Contacting Demons

Introduction

During battles, players can choose to fight or talk to the enemies by choosing the "Contact" command. Contact is an important system in Persona, because it allows you to end the battle without fighting; possibly obtain healing, items, money, or experience point; and most importantly, gather "spell card" that can be used to fuse new Personas. This section explains this contact system.

How to initiate contact

There are two ways. First, you can always actively talk to the demons by choosing "Contact" in the menu. Second, occasionally, the demons will talk to you. In that case, you may choose to pursue with the talk, or ignore it and continue with fighting. In some of the games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, demons are always in rage during the FULL MOON; however, in Persona, you may talk in any Moon Phase.

The flow of contact

Once the contact is initiated, pick the demon you wish to talk to, then pick the character who will be doing the talking. According to the result of the conversation, the demons will show a change in four emotions:

Color Emotion
Red Angry (怒り)
Green/Orange (PSP) Happy (喜び)
Yellow Eager (興味)
Blue Scared (恐怖)

The task of the player is to use different conversation techniques to manipulate the enemies so that they will perform the desired action. It usually takes 3-4 rounds of conversation to maximize any one or two of the emotions. Once maxed, the emotion gauge will be blinking, showing the corresponding color(s). Then, these outcome will happen accordingly:

Final Emotion Possible Outcomes
Eager Obtain spell card
Eager and Happy Obtain spell card and item
Eager and Scared Obtain spell card
Eager and Angry Obtain spell card (and possibly with HP damage)
Happy Demon gets "Happy" status ailments/gives gift
Happy and Scared Demon gets "Charm" status ailments/gives gift/escapes
Happy and Angry Demon gives gift/escapes
Scared Demon gets "Bind" status ailment/gives gift/escapes
Scared and Angry Demon gets "Panic" status/gives gift/escapes/increases attack power
Angry Demon increases attack power/contact person gets "Bind" status ailment

Notice that demons only give spell card to you if you have a level higher than its. Otherwise, it will only give you gifts, experience points, free healing, or money.

Matching the characters' conversation techniques and the demons' personality

Each character has a set of four conversation techniques (see below).

Character Contacts
MC 説得する (Persuade) 挑発する (Taunt) 勧誘する (Invite) 歌う (Sing)
Maki 頼む (Plead) おだてる (Flatter) でまかせ (Lie) 怯えるフリ (Cringe)
Nanjo 物でつる (Bribe) 演説する (Pontificate) 一喝する (Condescend) 皮肉を言う (Sarcasm)
Mark 踊る (Dance) 挑発する (Taunt) 見つめる (Stare) ホラを吹く (Brag)
Brown ナンパ (Pick up) 笑わせる (Joke) 世間話 (Chat) 驚かす (Startle)
Elly 怖い話 (Horrify) 歌う (Sing) あやす (Soothe) 勧誘する (Invite)
Ayase けなす (Abuse) 誘惑する (Seduce) 泣き落とす (Cry) 脅す (Threaten)
Yukino いじめる (Bully) さとす (Persuade) 叱る (Scold) 無視する (Ignore)
Reiji 手品をする (Prestidigitate) 無視する (Ignore) 脅す (Threaten) 叫ぶ (Scream)

Each of these ways of talking can stir up at least three of the four emotions. The type of emotion that will be affected is decided by the demon's trait, which is provided when you initiate the contact process. Demons have one to a few of the following personalities:

Trait Description
Wise (賢い) Knowledgeable, with wisdom
Foolish (愚か) Simplistic, over-optimistic
Joyful (陽気) Focus on being happy
Gloomy (陰気) Dark, manipulative
Forceful (強気) Action-oriented, though they can just be boasting
Timid (弱気) Coward, afraid of trouble, withdrawn
Snappish (短気) Easily enraged
Haughty (高慢) Insist on its own view and pace

