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. Also, with each additional gift given to the same character, the approval bonus you get from each subsequent gift decreases by 1 (to a minimum of +1) per gift, excluding plot-specific ones.

Gift Mechanics
The approval from gifts works as follows:


 * 1) The base approval for any gift is +5, with diminishing returns:
 * 2) * Each gift given imposes a penalty upon subsequent gifts.
 * 3) * The first gift grants +5, but the second only gives +4 down to a minimum of +1/gift after the first four.
 * 4) Favored gifts (see tables below) give +5 additional points, i.e. +10 base.
 * 5) * The subsequent gift penalty applies, down to a minimum of +6 per favored item.
 * 6) Bonuses are halved if you have negative approval.
 * 7) * The minimum approval is reduced to +0 for most gifts and +5 for favored ones.
 * 8) You cannot exceed 100 points of approval; after reaching the maximum, you will no longer receive approval points for gifts.
 * 9) If you work to increase your approval with a companion (through dialog or gifts), they can receive a small skill upgrade as they are inspired by your leadership
 * 10) * This skill upgrade is typically related to one of their primary abilities (e.g. Alistair gains constitution).
 * 11) * This skill upgrade increases as your approval increases as well (25% = +1, 50% = +2, 75% = +3, 90% = +4).
 * 12) * You can gain the bonus skills without using any gifts at all through appropriate conversation options (see the specific page for each companion).

Specific Gifts
These specific gifts give a base +10 bonus approval (with diminishing returns, as explained above) 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.

+ See below console game issue with Shale's gifts.

Gifts for Alistair
Alistair has a preference for strange rune-stones and figural studies of arcane creatures. Duncan's Shield will turn into a real item and Alistair will automatically equip it. Therefore if you have Alistair using a two handed sword, you'll have to go into his weapon set and give him a sword or remove the shield and re-equip the two handed weapon.

Gifts for Dog
Dog has a preference for foods and bones, but his approval rating will always be 100% so you can boost one of your other companions' ratings with gifts originally meant for Dog. If you talk to the dog after giving him one of those gifts, he will usually find a good item.

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

Gifts for Morrigan
Morrigan has a preference for gifts of jewelry and those items relating to her own appearance.

Gifts for Oghren
Oghren has a preference for alcoholic beverages.

Gifts for Shale
Shale has a preference for the nine “remarkable” gemstones that can be found in Ferelden. '' Note: An issue exists with the console version of this game in that giving Shale Remarkable Gems, grants only +5 as a maximum and therefore goes down to +1 after she has received 4 of the Remarkable Gems. See Discussion page on Shale's page for more information.''

Gifts for Sten
Sten has a preference for paintings. Sten will not automatically equip Asala. If you want him to use this sword, you will have to equip it on him yourself.

Gifts for Wynne
Wynne has a preference for books and scrolls.

Gifts for Zevran
Zevran has a preference for leather items and bars of precious metals. He is also one of only two characters to automatically make use of the gifts you give him. Once you give him the Dalish Gloves and the Antivan Leather Boots, he will equip them, which might ruin any armour set bonuses he was receiving.

Gifts for the Secret Companion
The secret companion (spoiler alert) has a preference for maps of Thedas.

Generic Gifts
These gifts always give a base +5 approval (with diminishing returns) and are not specific to any one person.

Gifts Found By Dog

 * Dirty Pair of Pantaloons
 * Found Cake
 * Garbolg's Backcountry Reserve
 * Tangled Ball of Yarn

Duplicates of plot gifts
It is possible to get two of the Golden Mirrors and three Golden Rope Necklaces for Morrigan, as well as three Andraste's Graces for Leliana. Morrigan will give you the same conversational response the second time you give it to her as the first and you will get the same amount of approval points, while Leliana treats subsequent gifts as +5 gifts without the cinematic conversation.

Lookup table
There are two types of gifts: regular and favored gifts. Regular gifts have a base approval bonus of +5; favored gifts have a base approval bonus of +10 for certain NPCs. (See above for further details.)

Legend:

Prefer shows the companion who will value the gift the most.
 * = Refuses   = Accepts (base: +5)    = Prefers (base: +10)    = Plot Gift (Triggers conversation)