Expeditions Rome Romance Guide: Every Character You Can Romance

Like any other fleshed-out role-playing game experience, Expeditions: Rome has romancing for its companion characters, which can lead to you forming closer relationships with them. Expeditions: Rome romancing works rather simply, as you try to make the companions keep a favourable disposition to you and select romance dialogue options when given the chance. There are quite a few companions in the game though, and not all of them can be romanced easily. So here's our breakdown of Expeditions: Rome romancing, and how you go about making companions fall for you. 

• We also have a rundown of the best Expeditions: Rome skills so you know which to invest your points in.

Expeditions Rome Romancing

The general key to Expeditions: Rome romancing is to keep characters on your side and make sure they have a high opinion of you. This is done by making choices that match their personality traits, and from there you can begin to romance them.

Romance dialogue options are indicated by a golden heart, so always looks for that symbol and select these dialogue options. Companions also display sexual preferences: Julia can only be romanced by male characters, Bestia by female characters, and both Caeso and Deianeira by either gender. The other two NPCs that can be romanced seem to be the same, as Cleopatra can only be romanced by male characters, and Cato by female characters. 

• Don't forget to check our Expeditions: Rome tips too to get yourself started with the game.

Expeditions Rome Romancing: Julia Calida

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The first companion which you will likely be able to romance is Julia Calida. Upon first meeting Julia, she is disguised as a male soldier called Julius Calidus, and doesn't reveal her secret identity until you progress the story forward.

Before you can actually select any romance dialogue options with Calida, you need to earn her favour and make her like your character. A simple way is by making choices that align with her personality traits, which are: Generous, Cunning, and Arrogant. There are also some specific moments where you can earn her favour, with the first being when she reveals her identity.

You are forced by the character Lucullus to keep her in your party, but you can do so with open arms or by openly disapproving of the choice. Choosing the former option will give a huge boost toward her opinion of you and set the foundations for romancing later. Another important thing to do is to speak to her back in the camp after she reveals her identity. As the story progresses periodically check back to talk to her and open new dialogue options to learn more about her. 

The first chances for romancing Julia is in the Divide and Conquer quest, during an optional section where you can sneak into Mithridates' Warcamp with her. As you arrive at the camp and talk to Julia, you have an option to flirt with her by selecting a romance dialogue option. From there the next option doesn't appear until you have conquered Asia Minor and are back in Rome, where you have the chance to ask her to come live with you. She should turn down your advances, but don't worry, it's all part of the plan.

Continue progressing the game until you start Act II and go through the five-year time skip. Head to the Roman market to meet your sister, and Calida will handily help you out by distracting an antagonistic senator. Head over to talk to her afterwards, and you'll have the option for another romance dialogue where you tell her how much you've missed her. If you've performed all the romancing steps correctly so far, then during your travels around the African map, a random event should occur where you can go on a hunt with Calida.

There are no specific romance options, but you have the chance to express your interest and talk about a relationship together. Let her shoot the gazelles and then offer to carry the corpse back to camp, and then continue through the dialogue options. Eventually, back at the camp, she will come to your tent, and you can choose to seal the deal, and complete the romance.

After this she'll appear back in your tent at the outpost to speak to, and it unlocks a new trophy for you.

To summarise the Expeditions: Rome romancing process for Calida:

• Make choices that align with the Generous, Cunning, and Arrogant traits, and openly except her real identity when she reveals it.
• Flirt with her in Mithridate's Warcamp, which is the first time you can select a romance option.
• Select the second and third romance options in Rome, which are before entering the city, and after the five-year timeskip.
• Lastly, wait for the random event to occur in Africa where you two go on a hunt, and let her come into your tent during the last part of the event.

Expeditions Rome Romancing: Deianeira

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The second companion that characters will have the chance to romance is a former gladiator called Deianeira. You will first encounter her during the Morituri Te Salutant quest, where you need to travel to a gladiator school to deal with a traitor to Rome. As the quest progresses, and you cause an uprising of the gladiators, she will fight for you, and at the end of the quest you have a few options. 

Firstly, you have to choose what to do with the traitor Damianos. Deianeira suggests enslaving him which will earn favour with her, and then you have the choice of accepting her into your party or parting ways. Obviously, this means she is an optional character, but you need her in the party to begin romancing.

If you accept her into your party, back at camp you will have the option to talk to her and learn more. She is still mostly standoffish at this point, but you can select the first romance choice by asking about her sister, which gives you the chance to be empathetic and tell her you're always around to talk. 

Once you've finished in Asia Minor and make your way back to Rome, if you speak to Deianeira she will ask to live with you. Letting her will open more options later.

Expeditions Rome Romancing: Caeso

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One of your most loyal soldiers and friends, Caeso, can also be romanced, but you need to wait until after the Morituri Te Salutant quest. Back at the camp you can talk to Caeso about Deianeira, and the first romance option appears when you can flirt with him.

Once you're back in Rome, you have the chance to meet him in the market to drink and celebrate the victory in Asia Minor. Once here, begin the conversation, and you can select a romance option that tells him you've been "looking forward to getting some alone time" together. 

After the five-year time skip, the second chance to romance Caeso appears, when all the companions meet back in your villa. Upon talking to Caeso again, you can tell him you're glad he is with you and that he makes you feel safe.

• We also have a list of the Expeditions: Rome unique equipment so you don't miss any during your playthrough

Expeditions Rome Romancing: Cleopatra

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Cleopatra is a character you can romance who isn't actually a companion. You'll initially meet her during a mission to save her from a caravan holding her captive in the desert. Upon bringing her back to the manor of Lucullus, you can speak to her and begin romancing.

The first option comes when she says she will give you a reward for saving her, and you can essentially ask to bed her instead of the armour you receive. After this initial conversation, speak to her again and select the dialogue options about her being a god, until you get the chance to call her divine.

From there it was a long wait to find the next romance option with Cleopatra, but obviously you need to let her live near the end of act two. Once back in Rome, she will sneak into your villa inside a carpet, and it took some very specific options to work - but you can complete the romance. There are many, so we'll just list the numbers which correspond to the dialogue options.

Select option one, one, two, three, two, one, two, one, two, one, and then you will be able to select a romance option which will finish the romance with Cleopatra, and give you an achievement.

To summarise the Expeditions: Rome romancing process for Cleopatra:

• Select the first option when you first speak to Cleopatra back in Lucullus' villa, after she offers you a reward.
• Speak to her again afterwards and select the dialogue tree about her being a goddess, then you can choose the second romance option.
• Lastly, let her live and when she visits your villa, select the dialoge options: one, one, two, three, two, one, two, one, two, one, and then the final romance option to get the achievement.

That's our current guide to Expeditions: Rome romancing. Don't forget to check back as we add the other characters which can be romanced.

Need info on the Expeditions: Rome classes? We've got what you need to know.