Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition

DLC Collections & Exploration — Dragon Age: Inquisition Guide

Navigate Dragon Age: Inquisition DLCs, including Trespasser and its Qunari Invasion. Maximize gains and uncover lore with this guide to collections and explora.

DLC Collections & Exploration

The Dragon Age: Inquisition DLCs offer expansive new regions, challenging encounters, and unique collections that deepen the lore and reward diligent explorers. This section will guide you through maximizing your gains and uncovering every secret these expansions hold.

Trespasser: The Qunari Invasion & Elven Secrets

The Trespasser DLC is a critical epilogue to the main story, offering not just narrative closure but also new areas to explore and unique items to collect. It's recommended to tackle this DLC after completing the main campaign, as it significantly raises the difficulty and assumes a high-level Inquisitor.

Exploration & Key Locations:

  • The Winter Palace: This familiar location is re-imagined with new areas and threats. Pay close attention to environmental cues; many secrets are hidden in plain sight.
  • The Crossroads: A sprawling, dangerous region that connects various elven ruins. Expect heavy Qunari resistance and challenging puzzles.
  • Elven Mountain Ruins: These ancient ruins are central to the DLC's narrative and contain many lore-rich artifacts. Be prepared for traps and powerful elven guardians.
  • The Deep Roads: A brief but intense delve into the Deep Roads, featuring unique enemies and environmental hazards.

Actionable Walkthrough Steps:

  1. Initial Reconnaissance (Winter Palace Pt. 1): Upon arriving at the Winter Palace, prioritize speaking with all available NPCs. Many will offer hints about hidden areas or potential threats. Look for glowing interactable objects, as these often lead to codex entries or minor loot.
  2. Navigating The Crossroads (Pt. 1 & 2):
    • Pathfinding: The Crossroads can be disorienting. Utilize your map frequently. Look for distinct landmarks like ancient elven arches or collapsed structures to orient yourself.
    • Qunari Patrols: Expect frequent encounters with Qunari patrols. Focus fire on their mages and archers first, as their melee units can be heavily armored. Utilize abilities that break guard and armor.
    • Hidden Caches: Keep an eye out for small, often overgrown, alcoves or rock formations. These frequently hide supply caches containing valuable crafting materials and schematics.
  3. Unearthing Elven Mountain Ruins:
    • Puzzle Solving: Many areas within the Elven Mountain Ruins require solving light puzzles, often involving activating ancient elven mechanisms in a specific order. Look for glowing runes or pressure plates.
    • Artifacts: These ruins are a treasure trove of elven artifacts. Each artifact contributes to the "Elven Relics" collection, which can unlock lore entries and sometimes grant temporary buffs. Specific artifacts include the Elven Sunstone (found near a collapsed bridge) and the Ancient Elven Blade Fragment (located in a hidden chamber behind a waterfall).
    • Vallaslin: Discovering hidden Vallaslin (elven facial tattoos) locations can unlock unique customization options for your Inquisitor at the War Table.
  4. Deep Roads Expedition:
    • Darkspawn & Traps: The Deep Roads are infested with powerful Darkspawn and riddled with traps. Bring a rogue with high cunning for disarming.
    • Unique Materials: Look for rare crafting materials like Dragon's Breath and Obsidian, which are more common in this area.

Key Items & Strategies:

  • Schematics: Trespasser introduces some of the best schematics in the game, including Masterwork versions of existing armor and weapons. Thoroughly loot every chest and defeat every boss. The Superior Battlemaster Mail Schematic can often be found in a hidden chest within the Elven Mountain Ruins, accessible after solving a minor light puzzle.
  • Unique Weapons & Armor: Keep an eye out for named unique items dropped by bosses or found in specific locations. The Blade of the Thousand Cuts (a powerful dagger) is a rare drop from certain Qunari leaders in the Crossroads.
  • Upgraded Gear: Ensure your party is equipped with the best possible gear before entering Trespasser. The difficulty spike is significant, and well-crafted masterwork items will be essential.
  • Party Composition: A balanced party is crucial. Consider bringing a tank (Cassandra/Blackwall), a damage dealer (Iron Bull/Cole), and a support/healer (Vivienne/Solas). The Qunari often come in large groups, so area-of-effect abilities are highly effective.