Negotiation

Negotiation , also known as demon conversation or simply Talk or Contact is a mechanic in the series. It generally involves the player party conversing with the enemy, interrupting the regular battle process. It is the primary means of recruiting demons directly, as well as to obtain items and money.
The mechanic is a staple to the Megami Tensei series, present since the first entry,https://w.atwiki.jp/aniwotawiki/pages/4479.html and would make its way to the Shin Megami Tensei series. The mechanic would appear in early releases of the Persona series as well, but that would cease after Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, being substituted by the Social Link mechanic. The negotiation mechanic would only return later in Persona 5 as part of the Hold Up process. In Soul Hackers 2, they're known as Contracts.
==Appearances==
* Megami Tensei
* Megami Tensei II
* Shin Megami Tensei
* Shin Megami Tensei II
* Shin Megami Tensei: if...
* Shin Megami Tensei NINE
* Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
* Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
* Shin Megami Tensei IV
* Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
* Shin Megami Tensei V
* Majin Tensei
* Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis
* Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
* Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
* Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
* Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
* Soul Hackers 2
* Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku
* Megami Ibunroku Persona
* Persona 2: Innocent Sin
* Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
* Persona 5 / Royal
* Devil Children Black Book & Red Book / White Book
* DemiKids Light / Dark Version
* Devil Children Fire/Ice Book
* Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2
==Profile==
===Megami Tensei===
In Megami Tensei, negotiation can only be performed if there's one enemy on the field, but it can be initiated regardless of level.
Only demons of the Beast, Jirae, Fairy and Therian races can be recruited.
===Megami Tensei II===
Compared to Megami Tensei, although the Therian race no longer appears, Yoma and Brute demons can also be recruited. Attempting to talk to "evil" demons that cannot be recruited might result in being attacked first, but there might be the option to deceive them or call in one's friends.
There are three tone types: male, female and beasts. Beasts escape immediately if they get a bad impression.
The common pattern is to "relieve," "persuade" and then "give items" for a successful negotiation.
===Shin Megami Tensei===
Compared to the Megami Tensei series, Shin Megami Tensei permits for many races to be recruited via negotiation, with several exceptions that cannot be conversed with. There aren't many conversation dialogues, and the pattern revolves around choosing to respond with either friendly or intimidating tone to win the demon over, as well as giving them items on their demand.
===Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne===
The demon negotiation system in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne allows the Demi-fiend to engage in conversation with enemy demons. The speaker (usually, but not always, the Demi-fiend) tries to persuade an enemy demon to join their party. There are two restrictions on negotiation:
1. There must be at least one open space in the player party stock.
2. There cannot be a demon of the same species in the party (i.e. A 2nd Power cannot be recruited.)
====Demon Properties in Negotiation====
Each demon has unique invisible properties related in negotiation. Particularly, "tone," "gender" and "age." For instance, Nekomata's properties are "witch," "woman" and "youth."
=====Conditions in Negotiation=====
If there are any other enemy demons alive, aside from the one that is inside conversation, there is a chance they may interrupt, so it is recommended to kill any demons other than the target before commencing discussion.
=====Recruitment=====
Requirements for recruiting demons vary by their race, gender and affiliation. For example, some demons (such as Incubi or Succubi) can be bribed with money or items, while others (such as Angels or Archangels) may only ask a philosophical question ("Do you envy how plants live?"). Some can be seduced by a beautiful speaker, some can be flattered, and some will even join without a moment's hesitation. However, some may refuse to join based on opposing ideals depending on their Light and Dark alignment (Tyrants, Deities, Raptors, Megami and Viles), demons with higher levels, because they don't feel like it, or because they simply can't understand human speech (Foul, Haunt and Wilder).
======Cases where negotiation is blocked======
Demon negotiation, however, is radically altered when the "moon," Kagutsuchi, is full, as it causes demons to be agitated and drunk with power. Demon conversation will always fail against bosses, any demons inhabiting the Labyrinth of Amala, and any demons fought in the Amala Network (though they will sometimes join of their own accord).
