This page details an overview of the Speech skill in Skyrim, including recommended perks, leveling tips, and where to find Speech trainers.

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Speech, Skyrim.

Speech Overview¶

Speech determines the prices you get when buying and selling things, and determines your chances of success when attempting to persuade, bribe, or intimidate others. Speech perks also allow you to sell items to merchants who don’t peddle those wares, invest in a shop to increase their available gold, sell stolen items to merchants you’ve invested in, and even increase the money available to every merchant in the game.

Recommended Perks¶

As Speech is pretty much all about making more gold, you don’t necessarily need to spend any perks to increase combat effectiveness. But let’s not be hasty, I hear you say; what about the story and quest sides of Speech? Well… sadly even with a Speech score of 0 there was not a single situation where a Speech option was possible that couldn’t be overcome. Now, even with a score of 100 some characters will be unmoved by one attempt or another, but a character that isn’t moved by a Persuade attempt might be Intimidated, or failing that, Bribed. Since every quest can be done without spending any perks, why bother wasting perks? You’ll get enough gold without blowing perks in the Speech skill, and improving your Persuade/Bribe/Intimidate chances aren’t necessary.

Leveling Tips¶

There are really only two ways to level up Speech; succeed at Persuade/Intimidate/Bribe checks, or sell items. There are plenty of options to do the former throughout Skyrim, but aside from joining the Thieves Guild, committing minor crimes and getting caught, bribing your way out of trouble is the only somewhat reliable way to grind them, and even that’s limited.

Fortunately, you’ll generate tons of loot to sell when you’re performing the radiant quests for Vex and Delvin, and while leveling up the crafting skills. Just sell the items you steal or craft to Tonilia in the Thieves Guild (preferably after completing some of the quests to upgrade the Thieves Guild to increase her funds) to increase your Speech. Do so one item at a time, as this gets you more Speech experience than selling in bulk.

Speech Trainer Locations¶