Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut: Dialogue Challenge Guide

This is a guide for the dialogue challenges in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The goal of it is to describe every possible path the conversations can take and the results of each choice.

• The objective of each conversation is to increase the NPC’s persuasion level. Their persuasion level always begins at 0. Each dialogue choice you make will either increase it by 2, increase it by 1, or decrease it by 2.
• All conversations except one will always last for a set number of rounds unless you use pheromones (see below). If their persuasion level is 1 or higher at the end of the conversation, you win. If their persuasion level is -1 or lower, you lose. What happens if their persuasion level is 0 at the end depends on the NPC.
• The first round of the conversation will always play out in the same way and the same choice will always give the same result. What happens in subsequent rounds is semi-random. The NPC will pick one of several possible lines to say, depending on the round and their current persuasion level, and the correct choices will depend on what line they picked. In the specific details below, each response will be identified by some of its first words.

The CASIE augmentation, which you can unlock for two praxis points, does three things to help you in dialogue challenges. From least to most useful:

1. It displays a psychological profile of the NPC, which may be useful in figuring out the correct responses for yourself.
2. It displays the NPC’s current persuasion level.
3. It allows you to use pheromones to immediately resolve the conversation. The correct option to use depends on the NPC’s personality type, which the augmentation may reveal to you in the conversation. Regardless of the NPC’s persuasion level, picking the correct option will win you the challenge and picking the wrong option will lose you the challenge. The result of picking the remaining option depends on the NPC.

The rest of this guide will describe every possible NPC response and the result of your choice on their persuasion level. Some responses will only show up if the NPC has a negative persuasion level, so if you always pick the correct choices you will never see them. In some cases, I had difficulty determining which of the positive choices gave +1 or +2, but the choice that gives -2 is always indicated. If you determine which is which, please mention it in the comments.

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, you win.
You cannot use pheromones on Zeke.

Empathize: +2
Reason: +1
Humble: -2

“There’s no way I can put my trust in you…”
Empathize: +2
Reason: +1
Humble: -2

“Look at you, shaking in your boots…”
Empathize: -2
Reason: +2
Humble: +1

“I know your kind. I saw it a million times…”
Empathize: +1
Reason: -2
Humble: +2

“I’ve gotta exploit my advantage…”
Empathize: -2
Reason: +2
Humble: +1

“I can’t listen to you…”
Empathize: +2
Reason: +1
Humble: -2

“You augmented Hanzers…”
Empathize: +1
Reason: -2
Humble: +2

“One of your kind tricked my brother…”
Empathize: +1
Reason: -2
Humble: +2

“The cause is blowing up…”
Empathize: +2
Reason: +1
Humble: -2

“You know what? We’re done talking…”
Empathize: -2
Reason: +2
Humble: +1

“This is out of control…”
Empathize: +2
Reason: +1
Humble: -2

“You’ve wasted enough of my time…”
Empathize: +1
Reason: -2
Humble: +2

“You know what? I’m done talking here…”
Empathize: -2
Reason: +2
Humble: +1

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, he will ask you to come back later. You can then try the conversation again from the beginning.

Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

“This isn’t fair…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +1
Crush: +2

“My boss wants me to keep people like you…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“I don’t believe this. I just got my life back together…”
Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

“I don’t see how I could possibly do this…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“After two years, you’ve got a lot of nerve…”
Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

“I don’t have to take your crap…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +1
Crush: +2

If you decide to use pheromones
Appease – Wayne asks you to come back later and start the conversation over again
Charm – You lose
Pressure – You win

“Where do you get off bringing the past into this?”
Absolve: +?
Plead: +?
Crush: -2

“Look, I’m so tired of having that incident…”
Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

“I’m fully aware of what I did…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +2
Crush: +1

“It all comes back to the kid…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“Everything goes back to that day…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +1
Crush: +2

“You want to talk about the past? Fine…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“What happened wasn’t my fault…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“There’s something I’ve been waiting two years…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +1
Crush: +2

“I took the blame for what happened, but…”
Absolve: +2
Plead: -2
Crush: +1

“What could I have done different?”
Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

“Do you know who’s really to blame…”
Absolve: -2
Plead: +1
Crush: +2

“You really don’t get why…”
Absolve: +1
Plead: +2
Crush: -2

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, you win.

