Persuasion

[Khalim]

Well, often it happens to me, that I underestimate skills, but I do not see a good point to chose persuation, because actually you do not need it often in the beginning.
When and how does this skill become useful?
For the PeaceMaking quest it might be bring a lot of money, but it never worked with my low skill to persuate the lord.
Is recruiting Lords in the late game that important? Are there other ways of recruiting them?
How would you evaluate persuation overall? What are its greatest advantages?

 

[Sibilance]

It gives you fringe perks of slightly more recruits at villages and a very slight (4% per level) increased chance of recruiting from your prisoners, but it's always been a little underpowered. Don't know how much difference it makes for persuading lords to go with your tactical suggestions in Warband, but that certainly can't hurt.

 

[Weathereye]

Persuasion seems to help with convincing honorable lords to join you.  Facts:

With +60/3 (relationship/persuasion) I am able to get Ralcha to talk about his king.
With +68/2 he refuses and our relationship suffers if I press the matter.
This is the case when they are loyal (even if they dislike the king) and say that he's their liege and that's all they would say about the matter.  I tried multiple times and there is no luck (randomness) involved from what I can tell.

It may be simply that it adds some bonus to your relationship, but then it would need to be at least 10 points of relationship per 1 point of persuasion.  Or it could be non-linear like trainer, like one point grants +2 bonus, two +6, three +14.  It'd be interesting to see the exact numbers. 

Anyway, it seems to be very useful if you prefer a more peaceful and honorable approach.  You don't need to beat up everyone who disagrees.  Adds some depth to the game. 

 

[Askorti]

Don't know how much difference it makes for persuading lords to go with your tactical suggestions in Warband, but that certainly can't hurt.

I've made a test. With 10 persuasion I asked an enemy lord to join my kingdom. He said that military it would be better with me, politically too and he liked way I wanted to convince him (his ancient law of lord or something) but he STILL didn't wanted to join me -.- PLUS I had 101 relations point with him (yes, 101, not 100!) Maybe because of my low RtR? I had over 1500 renown and 250 honour... (plus a lot of fiefs that Swadians "gave" me ;p)

 

[Abriael]

Persuasion helps you persuade lords to "tell you a little more" when they respond "he's my liege, that's all I have to say" (which happens a lot, so it does help). As far as I know it doe not help in getting him to actually join you.

Their decision to join you is predetermined, and is checked and changed every so often depending to conditions I don't know. So the vest way to persuade a lord is to save before, try, and if he doesn't join, reload, because otherwise he'll be "weary of talking politics" for a long, long period of time.

 

[Charles du Lac]

Persuasion also works when doing the quest "collect the loan", and for talking your companion into staying.