History Main / MultiplePersuasionModes

* ''TabletopGame/BladesInTheDark'' has three action ratings that can be used for making [=NPCs=] do what you want: Command, Sway, and Consort. With Command, you straight-up order a person to do something, offering as leverage either authority (even if it's a pretend one, like a stolen police badge), or fear (thus covering both Threaten or Browbeat types). Sway, on the other hand, covers all situations where you need to induce a quick and temporary change of mind, e.g. to make an NPC help you this one time or let you go based on a lie, etc. (thus, covering the gamut of Charm, Reason, Seduce, Bribe, and Bluff); you do still need specific leverage to make it work, though, like a good argument, a convincing lie, or just your dashing good looks. Consort, meanwhile, has the prime purpose of establishing and reaping benefits from long-term relationships, regardless whether friendly, romantic, or professional, and it's only required "leverage" is some time with the NPC in a relatively non-hostile environment (essentially, the rule of thumb of whether to use Consort or the other two is to ask: do I care about this NPC in the long-term?). Finally, you can always use the Attune action to try to interface with the NPC's brain directly through the ghost field, but it is very, very ill-advised.

** '''Charm''' appeals to the NPC's emotions and feelings, and is thus best used on impulsive and affective individuals.

** For ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', the series instead shifts to a PersuasionMinigame. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' then removes it entirely, save for some skill-check style dialogue options.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'' follows the tabletop game in that your characters may invest points into various social skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate). These actually have uses in battle (not quite this trope), but may also come up in conversation with NPCs where conversation options allow use of these skills to avoid/trigger a fight or otherwise complete some optional quest objective.

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall'', unlike ''Morrowind'', had separate skills for its options, but with less difference between the options -- the only real difference between Etiquette and Streetwise is that some [=NPCs=] are weighted to react more positively to the first while others are weighted towards the second.
** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'': While interacting with an NPC, you have several options; Admire (a straight attempt to make someone like the PC more); Intimidate (threaten them, which might or might not work); Taunt (lower disposition and goad them into attacking you first); and Bribe (give them enough money to make them like you). Successful use of any of these (except for Taunt) would raise their disposition score and make them act friendlier (Intimidate also made them less likely to fight and more likely to flee).
%% The Oblivion implementation falls under PersuasionMinigame, a subtrope.

** Speech is most commonly used to Reason, but other Skills or Intelligence are as well. Generally, the point it to either have the knowledge to make your argument, or display your competence and thus trustworthiness. For instance, a man in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' will give you some dynamite to defend [[FirstTown Goodsprings]] with if you have the Explosives skill to convince him you won't blow your own allies up.

** Seduction is an occasional option, usually based on Charisma score in ''1'' or ''2'', and possessing the Lady Killer/Black Widow/[[GayOption Confirmed Bachelor/Cherchez La Femme
]] perk in ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' or ''New Vegas''. {{Optional Sexual Encounter}}s are often a result (or just a means at something else).

* Many people think that a Pacifist route in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' requires being incredibly nice to everyone you meet. However, it is just as possible to beat up monsters until they surrender, and still achieve the same results.

'''Bluff''' or '''Lie''' is often presented as its own persuasion mode, but it is actually very different from the rest: by using it, a PC tries to pass a falsehood off as truth to an NPC, which ''may'' compel them to act on this information without the PC actually directing them to do so. What makes it different from other modes is its situational usage: the NPC must be ''a prirori'' ready to act on the information, and a successful lie simply points them in a direction beneficial to the PC.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'': While interacting with an NPC, you have several options; Admire (a straight attempt to make someone like the PC more); Intimidate (threaten them, which might or might not work); Taunt (lower disposition and goad them into attacking you first); and Bribe (give them enough money to make them like you). Successful use of any of these (except for Taunt) would raise their disposition score and make them act friendlier (Intimidate also made them less likely to fight and more likely to flee).

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDAggerfall'', unlike ''Morrowind'', had separate skills for its options, but with less difference between the options -- the only real difference between Etiquette and Streetwise is that some [=NPCs=] are weighted to react more positively to the first while others are weighted towards the second.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'': While interacting with an NPC, you have several options; Admire (a straight attempt to make someone like the PC more); Intimidate (threaten them, which might or might not work); Taunt (lower disposition and goad them into attacking you first); and Bribe (give them enough money to make them like you). Successful use of any of these (except for Taunt) would raise their disposition score and make them act friendlier.

'''Bluff''' or '''Lie''' is often presented as its own persuasion mode, but it is actually very different from the rest: by using it, a PC tries to convince an NPC of their trustworthiness, rather than compelling them to act. Technically, a bluff attempt can be a prelude to a persuasion attempt and both can fail individually, but most games don't make this distinction explicit.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the Diplomacy/Persuasion and Intimidate skills. Their main difference is that Diplomacy increases a target's disposition but is no guarantee they will aid you (as even allies have limits on what they are willing to do), and Intimidate ''forces'' a target to comply but typically turns them against you. There is also the Bluff/Deception skill, which lets you convince a person with lies, and various magical spells such as Charm Person or Suggestion that do the job for you.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has the Diplomacy and Intimidation skills. Although they have to be role-played very differently, they are quite similar mechanically: both skills are Charisma-based and their main difference is that the former can improve the [=NPCs'=] attitude to the speaker on a successful check, while the latter always worsens it. There is also the Bluff skill, which lets characters tell convincing lies, but unlike the other two social skills, its checks are always opposed by the target's Sense Motive skill.

** This was somewhat strangely implemented in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. Improving someone's attitude towards you took the form of a mini-game where in each round you have to take four actions (Joke, Admire, Boast, and Coerce) with the timing and NPC's personality causing each of them to have a different effect on their disposition.

* In the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series, the [[KarmaMeter Paragon/Renegade]] dialogue options double as persuasion attempts. Paragon options generally fall under the Convincing sub-types (emotional or rational), while Renegade ones are either Browbeating or outright Threats, depending on the target. In ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', the Paragon/Renegade options are directly tied to their own separate [[PointBuildSystem skills]], Charm (Paragon) and Intimidate (Renegade), that you have to have a certain amount of points in to unlock the options. ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' removes the Charm/Intimidate skills and instead makes the dialogue options [[NoPointsForNeutrality directly tied to how many Paragon/Renegade points you already have]]. ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' has a separate "Reputation" meter which unlocks ''both'' Paragon and Renegade options.

* In the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series, the [[KarmaMeter Paragon/Renegade]] dialogue options double as persuasion attempts. Paragon options generally fall under the Convincing sub-types (emotional or rational), while Renegade ones are either Browbeating or outright Threats, depending on the target.

* The ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' game line has three social attributes (Appearance, Charisma and Manipulation) and several social abilities (Expression, Intimidation, Subterfuge, Etiquette, Streetwise and occasionally Instruction and/or Leadership). Potentially, any attribute and ability can be combined, allowing the use of social attributes with non-social abilities (e.g to impress with prowess at something) and vice versa (e.g to intimidate using brute strength). The 'TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' replaces Appearance with Composure, which refers to a character's aptitude at not being swayed.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has Interrogation, Intimidation [[note]]either a weak form of Interrogation or a strong arm version of Negotiation depending on how you play it[[/note]], and Negotiation.

* ''TabletopGame/Shadowrun'' offers only Charisma as a social attribute, but a whole category of social skills: different ratings of Etiquette for different environments (corporate, tribal, online...), Negotiation, Leadership, Interrogation and others depending on edition.