Morrigan as a healer/damage hybrid - viable on hard difficulty?

[Dayve]

I've finished the game once on medium and it's really easy on that difficulty level, so I want to play through again on hard. But there's a hitch.

I want to be a dwarf rogue, I want Allistair as my tank, I would like Morrigan as a healer/damage hybrid and one other party member I haven't decided on yet.

All I know for sure is I don't want that fourth party member to by Wynne. I know she's a great healer but she's also a really boring old woman who's too serious. I'd like Sten instead. I know he's very serious also, but his seriousness is so serious that it becomes seriously funny.

So is Morrigan viable as a healer + DPS on hard mode, or should I just put Wynne in my party?

[Sarrow]

If you don't have any other mage in your party, definitely use Morrigan as a DPS mage, cuz she will of great help.esp with cold snap and freeze. you don't need a healer if you create potions yourself. so try to focus on creating them. also, you can try the nightmare mode as well. but use the tactical camera very effectively. :D

[Dayve]

Originally posted by Sarrow:

If you don't have any other mage in your party, definitely use Morrigan as a DPS mage, cuz she will of great help.esp with cold snap and freeze. you don't need a healer if you create potions yourself. so try to focus on creating them. also, you can try the nightmare mode as well. but use the tactical camera very effectively. :D

I'm pretty sure you need a healer on hard difficulty. I played as a healing mage on hard before I restarted as a dwarf rogue. I did Ostagar, Lothering, Mage Tower and Warden Fortress, as well as some quests in Denerim. On hard, some enemies hit so ridiculously hard that they take 50% of your tank's health away in one hit, or they take your mage down to like 10% hit points in one hit.

[Sarrow]

It's hard for a reason. but i finished the hard difficulty without a healer. i just used potions. also you need to level up your characters carefully. at first 1 and later on 2 or 3 lock spells are essential when you're gonna play without a healer. some spells like freeze and crushing prison (mage) are really good for that purpose. also if you can get the fire bomb(bolt?) spell (again mage) you can destroy groups of enemies easily. and if you do all the quests, at the end the game will be too easy.

[Bakinda]

I've used Morrigan as a healer on nighmare before, Once she unlocks spirit healer she is equally as good as Wynn (-) the possibility to go into arcane knight.

Originally posted by Sarrow:

It's hard for a reason.

Hard is a joke tbh man if you know even the slightest thing about building a character or a party.

To answer the OPs question, hard is pretty easy I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just use Morrigan and supplement with potions at first. You can craft tons.

[Bakinda]

Originally posted by Dayve:

Originally posted by Sarrow:

If you don't have any other mage in your party, definitely use Morrigan as a DPS mage, cuz she will of great help.esp with cold snap and freeze. you don't need a healer if you create potions yourself. so try to focus on creating them. also, you can try the nightmare mode as well. but use the tactical camera very effectively. :D

I'm pretty sure you need a healer on hard difficulty. I played as a healing mage on hard before I restarted as a dwarf rogue. I did Ostagar, Lothering, Mage Tower and Warden Fortress, as well as some quests in Denerim. On hard, some enemies hit so ridiculously hard that they take 50% of your tank's health away in one hit, or they take your mage down to like 10% hit points in one hit.

And learn to play smart man if your party is gimped. Treat it like an old school MMO raid boss.

- Pull small groups away from the main group
- Focus down each enemy individually with the whole group.
- Use LOS to make sure their ranged and mages have to get in close and position your party accordingly.

[Crom]

No. Jesus.... She is badass crowcontrol, she can disable entire army for you.

[Bakinda]

Originally posted by zangori:

No. Jesus.... She is badass crowcontrol, she can disable entire army for you.

You can build a mage however you want she is not stuck being one thing.

[LukanGamer]

yes of course it viable

[Dayve]

It doesn't matter anymore, I made another mage but human this time. My last mage was an elf. It was difficult for me to feel powerful and in charge of a group of heroes when I look like a 4ft tall child. In cut scenes my 4ft tall child elf was standing beside Alistair, with his chunky armour looking like a tank, Sten, who looks like a beast even when he's just wearing a shirt, and Shale... who's a big tough golem. It just didn't feel right.

Anyway I learned how outrageously powerful mages are from my last play so instead of giving this mage tons of powerful magic abilities I made it a healer/support mage. It heals, buffs, debuffs and crowd controls.

[Bakinda]

As a mage you can 100% completely carry groups with Mass Paralasis, Mana Clash, and then all the healing spells. Not fun imo, would much rather play a dual wield warrior death ball, but it is insanely OP to have in groups.

[Dayve]

Originally posted by Bakinda:

As a mage you can 100% completely carry groups with Mass Paralasis, Mana Clash, and then all the healing spells. Not fun imo, would much rather play a dual wield warrior death ball, but it is insanely OP to have in groups.

Though the mage is clearly the most OP class in this game, I think the major problem (as with all RPG's) is that the human player masters his class... and that makes it immensely overpowered compared to the AI. I recall in my original playthrough when the game first released I played as a 2-handed warrior. The damage output was incredible... possibly even higher than what a mage can do (though the warrior has to get in melee range first, so the mage can do that damage much quicker).

I've never played a rogue but I'm sure it's the same, if you really use all your stuns and bombs that stun/slow enemies, and traps, I'm sure you can be just as OP.

[I Kinda Fail]

I think with some extra work it can be done. Use your rogue to place down some traps, maybe. Lure enemies in, and set off a big AOE spell like a fireball. Sometimes the best way to heal, is to kill everything before you need to heal. :P

I think a bit part of it is micromanaging, though. Get ready to use a Stone Fist spell when a low/mid level enemy is about to kill Alistair. Use Dog to bowl over any mages and rangers at a distance. Make sure to focus your rogues on whatever's attacking the tank, rather than going after random enemies. Use weapon poison and elemental weapons (Flame Weapons spell, etc.) to increase DPS. And don't forget to still use potions. :P

[prototype81]

I only had trouble with two fights on Hard the rest of the game was pretty simple. I cant remember exactly because it was years ago but one of the fights took place defending a structure with catapults, that battle was tough on hard especially if not prepared.