Morality



Morality is measured in Mass Effect by Paragon points and Renegade points. Unlike many games, such as Bioware's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, that represent morality as a sliding scale of good/evil, Mass Effect keeps track of the Paragon and Renegade points on separate scales. A good action will not make up for an evil one, therefore being nice occasionally will not stop people from fearing a killer or remove the reputation of an unsympathetic heel-nor will the occasional brutal action damage the reputation of an otherwise upstanding soldier. This also means there is no gameplay-driven motivation for avoiding a particular type of point.

It is also notable that Charm and Intimidate points unlocked through story actions will carry over to additional playthroughs, making it technically possible, though difficult and requiring at least three playthroughs, to max out these skills without spending a single skill point. Each playthrough can gain four points of each at maximum; one of each for becoming a Spectre and three from the "free points" at 5%, 25%, and 75% of each alignment.

Paragon points
Paragon points are gained for compassionate and heroic actions. The Paragon measurement is colored blue. Points are often gained when asking about feelings and motivations of characters. The Paragon scale affects Charm and more as defined below:
 * 5% - Opens 2 Charm ranks, gives 1 free Charm point.
 * 25% - Opens 2 Charm ranks, gives 1 Charm point, 10% First Aid cooldown.
 * 50% - 10% Bonus health.
 * 75% - Achievement, opens 2 Charm ranks, gives 1 free Charm point and 5% reduction in cooldown on all powers.

Oftentimes, Charm decisions in dialog trees lead to people being more open and friendly with you, and can sometimes avert entire battles that would otherwise be triggered.

After reaching 75% Paragon points, Admiral Hackett will give you the UNC: Besieged Base assignment.

Renegade points
Renegade points are gained for apathetic and ruthless actions. The Renegade measurement is colored red. Many sarcastic and joking remarks are assigned Renegade points. The Renegade scale affects Intimidate and more as defined below:
 * 5% - Opens 2 Intimidate ranks, gives 1 Intimidate point.
 * 25% - Opens 2 Intimidate ranks, gives 1 Intimidate point, 10% reduction in weapon powers cooldown.
 * 50% - 1 health regeneration per second.
 * 75% - Achievement, opens 2 Intimidate ranks, gives 1 Intimidate point, 5% increase in damage/duration on all weapons and powers

Generally, Intimidate decisions lead to people disliking and even fearing you, and occasionally "encourage" people to tell or give you more than they otherwise would. Like with Charm, you can sometimes avert entire battles that would otherwise be triggered.

After reaching 75% Renegade points, Admiral Hackett will give you the UNC: The Negotiation assignment.

Spectre points

 * You receive 1 Charm and 1 Intimidate point upon becoming a Spectre.

Endings
Depending on your level of Paragon or Renegade, you will have a hue of blue (for max Paragon) or red (for max Renegade) during the final showcase of your Shepard. If both are full, it is possible to have half and half, but more likely to see a hint of purple.

Infinite Points
It is possible to max out Paragon and Renegade points while on Noveria. You are given a sidequest leading you to speak to Lorik Qui'in, a turian, at the bar. Depending on how you progress through the quest you can encourage him to testify in a court case. You can choose from either a Paragon or Renegade dialogue option if you have at least 5 points in charm and/or intimidate. Choosing either of these options will give you a reward of 25 Paragon or Renegade points respectively. The conversation will end but you can talk to him again. Ask about a different topic (i.e. Matriarch Benezia), then choose "Another question". The option to convince him to testify will reappear. Repeat this for infinite Paragon and/or Renegade points. This is great for extra power with less hassle if you feel you've role-played enough, or if you are playing on a higher difficulty setting and don't want to spend too many skill points on charm or intimidate, but still want some options and the relevant bonuses.

It is also possible to get an infinite amount of Paragon points during the UNC: Lost Module quest. When you finally find the space monkey with the lost data pad 'search' him to retrieve the data pad and get 6 Paragon points then 'search' the monkey again and again, as many times as you want for 6 Paragon points each time.