Talking

v50.15 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Talking to someone in Adventurer mode.

k	Talk to somebody

Now that you know how to kill people, you may also want to know how to talk to and otherwise interact with them in a less-violent manner - while this is less entertaining, it can sometimes be useful.

To begin a conversation or performance, press k. Unless someone else has already started a conversation with you (see below if someone has), you will get a cyan X that can be positioned over people you want to talk to with the normal directional keys. Use - and + to select who you want to talk to. Aside from individuals, you can also Shout out to everybody, which will have you talking with everyone in earshot, or talk to your deity, or even P Begin Performance which includes such things as reciting poetry, telling stories or dancing, and is very important if you want to be a bard.

Whenever you want to advance the conversation, you have to press k again and choose the ongoing conversation you wish to continue. You will also see ongoing conversations from people who have started a conversation with you. If you want to talk to someone else during this time, simply Start a new conversation.

• Greet listener — Has you offering a greeting to someone, when you're initiating the conversation. You learn the listener's name.
• Bypass greeting (new menu) — Skips the greeting, taking you straight to the normal conversation menus. You don't learn the listener's name, e.g. the greasy-haired human.
• Reply to greeting — If you aren't the one who started the conversation, this option will let you reply to someone's greeting. They will then talk about some trouble.
• Refuse conversation — Causes you to explicitly refuse to talk to someone who started a conversation with you. Unknown if this has a different effect from simply not doing anything.^[Verify]
• Reply to greeting (impersonation) — Like Reply to greeting, except you're impersonating a deity.
• Nevermind — This has you back out of having a conversation.

The game shows the listener's attitude towards you in the upper-right corner. A good joke or compliment can ease tension, though a bad one might make things worse - try to get on their good side before asking them difficult questions. If you pester them too much, they may refuse to speak with you, saying "I must take my leave." Fortunately, deities don't seem to care if you blabber at them incessantly.

When you start talking to someone, you are presented with a wide array of things to talk about. (If the person you are talking to started the conversation and told you about some trouble, you'll first get a menu related to that trouble. Just press --Enter to Change the subject (new menu) to get to this first menu.) Your choices are as follows:

