Approval mechanics are a little different for every Dragon Age game. In Origins, this is especially true, as the game lacks Dragon Age 2's rivalry and friendship system but approval can be easily viewed and measured.
You also have more reason to want approval to be as high as possible for every party member in Origins than in the other titles. Heightened approval unlocks more dialogue options and gives stat bonuses, while incredibly low approval can get as bad as a companion abandoning you.
Once you get to know the characters though, there are plenty of ways to get them all to love the Warden and support them on their quest.
Updated on August 18, 2021, by Allison Stalberg: Dragon Age would not be where it is today without Origins. Inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, Dragon Age: Origins caught the hearts of many gamers for its interesting lore, fun characters, and many opportunities to make branching choices. Every character in Origins is unique, and it is likely that one will hate an action at the same time another loves it. Gaining approval and disapproval in Origins takes strategy. Though, it is a little easier than the later games because of the generous gift system.
Alistair
- Character: Alistair, Grey Warden, warrior, and possible love interest for female Wardens.
- How & When You First Meet: Alistair is the first companion the Warden obtains after the prologue. He is introduced by Duncan and survives Ostagar with the protagonist.
When Alistair has high enough approval from the Warden, he gets a bonus to his constitution. If his approval reaches the bottom though, he won't leave the party until after the Landsmeet.
Tips To Gain Approval With Alistair
- Make jokes with him.
- Ask him questions about himself and the wardens.
- Validate his emotions.
- Make lawful good-aligned RPG choices.
Gifts That Provide Approval
- Alistair's Mother's Amulet
- Duncan's Shield
- Joining Chalice
- Onyx Demon Statuette
- Small Carved Statuette
- White Runestone
- Stone Warrior Statuette
- Stone Dragon Statuette
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not be aggressive, blunt, rude, or insult him.
- Do not kill Conner. That event is a disapproval mine for Alistair. If done, try to be as apologetic and persuasive as possible when Alistair confronts you.
- Do not support Branka.
- If romanced, do not break up with him, especially not in a cruel way.
- If romanced, do not set up Alistair to marry Anora.
Morrigan
- Character: Morrigan, Witch of the Wilds, romance option for the male Warden, and daughter of Flemeth.
- How & When You First Meet: Morrigan is first encountered in the Korcari Wilds. She later joins the party after the Battle of Ostagar, at the request of Flemeth.
At high approval, Morrigan gets a bonus to her magic stat. Those that make their Wardens good-aligned may have a difficult time getting her approval. To work around that, do not keep her as a party member if you are going to make a good choice. Or if you do, make sure you are at least rewarded for that choice with compensation instead of doing it out of complete selflessness.
Tips To Gain Approval With Morrigan
- Make more brutal choices in the story.
- Pick dialogue choices that show you trust her.
- Do her personal quest without betraying her.
Gifts That Provide Approval
- Golden Rope Necklace
- Locket
- Black Grimoire
- Flemeth's Grimoire
- Golden Mirror
- Golden Demon Pendant
- Silver Brooch
- Silver Medallion
- Silver Chain
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not treat her with suspicion.
- Do not be pro-Chantry.
- If you plan to help people, do not take her to Redcliffe.
- Do not refuse her personal quest.
- Do not get in any love triangles with her (unless you plan to choose her).
Leliana
- Character: Leliana, Chantry Sister, human rogue, possible romance option for male or female Warden, and bard.
- How & When You First Meet: The Warden can meet Leliana in Lothering inside of Dane's Refuge tavern. She will ask to join the party and can be refused or accepted.
High approval grants Leliana a bonus to her cunning stat. She is the opposite of Morrigan in terms of approval, so having the two in a party together can be a rollercoaster of approval and disapproval to every choice. She adores selflessness and helping others. Having her in a party with Alistair and/or Wynne can be a good idea when seeking their approval, as they often like the same actions.
Tips To Gain Approval With Leliana
- Do charitable acts.
- Make pro-chantry comments.
