Unlocking Davrin in Dragon Age: The Veilguard – How to Recruit, Equip and Maximize His Potential
Key Takeaways:
- Davrin’s abilities, skill tree, and unique griffon companion Assan make him a versatile and powerful ally in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
- Equip Davrin with the right weapons, armor, and abilities to enhance his monster-hunting prowess and crowd control capabilities.
- Understanding his preferences and choices unlocks additional dialogue options and strengthens his bond with the player.
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Davrin stands out as a character who blends charisma and combat expertise. This guide explores how to recruit Davrin, equip him with powerful gear, and maximize his abilities. Whether you’re drawn to his battle-ready persona or his unique bond with Assan, his griffon companion, understanding Davrin’s skills and preferences will elevate your gameplay.
Who Is Davrin in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?
Davrin, an elven warrior from the Grey Wardens, brings a rich background and a fiery personality to your party. Raised by a Dalish clan, Davrin left his people in pursuit of adventure. Known for his monster-hunting skills, he is confident, charming, and never shy about speaking his mind. His dialogues often reflect his assertive nature, and choosing direct responses can enhance your relationship with him an essential factor if you wish to explore romance options with Davrin.
When Does Davrin Join Your Party?
Davrin joins your party after completing the quest “A Warden’s Best Friend.” Alongside Assan, his loyal griffon, Davrin fights fiercely, blending tanking skills with high-damage attacks. His unique combat style and skills make him invaluable in battles against Darkspawn and other foes.
Equipping Davrin: Weapons, Armor, and Accessories
To make the most of Davrin’s skills, equipping him with specific weapons and armor can drastically improve his battle effectiveness.
Weapons and Keepsakes
- Blight Killer – Increases vulnerability to fire damage on enemies, perfect for those who enjoy fire-based attacks.
- Griffon’s Talon – Deals bonus armor damage with a chance to ignite nearby enemies.
- Reforged Bulwark – Great for crowd control, as it taunts enemies and grants Davrin enhanced stagger resistance.
- Grey Edge – Boosts party damage against Darkspawn, applying burning effects to make these foes even more susceptible to fire.
- Assan’s Fury – Enhances Davrin’s weapon with fire damage when activating Rally Party, turning the tide in intense encounters.
You can obtain these items from the Grey Warden shops, Isabela’s Shop, or by defeating elite enemies, like the Frenzied Ogre.
Armor and Accessories
- Monster Leathers – Boosts damage against Darkspawn and prolongs status effects, adding longevity to attacks.
- Sharpened Hook Knife – Increases damage dealt to taunted enemies, making Davrin even more efficient in taunt-based gameplay.
Skill Tree and Abilities of Davrin
Davrin’s skill tree is built around high-damage output, crowd control, and tanking. Each skill branch allows customization, enabling you to tailor Davrin’s abilities to match your play style.
Heroic Strike
Heroic Strike serves as Davrin’s high-damage, high-stagger attack, ideal for finishing off enemies swiftly. Key branches include:
- Armor Breaker – Adds a 50% boost to damage against armor, making it a go-to for tanky foes.
- Overwhelming Strength – Increases stagger, maximizing crowd control.
- A Proper Drubbing – Prolongs the Overwhelmed status, offering more time to deal additional damage.
- Critical Strike – Enhances critical damage by 25%.
- Blood and Fire – Inflicts bleeding and burning on critical hits, amplifying Davrin’s overall damage output.
Battle Cry
With Battle Cry, Davrin taunts enemies, drawing them away from vulnerable party members. This ability doesn’t affect powerful bosses but is perfect for controlling mobs in intense fights.
- Breathing Room – Replenishes health each second while taunt is active.
- Overprotective – Automatically activates Battle Cry when Davrin’s health is low.
- Echo – Doubles the effective radius, making it easier to control large groups.
- Brawler – Adds a 10% damage boost per taunted enemy.
- Searing Rage – Deals 40 fire damage per second to taunted foes.
Assan, the Griffon: A Unique Companion in Battle
Assan isn’t just a faithful companion he’s a formidable ally with his own set of abilities that enhance Davrin’s effectiveness on the battlefield.
Death From Above
Death From Above allows Assan to dive-bomb enemies, causing significant stagger and armor damage.
- Staggering Talons – Doubles the stagger effect.
- Bird of Prey – Reduces cooldown, allowing you to use it more frequently.
- Infernal Drop – Boosts detonation damage, increasing area-of-effect damage.
- Greater Chaos – Assan can strike up to three times, albeit with reduced damage per hit.
Assan Strike
This ability calls Assan to swoop down and knock down enemies, dealing armor-breaking and bonus damage.
- Stunning Blow – Increases stagger duration, buying your party more time to eliminate enemies.
- For Good Measure – Adds an extra strike, dealing additional physical damage.
- Razor Talons – Inflicts bleeding on the initial hit, perfect for weakening enemies over time.
- Second Wind – Reduces cooldown, making Assan Strike available more frequently.
Davrin’s Bond and Dialogue Preferences
Davrin appreciates direct, assertive responses. To strengthen your bond, keep him in your party during Darkspawn-heavy missions, as defeating these creatures provides extra bond boosts. Davrin’s unique gift, the “Display on Ancient Griffons,” can be purchased in Grey Hold. This item deepens your connection with him and unlocks new dialogue options, enhancing the storyline and providing more background on Davrin’s character.
Endgame Choices and Davrin’s Veilguard Skill
At the end of Davrin’s quest, you’ll need to make a significant decision that shapes his final skill path:
- Defender – Reduces Assan’s ability cooldowns and grants the Deflect ability, boosting Davrin’s tanking capabilities.
- Battlemaster – Increases Assan’s damage and grants Precision, turning Davrin into an offensive powerhouse.
Choose wisely, as this decision will influence Davrin’s role in your party for the rest of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can I romance Davrin in Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Yes, Davrin is a romanceable character. Choose assertive dialogue options to increase your bond and unlock romance interactions with him.
Q2: What’s the best way to use Assan’s abilities? Use Assan’s Death From Above and Assan Strike abilities to disrupt enemy formations and inflict crowd control, particularly in battles with multiple foes.
Q3: Where can I get Davrin’s unique gift? Davrin’s unique gift, “Display on Ancient Griffons,” is available for purchase in Grey Hold for 325 Gold.
Q4: What are the differences between Defender and Battlemaster? Defender focuses on tanking abilities, reducing cooldowns for Assan’s abilities and granting defensive boosts. Battlemaster boosts Assan’s damage, making Davrin more aggressive in combat.
Q5: Which missions help to boost my bond with Davrin? Missions involving Darkspawn enemies are ideal for boosting your bond with Davrin. Keep him in the party during these quests to gain additional bonding points.