Starfield, where interstellar exploration and technological marvels take center stage, the art of conversation and diplomacy remains a strong tool. The Social Skills in Starfield offer players a unique avenue to navigate the game’s intricate narrative, emphasizing the importance of dialogue choices, cultural understanding, companions, and non-hostile resolutions. Comprising 16 distinct skills out of the game’s expansive 82-skill roster, the Social Skill Tree is not just about eloquent speech but delving deep into the motivations, backgrounds, and intricacies of the characters and factions you’ll encounter. Whether you’re forging alliances, influencing the game’s storyline, or opting for a peaceful approach to challenges, investing in Starfield’s best Social Skills can have a huge impact on your choices and their consequences.
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Starfield Social Skill Tree, Effects, Tiers, And Ranks
| Social Skills | Tiers | Types | Effects | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce | 1 | Novice | Buy items for a lower price and sell high. | Rank 1: Purchase items at a 5% discount and sell them with a 10% markup. Rank 2: Purchase items at a 10% discount and sell them with a 15% markup. Rank 3: Purchase items at a 15% discount and sell them with a 20% markup. Rank 4: Purchase items at a 20% discount and sell them with a 25% markup. |
| Gastronomy | 1 | Novice | Cook special foods and research more recipes. | Rank 1: Make specialty foods and drinks, research new recipes. Rank 2: Research and make gourmet foods and drinks. Rank 3: Research and make delicacies. Rank 4: Research exotic recipes. Resources won’t be consumed occasionally when crafting food. |
| Persuasion | 1 | Novice | Increase Persuasion chance. | Rank 1: +10% chance of a successful Persuasion. Rank 2: +20% chance of a successful Persuasion. Rank 3: +30% chance of a successful Persuasion. Rank 4: +50% chance of a successful Persuasion. |
| Scavenging | 1 | Novice | Scanner highlights nearby resources, find better loot from cases, chests, and containers. | Rank 1: Chance of finding additional credits in containers. Rank 2: Chance of finding additional ammo in containers. Rank 3: Chance of finding additional health and stamina items in containers. Rank 4: Scanner highlights nearby resources. |
| Theft | 1 | Novice | Increased chance of pickpocketing. | Rank 1: Unlock pickpocket ability. Rank 2: +10% chance of pickpocketing. Rank 3: 30% chance of pickpocketing. Rank 4: 50% chance of pickpocketing. |
| Deception | 2 | Advanced | Increased chance of ships surrendering of piracy demand. | Rank 1: 10% stronger ships will automatically surrender to piracy demand. Enemy ship’s contraband scans are 10% less effective. Rank 2: 20% stronger ships will automatically surrender to piracy demand. Enemy ship’s contraband scans are 20% less effective. Rank 3: 30% stronger ships will automatically surrender to piracy demand. Enemy ship’s contraband scans are 30% less effective. Rank 4: 40% stronger ships will automatically surrender to piracy demand. Enemy ship’s contraband scans are 40% less effective. |
| Diplomacy | 2 | Advanced | Ability to stop NPCs from fighting. | Rank 1: Convince an NPC of your level or lower to cease combat temporarily. Rank 2: Convince an NPC up to 10 levels above you to cease combat for a short duration. Rank 3: Convince an NPC as much as 20 levels above you to cease combat for a short duration. Rank 4: Force NPCs to indefinitely stop combat until attacked again. |
| Intimidation | 2 | Advanced | Instill fear in your enemies. Make them flee the scene. | Rank 1: Force an NPC on or below your level to run away for a short time. Rank 2: Force an NPC on or 10 levels above you to run away for a short time. Rank 3: Force an NPC on or 20 levels above you to run away for a short time. Rank 4: Force enemies to flee for a longer period of time. |
| Isolation | 2 | Advanced | When without a companion get increased damage and resistance. | Rank 1: When not with a companion, get 10% damage weapon damage and 15 damage resistance for your equipped helmet and spacesuit. Rank 2: When not with a companion, get 20% damage weapon damage and 30 damage resistance for your equipped helmet and spacesuit. Rank 3: When not with a companion, get 30% damage weapon damage and 45 damage resistance for your equipped helmet and spacesuit. Rank 4: When not with a companion, get 40% damage weapon damage and 60 damage resistance for your equipped helmet and spacesuit. |
| Negotiation | 2 | Advanced | Ability to bribe and lower cost of bribes. | Rank 1: Unlock bribery speech challenges. Rank 2: 25% less bribery cost. Rank 3: 50% less bribery cost. Rank 4: Chance of 0 bribery cost. |
