If you’ve never played the original, Oblivion Remastered’s Persuasion system might catch you off guard. It’s weird, it’s kind of ridiculous, but honestly, it fits perfectly with this wonderfully odd RPG.
The remaster makes things a little easier to understand, but it’s still pretty confusing at first. Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up soon enough. That said, it’s definitely worth skimming through this guide first, so you don’t end up wasting a ton of gold just trying to make every random person in Cyrodiil like you.
How Persuasion Works in Oblivion Remastered
Most NPCs you chat with in Oblivion Remastered will have a little face icon at the bottom of the interaction menu. Clicking this won’t start a conversation about a topic like the other options above it, instead, it’ll throw you straight into the Persuasion minigame.
And that’s where the “fun” begins.
The Basics: Disposition and the Wheel
When you enter the minigame, you’ll see a blank wheel and the NPC’s Disposition number, which ranges from 1 to 100.
- At 100, they basically adore you.
- At 1, they’re ready to punch you.
Everyone starts with different numbers, but usually, you’ll want to hit around 70 or higher if you need someone to like you enough to spill information for a quest.
Understanding the Persuasion Circle
When you start, four one-word options will pop up around the circle:
- Admire
- Joke
- Coerce
- Boast
You’ll have to select each option once to finish the minigame. Every character loves one, likes one, dislikes one, and hates one. Your goal is to figure out which is which!
The smart play? Pick the loved and liked options when their sections are the biggest (more bars = more points) and pick the disliked and hated ones when their sections are as small as possible.
How the Circle Rotates
Every time you choose an option, the wheel rotates clockwise, changing how big each section is. For example:
- If “Coerce” starts with only one bar, it’s a great time to pick it (especially if they hate it).
- After you make a selection, the bar sizes shift, so you’ll have to plan ahead with every move.
Each choice affects disposition:
- Loved choice = big gain
- Liked choice = small gain
- Disliked choice = small loss
- Hated choice = bigger loss
And yes, you’re always gaining and losing disposition during this game. Timing is everything.
Quick Tip: Don’t sit around staring at the wheel too long! If you idle, the NPC’s disposition will slowly drop. Staring makes people uncomfortable in real life and in Cyrodiil, too.
Reading NPC Reactions
You’ll need to hover over each choice at the start to figure out what the NPC likes and hates. Watch their facial expressions:
- Big grin? They love it.
- Grimace? They hate it.
In the original game, it was harder to tell (especially with races like Orcs where the expressions weren’t super clear). Luckily, Remastered made things easier with more expressive faces and color-coded choices starting from the second time you play Persuasion with the same character:
- Green: They love it.
- Yellow: They like it.
- Bronze: They dislike it.
- Red: They hate it.
You’ll still see their facial expressions, but the colors help a lot!
Bribery and Speechcraft Explained
Bribery
If you’re rolling in gold and don’t feel like playing the minigame, you can bribe the NPC instead.
When you bribe, the game will show you how much the disposition goes up and how much it costs.
It’s super effective—but also super expensive.
Pro Tip: Bribing once or twice and then finishing with the minigame can be a good strategy if you’re feeling lazy (and rich).
Speechcraft
The Speechcraft skill makes a big difference in Persuasion over time. Here’s what you unlock:
- 25 Speechcraft (Apprentice): Disposition drops slower while you’re on the Persuasion screen.
- 50 Speechcraft (Journeyman): You can rotate the circle once for free during the minigame to set things up better.
- 75 Speechcraft (Expert): Bribing gets cheaper.
- 100 Speechcraft (Master): Picking hated options doesn’t hurt you as much, and the disposition doesn’t drop over time anymore.
Bottom Line: Leveling Speechcraft makes life much easier if you plan to sweet-talk your way through Cyrodiil.
Quick Final Tip: Know When to Stop
For most quests, getting a character’s disposition to around 70 is enough to move forward. If they still won’t help you, you may need to push it even higher—but always check before you keep dumping gold or effort into boosting it.
