Attributes (Origins)

Attributes are part of a character's vital statistics, describing her or his physical and mental capabilities. They are represented by numeric values, and can directly affect or limit the usage of skills, talents, and other activities, such as weapon usage. Unlike other common RPG systems, attributes in Dragon Age: Origins include neither the character's intelligence nor attractiveness.

Each character in the world of Dragon Age: Origins begins the game with a base score of 10 in each attribute, plus bonuses from race and class. Attributes increase moderately on level-up (based on class) and the player gets 5 points to distribute at character creation and 3 more at each level-up. They do not suffer from diminishing returns.

Each character has six attributes:

Strength
Strength measures a character's physical prowess, and directly affects the damage a character deals in physical combat. It also contributes to the accuracy of melee attacks. High strength is essential for warriors, in particular if they wish to wield two-handed weapons, and is nearly as critical for rogues.

Dexterity
Dexterity is the measure of agility, reflexes, and balance. Higher dexterity improves a character's chances to hit, makes the character more likely to dodge incoming blows, and contributes to the damage dealt by piercing weapons like daggers and arrows. Archery and dual-weapon fighting styles demand high dexterity to master, making this attribute a favorite for rogues.

Willpower
Willpower represents a character's determination and mental fortitude. With high willpower, mages can cast more spells thanks to a deeper mana pool. For warriors and rogues, willpower grants more stamina for combat techniques and special attacks.

(Each point of willpower above the base score of 10 adds +5 to mana or stamina. Mental Resistance is probably based on this attribute.)

Magic
Magic is the measure of a character's natural affinity for the arcane. This attribute is crucial for mages, since it directly increases a character's spellpower score, which determines the potency of all spells. The magic attribute also determines how effective potions, poultices, and salves are for all classes.

Cunning
Cunning determines how well a character learns and reasons. Most skills, such as Herbalism or Combat Tactics, require a quick mind to master--and an observant eye can more easily find weaknesses in enemy armor. Rogues benefit most from this statistic, as many of their class abilities and special attacks rely on subtlety or reading the target, not raw strength.

Constitution
Consitution represents health and resilience. Higher constitution directly increases the amount of damage a character can take before falling on the battlefield.

Starting attributes
These values are calculated with the information given on race and class based bonuses.