Using Companion's Social Skills?

[Maltheist]

Just wondering if dialogue options are dictated by the main character's social skills, or if companions are able to use their skills to help your character during conversations?

Example: Does my main character need Intimidation or Persuasion, or can I rely on Wyll to Intimidate or Persuade people for me?

[Cruddy]

Check the community update that was posted today.


In Short, No. if you companion has spells/abilities that increase your chance to succeed, Like Cleric "Guidance" cantrip or Bardic Inspiration you'll be able to select them before you roll. But no for the rest.

[Farsha]

Only the character that initiates dialogue can use his skill in it.
You can't swap character mid dialogue neither can they assist you in any way with skills, only before rolls with spells if they have (guidence)

Originally they planned character swapping mid dialogue, but they could not figure out how to do it. So you want to talk to people with your Charisma character if you want to Deceive, persuate or intimidate for example.

On one hand it's bad, on the other it can be a lot of fun to play a character with 0 social skills like CHA8 Barbarian, just failing and end up swinging your Axe all the time :D

[LinkToReality.ttv]

You can use Wyll to intimitade and persuade as long as you initiate the conversation with Wyll and not your MC.

[2LambBuna]

you can use wyll as the face yes

[fenixverloren]

Keep in mind that you will also not be gaining any approval or disapproval if you use your companions for speech instead of your MC.

[Garry Leonard]

I'm portantly you get a lot in conversation from perception and insight rolls that you won't get from charisma rolls. So while charisma lets you get what you want. Wisdom will let you know what you want. I'm sure other stats will also have convo bonuses.

Thier is a whole hidden thing in the game you can only get with a character with high perception and insight according to dev interveiws.

[LinkToReality.ttv]

Originally posted by Farsha:

Originally they planned character swapping mid dialogue, but they could not figure out how to do it.

It's not that they couldn't figure out how, it's that it overloaded the already packed complexity of the narrative. It made for too many possible paths. since it then would have to move the conversation over to this new character and this interaction had to be stored too and allow for new possibilities.

[Maltheist]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. I appreciate it.

I have been trying to work out how to cover as many bases as possible with my main character. My priorities have been Perception, Insight, and Persuasion on a main character with good Wisdom and Charisma. Secondary priorities are: Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Investigation. It is hard to cover so much on my main character, with how few skills characters get in D&D5e rules, so I am just sorting out what I need to lean on Companions for. There also seems to be only one Companion with the Proficiency to wear Heavy Armor, and I am skeptical how well Lae'zel will fit into a traditionally good party.

So far my party seems likely to be:
Half Wood Elf Folk Hero Valor Bard (well-balanced jack of all trades kind of character that will likely take the Skilled Feat at 4th level to expand his options.)
Then I am thinking that Gale, Wyll and Jaheira are probably the best personalities to fit with my main character, with some re-speccing to to cover any gaps he may still have.