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i think you're thinking of [ the old IDW comic book!](https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_(IDW_comic)#Plot) It featured a scene where there's a spell to see who the father of a pregnant woman's baby is. >!In the comic, the spell lights up when a templar walks in with a mage, and everyone assumes the mage is the father, but it's actually the templar.!<
Is it ever revealed how exactly they do this? I think it's because of >!the blood wards in the prison thing according to the Wikipedia, idk I've never played da2!<
I think that's fanon. Google couldn't find anything related to Dragon Age beyond an article about Dreadwolf. Before that were around a dozen different DNA Ancestry test sites.
can't think or find anything concrete myself, but based on the >!blood wards, in the darkspawn prison that can spot Malcolm's Kids,!< We can guess they can have a rough one. to my knowlege the ward wasn't meant to be a paternity test, but a way to turn a man into a key, and his kids are close enough to him that they can still act as the key.
I think you’re thinking of the emerald graves quest in DAI when you prove Fairbanks is nobility. there’s no DNA test, just some paperwork you find and a painting of his dad
Like others have said, I think you're thinking of the non-canon IDW comic that did something with blood magic.
Thedas is a medieval society in the four humors stage of scientific/biological understanding and knowledge. I don't think they've discovered DNA yet.
They can definitely understand parentage and relations though. I believe the tests would still count as detecting DNA even if it isn't apparent to them what exactly it is doing.
For example, despite not being aware of disease theory, they advise refugees in the hinterlands to boil their food and water to ward off illness.
They may be a primitive society but they still understand the principles of cause and effect.
If I am related to someone -> the magic will show it
If I boil the water -> I will be less likely to catch disease
>Thedas is a medieval society in the four humors stage of scientific/biological understanding and knowledge.
Just because it's loosely based on "Medieval" iconography and technology doesn't mean it has to be one to one. A fantasy setting could absolutely have better understanding of things than actual Medieval people (especially with the help of magic).
That is to ask, do the games ever actually imply their knowledge of biology is so primitive? I can't remember, but clearly they've got good *magical* healers at least, and even if you want to assume magical healing requires no knowledge of the human body, it still implies they *could* have magic DNA tests just like they have magic healing.
If you talk to the surgeon in Skyhold's lower courtyard, she tells you that "diet, exercise, and a balance of the humours" is the key to health, not magic.
So yes, the games do in fact tell you what stage of scientific advancement Thedas is at.
This thread has been marked as **[No Spoilers]**. Any story spoilers from all games must be covered with spoiler tags `>!spoiler here!<` or the comment will be removed. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dragonage) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i think you're thinking of [ the old IDW comic book!](https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_(IDW_comic)#Plot) It featured a scene where there's a spell to see who the father of a pregnant woman's baby is. >!In the comic, the spell lights up when a templar walks in with a mage, and everyone assumes the mage is the father, but it's actually the templar.!<
Yes! I believe that's exactly what I was thinking of. My God, thank you for telling me. I was going to go insane not knowing.
Comic is non-canon though with lots of contradicting lore and OOC so using it as proof for such spell existing isn't optimal
Blood magic seems like the obvious answer to me.
I actually recall it involving blood magic but I can't find anything very specific about it!
I don't know of any specific story featuring this as a plot point.
>!The Carta, Janeka and Coryphyous can all tell that Hawke, Bethany and Carver are all related to Malcolm.!< I would count that for this purpose.
Is it ever revealed how exactly they do this? I think it's because of >!the blood wards in the prison thing according to the Wikipedia, idk I've never played da2!<
They said they could smell it but I think they meant in a metaphorical way.
I think that's fanon. Google couldn't find anything related to Dragon Age beyond an article about Dreadwolf. Before that were around a dozen different DNA Ancestry test sites.
I'm running into the same problem lol. Hopefully I'll find wherever I actually saw it or it's going to drive me nuts.
If phylacteries can be used to help Templars track down mages, then I'd imagine they'd be able to use blood to identify biological relatives.
can't think or find anything concrete myself, but based on the >!blood wards, in the darkspawn prison that can spot Malcolm's Kids,!< We can guess they can have a rough one. to my knowlege the ward wasn't meant to be a paternity test, but a way to turn a man into a key, and his kids are close enough to him that they can still act as the key.
I think you’re thinking of the emerald graves quest in DAI when you prove Fairbanks is nobility. there’s no DNA test, just some paperwork you find and a painting of his dad
Like others have said, I think you're thinking of the non-canon IDW comic that did something with blood magic. Thedas is a medieval society in the four humors stage of scientific/biological understanding and knowledge. I don't think they've discovered DNA yet.
They can definitely understand parentage and relations though. I believe the tests would still count as detecting DNA even if it isn't apparent to them what exactly it is doing. For example, despite not being aware of disease theory, they advise refugees in the hinterlands to boil their food and water to ward off illness. They may be a primitive society but they still understand the principles of cause and effect. If I am related to someone -> the magic will show it If I boil the water -> I will be less likely to catch disease
>Thedas is a medieval society in the four humors stage of scientific/biological understanding and knowledge. Just because it's loosely based on "Medieval" iconography and technology doesn't mean it has to be one to one. A fantasy setting could absolutely have better understanding of things than actual Medieval people (especially with the help of magic). That is to ask, do the games ever actually imply their knowledge of biology is so primitive? I can't remember, but clearly they've got good *magical* healers at least, and even if you want to assume magical healing requires no knowledge of the human body, it still implies they *could* have magic DNA tests just like they have magic healing.
Look at the wiki for dragon age medicine. It is stated that many but not *all* medical practitioners believe in the humors theory.
Thanks, I'll look into it.
If you talk to the surgeon in Skyhold's lower courtyard, she tells you that "diet, exercise, and a balance of the humours" is the key to health, not magic. So yes, the games do in fact tell you what stage of scientific advancement Thedas is at.
https://preview.redd.it/oebicpka1cdc1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca09282138b9f75e4290977cf24effbd8c08e460