* Bosses or forced encounters
* Status ailments: Stone, Freeze, Bind, Sleep, Panic
* Party stock is maximized
* Kagutsuchi is full
* Manikins
* Certain races when the Light/Dark alignment is opposed
* Certain races that cannot understand human speech (Jive Talk bypasses this.)
* Demons of the Mitama race.
* Demons in the extra dungeon.
The whole talk session is to conclude with a final question from the demon. There are cases where the level difference may matter when answering, and there are cases where the correct answer is simply randomized.
Additionally, unique items can be received from having unique combinations of ally and enemy demons. For more information, see Special conversation.
====Demon Begins Negotiation====
There are times where the demon will take the initiative in negotiation. They will answer the player party's questions correctly, and give them items and Macca at request.
On principle, all demons can give 3 different items. Most demons share the same pool of items, with very few exceptions.
===Shin Megami Tensei V===
The general process of negotiation starts with having to respond to 1 or 2 sets of dialogue. The talking session may involve only having to answer once, but may lead to a longer branch of questions. The topics themselves usually depend on the demon's personality traits, which vary from demon to demon. There are cases where the exact same scenario will play, but the results of the responses may differ depending on the demon's personality.
If the talk session fails and the conversation ends, depending on the dialogue choice, either the enemy will leave the battle, only a single turn icon will be used up (passing the turn to the next ally in line) or the phase will instantly switch to the enemy's.
After the talk is complete, the session will be concluded with the demon demanding Macca, items, HP and/or MP. The bargaining phase that comes after the talk may keep going, with the demon demanding more than once. If the protagonist doesn't have what they want at any point, it is possible they'll ask for something else instead. Once appeased, they'll instantly join the party, ending the battle regardless of the condition of other enemies.
Unlike in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, other demons cannot interrupt the conversation process.
There are certain Miracles, particularly in the Supremacy category, that can help out in the negotiation process in a specific way.
====Beginning Negotiation====
Initially, negotiation may only be begun during the protagonist's turn, and is innately unavailable during the demons'. Purchasing the "Art of Intervention" Miracle will allow the protagonist to butt in and talk during a demon's turn.
Certain demons cannot be talked to:
* Demons of the Mitama race;
* Abscesses encounters;
* Mini-bosses & bosses (Abscesses and Punisher demons included)
If the protagonist or his target demons are afflicted with Sleep, Charm or Confusion, he won't be able to participate in negotiation, immediately ending his turn.
Depending on the combination of species of demons, it is possible to instead get the ally demon to begin a special, unique conversation between these two species of demons. For more information, see special conversation.
====Tones====
Each demon has a tone that influences their dialogue, the questions they ask, and in the scenario that they ask matching questions, the responses the protagonist can give as well as their results. For example, Slime, Black Ooze, Legion and Pisaca all have a distorted way of speaking, and their sets of questions. responses and outcomes will match.
On the other hand, it is very likely there are also demons that have personality traits unique to their individual species, and as such will deliver unique dialogue in negotiation. These demons include Mermaid, Kaya-no-Hime and Loup-garou. The tutorial Pixie also has unique dialogue, where the conversation goes straight without branching out, and answering incorrectly will simply repeat the same question.
Even demons that cannot be encountered and thus negotiated with have pre-established personality traits, but those can only be seen in level-up dialogue. For example, Leanan Sidhe will speak the exact same way as demons of the Fatale personality. In the same manner, certain demons will have unique dialogue as well, such as Alice, Amanozako and Fionn mac Cumhaill.
The different personalities are most likely distinguished by age, sex and, depending on the combinations, one of two tones of speaking. The traits that determine their personality are hidden.
