Being a Dragon Age fan sucks right now. The series is pretty much dead, so we’re probably not getting a new game for some time, if at all. That isn’t even to get into how the creatives behind the series have been treated, with many of them no longer at BioWare.

So, it’s a real treat to see the series get shown some love, and in a way that celebrates the lore created by the writers EA squandered. Dragon Age is now the latest series to get its own fan-made Crusader Kings 3 overhaul, letting you play on a map of Thedas and explore Ferelden and Orlais during a time period the main games never covered.

Thedas At War Lets Us Experience The World Of Dragon Age Right After The Second Blight

Thedas at War is a total conversion mod created by a team of modders. It is available now through Steam Workshop, and you only need the Crusader Kings 3 base game - no DLC required.

The mod is set during the Glory Age, after the Second Blight has wreaked havoc over Ferelden for 90 years. As per the official lore, this is a time of strife in Orlais, the Dales, and what we would call Ferelden by the time the Dragon Age games take place. In fact, Ferelden is currently a bunch of warring tribes, and if you play in the region, you can try to be the one who unites them under one ruler.

There are special events for all of the conflicts set up in Thedas at War. You can try to keep the Orlesian Empire together, or let it fall apart; you can have the elves fight back against Orlais, or just try to survive; Ferelden can become a kingdom of its own, or the various tribes can maintain their independence.

You can also play as a mage, and use your magic to harm or help other characters. Magic can then be passed down to your character's children.

Having just spent the weekend playing it myself, I can happily confirm that it slaps. I played as King Caedmon - a lesser-known Ferelden king from the lore - who tries to unite Ferelden long before this was actually accomplished by King Calenhad Theirin (Alistair’s ancestor). I got close, with only two more regions to go, but then Caedmon died when he was just 79 years young, and his stupid son let it all fall apart.

You can, of course, make your own OCs as well. I made the ancestors of the Amell family (seen in Dragon Age: Origins if you’re a human mage, and Dragon Age 2 on Leandra's side), and tried to set up a comfortable life for them on the coast of Ferelden. It didn’t work. King Caemon conquered us, and being his vassal just meant getting dragged into his wars.

All of this is to say that an amazing amount of work has gone into this conversion mod. Most of the religions and cultures in Thedas are represented, including various offshoots of Andrastianism, as the Chantry is still in its infancy. Ferelden in particular is mostly made up of various Andraste-worshipping cults, all focusing on different aspects of their divine figurehead, whereas Orlais is under the unified Chantry as we see it in the games.

That’s enough rambling from me. If you are a fellow Dragon Age game hungry for something else to play, I cannot recommend Thedas at War enough. There’s only one time period available to play in right now, but that’s more than enough to stick your teeth into.

5.0/5 Crusader Kings 3 Like Follow Followed RPG Grand Strategy Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 90/100 Critics Rec: 99% Released September 1, 2020 ESRB T for Teens: Drug Reference, Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Paradox Interactive Publisher(s) Paradox Interactive Engine Clausewitz Engine Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Franchise Crusader Kings
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