Each companion will have a total of five abilities, though players will only be able to equip them with three during combat.

From character creation and multilayered progression mechanics to a full-fledged gear system and more, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is making lofty promises with how much control players will have over how they shape their Rook, the action RPG’s protagonist, but how much of that will apply to party members? In an article published by Game Informer, new details have been revealed on that front.

Building stronger relationships with companion characters will be a key component of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which is unsurprising for a BioWare RPG, with player choices defining how Rook’s dynamic will change with each of his allies. That will be represented through Relationship Levels, which each character will have with Rook. Relationship Levels will be affected by each companion’s personal quests, their problems, and more, and will also determine how a character interacts with Rook.

“Relationships are key, not only romance but friendships,” says game director Corinne Busche. “We wanted to lean into not just the relationships the characters have with you but the relationships they have with each other. It’s a found family, and at the end of the day, they need to trust they all have each other’s back.”

And of course, strengthening Rook’s relationships with their companions will have not just narrative results, but also mechanical ones.

Every time a character’s Relationship Level goes up, they will receive a skill points, which you’ll be able to use in skill trees that won’t be as vast and complex as Rook’s trees, but will still allow you to invest in different customization options. Companions will additionally also have access to a total of five abilities each, but each character will only be able to equip three of them at a time.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will launch this fall for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.