Tone 	Demons
Monster 	Slime, Daemon, Turdak, Mothman, Legion, Pisaca, Black Ooze, Kumbhanda, Yurlungur, Hecatoncheires
Girlおんなのこ 	Pixie, Mandrake, Zhen, Sudama, Bugs, Hua Po
Tough 	Preta, Tsuchigumo, Mokoi, Ippon-Datara, Rakshasa, Incubus, Oni, Naga, Flauros, Kin-Ki, Sui-Ki, Fuu-Ki, Mada
Boy少年 	Onmoraki, Kodama, Agathion, Obariyon, Aitvaras, Koppa Tengu, Poltergeist, Chironnup, Basilisk
Noble 	Cait Sith, Shiki-Ouji, Setanta, Ose, Naga Raja, Fafnir
Old Man 	Sandman, Koropokkur, Forneus, Mishaguji, Kaiwan, Hanuman, Girimehkala
Brute 	Azumi, Yaksini, Dakini, Lachesis, Queen Medb, Rangda, Kali
Beast 	Bicorn, Inugami, Orthrus, Anzu, Byakko, Yamata-no-Orochi, Nue, Cerberus
Jack Bros 	Jack Frost, Jack-o'-Lantern
Pompous 	Andras, Narcissus, Macabre, Oberon, Orobas, Nebiros, Throne, Adramelech
Wise 	Berith, Loa, Eligor, Baphomet, Kurama Tengu, Pazuzu, Decarabia, Ongyo-Ki, Chi You
Fatale 	Manananggal, Lamia, Valkyrie, Clotho, Titania
Peppy 	Kelpie, Nekomata, Lilim, Succubus, Atropos
* The tones have official terms in the SMT5 Official Guidebook in Japanese.真・女神転生V 公式パーフェクトガイド, amazon.co.jphttps://hyperts.net/smt5-guidebook/#i3* A majority of the terms listed on the table are yet to be confirmed.* For the sake of simplicity, the list only contains demon encounters, and hence does not contain demons that cannot be negotiated with. 	* The tones have official terms in the SMT5 Official Guidebook in Japanese.真・女神転生V 公式パーフェクトガイド, amazon.co.jphttps://hyperts.net/smt5-guidebook/#i3* A majority of the terms listed on the table are yet to be confirmed.* For the sake of simplicity, the list only contains demon encounters, and hence does not contain demons that cannot be negotiated with.
====Dialogue and Outcomes====
A set of dialogue is randomly selected out of multiple. The list of outcomes differ between demons: whether they're different depending on pre-set personality traits or if they are unique for each individual demon are still unclear.
Each line of dialogue is split between multiple dialogue choices, with each choice generally leading to one of multiple outcomes:
* The dialogue is continued in a branch;
* The current dialogue is ended, and switches to another set of dialogue (the outcome is usually specific, but can be random between multiple choices (all choices may have the same line of text));
* The conversation ends, and 1 turn icon is used, switching to the next ally's turn;
** Should the "Articulate Discourse" Miracle be learned, only 1/2 turn icons will be used up.
* The conversation ends, but no turn icon is used, and the turn isn't switched to the next ally;
* The conversation ends, switching to the enemy phase instantly;
* The target leaves the battle, ending the conversation, and a turn icon is used;
* The target gives the user an item and leaves the battle. Conversation is ended and a turn icon is used.
* The conversation instantly leads to the bargain phase;
* The target is instantly recruited;
* Should the "Pacification" Miracle be purchased, there's a chance for the demon to forgive the protagonist, should their mood sour.
* Should the protagonist be enhanced with the effects of the Magatsuhi skill Omagatoki: Sincerity, he will be allowed to fail up to 2 times in a demon conversation.
In certain dialogue choices, the outcome itself may be random, and may lead to one of multiple outcomes. Sometimes, all dialogue choices are random, and may even be matching in a way where the outcome is the same no matter what.
Even if different demons have the same dialogue, the outcome of the same option may differ.
There are cases when the demon may compare theirs and the user's stats, and winning or losing in itself also determines the result of the conversation.
====Bargaining====
The bargaining process is a general outcome for most positive dialogue choices. It usually involves having the enemy demon demand Macca, items or a specific portion of the protagonist's HP or MP (should the demand override his remaining HP/MP, only 1 of each will be spared for him, while the demon gets the rest.)
Giving what the demon demands will eventually satisfy it and join the protagonist's party. But there are cases where they might ask for too much, in which case the protagonist may refuse, telling them "they've had enough." Demons may agree with him if he's right, but otherwise, they might either get hostile or leave.
The value that determines when they'd have enough is invisible, but there are rare cases where giving them nothing at all might technically satisfy them, in which case it's very likely it's based on whether the demon's demand goes out of bounds, rather than if the amount they've been given already does. For example, if a demon has been given 200 Macca, and they demand 100 more, while their value is 250, it'd be safe to say that they've had enough.
