Party Members

Although it is possible to play through Dragon Age: Origins using only the character you create, the game is designed around a party of four adventurers, selected from among the many prospective companions you will encounter throughout Ferelden. Your party members are not just important for combat; they often have personal connections to your quests and may ask for your help with quests of their own.

Alistair’s approval of the PC is currently Neutral. The indicator on the approval meter, below Alistair’s picture, is roughly in the middle indicating that Alistair is currently neutral to the PC’s actions.

Approval

Your party members have their own agendas and personalities and demonstrate strong reactions to your decisions. You can track a character’s approval rating on his or her character record. When party members’ approval ratings rise, you are able to engage them in longer conversations at the party camp, which may lead to new quest options or, for certain characters, the possibility of romance. Characters who are confident in your leadership may also earn attribute bonuses. When a party member’s approval falls, however, you risk abandonment or betrayal. Because your party members differ so much from each other, it is difficult to keep everyone happy. But the wise general knows that when you disagree on matters of substance, you can always buy loyalty through gifts.

Action taken by the PC may be approved of or disapproved of by party members. The choices you make in Dragon Age: Origins will affect your party member’s approval of you.

Gifts

You will find some items identified as gifts. You can give a gift to one of your party members after switching to them in the inventory and selecting the gift. If the character accepts your gift, his or her approval of you increases. Different characters prefer different sorts of gifts; if you give a party member his or her favorite type of gift, the approval increase is greater. Some gifts are so well suited to particular characters that other party members completely refuse to accept the gift themselves. However, the more gifts you give each party member, the less he or she will be interested in the next gift. The camp is a handy place to give gifts because you can see your whole party at once.

There are a number of different gifts that can be given to party NPCs. These gifts can be seen in the inventory screen.

By giving Alistair a gift, you can increase his approval by 5 points.

If your party member approves enough of your actions, it will have beneficial effects on their character. If they disapprove enough, they may leave the party or even violently oppose your decisions.