Dragon Age: Inquisition – How to Soften Leliana

Bard, companion, spymaster, and Left Hand to the Divine, Leliana, has been a staple of the Dragon Age series since Origins. She first appeared as a companion and romance option for the Hero of Fereldan. In Dragon Age II, she made a cameo to warn Hawke and his companions of impending actions by the Divine in the city of Kirkwall during the Mage/Templar dispute. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Leliana joins Seeker Cassandra in forming the Inquisition and serving as an advisor to its operations. In the third game of the series, she can also serve as a successor to the Divine, depending on the player’s actions.

Leliana can be an intimidating force, and she often takes drastic action to achieve results. If she assumes the role and power of the Divine, players may notice she becomes a ruthless leader, often coercing change by force. What players may not know is that their actions and interactions with Leliana in Inquisition are directly responsible for her temperament when she becomes the Divine. There is a hidden mechanic in the game that measures players’ choices when interacting with Leliana, particularly during one-on-one cutscenes and her personal quest. If players make certain choices, they can inspire Leliana and “soften” her so she is less likely to use brute force when she comes to power. If they make the wrong choices, however, they may harden her resolve, contributing to her leadership style. If Leliana does become the new Divine in the player’s canon, this decision will likely impact events in Dragon Age 4.

How to Soften Leliana in Dragon Age: Inquisition

There are five dialogue decisions players must make to change Leliana’s personality and attitude from ruthless to gentle. These begin as early as the first time the player engages in dialogue with Leliana in Haven. In fact, the most important of these happens in Haven. If the player misses this one or makes the wrong choice, no matter what else happens, she will remain hardened.

Haven

• During the first conversation, the Herald has with Leliana while she is praying, choose My Sympathies on the second dialogue wheel.
• The second time the Herald speaks to Leliana and overhears the discussion with her scout about killing a traitor, choose Do you have to kill him? and convince her not to. This is the most important choice, and failing to do this will prevent any changes to Leliana’s personality.

Skyhold

• After In Your Heart Shall Burn, when the Inquisitor speaks to Leliana and sees Cullen give her the names of all the men lost at Haven, choose options that do not blame Leliana for what happened. In the third dialogue wheel specifically, choose Our men are not disposable.

Leliana’s Personal Quest: The Left Hand of the Divine

• When Leliana expresses that she wants to kill Sister Natalie, choose Let her go. If the player has chosen the three above options, Leliana will let her go; if not, she will ignore the Inquisitor and kill Sister Natalie anyway.
• When Leliana opens the box and finds it empty, choose any option in the first dialogue wheel and Stop torturing yourself in the second.

After The Left Hand of the Divine, when the Inquisitor speaks to Leliana, she will express that she feels like a changed person. If the player successfully softened her, she will commit to being more than what the Divine made her. If she is hardened, she will express the belief that ruthlessness gets the job done, and she is needed as the Divine made her. If the player successfully makes Leliana the next Divine, this personality change will likely have some effect on what happens in Dragon Age 4. This is a secret quest that’s easy to miss, so players should be sure to look for it.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

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