There are scenarios where the protagonist simply doesn't have what they demand, in which case he may let them know, and they'll change their mind and ask for something else. He may also just generally ask they request something else, though they'll probably get hostile if he asks twice in a row.
In uncommon cases, when negotiation starts, the demon may decide they don't care too much, and will explicitly state they'll ask only once, for a particular sum of Macca. These cases in particular make it very easy to appease the demon and get them to join, without any complications.
====Criteria for Recruitment====
Demons may only be recruited through specific dialogue choices, or through being satisfied by being given items and money in the bargaining process, in which case they'll be ready to join the party. Should they join, and the "Inspiring Covenant" Miracle is active, they'll also level up instantly. Additionally, with the "Divine Persuasion" Miracle, only accessible in New Game Plus, there's a chance they'll join unconditionally.
If the demon is of a higher level, or if the stock is full, even though they have been successfully appeased to, they will not join the protagonist because of these circumstances, and will instead have to be talked to in another battle when the conditions are met, in which case they will instantly join the party and end the battle instantaneously. If the criteria is still not met when they're talked to again, the target will leave the battle, but it won't end it if there are still more enemies - 1 turn icon will be used up and the turn will be passed to the next ally in line. They cannot be recruited in this fashion during a full or a new moon.
The "Divine Eminence" Miracle, only accessed in New Game Plus, lets the protagonist recruit demons of a higher level than him.
Talking to demons of the same species with one in the player party will end the battle instantly, potentially gifting the party with an item or Macca in the process. Additionally, if the "Kindred Favor" Miracle is owned, they may occasionally heal the player party in battle.
If a demon was successfully persuaded but is queued to join, but the demon was received via different means, such as fusion, the demon will prioritize reacting to the protagonist's matching ally demon and end the battle, but the demon will still be available for automatic recruitment should the ally demon ever disappear.
====Moon Phases====
The phase of the moon also influences the negotiation process: if during a full or a new moon, there's a chance demons will have a pre-set and unique negotiation process, depending on the phase of the moon, as well as their personality. The same applies for when a full moon or a new moon is near as well (1/8, 2/8, 6/8 and 7/8). Some of the possible outcomes include:
* They may instantly skip the talking and go straight to bargaining while only demanding a single sum of Macca (but will never leave battle if unsatisfied);
* They may end the conversation with only a cost of 1 turn icon and passing the turn to the next ally
* They will instantly switch to the enemy phase.
* They will be unaffected.
The demon's mood is determined by chance; this behavior is only set to specific enemies in battle, similarly to an invisible battle condition; even if the individual demon may be impossible to talk to, other demons in the encounter may still be available to converse with.
On the topic of talking to demons of species that are already in the player party, the full moon overrides their behavior as an already recruited demon, but they can still be talked to normally during new moons. If the demon would negotiate during full moons as an unrecruited demon, their behavior while having a recruited ally will not be influenced by the phase of the moon. 
====Cornered demons and party====
If the player party enters battle with the enemy turn coming first, there's a chance the battle will be paused, and the enemy will negotiate with the protagonist, should he want to be spared and escape from battle. As such, they'll demand money similarly to the regular bargaining process, but they'll only demand money, and no macca. Just like with there, they may demand more money, and rejecting their demand may instantly get the faction to begin their turn.
On the other hand, the protagonist may get enemies to beg for their lives should their HP be low with the "Deathly Aura" set of Miracles:
* Deathly Aura I allows the protagonist the choice between getting them to join him or ignore them and get back to their own turn in combat;
* Deathly Aura II grants the protagonist the option to demand money from them. He can let them go afterward, but he may ask for more money afterwards, but the enemy may find them to be too greedy and switch to the enemy phase instantly;
* Deathly Aura III grants the protagonist the option to demand their Essence.
===Soul Hackers 2===
Contracts are only present in Demon Recon, where ally demons will be sent out to explore dungeons, and can instead find another demon that Ringo can negotiate with to bring them to the party. There's no talking process involved, and demons will only demand resources once.
