Persuade / Intimidate: When?

Sorpaijen_ESO

Having read an account where Intimidation was required to avoid being forced to kill an NPC, and knowing that Persuasion can also influence the path of quests, I fully intend to get both skills. At some point.

The question is... WHEN?

UNTIL I run into a dialog option that uses Intimidate/Persuade, those are wasted skill points, so I'd rather spend the skill points on an extra 2% magicka regen or something than have them be wasted.

So I'm trying to find out a general time frame for when those skills might first be needed.

In the Daggerfall Covenant, for example, the first time I encountered either was a Persuade option at the start of the Eagle's Brook mission area. I backed out of that conversation and went adventuring elsewhere until I could purchase Persuade.

Granted, Persuade and Intimidate aren't NEEDED and there is always another path... but for roleplaying reasons I'd rather have the OPTION. I just don't want to get those skills too early.

So, anyone have any Non-Spoiler-y general area / questlines where they FIRST appear? Note that I don't care about Intimidating merchants to make them give me money --- not going to use it for that kind of thuggery, just for "intimidating" for a good cause (tough love and all that).

EDIT: Spelling

fantom

I buy Persuade and Intimidate with my 4th and 5th skill points on literally every character. Sometimes the first 3, but usually those go into unlocking the class skill lines.

Options to use them are VERY common while questing, and it's really not a big deal to delay getting one of your passives to skill them early. There are a ton of skill points in this game.

neiljwd

I'm DC, and found relatively little use for them in Glenumbra, but recall, just that 1 guy you mentioned. However the option to use them in Stormhaven the 2nd area, were in greater abundance. I'd say get them when you're 90% done with the opening area.

I've 'heard' though that AD has Persuade options much earlier in the game... .

Elirienne

There are persuade/intimidation options right from the first areas.

ThatHappyCat

You get so many skill points, I really wouldn't worry about not having +1% max magicka or something early on. Pretty soon you will have a bunch of extra points lying around.

Sorpaijen_ESO

Yah, nearly complete with Glenumbra and I've found ONE other instance where these skills are useful (Intimidate) and in that case I elected NOT to use it, although I had the skill.

Nice to have the OPTION, though.

To point out how right you guys were, above, about the number of skill points... when I dinged level 16, I found myself with THREE skill points. Even if the mission that dinged me gave me one extra skill point (which I don't remember if it did), it's clear that I wasn't exactly HURTING for skill points if I was content to sit on some for so long.

Since the first tier of crafting gear caps at level 14, I went ahead and sank a point into the next tier of crafting, even though I have yet to see any materials for that Tier... as noted above, there are plenty of skill points and I'd rather have it when I need it than NOT have it when I need it.

Asltok

I find I really didn't get much options to use them until deshaan, where it was barely used. Shadowfen and on has had the options available to me like every other quest. You get so many skill points you might is well drop a measly 2 into them.

Lenthas

I ran into a situation where it was either 400g or something like that OR a intimidate option, so there are situations where they don't simply give you a "backdoor" to avoid that part.

I assume that 20+ areas will also probably have a few more of these.

dumbo

Lenthas wrote: »

I ran into a situation where it was either 400g or something like that OR a intimidate option, so there are situations where they don't simply give you a "backdoor" to avoid that part.

I assume that 20+ areas will also probably have a few more of these.

Yes, that's correct.

There is also a delve/dungeon on DC where you can use one of these abilities to avoid a fight (I can't remember which one).

ZurinArctus

I would say by the time you hit Stormhaven equivalent, second mainland zone, you should have both. For DC it really paid off by then, and some quests were a breeze that otherwise would have been a royal pain at the level.

Traisa

I wish I had Persuade/Intimidate when I had reached Stormhaven, mainly for quests around Wayrest. I could have saved my gold and avoiding having to take on 3-4 mobs on my own. I just got around to putting a skill point to each today, and I just reached level 20.

kongkim

only cost 2 skill points and got get alot. so take them when you can. there will also come more quest later on the requires them.

Sorpaijen_ESO

I find I don't use Intimidate much simply from a roleplaying point of view... but it's nice to have the OPTION. And maybe in the future I can intimidate folk who I feel DESERVE to be intimidated.

In general, I prefer to pick skills that give me new abilities, new things to do, instead of an extra 3% this or that. Sure, 3% extra this-or-that may be nice, but compared to You Can Do It or You Can't Do It skills, I'd prefer the skills that give me options for new things to do.

Catches_the_Sun

At level 15, you'll start seeing the options.

ArRashid

What the hell is he talking about? whole northern half of glenumbra is filled with intimidate/persuade options.

Also, why would you want 10% more magicka regen (at that point 10% is still ZERO anyway) or 4% magicka or whatever (that's about 10 points only too)

I'm taking them both as soon as I finish Betnikh, at that point I usually have all abilities I will use, crafting skills are not yet unlocked and passives are not really worth it just yet.

AlexDougherty

Catches_the_Sun wrote: »

At level 15, you'll start seeing the options.

Saw them around level 10 in Aldmeri Dominion, glad I invest before then, saved myself hundreds by not having to bribe.

Tarwin

I saved two points until I hit the dialogue then popped them in when needed. Think it became more apparent in the 20's

mcatchlovb16_ESO

Buy them asap. They make your life easier
I use them all the time.

disexistencenub19_ESO

Call me crazy, but I only pick them on characters that make sense. I don't actually RP actively anymore, but I still make characters with a general background/theme and give them abilities that are relevant to that.

