In Starfield, players have the opportunity to play as anyone they want. You can create a stealthy assassin, an invulnerable deadly tank, and many other characters. It all depends on the player's preferences. If desired, the game can be completed with a minimal amount of killing. This is where the essence of a pacifist lies. It's unlikely to be entirely without killings, but you can minimize the number of deaths (at least from the protagonist's side) by leveling the right skills. In this guide, we'll explore the uniqueness of this build, its pros and cons, the skills to level, and the gear to choose.

Pros and Cons of Playing as a Pacifist

In terms of gameplay, playing as a pacifist can be quite dull, as the number of shootouts is reduced to zero. Pros of the Build:

• Unique Experience: For the first playthrough, a pacifist build might not be the best choice, but during subsequent playthroughs, you can use this build to gain a unique experience from Starfield.

Cons:

• Fairly Boring Gameplay: The main goal is to only kill when necessary. The character is rather weak in combat, so you'll often have to rely on stealth and persuasion to bypass the most extreme and interesting moments.

Best Abilities for a Pacifist Build in Starfield

In Starfield, there are dozens of combat and non-combat skills. We're interested in persuasion abilities. Below is a table of the main skills that should be leveled first.

Image	Skill Name	Description
	Persuasion	One of the key skills. Allows convincing other NPCs in dialogues. Doesn't work against initially hostile characters, but helps avoid fights in certain situations.
	Diplomacy	One of the main skills for the pacifist build. At initial levels, it allows persuading enemies to stop fighting. At the highest level, the effect becomes permanent until you attack the target again. Helps avoid unnecessary deaths.
	Intimidation	Works similarly to the previous skill, but instead of stopping the fight, enemies are frightened and flee.
	Negotiation	This skill allows you to use the "Bribe" option in negotiations, similar to previous Bethesda games. Spend a certain amount of credits to achieve your goal without unnecessary bloodshed.
	Instigation	If you don't mind shedding blood but want to do it with someone else's hands, this skill helps. Allows you to incite enemies against each other, making them kill each other without the protagonist's involvement.
	Leadership	Similar to the previous perk, if you prefer not to spill blood yourself, you can command your companions to do so, making them significantly stronger thanks to this skill. A situational ability based on your gameplay preferences.
	Manipulation	An advanced version of Intimidation, Diplomacy, Instigation skills. Allows you to give orders to enemies. You can simply order them to surrender or make them attack allies, and more.
	Xenosociology	Depending on the level, allows giving orders to alien creatures. You can make them surrender, attack each other, and so on.
	Stealth	In certain situations, it's much more advantageous to proceed stealthily to avoid attracting enemy attention and not killing anyone.

The above skills will significantly ease the pacifist's path. In combination with these skills, you can level various other skills based on your preferences.

Choosing a Background

For a pacifist, it's best to choose the background "Diplomat" to immediately acquire skills in persuasion, diplomacy, and trading.

Best Weapons and Armor for a Pacifist Build in Starfield

The choice of weapons and armor for this class doesn't affect much, as you'll have to engage in shootouts very rarely - that's the essence of the entire build. It's recommended to take:

• Weapons with suppressors to kill enemies stealthily in case of unavoidable combat, without raising alarms;
• If the game is played through stealth, lightweight armor that doesn't make much noise;
• If the stealth skill isn't leveled, heavy armor with high defense is the best choice.