If demons demand HP or MP, they'll borrow from all 4 party members at the same time, likely in the form of a percentage of their MAX HP/MP.
If a demon is already scouted, they might support the party by giving them money or items and leave.
===Megami Ibunroku Persona===
In Megami Ibunroku Persona, demons may be contacted by the party, where the whole team will join to converse with a specific species of demons. It is a means to obtain the demons' spell cards.
====Criteria for beginning negotiation====
Demons of the Meta race (generally humans) cannot be negotiated with. Additionally, demons that have already given their spell cards will cease negotiation and flee.
====Negotiation skills and demon traits====
The party makes the first move, and they can only interact with them via actions in the form of skills, each giving different outcomes depending on the demon's traits. Each party member can hold up to 4 skills. All party members can be used at any time in the midst of the conversation process.
Character 	Skills 	Skills 	Skills 	Skills
Protagonist 	Persuade	Taunt 	Invite 	Sing
Kei Nanjo 	Bribe 	Pontificate	Condescend	Sarcasm
Masao Inaba 	Dance 	Taunt 	Stare 	Brag
Yukino Mayuzumi	Bully 	Persuade 	Scold 	Ignore
Eriko Kirishima	Horrify 	Sing 	Soothe 	Invite
Maki Sonomura 	Plead 	Flatter 	Lie 	Cringe
Hidehiko Uesugi	Pickup 	Joke 	Chat 	Startle
Yuka Ayase 	Abuse 	Seduce 	Cry 	Threaten
Reiji Kido 	Ignore 	Threaten 	Yell 	Prestidigitate
The demons may have multiple traits that determine their responses in negotiation, and each demon can have up to 4 traits at a time. For example, Zombie Girl has the "Foolish" and "Forceful" traits. For more information on these traits, see Personality → Persona series.
====Conversation and moodlets====
The primary factor that conversing with demons influences is their moodlet chart. The demon has 4 moods: happy, eager, angry and scared. Each action may increase a certain mood of the demon. The demons' innate mood pre-negotiation is also affected depending on the demon's species.
After selecting a response, aside from the demon's reaction, it is possible that the demons may respond in a way that will require the player party respond in the form of a dialogue choice, which in itself can further affect the demon's mood.
====Outcome of negotiation====
The negotiation process ends when a demon's mood chart starts flashing, representing up to 2 emotions. The combination of emotions ultimately determines the outcome, which are the same regardless of the demon's traits.
It is possible to end the negotiation with being given items, having the enemy leave, afflicting them with an ailment, or even being given the option to ask them for their spell card. Either way, once their mood is maximized, they will no longer be able to be negotiated with for the rest of the battle.
Demons that are higher level than the party will not give their spell cards.
Mood(s) 	Outcome
Eager 	Spell Card
Eager + Scared	Spell Card
Eager + Happy 	Spell Card or Item (Dialogue option)
Eager + Angry 	Spell Card (+ possible Damage dealt)
Happy 	Afflicted with Happy or give gift
Happy + Scared	Afflicted with Charm, give gift or leave
Happy + Angry 	Gift or leave
Scared 	Afflicted with Bind, give gift or leave
Scared + Angry	Afflicted with Confusion, give gift or leave
Angry 	Demon's power increased, or afflict party member with Bind.
===Persona 2 Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment===
Similar to the previous game in the series, each character has a different way of contacting enemies, and up to three characters can join in a contact attempt. Characters in Innocent Sin have 4 different methods of contact, whereas in Eternal Punishment each character has only 1, encouraging use of combined contacts.
Available contact combinations change as the story progresses and the relationships between the characters change and grow. Some contacts are missable, requiring to see a specific dialogue between characters at a specific time and place. 
Just like in the previous game, there are 8 personality traits that demons can have, with each enemy having up to 3, except for mutually exclusive traits (e.g. a demon can't be both Foolish and Wise). Bosses, Rumor demons, human enemies and members of the Last Batallion can never be contacted.
Every contact with a demon will incite one of four emotions: Happy, Eager, Angry or Scared. When eliciting an Angry or Eager response, there is a possibility that the demon will ask a question, which will also evoke emotions depending on the answer. However, these questions can lead to demon becoming Eager in addition to one of the other three emotions, which will lead to a different outcome.
