Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins

76 Achievements

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75-104h

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Pragmatist

Pragmatist

Preserved the Anvil of the Void

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How to unlock the Pragmatist achievement in Dragon Age: Origins - Definitive Guide

Here's how to get both "Liberator" and "Pragmatist" in one playthrough.

When you get to the "Anvil of the Void" area in the Deep Roads, you'll eventually come to a room with four anvils surrounding a column with four faces. After you defeat the trial in that room, SAVE your game, because you're at your decision point. Through a tunnel and into the next room a cutscene will play and you'll have to choose between Caradin and Branka.

For "Pragmatist" you need to side with Branka rather than Caradin. Keep on picking the choices that lead to letting Branka have the anvil. After the cutscene Caradin will go postal and you'll have to fight a pretty messy battle, followed by another cutscene, and the achievement pops.

At this point if you haven't gotten "Liberator," load from your save and perform the steps in that achievement guide.
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13 Nov 2009 17:45

6 Comments
Also, I would suggest going this route to finish the rest of the game because you will get golems for your army; the best unit to use against the archdemon.
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By SWAGshow on 12 Dec 2009 21:53
Can I thumbs up that first comment. Very helpful, eunhathes!
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By GameTagwastaken on 07 Feb 2010 18:53
thanks for the solution
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By x RossY 360 on 22 Jan 2012 18:52
Did you make sure you edited ALL the parts needed after you copied and pasted this from your Liberator solution. There seems to be some confusion, as you state here: "For "Liberator" you need to side with Branka rather than Caradin." But in the other solution you say: "For "Liberator" you need to side with Caradin rather than Branka." So WHICH IS IT?!?!? Your solution was useful for me, but I had to do the dialogue several times because it wasn't clear which side did what.
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By soNdox2 on 22 Oct 2012 03:47
You're absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out -- don't know how I missed it. Fixed.
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By Em on 22 Oct 2012 04:40
Anvil of the Void is a great time to learn about Shale's history. However, if you are gunning for the Pragmatist achievement, leave her home. When you go against Caradin, she'll fight alongside of him. You will have to kill your $15 golem.

Just a heads up.
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By eunhathes on 14 Nov 2009 17:11
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Get both Achievements without reloading status:

(Spoiler alert)
1. Side with Caradin - get this Achievement.

2. Afterwards when you talk to Branka, Intimidate her to bend her mind just that much enough that she changes it. Oghren will tell her how she would normally make a decision, then she is going to destroy the Anvil Of The Void even by herself - get Liberator Achievement.
(/Spoiler alert)

Additional Information: To influence through conversation that much, a main Rogue (Warrior) Character is rather required. Otherwise a main Character would need a lot of Attribute Points spent on Cunning in order to have that skills. Strength may not even be a factor on this case, since you are not really threatening that NPC here. When playing normally, the Rogue (Warrior) Character as main is required because that is one who has the Skill of Coercion initially - level it up as much as you see you can. Other main Characters can learn this Skill as well though - but through normal play, it is impossible to increase its value to the necessary sate. If a Party Character has the Coercion Skill initially, even then that helps you not to have its effects in conversation, since the talk is skipped forwards up to the Party leader - the main Character. It means, the Coercion Skill value of the main Character will be handled whenever a conversation is initiated.
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26 Jan 2011 03:43

5 Comments
Don't you mean side with Branka?
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By grolph on 03 Mar 2011 09:18
Also, it doesn't matter which class you are, it's only the main player character who has the Coercion skill. Having 22 Cunning or higher and all 4 ranks of Coercion is reccommended...
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By LurkingWriter on 22 May 2011 12:33
This Solution is for attaining to another story, while also both related Achievements will be claimed by the gamer. This Solution is factually right in its full form.
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By CyberneticHFX on 22 Aug 2011 16:05
Any character can maximize Coercion. I have a mage and she had the persuade and intimidate options after I sided with BRANKA. You made a mistake in the guide by mentioning the golem, not Branka.

