How to Raise Eloquence in Metaphor: ReFantazio – A Complete Guide

Metaphor: ReFantazio introduces players to a unique world filled with intrigue, battles, and a range of character virtues to build upon. Among the five Royal Virtues, Eloquence stands out as one of the most significant yet challenging to develop. Think of it as the game’s version of charisma, a stat that affects your ability to communicate, persuade others, and unlock hidden pathways in dialogue and quests. In this guide, we’ll break down how to level up your Eloquence and explain why it’s essential for achieving success in the game.

Unlocking the Royal Virtues: How Eloquence Fits In

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you’ll naturally unlock the ability to monitor your Royal Virtues as you play through the game’s story. These virtues Eloquence, Courage, Wisdom, Tolerance, and Imagination become available as you progress. Early on, during a trip to the mines with Grius and Strohl, you’ll encounter More, your favourite author, which serves as the narrative backdrop for introducing the concept of Royal Virtues.

From this point forward, you can easily check your virtue stats whenever you’re in the overworld. A simple button press at the bottom of the screen will display your crown’s progress toward becoming a true ruler. While it’s tempting to check your stats frequently, it’s not always necessary unless you’re trying to optimize how you spend your time in a given day.

But here’s a crucial tip: make sure to pay attention to your Follower list. If you notice a black handshake icon next to any of your followers, it means their willingness to engage with you hinges on your Eloquence. Essentially, if a follower refuses to speak to you, your low Eloquence is likely the culprit.

While there’s no such thing as being “too eloquent,” any excess Eloquence will be automatically converted into MAG, which can be spent on other upgrades later in the game. So, it’s always worth investing time into improving this stat.

Ways to Boost Your Eloquence

Now that you understand the importance of Eloquence, let’s dive into how you can raise it. The methods vary, from engaging in debates to bonding with party members, but they all contribute to your character’s development.

1. Read Books

One of the easiest and earliest ways to start boosting your Eloquence is by reading books. As soon as you leave the starting city of Grand Trad on your Gauntlet Runner, you’ll notice a bookcase in the lounge area. This bookcase serves as your portal to new knowledge, and as the game progresses, more books will appear on its shelves.

The first book, Pride and Persuasion, is automatically available, and reading it will give your Eloquence a substantial boost. Each book takes about two to three sessions to read through, but once completed, you’ll gain a significant bump in your virtue stats Eloquence included. Always make it a point to check the bookcase whenever new books become available. It’s a low-effort way to steadily increase your Eloquence over time.

2. Debate Your Way to Eloquence

As you move further into the game and the King’s Contest begins, you’ll unlock an even faster method to raise your Eloquence: debating. Debating is, without a doubt, the quickest way to level up this virtue. Head over to the King’s Rock, where you’ll find a raised platform often used by town criers. During certain sections of the game, particularly in Brilehaven, your rivals for the throne will take to this platform to preach to the masses.

Why should you care about these debates? Because they present an excellent opportunity to:

• Boost your Eloquence
• Increase your Imagination (another Royal Virtue)
• Earn a 5,000-reeve cash reward

Winning a debate is as much about being clever as it is about timing. Each debate follows a pattern: your opponent makes an argument, and you must select the correct response. Unlike some games that test your knowledge of obscure topics, the answers here are usually straightforward. As long as you understand your character’s moral stance, you’ll do fine.

For example, if an opponent declares, “Only the strong survive in my society,” a good response would be, “I believe everyone deserves equal treatment.” Choose the right answer, and you’ll get showered with praise from Gallica, who will commend you for your eloquence. Mess up? No worries you can simply reload and try again.

3. Learn from Friends

Another way to grow your Eloquence is through interactions with your companions. After you leave Brilehaven, you’ll unlock a new party member who excels in Eloquence. When you camp for the night on your Gauntlet Runner, you’ll have the opportunity to spend time with them on the deck, raising your Eloquence in the process.

This method is especially useful because it’s one of the few recurring ways to increase Eloquence outside of debates or reading. Prioritizing these interactions as you travel is a smart way to consistently boost your stats without needing to return to specific locations.

4. See a Show

Once you reach the end-game content, if you haven’t maxed out your Eloquence yet, there’s still another way to do so: attend a play. Starting in late September, the Altabury Opera House stages five different propagandist plays for the Sanctist Church. These plays serve as a great way to passively increase your Royal Virtues.

If Eloquence is what you’re after, watch The Stripling and His Stewards, which tells the story of a clever boy navigating tricky negotiations. For a mere 1,500 reeve, you’ll gain seven Eloquence points by watching this performance. It’s a great option for players nearing the end of their journey who still need to maximize their virtue stats.

Why Raising Eloquence is Worth the Effort

At this point, you might be wondering if raising your Eloquence is really worth all the effort. The short answer? Absolutely.

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, Eloquence does more than just open up additional dialogue options. It’s key to unlocking deeper relationships with your followers, which in turn allows you to progress through their story arcs. You’ll also need high Eloquence to access certain quests and trigger unique dialogue with important NPCs.

Additionally, maxing out your Eloquence is one of the requirements for achieving the Heroic Embodiment for your party members. This powerful buff significantly boosts their abilities and unlocks their full potential, making your team a force to be reckoned with. However, reaching this milestone isn’t easy. In addition to maxing out your Eloquence, you’ll need to get your companions to Friendship Rank 8 and unlock specific Archetypes for each one.

FAQs: Eloquence in Metaphor: ReFantazio

Q: What are the best ways to raise Eloquence in Metaphor: ReFantazio?
A: The best methods include reading books, participating in debates, learning from friends, and attending shows at the Altabury Opera House.

Q: Why is Eloquence important in the game?
A: Eloquence allows you to unlock special dialogue options, progress follower storylines, access hidden quests, and boost your companions’ abilities.

Q: Can I max out my Eloquence early in the game?
A: While you can start raising Eloquence early on by reading books and debating, maxing it out will likely happen closer to the end-game as you unlock more opportunities to increase the stat.

Q: What happens if I have too much Eloquence?
A: Excess Eloquence is converted into MAG, a resource that can be spent on other upgrades.

Q: Are there any books that provide significant Eloquence boosts?
A: Yes, Pride and Persuasion is one of the first books available, and it gives a substantial boost to your Eloquence when completed.

Q: Do debates offer rewards other than Eloquence?
A: Yes, in addition to increasing your Eloquence, debates also raise your Imagination stat and reward you with reeve (currency).

Eloquence might be one of the trickiest Royal Virtues to raise, but with the right strategies, it’s entirely achievable. From reading books and mastering debates to bonding with companions and watching plays, there are plenty of opportunities to boost this vital stat.