XP & Level Up

Defeating enemies, completing quests and a host of other miscellaneous accomplishments (such as lockpicking and locating Codex entries) all cause Hawke and companions to accumulate experience points (XP). Once total XP reaches a preset threshold (as represented by the bar near the ability shortcuts), a character will level up. This is indicated by an animated arrow on the relevant portrait in the bottom left‑hand corner of the screen.

There are two distinct stages to the level up process. To begin, access the pause menu, then select the Characters option. If you would prefer to have your party members level up automatically, you can use the button command shown at the bottom of this screen to accomplish this instantly. However, we would strongly recommend that you take full responsibility.

Step 1: Attributes

You have three attribute points to spend each time a character levels up. If you are keen to get a feel for the game before you learn more about the intricacies of the leveling system in the Strategy & Analysis chapter, the following short guidelines will suffice for the next few levels:

• Warrior: Invest one point in Strength (to increase fortitude and attack power), one in Cunning (to improve defense), and one in Constitution (to increase maximum health and physical resistance).
• Rogue: Only applicable for now if you actually chose this class: you don’t encounter your first rogue companion until Act 1. We’d suggest that you place two points in Dexterity and one in Cunning.
• Mage: Allocate two points to Magic and one to Willpower. This will enhance the raw power of a mage’s spells and offer a boost to their mana stocks. An alternative approach would be to put all three points into Magic while the number of abilities at your disposal (and, therefore, average mana expenditure) is low, then redress the Willpower imbalance during a later level-up before frequent mana shortages become an issue.

Step 2: Talents

Raw attributes matter, but it is your choice of talents that makes a character truly unique. There are well over 100 in total, divided into themed “trees”, with each character given access to a small selection of these. Talents are unlocked incrementally, and it’s easy to lose more minutes than you’d care to admit scouring the assorted trees while choosing a new ability. You only get one talent point for each level, though, so your decisions really matter – and doubly so at this delicate stage in your party’s development. We strongly suggest that you turn to page 166 of the Strategy & Analysis chapter to learn which talents might best suit Hawke and his current companions.