Starfield:Skills

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Skill up!

Skills provide a variety of benefits to your character. Your Background gives you three starting Novice skills. You gain a skill point every time you level up. There are 82 Skills, each with 4 Ranks, organized in 4 Tiers (novice, advanced, expert, master) across 5 Categories (physical, social, combat, science, tech), for a total of 328 skill ranks. Because you start with 3 skill ranks at level 1, you could unlock every skill rank by level 325, assuming you also complete all Skill Challenges.

While the first rank of each Skill has no Challenge, each subsequent rank requires completing a relevant challenge before a skill point can be spent to rank up. Progress towards the next rank is only tracked when the previous rank is unlocked. For example, killing enemies with Ballistic weapons will not count towards the Ballistics Rank 2 Challenge until Rank 1 is acquired.

Similarly, while Novice Tier skills are available at start, each higher tier requires 4 points spent in any lower tiers of the same category before unlocking. For example, Master Science skills are only available after 12 ranks of Novice, Advanced, and/or Expert are earned, in any combination; starting skills count towards this total.

Skill ranks can be visually differentiated based on the border of the skill. A darkened icon with a gray border means the skill is still locked. If the icon has a gray border and gray design it is Rank 0, a colored design means Rank 1. If the icon has two gray borders it is Rank 2. Finally Rank 3 and 4 have a gold border with one or two lines respectively.


Unlocking New Mechanics[edit]

Several skills unlock entirely new mechanics and abilities instead of just providing a small stat boost. These include

  • Stealth -- The first tier provides a stealth meter, without which you will have no obvious indicator of how close you are to being detected while sneaking.
  • Theft -- The first tier gives you the ability to pickpocket. Beyond the more obvious benefits from the theft itself, you will not be able to do any quest objective that requires you to pickpocket without this, requiring you to do other, potentially less desirable options instead.
  • Intimidation -- Grants the intimidation ability to force enemies to flee.
  • Negotiation -- The first tier is required to unlock bribery options.
  • Manipulation -- Gives you the ability to command a targeted NPC.
  • Xenosociology -- Grants the ability to make hostile Fauna stop attacking, flee, attack for you, or follow your commands.
  • Gymnastics -- Grants the ability to combat slide.
  • Concealment -- Makes you incapable of setting off mines, allows you to run while sneaking with no extra chance of detection, gives you a chameleon-like cloak while still, and makes enemies lose track of you if you start sneaking.
  • Rejuvenation -- Grants you automatic health recovery.
  • Demolitions -- The first tier gives you a visible trajectory arc for thrown grenades.
  • Piloting -- Grants you access to ship thrusters for better maneuvering, and unlocks Class B and C ships.
  • Boost Pack Training -- First tier grants you the ability to use your boost pack.
  • Security -- Lets you access higher tier locks.
  • Targeting Control Systems -- Grants you access to the ship targeting function, without which damaging specific components is very difficult.
  • Engine Systems -- The highest tier causes all enemies to disengage from you whenever you boost.

Physical Skills[edit]

There are sixteen Physical Skills:

Skill Tier Skill Name
Novice Boxing · Fitness · Stealth · Weight Lifting · Wellness
Advanced Energy Weapon Dissipation · Environmental Conditioning · Gymnastics · Nutrition · Pain Tolerance
Expert Cellular Regeneration · Decontamination · Martial Arts
Master Concealment · Neurostrikes · Rejuvenation

Social Skills[edit]

There are sixteen Social Skills:

Skill Tier Skill Name
Novice Commerce · Gastronomy · Persuasion · Scavenging · Theft
Advanced Deception · Diplomacy · Intimidation · Negotiation · Isolation
Expert Instigation · Leadership · Outpost Management
Master Manipulation · Ship Command · Xenosociology

Combat Skills[edit]

There are seventeen Combat Skills:

Skill Tier Skill Name
Novice Ballistics · Dueling · Lasers · Pistol Certification · Shotgun Certification
Advanced Demolitions · Heavy Weapon Certification · Incapacitation · Rifle Certification
Expert Marksmanship · Particle Beams · Rapid Reloading · Sniper Certification · Targeting
Master Armor Penetration · Crippling · Sharpshooting

Science Skills[edit]

There are sixteen science skills:

Skill Tier Skill Name
Novice Astrodynamics · Geology · Medicine · Research Methods · Surveying
Advanced Botany · Scanning · Spacesuit Design · Weapon Engineering · Zoology
Expert Astrophysics · Chemistry · Outpost Engineering
Master Aneutronic Fusion · Planetary Habitation · Special Projects

Tech Skills[edit]

There are seventeen Tech Skills:

Skill Tier Skill Name
Novice Ballistic Weapon Systems · Boost Pack Training · Piloting · Security · Targeting Control Systems
Advanced Energy Weapon Systems · Engine Systems · Payloads · Shield Systems
Expert Missile Weapon Systems · Particle Beam Weapon Systems · Robotics · Starship Design · Starship Engineering
Master Automated Weapon Systems · Boost Assault Training · EM Weapon Systems