Instigation is an Expert Social skill that makes NPCs attack their allies in Starfield. Read on to learn the effects of the Instigation skill, how to unlock and rank up the Instigation skill, and the backgrounds that know it.
List of Contents
| Instigation Skill | |
|---|---|
 |
Skill Tree: Social |
| Tier: Expert |
|
| When combat is required, it can be advantageous to convince others to do the fighting for you. | |
As Instigation is a higher-tier Expert skill, it is unlocked by spending a total of 8 skill points in the Social skill tree before it can be learned.
There are no backgrounds that start with the Instigation skill.
| Rank | Challenge | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spend a total of 8 Skill Points in the Social tree. | You can force a target NPC at or below your level to attack their allies for a limited time. |
| 2 | Successfully Instigate 5 different people. | You can force a target PC up to 10 levels higher than you to attack their allies for a limited time. |
| 3 | Successfully Instigate 25 different people. | You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to attack their allies for a limited time. |
| 4 | Successfully Instigate 50 different people. | Enemies affected by Instigation will attack their allies until they are dead. |
While you have the Hand Scanner up, pressing the E key on PC or the A button on Xbox opens the Social Skills Menu. Use the Scroll Wheel or Arrow Buttons from this menu to highlight the Instigation Skill, then press the E key or the A button to use the skill.
People you successfully Instigate will be Hostile to everyone and will also put a bounty on your head.
Instigating people in major cities is a fast way to complete the challenge. However, it is better to avoid this method as it will most likely lead to your death or at least a considerable sum of bounty to be paid.
You can Instigate the Crimson Fleet Pirates in The Key, which would not result in having a bounty on your head.
The Key is a Space Station in the Kryx System orbiting the planet Suvorov. You can access The Key during the Rook Meets King quest, which is part of the Crimson Fleet Questline.
There are around 40 pirates of varying levels that you can instigate here between the Docking Bay, Cargo Bay, and the Bar. Going to another area within The Key resets the instigate attempt to the ones you have failed to instigate before and even those you have already instigated before.
An alternative way to complete the challenge is to go to random locations and instigate enemies there. There will be around a dozen enemies for each outpost you can attempt instigating.
| Skills Guides |
|---|
| Best Skills |
| All Skill Trees | |
|---|---|
| Physical | Social |
| Combat | Science |
| Tech | |
 Commerce |
 Gastronomy |
 Persuasion |
 Scavenging |
 Theft |
 Deception |
 Diplomacy |
 Intimidation |
 Isolation |
 Negotiation |
Instigation |
 Leadership |
 Outpost Management |
 Manipulation |
 Ship Command |
 Xenosociology |
Instigation Skill Rank Up Guide
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