I'm running around with a ranger that is strong and fast, but only has average charisma and no skills in persuade.

I've run into a few dialoge options that have me attempt to Persuade and I always fail. Usually there is a rumor that it looks like I'm missing, but some of them sound like they could lead to quests.

I'm wondering if my character's lack of social skills is preventing me from uncovering a few adventures? :good:

It's mostly side-quests you're missing, those that don't reap many-a award. All the main quests are perfectly do-able with Cha3 if you so wish.

For some of the main quests, the persuade skill will (provided you succeed) present you with different options for completing the quest, or for carrying it out. And as Gopher said, it opens up a number of side-quests (I'm pretty sure you could obtain most of these anyway, but probably with more work). And you can usually get more cash out of people :p For me it just comes down to role-playing - I like my characters to be roguish-types, able to talk people into things, and dig for more information.

Intelligence helps as well, and so does Lore, I get many [Insight] and a few [Lore] dialog options with my 16 INT and high Lore skill.

But, Mat, there's just about no reason for you to miss out on anything unless your score is really bad. I've only run into a few people who won't let you talk to them again after your persuasion fails. You can try again as many times as you want for the others, and to make your chances better, just drink a potion of Eagle's Splendor (or cast the spell if you have it). There are also Nymphs Cloaks etc. that will inprove your CHA score, but I haven't needed anything but an occasional potion. Works every time for me, and I have an average CHA of 10.

Well, I think it's already been determined that all you're missing out on is side quests. Wisdom seems to help as well. Once I took my wisdom from 18 to 19, I seemed to succeed far more often and get insight options on almost every conversation, with only 8 int.

Partial SPOILER
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that this skill plays a role in activating romances.

Oh. Well maybe my 14 WIS is what's giving me those [Insight] options then... <shrug>

IMO persuade is a fabulous skill. My pally has some 10 ranks in it plus 16 charisma with various items - especially the greater mask of persuasion. Persuade is a great way to gather information and to pass guards without fighting. And persuade significatly helps in getting better reward after quests and getting better dialogues with Aribeth (though I didn't progress really far yet :( ). You have to choose carefully though: Knowing about my chars great persuade skill (15 or so with chr mod and items) I always feel tempted to klick anything with *persuade* before it :D which can be a little too evil for a pally sometimes.
IIRC insight is a wis effect and since my pally has wis-14 he had quite a couple of dialogue options and lore are great too, very helpful.

Generally: Compared to my old moron pally (I stopped playing him) my weaker though significantly smarter second pally has given me a completely new look on a few quests.

:yot:
Ragusa, just out of curiosity, just how stupid was your moron pally?

I always like using the persuade skill to get extra gold or items after or before quests.

Yeah, I think it's great that the game rewards you for making use of the skills. It actually makes it feel more like a true RPG than any other computer game I've played. I haven't tried Arcanum though, don't like the technology/magic mix, never works. I'm told it's great roleplaying though, so maybe I'll try it.

You can always try drinking that Eagle Feathers (or whatever it's called) potion. It's supposed to make one more appealing---maybe it could boost charisma as well. :D

You can always try drinking that Eagle Feathers (or whatever it's called) potion. It's supposed to make one more appealing---maybe it could boost charisma as well.

Thanks for reminding about this, Spell. That potion increases charisma by quite a bit if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, you never know which NPCs will offer you a persuade option ahead of time (usually), and running through a conversation, then reloading right before it and using the player knowledge to drink the potion isn't good roleplaying.

It is rare that you are given only one opportunity. Normally, you can go right back through the converstaion to the same [Persuade] option and try again.

I guess it depends on the NPC BTA. Some have allowed me too, some not. The guy in the mercenary barracks in Chapter One did, Elaith in Luskan did not after the first failed attempt.

Waezlur, he had int-8, a major drawback both in conversations and skillwise.

Wow, 8 intelligence. No wonder you stopped playing him.

Gosh, INT 8...

A friend used to have a fighter in a pnp campaign years ago with INT 6. Besides all the obvious drawbacks he was a true challenge to roleplay. He was a mixture of psychotic killer and comic relief. Once berzerked and chased a pack of werewolves for miles. Unarmed...

Er, off topic now am I? :heh:

I've found that having the ability to pursuade people in conversations is quite useful. For example, when I first sarted chapter 1 in the game I didn't have that much gold and I needed a henchmen desperately (my cleric isn't a fighter, at least he wasn't one at first level.) Anyway, I noted with some distress that all the henchmen wanted at least 200 gold for their services. Well, pursuade is useful in that I got them to lower their asking price (I was using my cleric's charisma mod only, didn't have ranks in the skill at all, wished I had though.)

I also forgot to mention that after quests if you persuade for extra you can also get items. I've gotten a Diamond, Adamantite and some Ironwood so far.

Yeah, I know that :yot: I'm but I can only find Tomi, where are the other henchmen??? X

[This message has been edited by Mathetais (edited July 17, 2002).]

Well, I assume you mean in chapter 1... The rest are in the Trade of Blades.

Good, because I can almost afford that bard chick you showed me a picture of.

Hubba Hubba