This is a guide on how to upgrade your Skyhold in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
One note if you’re starting out; make your way out of the Hinterlands as soon as you can. This area is meant to introduce you to the mechanics of the game, and does not scale to give you higher experience and loot even if you’ve ramped up. Once you get your bearings, move on.
Inquisition does not spell out for you how to upgrade your Skyhold or make it intuitive. If you want to get there as soon as possible, this guide takes you through all the necessary steps so you don’t have to look around.
To get started, you need to have completed the Wrath of Heaven quest and chosen between Mages and Templars. You will start the From the Ashes quest after finishing the Your Heart Shall Burn quest, and part of this quest requires visiting the Undercroft.
The Undercroft will allow you to apply smaller upgrades to Skyhold, such as changing beds, drapes, windows, etc. The upgrades themselves can be purchased from a merchant in Val Royeaux. In the Undercroft, go to a table near the waterfall; this is where you can apply those changes.
Once you have visited the Undercroft, go back to your own quarters. From the main hall, facing the Inquisition throne, go to the door to the left to get to your quarters.
In your quarters, go to your desk and open your journal. You will see the three main Skyhold upgrades; the main tower, the courtyard, and the garden. The upgrades are fetch quests, but instead of unique items you will go out to collect various resources. You will also be spending some time in quarries and logging stands as a result.
Now, you need to find these resources, which requires picking up the Advanced Scots Inquisition Perk. To earn the perk, you need to take 1 Keep, and our source recommends you start with Caer Bronach, Crestwood, Ferelden. You will have to do this anyway under the Still Waters Quest. Make sure to talk to the mayor before you go to Caer Bronach so you can get the key to the dam behind it. You’ll know you took the keep after the Inquisition flag has been raised.
After you’re back in Skyhold and you’ve purchased the Advanced Scouts perk, it’s time to go to the War Table. On the map, on areas you have unlocked, you will see now mortar and pestle icons. These represent locations where you can collect resources. While going to these locations and collecting these resources, make sure to also collect crafting materials.
Once you have all the resources you need to upgrade go to the Quartermaster in Skyhold. He is in the corner tower near Cassandra’s training area, in the bottom floor. In his room is a table where you can finish these quests.
Finally, time to trigger the completed upgrade quests, and in that way, upgrade Skyhold. There is a corresponding location you need to go to to activate an upgrade for a specific part of Skyhold, as follows:
Garden – In the very center of the Garden.
Courtyard –On the stairs leading into the Main Hall.
Tower – On the Battlements above the Gardens.
We’re not done, however! When you trigger an upgrade, you are then asked to choose further. This part our source hasn’t fully explored yet, so you can take it from there.
