What is the different beginnings if you choose different characters?

[Fury]

I have started as a Human Female Noble and would just like to know how much of a difference (without spoilers) to the story it makes if you change character. Like does it change very little or lots?

[Amarae Morti]

Male of female doesn't change the overall story. Gender does impact the character's personal story in the larger plot. If you're just wanting to start a new Human Female Noble, it won't change anything.

A race change would be a completely different Origin story.

[Fury]

Originally posted by Amarae Morti:

Male of female doesn't change the overall story. Gender does impact the character's personal story in the larger plot. If you're just wanting to start a new Human Female Noble, it won't change anything.

A race change would be a completely different Origin story.

So this game has 3 different stories? Well that is going to take 100's of hours to complete lol.

[MercAngel]

6 stories: Human Noble, City Elf, Dalish Elf, Circle Mage, Dwarf Commoner, Dwarf Noble each one has a different origin story

[Yograin]

The game only has one main story after the 6 various openings you will always go to Ostagar - Kolkari Wilds etc.

Dialogue varies based on your race and class in a way that you have an extra line or extra possible answer from time to time. Romance varies based on your sex. The epilogue is bit different for each opening.

[Fury]

Originally posted by Yograin:

The game only has one main story after the 6 various openings you will always go to Ostagar - Kolkari Wilds etc.

Dialogue varies based on your race and class in a way that you have an extra line or extra possible answer from time to time. Romance varies based on your sex. The epilogue is bit different for each opening.

Thanks so after one playthrough just change race 5 times and play the opening 30 minutes.

[Amycus]

Originally posted by spat55:

Originally posted by Yograin:

The game only has one main story after the 6 various openings you will always go to Ostagar - Kolkari Wilds etc.

Dialogue varies based on your race and class in a way that you have an extra line or extra possible answer from time to time. Romance varies based on your sex. The epilogue is bit different for each opening.

Thanks so after one playthrough just change race 5 times and play the opening 30 minutes.

Well, not quite right. Some sequences in the main storyline might be altered depending on your origin story. For example, returning to your original home as a city elf that you left right before you were to marry, with your current love interest...

It also affects one of the possible endings you can get.

On a side note, make sure to play the city elf origin as both male and female. They differ quite a bit.

[SwobyJ]

The main plot is just the main plot. Your class (Warrior, Rogue, especially Mage) may affect some things, but doesn't change a lot. Your race (Human, Elf, Dwarf) may affect some things (especially lines in conversation), but doesn't change a lot.

But true to its name, these things affect your 'origin'. The origin is the first area of the game before you go to Ostagar.

-Human (Warrior/Rogue) Noble --> Denerim
-Dalish (Warrior/Rogue) Elf --> Brecilian Forest
-City (Warrior/Rogue) Elf --> Denerim
-(Human/Elf) Mage --> Circle Tower
-Dwarf (Warrior/Rogue) Commoner --> Orzammar
-Dwarf (Warrior/Rogue) Noble --> Orzammar

(Note that Dwarves cannot be Mages)

There were going to be a couple more human origins (commoner, tribal) but they were cut.

It then goes:
-Ostagar
-Lothering
-A choice of order of these locations --> Circle Tower, Brecilian Forest, Denerim, Orzammar, Haven, Redcliffe. Obviously your character origin will have ties to certain locations
-A series of quests called the Landsmeet
-The ending

So your origin is the most outright varied part of the game.

[gnewna]

The Human Noble beginning is in Highever, I think? Definitely not Denerim, the Arl of Denerim's son is present in the City Elf beginning, and he's definitely not the Human Noble/their brother...

(Also, in case it's not clear, both Dwarf beginnings are in Orzammar, but they're pretty different.)

It seems like all the origin stories pretty much happen in every playthrough, but only the one you play as makes it to Ostagar (as Duncan can't be in multiple places at once, although I've read some interesting fics where he does pick up more than one recruit.)

As has been said above, certain parts of the later story will be a bit different if you're a (insert origin) returning to (place or people of origin) vs a (any other origin) visiting that location as a stranger, e.g. you get treated differently in Orzammar (by some, anyway) if you're a dwarf vs a human or an elf. Some may also meet characters from their origin story again, though I don't think all do (? Haven't played through every possible origin yet).

[SwobyJ]

You're right, gnewna.

[Moffin Bovin]

In every origin story there is a character that you will bump into again. Its worth doing the different origin storys.There is one example, that i wont describe to give away spoilers, where if you play as a human noble you will come across a certain character and to you at that time he is just another guy. But, after playing a different origin story when you (as in you the player, not you the character) see him you go ,"wait! its you! you ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!"

What im saying is, the different Origin storys dont have much of an impact on the overall game, but they do add a bit of depth to certain character interactions (for you, the player) when you know a bit of the back story to who these characters are.

[SwobyJ]

Definitely. The Origins really flavor how you, as a person, interact with situations and characters.