Best Mage Abilities in the Dragon Age Series

Important takeaways

• Storm surge in Dragon Age: Veilguard deals significant damage and pushes enemies back.
• Barrier from Dragon Age 2 increases damage resistance and can be upgraded to Arcane Fortress.
• Fade Step in Dragon Age: Inquisition allows mages to move quickly and avoid damage on the battlefield.

Mages are a fun class to play as Dragon Age series, as each game has different abilities to choose from as the player upgrades. Some of these abilities carry over from game to game, but others only appear in one game in the series.

There are a range of abilities in the series that cater to all types of players. Whether players are looking for an aggressive, fire mage build or a support mage with some ice-based skills on the side, there's sure to be a build available to interest anyone and everyone.

With this in mind, we're going to look at some of the best mage abilities from Dragon Age series, spanning the four main games: Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

1 storm surge

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

• Area and strike spell
• Trades 327 Electrical damage
• Applies to Overwhelm
• 60 second cooldown

The Storm Surge ability i Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a great way to deal some electricity damage while applying stun. Players can choose to partner this skill with an ability that detonates Overwhelmed, which can lead to significant damage.

In addition to that, Storm Surge also pushes enemies backwards. There are quite a few levels with ledges, so using Storm Surge during fights in these areas can cause enemies to fall to their deaths.

2 Barrier

Dragon Age 2

• Cozy spell
• Requires level 5 and the Mind Blast spell
• Activated spell
• Activation: 30 mana
• 45 second cooldown
• 6 second duration
• Adds 50% damage resistance to the target
• Can be upgraded to Arcane Fortress

Barrier is an invaluable magical ability that was first introduced in Dragon Age 2. It's simple, but it does the job and can be a life saver in a tough fight. When you use Barrier, the mage casts a protective barrier on the chosen teammate. This barrier will give them a +50% increase in their damage resistance for six seconds.

The barrier does not protect teammates from being knocked down by powerful effects – if they are vulnerable to those effects – but it effectively protects them from most attack types. The barrier ability can also be upgraded to Arcane Fortress, giving +50% damage resistance, creating an even more effective shield.

3 Fade steps

Dragon Age: Inquisition

• Wintertime
• Activated spell
• 2-second duration
• 12 second cooldown
• Can be upgraded to Frost Step or Energizing Step (Energizing Step requires Intruder DLC)

Fade Step is part of the Winter skill tree in Dragon Age: Inquisitionbut the basic skill has no cold effect. It can be upgraded to Frost Step, which will then deal Chill and Ice damage to enemies, but the original purpose of Fade Step is to allow a mage to move quickly by dashing forward.

The ability renders a mage invisible for two seconds and propels them forward as a blur. This is especially useful for mages, who often need to make sure they're out of the way on the battlefield so they can attack from afar and buff or support allies. Fade Step lets a mage get out of the way immediately, but it can also be useful for surprise attacks when playing with an aggressive mage build.

4 Walking bomb

Dragon Age 2

• Spirit spell
• Requires level 4 and Spirit Bolt
• Activated spell
• Activation: 30 mana
• 30 second cooldown
• 10 second duration
• 50% additional spirit damage of the victim's maximum health compared to nearby targets on explosion
• Can be upgraded to Corrosovie Walking Bomb and Virulent Walking Bomb

Walking Bomb has been a spell available to mages since Dragon Age Origins up to Inquisition. The selection for this list goes to Dragon Age 2 version of the spell, as it evolves the spell well from Origin and lays the foundation for Inquisition version. Walking Bomb is a spell that does exactly what the name suggests. It turns enemies into walking explosives with a powerful curse. The curse takes effect when the enemy dies and damages all nearby enemies.

This is a spell that can be upgraded twice. The first upgrade is the Corrosive Walking Bomb, which adds the corrosion effect along with the spirit damage the spell already deals. The next upgrade is the Virulent Walking Bomb, which allows the explosive effects to spread to enemies while damaging them. As a destructive ability, Walking Bomb is super effective. But upgrading it is the key to becoming a formidable foe on the battlefield while playing as a mage Dragon Age 2.

5 Destructive light

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

• Ultimate ability spell
• About 2,416 Fire damage
• Applies to Burning

Dragon Age: The Veilguard changed the ability system for players by offering an ultimate ability that is particularly powerful. One of the best ultimate abilities for mages is Destructive Light, where the player will unleash a devastating laser-like beam on their enemies, dealing tons of damage while applying the Burning effect.

The only downside to this spell is that the beam is manually controlled, and it can be difficult to maneuver at times. It can miss the enemy completely, which can be more than a little frustrating. That said, when implemented at the right moment, Destructive Light can be a game-changing and life-saving skill.

6 Mass rejuvenation

Dragon Age: Origins

• Creation spell
• The last spell on the Healing tree
• The Healing tree also includes Heal, Rejuvenate and Regeneration
• Medium activated range
• Activation: 45 mana
• 90 second cooldown
• Requires level 28 magic skill

While healing is an important part of a mage's skill set, keeping the party's mana and stamina topped up is also a must, but is often pushed aside in favor of healing. That's why Mass Rejuvenation – a spell that regenerates mana and stamina – makes it to this list.

It deserves some love, but it's also a very effective spell that can change the flow of battle when used at the right time. When activated, Mass Rejuvenation can be stacked with the Rejuvenate spell, which focuses on increasing the mana of the caster.

When paired with the Heal spell, Mass Rejuvenation can allow the mage to consistently increase their allies' health, mana, and stamina (while doubling their own mana), making the team an unstoppable force.

7 Master Shapeshifter

Dragon Age: Origins

• Specialization of Shapeshifter mage
• The final spell in the Shapeshifting specialization tree
• The Shapeshifting specialization tree also includes Spider Shape, Bear Shape, and Flying Swarm
• Passive skill
• Requires level 12

One of the most fun specializations for mages in Dragon Age series is the Shapeshifter ability, which allows a mage to transform into a spider, bear, or a swarm of flies (when upgraded). Once players have upgraded the specialization, they can upgrade to Master Shapeshifter, making them stronger versions of each creature when they transform.

Shapeshifting was not used again in Dragon Age game after Originand it is difficult to see why this decision was made. It was such an engaging ability that allowed for a different style of mage play. Here's hoping it can come back at some point in the future Dragon Age game.

8 Revival

Dragon Age: Inquisition

• Spirit spell
• Activated spell
• Activation: 85 mana
• 2-meter power range
• 60 second cooldown
• Can be upgraded to Life Ward or Desperation (Desperation requires Intruder DLC)

Dragon Age: Inquisition has a lot of difficult fights, especially when playing at higher levels. A spell that is a necessity for a mage when playing Inquisition is Revival, which can bring unconscious players back into the fray.

Players can manually revive teammates in Inquisitionbut this takes time and when in the heat of a tough battle it can be nearly impossible to do so without dying. That's where Revival comes in. It takes a lot of investment in the Spirit tree, since it's one of the last spells, but it's well worth it.

Players control the green circle that appears when selecting Revival and must aim it as close to the body of their fallen teammate as possible. When you're close, activate Revival and a cool animation of the teammate rising from the ground via green spirit wings will play on the battlefield. They will then be back in the fray and ready to keep fighting. Revival is an absolute must for any, if not all, mages on the player's team below Inquisitionbecause it can literally save lives.