Understanding Companions

If you thought the companions who rallied with you against the archdemon were a fascinating lot, wait till you meet this new group. Companions are your allies in battle, the NPCs who team with your PC and who you control on your quests. Choose companions based on your PC's needs. If you play a mage, you will definitely need a warrior like Justice, possibly a rogue like Nathaniel Howe, and maybe another rogue like Sigrun or another mage like Anders for healing if you concentrate on DPS.

You run into only a handful of companions on your travels, as they are scattered from Knotwood Hills to the Blackmarsh. Know them well, for they are as vital as your own flesh and blood.

Grey Warden Companions

Understanding Companions

Companions aren't simple NPCs who point you toward the next quest; they think, have opinions, fall in and out of favor with your decisions, and level along with you. Without companions, you would be a one-person party.

To grasp the intricacies of companion interaction, read through the following pages and familiarize yourself with what works and what doesn't work for your current party make-up. After companion basics, each companion receives a dedicated section with everything you need to know about your favorite ally. The Supporting Cast chapter details other famous characters of the land; consider it a list of the important NPCs and relevant game info to aid you on your quests.

Approval Ratings

Your approval ranges from -100 to 100, with all companions beginning at zero when you first meet them. The higher the approval rating, the more the companion enjoys your company and will be willing to follow your lead. A low approval rating equals a disgruntled companion, and one who might walk out on the group at any moment. In most cases, the approval rating caps at 74 unless you are "friendly" with a companion. You can warm up to companions by talking with them every chance you get and exploring all their dialogue options; you get a friendly rating with a companion by doing each NPC's personal quest.

Approval Chart

Your approval rating with companions ranges from -100 to 100. However, you can only get to max positive approval if you are "friendly" with the companion. You can get "friendly" if you do each companion's personal quest.

Gifts

You can give some specific items from your inventory to companions to increase approval. All gifts can be given to all companions, but each companion prefers a specific type of gift that gives a higher approval rating if you match companion and gift appropriately. Dialogue can also be initiated based on gifts being given.

Only certain items labeled as "gift" can be given for approval rating boosts. Giving the wrong gift to the wrong companion will raise the companion's approval by only half of what it would if given to the correct companion. "Plot" gifts are given back to the player if they are given to the wrong character. When you donate gifts to companions, listen for the audio clue and watch for the rising heart that displays the approval bump number. Because there are limited gifts in the game, don't just give them away randomly; it's always better to hear a "Wow!" than a "Thanks, I guess."

Companion Quests

Most companions have a personal quest that you can help them undertake. Some are more involved than others. For example, you have to try to steal a phylactery for Anders's personal quest, but only hang out with Oghren at the Vigil Keep's throne room for his. Complete all your companions' quests if you can, because this will solidify your friendship with them. See the individual companion sections for how to unlock each one.

Plot Abilities

Companions can be inspired by your leadership. If you increase a companion's approval rating high enough, they will gain one of several bonuses to their primary attribute. For example, a warm Velanna will gain "Inspired: Minor Magic" and a warm Justice will gain "Inspired: Minor Constitution." There are four levels for the plot abilities—minor, moderate, major, and massive—and each level increases the bonus the companion gets to an attribute, so keep pumping up the approval rating of the companions you prefer to travel with, and they'll become better party members. Plot abilities can degrade, though, if you lose sufficient approval with a companion.

Crisis Moments

When talking to the companions, or if you make decisions in the game that are contrary to a companion's goals, the companion will definitely not approve. If they disapprove, you lose approval rating and they will certainly have words with you.

If you continue on this negative approval path, they will reach a "crisis" point where they say they have to leave. You still have a chance to talk them out of it, and if you're successful, they will stay. But if they reach crisis for a second time, it's over. The companion will leave for good. See the individual companion sections for possible crisis moments and how to avoid them.