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I'm planning my MASTER PLAYTHROUGH of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II in preparation for Inquisition, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to make the most ethical decisions while maintaining a consistent personality with the character:
Warden Alive and Well (I intend to romance Morrigan, and doing the Dark Ritual with her is as much out of his love for her as his desire to live)
Romanced Morrigan (See above, Morrigan's romance makes the most literary sense in light of Witch Hunt and the subsequent games)
Recruited Dog (Come on, who DOESN'T want this cute little terror on the battlefield?!)
Loghain Executed by the Warden (Loghain took Duncan, who not only was a father figure to Alistair, his best friend, but also saved Galweyn's own life, but he also doesn't want to dash the possibility of Alistair and Anora marrying to stabilize the peace in Ferelden, plus in the comics Loghain's death is revealed as canon)
Persuaded the Revered Mother to Free Sten (Galweyn wants to help Sten, and is trying to be diplomatic to the people of Lothering)
Recruited Sten (As I said, he wants to help people, and Sten looks like he needs help)
Returned Sten's Sword (Since Sten is a member of the party, Galweyn looks to his needs to help him be as effective a teammate as possible)
Nathaniel Alive and Well (Conscripting Nathaniel out of necessity, he and Galweyn become friends)
Recruited Zevran (Zevran reminds Galweyn of Tamlen a lot, and he also feels empathy for a person who's had their choices in life taken away)
Zevran Alive and Well (As with other party members, Galweyn seeks to befriend them)
Recruited Wynne (Wynne reminds Galweyn of his Keeper, and goes to her when he needs advice)
Wynne Alive and Well (Generally speaking, Galweyn will try to befriend each of his companions)
Alistair Became King (Alistair is Galweyn's best friend, and he somewhat secretly wants Alistair to help elves as king)
Warden and Alistair were not Lovers (Since Galweyn is a man, he and Alistair are friends and friends alone)
Leliana Alive and Well (Again, Galweyn wants to befriend all his companions)
Morrigan did the Dark Ritual with the Warden (Galweyn loves Morrigan, and he became a Grey Warden because he wants to live. These two factors make him accept the ritual with little prodding)
Acquired Flemeth's Grimoire by Defeating Flemeth (As Galweyn cares about Morrigan, he feels that the best way to protect Morrigan is if Flemeth's gone for good)
Ostagar Prisoner Given Donated Food (The key's a nice incentive, but it's more because no person should have to suffer and starve before the end)
Cured Mabari (Poor widdle puppy! I gotta help him!)
Helped Redcliffe Fight (Fighting for others is what a Grey Warden does, and besides, if Redcliffe falls, we may not have the forces to fight the darkspawn)
Helped Redclliffe Prepare for Battle (If I'm going to fight with the people, the people need the best chance of surviving I can give them)
Connor Alive and Unpossessed (I'm having Jowan redeem himself by stopping the demon, using the Circle's lyrium so no one has to die)
Bella Started a Brewery (I'm all for helping others financially, especially as her situation's particularly crappy)
Helped Bevin Paid for Sword/Returned Sword to Bevin (This is one I'm struggling with. If I pay both Bevin and Bella, then it shows that Kaitlyn married Teagan instead of Bella. If I return the sword, will there be two slides showing Bevin as Adventurer and Bella as Arlessa?)
Valena was Saved (Come on, I'm in the neighborhood, it's the least I can do)
Isolde Survived (I don't care how annoying people find her, there's a better way to solve the problem so NO ONE has to die)
Urn Not Poisoned (Galweyn may not be Andrastian, but several of his friends are, and Kolgrim's a ranting lunatic whose cult up until this point has thrown themselves upon the Grey Wardens' swords to die. It also supports Haven becoming a pilgrimage site in the future, setting up Inquisition)
Mages Supported (Galweyn doesn't want to kill innocents, like the mages uninvolved in Uldred's rebellion, and is slow to trust Templars, who are an arm of the church that marginalizes the Dalish)
First Enchanter Survived (Gregor says he'll only spare the Circle if Irving's alive, so saving him is what I've got to do)
Disagreed with Cullen's Request (While I sympathize with Cullen (and know he'll grow out of it), Galweyn will not condone his paranoid suggestion)
Brokered Peace Between the Elves and Werewolves (Despite his Dalish origins, Galweyn has grown close to many humans over the course of his journeys, making him disgusted with what Zathrian chose to do and his stubborn refusal to stop it now that it's backfired in a terrible way)
Brought Cammen and Gheyna Together (Awwww, how sweeeet!)
