Starfield Persuasion Explained: How to Pass Speech Checks

Violence is not always the answer, even if it is objectively very fun in Starfield. There are many scenarios in which you’ll find you can get what you want so long as you have a sufficiently silver tongue. Failure in persuasion checks can be intimidating, as it can mean anything from botched haggling to costing human life. But with our help, you’ll find you can make it through this surprisingly fun mini-game that spices up interactions in the game. Here is how Persuasion works, and how you can pass speech checks in Starfield!

Persuasion: How to Upgrade It and Pass Speech Checks in Starfield

You can learn and upgrade your Persuasion skill in the Social section of your Skills menu to access and increase your chances to pass speech checks in Starfield. The ranks go as follows:

• Rank 1: 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone
• Rank 2: 20% increased chance of success when persuading someone
• Rank 3: 30% increased chance of success when persuading someone
• Rank 5: 50% increased chance of success when persuading someone

Related: Starfield Review

The green, yellow, and red-marked dialogue options indicate chances of success when conducting speech checks. You must reach however many points shown at the bottom of the screen to pass, with higher amounts of said points being awarded for red options, lower for yellow, and lowest for green.

While it’s tempting to err on the side of caution, selecting yellow or red options succeeds more often than you might think, and can be crucial in a pinch. Remember that succeeding these checks can mean you get additional attempts. The more marks you must earn in a Persuasion check, the harder it is, so upgrading the Persuasion skill is vital.

What Items Help With Persuasion Checks in Starfield?

Hippolyta is a great option, giving you a +20% Persuasion chance, but there’s room for one other heavy hitter. I’m talking of course about alcohol, specifically wines, typically giving you ~10-12% Persuasion chance. But it comes with risks: it can hamper your O2 recovery. But rest assured, booze has other benefits in the game, including boosting carrying capacity!