A staple in the Dragon Age franchise, gift-giving is the best form of flattery and one of the easiest ways to guarantee a positive approval rating with a game’s companions. Dragon Age Origins, the first game in the series, took this idea and ran with it in a direction that not only made gifts fun and interesting but -in some cases- an emotional gut-punch lightly buried in the main narrative. This important dynamic makes them a must-find in terms of story flavor and an addition to the game’s mechanics that offer greater immersion into the world of Thedas.
Variety
Variety is the name of the game, when it comes to these gifts, as they can be found in numerous places and vary in composition. In some instances: an important and worthwhile gift can be a simple mirror; In others, it can be a family heirloom once thought lost and destroyed, or a nostalgic piece of gear that brings back warm memories for a companion who hasn’t seen their homeland in years. Offering: not only a way in, to endear the player with the companion even further, but also granting them even more insights on what makes their new friends tick.
Drawbacks
Dragon Age Origins has a laundry list of gifts for players to share with their companions. So much so, that it can be a little overwhelming to keep track. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that with the inclusion of two specific supplementary DLCs; Feastday Gifts and Feastday Pranks; the list grew astronomically and made the “who-gets-what” dynamic even more complicated. Especially, when you factor in the set-approval amounts offered by the DLC gifts, as their values were much higher than those gifts of the base game and could easily skew the player’s approval rating massively; making it entirely possible to have max approval long before the original narrative would normally allow.
Alistair
Aside from more sentimental gifts revolving around his mentor (and pseudo-father-figure) Duncan, most of Alistair’s base-game gift list includes strange runestones and statuettes. Duncan’s Shield, found late in the game in Denerim, is one of the few gifts in Dragon Age Origins that will become a real piece of gear for Alistair to equip and utilize. Alistair’s Mother’s Amulet; found inside the desk of Arl Eamon; in Redcliff Castle; has major sentimental value and should be the player’s immediate concern -once he mentions it in dialogue. It will, not only, gain the Warden a large amount of approval, but also trigger a cut scene that speaks about a painful incident from his past and allows him to heal from it.
Other gifts include:
- Black Runestone: found in the Aeducan Thaig.
- Joining Chalice: found in Ostagar (requires Return to Ostagar DLC.)
- Onyx Demon Statuette: found in the Eastern section of the Brecilian Forest.
- Small Carved Statuette: found in Lothering.
- Stone Dragon Statuette: found in Redcliff Castle.
- Stone Warrior Statuette: found in the Mountainside Caverns (Temple of Sacred Ashes quest line.)
- White Runestone: found in the Circle Tower.
Dog
The party’s quintessential mascot, Dog is one of those companions that don’t require hard work to keep happy. A good boy (or girl, depending on the name players give them) his loyalty as a Mabari is unmatched. Gifts for Dog are simplistic, fitting the theme of the stereotypical canine companion, but won’t really affect his approval -as Dog starts and remains at 100% throughout the game, no matter the player’s decisions. So, players can bypass their gifts altogether or offer them to other companions as a supplementary addition to their gift list.
The gift list and locations are as follows:
- Beef Bone: Found in Ostagar and the Circle Tower.
- Found Cake: Found by Dog when utilizing his search function.
- Lamb Bone: found in Redcliff Castle.
- Large Bone: found in Haven and Soldier’s Peak (DLC.)
- Ox Bone: found in the Western Brecilian Forest.
- Tangled Ball of Yarn: Found by Dog when utilizing his search function.
- Veal Bone: found in the Elven Alienage in Denerim.
Leliana
For Dragon Age Origins’ resident Bard, gifts hold tightly to the themes of faith and her belief in Andraste; a religious martyr considered the Bride of the Maker and one true profit of the Chantry; and allow the player to learn more about Leliana on a spiritual level. But her gift list isn’t all prim and proper religious iconography, as her penchant for shoes -in every style possible- is legendary in the fandom and remains a staple in her character arc long past the victory over the game’s nemesis, the Archdemon.
Gifts for Leliana are as follows:
- Andraste’s Grace: a flower found in Redcliff Village, West Brecilian Forest, and the Alienage in Denerim.
- Blue Satin Shoes: purchased from a roaming merchant named Old Tegrin.
