Indicates that Hawke will flirt or pursue deeper romance.
Indicates that Hawke will permanently end a romance or turn down a proposition.
Indicates that Hawke agrees or consents.
Indicates that Hawke disagrees or refuses.
Indicates that Hawke is choosing one of multiple exclusive options.
Indicates that Hawke is making a special choice that is only available because of
previous decisions.
Indicates that Hawke will either extort money or pay an informant, as indicated.
Indicates that Hawke will lie.
Indicates that Hawke will ask a question that does not necessarily lead the conversation
directly toward its conclusion. The information Hawke learns, however, may lead to new
conversation options in the future. When more than one of these questions is available at the
same point in the conversation, they are grouped together in a special Investigate section of
the wheel.
COMPA N IONS
Although it is possible for Hawke to venture out alone for most of Dragon Age II, the game is designed
around a party of four combatants, selected from among the many prospective companions you encounter.
Hawke’s party members are not just important during combat; they often have personal connections to the
story and may ask for Hawke’s help with quests of their own.
To change which party member you control, press or (or both buttons together to issue orders to all
party members at once). You can change the composition of your party whenever Hawke returns home or
visits a companion at his or her home base.
COMPANIONS’ HOME BASES
Once Hawke creates a new life in Kirkwall, each companion has a location in the city where they retreat
when Hawke doesn’t need them. Seek out these home bases and visit often—once Hawke’s companions
are away from the stress of battle, they are much more likely to relax and offer insights that they won’t share
on the road. These conversations may lead to new quest options or, for certain companions, the possibility
of romance.
FRIENDSHIP AND RIVALRY
Hawke’s companions have their own agendas and will react to major decisions. When they support
Hawke’s decisions, they move toward friendship; when they disagree, they move toward rivalry. Rivalry is
not necessarily bad; it still indicates that Hawke’s relationship with the companion is deepening, albeit in a
confrontational direction.
You can track a companion’s friendship or rivalry rating in his or her character record. When Hawke’s
relationship with the companion has progressed sufficiently along one path or the other, new conversations
become available in the companion’s home base in Kirkwall. Once Hawke attains complete friendship or
rivalry with a companion, a passive ability is unlocked in the companion’s personal school, and subsequent
decisions no longer sway the companion’s opinion of Hawke.
CHARACTER PROGRESSION
To grow into the legendary figure whose story Varric is telling, Hawke needs to become more powerful, learn
new abilities, acquire advanced equipment, and recruit experienced companions. Sure enough, a short time
into the family’s escape from Lothering, Hawke gains a level and can spend a few points on attributes and
abilities for the first time.
As Hawke recruits companions, they too progress in largely the same manner.
EXPERIENCE AND LEVELS
Experience points (XP) are awarded whenever Hawke completes a quest or finds a codex entry, anyone in
the party kills an enemy in combat, or a rogue in the party picks a lock or disarms a trap. Once Hawke or
a companion has the XP required to cross a certain threshold, the character gains a new level. Progress
towards that threshold is shown just below the current character’s name in the main interface and in the
character record screens.
With each new level, a character gains three attribute points and one ability point. At levels seven and 14,
Hawke alone gains a specialization point (see p. 4).
When a character levels up, you can spend the points yourself in the Attributes and Abilities screen.
ATTRIBUTES
Hawke begins with at least 10 points in each of the six attributes, which primarily determine prowess in
combat, both directly (more constitution means more health points) and indirectly (equipping heavy armor
requires great strength).
When you first see Hawke’s attribute scores, however, some will already exceed 10 because of the class
bonuses listed earlier. With each level, Hawke and other companions gain an additional three points to spend
on attributes.
Strength
Strength increases damage and attack values for warriors. For all classes, it increases fortitude, which
measures resistance to effects like being knocked back or set aflame.
