Bugs (Awakening)

This page contains a list of bugs found in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. Some bugs may have been fixed by official patches, which can be found in the external link and Patches (Origins).
== Multi-platform ==
* When the quest Preying on the Weak is active, traveling to the top flight of the Battlement will have you and your companions enter combat mode. With no way to attack the smugglers or leave the area you will be stuck. To circumvent this bug, travel to a different location on the map. When you return to Amaranthine you will be able to properly battle the smugglers.
* When given the quest Bombs Away! make sure you only give one lyrium sand at a time, as Dworkin may take all three and count it as only one.
* Main character's equipment may disappear during the Silverite Mine portion of the game; more info can be found here.
* Velanna may not be allowed to undergo the Joining unless the three main quests are done in a particular order. See Velanna's Joining.
* Sigrun may not be allowed to undergo the Joining unless the three main quests are done in a particular order. See Sigrun's Joining.
* The Vigilance sword, acquired from the Worked to the Bone quest given to you by Wade, will look like the Starfang sword from Origins if you have the Warden's Keep DLC installed. Deactivating the Warden's Keep DLC fixes this. There is also an unofficial fix available for the PC version.
* During the quest Smuggler's Run in the City of Amaranthine, when speaking to the Smuggler Leader after defeating the thieves, if you refuse to kill the lieutenant, you can speak to him again for an additional 15 and 500 XP. This can be repeated indefinitely.
* When using an imported character, some of the DLC (promotional and Warden's Keep) items will not be transferred (excluding Memory Band, Return to Ostagar and The Stone Prisoner ( only)). However, if you have these items equipped on your character, even though the items themselves disappear, their bonuses and fatigue modifications will be merged into the character's base attributes. An unofficial fix that enables importing for all Warden's Keep and promotional DLC items is available here.
* Using the Manual of Focus on an imported Warden gives an extra skill point (this can be exploited for infinite skill points). Possibly, this has something to do with the fact that the Warden from Origins starts with 2 pre-selected skills instead of 1 like the Orlesian Warden or any companion. This can also work for Nathaniel and Sigrun
*Heraldry bugs: 
** Heraldry: Legion of the Dead +20 to all attributes bonus, instead of +3 like all other heraldries.
** Heraldry: Templars turns into the Redcliffe heraldry when used (even though the Redcliffe heraldry is not an available heraldry to purchase in the game)
* After killing the Withered, the Warden-Commander's arms may freeze as if they are holding weapons, even when they are not. This can be avoided by using single-handed weapons during the battle or by switching weapon sets to single-handed immediately after striking they killing blow. Staffs, bows, two-handed swords, battle-axes and mauls trigger this bug even when wielded by Anders and Oghren.
** This can also be fixed after the cut-scene by switching weapon sets.
* Accepting the quest Law and Order in Amaranthine will eliminate your ability to initiate Sigrun's personal quest. A dwarven woman standing at the bottom of the steps leading up to the tavern will no longer spawn if this quest has been accepted. If you picked up both Law and Order and Smuggler's Run and decide to side with the smugglers instead, the bug will not occur.
*Masterpiece Cold Iron Rune is falsely triggered as an armor rune, and therefore will not give the proper rune bonus.
== PC/XBox ==
=== Approval bug ===
* There is an approval bug specific to the characters Sigrun, Justice and Velanna wherein their approval rating will instantly shoot up and get frozen at +100, without granting their character-specific approval bonuses and (in some cases) preventing their character-specific side quests from occurring. It's possible that it is related to doing the Blight Orfans Notis Bord quest chain (and possibly other quests) before these characters have joined your party.
* Solution: You must reset the character's approval rating using a console command. The steps to do this are as follows, using Sigrun as an example:
** 1. Create a new shortcut that points to the file "daorigins.exe" in the bin_ship folder, located inside your Dragon Age directory. Note that the default shortcut does not point to this file - you must create a new one.
** 2. Edit the properties for this new shortcut, and place -enabledeveloperconsole at the end of the target line. Your target line should now look something like this: "C:\Dragon Age\bin_ship\daorigins.exe" -enabledeveloperconsole. Once this is done, enter the game using this shortcut.
