Prima Games eGuides Dragon Age II eGuide

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Dragon Age II eGuide Walkthrough Act Three Quests

Secondary Quests

Visit Gamlen

Requirements:

  • Available from the start of Act 3. This exists purely to draw you to Gamlen’s House, accessed via Lowtown. After speaking with Hawke’s uncle, read the Crumpled Note on the nearby table to begin the Gamlen’s Greatest Treasure quest.

Gamlen’s Greatest Treasure

Start Location:

Requirements:

Walkthrough:

  • Speak to Gamlen, then head for Darktown and approach Mekel. This unsavory fellow and his henchmen will attack no matter which dialogue choices you favor. Rifle through Mekel’s remains to find a note entitled The Wallop Mallet.
  • Return to Gamlen’s House. Speak to Hawke’s uncle, then examine the Wallop Mallet on the north wall. Leave the house and head to the elven alienage, then interact with the tree.
  • Travel to the Docks at night and enter Smetty’s Fish Guttery. The container you seek, a red crate marked Shipment 1023, is on the raised area directly opposite the entrance. After the trap has been sprung, move your party out of the affected area, then slay the Mercenary Commander and his cohorts. Collect the Note for Gamlen item from the leader’s corpse, then leave the area and journey to The Sink a new location in the Free Marches.
  • On arrival at The Sink (see map on page 139), you are ambushed by Corpses, Skeleton Archers and – after a brief delay – a wave of Giant Spiders. Save your major AoE attacks for the arrival of the latter. When the path branches further south, the route to the west could be described as an “undead end”: you can fight a few Corpses and Skeleton Archers, then pick up a few pieces of loot, but the door further south is sealed. Backtrack and take the east path to meet with the mysterious Charade.
  • When Veld attacks, deal with him first: removing him from the conflict swiftly will deprive his allies of his buff effect. The benefits of doing so will become apparent as the battle progresses, with successive waves of enemies (including Mabari and a Mercenary Assassin) arriving in an attempt to grind your party down.
  • In the post-battle dialogue, your decision in the final set of conversation options determines the conclusion of the quest:
  • “You should meet your father” is the diplomatic answer and the choice to make if you’d like to wrap this quest up with a heartwarming finale.
  • Selecting the “Give me the gem” or “I don’t care” options will anger Charade, who will leave in disgust after relinquishing the Gem of Keroshek.
  • Return to Gamlen to end the quest.

Consequences:

  • If you told Charade to speak to Gamlen, she will be present on your arrival at his house. In this conclusion, the happy ending should be its own reward. You will also find a letter from Charade when you next return to the Hawke Estate.
  • For those who prefer a more tangible payment for their labors, engineering immediate estrangement with the long-lost cousin will allow you to keep the mildly interesting Gem of Keroshek (see page 207) when Gamlen later decides that he does not want it. Choosing whether to tell him how you obtained the amulet or not is at your discretion: the end result is the same.

Mine Massacre

Start Location:

Requirements:

  • If you completed The Bone Pit and Inside Job in previous Acts, speak to Hubert in the market area. Alternatively, the quest begins automatically if you arrive at the Bone Pit area.

Walkthrough:

  • First things first: preparation is key for this battle, especially for those playing on the Hard or (heaven forefend) Nightmare difficulty levels. Stock up on Potions, draft in Anders to act as a healer (unless you adopt that role yourself), and consider applying poisons to all weapons. It also makes sense to take a tank along. If you have a mage with the Elemental Weapons spell, equipping a staff that inflicts cold damage will make a real difference (see page 199 to find out how to obtain Cold-Blooded or Mutiny for example).
  • Jump headlong into the battle and see how it develops. If your first foray is humiliatingly truncated, that’s probably the time to think about backtracking to invest in specialist equipment (such as armor, accessories or Runes that offer fire resistance).
  • The High Dragon attacks the moment you reach the open space in the lower portion of the map. This is a multi-stage confrontation against an opponent with extremely high endurance and some truly vicious attacks.

  • The battle begins with the High Dragon facing your party on the ground. Keep ranged fighters well clear of the beast and spread out. If you brought a tank along, this character (most probably Aveline) can maintain its attention throughout this stage. Having to heal one character at a time is much less difficult than addressing an assortment of wounds.
  • The High Dragon will change position suddenly throughout this fight. When it lands on a perch overlooking the basin, successive waves of Dragonlings will enter the battle. These are not particularly challenging: the danger lies in the High Dragon’s tendency to snipe at party members with homing fireball attacks. These inflict splash damage, so be sure to keep everyone spread out. This is the point where vigilance is everything and where having high fire resistance (for example thanks to a Rune of Fire Warding) makes a huge difference. Be ready to use Potions and healing spells at a moment’s notice, especially when weaker mages are targeted. An efficient strategy in these instances is to have two party members (especially melee fighters) focus on the smaller enemies while the other pair continue to bombard the main target.
  • Once the Dragonlings have been defeated, the High Dragon returns to the lower level, and the cycle returns to the beginning. However, future Dragonling waves can also feature at least one Dragon. When these appear, it makes sense to direct all your aggression at them immediately.
  • When the High Dragon eventually falls, its valediction is an incredible haul of loot – more than adequate recompense for the grind you have just (probably barely) survived. Of particular interest are the Dragon’s Blood (a unique ingredient for crafting Runes – see page 214), the Enchanted Resin armor upgrade for Fenris, the Champion chestpiece, and the High Dragon Fire Gland.
  • If you accepted this commission from Hubert, return to him now; otherwise, the quest ends here. No matter your choices in the final dialogue, if applicable, there is no further reward other than a final XP increase.

