Dragon Age II
Friendship
Varric likes to talk and likes Hawkes who do too. Solving problems and gaining advantage through diplomacy, outright lies, and even blackmail will impress him, while straightforward violence and thuggery leaves him cold. He also responds well to joking, flirting and sarcasm and to mild greed. Beneath his silver tongue, however, he's a goodhearted person and will appreciate Hawkes who look out for their families and are kind to dwarves.
Act 1
- A Business Discussion: At the final dialogue choice, a cautious approach (+5) or a charming response (+15)
- Act of Mercy: Tell Grace that you will convince the Templars the mages are all dead (+10)
- Act of Mercy: Upon returning to the Templars, defer the situation to Varric (+5)
- Bait and Switch: Accept the quest from Anso with the response, "Make it worth my time." (+5)
- The Deep Roads Expedition: Agree to find Sandal (+5)
- The Deep Roads Expedition: Agree to find the Wardens for Carver or Bethany (+5)
- An Errant Letter: Tell Ser Thrask you will keep his secret (+5)
- Finders Keepers: Attempt to trick the guards by the docks with the Star response, "Fire!" (+5)
- Note: This will only work if Merrill is not currently in your party as she will unintentionally blow the cover and receives the approval instead of Varric.
- Finders Keepers: Upon returning to Martin, refuse to tell him the location of his cargo and then choose the response, "I'll tell you for a price." (+5) Note: With patch 1.03 or later, you may no longer have the option of demanding for payment. Revealing the location will grant you the approval.
- The First Sacrifice: Choose the following dialogue options while speaking with Ghyslain (+5)
- Investigate
- "Don't you want her back?"
- "And you wonder why she's gone."
- Get Back to Work: Offer the workers a raise, and upon returning to Hubert choose a Witty response (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Athenril path) Give Pryce the goods and then lie to her about it results in (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Meeran path) When talking to Gustav, choose humorous response (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Meeran path) Spare Lord Harimann (+10) and then lie to Meeran about it (+5)
- Magistrate's Orders: Kill Kelder (+5)
- Questions and Answers: Choose one of the following dialogue options
- Shepherding Wolves: Reject the quest from Sister Petrice (you'll still get the quest) (+10)
- Shepherding Wolves: Upon returning to her at the end of the quest, choose the response, "I don't care, just pay me." (+5)
- Tranquility: Promise Lirene you won't harm Anders or "He sounds too good to be true." (+5)
- Tranquility: When conferring with the angry Ferelden refugees, use the diplomatic option "We're on the same side" available to a diplomatic Hawke (+5) (May not happen after the 1.04 patch).
- The Way It Should Be: Upon rescuing Guardsman Donnic, choose the Witty response, "A politician's scheme." (+5)
- Wayward Son: Let Varric deal with the Slaver leader (+5)
Act 2
- All That Remains: Meet Gamlen in Lowtown at night. Speak to the Urchin and pay for information (+5)
- Plans for the Future: Choose any response first and then choose the humorous response for (+10)
- An Update: Choose the Charming response, "Let's go get some drinks." and agree to find Bartrand (+25). Alternatively, "You can tell me anything." then agreeing to find Bartrand (+20) or refusing to find him (+5)
- Family Matter:
- Friendly Concern: If in romance with Anders/Isabela/Fenris/Merrill, all peaceful/humorous responses (+20)
- Prime Suspect: Accept the quest from Emeric along a Humorous line of conversation (+5)
- Prime Suspect: Choose the Sarcastic response, "This I have to hear." while speaking to Gascard DuPuis (+5)
- Repentance: While speaking with Allure, select "I would never betray my friends.", then choose either of the following dialogue options: "That's a good point." or "Don't listen to her..." for (+5)
- The Tethras Signet Ring: Give Varric the gift (on the Friendship path) (+15)
- To Catch a Thief: Agree to give Isabela the relic (+10)
- Demands of the Qun: Agree to the duel with the Arishok (+10)
Act 3
- Alone: Convince Fenris to allow Varania to live (+10)
Legacy DLC
- Legacy (quest) Allow Varric to handle Gerav (+5)
Rivalry
To earn rivalry with Varric, choose aggressive responses that glorify violence and combat, and show a lack of interest in his stories, his friendship, and your place in Kirkwall.
