Social skill

v50.12 · 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

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

Social skills are used mainly by the Expedition leader, Manager and Broker. They are used in interactions between the dwarves in your fortress, as well as when talking with liaisons, diplomats, and merchants. Social skills can be acquired at embark, while performing various administrative tasks, or while socializing in a tavern. The starting dwarf with the most social skills will almost always become the expedition leader, who will automatically become your first mayor, so when giving social skills to your starting dwarves, don't give them to one whose preferences will lead to obnoxious mandates when s/he becomes mayor.

The following list is based on the skills listed in the nobles screen when replacing a noble.

List of social skills

Miscellaneous conversational skills

Social skills are trained at the tavern, during a conversation between two or more idle dwarves, and when trading. They are also listed as mayor skills.

• Conversationalist
• Comedian
• Flatterer
• Judge of intent
• Liar
• Intimidator
• Persuader
• Negotiator
• Consoler
• Pacifier

In the current fortress mode (44.12+), they all impact conversation rolls in groups. The conversation 'tasks' are console, haggle, discuss request, calm venter, and cover for gaffe. These tasks impact tree demands, trade agreement percentage values, haggling, whether you can cover if you screw up and offer the elves something wrong, etc, and the skill rolls matter. Regardless of the skill name, "consoler" isn't the only skill used to console somebody. Here is the table:

Task	Conversation	Comedy	Flattery	Judge intent	Lying	Intimidation	Persuasion	Negotiation	Console	Pacify
Console	√	√	√		√		√	√	√
Haggle		√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Discuss Request			√	√	√	√	√	√
Calm Venter		√	√	√	√	√	√	√		√
Cover for Gaffe		√	√		√		√	√		√

Broker skills

All of the conversational skills listed above are trained by (and thus, presumably, used in) trading, presumably to increase the chances of a deal being successful. Judge of intent skill is particularly important as it allows a broker to see how a trader feels about a particular deal. Note that the Appraiser skill, which is not a social skill, is also very important during the trading process.

Mayor skills

• Pacifier
• Consoler

While all the conversational skills are important for a mayoral dwarf seeking reelection by making friends, dwarves with these two skills can reduce the likelihood of tantrums by being complained at or cried on (which creates a happy thought for the other dwarf). These skills are also all listed as relevant for the manager.

Gaining social skills

Fortress Mode

Dwarves train their social skills when idling in meeting areas or attending parties and they are standing near another dwarf. All allowed social skills train at the same rate, except possibly Conversationalist for some dwarves. What social skills are allowed depends on both beliefs and facets of the particular dwarf. A typical dwarf meets all the non-override requirements except for low TRUTH, allowing all skills except Liar and Flatterer. Normally, all beliefs and all facets must meet the basic requirements. However, if any *single* facet meets the "override" requirement, all belief requirements are waived (but any other facet requirements remain). However, Conversationalist does something funny, which needs more research. Perhaps it is only *partially* unlocked by certain beliefs? (the override does make it work fully). (note that beliefs range from -50 to +50, while facets range from 0 to 100)

(tested with 0.47.4)

Skill	Belief	Facet	override
Persuader	ELOQUENCE ≥ -25	ASSERTIVENESS ≥ 25	ASSERTIVENESS ≥ 76
Negotiator	(none)	(none)	N/A
Judge of Intent	(none)	(none)	N/A
Liar	TRUTH ≤ 10	(none)	N/A
Intimidator	POWER ≥ -25 TRANQUILITY ≤ 25 HARMONY ≤ 25	ASSERTIVENESS ≥ 25 DISCORD ≥ 25	ASSERTIVENESS ≥ 76 DISCORD ≥ 76
Conversationalist	LEISURE_TIME ≥ -25 ? FRIENDSHIP ≥ -25 ? other beliefs ?	GREGARIOUSNESS ≥ 25 BASHFUL ≤ 75	GREGARIOUSNESS ≥ 76 BASHFUL ≤ 24
Comedian	MERRIMENT ≥ -25	HUMOR ≥ 25	HUMOR ≥ 76
Flatterer	TRUTH ≤ 25	FRIENDLINESS ≥ 40	FRIENDLINESS ≥ 76
Consoler	STOICISM ≤ 25	SWAYED_BY_EMOTIONS ≥ 25 CRUELTY ≤ 75 DISCORD ≤ 75	SWAYED_BY_EMOTIONS ≥ 76 CRUELTY ≤ 24 DISCORD ≤ 24
Pacifier	PEACE ≥ -25	DISCORD ≤ 75	DISCORD ≤ 24

Adventure Mode

Adventure mode characters can train some social skills by having conversations. (Oddly, Conversationalist is not one of them. ^Bug:10874) It is unknown if personality traits have any effect.

Judge of Intent and Persuader are trained whenever you argue a value (even if it is not your value) or press the argument. Responding with flattery trains Flatterer. Responding with dismissal trains Intimidator. Responding passively trains Pacifier.

As of recently^v0.47.01, there are new conversation options that can train social skills. The flatter, calm, and joke options train Flatterer, Pacifier, and Comedian, respectively. The interrogation menu options can train Persuader or Intimidator.

Social skills are important in Adventure mode, as they can let you persuade pretty much anyone into doing anything you want. This includes changing NPCs' values, persuading position holders of giving up their title, enlisting you into the army, and so on.