Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Home All pages
All vikis
Aion 2AnantaArcheAge ChroniclesCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 4Chrono OdysseyCivilization 3Civilization 4Crimson DesertDiablo 4Diablo 5EnshroudedFableFinal Fantasy ResonanceGrand Theft Auto 6Heroes of Might and Magic 3Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden EraKingdom Come: Deliverance 2Path of Exile 2Phantom Blade ZeroSoulframeValheimWitcher 3: Wild Hunt – RemasteredWorld of Warcraft: ForeverZelda: Ocarina of Time – Remake
Start your own viki

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Mysteria Ecclesiae out forSince Nov 11, 2025

11Months14Days

Speech and Charisma

Dialogue checks in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 pass or fail outright: the stat a line uses (Persuasion, Coercion, Impression, Domination, Presence or Intimidation) must meet the check's level, and each draws on Speech, Charisma, gear and reputation. Speech is a main stat raised by haggling, books and passed checks; Charisma (maximum 30) comes from clean, fine clothes, baths, perfumes and perks.

In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 a dialogue check is passed or failed outright: the stat a line names must equal or beat the check's level, with no percentage roll, and that stat is built from Henry's Speech, his Charisma, his gear and his reputation with the listener (Game Rant's speech check guide, Marc Santos, Feb 25, 2025). Speech is one of Henry's four main stats and rises through haggling, reading and talking; Charisma is a derived stat set by his clothes and appearance, up to 30. Warhorse put the idea plainly before launch: present yourself "bloodied and bruised from battle and they'll judge you accordingly" (Warhorse on Steam, Oct 4, 2024). Checks open shortcuts through quests, cheaper prices, free services and ways out of fines and fights.

A dim tavern room with herbs hanging from the beams and sunlight from a window; a hand reaches in from the bottom of the frame toward a smiling bearded man in red with open arms, beside a woman in a dark dress at a table.
Inside a tavern in first person: Henry reaches out toward a man in a red tunic who spreads his arms, while a woman stands at a table with apples. Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver

Quick facts

Speech Main stat, levels to 30
Charisma Derived from clothes and appearance, maximum 30; gives no perk points
Dialogue stats Persuasion, Coercion, Impression, Domination, Presence, Intimidation
Check rule Pass if the stat meets or beats the check; no percentage
Raise Speech Haggle, read books (about 150 groschen each), attempt checks
Raise Charisma Clean, fine clothes; baths; perfumes; perks; a haircut
Lowers Charisma Dirt, tiredness, drunkenness, the stocks, mixing perfumes
Key perks Jack of All Trades, Silver Tongue, Liberal Arts, Charming Companion

Sources: Game Rant's speech check guide, Game Rant's Charisma guide, Game Rant on perk points, TheGamer on the level cap, PCGamesN's leveling guide.

How dialogue checks work

Each check line is tied to one dialogue stat, and some to a skill. Game Rant's speech check guide says the relevant stat must meet or exceed the check, that skills such as Stealth and Scholarship can be the thing checked, and that the dialogue stats themselves cannot be trained by practice: they follow from what feeds them.

There are six dialogue stats, in three pairs. Game Rant's explainer (Josh Cotts, Feb 4, 2025) groups Persuasion and Coercion as mainly Speech, Presence and Intimidation as armor, weapons and fitness, and Impression and Domination as mainly Charisma with some Speech. Game Rant's later guide breaks them down:

Stat What drives it (Game Rant, Feb 25, 2025)
Persuasion Reputation, Charisma and Speech
Coercion Mainly Speech, a little Charisma
Impression Mostly Charisma, then Speech; a high reputation with the listener
Domination Mostly Charisma, plus Speech and a worse reputation
Presence Equipment quality and a better reputation
Intimidation Equipment quality and a worse reputation

The best number is not always the best choice. Game Rant says noble clothes make Domination and Persuasion easier, bloodied weapons and armor help Intimidation (so it advises against always cleaning them), Intimidation rarely works on someone as dangerous-looking as Henry, and Domination does less against people of higher standing. PCGamesN's perk list also names a Dread stat, raised by the Criminal Element perk (PCGamesN, May 16, 2025).

Reputation is local. TheGamer explains that it is tracked per town, per region and per person, and is helped by saying the right things, paying fairly, not stealing and looking presentable (TheGamer's beginner tips, Feb 4, 2025). How crimes damage it is on Crime and Reputation.

Listening matters as much as passing. Game Rant notes that key quest information often appears only in conversation, not in the journal (Game Rant).

Raising Speech

Speech levels by being used. PCGamesN's leveling guide (Feb 4, 2025) says to haggle every trade, one item at a time and without annoying the vendor, to buy skill books from the scribes in Troskowitz and at Trosky Castle at about 150 groschen each, and to attempt Speech checks even when Henry means to fight. Game Rant (Feb 6, 2025) calls passed checks the main source of Speech experience, with reading giving less.

