Reaver (Origins)

Reaver is one of the specializations available to the warrior class in Dragon Age: Origins.
== Reaver talents ==
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== Unlocking ==
* During The Urn of Sacred Ashes questline, the Warden will meet a man named Kolgrim in the Mountainside Caverns. If he is not provoked he will offer the Warden a vial of blood to pour on Andraste's Ashes. Once the Warden has navigated through the Gauntlet, pour the blood into the urn and speak with Kolgrim outside. He will teach you the Reaver specialization.
** The Guardian, if alive, will attack you once you have defiled the Urn of Andraste. Wynne and Leliana will also heavily disapprove and turn hostile. However, if Leliana is hardened, she will still object to pouring blood on the Ashes, but she can be intimidated into obedience.
** If you do not wish to suffer the repercussions of tainting Andraste's Ashes, you can pour the blood in the Urn to complete the quest with Kolgrim and receive the Reaver specialization. Then load any previous saved game (such as right before pouring the blood in the Ashes) and the specialization will be still unlocked to put a point in upon your character's next advancement in level.
** Additionally, it can be unlocked in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening by purchasing the manual from the bartender at The Crown and Lion tavern in the City of Amaranthine for .
=== Exploit ===
The following will allow for the Warden to obtain the specialization without having to purchase the manual:
* Save just prior to purchasing the specialization manual
* Proceed to purchase the manual
* Once the specialization has been unlocked reload to the save
== Strategy ==
* Devour requires a number of active corpses to be useful. Enemies take several seconds after dying for their corpses to become available. Focusing on weaker enemies first can create corpses for devour. It is also possible to leave enemies from previous fights unlooted, and lure new enemies to the already existing corpses.
* Frightening Appearance is a reliable single-target disable. It is best used against particularly dangerous enemies such as emissaries. Although it checks against the warrior's strength attribute, it is still rarely resisted against dagger-wielding warriors that do not heavily invest into strength. It also helps tanks maintain aggro by increasing the power of taunt, but contrary to its description it does not benefit threaten.
* Aura of Pain can deal a large amount of damage with time, but the self damage requires mitigation. Regeneration can easily overcome the regeneration penalty and self damage, as can Cleansing Aura. With decent damage and health pool, the reaver should also be able to absorb the damage and use Devour to recover it. The self damage can not be reduced by spirit resistance.
* Blood Frenzy is best used by dual-wielding warriors, whose fast attacks can make the best use of the flat damage bonus. Other variants are unlikely to find blood frenzy very useful.
== Trivia ==
* Kolgrim mentions a wyvern during the ritual to make the Warden a reaver. This is the only time dragons are ever referred to as wyverns in the game. However, in Dragon Age II Mark of the Assassin, wyverns are revealed to be related to dragons. This could either mean that wyvern is a synonym to dragon or that "Andraste's" champion did not get her blood.
* In The Darkspawn Chronicles, Sten has the Reaver specialization. However, he does not have this specialization in the base game.
== See also ==
* Dragon Age: Origins: Prima Official Game Guide
Category:Dragon Age: Origins specializations
Category:Dragon Age (tabletop RPG) specializations
Category:Groups
 
Category:Specialization lore
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