Driver FixRecommendedSound, Wi-Fi or graphics acting up? Check drivers firstFind missing or outdated drivers fast.Check DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix Now×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Dragon Age: The Veilguard: 13 Essential Beginner Tips

A spoiler-light starting guide to classes, exploration, companion quests, combat combos, healing, gear, and useful discoveries in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Start Dragon Age: The Veilguard by choosing the class you want to play, then give yourself room to experiment: you can change abilities and respec your skill tree outside combat. As you progress, explore newly opened areas, build companion ability combos, and make time for companion quests. These 13 tips apply whether this is your first Dragon Age game or you are returning after a break.

Set up Rook and find a play style

1. Review settings before settling in

Before the opening hours get busy, take a look through the Settings menu and adjust the game to suit you. BioWare recommends reviewing its customization options, including accessibility settings; the options you need will depend on your preferences and setup. See BioWare’s pre-play guide for its overview.

2. Choose the class that sounds fun

Rook can be a Warrior, Rogue, or Mage. They are different combat archetypes, but the official beginner guidance does not name one as the best class for newcomers. Pick the kind of fighting you want to try rather than searching for a universally correct answer.

3. Treat your build as a draft

You can swap abilities for Rook and companions outside combat, and respec the skill tree either node by node or in full. Try abilities that appeal to you; if a setup feels awkward, adjust it when you are out of a fight rather than restarting your character.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Deluxe - PlayStation 5
  • This video game is an immersive action role-playing game (RPG). Play Dragon Age: The Veilguard and become the leader others believe in
  • SAVE A BATTERED WORLD - Enter Thedas, a vibrant world of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths and glittering cities. The world is teetering on a knife’s edge while corrupt gods unleash havoc across the continent. Nations war and factions splinter. Who will you trust? From the Arlathan Forest to the back alleys of Minrathous, this is a broken world. Your actions will affect the fate of Thedas forever.
  • Unite THE VEILGUARD - Unite a team of seven companions, each with rich lives and deep backstories. These are characters to befriend, and even fall in love with. Among them, an assassin, a necromancer, a detective, each and all bringing their own expertise and unique abilities to the fight. You are never alone, decide who to take into battle and together face down demons, dragons and corrupt gods.
  • BECOME THE LEADER OTHERS BELIEVE IN - Select from different races and combat classes, customize your appearance, choose your character’s backstory and begin your journey as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. The choice is yours. Brace yourself, there are tough decisions to be made, allies to inspire, and a fight that needs every sword, staff and bow you can muster.

4. Adapt to enemy weaknesses and resistances

Enemy types have different weaknesses and resistances, so pay attention to what you are fighting. If a battle is going poorly, consider changing Rook’s abilities or your companion lineup to better suit the encounter. That is a reason to adapt, not a promise that one particular build is always optimal.

Explore as the world opens up

5. Explore after the Prologue—and return later

Exploration opens after the Prologue, and early quests gradually make more places accessible. Check areas again as your journey advances; a path you could not take before may become reachable when you have progressed or brought the right companion.

6. Take optional side quests when they appear

Look around newly accessible areas for side quests and loot. Optional quests are not all mandatory, so choose based on your interest and available time. They offer a way to explore a place and its people beyond the main objective.

7. Prioritize companion quests

Companion quests are more than character detours: BioWare says they affect how later stages unfold. The Dragon Age Team puts it plainly: “We encourage you to complete side content and companion quests, as they will have a direct impact on how the later stages of the game unfold.” If you want to see more of your companions’ stories and influence later events, make room for their quests.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Rank #3
Electronic Arts Dragon Age: The Veilguard Standard Edition PS5 | VideoGame | English
  • Dragon age the veilguard action rpg: Immersive action role-playing game where you become the leader others believe in as Rook
  • Save a battered world: Explore Thedas, a vibrant realm of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths and glittering cities teetering on the edge as corrupt gods unleash havoc
  • Unite the veilguard: Recruit a team of seven companions with rich backstories, including an assassin, a necromancer and a detective, each bringing unique abilities to the fight
  • Customize your hero: Select from different races and combat classes, customize your appearance and choose your character's backstory as Dragon Age's newest hero
  • International region free version: Region free PS5 disc plays on all systems, imported international packaging may differ in age rating and labeling, DLC may require correct region

8. Use the lore glossary if the setting is new to you

You do not need to memorize Dragon Age history before playing. Xbox Wire points newcomers to Library > Glossary > Lore for concise explanations of unfamiliar terms. Use it when a name or concept is getting in the way of following a conversation.

