Personality/Speechcraft

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:35 pm

Well, we've run into another "question"

Doing the Hlaalu/Ebony trade quest.
Seems to get the bonus I need to kill a guy; no problem(LOL)
But, I must need a "high" Speechcraft level to taunt.

So, I had to kill him + another guy.

I then looked and had to drop 20+ items on the ground before paying gold ... last game, the guard even took valuable items ?
Picked up my stuff = forgot a ring + now I have an extra CE BoundLongbow

With this much "stuff", I'm looking for another option

1) Do I .........>
* just keep dropping stuff = with so many goodies, I'm worried I'll forget something
* use a Fortify Personality spell to increasse my Speechcraft ... via a trainer
* use a Drain Speechcraft spell ... guess I would have to make several to keep Speechcraft below it's attribute ... like #2; via a trainer

I'd rather not cheat, but dropping/picking up 20+ items is problematic ?
Not going to abuse the taunt, just don't want to go through the drop/pickup routine.

Any other options/tips ?

2) Speechcraft
Did I mess up ?
Should I have put it in MAJOR or MINOR.
I wanted to control it ... like Galrean mentioned with my use of Armorer to up STR = I like this tactic
Since I don't view Personality as one of my top attributes, I'd rather spend level points on others.

How high should one get Speechcraft ?
Guess we're overlappping with question #1.

3) Personality
Am I missing out on dialogue options or quests by keeping it low ?
I'd have to sacrifice level up points + level up fast(er) to up my Personality.

Since no enemy can be schmoozed into giving up, I'm putting points into other attributes

I do not see much written on Personality ... checked forum + other FAQ

How important is it.
What is a decent level.
Is it for a specific build ... is there a non-fighting build (LOL)

I'm taking the approach in this game/build to level slowly.
Use my magic to compliment my fighting(Bow/Spear).
If I don't need it, I'm not using it ... last game I Levitated + Hide most every battle ... which caused over-leveling
In fact, if I'm correct, 2-3 more levels will max out both Spear/Bow ... then I can level up when needed(... like when I keep getting killed) using my minor skills(Alteration/Illusion/Mysticsm/Restoration/Athletics)

Make sense ?

Any advice/tips is appreciated.
I know everyone has a way of "playing" ... so, even if posts give different advice/tips, I still find it helpful ... I take all your help and use what fits my playing style = each of you is in my characters

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:58 pm

Well, as far as taunting goes, you can always use the bribe option to get someones disposition towards you higher. Get the persons disposition up and then start taunting them. The taunts might fail, and you might have to bribe them up again a couple times, but eventually following this they should get fed up and attack you. So long as they hit you first, you don't get a bounty so the guards won't bother you. You may not want to do this though since you might consider it abuse of the system.

As far as the guards go, you can join the Thieves guild. This will allow you the option to have someone in the guild take care of your bounty for a small fee. Just visit the approriate person when you get a bounty to get it removed. Remember to not let the bounty build up though, since at higher levels the guards will decend on you without you ever talking to them first.

In a pinch, you can use a calm human spell to calm a guard to give you time to get away from them and get to the guild if they come after you, but you have to make sure to do it before they open the dialog box. I just keep track of my bounty and never let it get very high, but on occasions I've had to make a run for it while dodging the guards . I suppose you could also carry around an invisibility or Chameleon spell to cloak yourself after you do the deed so it's easier to get back to the theives guild to get the bounty removed.

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:18 am

Bloodstalker - I'll thank you here for your Resist Magicka tip in the CE Enchant thread.
I tried CE Resist Magicka, but I could not get it to high enough levels.
I was hoping to get near 40% ... coupled with Savior's Hide, I could have been at 100%
Never thought of potion.

I always bribe

I thought I needed a high Speechcraft in order for the bribe-taunt to work.
Seems at lower levels, they just call me "pathetic" (LOL).
Until I get the, "I thought we were friends" dialogue line, seems the taunt fails.

I get it to 100, then taunt.
I never tried multiple bribe-taunts at low Speechcraft levels ... did not want to spend the bucks

Am doing Thieves, this play-through.
Thought about "Mark-ing" next to the guy in Balmora ?
I do have the Ring+Amulet to get my Chameleon to 100% ... so I could make a run for it

Thanks for the help.
I have been "abusing the system"(... bribe-taunt), so I guess using the Drain spell would not abuse it any worse

Though it is fun to make a run for it !