Contact ends once an emotion has been elicited 3 times (not necessarily in a row).
Emotion(s) 	Outcome
Happy 	Demon proposes entering a contract. Battle ends.
Only 3 contracts can be held at a time.
If the demon is already in a contract, it will instead allow you to ask a favor of them.
Happy+Eager 	Demon will allow to ask for either an item, money or healing.
Eager 	Demon will give a number of Tarot cards of their Arcanum. Battle ends.
If the demon is under a contract, they will also give Blank Cards.
Angry 	Demon attacks the character and can't be contacted again during the fight.
Angry+Eager 	Demon enters Berserk status.
Scared 	Demon runs away.
Scared+Eager	Demon enters Charm status.
Upon eliciting a Happy response of a contracted demon, the following options will be presented:
* Ask for money
* Ask for an item (every enemy has two items to give, a common one and a rare one)
* Ask for healing
* Ask for information (enemy gives either an exclusive rumor, on hints to solve a puzzle)
* Spread a rumor (for rumors obtained with the above option)
* Other (certain options unlocked after obtaining information to make a specific demon do something)
In addition, Fool cards can only be obtained by a secret contact with a Foolish enemy. Eager and/or Angry response must be elicited 4 times in a row, each one leading to a question, and after the fourth question, there will be a 1/64 chance of the enemy asking an additional question, which must be answered with a foolish answer to obtain 1 Fool card.
===Persona 5 / Royal===
====Hold Up====
During a Hold Up, the protagonist can demand that the Shadow gives him some money ("Show me the money") or items ("Give me an item") in exchange for their freedom. He can also ask them to become his masks ("Lend me your power"). Alternatively, negotiation can also be initiated by an enemy Shadow. This only happens if the Shadow is the last enemy standing or without an ailment, and is low on HP, with the frequency influenced by their personality.
Attempting to talk to Shadows affected by certain ailments can have different effects. Frozen, Shocked, Sleeping or Confused Shadows will be unable to hold conversation. However, attempting to negotiate with Shadows afflicted with Burn, Dizziness, Forget, Despair or Rage will result in their ailment being automatically cured before starting Negotiation. If the Shadow is afflicted with Fear, they will instantly flee (and the enemy will grant no EXP). In the case of Brainwash, the conversation options are changed to special ones ("Submit to me.", "Give me a donation." and "Give me something useful."Just noticed that brainwashed foes have different negotiation dialogues. So many little details are in this game which makes me addicted to it. Atlus I Love You!!, Reddit (Dec 1, 2019, u/xyzmangaka, r/Persona5)); however, their success rate is not guaranteed.
Weather in Mementos may also influence negotiation: depending on what bad weather is present, there is a chance negotiation demands might be blocked, and the Shadow will demand a specific item. If the item is not given, the enemy will be dissatisfied, and combat will continue. In pollen warning, Shadows may demand Wide Eye Drops, vending machine drinks in heat wave, and Hand Warmalizers during flu season.
In Royal, negotiations with Savage Shadows (Berith, Shiki-Ouji, Take-Minakata, Anubis, Girimehkala, Skadi, Kali, Abaddon and Fafnir) will automatically fail unless their HP is below a quarter.
Mid-bosses can be talked to, although attempting to make them offer anything will have no effect (the mid-boss will simply refuse any offers angrily) and the group is forced to use an All-out Attack or break formation.
Treasure Demons cannot be negotiated with. Instead, they will instantly join the protagonist's collection when chosen to talk to them.
=====Money or items=====
The amount of money obtained via negotiation varies though it correlates with the enemy's level and the protagonist's currently equipped Persona's Luck stat. The payout is usually higher than just defeating the Shadow(s).
The protagonist can request an item as well, with the available items being fixed for each Shadow. Each Shadow is able to give four different items: two normal, one rare, and one Skill Card. If the protagonist has a Persona in his possession that matches the Shadow being negotiated with, the Shadow will be more obliging and will offer rarer items or more money. If Futaba highlights an enemy with Treasure Skimmer at the beginning of the fight, the scanned enemy will always give a rare item when the protagonist asks them for one.