Return to current topic (new menu)	You'll see this option only if you chose to change the subject in another menu. This will, predictably, take you back to that subject.
Bring up specific incident or rumor (new menu)	Allows you to spread rumors or summarize conflicts you've been a part of. The next step of the conversation will bring up a menu of choices that allow you to ask for directions to places or state your opinion on the incident/rumor.
Create a performance troupe together (group naming menu)	If the listener is in your party as a performer, you can choose this option to create an official troupe.
Ask to become a hearthperson	Only appears when talking to a lord/lady who you aren't under the command of. Allows you to become one of the leader's guards.
Invite listener to become a hearthperson	Only appears when you are a leader. Allows the listener to become one of your guards.
Ask to become a lieutenant	Only appears when talking to a bandit leader who you aren't under the command of. Allows you to become one of the leader's lieutenants.
Invite listener to become a lieutenant	Only appears when you are a bandit leader. Allows the listener to become one of your lieutenants.
Ask to be made a performer for group	Only appears when you are talking to a leader. Allows you to become a performer for the group. Usually, you need to prove your performing capabilities to be accepted.
Ask for your performance troupe to become performers for group	Only appears when you are talking to a leader. Allows your performance troupe to become performers for the group.
Request duty or advice pertaining to service as a hearthperson	Only appears when talking to a leader who you are under the command of. You will receive some task to accomplish for the group, if there is anything that needs doing. In 42.xx, these will include killing monsters and bandits, or causing trouble for other groups. Completing these tasks will allow you to gain fame as a loyal soldier in addition to the fame from slaying the beast or killing the bandits.
Request duty or advice pertaining to service as a lieutenant	Only appears when talking to a bandit leader who you are under the command of - you will receive some task to accomplish for the group, if there is anything that needs doing. In 42.xx, these will include killing monsters but not bandits, or causing trouble for other groups. Completing these tasks will allow you to gain fame as a loyal soldier, in addition to the fame from slaying the beast.
Bring up the journey together	Only appears when talking to a companion. The next step of the conversation will allow you to cancel the agreement you made with that person, if you so choose.
Inquire about any troubles	Asks the listener what things in the world are bothering them and their people. Troubles can be personal - like the abduction of their child - which they will talk about first, or rumors they have heard and local events.
Ask for directions (new menu)	Allows you to ask for the location of a specific creature or site. People aren't guaranteed to know, and may instead direct you to someone who does.
Ask about somebody (new menu)	Allows you to ask about a specific creature. Useful to find out if they know somebody, what their relation might be, and what they think of them.
Ask about the local ruler	As you might imagine, this gets you some information on who controls this particular area.
Trade or settle debts	Allows you to trade with a merchant or pay for your drink from a tavern keeper. Note that you have to be right next to them for this to work.
Ask about available services, drinks, rooms, etc.	Appears when in a structure, but only works with tavern keepers. Allows you to purchase drinks and rent rooms in a tavern.
Exchange, give, or take personal items	Like Trade, only that it works with non-merchants.
Ask favor, place request, make demand or issue order (new menu)	Takes the player to a menu of various requests you can make, including asking the listener to yield, stay put, or pay homage to your group. The options available depend on who you're talking to.
Investigate or interrogate (new menu)	Opens a menu with options to ask about the creature's master or boss and schemes or plots, using social skills like Persuader or Intimidator.
Ask listener to join you (new menu)	This is how you get companions. You can either ask them to join you on an adventure, to lead you to some location, or to join your performance troupe if they are convinced of your skills.
Gift a (large) pet or mount (new menu)	Opens a menu to pick a creature to give to the listener.
Claim this site for yourself (group naming menu)	This option allows you to stake a claim on the site you are in. You need to retire or be a hearthperson or lieutenant to be able to claim as an Outsider.
Ask for permission to stay a day	Allows you to sleep in the listener's building for the night.
Ask about the structure you are in	Tells you about whatever structure you are standing in, if you are standing in one.
Ask about this site's neighbors and trade partners	Lets you learn what sites this site is neighboring and/or trading with.
Ask about the surrounding area	Choosing this will tell you about some location nearby, and why it's significant.
Express your emotions (new menu)	Brings you to a menu where you can state your feelings about an event (such as improving a skill), or say something general about your emotions or thoughts.
State your values (new menu)	Lets you state one of your values. Doing so will start an argument with the listener if they have differing values, and can train your Persuader, Judge of Intent, Flatterer, Intimidator, and Pacifier social skills depending on how you argue. If you win the argument, your opposition's values will change to match yours. If you give in, yours will change. This can result in your needs changing.
Comment on weather	Small talk about the weather. Really.
Comment on natural surroundings	Same as the weather, only about the nature around you.
Make a flattering remark	Complement them on their appearance using the Flatterer skill.
Try to calm the listener	Tell them to relax using the Pacifier skill.
Tell a joke	"Tell" them a joke using the Comedian skill. Only shows the punch line or setup, never both.
Accuse listener of being a night creature	If chosen against a night creature, such as a vampire, it will expose them. Normal individuals will just think you're losing it.
Inquire about listener's profession	Learn what it is the listener does. Useful for lords and ladies and anyone else whose profession isn't listed next to them. Can also potentially oust non-hostile bandits, if you aren't sure you have the right suspect. For children, you are told their age.
Ask about listener's family	Discover what family the listener has, as expected.
Brag about your past violent acts	Causes you to brag about whatever was the last violent act you did. Doesn't seem to have an effect, or at least of severely less impact than summarizing the conflict.[Verify]
Say goodbye	Ends the conversation.

Note that you can press Esc to not choose anything - because the conversation is still ongoing, you have to explicitly say goodbye to end it - pressing Esc is useful if you need to double-check something before talking.