 | 3 | N/A | 0 |
Steel | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 4 | 6 | N/A | 1 |
Veridium | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.45 | 1.15 | 8 | 9 | N/A | 1 |
Red Steel | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 14 | 12 | N/A | 2 |
Silverite | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.75 | 1.25 | 16 | 15 | N/A | 2 |
Dragonbone | 1.6 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 2 | 1.3 | 20 | 18 | N/A | 3 |
White Steel | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.25 | 1.5 | 24 | 21 | N/A | 3 |
Volcanic Aurum | 1.8 | 3 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.75 | 30 | 24 | N/A | 3 |
Wood[]
Material | Damage | Armor | Critical | Penetration | Fatigue | PreReq + | Price multiplier | Range | Max runes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elm | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A |
Ash | 1.1 | 1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.025 | 2 | 3 | 1.05 | N/A |
Yew | 1.2 | 1.33 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.05 | 4 | 6 | 1.1 | N/A |
Whitewood | 1.3 | 1.66 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.075 | 8 | 9 | 1.15 | N/A |
Ironbark | 1.4 | 2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 14 | 12 | 1.2 | N/A |
Sylvanwood | 1.5 | 2.33 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.125 | 16 | 15 | 1.25 | N/A |
Dragonthorn | 1.6 | 2.66 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.15 | 20 | 18 | 1.3 | N/A |
Vhenadahl | 1.7 | 3 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 1.25 | 24 | 21 | 1.4 | N/A |
Ancestral Heartwood | 1.8 | 3.33 | 1.8 | 2.75 | 1.3 | 30 | 24 | 1.5 | N/A |
Leather[]
Material | Damage | Armor | Critical | Penetration | Fatigue | PreReq + | Price multiplier | Range | Max runes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rough | N/A | 1 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 0 |
Cured | N/A | 1.33 | N/A | N/A | 1.025 | 1 | 3 | N/A | 0 |
Leather | N/A | 1.66 | N/A | N/A | 1.05 | 2 | 6 | N/A | 1 |
Hardened | N/A | 2 | N/A | N/A | 1.075 | 4 | 9 | N/A | 1 |
Reinforced | N/A | 2.33 | N/A | N/A | 1.1 | 7 | 12 | N/A | 2 |
Inscribed | N/A | 2.66 | N/A | N/A | 1.125 | 8 | 15 | N/A | 2 |
Drakeskin | N/A | 3 | N/A | N/A | 1.15 | 10 | 18 | N/A | 3 |
Dragon Wing | N/A | 3.33 | N/A | N/A | 1.25 | 12 | 21 | N/A | 3 |
High Dragon Hide | N/A | 3.66 | N/A | N/A | 1.3 | 14 | 24 | N/A | 3 |
Dragon Age II[]
In Dragon Age II, materials are purely cosmetic, having no effect on item properties. The hidden item level stat is responsible for scaling property power instead.
Group | Material |
---|---|
Cloth | Scarlet Dyed |
Charcoal Washed | |
Silver Threaded | |
Gold Threaded | |
Leather | Crimson |
Jet | |
Argent | |
Gilt | |
Metal | Red Steel |
Onyx | |
Silverite | |
Aurum | |
Wood | Red Cedar |
Black Walnut | |
Silvered Ash | |
Gilt Beech |
Dragon Age: Inquisition[]
- Main article: Crafting materials