Haggle and Bargain Strategies for Leveling Up Speech Quickly in Skyrim

Skyrim, the fifth game in The Elder Scrolls series, boasts a one-of-a-kind world filled with a variety of skills and abilities. To harness these skills to their maximum potential, the Dragonborn must train and level them up. Among these skills is Speech, which can prove to be a challenging task to level up through conventional methods, often requiring a significant amount of time and effort.

The Speech skill is crucial for bargaining and getting the best value when selling products to merchants as the Dragonborn. So, is there a quick and efficient way to level up this skill within an hour?

1. How to Quickly Level Up Speech in Skyrim?

Speech SKill
Speech SKill | Source: In-game screenshot

There are numerous methods to rapidly increase Speech in Skyrim-

  1. When you choose to sell individual items rather than stacks of them, it will result in faster leveling up of Speech.
  2. Earn more EXP by selling the items you have crafted – Compared to raw materials, crafted items have a higher value and provide a greater amount of EXP when sold.
  3. Enchanted items are a great source of both gold and experience points.
  4. Frequent transactions – If you continuously sell a single item or a group of items repeatedly, your Speech EXP will increase rapidly.
  5. Engage in Criminal Activities – Participating in small-scale criminal activities such as lockpicking or stealing inexpensive items can create chances to use persuasion, intimidation, and bribery on guards.
  6. To receive advanced Speech training, visit Giraud Gemane, the Master skill trainer at the Bards College in Solitude.
  7. The Thief Stone Blessing, which falls under the Stealth skill set, provides a 20% increase to Speech skills.
Thief Stone Blessing
Thief Stone Blessing | Source: In-game screenshot

While leveling up skills can be enjoyable, it is important to also take efficiency into consideration. Many players prioritize maxing out their skills, and one effective method for doing so is by selling crafted and enchanted items to merchants. This not only yields more gold, but also increases Speech EXP.

The items should be sold separately as selling them in stacks results in less profit due to the merchants’ financial struggles. Additionally, dealing with guards is another way to make transactions, but only if you have the minimum Speech level required for Bribe and Persuasion. This can help you avoid penalties for minor crimes.

As a component of the Stealth skill tree, the Speech skills receive a 20% increase from the Thief Stone Blessing. This allows for quicker skill leveling.

2. How to Optimize Your Transactions?

There are two methods to enhance and maximize the effectiveness of your transactions-

  1. Utilizing Items and Potions: Items and potions with the Fortify Persuasion effect can directly increase your Speech skill, while those with Fortify Barter can improve the prices offered by merchants. This allows you to achieve the optimal prices of 100% buy value and 105% sell value.
  2. Daily Gold Reset for Merchants: Merchants replenish their gold supply every day, making it possible to conduct multiple transactions without incurring significant losses. This ensures the best value for customers.
Merchant Transaction
Merchant Transaction | Source: In-game screenshot

A high Speech skill can bring many advantages. In certain situations, it may provide players with opportunities to convince, offer incentives, or use intimidation tactics to manipulate characters into complying with their wishes.

Speech is an incredibly valuable skill for any build in Skyrim, particularly if your tricks prove successful. With its ability to swiftly complete quests and evade perilous battles, Speech can greatly benefit any player (after all, who doesn’t need some extra gold?).

3. How to Get a Free Level of Speech?

To obtain a free level of Speech in Skyrim, make your way to the summit of the Lost Valley Redoubt ruins, situated in the southeast of Markarth. As you continue, you will come across a colossal waterfall with a wooden structure nearby that serves as a marker.

This structure resembles a narrow bridge or a plank that you can walk across. To uncover the Bard’s Leap, you must tread carefully and make your way to the end. Remember to exercise caution and take a leap; if you land successfully in the water, you will reach the bottom.

By identifying a Phantom Bard, you will have the opportunity to observe him playing his lute. Engage with him multiple times, and he will share his story of attempting and not succeeding, before continuing to play. Within a few moments, your Speech skill will increase without any extra effort.

4. What are the perks available in Speech?

Speech Perks
Speech Perks | Source: In-game screenshot

The Speech skill offers a variety of perks, including:

Perk Level Description
Haggling Buying and selling prices are 10% better.
Allure 30 10% better prices with the opposite sex.
Merchant 50 Can sell any type of item to any kind of merchant.
Investor 70 Can invest 500 gold with a shopkeeper to increase his available gold permanently.
Fence 90 Can barter stolen goods with any merchant you have invested in.
Master Trader 100 Every merchant in the world gains 1000 gold for bartering.
Bribery 30 Can bribe guards to ignore crimes.
Persuasion 50 Persuasion attempts are 30% easier.
Intimidation 70 Intimidation is twice as successful.
List of all Perks of Speech

About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Bethesda Game Studios developed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for various platforms including Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

This role-playing action game’s plot follows the events that occurred 200 years after the conclusion of Oblivion.

Taking place in the realm of Skyrim, the narrative follows Dovah-Kiin, also known as the Dragon Born, as they embark on a mission to vanquish Alduin before he destroys the entire world and leaves it in ruins.

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