Potions and perks add to it for a while. The Fox potion improves Speech, and a good one speeds reading (PCGamesN's potion list, Feb 18, 2025); the Main Level perk Pacifist gives +3 Speech after 12 hours without killing (PCGamesN). Recipes are on Alchemy and Potion Recipes.

In Hardcore Mode the negative perk Bashful cuts Speech experience by 20% (Game Rant, Apr 17, 2025).

Raising Charisma

Charisma is the sum of what Henry wears. Game Rant's Charisma guide (Taylor Pittman, Feb 12, 2025) calls it a derived stat "determined by Henry's clothes and overall appearance", the cumulative total of each piece, with a maximum of 30. Because it cannot be leveled with experience, it never earns a perk point (Game Rant, Feb 12, 2025).

Clean, repaired, fine clothes are the base. The same guide says to keep clothes and armor repaired and clean: wash them at a laundry spot on a pier with Soap, bathe at a trough, or best of all pay for a bathhouse, which also restores health and stamina. Noble clothing, delicate hats and jewelry from tailors raise Charisma most. A paid bath also prevents the Reeky debuff (Game Rant's bathhouse guide, Apr 13, 2026). Clothing is on Armor and Clothing.

Perfumes and haircuts give temporary boosts. Lion Perfume gives a strong, brief boost and Mintha Perfume a small, long one, and mixing perfumes lowers Charisma (PCGamesN); any haircut from the barbers added in Patch 1.2 gives a temporary Charisma boost (PCGamesN). Patch 1.2 put barbers in Zhelejov and Kuttenberg (Warhorse on Steam, Mar 13, 2025).

Some items carry big bonuses. Jezhek's Spurs, a reward of Sir Jezhek's side quest, give +7 Charisma (Game Rant, Mar 2, 2025).

Several perks add Charisma. From Game Rant's Charisma guide and PCGamesN's May 2025 perk list:

Perk Tree Effect
Charming Companion Houndmaster 10 +3 Charisma with Mutt nearby
Flower Power Survival 8 Charisma counts 2 higher carrying more than 30 unspoiled herbs
Fundamentals of Law Scholarship 12 Speech and Charisma count 2 higher with guards; fines 20% lower
Heracles Strength +1 Charisma per 5 Strength levels (Game Rant)
Knight in Shining Armor Not given +1 to +4 Charisma in plate armor (Game Rant)
Undaunted Cavalier Main Level 8 Charisma above 20 adds armor (PCGamesN)

What lowers them

Dirt, fatigue and drink drag Henry's standing down. Game Rant says tiredness lowers Charisma along with Strength, Vitality and Agility (Game Rant, Feb 17, 2025), and TheGamer says drunkenness lowers Speech and Charisma and raises conspicuousness (TheGamer, Feb 5, 2025). TheGamer's beginner tips add that dirty clothes hurt Henry's standing in dialogue.

Punishment does too. A spell in the stocks leaves Henry "Disgraced", at Charisma -4 and conspicuousness +20 for a time (Game Rant, Feb 6, 2025).

Shabby clothes trade Charisma for stealth. Old clothes make Henry harder to notice, but lower Charisma and make people talk down to him (Game Rant, Feb 9, 2025); see Stealth, Lockpicking and Pickpocketing.

Speech perks and other dialogue perks

The Speech tree is mostly about trade and checks. PCGamesN's list as updated May 16, 2025 (numbers may have changed since):

Level Perks
6 Polished Wares (+10% for near-perfect gear sold); Silver Tongue (+4 Speech for haggling)
8 Adept of the Mystic Arts (10% better prices on herb recipes and books); Artisan (10% better prices on weapons, armor, clothing)
10 Hustler (stolen goods sell more easily, with Stealth and Thievery experience); Jack of All Trades (+2 to skill checks and more experience from them)
12 Battle Cry (+10% damage for 10 seconds); Ladies' Man (with women: +2 to checks, 15% off purchases, 25% off bathhouses)
14 Dreaded Warrior (a battle cry lowers enemy courage)
16 Final Offer (a merchant makes one more offer when losing patience)
18 Battle Cry II (+15% total)
20 Dreaded Warrior II

Other trees help too. Main Level 12 offers Good Natured (+2 Persuasion, Impression and Presence, guards less likely to be called) or Criminal Element (+2 Coerce, Dominate and Dread); Main Level 6 offers Charming Man (+10% reputation gained) or Opportunist (PCGamesN). The Alchemy perk Dark Arts Apprentice adds +2 Coercion, Intimidation and Domination with commoners (Game Rant).

Liberal Arts (Scholarship 10) shows something about each check, and the outlets differ on what. PCGamesN says it shows a check's difficulty, Game Rant's speech check guide says it shows the odds of success, and a Game Rant romance guide says it marks a check easy, medium or hard rather than Henry's odds (Game Rant). TheGamer's Cunning Diplomat build takes Silver Tongue, Jack of All Trades and Ladies' Man and uses perfumes for social checks (TheGamer, Feb 26, 2025). Every tree is on Perks, and builds on Builds.