My Nord is a nightblade and is suppose to have an unsettling aura about him, he is taller than most, has eyes that pierce one's soul and a stare that could freeze a frost troll. He's not a man of many words and prefers to answer problems with steel or spell. Naturally, I am going with intimidate.

My dark elf is a pirate/roguish/spellblade adventurer type. She can be both charming and deadly in the blink of an eye. As a dark elf of noble origins, she naturally tries to manipulate those around her to her own advantage, whichever direction that may lead her. Life on the road/seas has further led to harden/toughen her in a mostly male dominated world and she even has some of the scars to prove it. I took both on her.

My argonian healer/shaman has a lust for power and clawing her way to the top of the food chain; however years of slavery have established a sense of natural obedience to the desire of others and wanting to help/please them. She would rather suggest/talk her way out of a conversation and go about her business leaving her target none the wiser in most instances. In this case, I obviously went with persuade.

I tend to do little blurbs like this with all my characters, so.....I try to pick them up pretty early, usually in the early teens when the options start becoming available and I have a decent amount of points in other stuff already.

Catches_the_Sun

AlexDougherty wrote: »

Catches_the_Sun wrote: »

At level 15, you'll start seeing the options.

Saw them around leve 10 in Aldmeri Dominion, glad I invest before then, saved myself hundreds by not having to bribe.

Interesting. In Ebonheart, it was actually the level 15 Harborage quest that started those options if I recall correctly.

Sorpaijen_ESO

Last night I was reminded why I was glad that I took Intimidate, even though I don't normally use it. NORMALLY I'll take the other options, even if it means a little legwork... but last night, I didn't feel like chasing down a puzzle or clue in this dungeon that had killed me twice already (surprisingly hard for its level compared to my level)... so when given the option, I just threatened to tear the place down around them if the people on the other side of this locked door didn't let me in.

A little shuffling of feet on the other side and they relented and just let me in.

I also, last night, came across the first traveling merchant that I could Intimidate. I did not DO it, but I wonder, if I HAD intimidated the merchant, perhaps he'd give me some money, but would I then be barred from using him AS a merchant in the future? The immediate payoff of free money doesn't seem worth the loss of a traveling merchant resource.

AlexDougherty

Catches_the_Sun wrote: »

Interesting. In Ebonheart, it was actually the level 15 Harborage quest that started those options if I recall correctly.

In the covenent line there is a level 14 (I think) quest where

Using the persuade skill will allow you to get the information you want, allowing you to spare the prisoners, otherwise they die

Sorpaijen_ESO

That reminds me... this may be a bit spoilerish but it's not exactly game-breaking or earth-shattering...

My contact wants me to follow this guy around and drug his wine and when he passes out, get this key from him...

Instead, I persuade HER to do all the work. Having selected that option, I just retrieve a bottle of wine from a few feet away and give it to her then she seduces the target to go upstairs where she knees him in the groin and THEN I collect the key. Some ~interesting~ banter about baths and sharing the wine follows, but the mission takes us away for the nonce.

That entire scene would not have played out if ~I~ had gone out, followed the guy and got the key from him directly. VERY glad I used Persuasion in that instance, as the story and character interactions were much more appealing, in addition to being less legwork.

Nukeyak

I run around with a massive 2H axe, so why would I ever need to use intimidate?

AlexDougherty

Nukeyak wrote: »

I run around with a massive 2H axe, so why would I ever need to use intimidate?

Just had a fight with a guy

who could command me to kneel every other second

, if I had intimidate the fight wouldn't have happened (need to invest in intimidate as well as persuade), and it was an incredibly annoying fight.

Still_Mind

AlexDougherty wrote: »

Nukeyak wrote: »

I run around with a massive 2H axe, so why would I ever need to use intimidate?

Just had a fight with a guy

who could command me to kneel every other second

, if I had intimidate the fight wouldn't have happened (need to invest in intimidate as well as persuade), and it was an incredibly annoying fight.

Was the guy's name Zod?

AlexDougherty

Still_Mind wrote: »

AlexDougherty wrote: »

Nukeyak wrote: »

I run around with a massive 2H axe, so why would I ever need to use intimidate?

Just had a fight with a guy

who could command me to kneel every other second

, if I had intimidate the fight wouldn't have happened (need to invest in intimidate as well as persuade), and it was an incredibly annoying fight.

Was the guy's name Zod?

I wish,

Sheogorath had given him a magic tongue, so he could turn people mad, but in the fight he just kept telling me to acknowledge his power and kneel before him, and darn it my character kept doing just that. (want to use something stronger than darn, but suspect it'll get blocked)

You have to fight him from a distance, and he regenerated every so often too, It wasn't a hard fight just a long one.

Still_Mind

AlexDougherty wrote: »

Still_Mind wrote: »

AlexDougherty wrote: »

Nukeyak wrote: »

I run around with a massive 2H axe, so why would I ever need to use intimidate?

Just had a fight with a guy

who could command me to kneel every other second

, if I had intimidate the fight wouldn't have happened (need to invest in intimidate as well as persuade), and it was an incredibly annoying fight.

Was the guy's name Zod?

I wish,

Sheogorath had given him a magic tongue, so he could turn people mad, but in the fight he just kept telling me to acknowledge his power and kneel before him, and darn it my character kept doing just that. (want to use something stronger than darn, but suspect it'll get blocked)

You have to fight him from a distance, and he regenerated every so often too, It wasn't a hard fight just a long one.

Dunno, I just bludgeoned him repeatedly till he stopped moving... Brute force is a solution. If it doesn't solve your problem, then you aren't applying enough