Saved the Halla or Convinced Elora to Kill the Halla (I want to save the halla, but I'm worried my Survival skill might not be high enough when this quest rolls around to do that, which has been the case in previous playthroughs)
Told Athras About Danyla (He deserves the truth)
Brought Varathorn Ironbark (Again, I'm in the neighborhood, why not?)
Saved Deygan (Galweyn would help anyone in that situation, and the fact that Deygan's Dalish only makes it more important!)
Warden Destroyed The Anvil (The Anvil's NOT worth it, especially after seeing what it did to both Branka AND Caridin)
Bhelen Crowned King (Galweyn may think Bhelen sucks as a person, but he's seen Orzammar's nasty stratified society, and the fact of the matter is, Bhelen is trying to fix that)
Sent Dagna to the Circle (She deserves a chance to follow her dreams)
Did Not Encounter Mardy (As a Dalish Elf, Galweyn doesn't even know who Mardy IS)
Did Not Conceive with Mardy (See above)
Ruck Survived But Filda Told He Died/Ruck Survived And Filda Told The Truth/Killed Ruck But Claimed He Died a Hero (This is another problematic decision. Ruck's situation is terrible, and it almost does seem merciful to end his life, but at the same time, Ruck isn't ASKING me to end his life, so it's not a life I can take. If I spare him, should I be honest with Filda, or tell her he's gone?)
Proved The Legion of The Dead's Connection to Nobility (I'm in the neighborhood, and the fighters of the Legion deserve every break they can catch)
Returned Tome To Shaperate (It's history and it's stolen property, I'll return it)
Helped Burkel Create Chantry (Galweyn may not be Andrastian himself, but he respects people who stick up for their beliefs in the face of a society against it, so he may see a bit of himself in Burkel)
Zerlinda Returned to Her Family (She and her kid deserve a good life, and her parents know this but abandon her out of fear. Galweyn would want to talk some compassion into them)
Completed Rogek's Lyrium Deal (I'm in the neighborhood. Might as well *shrug*)
Helped Orta Reinstate House Ortan (Again, I'm in the neighborhood when I pick these things up. Might as well give them to someone who can actually use it)
Ser Landry Alive (He's not a bad person, just misled, and it's not worth killing him over bluster and misunderstanding)
Told Bann Sighard About Oswyn (First off, Oswyn's in trouble and needs help, and second, what's happened to him is great ammunition for discrediting Loghain)
Brought Lost Verses to Sister Justine (Another case of being in the neighborhood and picking something up that's of little use to me, but someone else might find more valuable)
Completed Slim Couldry's Crime Wave (I'm sticking it to the nobles, and undermining Loghain and Howe's rule, so that helps, I guess? I'm not certain it's ethical)
Cleared the White Falcons out of the Pearl (Helping the law enforcement's nice, even if these lunkheads come back to try and kill me later)
Handled the Crimson Oars (It's relatively simple to convince them to party someplace else)
Gave Bann Alfstanna Irminric's Ring (Irminric needed help and I gave it to him, and the evidence he provides, again, helps undermine Loghain)
Returned Amulet to Elven Beggar (I picked it up along the way, and I don't need it myself. Why not give it back?)