Gifts That Provide Approval
- Blue Satin Shoes
- Andraste's Grace
- Bronze Symbol of Andraste
- Cute Nug
- Golden Symbol of Andraste
- Chantry Amulet
- Steel Symbol of Andraste
- Silver Sword of Mercy
- Etched Silver Symbol
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not enter a love triangle with her (unless you plan to choose her).
- Do not defile the sacred ashes.
- Do not refuse to help villagers in Redcliffe.
- Do not support Branka in A Paragon of Her Kind.
Zevran
- Character: Zevran Arainai, elven rogue, Antivan Crow, and romance option for male or female Warden.
- How & When You First Meet: Meeting Zevran is triggered once the Warden has gotten at least one of the allies through the Warden Treaties or completed the Redcliffe village and castle quest. He will try to kill the Warden, fail, and the Warden can keep him as a companion.
Zevran is a bit of a chaotic neutral, though he sometimes leans more towards brutal decisions. After all, he is an assassin who cannot help but be cynical despite his playful and flirtatious personality. The more approval he has of the Warden, the greater his dexterity bonus.
You will want to get his approval high enough for him to not betray you when facing the Crows.
Tips To Gain Approval With Zevran
- Be kind and respectful to elves.
- Do not be too charitable and selfless without reward.
- Be open-minded to his way of life.
Gifts That Provide Approval
- Medium Gold Bar
- Medium Silver Bar
- Dalish Gloves
- Antivan Leather Boots
- Small Gold Bar
- Small Silver Bar
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not act bothered if he flirts with you.
- Do not break up with him if romanced.
- Do not shame him for killing people as an assassin.
- Do not act distrustful of him.
Sten
- Character: Sten of the Beresaad, two-handed warrior, and Qunari.
- How & When You First Meet: The Warden first meets Sten in Lothering where the people have put him in a cage. The Warden can find a way to release him and convince him to atone by helping them against the Blight.
Sten is a character known to be difficult to get along with. He is a dedicated Qunari, and most people don't know anything about Qunari on their first playthrough. If he does have high approval, he gets a bonus to his strength stat.
To understand getting Sten's approval, you should know more about the Qun. Like most Qunari, he values honorable combat, the arts, and has a philosophy about everyone having a purpose they should not struggle against.
Tips To Gain Approval With Sten
- Respect him and show interest in the Qunari.
- Be direct and confident in your goals and duties.
- He likes it when the Warden does not stand for any nonsense.
- Do his personal quest: finding his sword.
Gifts
- Totem
- Water-Stained Portrait
- Sten's Sword
- Painting of the Rebel Queen
- Silver-Framed Still Life
- Portrait of a Goosegirl
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not be gullible, sentimental, or greedy.
- Do not pry him for information.
- Avoiding taking him to the Broken Circle quest if you plan to ally with the mages instead of the templars.
- Do not have him around if you are going to get help from the Circle of Mai to send someone into the Fade in the Arl of Redcliffe quest line.
Wynne
- Character: Wynne, Circle Mage, Senior Enchanter, and Spirit Healer.
- How & When You First Meet: Wynne can actually be met in Ostagar near the mage tents. However, it is not until the Warden goes to the Circle Tower that Wynne can be met and recruited.
Unlike Sten, Wynne is a much more predictable character. She is much like Alistair and Leliana, valuing compassion and selflessness. Like one would expect of an old mage, she loves books as gifts. She also loves wine. Once her approval is high enough, she'll get a bonus to her willpower stat.
Tips To Gain Approval With Wynne:
- Pick morally good-aligned choices.
- Be generous to others.
- Choose dialogue options or actions that benefit mages and the Chantry.
Gifts
- The Guerrins of Ferelden
- The Search for the True Prophet
- Fancy Scroll
- Discovering Dragon's Blood
- The Rose of Orlais
- Tattered Notebook
- Wine
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not take her to the Urn of Sacred Ashes if you plan on defiling the urn.
- Do not pick any evil-aligned choices.
- Do not side with the Templars in the Circle Tower questline.
