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Starfield Shattered Space

Instigation Skill Rank Up Guide

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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.

Instigation How to Unlock and Overview

Instigation Skill Overview

Instigation Skill
Starfield - Instigation Skill Skill Tree:
Social
Tier:
Expert
When combat is required, it can be advantageous to convince others to do the fighting for you.

How to Unlock Instigation

Spend 8 Skill Points in the Social Tree

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.

How to Farm Skill Points Fast

Backgrounds with the Instigation Skill

There are no backgrounds that start with the Instigation skill.

List of All Backgrounds

How to Rank Up Instigation Skill

All Rank Challenges and Effects

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.

Use the Hand Scanner to Instigate People

Starfield - Use the Hand Scanner to Instigate People
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.

Instigating Puts a Bounty on Your Head

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.

Instigate Crimson Fleet Members in The Key

Starfield - Instigate Crimson Fleet Members in The Key
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.

The Key Location Guide

Go to Random Point of Interests or Enemy Outposts

Starfield - Go to Random Point-of-Interests or Enemy Outposts
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.

Starfield Related Guides

Starfield - Skills Partial Banner

List of All Skills

Skills Guide

Skills Guides
Best Skills

All Skill Trees

All Skill Trees
Physical Social
Combat Science
Tech

List of Social Skills

Starfield -  Commerce Skill
Commerce
Starfield -  Gastronomy Skill
Gastronomy
Starfield -  Persuasion Skill
Persuasion
Starfield -  Scavenging Skill
Scavenging
Starfield -  Theft Skill
Theft
Starfield -  Deception Skill
Deception
Starfield -  Diplomacy Skill
Diplomacy
Starfield -  Intimidation Skill
Intimidation
Starfield -  Isolation Skill
Isolation
Starfield -  Negotiation Skill
Negotiation
Starfield -  Instigation Skill
Instigation
Starfield -  Leadership Skill
Leadership
Starfield -  Outpost Management Skill
Outpost Management
Starfield -  Manipulation Skill
Manipulation
Starfield -  Ship Command Skill
Ship Command
Starfield -  Xenosociology Skill
Xenosociology

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