Dragon Age: The Veilguard Hauntings Quest Line Guide
Key Takeaways
- Epic Storyline: Follow an enthralling series of ghostly encounters with rich rewards and intense battles.
- Challenging Battles: Face off against powerful undead foes with unique abilities, requiring strategy and skill.
- Exclusive Rewards: Earn rare items, Etheric Remnants, gold, and more as you progress through this ghost-hunting journey.
The “Hauntings” quest line in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an immersive series of side quests that will intermittently weave into your main storyline journey. Beginning shortly after recruiting Emmerich, this haunting adventure spans multiple locations and pits you against undead foes haunting the Necropolis, Crossroads, and beyond. Here’s your complete guide to mastering each step of the Hauntings quest line, including the intense battles, powerful foes, and exclusive rewards you’ll earn along the way.
The Start of a Haunting Journey
The Hauntings quest line initiates with Hauntings: Deathly Curiosity and Hauntings: Restless Dreams, which introduce you to the eerie disturbances caused by undead spirits and restless entities. As you progress through the main storyline, the quest line will periodically open up new regions and challenges for you to tackle. Always revisit each area after major story beats to unlock the next haunting challenge. Soon after progressing in the main story, you’ll gain access to Hauntings: From Beyond in the Necropolis.
Hauntings: From Beyond – Stopping the Undead Watcher
In Hauntings: From Beyond, your task is to investigate a mysterious undead presence troubling the Necropolis. To begin, travel back to the Necropolis and speak with Myrna, who informs you about a fallen Veil Watcher that has returned as an undead. This enemy, known as the Lost Watcher, has taken residence just north of the eluvian near Myrna’s location.
Finding and Battling the Lost Watcher
The Lost Watcher, now dubbed The Lost Explorer, is a formidable opponent wielding a massive great axe. This isn’t just any basic enemy its unique fighting style and armor require careful strategy to defeat.
Key Battle Mechanics:
- Armor Reduction: Before you can damage its health, you’ll need to strip away the armor. Be prepared for a drawn-out process, especially if you’re not using armor-breaking skills.
- Great Axe Attacks: The Lost Explorer has two main attacks:
- A frenzy of swings that can hit multiple times in quick succession.
- A spinning attack that tracks your movement, requiring precise dodging.
- Necrosis Effect: This enemy can apply a Necrosis status effect on you if it lands a successful hit, causing continuous damage over time.
- Necrotic Pool: Occasionally, the Lost Explorer will cast an area-of-effect attack, leaving a necrotic pool on the ground. Watch for a circular indicator on the ground to avoid stepping into this dangerous area.
The best approach is to stay agile, blocking and parrying where possible to avoid Necrosis. After defeating the Lost Explorer, head back to Myrna to report the successful banishment and prepare for the next haunting.
Rewards for Hauntings: From Beyond
Completing this quest nets you a set of valuable rewards:
- +6 Etheric Remnant
- +3 Fade-Touched Silk
- Paint of Parasites Vitaar (unique cosmetic item)
- +400 Gold
- Winged Glaive (two-handed warrior weapon appearance)
- +250 Mourn Watch Strength
Hauntings: Shadows of Fortune Facing the Skeleton Crew
With the undead Watcher banished, you’ll unlock Hauntings: Shadows of Fortune. This time, you’re sent to the Crossroads, where marauding spirits, dubbed the Skeleton Crew, have gathered in Elvhenan’s Haven. Conveniently, this area is located near a fast-travel waypoint, allowing for easy access.
Preparing for Battle in the Crossroads
Unlike the Lost Explorer, the Skeleton Crew consists of multiple enemies, each contributing to a single shared health bar. Defeating one enemy depletes a portion of the overall boss health bar, making it advantageous to tackle these spirits strategically.
Enemy Breakdown:
- Two Melee Units: One wields a sword and shield, while the other attacks with dual axes. Both are aggressive and will apply significant pressure on your character.
- Two Mage Units: These enemies will attack from a distance, casting various spells:
- The smaller mage frequently casts fireball attacks.
- The larger mage is protected by a barrier and uses tracking projectile spells, along with several area-of-effect (AoE) abilities, including:
- A line AoE attack that explodes in a sequence.
- A circular AoE attack that creates explosions around it.
Strategy for Defeating the Skeleton Crew
To make this fight manageable, prioritize your targets wisely:
- Focus on the melee units first, as they pose an immediate threat with their close-range attacks.
- Once the melee units are down, shift your attention to the smaller mage, who frequently launches fireballs. Clearing this mage ensures you won’t be hit from behind while dealing with the final mage.
- Finally, engage the larger mage. Get up close to prevent its tracking spells from landing accurately. While in close combat, use staggering attacks to disrupt its casting and mitigate the danger of its AoE abilities.
If you’re playing as a Warrior, maintain pressure by staying close, utilizing detonation skills, and staggering the mage for additional damage. With its allies gone, the larger mage is much easier to handle.
Rewards for Hauntings: Shadows of Fortune
After eliminating the Skeleton Crew, return to Myrna in the Necropolis for another batch of rewards:
- +5 Etheric Remnant
- +4 Fade-Touched Silk
- Proving Steel (a long sword for Warrior class)
- +400 Gold
- Flying Kite (Warrior shield appearance)
- +250 Mourn Watch Strength
Tips for Success in the Hauntings Quest Line
- Always Check for New Quests: After completing each haunting quest, progress a bit in the main storyline and check back in with each region. New hauntings may become available as you advance.
- Equip Anti-Necrosis Gear: Some enemies, especially in the Necropolis, apply Necrosis effects. Equip gear that boosts resistance to this debuff or focus on dodging to reduce its impact.
- Utilize Stagger and Parry: Many haunting enemies have predictable attack patterns that can be blocked or parried. Successfully parrying will give you windows of opportunity to counterattack without risking damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start the Hauntings quest line in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?
The Hauntings quest line begins after you recruit Emmerich. The first quests, Hauntings: Deathly Curiosity and Hauntings: Restless Dreams, will appear as you progress through the main story.
Where can I find the Lost Watcher for the From Beyond quest?
The Lost Watcher, known as the Lost Explorer, is located in the Necropolis. Speak to Myrna to initiate the quest, then head north of the eluvian near her location to find this undead enemy.
How do I defeat the Skeleton Crew in Shadows of Fortune?
Focus on eliminating the melee units first, then take down the smaller mage to reduce the number of threats. Finally, engage the larger mage at close range to avoid its tracking spells. Clearing the weaker enemies first makes the fight significantly easier.
What rewards can I earn from completing the Hauntings quests?
Rewards include Etheric Remnants, Fade-Touched Silk, unique weapons and cosmetics, gold, and Mourn Watch Strength boosting your power and giving you exclusive items.
How do I check if new hauntings are available?
After completing each haunting quest, advance in the main story and revisit each region. Additional quests will become available as you progress, so regular check-ins are essential.
