Dragon Age: Origins Attributes

Attributes help determine your character’s combat and mental capabilities. There are six primary 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 or 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.

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 talents and special attacks rely on subtlety or reading the target, not raw strength.

Constitution

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