Special Items — Dragon Age II eGuide

Backpacks

The total amount of treasure, accessories and equipment that you may carry at any one time is determined by the capacity of your inventory. You begin with a default capacity of 50 slots, which may be increased by purchasing Backpacks from specific merchants. Each additional Backpack permanently adds 10 slots to your inventory. The capacity meter on the lower right of the inventory screen also indicates how many Backpacks you have already obtained, extending to a potential 100 slots if you acquire all five.
Slots should not be confused with items, as a single slot in your inventory can sometimes hold many identical items. Every time you wish to add a new type of item to your inventory, such as a dagger or your first Stamina Potion, it needs an empty slot to be free. Should you add a second Stamina Potion, it will join the first and the slot will then indicate “x2”, or “x3” for a third, and upwards as you stack more items in the same slot. However, Runes and equipment have unique identities – even if they appear interchangeable – so a second dagger will need a new slot, even if its attributes appear similar. Note that crafting paraphernalia, letters, keys and other quest items are all stored separately and do not require a space in your inventory.

Tomes & Special Potions

The life-affirming value of reading a good book has never been so apparent – nor so immediate – as in the case of these edifying publications. Tomes are one-use items that grant a permanent increase to Hawke’s abilities or attributes. Since the only other way to enjoy such an advance in character development is by gaining an experience level, these volumes are very rare and extremely expensive. They take effect as soon as they are purchased, the points becoming available to spend through the usual Level Up menu. Tomes of Technique teach a single ability, while Tomes of the Mortal Vessel improve attributes.

Gifts

Beyond the consequences of your actions and conversations, your relationships with your companions can be further influenced by presenting them with Gifts. A single Gift will usually strengthen the relationship further in the direction of friendship.

Gifts are personalized for a specific character and only influence the individual relationship with a one-time bonus, which may be undone by later actions and events. Some Gifts can even be equipped as useable items. See the corresponding sections in this chapter for details on the Shield of the Knight Herself, the Blade of Mercy, the Sylvanwood Ring and the Starkhaven Longbow.

Backpacks

Backpack	Shop	Act
#1	Robes by Jean Luc	1
#2	Apparel Shop	1
#3	Mage Goods	2
#4	Robes by Jean Luc	2
#5	Robes by Jean Luc	3

Tomes & Special Potions

Name	Effect	Shop	Act
Tome of Technique	Teaches a single ability	Hubert’s Fine Goods	1
Avernus’s Experimental Draught	Grants 2 attribute points	Dark Epiphany quest (see page 66)	1
Greater Tome of the Mortal Vessel	Grants 2 attribute points	Trinkets Emporium	2
Tome of Technique	Teaches a single ability	Ilen’s Crafts	2
Arcane Tome of the Mortal Vessel	Grants 1 attribute point	Korval’s Blades	3
Tome of Technique	Teaches a single ability	Black Emporium	*
Greater Tome of the Mortal Vessel	Grants 2 attribute points	Black Emporium	*
Greater Elixir of the Mortal Vessel	Grants 2 attribute points	Black Emporium	*
Elixir of Arcane Technique	Teaches a single ability. Restriction: mage	Black Emporium	*
Elixir of Physical Technique	Teaches a single ability. Restriction: warrior or rogue	Black Emporium	*
Maker’s Sigh	Grants reallocation of all points previously spent on attributes, specializations and abilities	Black Emporium	*

* See dragonage.com/da2/addons for further details on this Premium Content.

Gifts

Companion	Name	Location	Related Quest
Anders	Tevinter Chantry Amulet	Abandoned Slaver Den	A Bitter Pill (page 85)
Aveline	Shield of the Knight Herself	Ser Varnell’s Refuge	Offered and Lost (page 72)
Bethany	Portrait of Your Mother	Amell Estate Cellar	Birthright (page 63)
Carver	Tobrius’s Documents	Amell Estate Cellar	Birthright (page 63)
Fenris	Blade of Mercy	Secret Meeting Place	Best Served Cold (page 93)
	A Slave’s Life	From a sack in the elven alienage, Lowtown (Night)	-
Isabela	Ship in a Bottle	Smuggler’s Cut	Blackpowder Courtesy (page 72)
	Rivaini Talisman	Disused Passage, Act 3, Docks	-
Merrill	Sylvanwood Ring	Thief Leader remains, Act 3, Sundermount	A Murder of Crows (page 98)
	Wooden Halla Carving	Ilen’s Crafts shop, Act 2, Sundermount	-
Varric	Signet Ring	Trinkets Emporium shop, Act 2, Lowtown	-
Sebastian	Starkhaven Longbow	Harimann Estate	Repentance (page 81)

Companion Armor Upgrades

Companions cannot equip the armor made available to Hawke but they each have the option of upgrading their personal outfit with a series of bolt-on components. Every armor upgrade is permanently applied on acquisition and confers estimable protective bonuses. Diligently tracking down upgrades for all of your fellow travelers, even those who see less action, will maintain party balance and keep later options open.

There is one early armor upgrade for Hawke’s sibling while all other companions can expect four upgrades over the course of the game. The effects vary greatly, and in addition to improving the base armor rating they can introduce Rune slots, add resistances and increase defense.