Act 1
- Act of Mercy: Tell Ser Thrask to go after the Mages himself (+10) Note: No longer works after Patch 1.03
- A Business Discussion: Choose the Aggressive response (+15)
- The Deep Roads Expedition: Refuse to find Sandal (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Athenril Path) Give Pryce the goods then tell Athenril the truth (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Meeran path) When talking to Gustav, choose aggressive response (+5)
- Loose Ends: (Meeran Path) Kill Lord Harimann (+10)
- Questions and Answers:
- Shepherding Wolves: Accept the quest from Sister Petrice (+5)
- Shepherding Wolves: Threaten to kill Sister Petrice upon returning (+5)
- Tranquility: Threaten Lirene for the information (+5)
- An Errant Letter: When giving Thrask the letter from his daughter, choose to bribe him for your silence (+5)
- Finders Keepers: Threaten Aden (+5)
- The Way It Should Be: Upon rescuing Guardsman Donnic, choose the Aggressive response (+5)
Act 2
- All That Remains: Meet Gamlen in Lowtown at night. Speak to the Urchin and intimidate him for information (+5)
- An Update: Express disinterest in pursuing Bartrand (you'll still get the quest) (+15)
- Family Matter:
- Friendly Concern: If in romance with Anders, all aggressive responses (+20)
- Plans for the Future: Choose the Aggressive response (indicating that Hawke might leave Kirkwall) (+10)
- Prime Suspect: Choose all Aggressive responses (you'll get quest anyway) (+5)
- The Tethras Signet Ring: Give Varric the gift (on the Rivalry path, patch 1.02 or later) (+15)
Act 3
- Alone: Hand Fenris over to Danarius (+10)
Legacy DLC
- Legacy (quest) Side with Larius (+5)
- Legacy (quest) Attack Gerav instead of deferring to Varric (+5)
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Varric's Disposition
The player can tell generally how Varric feels about the Inquisitor by engaging him in a "generic" conversation (i.e. a conversation where his greeting is not changed by any other factors such as a quest or cutscene).
- Hostile (-5 to -75):
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor with "Yes?"
- Neutral (-5 to 34):
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor with "Need something?"
- Warm (35 to 74)
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor in one of the following ways:
- "I've got a minute if you need something."
- "Looking for someone to talk your ear off? I think I can oblige."
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor in one of the following ways:
- Friendly (75 to 125):
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor in one of the following ways:
- "I can spare some time. What do you need?"
- "If you've got questions, I'm your dwarf."
- "Need something, or are you just here to admire the dwarf?"
- "Something you wanted to talk about?"
- "What can I do for you, your inquisitoralness?"
- Varric will greet the Inquisitor in one of the following ways:
Cutscenes
Are you alright?
Haven only, first attempt to speak to him...
- Most people would have spread that out over more than one day.
- "Bad for morale" would be an understatement. I still can't believe anyone was in there and lived.
- No approval changes
After In Hushed Whispers / Champions of the Just
Haven; his initial lines vary based on which quest was completed, but the rest is the same regardless
- Finding more of it really punches a hole in my "red lyrium at the temple was a coincidence" theory.
- No approval changes
- You just won a big victory for the Inquisition! What're you going to do to celebrate?
After the fight with Cassandra
Skyhold...
- Varric is visibly upset as he leans against a table; says nothing as Inquisitor approaches...
- I wasn't trying to keep secrets. I told the Inquisition everything that seemed important at the time.
Corypheus is back...
Available after moving to Skyhold
- First two sets of choices have no approval changes
- Maker's breath, what have I let loose?
I'm a business man
Skyhold, requires +35
- Varric is writing something...
- No approval changes
- I'm a business man. Never really followed a chosen one before.
- You just don't know what you are to the people out there. The Herald of Andraste is a symbol bigger than any of us.
- No approval changes
- You heard the crowd singing after Haven was attacked.
Crisis
Requires -30
- You leave a lot of innocent people ground into the dirt behind you.
- No approval changes
After Here Lies the Abyss
If Hawke survived and the Warden ally was left behind:
- He wasn't the first good man to fall to Corypheus. He won't be the last. This story's no good for heroes.
If Hawke was left behind and the Warden ally survived:
- Their weird, foreign foodstruff arrived... alive. And one of them, true to its name, wandered off in the middle of the night.
[Investigate.]
I have questions about Hawke.
- Remaining choices have no approval changes
I have a personal question.
- No approval changes
Tell me about red lyrium.
Begins Seeing Red
- No approval changes
- A couple more options are available in this branch after In Hushed Whispers or Champions of the Just, but neither have any approval changes.
Tell me about Corypheus.
Available after speaking to Hawke
- No approval changes
Let's discuss the Inquisition.
Requires +35
- He talks about a random advisor or party member; never any approval changes
Do you believe I'm the Herald?
Requires +75
- No approval changes
Operations
There are 8 possible War table operations from Varric:
- Hard in Hightown: Trouble in Skyhold Slightly Approves
- Others Approves
In the field
Killing a group of Red Templars with Varric in the party - Slightly Approves