Placate: +1
Refocus: +2
Defend: -2

“The truth is, I’ve had a lot of other things on my mind…”
Placate: +1
Refocus: +2
Defend: -2

“But you can’t expect me to tell you every detail…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +1
Defend: +2

“But there’s something you’re not getting here…”
Placate: +1
Refocus: -2
Defend: +2

“You may not realize it, but there’s a war…”
Placate: +2
Refocus: -2
Defend: +1

“Right now, this company is on the brink…”
Placate: +1
Refocus: +2
Defend: -2

“Not telling you about that portal left us open…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +1
Defend: +2

If you decide to use pheromones
Appease – You win
Charm – You win
Pressure – You lose

“Look, I’m not gonna share every detail…”
Placate: +2
Refocus: -2
Defend: +1

“I just wonder if you’re being a bit paranoid…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +1
Defend: +2

“I’m sorry to have to break this to you…”
Placate: +?
Refocus: -2
Defend: +?

“Your concerns about the data being compromised…”
Placate: +1
Refocus: +2
Defend: -2

“You disappoint me, son…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +?
Defend: +?

“Everything I’ve done has been to secure a future here…”
Placate: +1
Refocus: +2
Defend: -2

“Seriously, the data I streamed…”
Placate: +?
Refocus: +?
Defend: -2

“The data you’re so nervous about…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +1
Defend: +2

“The data I streamed had nothing to do with Megan…”
Placate: +?
Refocus: +?
Defend: -2

“I can understand why the mention of Megan’s name…”
Placate: -2
Refocus: +?
Defend: +?

“Megan was a valuable asset…”
Placate: +2
Refocus: -2
Defend: +1

“If I’m so reluctant to share the data…”
Placate: +2
Refocus: -2
Defend: +1

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, he will tell you to come back later. You can then try the conversation again from the beginning.

Insist: +1
Pinpoint: +2
Advise: -2

If you decide to use pheromones
Appease – You win
Charm – He asks you to leave and come back later to try again
Pressure – You lose

“The only thing a guy like you get…”
Insist: +2
Pinpoint: -2
Advise: +1

“Van Bruggen is the hottest thing in town right now…”
Insist: -2
Pinpoint: +1
Advise: +2

“Now it’s time you were leaving…”
Insist: +2
Pinpoint: -2
Advise: +1

“Van Bruggen is more than just a hacker, you know…”
Insist: +1
Pinpoint: +2
Advise: -2

“But here’s something you don’t know…”
Insist: +1
Pinpoint: +2
Advise: -2

“It’s a local matter – Hengsha only…”
Insist: -2
Pinpoint: +1
Advise: +2

“Now you can leave here with dignity…”
Insist: +2
Pinpoint: -2
Advise: +1

“Look, I shouldn’t be telling you this…”
Insist: +1
Pinpoint: +2
Advise: -2

“What if I make you a deal?”
Insist: +1
Pinpoint: +2
Advise: -2

“Speaking of safety, you still haven’t told me…”
Insist: -2
Pinpoint: +?
Advise: +?

“You’re trying my patience…”
Insist: -2
Pinpoint: +1
Advise: +2

“You came here with nothing…”
Insist: +2
Pinpoint: -2
Advise: +1

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, you win.

Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

“I know why you came here…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +1
Redirect: +2

“Take your recording to the police…”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“My heart goes out to you…”
Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

“If you play that recording for the police…”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“If you’re so certain of your evidence…”
Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

“Go play your recording for the police…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +1
Redirect: +2

If you decide to use pheromones
Appease – You win
Charm – You lose
Pressure – You lose

“If you could see your situation clearly…”
Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

“You’re lashing out…”
Discredit: +
Confront: +
Redirect: -2

“As you know, I was a practicing psychologist…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +1
Redirect: +2

“What do you expect to gain here today…”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“I saw this posture of yours…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +?
Redirect: +?