** You must be able to select Sigrun's character to use the command, so if you are in Vigil's Keep, leave it with her in your party.
** Click on Sigrun and open the developer console by pressing the tilde (`) key. (Note that you will not be able to see a command line or see the text you are entering - as soon as you start typing a command, all you will see are random letters and numbers at the top of your screen. This is not a bug.)
** Type runscript zz_gxa_addapproval Sigrun -100. This will remove 100 approval rating and reset Sigrun's approval back to 0. You can leave some approval on her, but if you leave more than +24, the fix will not work. This is because approval bonuses begin at +25, and you must be below this threshold to begin acquiring their bonuses. Note also that using this command to increase your party members' approval rating will not grant them their bonuses.
** Your character's approval should now respond normally to gifts/quests/events, and their character-specific side quests should be unaffected.
=== Other bugs ===
* After using a Manual of Focus, switching between primary and secondary weapon sets will cause the shield to disappear. It still shows as equipped in the inventory, but does not appear on the character's back in game. In battle, the character motions as if pulling out the shield, but it's not there. If you return to the inventory screen and re-equip the shield, it will show again. However, the defense stats seem to be the same regardless of whether or not the shield is visible. To avoid the bug, un-equip all items before using the manual. This is likely related to the Backwards Shield Bug.
* The epilogue will not recognize a romance with Morrigan if you speak to her during Final Battle in Origins, meaning you can't get a Morrigan epilogue in Awakening if you get the Ring epilogue in Origins. (It seems that this can be fixed if you hold off giving Morrigan the Golden Mirror gift until after loading the post-epilogue save, which reactivates the romance again.)
* At the end of the final encounter, a cut scene plays of the Warden-Commander slaying the Mother, followed by a slideshow wrapping up loose ends in the story. At the end of the slideshow, a bug may occur in which the Mother-slaying death scene replays. Pressing the escape key resets the cutscene to the beginning, and it continues to play, instead of bringing up the menu as it is supposed to do. There is no way to escape out of this and continue to a proper exit-to-menu state. Pressing F1 may force an exit to the menu where the game may be resumed from the last save state. If this bug occurs it may repeat so that no proper endgame state is achieved.
== PC/PS3 ==
* It is possible to accept Law and Order and Smuggler's Run and fail at both by doing so.
* If the player is using an imported Warden, many of the Codex pages collected during Origins will have been removed. The removed pages appear as empty slots in the log rather than being erased. Saving and reloading the game apparently fixes this.
* Codex entries for companions will sometimes read that they have died in battle, even if the epilogue says they have survived.
== XBox/PS3 ==
* You may be able to access the Silverite Mine before talking to Velanna. See here for details.
* The gloves, breastplate, and boots of the Sentinel armor set will look like the equipment from the Warden Commander armor set on a human character if you have the Warden's Keep DLC installed. On a dwarven or elven Warden-Commander it appears normal. Deactivating the Warden's Keep DLC will fix this. But if you have Wintersbreath in your inventory from Origins or buy Wintersbreath in Awakening, it will look like Winter's Breath instead (this is because the staff graphics actually came from The Warden's Keep itself).
* When in the Blackmarsh, there is a quest called The Burden of Guilt charging you to find a merchant's hidden cache, which is located to the right of the northern-most pond. When you get to the cache, you can keep tapping A(X), then B(O), and it will continue to give you experience for finishing it. Make sure you never "take all" items from the cache or you can't continue getting XP. After closing the cache item screen, you can press A(X) 3-4 times before the cache item screen reopens. This makes it 3-4 times faster to get the XP because each press counts.
* If an imported Warden is used, Dog's player-given name will be blanked out in Codex entry: Dog.
=== Backwards shield bug ===
* When this bug occurs, the character's shield appears on their back backwards and cocked at an angle. When entering combat, the shield is not visibly used, but the shield's combat effectiveness does not seem to be diminished.
** This bug may only occur after using a Manual of Focus while a shield is equipped.
** The glitch can be temporarily undone by unequipping the shield, then re-equipping it.
== PC Specific ==
* Awakening introduces some console bugs allowing the player to assign Tactics to summoned creatures by clicking on the '# new tactics slots have been added' message on summon. In addition, the Ranger's Wolf/Blight Wolf summon hides 3/4 skills, mostly taken from Dog's repertoire, normally inaccessible to the player. Via the tactics menu, you can make the Wolf auto-cast those hidden abilities.
