Alistair

Alistair is a playful and compassionate Grey Warden, who can be a companion to The Warden in Dragon Age: Origins. He is a romance option for the female PC (player character).

Alistair is voiced by Steve Valentine.

Background
Alistair was a novice templar when Duncan recruited him into the Grey Wardens. His mother was a serving girl who died giving birth to Alistair, leaving an orphan daughter. He was raised by Arl Eamon Guerrein, Arl of Redcliffe. The arl's wife, Arlessa Isolde suspected the reason her husband took an interest in the welfare of a servant's child was that Alistair was Eamon's son. She insisted the boy be sent away to the Chantry. Isolde's suspicions were unfounded, however. She insisted not because she believed the rumors that Alistair was the arl's son, but because such rumors existed and she felt demened by such assumptions. Alistair was not Eamon's son, but King Maric's. Maric sheltered the boy to hide his existence from Queen Rowan, Maric's wife, despite his feeling of glory, by advice of his friend Loghain Mac Tir. His father was the last King of Ferelden making him the true heir to the throne before his half-brother King Calian.

He was trained to become a templar for many years in the Chantry, this being how he learned most of his skills. He was to become a mage-hunter, but was recruited by Duncan into the Grey Wardens before he took the sacramental vows. The Grand Cleric did not wish to let him go, but could not supercede the Right of Conscription.

Involvement
Alistair is your first party companion after you meet him at Ostagar to begin the joining ritual. He is a good source of comic relief on your journey and seems to be the most innocent member of your group. Despite potentially having characters with far more confusing or uncertain objectives in your group you eventually learn that Alistair, like many of your companions has also had a tough start to life. He considers Duncan and Arl Eamon to be two of the only people he can trust and he considers them family. At the Landsmeet in Denerim, it is up to you who will become the next ruler. If you have ample Coercion skills and are of Human nobility you can choose for you and Alistair to rule as King and Queen. If you have enough Coercion, you may also persuade Alistair and Anora to wed.

Romance
If you have high approval with Alistair and a bit of romance, but also high approval and a little flirt talk with Zevran, Alistair will force you to make a choice between the two of them.

Alistair is only romantically interested in women. To start a romance with him, talk to him about his past as a Templar. Compliment him; tell him you like him, essentially anything but openly mocking him will put you in his good graces. If propositioned before an appropriate approval rating he may turn you down due to his own inexperience. If continued approval built, he will eventually join you in your tent. He likes to feel wanted and needed, and will even respond to a little bit of bossiness. However, he doesn't like being mocked, especially about intimacy.

When Alistair becomes interested in the PC, he will offer a gift of a rose. You may choose to accept it or not.

Quests Given
Alistair's Family

Initial Statistics
Class: Warrior

Specialization: Templar

Starting Talents:

Templar: Righteous Strike

Warrior: Powerful

Weapon and Shield: Shield Bash, Shield Pummel, Shield Block, Shield Cover

Strategy
Alistair is a very solid choice as a "tank" (i.e. the character that captures the attention of enemies and take most of the damage) in the event that the player is not already playing a tanking role. Spend the early talent points on the Warrior school (threaten and taunt) and Weapons and Shield will make Alistair the exclusive tank in the party. In melee Shield Tactics is crucial to avoid flanking damage while Overpower and Assault should be staple offensive talents for Alistair.

If Alistair is your tank he will charge smaller enemy groups, unless you have an ambush staged. So make sure to give him few moments so he can build up threat and make sure that the most dangerous target keeps it's attention on Alistair so that target doesn’t go in search of someone else in the party. Focus on the defense rather than offense for Alistair because his role is to hold the enemies and suck up damage while the party's damage-oriented members attack the enemies. Equip Alistair with the best massive armor available. He should wear better armor than the main character, because armor rating is a factor that keeps the enemies attention. By wearing the heaviest armor among the party members he will make sure to draw the enemies to him. He should wield a good one-handed weapon to inflict high damage and further increase threat against his targets. In his secondary weapon slot, give Alistair a bow or crossbow for long-range combat.

On the other hand if the main character is already a tank, then it is recommended that you alter Alistair's talent choices out of Weapons and Shield and into Two-Handed or Dual Weapon.

