Disposition is a numerical representation of an NPC's friendliness towards you. Low disposition can result in negative effects and dialogue, while high disposition may earn you discounts, quests, and gifts.
Skyrim differs from its predecessors in that disposition unlocks the marriage option. Completing quests, hiring individuals, and other tasks will raise some individuals' dispositions to a level necessary for marriage. However, due to the fact that there are no charm-based spells that directly influence disposition in a form other than calm and frenzy, spells cannot be used to influence disposition for marriage.
Current relationshipEdit
- Use of the console command
player.getrelationshiprank <actor ID> - Click on the NPC so that their RefID is showing and enter
getrelationshiprank player
Relationship RankEdit
The default relationship rank is 0 (Acquaintance); the rank can vary between -4 and 4. The gold amount is the maximum value of an item you may take from someone at a certain rank without it being considered theft. Note that item value only works on items that belong to that person's faction, not items that are owned by that person. Also the item value is only evaluated once; meaning if you first become a friend, then later become an ally, the item value will remain at 25, not increase to 100.
| Value | Console name | Item value |
|---|---|---|
| -4 | Archnemesis | |
| -3 | Enemy | |
| -2 | Foe | |
| -1 | Rival | |
| 0 | Acquaintance | |
| 1 | Friend | 25 |
| 2 | Confidant | 50 |
| 3 | Ally | 100 |
| 4 | Lover | 500 |
Quest RewardsEdit
Several quests and favors influence the relationship rank of NPCs, usually when the quest is successfully completed. This is documented on the quest page in the following way:
- =1
- The rank is set to friend, no matter what it was before. If numbers other than 1 appear, the rank is set accordingly.
- 0→1
- The rank is set to friend, if it was acquaintance before. Otherwise nothing happens.
- min 1
- The rank is set to friend, if it was below before. A higher rank remains unchanged.
Disposition-Based GreetingsEdit
An NPC's greeting is affected by their disposition towards you. Dispositions of +1 and higher will result in a positive greeting, while dispositions of -1 and lower will result in a negative greeting.
| Voicetype | Positive Greeting | Negative Greeting |
|---|---|---|
| MaleArgonian | "Ours is to smile at your passing, friend." | "It fills us with rage. What harm does it bring to us now?" |
| FemaleArgonian | "It is our most favored company." | "It annoys us. What does it want to take from us now?" |
| MaleBrute | "You've been a good friend to me. That means something." | "I should bash your face in after all you've done." |
| MaleChild | "I bet you could slay one of those mean old dragons. I bet you could do anything." | "I hope monsters come and eat you." |
| FemaleChild | "You're the best! Could you be my father/mother?" | "You're mean. I hate you. I hate you forever and ever and ever." |
| MaleCommander and MaleNordCommander | "Good to have you by my side, friend. I need reliable people around." | "I don't like talking to someone who holds their honor so cheaply." |
| FemaleCommander | "You're someone who can get things done. I like that." | "You have something to say, dog? Something on your mind?" |
| MaleCommoner and MaleCommonerAccented | "Good to see you again, friend." | "What do you want? You've caused enough trouble." |
| FemaleCommoner | "Now here's a man/woman I'm glad to see." | "You. What do you want?" |
| MaleCondescending | "Good to see you. Finally someone useful is around." | "Something you need, you miserable wretch?" |
| FemaleCondescending | "Friends like you are hard to find and very valuable to me." | "Now why would I want to talk to you?" |
| MaleCoward | "Divines bless you. May the ground you walk quake as you pass." | "I don't mean you any trouble. Just leave me alone." |
| FemaleCoward | "It's so good to see you again." | "You! You're going to hurt me again, aren't you? Just stay away." |
| MaleDarkElf, DLC2MaleDarkELfCynical DB and DLC2MaleDarkElfCommoner DB | "Azura's wisdom to you, friend." | "Filth. Run to the horizon before I hunt you down." |
| FemaleDarkElf and DLC2FemaleDarkElfCommoner DB | "We're one of the same kind, you and I. I'm glad to have met you." | "There are so many delightful ways I've pictured you dead." |
| MaleDrunk | "My favorite drinking buddy. Let's get some mead." | "Gods strike you down." |
