The Veilguard reworks its class and skill systems

Dragon Age is a strange series among RPGs. Each entryhas changed up how it approaches combat, skills, classes, and more, with Origins being a more tactical RPG, 2 leaning into action, and Inquisition falling somewhere in the middle. Now that it has been over 10 years since the last Dragon Age, The Veilguard has the undesirable task of appealing to fans of each style of game as well as newcomers. A large part of that will come down to the story and execution, but it must also strike a fine balance in how it handles its RPG roots.

As in every game, The Veilguard will let us create our own custom hero for the story, this time nicknamed Rook. Besides their appearance, we will also be able to define which class they specialize in, which will determine our skills, weapons, and more. However, the system isn’t as simple as it might appear at first glance. BioWare has decided to break down our choices into classes and specializations to further refine our Rook’s playstyle. You’re no doubt itching to jump into the action and save Thedas, so don’t get caught unprepared when you need to pick your class without knowing all the details first.

How classes and specializations work in The Veilguard

Pick your class and then your specialty

If you’ve seen any gameplay footage or articles on The Veilguard, you might have come across the fact that there are three classes you can choose from as Rook. That might sound like a disappointingly low number for an RPG, but these are essentially the base on which you will build your character. The three classes are:

1. Warrior – Melee-focused class that wields swords, shields, and two-handed weapons.
2. Mage – Spellcasters who use a staff to cast various magics.
3. Rogue – Wields daggers, bows, and traps to deal damage.

These classes are about as familiar as can be for RPG fans; you have the warrior for those who want to be the tank and fight up close and personal, mages for those who like fancy spells and fighting from afar, and rogues for those who like speed and fighting at all ranges. Where things get interesting is in the specializations.

Each of the three classes is further defined by one of three specializations within them. As you will see in the game’s skill tree, there are three outer groupings of skills you can work towards that have unique skills within them. They are also associated with different factions, but it is unclear if or how these can impact the story. Specializations only become available at level 20, and you can only have one active at a time, so be sure you’re spending your points going toward the one you want. Here are each of the specializations for each class and their descriptions:

Warrior

• Champion: Focuses on sword and shield weapons and tanking damage. Faction: Grey Wardens.
• Reaper: Focuses on nightblade weapons to apply lifesteal to attacks. Faction: Mourn Watch.
• Slayer: Focuses on two-handed weapons for massive damage. Faction: Lords of Fortune.

Mage

• Death Caller: Focuses on necromancy magic. Faction: Mourn Watch.
• Spellblade: Focuses on magic-based melee attacks. Faction: Antivan Crows.
• Evoker: Focuses on elemental magics (fire, ice, and lightning). Faction: Shadow Dragons.

BioWare

Rogue

• Duelist: Focuses on twin blades for quick movement and attacks. Faction: Antivan Crows.
• Saboteur: Focuses on setting up traps. Faction: Lords of Fortune.
• Veil Ranger: Focuses on attacking from a distance with a bow. Faction: Veil Jumpers.

EA

We know that specializations only unlock at level 20, as well as there being a max level of 50, but we don’t know if that leaves enough skill points to spend to unlock all the necessary skills on the tree to reach more than one specialization. It would be better to assume you can’t and decide early which one you want to work toward rather than split your focus and end up not being able to make the ideal build.