I just don't want to lose a needed/valuable item = happened last game ... more than once

AmpaSand · Post by **AmpaSand** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 4:34 am

If i gave you a list of nonessential NPCs i would recomend just admireing them heaps. Then when they get annoyed just move on to the next.

Also People have a certain range in which a taunt will work and it depends on the number of sucessful and failed taunts eg 26-42 perchance

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:13 pm

You don't need to worry about the money you spend to bribe someone. When you finally do succeed in killing them, you can collect your money back from their corpse

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:50 pm

AmpaSand - now, I never thought of "admiring".
Guess that would raise my Speechcraft for free

I would have to save first = in case it backfires on a NPC I could use to train me

Bloodstalker - ok; point noted.
Stupid me

I sometimes figure/see the difficult and totally miss the obvious.

Thanks for the help.
When the opportunity arrises, I will practice what what you preach !

BlueSky · Post by **BlueSky** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:42 am

When starting a new game, I usually admire/taunt every NPC I run across, along with sneaking through every town....easy way to raise the points.

then when I have money.....bribe everybody...

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:59 pm

BlueSky - ok; works for me.

Looks like I may "re-do"; again.
Luckily I did not do many quests.
Did not like we were "playing"; so to speak.
I'll keep my current saves, just in case.

I can't really have Witchgirl follow me.
Her strong "Summon" in tight places is hazardous to my health

Plus, she's "endgame" built at the start ... her important categories are 70-100 from your first meeting
Nice family quests involved.

I could not find a way to have her not Summon ... tried Emma's forum, but no
luck

Going to try Hippolyta ... mod nobody posts about
Saving Constance = seems everyone reccomends her

Would like to get my Sneak high enough to really help ... guessing 50+
Seems 50 is about the defacto norm where skills start to become "good" ?
No sure where I'll put Sneak ... MAJOR/MINOR/MISC

Good luck with Witchgirl.
If you find the best way to use her; PM me.

Oh, tell your nephew, I'm going to use his "cannon fodder summon" strategy.
Not sure of Scamp vs Skeleton ... shoot arrows over short or
around skinny

Thanks for the tips.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:35 am

I can't really have Witchgirl follow me.
Her strong "Summon" in tight places is hazardous to my health

It's a common enough problem with magic-casting companions or summons in Morrowind, and one of the very few areas IMO that they fixed in Oblivion. Definitely not the worth effort trying to work around her. I prefer companions that use blades or ranged fire, as a result.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:31 pm

You can tell Morgana to not summon Atronachs through dialogue, and order her to just use her weapon and not use magic.

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:41 pm

Fable - felt like I was being "squeezed"

Got big ol' bubba(... my name for him) behind me; trying to get through me.
Then, I'm trying not to get killed by what's in front of me.
So, I never took Morganna into any cave/tomb etc ... why I did so little exploring
Plus, her spells would stay on ... I tell her to stop = she gets upset ... I lose persuasion points ... I have to "dance" her back to where she was

I'm hoping Hippolyta doesn't put arrows into my back

All she will have is a bow !
Hardly(... should I say no) any info on her = the read me will be my guide ... yes, we will learn on the fly

Galraen - I thought I hit all the "in box" options + those on the side.
I could only find the "stop all spells" = took a big persuasion hit with no spells on/ 5pts if she was using a spell
Do you know offhand which dialogue option does it = turns summon on/off
Sorry to harang you over it

But, Emma's forum did not respond to my question ... all I know is her magic gets drained etc/ plus some tech build info on Morganna

I can always go back to her ... if Hippolyta doesn't work out
Or, use her next game.

I may try and go back to look and see what I missed ?
But, I have to uncheck the mods added ... added Havish + Hippolyta ... yeah, you know me, might miss a box
Game does not like when you add/delete mod boxes mid-game (LOL)

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:49 pm

I think the key dialogue string was something like 'Our next battle', which then gave you options to dictate her combat mode(s). However, I do recall that it wasn't a permanent fix, and I had to remind her periodically. I can certainly understand your problems with the lady, I nearly told her to ### off several times before I sussed out how to stop her summoning. You can stop her summoning permanently if your prepared to tinker with her spell list in the construction set, simply remove all the spells you don't want her to use.