Found Goldanna (Wanting to befriend Alistair, I'm happy to help him find her, regardless of the consequences)
Killed Marjolaine (It's canon that she dies in Ferelden during the Blight, so I think this is a foregone conclusion. I will not be hardening Leliana, however, as if I do she says she'll be investigating darkspawn rather than recovering the Urn, so it meshes better with her status in later games if she's unhardened in the first one)
Completed Master Ignacio's Assassinations (This is another problematic one. On the one hand, I'm obsessive completionist by nature, so my first instinct is "DO IT!" but killing for money isn't really ethical. I know it helps in the Landsmeet in the long run, and it prevents the Crows from putting more hits out on you, but I'm not sure if that's worth becoming a hired killer)
Alistair and Anora Rule Together (Best opportunity for peace for a non-human-noble Warden in my opinion, I don't care how others feel about Anora's attitude)
Warden Killed Archdemon (This happens if you do the ritual anyway, so it's a moot point)
Architect Spared (The Architect doesn't do things out of malice, and for the most part he's looking to fix the problems he's created. The mistakes he's made are in the past, and killing him doesn't fix them or bring back the people who are harmed)
Keep and Amaranthine Protected As an obsessive completionist, this is a given)
Recruited Oghren (I seek to befriend everybody)
Oghren and Felsi Reunited (Again, in helping Oghren, I befriend him)
Warden Went Through the Eluvian with Morrigan (He loves Morrigan and wants to meet their kid)
Gained Power of Blood (I'm the kind of guy who leaves no chest or corpse unlooted, so I'll probably pick this up)
Killed Sophia Avernus Allowed to Continue Research Ethically (This is probably the best outcome for Soldier's Peak, as it gives Avernus a chance to do some REAL good. Killing him for what he's done doesn't accomplish much)
Shale is Alive and Well (As I support Caridin and destroy the Anvil, Shale and I will get along nicely)
Mattias and Amalia Both Alive Neither Possessed (It's okay to lie and cheat when you're lying to and cheating a demon, otherwise one of them will have to die, and that's not what I'm about)
Recruited Shale (Who wouldn't?!)
If anyone has any advice on some of the decisions I'm finding problematic, or how to make the decisions seem more consistent and realistic to the narrative, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you, all of you! :)
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I can tell you that as for the Ruck problem I did as he asked and lied to her. Better she be happy then in agony was my thought.
I don't think you can save both the Keep and the Amaranthine. Pretty sure it was one or the other.
My rogue did the crime wave and assassination missions for the simple fact that is screwed with Howe and Loghain. Course I played a human noble, so I REALLY had cause to hate them.
You may wish to read "The Calling" before dealing with the Architect. It will give you more insight into why he does what he does. For what is worth I killed him. I know letting him live comes up in DA:2
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Oh, I've read The Calling before. In fact I'm going to re-read it before starting this MASTER PLAYTHROUGH.
And technically you can save Amaranthine and the Keep. You have to do the quests for the dwarven builder, first to repair the keep, and then to find the granite deposit in the Wending Woods, followed by the quests in the keep's basement leading to sealing the Deep Roads entrance beneath it, and finally the minerals quest for Wade (finding Iron in Kal Hirol, Viridium beneath the Keep and Silverite in the Silverite Mines).
These will give you uber-walls, prevent darkspawn from swarming up from the basement and soldiers in uber-armor that will ultimately save the Keep and the majority of your companions while you personally defend Amaranthine.
As to Ruck, I'm just wondering if I should spare him. I've no intention of causing Filda more pain, but with the state Ruck is in, would killing him be more merciful?
My biggest question regarding ethics involves the Favors for Certain Interested Parties. If I wanna be truly Lawful Good, I really shouldn't do these, as I'm essentially aiding and abetting a gang war in Denerim that has nothing to do with Howe or Loghain. But I will likely end up needing to do the letter quest (Correspondence Interruptus) as I'll likely pick one up by accident and I don't wanna be stuck carrying these things around. And my obsessive-completionist habits will keep bugging me as long as I play without that quest completed. Is there any real way to justify getting involved in K and D's feud? And if I do, who do I support? K is my gut instinct, but neither of them exactly have the ethical high ground.