9. Search areas thoroughly and watch the map counters

Chests and materials can be tucked away around an area. Xbox Wire’s launch guide notes that map counters show how many remain, which can help you spot unfinished exploration. Some routes require a particular companion ability, so do not assume a blocked path is permanently inaccessible; return after your team expands.

Rank #4
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Standard - Steam PC [Online Game Code]
  • SAVE A BATTERED WORLD - Enter Thedas, a vibrant world of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths and glittering cities. The world is teetering on a knife’s edge while corrupt gods unleash havoc across the continent. Nations war and factions splinter. Who will you trust? From the Arlathan Forest to the back alleys of Minrathous, this is a broken world. Your actions will affect the fate of Thedas forever.
  • Unite THE VEILGUARD - Unite a team of seven companions, each with rich lives and deep backstories. These are characters to befriend, and even fall in love with. Among them, an assassin, a necromancer, a detective, each and all bringing their own expertise and unique abilities to the fight. You are never alone, decide who to take into battle and together face down demons, dragons and corrupt gods.
  • BECOME THE LEADER OTHERS BELIEVE IN - Select from different races and combat classes, customize your appearance, choose your character’s backstory and begin your journey as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. The choice is yours. Brace yourself, there are tough decisions to be made, allies to inspire, and a fight that needs every sword, staff and bow you can muster.
  • Dramatic Single-Player Campaign - When corrupt Elven Gods threaten Thedas, lead the charge to save it. Rook isn’t afraid of a fight, no matter the odds. No matter the cost.
  • Vibrant And Diverse Environments - Enter a vivid fantasy world and experience imaginative new locations as well as some you’ve heard of, but never seen. Larger Than Life Foes - Battle darkspawn, demons from beyond the Veil, dragons that rule the skies, and unique enemies as you advance your quest and fight for Thedas’s future
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Make your companions part of the combat plan

10. Set up abilities that detonate conditions

Some abilities apply conditions such as Sundered, Weakened, or Overwhelmed, while other abilities can detonate compatible conditions. Check the Ability Wheel for indicated compatible moves, then try using a condition-applying ability followed by a matching detonation. This gives you a reason to coordinate the party instead of choosing every move for damage in isolation.

11. Equip healing abilities when companions can learn them

Several companions can equip healing skills that can be triggered during battle. If you have one available, consider adding it to a companion’s loadout: it can help preserve your limited potions for moments when you need them most.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Best Value
Dragon Age: The Veilguard - Xbox Series X
  • SAVE A BATTERED WORLD - Enter Thedas, a vibrant world of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths and glittering cities. The world is teetering on a knife’s edge while corrupt gods unleash havoc across the continent. Nations war and factions splinter. Who will you trust? From the Arlathan Forest to the back alleys of Minrathous, this is a broken world. Your actions will affect the fate of Thedas forever.
  • Unite THE VEILGUARD - Unite a team of seven companions, each with rich lives and deep backstories. These are characters to befriend, and even fall in love with. Among them, an assassin, a necromancer, a detective, each and all bringing their own expertise and unique abilities to the fight. You are never alone, decide who to take into battle and together face down demons, dragons and corrupt gods.
  • BECOME THE LEADER OTHERS BELIEVE IN - Select from different races and combat classes, customize your appearance, choose your character’s backstory and begin your journey as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. The choice is yours. Brace yourself, there are tough decisions to be made, allies to inspire, and a fight that needs every sword, staff and bow you can muster.

Use exploration finds to strengthen your gear and character

12. Check duplicate equipment and the Caretaker’s forge

In Xbox Wire’s October 2024 launch-period guide, finding another copy of an equipment piece upgrades its rarity and stats. The guide also points players to the Caretaker’s forge at the Lighthouse for equipment upgrades. Treat this as launch-period guidance rather than a detailed statement about every later patch; for current support information, consult EA’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard support hub.

13. Notice statues, monuments, and shop mementos

Xbox Wire’s launch guide highlights Dreadwolf statues and Evanuris monuments as worthwhile finds: interacting with them provides skill-point and permanent-health rewards, respectively. The guide also says mementos found in shops advance forge upgrades. These are useful reasons to investigate landmarks and browse as you explore; the specific reward details come from the October 2024 guide.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. 5 Best Pixelmon Server Hosting Providers for 2026, ComparedBlog8min
  2. 3 Best RAGE:MP Server Hosts for GTA V in 2026Blog8min
  3. 6 Best RLCraft Server Hosting Providers in 2026 (Ranked)Blog8min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.