Gifts (Origins)

Gifts can be sold to merchants or given to certain companions to influence their approval ratings. The party members appreciate their gifts, more or less, depending on each gift's value and their personal motivations. There is a limited number of gifts in the game. Additionally, if the same gift is given to a character more than once, the approval bonus you get from each subsequent gift decreases to a minimum of +1 per gift, excluding plot-specific ones.

Gift Mechanics
The approval from gifts works as follows:


 * 1) Any gift at all gives a +5 approval bonus when given.
 * 2) The minimum you can get per gift is 1 point. Even specific gifts (excluding plot ones) eventually become just 1 point.
 * 3) Each gift given imposes an increasing penalty upon subsequent gifts. So the first gift would give +5, the second would generally give +4 etc.
 * 4) The bonus is halved when you are at negative approval.
 * 5) Once you have reached the highest possible approval rating with a companion (100; Dog's approval is always 100), you will no longer receive approval points for gifts.

Specific Gifts
These gifts give a +5 bonus approval when given to the proper character, with the exception of the plot-specific gifts. If a gift is specific to a certain character, attempts to give it to anyone else will be met with refusal.

Gifts for Alistair
Alistair has a preference for strange rune-stones and figural studies of arcane creatures.

Gifts for Dog
Dog has a preference for foods and bones. Dog will always have 100% approval of you, so you can boost your other companions' approval ratings with one of Dog's gifts. Shale generally responds better to Dog's gifts than the other companions.

Gifts for Leliana
Leliana has a preference for holy symbols of Andraste, as well as shoes.

Gifts for Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir
Loghain prefers maps to anything else.

Gifts for Morrigan
Morrigan has a preference for gifts of jewelry and is particular about her appearance.


 * If your lockpick skill is high enough, this item can be found in a chest between Ostagar and Lothering. I believe it is in the Tower, but I would have to confirm that.  However I know that you can get this item before you reach Orzammar for free.

Gifts for Oghren
Oghren loves any and all alcohol-specific gifts in the game.

Gifts for Shale
Shale is in search of nine “remarkable” gemstones.

Gifts for Wynne
Wynne loves books.

Gifts for Zevran
Zevran loves leather and likes metal bars.

Generic Gifts
 

These gifts give the base approval and are not specific to any one person.

Alcohol

 * Ale: A mug of watered-down ale.


 * Wine: A flask of red wine.

Jewelry

 * Shiny Gold Ring: A simple gold band, polished to a mirror-like shine.


 * Silver Bracelet: A heavy silver bracelet inscribed with Dwarven runes.

Lookup table
This table is not definitive, various factors affect how difficult a companion is to impress, but should be able to provide general direction.


 * Refuses = #


 * Indifferent (+1 - +2) = ≈


 * Likes (+3 - +5) = ☺


 * Loves (+5 and higher) = ♥