Should the protagonist choose these options, all other enemies during the Hold Up also leave, but they do not give any extra money, EXP or dropped items if they were not defeated. The enemy negotiated with will only yield EXP, but will not give anything else.
If the protagonist has Toranosuke Yoshida's Confidant at Rank 2 or higher, he can occasionally attempt to ask for more money or items after the initial Negotiation ("You can do better than that.") which can cause the Shadow to give the exact same sum of money or a duplicate of the item received. The protagonist can extort a Shadow endlessly with no upper limit. However, there is a chance for this to fail, causing the Shadow to either summon reinforcements by reviving killed enemies or get a free attack. If the protagonist downs the enemies again, he can restart the same Negotiation chain for more money and items if possible.
Boosting Yoshida's Confidant to Rank 3 and 5 also gives the protagonist the chance of acquiring even more money or a rarer item respectively ("Show me the money", "Show me the goods" with either option highlighted in red). In the original Persona 5 only, if either of the altered options are shown, then asking for either the money or item (even if it's not the altered option) will immediately end the battle instead of allowing the protagonist to extort almost endlessly, but also poses no risk of angering the Shadow.
===== Mask =====
The protagonist can request that the Shadow join him as a Persona. Doing so requires that he appeals to them by answering two questions. All Shadows have a personality attributed to them, which can be viewed by Analyzing them or viewing their pre-negotiation blurb when Downed. A Shadow can either be Timid, Irritable, Upbeat, or Gloomy, each requiring the protagonist to answer their questions with a certain tone. Preferably, imitating their personality will work, which is key to having the Shadow "be reminded of themselves" and hence "remember they're a Persona":
* Timid Shadows prefer Kind answers, are neutral to Serious answers and dislike Playful/Ambiguous answers.
* Irritable Shadows prefer Serious answers, are neutral to Playful answers and dislike Kind/Ambiguous answers.
* Gloomy Shadows prefer Ambiguous answers, are neutral to Kind answers and dislike Serious/Playful answers.
* Upbeat Shadows like Playful answers, are neutral to Kind answers and dislike Serious/Ambiguous answers.
If the Shadow likes the answer, a yellow musical note appears. If they are neutral to the answer, they will have blue sweat drops. If they dislike the answer, they will have red anger marks. The protagonist needs to answer their second question with a positive response to acquire them as a Persona, even if they dislike the first question's response. If the protagonist answers their second question with a neutral answer, they will give him an item and then leave instead of joining. If the second question is answered with a disliked response, the Shadow will attack, causing the Negotiation to fail. This may also reset the encounter by re-summoning any Shadows that were killed during the fight.
A Shadow's personality also affects how often they start begging for mercy: Timid Shadows are more likely to beg for mercy, while Irritable Shadows will almost never beg for mercy.
In Persona 5 only, if a teammate's Confidant is at least Rank 4 (Rank 6 for Goro Akechi), whenever the protagonist gives a Shadow an unfavorable response, they have a chance of stepping in and helping the protagonist retry at negotiating. Having Ann Takamaki's Confidant at Rank 7 or higher lets her use Sexy Technique, which may cause the Shadow to behave as if it had been given a favored response.
In Royal, Sexy Technique♥ can no longer affect negotiation. Meanwhile, the party members' Confidant abilities that grant another try after negotiation fails have been modified. Instead of depending on chance, each character's ability will always work, but only under circumstances based on the target's status. The ability's criteria varies between each character:
* Morgana: Enemy is animal-type. (e.g. Barong, Cait Sith)
* Ryuji: Enemy's personality is Upbeat.
* Ann: Enemy is female. (e.g. Queen Mab, Succubus)
* Yusuke: Enemy is alone on the field.
* Makoto: Enemy specializes in martial arts. (e.g. Rakshasa, Melchizedek)
* Haru: There are two or more enemies on the field.
* Akechi: Enemy is god-like. (e.g. Dionysus, Anubis)
* Yoshizawa: Any enemy.
There are a few conditions where a Shadow will join without needing to negotiate.
