Dragon Age: The Veilguardis a game of consequences, and so many choices that you make haverepercussions, but immediate and lasting. But exactly how many of them truly matter, and what changes depending on what you choose? While your personality is built up over a series of smaller exchanges,some choices have a drastic impact on the world around you.
But what are these choices, and how many ca be avoided entirely? We take a look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s most impactful moments,in as spoiler-free a way as possible, though we do also havefull spoiler breakdowns for those especially curious. These choices impactcompanions, factions, and the narrative, so be aware that everything you say or do matters.
7Save The Mayor Or Leave Him To His Fate
The earliest decision you will make comes in theShadows Crossingquest, when you see a town overrun by Blight, caused by a deal made from the Mayor’s greed. He is trapped by Blight, and that leaves you with two options -show mercy and rescue him, orleave him to his fate.In theshort term,Neve approves of mercy, while Harding and Bellara disapprove.If youleave him,Neve disapproves while Harding and Bellara approve. However, leaving himhas longer term consequences.
If you leave the Mayor, things change later in the game. Read on to see what they are
If you leave the Mayor, you will get the questA Growing Corruptionlater in the game, where the Mayor has morphed into a diifficult Blight boss wreaking further havoc. Rescuing him here stops this quest from appearing.
6Save Minrathous Or Treviso
When you are confronted byNeve and Lucanisabout thetwin dragon attacks on their shores, you will need to choose between them. This is not an easy choice, no ‘play as a good person’ or ‘view the world through harsh nihilism’ roleplay options. Two friends are in need. You can only help one. It is your choice to savewhichever companion you feel closest to, or whichevercity (Minrathous or Treviso)andfaction (Shadow Dragons or Antivan Crows)you like the most.
More specific spoilers follow for your choice between Minrathous and Treviso
If yousave Treviso, Minrathous will be destroyed. TheShadow Dragons have a more minor rolein the game, andtheir merchant disappears. It is muchharder to get approval from them, capping them attwo stars rather than three.Neve will become Hardened, meaning her Skills change, and she will beunavailable for a while as a companion. You will alsolose access to one quest in Minrathous.
Likewise, if yousave Minrathous, Treviso is destroyed. TheAntivan Crows suffer the same fate as the Shadow Dragons, andLucanis becomes Hardened and disappears for a while. Again, youlose access to a quest.
InMinrathous, you fightFire dragon Seartooth Vyrantus, while inTreviso, you fightCold dragon Corius the Icetalon.
5How Does Each Companion Quest End?
Every companion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard hasa series of personal quests to complete. And, while there area wide range of differences in the narratives, they allend in the same structure. You have tomake a 50/50 choiceabout where their journey ends. Thisdoes not change anything major in the story, with the most noticeable ramificationbeing a new costume. However, thetwo choices are often very different, so for yourown personal narrative, you will want to consider your options carefully.
See here for a bigger breakdown of each questline.
Harding:Show compassion for the Titan memories or show anger for the Titan memories:
Bellara:Destroy the elven artifact to stop it falling into the wrong hands or hand it over to the Veil Jumpers
Neve:Protect Dock Town by any means necessary or seek justice
Lucanis:Imprison or kill the Antivan traitor
Davrin:Set the griffons free in Arlathan or train them with the Grey Wardens
Emmrich:Become a Lich or rescue Manfred
Taash:Embrace Rivain traditions or Qunari traditions
4The Cobbled Swan Case
At the end of The Cobbled Swan Case, you faceanother 50/50 choice. Accept Makal Damas and the Threads' deal to take out Bataris, or say you will find another way. If youaccept the deal, the Threads willassist youin the rest of Neve’s quest against the Venatori. However, you will not getNeve’s choice in the end of the quest, as she will take the more aggressive route.If you don’t, you will be able totalk Neve aroundin the final showdown.
3Romance
Naturally, romance is a major choice within the game.All seven companions can be romanced, and can beflirted with freelyuntil you start to lock a decision in. Find thevarious gifts for each companion(every character hasone unique gift), raise their approval, andcomplete their questlines. They willask if you’re interested or just fooling around-choosing the former does not lock in the romance, but choosing the latter ends it.
Shortly after, you will havea Conversation questwith that companion, and here you willlock the romance in. Each companion ismonogamous, and theother companions will comment positivelyon your relationship, while yourromance option gets new barks in battle.
Some companions romance themselves if left alone, so read on to find out who.
If you do not romance Lucanis or Neve, Lucanis will ask Neve out for a date, seeking advice from the Rook first. The two are then a couple for the rest of the game.
2Aid The Factions
Aside fromchoosing whether to defend Treviso or Minrathous, there isno single choice you make when it comes to the factions.However, they each have their ownquestlines, and severalside questsaid your reputation with them. You can check this approval by highlighting their region on the overworld map, and it isnot linked to Merchant level, although selling them wares can help youboost approval
Not all quests in a given region arejust for that faction either. Grey Wardens, for example, approve of quests where you must protect people. Lords of Fortune approve of stealing treasure or hunting dragons. Completing every side quest will be enough to raise everyone’s approval to the required level. You want every faction to be at least two stars for strength before entering the endgame. Speaking of…
1Endgame Decisions
Once youpass the point of no return, you need to makeseveral key decisions about assigning your companions to specific roles. There are major decisions thatcan have fatal consequences, so you will want to be prepared and to get each one right. Since they’re a lot more comprehensive, we’ve broken them all down here inour complete endgame guide.
That guide is alsospoiler free with spoilers available if you click to Read More, but with such important moments you should read endgame decisions at your own risk.