Oghren
- Character: Oghren, dwarven berserker, and two-handed warrior.
- How & When You First Meet: Meeting Oghren is triggered once the Warden has spoken to either Bhelen or Harrowmont's representative in Orzammar. Oghren then appears at the entrance to the Diamond Quarter. Once the Warden goes to the Deep Roads, Oghren will join them.
Oghren is another pretty predictable companion, loving what dwarves usually do in fantasy stories: alcoholic beverages and the raw joy of combat. With high approval, he gets a bonus to his constitution.
He can be a little more tricky outside of gift-giving though, as he is a pretty neutral character who does not care so much about whether the Warden is brutal or kind to others.
Tips To Gain Approval With Oghren
- Let Branka have a chance to be redeemed, or at least let Oghren decided what to do after she is dead.
- Help him in a side quest to find Felsi, an ex-girlfriend.
- Show a level of love and sportsmanship to combat and fine weapons.
Gifts
- Legacy White Shear
- Garbolg's Backcountry Reserve
- Chasind Sack Mead
- Ale
- Alley King's Flagon
- Golden Scythe 4:90 Black
- Wilhelm's Special Brew
- Sun Blonde Vint
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not criticize him for acting like a baby/child.
- Do not knock out Isolde or kill Conner in Redcliffe Castle.
- If you pick Caradin over Branka, you can mostly make up for his disapproval by allowing him to choose the Paragon's boon.
Shale
- Character: Shale, stone Golem, warrior, and DLC companion.
- How & When You First Meet: With the Stone Prisoner DLC, the Warden will encounter a merchant at Sulcher's Pass and obtain a rod that controls a Golem in Honneleath. That Golem is Shale and the Warden can free her.
This DLC companion is more like Zevran and Morrigan, valuing the brutal choices of Origins. She can be a little hard to read though, and not just because she is made of stone. If you do get her approval high enough though she will be rewarded with a strength bonus.
The quest, Paragon of her Kind, is especially important in gaining Shale's approval.
Tips To Gain Approval With Shale
- Compliment her crystals.
- Side with Caridin in the Paragon of her Kind questline.
- Complete her personal quest, A Golem's Memories.
- Make more ruthless choices.
Gifts
- Remarkable Topaz
- Remarkable Sapphire
- Remarkable Amethyst
- Remarkable Diamond
- Remarkable Emerald
- Remarkable Malachite
- Remarkable Garnet
- Remarkable Ruby
- Remarkable Greenstone
How To Avoid Disapproval
- If Shale is brought to the fight with Kolgrim in The Urn of Sacred Ashes questline, then tell her "It is my decision" to avoid disapproval.
- Do not kill Caridin in the Paragon of Her Kind questline. If you plan to side with Branka, leave Shale at camp and then have Expert Coercion and lie to her about his fate. Do not avoid her questions.
Loghain
- Character: Loghain Mac Tir, Teryn, Hero of River Dane, Teryn of Gwaren, and Grey Warden if recruited.
- How & When You First Meet: Loghain is first met in Ostagar. The chance to recruit him is not until far later in the game during the Landsmeet. The Warden can make Loghain a Grey Warden at the cost of Alistair leaving the party forever.
Loghain is a special case in terms of approval, as his approval will only get to Warm and not the maximum of Friendly, even if his approval points are at 100. He also does not have a personal quest. However, he can still get a strength bonus from high approval.
A common issue for those who want Loghain's approval is that you are typically recruited near the end-game. At this point, there is not much for you to do with him unless you saved a lot of sidequests.
Tips To Gain Approval With Loghain:
- Take him to the Return to Ostagar DLC quest.
- Ask questions to learn more about him.
- Act dutifully.
Gifts
- Map of the Anderfels
- Botanist's Map of Thedas
- Map of Occupied Fereldan
- Current Map of Fereldan
- Ancient Map of the Imperium
How To Avoid Disapproval
- Do not act resentful of him.
- Do not act like his recruitment is a mercy, a punishment, or an attempt to get use out of him before he dies.