* The first is to have the Shadow's corresponding Persona registered in the compendium. When that happens, the Shadow can be recruited without negotiation. If the protagonist attempts to negotiate for anything else, they will offer to return to his side before starting negotiations. The protagonist always has the option of refusing to reclaim the Shadow.
* The negotiation is started by a Shadow begging for mercy.
* Treasure Demons will always join without asking any questions.
* Having Yoshida's Confidant at Rank 8 or higher will, on occasion, allow the protagonist to automatically talk the Shadow into joining them, which the first option is changed to "Join my cause." and is highlighted in red.
* Having Shinya Oda's Confidant at Rank 3 or higher will unlock an option to fire a Warning Shot during Negotiation by pressing square. Doing so will consume ammo, but has a chance of getting the Shadow to immediately be recruited. It can also startle the Shadow enough to retaliate or flee.
The protagonist can only obtain Personas of Shadows that are equal or lower level than the protagonist. Attempting to recruit a higher-level Shadow, even if it begs for mercy or the "Join my cause" dialogue option is chosen, will instead cause it to give an item and leave. Only by maxing out Yoshida's Confidant will the protagonist be able to recruit Shadows of any level.
If the protagonist already has a Persona that matches the negotiated Shadow in question, then the protagonist will simply receive an item from the Shadow then it will leave (in the original Persona 5) or it will make the protagonist's matching Persona gain Experience Points (in Persona 5 Royal).
====Hostage====
Sometimes, if a Shadow knocks down a party member other than the protagonist without killing them, the party member will be taken hostage and negotiations will begin with the enemy at the position of strength. The Shadow can ask for anything ranging between items, HP, SP and money from the protagonist. Appeasing the Shadow will either end negotiations and let battle resume, or cause them to make more demands until they are satisfied, but refusing any of its demands will cause the hostage to be knocked out instantly, ignoring any enduring effects, such as the Confidant ability Endure.
It is possible to use the Thieves Guild to instantly end a Negotiation, allowing easy access to the "Competent Negotiator" trophy without losing resources. The player can only do this up to three times per visit.
Having Ann Takamaki's Confidant at Rank 5 or higher may let her use Crocodile Tears, which lowers the magnitude of the Shadow's demands or even causes them to withdraw from battle.
No hostage will be taken if the protagonist is having an ailment or being Downed.
==Trophies & Awards==
Trophy 	Icon	Description 	For 	Reward
First Contact 	 	Get a demon to join through conversation for the first time.	SMT3NHD trophy	
Expert Negotiator 	 	Get 30 demons to join through conversation. 	SMT3NHD trophy	
I Am Thou 	 	Obtain a Persona through negotiation. 	P5 trophy 	
Countless Masks 	 	Obtain 30 Personas through negotiation. 	P5 trophy 	
Competent Negotiator	 	Successfully rescue a hostage from an enemy's threat. 	P5 trophy 	
I am Thou... 	 	Obtained a Persona through negotiation. 	P5R trophy 	
Negotiator 	 	Obtain 30 personas through Negotiation. 	Thieves Den 	35P
The Shadow Diplomat 	 	Negotiate 100 times. 	Thieves Den 	35P
==Trivia==
* If Persona 5 is hacked accordingly, it is possible to initiate a Hold Up with almost any major boss by hitting their weaknesses (usually by adding an enemy skill onto a Persona, such as Distorted Vanity), with the exception being those where an enemy object cannot be targeted. However, this usually causes the game to soft-lock due to most bosses having no Hold-Up dialogue presented for them.
==References==
Category:Mechanics
Category:Megami Tensei
Category:Megami Tensei II
Category:Shin Megami Tensei
Category:Shin Megami Tensei II
Category:Shin Megami Tensei: if...
Category:Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Category:Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Category:Shin Megami Tensei IV
Category:Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
Category:Shin Megami Tensei V
Category:Majin Tensei
Category:Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis
Category:Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Category:Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
Category:Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Category:Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Category:Soul Hackers 2
Category:Persona
Category:Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Category:Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Category:Persona 5
Category:Devil Children Red/Black Book
Category:Devil Children White Book
Category:DemiKids
Category:Devil Children Fire/Ice Book