- Bronze Symbol of Andraste: found in the Chantry in Lothering.
- Chantry Amulet: found in the Circle Tower.
- Etched Silver Symbol: found in Ortan Thaig.
- Golden Symbol of Andraste: purchased from Legnar in the Orzammar Commons.
- Cute Nug: acquired from the Idle Dwarf in Orzammar’s Dust Town.
- Silver Sword of Mercy: purchased from a roaming merchant named Old Tegrin.
- Steel Symbol of Andraste: found in the scholar, Genitivi’s Home in Denerim.
Morrigan
Regarding Morrigan’s gift list, the items fall into two different camps: narratively fundamental and supplementary. The former category relates to her full character arc and is necessary to the plot -as she specifically asks you to find them. The Black Grimoire; found in Enchanter Erving’s senior enchanter’s office; will kick off Morrigan’s personal questline. This leads to the Witch of the Wilds asking the Warden to confront her mother without her and fighting a dragon. Once defeated, Flemeth’s Grimoire can be found stashed in a chest inside her hut.
The rest of Morrigan’s gift list is as follows:
- Gold Amulet: purchased from Garin in the Orzammar Commons.
- Golden Demon Pendant: found in The Gauntlet, during the Urn of Sacred Ashes
- Golden Mirror: purchased from Garin in the Orzammar Commons.
- Golden Rope Necklace: found in Lothering and purchased from Bohdan Feddic in the party’s camp.
- Locket: found in the store in Haven Village.
- Silver Brooch: found in the Dalish Camp, in the Brecilian Forest.
- Silver Chain: found in the Senior Mage Quarters, in the Circle Tower.
- Silver Medallion: found in the Ruins Upper Level, during the Nature of the Beast main questline.
Oghren
Dragon Age Origins’ residential comic relief character and drunkard, Oghren’s gift list mirrors the dwarf’s love of drinking in a big way -as all of them are of some version of a rare delicacy not regularly consumed in the day-to-day life of Thedas’ people. Gifting any alcohol to Oghren (aside from wine, as that is more of a thing for Wynne) will often trigger a mini-cut scene, wherein the player will experience Oghren’s sense of humor. Through his drunken antics players will see a side of the dwarf that can be unexpected; and, yet thoroughly entertaining.
Oghren’s gift list includes the following:
- Ale: sold by various bartenders throughout the game.
- Alley King’s Flagon: found in the Orzammar Commons.
- Chasind Sack Mead: found in the Ruined Temple, during the Urn of Sacred Ashes
- Garbolg’s Backcountry Reserve: found by Dog using its search function.
- Golden Scythe 4:40 Black: found in a crate in Lothering.
- Legacy White Shear: found in the Lower Ruins, during the Nature of the Beast main questline.
- Sun Blonde Vint -1: found in the Templar Quarters, in the Circle Tower.
- Wilhelm’s Special Brew: found in Honnleath (requires The Stone Prisoner)
Shale
An additional companion for Dragon Age Origins, Shale can join the player’s party after picking up The Stone Prisoner DLC and completing its main questline. Gifts for Shale can often be acquired long before the Warden travels to Honnleath and are themed around precious, semi-precious, and common gemstones. Management of Shale’s particular gift list often requires prior knowledge of the game -as some of the more common gemstones are thematically equivalent but not applicable.
Shale’s gemstone gift list is as follows:
- Remarkable Amethyst: purchased from Alimar, a “castless” Dwarf found in Dust Town in Orzammar.
- Remarkable Diamond: purchased from Garin in the Diamond Quarter in the Orzammar Commons.
- Remarkable Emerald: purchased from Figor at Figor’s Imports in the Orzammar Commons.
- Remarkable Greenstone: located in the Village of Honnleath, dropped during the Shade encounter.
- Remarkable Malachite: purchased from the Quartermaster in the Circle Tower.
- Remarkable Ruby: sold by Alarith in his store in Denerim’s Alienage or looted from the Ogre Alpha in Cadash Thaig.
- Remarkable Sapphire: purchased from Legnar in the Orzammar Commons.
- Remarkable Topaz: purchased from Faryn in the Frostback Mountain Pass.