| MaleElfHaughty | "There are so few pleasures in life as fine as your company." | "Absolutely no time to deal with lowlifes these days. Go away." |
| FemaleElfHaughty | "So nice to have pleasant company for a change." | "Oh it's you. I was wondering why I was smelling something unpleasant." |
| MaleEvenToned and MaleEvenTonedAccented | "Divines smile on you, friend." | "You want to talk to me? After everything you've done?" |
| FemaleEvenToned | "What do you need, my friend?" | "I hope the wilds claim you, one of these days." |
| MaleKhajiit | "These sands are cold, but Khajiit feels warmness from your presence." | "Khajiit wishes for you to go away. You have done us too much harm." |
| FemaleKhajiit | "Speak. Khajiit will listen until all the sugars in the word turn sour." | "Its scent is foul, unclean. Hurtful." |
| MaleNord | "May the gods watch over your battles, friend." | "What do you want, milk-drinker?" |
| FemaleNord | "A fine day to you, friend. May you die with a sword in your hands." | "The gods know what you've done." |
| MaleOldGrumpy | "You're not as dumb as you look." | "Leave me alone. Can't an old man have some peace?" |
| FemaleOldGrumpy | "Well, look at you. If only everyone acted like you did." | "Here to shame an old woman? Leave me be." |
| MaleOldKindly | "Good to see Skyrim still has such fine people. You give an old man hope." | "Just looking at you makes me upset." |
| FemaleOldKindly | "I hope your parents are proud of you. They have a lot of reason to be." | "You're just rotten. No good." |
| MaleOrc | "May your next fight bring you victory, friend." | "What do you want? Aren't your hands coated with enough blood?" |
| FemaleOrc | "May your weapons be sharp and your prey fresh." | "For your crimes, may Malacath boil your blood and grind your bones." |
| FemaleShrill | "Good to see you. At least you know how to treat someone properly." | "Worthless. Everyone like you is completely worthless." |
| MaleSlyCynical | "You and me, we're the only people around who aren't complete fools." | "I've had just about all I'm willing to take from you. What is it?" |
| FemaleSultry | "It's so good to see you again." | "Every time I think of you, I imagine a Sabre Cat closing its claws around your face." |
| MaleYoungEager | "Good day, friend! Keeping well?" | "You're nothing but trouble." |
| FemaleYoungEager | "It's a fine day with you around." | "You. Every time I look at you my blood boils." |
OtherEdit
Other actions influencing the relationship rank:
- Gaining a permanent follower will make them an ally, if the rank was in the range of 0 and 2 before. Dismissing them doesn't change the relationship. For animal followers the initial rank is irrelevant.
- Investing in a merchant will make them a friend if they were an acquaintance before. Not all merchants can be invested in, though.
- Raising the disposition of some Orcs will cause them to make you Blood-Kin, granting you access to all Orc Strongholds. This won't happen if you're an Orc, as they always have access to them by default.
- Sometimes completing a quest will result in raising someone's disposition towards you, while lowering someone else's. For example, completing A Lovely Letter in Riverwood will affect both Faendal's and Sven's dispositions, raising the disposition of person you sided with while lowering the other person's.
- Killing someone who has a high relationship with another NPC will cause that NPC's disposition towards you to fall below 0.
- Exiling Jarls, Stewards, and Housecarls by taking their city in the Civil War or making a trade via the Season Unending quest will cause their dispositions to fall below 0. Likewise, capturing one or making a trade via Season Unending will cause the new Jarl's, Steward's and Housecarl's dispositions to rise to above 0. In addition, retaking one after the Season Unending quest will cause the original Jarl's, Steward's and Housecarl's dispositions to rise back to above 0, while causing the new Jarl's, Steward's, and Housecarl's dispositions to fall to below 0.
- Dropping an object and entering the dialogue where the NPC asks if they can have the object, and telling them "Consider it yours." can raise a 0 disposition to 1. Note that it is not guaranteed to trigger that dialogue when an object is dropped.
- Having a Bounty active may cause NPCs with a disposition of 0 to change to a negative value.