Haggling

Every purchase and sale can be haggled. TheGamer's method is to offer a price between your best and the market price, then counter halfway between your last offer and the merchant's (TheGamer). Silver Tongue and Final Offer make it easier, and money in general is on Money Making Guide.

Checks you will meet

Speech, Charisma and reputation open many quest shortcuts. A few, from outlets' walkthroughs:

Where Check Source
Semine stables A simple check returns Pebbles free (Horses) TheGamer
Materia Prima Speech above 10 gets the thieves' clothes without paying 199 groschen Game Rant
Opus Magnum Aim for Charisma 15 or more when chaperoning Enneleyn Game Rant
Invaders Charisma 20 or more to help Jasak in love Game Rant
Necessary Evil Charisma, Deception or Intimidation (or good armor) avoids torturing a prisoner Game Rant
Into the Underworld Intimidate Chenyek instead of paying him 200 groschen or fighting Game Rant
Caught by a guard Persuade with Speech, Presence or Intimidation instead of a fine Game Rant

Game Rant calls speech checks often the easiest way through quests such as Into the Underworld (Game Rant). The quests are on Main Quests in Trosky, Main Quests in Kuttenberg and Side Quests.

Frequently asked questions

How do speech checks work in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Speech checks in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 are pass or fail: the stat a dialogue line uses must meet or beat the check's level, with no percentage roll, Game Rant explains. The stats come from Speech, Charisma, gear and reputation.

How do you increase Charisma in KCD2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 you raise Charisma by wearing clean, repaired, fine clothes and jewelry, bathing at a bathhouse, using Lion or Mintha perfume, getting a haircut, and taking perks such as Charming Companion (+3 with Mutt), per Game Rant and PCGamesN. The maximum is 30.

How do you level Speech fast in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Haggle every trade, attempt every Speech check and read Speech books, which the scribes in Troskowitz and at Trosky Castle sell for about 150 groschen each in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, PCGamesN advises.

What is the difference between Persuasion and Intimidation in KCD2? In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Persuasion draws on reputation, Charisma and Speech, while Intimidation draws on the quality of Henry's equipment and a worse reputation, Game Rant says; bloodied gear helps Intimidation and noble clothes help Persuasion.

What does Liberal Arts do in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Liberal Arts, a Scholarship 10 perk in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, shows information about dialogue checks: PCGamesN says their difficulty, and one Game Rant guide says easy, medium or hard rather than the exact odds.

Does armor affect speech checks in KCD2? Yes: in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 equipment quality feeds Presence and Intimidation, noble clothing helps Domination and Persuasion, and plate armor with the Knight in Shining Armor perk adds Charisma, Game Rant says.

Sources

Moments

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 - 10 Things The Game DOESN'T TELL YOU

gameranx

  1. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 a dialogue check is passed or failed outright: the stat a line names must equal or beat…

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Game Reveal

Warhorse Studios

  1. Reputation is local. TheGamer explains that it is tracked per town, per region and per person, and is helped by saying…

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 - 25 Essential Beginner's Tips & Explanations (Gameplay Mechanics Guide)🔎

WolfheartFPS

  1. Charisma is the sum of what Henry wears. Game Rant's Charisma guide (Taylor Pittman, Feb 12, 2025) calls it a derived…
  2. Every purchase and sale can be haggled. TheGamer's method is to offer a price between your best and the market price…

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Gameplay Showcase

Warhorse Studios

  1. Clean, repaired, fine clothes are the base. The same guide says to keep clothes and armor repaired and clean: wash…
  2. Dirt, fatigue and drink drag Henry's standing down. Game Rant says tiredness lowers Charisma along with Strength…

Photos

A dim tavern room with herbs hanging from the beams and sunlight from a window; a hand reaches in from the bottom of the frame toward a smiling bearded man in red with open arms, beside a woman in a dark dress at a table.

Every page

See also

Last updated Oct 25, 2026 by the Vi.ki team. Page text CC BY-SA 4.0.

Edit History

Hotkeys

/
Jump to the search box
? or Ctrl + /
Open this list
Esc
Close this list, the photo viewer, or the account menu

Video

Space or K
Play or pause
← →
Back or forward 5 seconds
J L
Back or forward 10 seconds
0 to 9
Go to 0% to 90% of the video
, .
Previous or next frame, while paused
M
Mute or unmute
C
Captions on or off
F
Full screen on or off
A D
Previous or next moment

Photo viewer

← → or A D
Previous or next photo
↑ ↓ or W S
Previous or next photo
Home End
First or last photo
I
Show or hide the photo's info
C
Clickless on or off: a pointer over a thumbnail shows it
N
Compare with the last photo: back to the one shown before this, and N again comes back
Q
Move the thumbnails to the next edge: top, bottom, left and round
Ctrl + ,
Open or close the viewer's settings
V
Clickless pan: a zoomed photo follows the pointer, rather than being dragged
B
Browse on or off
Z
Everything out of the way: full screen, no thumbnails, no button bar. Z again puts them back.