/vr/ - Retro Games

Autism time:
I've been playing a speechcraft character on and off for a while after I discovered a mechanic I had no idea existed after ~400 hours of gameplay. Turns out "intimidate" isn't just a way to get a temporary disposition boost. It also lowers the aggression of the target permanently, meaning you don't have to re-cast calm or hold sneak as you explore the area around them.

Pic related is how it works.
Notice how the hostile NPCs in the dungeon prevent you from resting nearby at first, but no longer do so once intimidated. One even offers training. This works on nearly every NPC in the world. There are just a handful of quest-related people that you can't persuade due to their unique greetings that end dialogue.

With little exception (ash slaves, vampires, some ashlanders and a few rare quest NPCs) you won't hear anything interesting or new from the enemies you pacify, but it's a nice way to explore dungeons while avoiding combat as they'll let you loot everything around them once intimidated.

I never found much info about this mechanic online and there's no real guide on it, so here's the nitty gritty I've worked out:
>every NPC has a hidden "fight" personality stat that ranges from 0 to 100
>an NPC with over 70 "fight" has the potential to attack on sight if they don't like you
>an NPC with over 90 "fight" will ALWAYS attack on sight at some range. More fight = higher aggro range
>intimidation reduces "fight" by at least 10
>taunting increases "fight" by at least 10
>admires/bribes do NOT affect "fight"

There's a decent amount of content for my speech-focused dude to tackle. The Imperial Cult has the almoner branch which is solely about soliciting donations from various groups, with the final two quests in the sequence being a bit more complex with mysteries to solve through interrogation and/or blackmail. Hlaalu has more diplomacy and intrigue than the other two political factions, often letting you solve quests solely with persuasion as well.