Across the entire Mass Effect trilogy, players will have the opportunity to select a class for their Commander Shepard from the six available options. Each class allows Shepard to be a specialist in Biotics, Combat, Tech, or some combination of two of these. Players can choose from Adept, Soldier, or Engineer if they want to be a pure Biotic, Combat, or Tech specialist, respectively. Otherwise, they can choose Vanguard for Biotics and Combat, Sentinel for Tech and Biotics, and Infiltrator for Tech and Combat. Each of these classes comes with a possible specialization in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, and all of them include a set of powers to choose from when players build their Commander.
Sometimes, though, there will be an especially useful power from a companion or class that players want access to for Shepard. In Mass Effect 3, players can obtain a Bonus Power based on one of their squates' abilities. Each squate has two powers they will share, and Shepard may learn and use only one at a time for a small fee. To unlock these Bonus Powers, players will need to make sure to speak with all their squates regularly and visit the Med Bay. Players can swap out Bonus Powers until they have tried all the options and found one that works best for their play style, provided they have enough Galactic Credits. Here's how to unlock Bonus Powers in Mass Effect 3.
Learn Bonus Powers from Squates in Mass Effect 3
Unlike Mass Effect 2, where players needed to complete a squate's loyalty mission to unlock their bonus power, in Mass Effect 3, all Bonus Powers are learned from conversations with squates. Players can learn one early in the game from a conversation with that character either aboard the Normandy or while on shore leave in various DLC for Mass Effect 3.
Speaking to squates after every mission is generally a good practice for lore purposes, and it can help players pick up a new power in Biotics, Tech, or Combat regardless of their particular class. Players can unlock the following powers by talking to their squates after these missions:
Combat
- Inferno Grenade: Talk to and recruit Ashley on the Citadel after Priority: The Citadel II
- Marksman: Talk to Ashley in Starboard Observation aboard the Normandy after Priority: The Citadel II and visit the Memorial Wall with her.
- Proximity Mine: Talk to Garrus after Priority: Thessia
- Fortification: Talk to James in the Shuttle Bay aboard the Normandy after Priority: Mars and spar with him.
- Carnage: Talk to James in Shepard's Cabin after Priority: Tuchanka.
Ammo
- Armor-Piercing Ammo: Talk to Garrus in the Main Battery on the Normandy after Priority: Palaven.
- Warp Ammo: Talk to Liara in her office on the Normandy after Priority: Tuchanka.
Tech
- Defense Matrix: Talk to EDI on the Bridge aboard the Normandy after Priority: The Citadel II.
- Decoy: Talk to EDI on the Bridge of the Normandy after Priority: Horizon
- Defense Drone: Talk to Tali in the Presidium Commons on the Citadel after Priority: Rannoch.
- Energy Drain: Talk to Tali in Shepard's cabin aboard the Normandy after Priority: Perseus Veil
Biotic
- Stasis: Talk to Liara immediately following Priority Thessia. Waiting too long will prevent players from unlocking this power.
- Barrier: Recruit Kaidan at the Normandy Dock on the Citadel after Priority: The Citadel II.
- Reave: Talk to Kaidan in the Starboard Observation Lounge aboard the Normandy after Priority: The Citadel II. Failing to talk to him when first returning to the Normandy after recruiting him will prevent players from unlocking this power.
- Slam: Talk to Javik after bringing him aboard the Normandy (requires Mass Effect 3: From Ashes DLC).
- Dark Channel: Talk to Javik on the Normandy immediately following Priority: Horizon (requires Mass Effect 3: From Ashes DLC).
- Dominate: Complete Mass Effect 3: Leviathan.
- Lash: Shepard learns this from Aria T'Loak as a result of completing the Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC.
- Flare: Shepard learns this from Aria T'Loak as a result of completing the Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC.
To equip any of the Bonus Powers, players will need to head to the Crew Deck on the Normandy and enter Med Bay. Across from the stretcher where Eve sat before Priority: Tuchanka, players can interact with a piece of medical equipment to add a Bonus Power. Each one costs 5000 Credits, and only one may be active at a time.
Players can select a different Bonus Power at any time. They may want to refund all points they have used to level up their powers to make sure they have enough points to get the most out of their new Bonus Power. Players can do this at the next medical machine over, near the AI Core door. It will also cost 5000 Credits every time players reassign points, though the first time for each character is free.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition launches May 14, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.