Ah, Flemeth. This enigmatic shapeshifter is voiced by the legendary Kate Mulgrew, known for her role as Captain Janeway. A key player across three Dragon Age games, she serves as a pivotal supporting character and presents a unique challenge in Dragon Age: Origins as an optional boss fight.
Don’t underestimate Flemeth; she’s a formidable opponent. Defeating her is one of the most thrilling moments in Dragon Age: Origins, but the strategy involved can be a bit tricky. Here’s what we’ve learned from our encounters with the Witch of the Wilds.
The ‘Flemeth’s Real Grimoire’ Quest
As with most quests in Dragon Age, the journey to battle Flemeth begins with the ‘Flemeth’s Real Grimoire’ quest. This is also Morrigan’s companion quest.
Raising Morrigan’s Approval
Every companion in Dragon Age: Origins has a personal quest, which usually involves improving their approval rating.
The same applies to Morrigan. As her approval increases, she becomes friendlier and more open with your Warden. Giving her nice gifts will help speed this up, but generally, you should:
- Pick dialogue that shows your trust in her.
- Avoid making choices that favor the Chantry.
Following this advice will help you out over time. And remember, talking to Morrigan frequently is a reliable way to boost her approval.
Starting The Quest
Once Morrigan’s approval is high enough, chatting with her at camp will prompt her to ask for your help in retrieving the Black Grimoire, which was taken from her mother, Flemeth. (We’re getting closer!) You can find the Black Grimoire in the Circle Tower, Senior Mage Quarters, inside a chest in Irving’s office.
You can actually find the Black Grimoire before Morrigan’s approval is high enough to trigger the quest. If that happens, the quest will still activate and you can give the item to her right away.
After Morrigan gets the Black Grimoire, leave the camp and come back. She should be quite spirited, and there’s good reason for that. Morrigan’s intention to betray Flemeth over the Black Grimoire is exactly what you need to unlock the fight.
Make sure you agree to help Morrigan with this quest, or you’ll miss out on it permanently.
The Fight With Flemeth
As Morrigan suggests, do not bring her along when you go back to Flemeth’s hut. The success of your plan relies on her being well away from her mother. However, if your Warden is a mage, this may limit some great spells for you. Just a heads up.
You can choose to negotiate with Flemeth and let her escape if you wish. Regardless of whether you fight her or not, you’ll still receive the main rewards: Flemeth’s Grimoire and Robes of Possession. For this guide, we’ll assume you’re ready to battle her.
Flemeth is classified as a High Dragon, so make sure your tank is equipped with fire-resistant gear to survive her fiery onslaught. Use the Taunt ability to draw her attention throughout the fight, while keeping the rest of your party safe and out of her range.
Flemeth in dragon form.
If your Warden is the tank, you can skip ahead. If not, have them engage from a distance with ranged weapons or magic, while keeping the rest of the team behind.
It’s a smart move to bring Wynne with you and control her yourself. She has such a low aggro level that Flemeth will almost never target her. Managing her Group Heal spell can really save your team from tough situations.
This isn’t surprising, but your level will significantly affect how easy it is to fight Flemeth. Generally, characters who are level 16 or higher will find this battle much easier, while around level 12-13 is the minimum we suggest for attempting it. Though many have defeated her at lower levels, it’s definitely a challenge.
If you want to make the fight even easier, consider waiting until you obtain large fire-resistant crystals for Shale or Superior Dragon Armor for better fire resistance in Denerim before challenging her.
Despite her fiery attacks, Flemeth has no resistance to fire magic. This means that all types of magic can damage her, sometimes even causing her to hurt herself with her own attacks. This reinforces the strategy of dealing damage from a distance!
