Every faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Passive abilities, surnames, more
BioWareChoosing your faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is one of the most consequential parts of your journey. This guide goes over all six factions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and how they impact your playthrough.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is BioWare’s first step back into the franchise in a decade and there’s a lot to be excited about with iconic allies and of course, memorable villains surrounding the game’s story.
By far the most intriguing part of the game are factions which will go a long way towards governing your character’s identity and playstyle. This guide will break down each of the six factions.
BiowareDragon Age: The Veilguard factions explained
Choosing your faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard has a significant impact on your Rook’s background which may be important to those who enjoy a bit of roleplay. Interestingly, your choice of faction is also what governs your character’s surname.
This is because each of the six factions has a major presence in the world of Thedas and your Rook may even be well known in their circles. Each of the game’s companions is tied to one of them in some way and characters from these factions also make appearances throughout the story and side quests.
From a gameplay perspective, your chosen faction grants you a series of passive abilities that reflect the flavor of that particular group. The class specializations are also tied to Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s factions in that they are an example of their chosen fighting style.
There are no limitations on what race or class can join a particular faction so you don’t need to be worried when navigating the earlier sections of the character creator. Class specializations are also not based on the faction you choose meaning that your Grey Warden Rogue can still access the Antivan Crows’ Duelist specialization.
All factions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
The following list details all six factions that your Rook can be a part of in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
BioWareGrey Wardens
A staple of the Dragon Age franchise, the Grey Wardens are an ancient military order that has dedicated themselves to extinguishing the threat of the Darkspawn. In ages past, these stalwart defenders have thrown back calamitous hordes of Darkspawn known as Blights.
Following the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Grey Wardens’ reputation has taken a bit of a hit. Their order had been infiltrated by Venatori and while their influence has been extinguished, the stain it has left on the honor of the faction has not.
They take the Griffon as their sigil to call back to the earliest days of their founding when Grey Wardens would ride the beasts into battle. The creatures were thought extinct but your companion Davrin found a lost clutch of eggs and is raising the young Griffon Assan himself.
Grey Warden passive abilities
- Surname: Thorne
- Bonded in Blood: Gain reputation with the Grey Wardens more quickly.
- Blight Killer: Deal increased damage vs. Darkspawn.
- Vigilant Training: Base Defense and Health are slightly increased.
BioWareVeil Jumpers
This curious faction is a little reminiscent of Indiana Jones in that the Veil Jumpers are a group of scholarly adventurers. They’ve dedicated themselves to exploring the ancient elven ruins of the Arlathan Forrest to contain stray magic and research mysterious artifacts.
They lend their aid to the inhabitants of nearby areas by using their vast expertise to combat problems that arise from magical disturbances. While the Veil Jumpers are primarily made up of Elven Mages, their are members of numerous racial and vocational backgrounds in the organization.
Your companion Bellara Lutare is one of them and she embodies the Veil Jumpers’ technological obsession and adventurous spirit. If that sounds like an intriguing blend of traits, this may be the faction for you.
Veil Jumpers passive abilities
- Surname: Aldwir
- Close to the Veil: Gain reputation with the Veil Jumpers more quickly.
- Attuned Strikes: Deal increased damage vs. Fade Touched.
- Keen Eye: Deal slightly increased Critical and Weakpoint damage.
BioWareShadow Dragons
The Shadow Dragons are a revolutionary group that fights for a more fair and equal future for Tevinter. This underground resistance movement operates in secret to achieve those ends.
They stand in stark opposition to the Venatori, an oppressive political faction hoping to regress the region into something approximating its earliest days. This being a culture of Mage supremacy with openly practiced slavery and Blood Magic.
Your companion Neve Gallus is an operative of the Shadow Dragons and upholds their stance on revolutionary action. Anyone with a strong sense of justice and a bit of a rebellious streak would be a welcome addition to their ranks.
Shadow Dragons passive abilities
- Surname: Mercar
- Light in the Dark: Gain reputation with the Shadow Dragons more quickly.
- Never to Rise: Deal increased damage vs. Venatori
- Resourceful: Your class-specific resource regenerates slightly faster.
BioWareLords of Fortune
The Lords of Fortune are a band of treasure-hunting pirates with a smattering of ethics baked into their organization’s moral code. They’ll gladly skirt around the law for the opportunity to bag some loot but their hearts are as gold as the treasures they seek.
They’ll hire themselves out to peoples looking to reclaim fragments of their lost history in the form of artifacts or treasures, for a cut of the value. They have to eat too you know.
Taash is one of the more notable Lords of Fortune in the game and she’s a useful companion thanks to her vast network of contacts. Those who fancy themselves a bit of a swashbuckler will find their home amongst the Lords.
Lords of Fortune passive abilities
- Surname: Laidir
- Together in Glory: Gain reputation with the Lords of Fortune more quickly.
- Healthy Competition: Deal more damage vs. Mercenaries.
- Relentless: Perform Takedowns on enemies with slightly less effort.
BioWareMourn Watch
The Mourn Watch is a sort of militant branch of Nevarra’s Mortalitasi, a necromantic order that oversees the nation’s obscure funerary practices. Nevarran’s practice a magic that imbues corpses with the lingering spirits of the dead and they house these spirits in the Grand Necropolis.
The Mourn Watch are guardians and peacekeepers of the necropolis and are tasked with keeping the spirits in check and defending the Necropolis from those seeking to do ill there. It’s all pretty metal.
The Mourn Watch’s representative in the Veilguard is Emmrich Volkarin and this companion will give you a glimpse into the mindset of necromancers. While you’d think being a mage would be a prerequisite for membership, the Mourn Watch also has a strong Warrior order.
Mourn Watch passive abilities
- Surname: Ingellvar
- Recognized Name: Gain reputation with the Mourn Watch more quickly.
- Return to the Grave: Deal Increased damage vs. Undead and Demons.
- Acute Afflictions: You can apply an additional Affliction stack on targets.
BiowareAtivan Crows
The Antivan Crows are a shadowy guild of assassins made up of the noble houses of the kingdom of Antiva. They have a reputation as the most dedicated killers in the realm of Thedas and will never reneg on a contract.
Their leadership structure is made up of representatives from each of the most prominent Antivan Houses. This group is known as the Eight Talons of the Crow.
Lucanis Dellamorte is a member of the Veilguard and the heir to the position of First Talon, essentially the organization’s leader. The Antivan Crows are basically Batman on steroids and if that sounds cool to you, you’ll probably want to sign up.
Antivan Crows passive abilities
- Surname: De Riva
- Under Their Wing: Gain reputation with the Antivan Crows more quickly.
- Open Contract: Deal increased damage vs. Anatam.
- Hidden Pouch: Holds an extra potion.
BiowareHopefully, with all that information on Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s factions, you’ll be able to make your decision easily.
For more help in your decision, here’s the full class tier list so you can pick the most powerful option out there, or take a look at our Mage build if you’re looking to use magic to destroy your enemies.