How *unappealing* do you predict straight male romance options will be in DA4?

Okay, let's see...

Haya Adaar: 25
Bruce Lavellan: 26
Kiri Lavellan: 20
Bido Cadash: 19ish?
Greed Trevelyan: 21
Pike Cadash: uhm *reads up on the character Pike Trickfoot on the Critical Role wiki* Oh, it says late 30's, I woud've said she's in her mid twenties, but okay.   (what? I like basing my charas on other charas   )
Kitty Lavellan: 19-20
Namaki Lavellan: 18

I started playing the DA games in my 30s, but I've always imagined most of the player characters being significantly younger than me. A lot of their backgrounds don't really seem to imply to me much life experience.

For Wardens, we have Amell/Surana, Aeducan, and Tabris whose Origins stories all involve them having their cultures closest equivalent to coming of age. Aeducan's has a little more responsibility involved, so might be a bit older, but Tabris still lives with their father at the beginning of the story and an un-Harrowed adult Mage is usually called a "Tranquil" so I imagine them as late teens-very early 20s, with Aeducan in the early-mid 20s. Brosca is the younger sibling of Rica, who doesn't look very old and is dating Aeducan's younger sibling, so s/he's probably close to the Mage and Tabris as well. Cousland's probably about the same age as Aeducan; maybe slightly older. Mahariel's a little harder to place, since s/he's got Vallaslin, we know s/he's already "come of age", and that the Dalish try to take their time with those sorts of things. That said, there's not much sign s/he has much responsibility in the clan and their foster mother was waiting until the "right time" to talk about their parents, which implies not being too old, either. Maybe about the same age as Cousland/Aeducan, then?

So for the Wardens, average age, say, 17 (Amell/Brosca at their youngest) - 26 (Cousland/Aeducan at their oldest) at the start of Origins.

Hawke strikes me as a little older. According to what I've seen, the twins were both 19 at the start of the 5th Blight, and I recall comments that imply Hawke was old enough to at least help take care of them a little by that point, so s/he got to have at least maybe 8 years or so? S/he also has more dialogue that implies more life experience and such. That said, I also can't imagine Hawke in their 40s by the time Inquisition rolls around.

So Hawke, I'd peg as 27-30 at the start of DA2.

Finally, for the Inquisitor, it depends a lot on background, I feel. The nonmage Trevelyan comes from a family that already has the heir and the spare, and the initial blurb implies that s/he would've been given over to a life of service in the Chantry at some point in the future. Since I can't imagine the Trevelyan family waiting that long (Sebastian, IIRC, was at least formally given for service in his teens), so s/he's got to be fairly young. Qunari Inquisitors speak like they're somewhat new to the merc business in my experience, and talk a lot of the world from the eyes of their parents, so I have to imagine they're on the young side, too. That all said, even if they are the "Herald", I can't imagine wanting to give control of such a major organization on to some too young, either, so they're probably in their mid-20s. Dalish Quizzies are probably a little older; non-Mages are comparable to Mahariel at the least (as implied by the Vallaslin, again), and a a mage Dalish, being the First of their clan, may even be a little older. Not sure about the Dwarves. I've really gotta hunker down and play through with one of those, soon, but the little I've seen so far is that they're probably comparable to the Elves, at the very least.

So for the Inquisitor, I'd say 22 (Nonmage humans, younger Qunari) - 32 (older-end Dwarves, Dalish Firsts). Some of that last bit may be biased. I was 33 when DAI came out, and I've yet to play an Inquisitor I can imagine being my age or older.

My canon Inquisitor was 34 when Inquisition started, which made him a bit older than Dorian (who he romanced), but with less life experience given he'd spent 18 years in the Ostwick Circle.

Definitely not just you as I've also had some, er, "complicated" revelations of my own!  But in terms of personality?  Still just the same old person really.  I suppose it was interesting going to my school reunion 18 months back, I hadn't seen any of them in over 30 years: some hadn't changed at all, others had changed a lot (and it was mildly disconcerting to be told by several "I remember you really well!"  Argh, no, please forget me, I've found new ways of making an arse of myself!)  I guess it'd be interesting to see if there's much correlation with their own assessment of whether they've changed.


I think it's reasonably safe to say I was no more mature in my teens than I am now.

It can be a forever story. I met my husband when I was 19, got married to him when I was 20 and we are still happily together 26 years later

I usually play my Inky to be be late teens or early 20s.

I have trouble buying a 17-19 year has enough life experience to lead an organization that spans an entire continent. Maybe a human Inquisitor since nobility is often groomed from a young age with diplomacy, and leadership in mind. Also with Cass is in her late 30's, I don't see her handing over leadership of the Inquisition to someone on the tail end of puberty who has done little to prove themselves.

It is part why I have come to see either the Human mage/noble or Qunari as the best choices for Inquisitor. Humans likely have the upbringing and education to lead the Inquisition, where as the Qunari has experience leading mercenaries and negotiating contracts.

I make the age of my PC fit the personality I imagine for them. Inexperienced, impulsive, idealistic or joie de vivre characters are youngish, 18-30. Wise, cautious/conniving, cynical or loaded with baggage characters are older, 40+. Adjusted for non-human life spans. Totally stereotyped, I freely admit.

Based on some recent comments here, I'm surprised some posters haven't stated a How fat, old, ugly, poor and snobish do you predict male romance options will be DA4?

"A wide variety of Love Interests with diverse physiques, personalities, histories and desires all their own, independent of the player? More representation for people who don't fit traditionally attractive body types, age or demeanors? Fuck that! Only young, rich, physically and morally perfect people who worship me and only ME are allowed to be romancable! Hell, just make ALL the fuglies irredeemably evil and killable!"

Hey you, shut your trashy mouth.

I was kinda glad that the Inquisitors had more open backgrounds (opportunities?) in regards to age. The Wardens seemed to be skewed young based on context clues - Cousland/Brosca/Aeducan being the younger siblings of not-that-old people, Surana/Amell having just done their Harrowing, Mahariel/Tabris seeming to be of age with Tamlen/Shianni who are, again, not that old - and Hawke's age is locked at mid-20s at the beginning of DA2 just based on the timeline. Not that you can't imagine Wardens being older, and I'm sure many people do, but I struggled a bit and I feel like Inquisition gave a bit more wiggle room.

Well, I say that and the oldest Inquisitor I've ever played I headcanoned at around 35. My youngest has been 19, and I felt like I was playing Jon Snow. It was fun.

I missed that option. Do you spring him from the Val Royeaux jail and then judge him for execution? I know you can exile him, but didn't know you can kill him.

Hmm, come to think of it, there are a lot of different ways of getting rid of Blackwall. Almost as many as Sera. Well, I take that back: Sera has more opportunities, but when it comes to diversity of ways to get rid of a companion, I think Blackwall takes the crown.

Blackwall is practically the God of Redemption in Inquisition, so...

Also, Hanako Ikezawa, how does Rainier end up dying if he comes a Warden? I checked Dragon Age wiki and it says he wanders around killing darkspawn and giving gifts to children (Awww!) if he gets turned into a Grey Warden. It also states that he disappears if the Inquisitor romanced him. Pretty sure you can't confirm his death from just that.