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[dan tudge] As a Grey Warden, Duncan is charged with defeating the blight and must recruit the bravest warriors, mages, and rogues into the ranks of the Grey Wardens in order to defeat this blight. How you meet him and how he recruits you is actually different in each origin story.

Duncan introduces you to another young Grey Warden recruit named Alistair. Alistair is both charming and easygoing and never seems to be short of amusing commentary. I think players will enjoy having him in their parties.

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Loghain is a war hero and the leader of the armies of Fereldan. He’s a very complex character with deep convictions. How you choose to interact with him will be up to you, but I will say that you’ll have to make some pretty important decisions involving Loghain that could create a turning point in the story.

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Wynne is a spirit healer from the Circle of Magi, focusing her magic on the ability to briefly summon protective and restorative spirits from the Fade. She has served the Circle for most of her life and is highly regarded within the circle. Players willing to get to know Wynne may eventually discover that Wynne is no ordinary mage.

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Sten is a warrior of the Qunari race and has been trained as a soldier since birth (the Qunari are always at war). He’s a very stoic and disciplined man with a strong code of honor, so how he treats others depends on whether or not they have his respect, which he doesn’t give easily.

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Morrigan can indeed be a powerful ally, and I think players will find her shape-shifting abilities a powerful asset in combat. She’s power-hungry and selfish, so having her in your party with other members who have more-benevolent agendas and moral codes can result in some "tense" party dynamics. You don’t have to have Morrigan in your party, but she does add an awesome dynamic to the player and party relationships.

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Morrigan’s relationship with her mother, Flemeth, isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows. In fact, Flemeth raised Morrigan to hold the rest of mankind in contempt, hating them for their weaknesses, and taught her to value power above all else. Both women are incredibly strong-willed and are practically more aptly described as rivals rather than family. They each have such a lust for power that you may be shocked at the lengths they’ll go to in order to acquire it.

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The Mabari hounds imprint themselves onto one master and are known to be fiercely loyal to that person. They are also absolutely vicious in combat. If you do manage to get such a dog to join your party, you will find them to be extremely intelligent creatures who you can command to overwhelm the enemy, knocking them to the ground, pinning them down, and horribly mauling them.

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there are party members unique to your origin. Each origin story has its own cast of unique characters who may or may not show up later on in the story. In any case, every character will react differently to you depending on any number of factors, including your race, gender, origin story, party approval rating, and other choices you’ve made along the way.

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I will tell you that you’ll have a great selection of them to choose from. Each one will have their own unique abilities, behaviors, and personal agendas, so it’s completely up to you how you want to compose your party. You can pick them strategically, depending on the scenario you’re preparing for, but sometimes it’s just fun to mix characters just to see how they interact with each other.

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Genlocks and Hurlocks are some common types of darkspawn. Genlocks are the most numerous of the darkspawn and have short, stocky bodies. These guys are pretty tough and difficult to kill, especially since they have some resistance to elemental magic. Genlocks are good defenders, using fortification strategies, siege weapons, and traps whenever possible. Hurlocks are taller and more muscular, forming the strongest part of the darkspawn armies. They excel at two-handed weapons, especially the "alpha" Hurlocks that lead the charge.

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Party interaction is one of the best parts of Dragon Age: Origins, much like it was in Baldur’s Gate. The party approval system is something new we’re introducing in Dragon Age: Origins, and it influences how your party members react to your decisions and behave towards you. Each character has their own personal motivations and moral code, so if you do things they don’t like, they could leave your party, or even turn on you. On the other hand, if you gain favor with them, you could get special bonuses or certain other perks, which you’ll discover.

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