Dragon Age: Origins DLC

Dragon Age:  Origins is a pretty big game and can be made even bigger if you purchase some of the many add-on content packs available.  If you were lucky, you might have gotten a free copy when it was offered "on the house" from Origin prior to the release of the newest Dragon Age incarnation.  Before you lay down your hard earned cash on some DA DLC, here is a review of said DLC.

Warden's Keep
Maybe you didn't get enough of investigating creepy, possibly haunted or possessed places in your regular travels.  "Warden's Keep" adds-in a new area--an abandoned keep that was once a bastion for Grey Wardens in Ferelden, as well as a series of quests to unravel and possibly redeem the good name of a once powerful family, the Dryden's.  The story itself involves some interesting moral choices concerning how you handle demons (Kill em' all! or willing to deal with them) and using somewhat shady items to increase your own power. From completing the quests you gain access to some unique items (which differ depending on your choices) and a new base camp at Warden's Keep that includes party storage.  This content pack adds approximately 1-2 hours of playtime.

The Stone Prisoner
If you're looking to add another character to your menagerie of squadmates, you should definitely purchase "The Stone Prisoner."  This content pack centers around the purchase of a malfunctioning golem control rod from a strange dwarven merchant.  If you can find the golem, it's yours for one low price!  Players are then introduced to the village of Honnleath where this golem is currently located.  There is some combat against both darkspawn and demons and more moral choices related to demons.  You'll also want to pull out your thinking cap for a short puzzle.  Once the golem is unlocked, he joins your party.  It turns out that golems are pretty sarcastic.  Shale is an interesting addition and could function as almost any role in a party (ranged, melee, or as a tank).  His abilities vary and his damage and armor is determined by the type of crystal you equip for him.  Overall, "The Stone Prisoner" adds in about 2-3 additional hours of content.  The addition of a new party member is nice and the quests and story is interesting.

Return to Ostagar

As the title implies, this add-on pack allows players to revisit the site of the battle between the forces of King Cailan and the darkspawn.  It's a bit nostalgic but also attempts to add detail to the events that occurred during the earliest parts of the game.  One nice part of this DLC is that you are able to recover both King Cailan's armor and Duncan's swords.  If you're looking for some nice, shiny loot for your group you will definitely get it in "Return to Ostagar."

Art featuring a character that looks vaguely like Leliana.

Leliana's Song

Leliana is one of the most interesting characters in your party and this DLC addresses her life as a bard heavily involved in the Orlesian "game" of intrigue.  You are introduced to her companions, a dwarf warrior and an elf mage, as well as her Orlesian lady-friend Marjolaine.  The campaign involves bringing elements of the Orlesian "game" to the city of Denerim.  Not everything is about combat and killing and you are given choices for how you want to resolve certain situations.  I would recommend this particular DLC to anyone who is a fan of Leliana as it unravels her story prior to joining the chantry.  You're looking at approximately 1-2 hours of playtime.

There are several other DLC options, but I have yet to play them.  One of the add-ons involves playing as a darkspawn and the other has something to do with dwarves and golems.  The Feastday gifts and pranks pack is also available if you want some unique gifts or jokes to play on your companions.