The problem with this solution is that you have to lose Shale if you, like me, had him in your party. But it's fine if you don't mind, though.
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By Vinicius Menti on 20 Nov 2011 01:43
Have you used a XP exploit in order to maximize Coercion Skill on a Mage main Character? I have not mentioned anything here that refers to a Golem. Do you mean, that if Shale is in Party while attempting the corresponding conversation with Branka, the specific dialogues required to be triggered may not occur, but Shale may still remain a companion? Shale's gender is female.
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By CyberneticHFX on 01 Dec 2011 01:53
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Once you've completed Ostagar, you'll be given a few main story quests. One of them is called A Paragon of Her Kind. It involves gaining Orzammar's support. For this you need to head to the Frostback Mountains and follow the path leading to the city. In the city, you'll be given a few quests. These are relatively easy to follow. Then you'll have to enter Jarvia's hideout through Dust Town, which requires a fingerbone token. Talk to Nadezda in Dust Town and then fight the thugs in the slum. Make sure you have enough health poultices. If not, you can reload a save and collect them from the Deep Roads. Many enemies there will have poultices on them. Once you get the fingerbone token enter through the secret door on the left hand side of Dust Town far from the entrance. Once you make your way through the hideout and defeat Jarvia, you'll be given a quest to find Paragon Branka. She's the one who is selected by default to decide who will be king of Orzammar.

You'll make your way to the now open Caradin's Cross in the Deep Roads. Head to the bottom right exit. This is the one that goes to Ortan Thaig, Branka's last known location. You'll have to fight spiders and a few other enemies there. Once you get there, head to the end and read Branka's journal. Now, the Deep Trenches will be unlocked. Proceed normally through this area after the cutscene and you'll eventually come to the brood mother, a massive, static beast with tentacles. For this battle, stay centralized, keep control of your party and kill the tentacles when possible. Just don't let things go astray. Make sure you have at least 10 health poultices. If you have them, you'll be good to go.

Then, proceed through the back-left path to the Anvil of the Void. Once you go here, there's no turning back, so make sure you have enough health poultices. There's one initial difficult fight, but other than that, you're good. You'll eventually come to a Spirit Apparatus. To defeat this boss, you have to kill a spirit next to the anvil you want to fire from and then fire that anvil. Do this until the eyes of all four heads completely shut and are not glowing blue or bleeding. A trick here is to hold your party back and bring spirits to them to slay, and then go to the corresponding anvil and fire it.

Now proceed to the final area. Here, there will be a conversation starting between you and the Caradin, and then Branka will join in. For Pragmatist, choose to preserve the Anvil of the Void and you'll have to fight Caradin along with a few golems. This is pretty straight forward. Just maintain control of your party and don't let things go astray. At the end of the fight, after a cut scene in which the crown is made, you'll unlock the achievement.
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18 Jun 2021 02:22

See "Liberator" for further details about this quest.

When you complete the rooms, you'll find Cairidin. He'll ask you to destroy the Anvil. Choose to not destroy it. Whether you choose to destroy it or not, you will have the means to put into place the new king.

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See "Liberator" for further details about this quest.

When you complete the rooms, you'll find Cairidin. He'll ask you to destroy the Anvil. Choose to not destroy it. Whether you choose to destroy it or not, you will have the means to put into place the new king.

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Note: If you have Shale in your party when you do this, you'll be forced to fight it along with the other golems.

See Liberator for more details about this quest.

When you complete the rooms, you'll find Cairidin. He'll ask you to destroy the Anvil. Refuse him and side with Branka. Whether you choose to destroy it or not, you will have the means to put into place the new king.

One Playthrough Method: Make an additional save before entering The Anvil of the Void. Side with Branka first. Reload and then side with Cairidin. By choosing Branka, you'll lose Shale (assuming he's with you, and if you want to complete The Stone Prisoner, he's with you).

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Regardless of which leader you serve, he will send you on the trails to find Branka and her support for your king. When you find Branka on the paths, she will force you to go through a series of rooms with traps, at the end of which the Anvil and its creator Kiridin will be waiting for you. He will ask you to destroy it, refuse and hold Branka. If you save before the final dialogue, you can easily get the “Liberator” achievement.
If you have Sheila in your party, you will have to fight against her along with the rest of the golems, and you will lose access to the Stone's Lament achievement. However, if she is in the camp or you meet her after completing this quest, then if you have enough persuasion skill, you can lie to her about meeting Kiridin and gain access to the quest "A Golem's Memories" and the achievement "Stone's Lament" .
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10 Jul 2011 12:04