| Instigation | 3 | Expert | Force NPCs to fight their allies. | Rank 1: Convince an NPC at or below your level to attack allies for a short time. Rank 2: Convince an NPC at or up to 10 levels above to attack allies for a short time. Rank 3: Convince an NPC at or up to 20 levels above to attack allies for a short time. Rank 4: Convince NPCs to attack enemies until they are dead. |
| Leadership | 3 | Expert | Upgrade companion abilities, health, affinity, and more. | Rank 1: +25% affinity for companions. Rank 2: 50 more health and 50KG carrying capacity for companions. Rank 3: Companions can sometimes heal you. Rank 4: Chance of companions self reviving. 2x bonus of Combat and Physical Crew Skills. |
| Outpost Management | 3 | Expert | Outpost management and upgrades. | Rank 1: Increased cargo storage capacity at the outpost. Rank 2: Construct more robots at the outpost. Rank 3: Have additional crew at the outpost. Rank 4: Faster production output from outpost extractors. |
| Manipulation | 4 | Master | Force NPCs to obey commands. | Rank 1: Force NPCs below or at your level to obey commands. Rank 2: Force NPCs up to 10 levels above you to obey commands. Rank 3: Force NPCs up to 20 levels above you to obey commands for a short time. Rank 4: Force NPCs to obey commands for a longer period of time. |
| Ship Command | 4 | Master | Increased number of active crew. | Rank 1: Up to 4 active crew members. Rank 2: Up to 5 active crew members Rank 3: Up to 6 active crew members. Rank 4: Up to 8 active crew members. |
| Xenosociology | 4 | Master | Force aliens to obey commands. | Rank 1: Force aliens of up to level 10 or higher to stop fighting for a short time. Rank 2: Force aliens of up to level 10 or higher to run away for a short time. Rank 3: Force aliens of up to level 10 or higher to attack allies for a short time. Rank 4: Force aliens of up to level 10 or higher to obey commands. |
Best Picks For Social Skills In Starfield
1. Persuasion
- Tier: 1
- Effect: Increases the chance of success when persuading someone. In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than resorting to violence. This skill is crucial for players who prefer diplomatic solutions and want to navigate complex dialogues with ease.
2. Leadership
- Tier: 3
- Effect: Improves Companions’ performance. Teamwork is the cornerstone of galactic survival, and a trained, decisive leader can significantly boost the effectiveness of their team. If you’re planning to travel with companions, this skill is a must-have.
3. Negotiation
- Tier: 2
- Effect: Activates and upgrades Bribery in speech challenges. In challenging communications, skillfully supplementing words with credits can help achieve the desired results. This skill is beneficial for players who want to leverage their wealth in dialogues.
4. Manipulation
- Tier: 4
- Effect: Force a target NPC to obey commands. Recent studies have shown that suggestion is not just an art but a science. This skill allows players to exert control over susceptible NPCs, opening up unique gameplay opportunities.
5. Xenosociology
- Tier: 4
- Effect: Force alien creatures to obey commands. While sentient life is yet to be discovered, many of the galaxy’s alien species are intelligent enough to be susceptible to the power of suggestion. This skill is invaluable for players keen on exploring alien ecosystems.
6. Commerce
- Tier: 1
- Effect: Buy items for less and sell for more. In the Settled Systems’ free market economy, this skill can be instrumental for traders and entrepreneurs looking to maximize their profits.
7. Deception
- Tier: 2
- Effect: Makes ships more likely to surrender to piracy demands. While smuggling and piracy are both immoral and illegal, certain undercover operations may require a specific criminal skill set.
How To Unlock And Upgrade Skills In Starfield
Starfield’s character progression is tied to gaining experience and subsequently leveling up. This progression rewards players with skill points, which can be strategically allocated across the game’s five diverse skill trees. Here’s a breakdown the skill system of Starfield:
- Starting Skills: Every new character begins their journey equipped with three tier 1 skills.
- Leveling Up: Each time you level up your character, you’re granted a skill point. Initially, these points can be invested in rank 1 skills. However, to access higher-tier skills, you must first unlock the preceding ones in the lower tiers. It’s worth noting that skills in the upper echelons demand more skill points than their lower-tier counterparts.
- Skill Challenges: To unlock new ranks for a skill, players must complete a series of challenges associated with that skill. Successfully doing so unlocks additional ranks for that skill.
- Skill Badges: In Starfield, skills are visually represented as badges on your character. Each skill tree boasts its unique badge design, differentiated by shape and color, making it easy to identify the tree a skill is associated with.