Consequences:

  • Collecting the High Dragon Fire Gland unlocks the final short stage of the Herbalist’s Tasks quest.

A Murder of Crows

Start Location:

  • Hightown

Requirements:

  • We strongly advise that you complete A Murder of Crows before you embark on Merrill’s Act 3 companion quest, A New Path. If you choose to kill the Dalish before they tell you where to find Zevran, the A Murder of Crows quest cannot be completed.

Walkthrough:

  • If you can still count on Isabela’s support, bring her along for this quest: her presence makes a big difference.
  • Travel to Sundermount. If this is your first visit to the area in Act 3, you are ambushed by thieves shortly after you arrive. Plunder the Thief Leader’s remains to obtain the Sylvanwood Ring, a gift for Merrill. You can also collect the Awiergan Scroll from the path that leads to the Dalish Camp to start The Awiergan Scrolls: Third Aspect.
  • Speak to Variel and select the “I’m here for the Antivan” option, then head for the Mountain Cave via the path that leads northwest from the Dalish Camp. There is an Ogre supported by Hurlock Bolters near the Recently Opened Passage entrance, and a ferocious collection of Wasp Spiders outside your destination. Collect the Rune of Valiance Design from the pile of bones as you journey between the two battles.
  • Inside the Mountain Cave, there is a multiple-wave attack by assorted spiders; pull back to the top of the wooden staircase to force them to approach in single file. Once the last arachnid has expired, loot the pile of bones to obtain the Boiled Leather Plates armor upgrade for Isabela.
  • At the far north of the cave (up on the map), a Varterral will attack. You should be familiar with this opponent from your visit during Merrill’s Act 2 companion quest but, if not, consult pages 83 and 228 for further details.

  • In the conversation with Zevran, you can choose to take him back as a prisoner to Nuncio or let him go free (see Consequences). If Isabela is in your party, she and Zevran will engage in coquettish banter; Zevran may also playfully engage with Hawke. However, if you are using an imported world state from Dragon Age: Origins in which the Hero of Ferelden ended the game in a relationship with Zevran, his approach will be rather less flirtatious.
  • After making your decision, loot the nearby treasure piles and leave. Travel to the Antivan Camp. After the cutscene, the Antivan Crows will attack. Deal with Nuncio first, or at least disable him while you reduce the number of blades and bows ranged against you. This battle is rather tough at the outset (and more so if you chose to take Zevran captive), but settles down after an initial difficulty spike. When the dust settles, speak with Zevran to conclude the quest.

Consequences:

  • If you allow Zevran to leave the Mountain Cave, he will return to fight alongside Hawke when you reach the Antivan Camp. He also offers the player a rather fine dagger as an additional reward. Bind and deliver him to Nuncio, though, and he cannot participate in the combat that ensues. He is not particularly offended by this outcome but offers no additional expression of his gratitude.
  • On the strict proviso that Zevran was not in a relationship with the Warden (living or dead) in an imported Dragon Age: Origins world state, there’s additional fun to be had. If Isabela is in your party, she will proposition Zevran. Select the “All right, I’m game” option if you are currently romancing the Rivaini to initiate a threesome.

Herbalist’s Tasks

Start Location:

  • Bone Pit Mines

Requirements:

  • Slay the High Dragon to complete the Mine Massacre quest and claim the High Dragon Fire Gland.
  • Visit Solivitus at the Gallows to claim a unique prize: Urzara’s Tooth, a very powerful amulet.

Finding Nathaniel

Start Location:

  • Hightown

Requirements:

  • To play this quest, you must be using an imported Dragon Age: Origins world state in which you played the Awakening expansion, recruited Nathaniel, and he was not killed in the siege on Vigil’s Keep. This is also available if you selected the Martyr preset world state during the initial character creation process.

Walkthrough:

  • Agree to help Delilah Howe near the Chantry in Hightown, then set off for the Deep Roads. Ensure that you have an adequate supply of useful potions before you depart as this quest has a demanding finale. You will encounter Nathaniel Howe besieged by darkspawn. Nathaniel will accompany you as a guest party member for the duration of this quest. If he and Anders were acquainted from your Awakening playthrough, there are additional scenes and snatches of banter to enjoy as you progress through the area – so it’s definitely worth bringing the brooding mage along.
  • After speaking with Temmerin Glavonak, continue forward to trigger a battle with assorted darkspawn and an Ogre. The piles of rubble in this area make it easier to avoid the latter’s charges, so be sure to take advantage of them. Pull the lever to open the way forward, then continue to the lower level.
  • If Bethany or Carver joined the Grey Wardens during the Deep Roads Expedition, they will be waiting here and will join in the ensuing battle.
  • If not, Nathaniel laments that his companions were killed; after this, it’s straight into conflict.
  • The climactic confrontation begins with waves of darkspawn attacking from multiple directions. Don’t be too quick to congratulate yourself as they fall with little effort. After this easy start, two Ogres arrive and a third follows when these two have been dispatched. Direct most of your party’s fire at one Ogre while using your tank and AoE attacks to suppress the surrounding darkspawn. If all else fails (including causing explosions with the levers), retreating to Temmerin’s position at the start of the battle will enable you to face the waves of enemies in a more controlled manner.
  • The battle over, Nathaniel (and Hawke’s surviving sibling, if present) will bid the party farewell. Search the area for treasures (in particular the Drakeskin Leg Straps – the final armor upgrade for Varric), then depart via the door to the west.

Consequences:

  • If Carver or Bethany joined the Grey Wardens, completing this quest means that they can make a further (and more substantial) appearance later in the Act.