Starfield Persuasion Guide

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 7:06 PM /

By:


The persuasion minigame, showing off an addition option unlocked by having the Scavenger Skill.

Our Starfield Persuasion Guide will go over how this system works, along with ways that you can increase your chances of successfully convincing NPCs.

Talking over an intercom, trying to get bank robbers to surrender.

How Persuasion Works in Starfield

Sometimes during conversation, you'll have the option to persuade the character you're talking to — these options are simply marked with [Persuade]. Choose this option, and you'll shown the persuasion UI.

When persuading, you're given a number of turns to fill the Persuasion meter. This meter fills based on which persuasion choices you pick. Each one has a certain level of difficulty (going from green > yellow > red in the UI), with more difficult options giving more points towards the Persuasion meter.

Sometimes, you'll get a "Critical Success", earning more points than what was initially shown. Attempting enough persuasion checks also opens up the option to auto-persuade, completing the persuasion minigame for you — only 1 auto-persuade can be banked at a time.

If you succeed in persuasion, you'll reap the benefits. Often, this is avoiding combat entirely, or gaining a good piece of equipment.

The Persuasion perk, giving you a higher chance to persuade NPCs.

How to Increase Your Chances of Persuasion in Starfield

The chance of completing each persuasion check is completely RNG based, with harder options having a lower percentage chance of success. However, there are a few ways to increase your odds.

For starters, you can put Skill Points into the Persuasion Skill in the Social tree. The first 3 ranks give you an additional 10% chance of succeeding each, with the last tier increasing your chances by an impressive 50%.

The second tier of the Social Skill Tree has an additional persuasion related Skill in the form of Negotiation. This adds new choices to the persuasion minigame, letting you spend credits to easily persuade NPCs.

To increase your chances even further, you can make use of certain drinks and outfits. Some persuasion boosting items include:

Drinks

  • Hippolyta - 20% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes
  • Paramour - 25% extra persuade chance for 10 minutes
  • Velocity (any color) - 15% extra persuade chance for 3 minutes
  • Supernova (purchased at the New Atlantis Bar after completing quest for bartender) - 12% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes
  • Chandra Merlot - 12% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes
  • Pinot Noir - 12% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes
  • Riesling - 12% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes
  • Sparkling Wine - 10% extra persuade chance for 5 minutes

Outfits

  • Fitted Business Suit - 10% extra persuade chance
  • Corpo Sleek Suit - 5% extra persuade chance
  • Fashionable Suit - 5% extra persuade chance
  • Green Fashionable Suit - 5% extra persuade chance

Of course, you should make sure to quick save before talking to NPCs during quests. This lets you reload if there's a persuasion check that goes wrong (it's not possible to save once you've already started talking, even before trying to persuade)


That's everything for our Starfield Persuasion Guide! Make sure to check out more of our guides below.

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Isaac
| Staff Writer

Isaac is a Staff Writer at TechRaptor, handling guides — and the occasional review — for games throughout many genres. Some of his more extensive work at… More about Isaac

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Starfield
Game Page Starfield
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Platforms
PC, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date
September 6, 2023 (Calendar)
Genre
Action, RPG