Plot Skills and Plot Talent
As you befriend Alistair and gain his approval he will gain additional skills, including the following:

Quotes

 * "You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
 * "Well! He's not half as dead as he looks, is he?"
 * "Here I thought we were getting along so well! I was even going to name one of my children after you - the grumpy one!"
 * "You smell great; is that death you're wearing? It really suits you."
 * (About the statue of Andraste in Lothering) "You ever wonder if that's an accurate likeness of Andraste? Maybe she was ugly. Maybe she had buck teeth. How do you know?"
 * "Ah, kind of like coming home again. Only with more undead."
 * "You ever wonder why the mages built their tower out in the middle of Lake Calenhad? They have an aversion to practicality or something?"
 * "Remind me never to get injured near you" (after snapping the neck of the injured scout you meet in the wilds)
 * "The waiting around part is awesome!"
 * "Andraste's flaming sword, I know where babies come from!"
 * "Warden senses, tingling!"

Dialogue
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 * Player: "What did you want to talk about, Alistair?"
 * Morrigan: "His navel, I suspect. He certainly has been contemplating it for long enough."
 * Alistair: "Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover how you've never had a friend your entire life."
 * Morrigan: "I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."
 * Morrigan: "You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you!"
 * Alistair: [Thoughtfully] "Yes... swooping is- bad."
 * Alistair: "He-eey, I like cheese!"
 * Morrigan: "You would."
 * Alistair: "Why do you always go on about how stupid I am? I'm not stupid, am I?"
 * Morrigan: "If you need to ask the question..."
 * Alistair: "Because it hurts my manly feelings you know. All one of them."
 * Morrigan: "Then I'll be sure to write you an apology once all of this is over."
 * Alistair: "I was educated by the Chantry. I studied history. They don't make stupid templars."
 * Morrigan: "Then I must have been mistaken. I'm very impressed."
 * Alistair: "No you're not. You're not even listening to me."
 * Morrigan: "My, you are smarter than you look after all. Your Chantry must have been very proud!"
 * Alistair: "I get it, I get it. Just so you know, if the King ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."
 * Player: "I'd like to see that."
 * Alistair: "For you, maybe. But it has to be a very pretty dress."
 * Duncan: &lt;Sighs&gt;
 * Alistair: "I'll just pretend you still think I'm some... nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."
 * Player: "And what does that make me?"
 * Alistair: "Some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. Welcome to the club."
 * Alistair: "Soldier's Peak. Looks like it's seen better days. Better centuries more like."
 * Morrigan: "Once the Wardens flourished, their ranks full, their calibre certain. Now they even accept people like you, Alistair."
 * Alistair: "Hey!"
 * Shale: It has become very close with the other Grey Warden
 * Alistair: Uh...yes, I suppose I have at that.
 * Shale: I find this difficult to comprehend.It is whiny and weak and constantly laughing.
 * Alistair: Then I guess a romance between you and I is completely out of the question?
 * Shale: And the attempts at humor. I cannot understand how it is endured.
 * Alistair: Well maybe you should ask her why she likes me so much instead of bothering me with it.
 * Shale: It has a loud mouth. Why its head has not been crushed already is hard to imagine.
 * Alistair: Or maybe you just happen to figure she likes me a lot more than she likes you.
 * Shale: Don't be foolish.
 * Alistair: Yes, I thought so. Just watch your step or I'm totally telling.
 * Shale: I'm going to stand over here now.
 * Alistair: Why are you smiling like that? You look suspiciously like the cat who swallowed the pigeon.
 * Wynne: Canary.
 * Alistair: What?
 * Wynne: I look like the cat that swallowed the canary.
 * Alistair: I once had a very large cat, but that's not my point. My point is why are you smirking?
 * Wynne: &lt;chuckles&gt; You were watching her. With great interest, I might add. In fact, I believe you were...enraptured.
 * Alistair: She's our leader. I look to her for guidance.
 * Wynne: Oh, I see. So what guidance did you find in those swaying hips hmm?
 * Alistair: No no no, I wasn't looking at...you know her...hind-quarters
 * Wynne: Certainly.
 * Alistair: I gazed...glanced, in that direction, maybe, but I wasn't staring...or really seeing anything even.
 * Wynne: Of course.
 * Alistair: I hate you. You're a bad person.

Trivia

 * When asked to compare a set list of NPC companions to food, BioWare employee Cori May said that Alistair was most comparable to "strawberries and cream, sweet and wholesome and delicious, and a little goofy." While writer Sheryl Chee says "Alistair is an apricot. Cute, sweet and just a little fuzzy."
 * Writer Sheryl Chee has said that when going out for a drink Alistair would "have half a pint and giggle uncontrollably for the rest of the night."
 * In writing Alistair, David Gaider was inspired by Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Malcom Reynolds from Firefly.
 * Alistair is David Gaider's favorite NPC.