Sten
The most stoic of the Dragon Age Origin companions, Sten’s Qunari upbringing makes him one of those characters whose gift list feels seemingly out of place. His preferences for art and paintings seem completely counterintuitive to his more straightforward and unyielding personality – yet strangely complementary. Sten’s Sword: a gift found during Sten’s personal quest is the only gift that bucks this irony in totality and becomes a usable two-handed sword for Sten to wield.
Additional gifts include the following:
- Painting of the Rebel Queen: purchased from a roaming merchant named Old Tegrin.
- Portrait of a Goosegirl: purchased from Faryn in the Frostback Mountain Pass.
- Silver-Framed Still Life: found in a chest on the upper floor of Redcliffe Castle.
- Totem: found in a chest in Caridin’s Cross in the Deep Roads.
- Water-Stained Portrait: found on a charred corpse in the Senior Mage Quarters in the Circle Tower.
Wynne
The party titular healer, Wynne has gift preferences that reflect her life of study as a mage raised and educated in a Circle Tower. Books and scrolls of varying subject matter, appeal to her most -while bottles of wine, sold by various merchants throughout the game, are her drink (and gift) of choice. Unlike other companions, such as Alistair and Morrigan, Wynne doesn’t have a plot-specific gift for her personal quest; so, there’s no importance to them other than getting her approval.
Wynne’s gift list includes:
- “Discovering Dragon’s Blood: Potions, Tinctures, and Spice Sauces”: found on a bookshelf in the Ruined Temple, during the Urn of Sacred Ashes
- Fancy Scroll: found in a sarcophagus in the Lower Ruins of the Brecilian Forest.
- “The Guerrins of Ferelden”: found on a bookshelf in Redcliffe Castle.
- “The Rose of Orlais”: found in a pile of books in the Senior Mage Quarters, in the Circle Tower.
- “The Search for the True Prophet”: found in a locked chest in the Shaperate in Orzammar.
Zevran
Dragon Age Origin’s stereotypical rogue assassin, and resident salacious companion, Zevran is one of those party members whose gift list has far more sentimental value than a player might expect. Currently thousands of miles from his homeland, Antiva, the easiest ways to turn Zevran’s head (both in friendship and in romance) is to find the plot-specific gifts: Antivan Leather Boots and Dalish Gloves. The former can be found in a chest in Haven Village, while the latter can be picked up from a chest in the abandoned campsite just behind the Old Oak in the western Brecilian Forest. Both gifts, when given, will turn into physical armor that Zevran can wear.
Other gifts for Zevran are as follows:
- Medium Gold Bar: found in the Arl of Denerim’s Estate -interior, in a treasure pile.
- Medium Silver Bar: found in a chest in the Anvil of The Void, in the Deep Roads.
- Small Gold Bar: looted from the Charmed Templar in the Great Hall of the Circle Tower.
- Small Silver Bar: found in the inscribed chest in Haven’s Chantry.
Loghain
The last available companion in the game, Loghain Mac Tir can only be recruited to the party if the player makes several, very specific choices during the culmination of the Landsmeet. Choosing to spare Loghain, rather than killing him for his betrayal, will incur two major changes to the game’s dynamic: Loghain will become a Grey Warden; joining the party; and Alistair will vehemently protest and abandon the party permanently.
Loghain’s gift list includes the following:
- Current Map of Ferelden: sold by Alarith in his store in Denerim’s Alienage.
- Ancient Map of the Imperium: purchased at The Wonders of Thedas shop, in Denerim’s Market District.
- Map of Occupied Ferelden: found in a locked chest, on the upper floors of Redcliffe Castle after the Landsmeet.
- Map of the Anderfels: found in an armoire in the Grey Warden Vault, in Denerim.
Extras
Aside from the gifts listed above, numerous additional gifts are available Dragon Age Origins, both found and purchased. Mostly jewelry, by design, these extra gifts can include a Gemmed Bracelet, Gold Earrings, Headband Shiny Gold Ring, a Silver Demon Head Ring, and so much more. Each will grant a +5 to approval ratings but suffers from diminishing returns the more you give them to the same companion. Duplicate copies of Morrigan’s Golden Mirror (2) and Golden Rope Necklace (3) can also be found throughout gameplay and purchased from Balin (in the Lothering tavern) and from Bohdan Feddic in the party’s camp.
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