Dexterity
Dexterity increases damage and attack values for rogues. For all classes, it increases the likelihood of
landing a critical hit.
Magic
Magic increases damage and attack values for mages. For all classes, it increases magic resistance, which
absorbs a proportion of damage from magical attacks and determines the duration of hostile magical effects.
Cunning
Cunning increases defense for all classes as well as the amount of damage inflicted by a critical hit. Cunning
also determines a rogue’s aptitude for picking locks and disarming traps, with difficulty thresholds set at 10,
20, 30, and 40 points.
Willpower
Willpower increases the size of the mana pool for mages or the stamina pool for warriors and rogues.
Constitution
Constitution increases maximum health for all classes.
TALENTS/SPELLS
Talents (for warriors and rogues) and spells (for mages) are special abilities that can be used in combat
instead of a basic attack. Talents or spells usually draw from the character’s pool of stamina or mana,
although some are passive, providing permanent advantages without stamina or mana expenditure. A
character gains one point to learn a talent or spell each level, as well as at a few other points in the game.
The character you control—whether Hawke or another companion that you have switched to—uses
activated abilities and sustained modes only when directed. Other characters in your party use their abilities
whenever appropriate, or when the conditional instructions you set up in the Combat Tactics screen tell them
to (see p. 19).
When you have points to spend in the Abilities screen, only the abilities highlighted in blue are currently
available to learn. To unlock others, you need to meet the requirements listed in red by learning specific
prerequisite abilities or reaching a certain level.
Activated Abilities
The most common talents or spells are those marked “activated,” indicated by a diamond icon. These
abilities vary widely—some are offensive strikes against one or more enemies, whereas others provide
positive effects to the character or other companions. Some activated abilities last for only a second, while
others remain active for a short time. Most incur an immediate cost in stamina or mana, and after you use a
particular activated ability, there is generally a short cooldown period before you can use it again.
Passive Abilities
Talents or spells marked “passive,” indicated by a circular icon, are permanent effects, although some only
apply in particular circumstances. They do not consume stamina or mana, and, because you don’t need to
activate them, they do not appear in your battle menu or radial menu. To review which passive abilities your
character has learned, take a look at the Abilities screen.
Sustained Modes
Once you use a talent or spell marked as a “sustained mode,” indicated by a hexagonal icon, it remains
active until you disable it. However, most sustained modes reserve a fixed percentage of the character’s
mana or stamina pool. That reserve is not available for other abilities to use until you deactivate the ability.
After you deactivate a sustained mode, there is generally a short cooldown period before you can use
it again.
Upgrades
In each school of abilities, a number of small icons indicate possible upgrades to activated abilities or
sustained modes. These upgrades are not abilities in themselves but instead improve an existing ability.
Although it may seem as if an upgrade is less valuable than a completely new talent or spell, the size of a
character’s mana or stamina pool limits the number of abilities that can be used in a single battle. Upgrades
can thus be much more useful than yet another new ability. As well, only upgraded talents and spells can
lead to cross-class combos (see p. 18).
SPECIALIZATIONS
Hawke can learn one specialization upon reaching level seven and another at level 14. Three specializations
are available for each class. Each grants a unique bonus and unlocks a new group of powerful talents or
spells. Hawke’s companions cannot learn specializations, but their personal ability schools include talents or
spells that are related to the same specializations available to Hawke.