Companion Armor Upgrades

Companion	Name	Acquisition	Act
Bethany	Heirloom Amell Protective Sigils	Final room in the Birthright quest (see page 63)	1
Carver	Fereldan Girded Plating	Final room in the Birthright quest (see page 63)	1
Anders	Lyrium Weave	Mage Goods shop (Gallows)	2
	Armor Struts	Lirene’s Fereldan Imports shop (Lowtown)	2
	Spirit Essence	Dissent quest, Gallows Dungeon (see page 82)	2
	Sigil of the Mage Underground	Best Served Cold quest (see page 93)	3
Aveline	Underpadding – Guardsman Pattern	Armor Merchant shop (Lowtown)	1
	Flex-Chain – Guardsman Pattern	Raiders on the Cliffs quest, on Fell Orden (see page 79)	2
	Impact Plating – Guardsman Pattern	Armor Merchant shop (Lowtown)	2
	Deflecting Joints – Guardsman Pattern	Favor and Fault quest, on Jeven (see page 102)	3
Fenris	Lyrium Scales	Shady Merchandise shop (Docks)	2
	Tevinter Spirit Symbol	Robes by Jean Luc shop (Hightown)	2
	Reinforced Straps	A Bitter Pill quest, Abandoned Slaver Den (see page 85)	2
	Enchanted Resin	Mine Massacre quest, on Dragon (see page 97)	3
Isabela	Lambswool Insoles	To Catch A Thief quest, in a chest in the Lost-End Foundry (see page 74)	2
	Rigid Boning	Apparel Shop, (Lowtown)	2
	Supportive Corselet	Robes by Jean Luc shop (Hightown)	2
	Boiled Leather Plates	A Murder of Crows quest (see page 98)	3
Merrill	Silver-Threaded Dalish Embroidery	Sundermount, near the top of the path	2
	Carved Ironwood Buttons	Ilen’s Crafts shop (Sundermount)	2
	Samite Lining	Robes by Jean Luc shop (Hightown)	2
	Halla Horn Buckles	A New Path quest, on the Pride Demon (see page 103)	3
Varric	Inscribed Leather Harness	Apparel Shop (Lowtown)	1
	Silverite-Reinforced Buckles	Family Matter quest, Bartrand’s Estate (see page 84)	2
	Coat Lining with Concealed Pockets	Shady Merchandise shop (Docks)	2
	Drakeskin Leg Straps	Finding Nathaniel quest (see page 99)	3
Sebastian*	Enhanced Articulation	Armor Shop (Gallows)	2
	Mail Undertunic	Repentance quest, Harriman Estate (see page 81)	2
	Reinforced Bracers	Olaf’s Armory shop (Hightown)	2
	Protection of the Faith	Best Served Cold quest, Hightown (Night), on a Templar Lieutenant (see page 93)	3

* See dragonage.com/da2/addons for further details on this Premium Content.

Consumables

Potions can be consumed in mid-battle, requiring the character to cease other actions and taking immediate effect. Potion use is limited by a Cooldown period, which is extended to similar replenishing items on activation, and may be automated through Tactics when a companion is in danger.

Icon	Name	Effect	Acquisition
	Health Potion	Health regeneration: 60% Cooldown: 30 seconds	Standard loot from enemies and containers
	Mana Potion	Mana regeneration: 40% Cooldown: 30 seconds
	Stamina Potion	Stamina regeneration: 40% Cooldown: 30 seconds
	Injury Kit	Heals an injury

When it comes to availability, always try to ration your Potion consumption and establish a reserve for emergency use that you have accumulated from those you find. You will most likely need to raid your stock of Potions at some point, as you’ll be facing many lengthy battles and challenging boss encounters where Potions will come in handy as your “fifth NPC medic” when forsaking healers and support for a more aggressive party roster.

When your character is knocked unconscious during battle, they will incur an injury (indicated by a red skull icon beside their portrait) on revival. Injured characters must endure a constant reduction in maximum health, proportional to the number of injuries received, that remains with them until cured. The Injury Kit will heal the condition, but take note that this sticking-plaster item is intended mainly for use mid-quest, when you are deep in a cave or dungeon and unable to leave the current path. Returning to Gamlen’s House or the Hawke Estate cures all injuries just as effectively and at no cost, while the Spirit Healer’s Second Chance passive ability prevents injury altogether.

Junk

Don’t concern yourself with saving anything that automatically turns up in your trash can ( ). That’s not to say it’s worthless, as you’ll generate a small amount of welcome revenue every time you trade in your haul at a merchant’s. Some objects fetch more than others, with antiques and pouches of chipped gemstones demanding a higher price than bottles of rotgut or a moth-eaten scarf. But if an item is clearly labeled as junk on discovery then it is meant to be sold: there are no hidden treasures, crafting items or secret valuables in this category that will contribute to quests later on.

If you need to make inventory space for real equipment, the ragged objects in the junk category can be permanently removed with the Destroy option. In a pinch, you may even transfer unwanted weapons and gear to the trash can for destruction. As a rule, though, it’s far wiser to manage your inventory, sell items and use the Storage in Gamlen’s House to clear out your clutter before embarking on a new quest. Acquiring Backpack expansions for additional capacity slots also tends to make things much easier.