You may experiment with all the contacts. However, since one major goal is to gather spell card from the enemies, which requires the demon to be Eager (yellow color), the table below displays some skills that are more likely to stir up the Eager of demons with different personalities:

Trait MC Maki Mark Nanjo Brown Elly Ayase Yukino Reiji
Wise - - - Pontificate Chat Soothe (Males Only) - Scold -
Foolish - Lie - Bribe - - - Ignore Ignore
Joyful Invite - Brag - Startle - Abuse - -
Gloomy Taunt - - Sarcasm - - Cry (Males Only) - -
Forceful Persuade Cringe - - - - Threaten - Threaten
Timid - - Dance - Joke Sing Cry - -
Snappish - Plead - Condescend - Invite - - -
Haughty - - Taunt/Stare - - Invite (Males Only) Seduce - -

What to do with the spell card?

The spell cards have two functions. First, it acts as a contract between you and the demons. In future, as long as you still have the spell card with you, you can always talk to the same demon in battles and ask them to leave. They will sometimes give you gifts before leaving. Second, the spell card can be used in fusing Personas. You can only keep at most 12 spell card at a time.

Special contacts

There are many deities in Persona. Most of them have their own association in their mythological world. Part of these associations are actually reflected in the Persona game. In some occasion, special conversation will happen with some demons if any of the characters has equipped a specific Persona.

Myth-related conversation

When the demon and the equipped Persona are friends, the demon may be willing to give the party its spell card even if the party's Level is lower than the demon's. In the case of opposite Persona talk, there may still be a 1/16 chance to get a spell card if the demon is no more than 5 levels higher than the party's.

Friendly
LV Order Equipped Persona Demon
5 LOVERS Pixie (ピクシー) Pixie (ピクシー)
7 JUDGEMENT Nike (ニケー) Angel (エンジェル)
10 LOVERS Jack Frost (ジャックフロスト) Jack Frost (ジャックフロスト)
10 LOVERS Jack Frost (ジャックフロスト) Pyro Jack (ジャックランタン)
20 LOVERS Pyro Jack (ジャックランタン) Jack Frost (ジャックフロスト)
20 LOVERS Pyro Jack (ジャックランタン) Pyro Jack (ジャックランタン)
21 MOON Lilim (リリム) Lilim (リリム)
36 JUDGEMENT Azrael (アズラエル) Virtue (ヴァーチャー)
40 FORTUNE Cerberus (ケルベロス) Orthrus (オルトロス)
50 STRENGTH Otohime (オトヒメ) Otohime (オトヒメ)
51 DEVIL Loki (ロキ) Fenrir (フェンリル)
53 MOON Succubus (サキュバス) Succubus (サキュバス)
57 EMPRESS Durga (ドゥルガー) Gdon (ドゥン)
59 HANGEDMAN Barbatos (バルバトス) Barbatos (バルバトス)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Angel (エンジェル)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Archangel (アークエンジェル)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Principality (プリンシパリティ)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Power (パワー)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Virtue (ヴァーチャー)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Dominion (ドミニオン)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Throne (ソロネ)
62 JUDGEMENT Michael (ミカエル) Cherub (ケルプ)
85 EMPRESS Kali (カーリー) Kwancha (カワンチャ)
96 CHARIOT Shiva (シヴァ) Ganesha (ガネーシャ)
96 CHARIOT Shiva (シヴァ) Kwancha (カワンチャ)
Opposite
LV Order Equipped Persona Demon
12 EMPEROR Airgetlam (アガートラーム) Cromm Cruach (クロウ・クルーワッハ)
34 EMPEROR Marduk (マルドゥーク) Mushus (ムシュフシュ)
54 JUSTICE Tyr (ティール) Fenrir (フェンリル)
74 HIEROPHANT Fuhedi Mergane (フヘディー・メルゲン) Mangadhai (マンガド)
79 SUN Garuda (ガルーダ) Naga (ナーガ)
90 JUSTICE Pallas Athena (パラスアテナ) Arachne (アルケニー)