“What is it you’re truly looking for here?”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“I founded Humanity Front to make biotech companies…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +?
Redirect: +?

“When I founded Humanity Front…”
Discredit: -2
Confront: +1
Redirect: +2

“My life has been an open book”
Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

“Look at every speech I have ever given…”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“From the very day I founded Humanity Front…”
Discredit: +2
Confront: -2
Redirect: +1

“I founded Humanity front to prevent others from suffering…”
Discredit: +1
Confront: +2
Redirect: -2

If your first two responses both give -2, you lose. If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, you win.

Inspire: -2
Empathize: +1
Tough Love: +2

Pheromones:
Appease – You win
Charm – You lose
Pressure – You win

“It wasn’t enough to be a doctor…”
Inspire: +1
Empathize: +2
Tough Love: -2

“Medicine was not enough for me…”
Inspire: +1
Empathize: +2
Tough Love: -2

“I made it my life’s work to try…”
Inspire: -2
Empathize: +1
Tough Love: +2

“Early on, I decided my life’s purpose…”
Inspire: +?
Empathize: -2
Tough Love: +?

“To think I believed my life…”
Inspire: +2
Empathize: -2
Tough Love: +1

“My whole life, all I ever wanted to do was help…”
Inspire: -2
Empathize: +?
Tough Love: +?

“At first, after the kidnapping…”
Inspire: -2
Empathize: +1
Tough Love: +2

“How did it come to this?”
Inspire: +1
Empathize: +2
Tough Love: -2

“Ever since the kidnapping I’ve been haunted…”
Inspire: -2
Empathize: +1
Tough Love: +2

“Some doctor, some Catholic I turned out to be…”
Inspire: +?
Empathize: -2
Tough Love: +?

“I’ve been involved in the killing…”
Inspire: +2
Empathize: -2
Tough Love: +1

Note: There ought to be one more possible response here for which Tough Love is the -2 choice. Regardless, if both of your first two choices were positive, you cannot fail as a result of the third choice.

If the conversation ends with his persuasion level at 0, you win.

Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“You of all people should be able to understand this…”
Appeal: +1
Critique: +2
Extrapolate: -2

“Even as I listen to your words…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“History has shown us again and again…”
Appeal: +?
Critique: -2
Extrapolate: +?

“A single human can be considered…”
Appeal: +2
Critique: -2
Extrapolate: +1

“But you – I don’t expect you to understand…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“Think about it. You were an officer…”
Appeal: +?
Critique: +?
Extrapolate: -2

Pheromones:
Appease: You lose
Charm: You lose
Pressure: You win

“History shows us that…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“Don’t you see – I created people like you.”
Appeal: +1
Critique: +2
Extrapolate: -2

“Oh, why did I expect this…”
Appeal: +2
Critique: -2
Extrapolate: +1

“Look at everything that has happened…”
Appeal: +1
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: -2

“Quite frankly, I don’t even know why…”
Appeal: +2
Critique: -2
Extrapolate: +1

“It was my genius that created…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +?
Extrapolate: +?

“You and I, we’re two sides of the same coin…”
Appeal: +1
Critique: +2
Extrapolate: -2

“All of this is academic…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“Your body accepts augmentations easily…”
Appeal: -2
Critique: +1
Extrapolate: +2

“You – you think you have the measure of me…”
Appeal: +1
Critique: -2
Extrapolate: +2

“Once upon a time…”
Appeal: +1
Critique: +2
Extrapolate: -2

Note: There ought to be one more possible response here for which Critique is the -2 choice. Regardless, if all of your previous choices were positive, you cannot fail as a result of the fourth choice.