So, are all Templars eventually screwed?

It was stated somewhere (I think Cullen says so in Inquisition, but I might be mistaken) that retired templars get small doses of lyrium every month or so to keep their addiction in check. Larger amount (or getting the same amount as when they were templars) might probably kill them, just like everyone.

To add to the stuff others have said, I've read that if you romance Cullen and become a templar yourself (which he objects to but it's ultimately your decision) there is some extra dialogue about it. He actually advises against it regardless of your relationship status, but the romance has a different dynamic, obviously.

Almost every templar ended as a miserable human wreck, if can't control his/her addiction. DAO: the templar at the Denerim Chantry, in the dungeon of Howe castle, Cullen, Samson. But yes: there' a chance for a happy end.

I think about this with Carver sometimes, since if he survives DA2 he's either a templar or a warden. He'll either have a death by the calling or a lyrium addiction someday. I guess it is possible that the wardens will find a cure for the calling, and Inquisition shows that templars can beat their addiction. So maybe he'll live to a ripe old age after all.

I always figured Warden Carver taking the Templar spec was just gameplay and story segregation. I mean, realistically, would the Chantry want her Templars working for the Wardens? They keep them leashed for a reason. Seecrettts!

Carver's probably screwed either way but hey, I figure 85% of our companions are probably gonna die young anyway.

Lyrium is literally magical crack, so, yeah.

It's not really clear, the how much lyrium need for it, or the more lyrium only accelerate their abilities, and to feed them with lyrium addiction just the Chantry's lash to keep them over control.

This has since been retconned, with David Gaider acknowledging that bit about Alistair saying "Templars don't need lyrium" was pretty dumb. He may not have been hooked on the stuff because he was a mere recruit, but Alistair did take some lyrium at some point.

For reference, here is the original interview:

swooping-is-bad.livejournal.com/1286233.html

Even if Templar magic was recognized as spellcasting, it's not innate to the Templars; if they just stopped taking lyrium eventually they would lose the ability. Although as Alistair proves, they can use the ability for a long time afterwards.

My Trevelyan was supposed to be a templar, but circumstances meant that didn't happen. When the spec trainers came to Skyhold, he thought that might be the time to finally make that a reality. Then he talked to Cullen. His reaction ended up being, "Uh... fuck that," then going with champion.

Yeah, the warrior specs aren't the greatest.

Templar: Turn into a drug addict that might go senile in a few years.
Reaver: Drink the blood of dragons and possibly go insane.
Champion: This isn't to bad. Kind of mundane, but not shitty like the oth... Oh, wait, turns out these are the techniques used by those chevalier assholes who drunkenly murder elves as right of passage. Great...

Yeah you're making an asshole comment about Orlesians. I get it.

You don't get addicted to silk and have withdrawals. So no, it's not the same at all.


The techniques are similar across a lot of armies. Chevaliers are a specific elite group in the Orlesian army. That's all they are. Part of the reason they're assholes is because they're comprised of nobles, who are the only ones allowed to be chevaliers, and are often assholes generally.

I don't look at it the same way at all. Besides, Lord Chancer specifically derides chevaliers during his dialogue as being pricks, so there's that. There is also a dialogue you can have with Sera about this exact issue.

As for the spec being mundane, I generally prefer to use most of the standard warrior skills anyway and mostly use the spec for its passives. For me, a large part of the choice is for roleplay and I was happy to have a normal option that was only about training and skill, rather than some sort of magic. The passive Unyielding is a nice guard against death; the focus ability, Counterstrike, is great if you find yourself without guard; Walking Fortress gives you complete immunity for a short time. I think it's a pretty good all-around tanking spec. I don't need something to be exciting, I need it to be useful, which this spec is.

Just hijacking your post to say how much I love the Champion spec in DAI. Seriously one of my most fun playthroughs and possibly my canon. There's something about being a nigh-unkillable death machine with armor that never, ever depletes that's, ah, a little addicting. Plus I love the conversations you can have with Sera and Bull about why you became a Champion.

Nevar 4get this immortal line: "I want to take the hardest blow an enemy can land, look him in the eye, and laugh." 😎