Special equipment obtained through contacts

There are some equipment that can only be obtained through contacting demons. They are not that particularly strong, but definitely is fun to collect:

Armor Who Can Obtain and Equip Tribes
Witch's Hat (ウィッチズハット) Brown, Elly, Ayase Night, Yoma, Fairy (夜魔, 妖魔, 妖精)
Angel Wing (エンジェルウィング) Brown, Elly Divine, Fallen (天使, 堕天使)
Dragon Helm (ドラゴンヘルム) MC, Yukino Snake, Drake (龍王, 邪龍)
Spinney Suit (ビッグバードスーツ) Mark, Ayase Flight, Raptor (妖鳥, 凶鳥)
Shishiou Gauntlet (獅子王の篭手) Maki, Nanjo, Yukino Beast, Wilder (魔獣, 妖獣)
Kimen Gloves (鬼面の篭手) Nanjo, Yukino Femme, Brute, Jirae, Jaki (鬼女, 妖鬼, 地霊, 邪鬼)
Ghost Geta (幽霊の下駄) Maki, Brown Haunt, Spirit, Grave (幽鬼, 悪霊, 屍鬼)
Slime Shoes (スライムシューズ) MC, Reiji Foul (外道)

To get these items, the average party level has to be 30 and the demon's level has to be lower than then party's. If the above condition is fulfilled, contact the demons with the corresponding person and make the demon feel either (i) Scared, or (ii) Scared and Angry. There will be about 30% (Scared) to 15% (Scared + Angry) chance that the demon will present you a gift. Once that happens, you'll have about 50% getting this special item.

Gems obtained through contacts

If the moon phase and demon fit a certain criterion, the demon may present the character some gems, which are important in adjusting the resultant Persona during fusion.

Ultra Rare Gems
Gem Demon Moon Phase Chance
Alexandrite (アレキサンドライト) Pride (アラガンス) NEW, FULL 1/32
Diamond (ダイアモンド) Wrath (ベリカシティ) NEW, FULL 1/32
Rare Gems
Gem Demon Moon Phase Chance
Sapphire (サファイア) Ganesha (ガネーシャ) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/32
Emerald (エメラルド) Hecatoncheires (ヘカトンケイル) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/32
Ruby (ルビー) Cromm Cruach (クロウ・クルーワッハ) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/32
Uncommon Gems
Gem Demon Moon Phase Chance
Pearl (パール) Vetala (ヴェータラ) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/8
Tanzanite (タンザナイト) Catoblepas (カトブレパス) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/8
Opal (オパール) Succubus (サキュバス) NEW, 2/8, FULL 1/8
Common Gems
Gem Demons Moon Phase Chance
Amethyst (アメジスト) Otohime, Phunbaba (オトヒメ, フンババ) Other Moon Phases -
Garnet (ガーネット) Polisun, Selket (ポリスーン, セルケト) Other Moon Phases -
Aquamarine (アクアマリン) Mizuchi, Ocypete (ミズチ, オキュペテー) Other Moon Phases -
Topaz (トパーズ) Haokah, Scylla (ハオカー, スキュラ) Other Moon Phases -
Moonstone (ムーンストーン) Wyvern, Rakshasa (ワイバーン, ラクシャーサ) Other Moon Phases -
Malachite (マラカイト) Enku, Doppelganger (エンク, ドッペルゲンガー) Other Moon Phases -
Onyx (オニキス) Naga, Ogre (ナーガ, オーガ) Other Moon Phases -
Turquoise (ターコイズ) Rusalka, Power (ルサールカ, パワー) Other Moon Phases -

The ultimate prize

There are totally 142 demons that would give you spell cards. If you collect all 142 of them through formal conversation (i.e. the ones you obtained through special Persona talk do not count), something good thing will be unlocked. Click below to reveal it if you would like to know.

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