* If the Warden-Commander saved Amaranthine but did not complete the Blight Orfans Notis Bord quest chain, the epilogue will still show what happened to Dirk.
* Vigil's Keep may keep resetting itself. For example, the lootable chests and crates reappear, Lilith appears again and walks away after talking to her, and Herren's inventory resets to default.
* Companions' highest approval rank is displayed as "Love" instead of "Friendly".
* Anders' gift, Phylacteries: A History Written in Blood, gives only .
* There is an XP bug during the quest What is Built Endures. After locating and telling Voldrik that there is granite in the Wending Wood, he will ask you for guards for the miners' protection. Pick the second one saying "We're already short on soldiers. You can't have any." This will give 500 XP. This process can be repeated infinitely.
* If you chose to execute the Messenger that helped save Ameranthine, the epilogue still states that it is alive and helping others.
* Unlimited approval with Nathaniel: In Vigil's Keep - Basement, if you pass the Survival check for the mabari hound, instead of taking the scroll, just leave the dog alone. The Survival check will still be available if you talk to the mabari again, each time giving you with Nathaniel. (level 3 Survival required).
* Sometimes the player is unable to start the proper conversation with Dworkin and Voldrik to get their side quests (What is Built Endures, Memories of the Stone, Bombs Away!) even if you are carrying the required items and the plot helper icon is showing above them. There is a similar problem with the Heart of the Forest quest for Master Wade. Walking away then coming back and speaking to them does not fix the bug, nor does going to a different location/zone. However, if you complete the entire Wending Wood quest arc through the end of the Silverite Mine, then all three of these quests should be able to progress.
* If Alistair slays the Archdemon in Origins, and is also a love interest to the Warden-Commander, the dialogue noting that the two run off together incorrectly displays.
* Even after the Warden-Commander speaks to each of the three leading figures after their taking back of Vigil's Keep (Captain Garavel, Seneschal Varel, and Mistress Woolsey, the quest The Awakening does not register that Mistress Woolsey has been spoken to.
== Xbox Specific ==
* Staff of the Magister Lord can transfer to Awakening but it will not be able to attack.
* The conversation with the dying bandit in the Wending Wood may loop indefinitely; get out of it by quickly skipping all dialogue once it begins to loop back on itself.
* After killing The Withered, King Alistair will show up with the soldiers, even if the Warden chose to marry Anora in Origins (only occurs if you selected to marry Anora after Alistair kills Loghain).
* Herren's vendor inventory may continually reset, allowing multiple Panacea, Rainswept, and other unique items.
* Herbalism cannot be used in some playthroughs.
* If the number of Usable Items (types, not multiples) in the inventory exceeds 16, thereafter Stamina Draughts (all levels) will disappear from the Tactics/Use Item menu, and cannot be recovered even if the inventory is reduced again.
* In some cases the personal storage will delete all items it is holding. Currently happens when Sigrun is glitched to have 100% loyalty before plot gift given and unable to give her the joining due to finishing Knotwood hills last.
* If a Warden who was romanced by Alistair is imported and Alistair died killing the Archdemon, the Awakening epilogue will not recognize Alistair's death.
== PS3 Specific ==
* When collecting the 4 pieces of the Sentinel armor set during Shadows of the Blackmarsh, you must obtain all pieces before leaving. If you exit the area, there is a chance that the pieces may be replaced with a duplicate of one of the items already in your inventory.
* Visuals for the epilogues may not load, just displaying the text on a blank screen, before the Mother's death scene is replayed, then the credits will not display.
* Soldier's Heavy Helm and Cailan's Helm will look like Helm of Hirol's Defense, when imported into Awakening.
* The Ultimate Sacrifice Trophy may automatically trigger after defeating the Mother with an imported Warden, even if you never did an Origins playthrough where you sacrified the Warden against the Archdemon.
== External Links ==
* Dragon Age Origins Patches (Awakening and Witch Hunt included) - Bioware Social Network
de:Bugs (Awakening)
Category:Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening