Dragon Age Inquisition lets you get an additional skill tree beyond the ones you start with. This is called a Specialization. Each class has three to choose from, and there are quests you must complete to unlock each one. Maybe you’d like to do more damage as you lose health? The Reaver warrior is for you! Like potions and using flasks for different effects? Then you want a Tempest Rogue.
I’ll help you understand everything about specializations, how to unlock them, and what specializations are best for your playstyle. If you have questions about anything else in Dragon Age Inquisition, please visit my Beginner’s Guide and Tips.
This guide covers everything about specializations, including:
- How to Unlock – When and where you can start your specialization quests in Dragon Age Inquisition.
- Specialization Details – Info on each specialization and what they do.
- Specialization Quests – What’s needed for each specialization, as well as help on finding some of the items.
How to Unlock Specializations in Dragon Age Inquisition
To get a specialization, you must complete a quest for it. Each class — rogue, mage, and warrior — has three different specializations to choose from.
- You must first get to Skyhold by playing through the main game. This is done after the first act.
- You must complete the Specializations for the Inquisitor mission on the War Table.
I believe this is done at level 10. When I first got there, I couldn’t do it. After completing the first part of a story mission, I got to level 10, and it was available. If one of these conditions is met and you still can’t do it, complete the other one.
When you do this, three NPCs will come to Skyhold, each with a quest to get one of the specializations. You must complete the quest to get it, and you can only have one specialization.
You also cannot change once you’ve picked one, so choose wisely.
Dragon Age Inquisition Specialization Details
Each class has three to choose from, and they have their own skill trees. I’ll list them all below.
Rogue
- Assassin – Increases damage done from stealth and other benefits from using stealth often.
- Artificer – Uses traps and gives bonuses to the Archery tree.
- Tempest – Uses flasks to give bonuses and increases effectiveness of potions.
Check out imgur user daammyy for pictures of all the Rogue Skill trees.
Mage
- Knight-Enchanter – More defensive and melee skills, Healing focus spell.
- Rift Mage – Uses portals and other magic from the Fade to weaken enemies and buff yourself.
- Necromancer – Uses curses and spirits to harm enemies. Allows you to raise corpses to fight for you for a short time.
Go here to see all the mage trees.
Warrior
- Templar – Several buffs to the party to make them stronger and enemies weaker.
- Champion – Full tank. Increases to defense and taunting enemies to attack you.
- Reaver – Increased damage as you lose health, life steal ability, and ability that takes away your health to do massive damage.
Again, check here for pictures of the warrior skill trees.
Dragon Age: Inquisition Specialization Quests
Once you talk to the NPC of your choice, you can accept a quest from them. Completing this grants the specialization. You can pick up all three if you want, but you can only turn in one of them.
All of the quests require gathering crafting materials, writings on the spec, and crafting something to complete it. The quest tells you what you must do and where to get them.
- You can find the writings by either going to a companion that has the same specialization you’re trying to get or from the book merchant in Val Royeaux.
- You don’t talk to your companion to get them. Go to the area where they hang out and look around the area for the item.
I did Tempest on my Rogue, so I’ll go over what I did to complete it. Again, each specialization has a similar quest, so you can use this as a comparison to whichever you choose.
Way of the Tempest – Speak to Kihm
You have to kill three demons at specific locations in Storm Coast to get the Essence Containment Apparatuses. You can identify them by their names and by the fact that they are more difficult than the average demon.
- One is in the hills near Storm Solitude, a despair demon.
- Another is around Apostate’s Landing, a rage demon.
- The last is on a cliff near Long River, a pride demon.
You can get spirit essences by killing spirits and demons. You can do this by going to the Rift portals you have to close, or when getting the essence containment apparatuses.
Sera is your party Tempest. Go to her and you’ll find the writing near where she stands. If you don’t have her, go to the book merchant in Val Royeaux.
Once you have all the materials, go to the quartermaster where you craft requisitions to make the Bottle of Smoke. Talk to Kihm afterwards to complete the quest and become a Tempest.
That’s it for my guide to unlocking Specializations. If you have any more questions, let me know in the comments. For everything else about Dragon Age Inquisition, please visit my Beginner’s Guide and Tips.
