One of the most fun Starfield builds is the pacifist build. These builds are some of the most fun and rewarding builds and have been a crucial aspect of many Bethesda RPGs in the past, from Elder Scrolls to Fallout. A pacifist build requires players to complete the game in the most non-violent way, resolving most of the conflicts with dialogue and persuasion. If you enjoy a dialogue-heavy approach to the game, the pacifist builds in Starfield are perfect for you.
Naturally, this is easier said than done in a game that has so many factions and enemies to manage. However, with intelligent skill investments and charismatic dialogue choices, you can cruise around the galaxies without hurting a fly. Here is everything you need to know about the pacifist build in Starfield, including the best backgrounds, skills, and armor.
If you're going to be diplomatic, you should understand the Colony War and check our Factions guides.
Best Background for Pacifist Builds
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+ 3One of the first things you’re going to select for your ideal build is your character’s background. Luckily, we have the best background that fits perfectly with your pacifist run in Starfield. For your pacifist builds in Starfield, be sure to pick the Diplomat background for your character. It is ideal for players who prefer talking their way through a problem rather than resorting to combat.
With the Diplomat background selected, you get a boost in the following starting skills.
- Persuasion: Increases your chances of success when it comes to speech challenges.
- Commerce: The exact effect remains unknown, but it grants a buff to your credits.
- Wellness: Grants you 30 points of health immediately.
Best Traits and Skills for Pacifist Builds
click to enlarge + 3Since not all traits in Starfield are known so far, we can’t say for certain which ones provide a significant advantage to the pacifist builds. It seems that traits like Dream Home, Hero Worshipped, and Kid Stuff are the best for the pacifist build due to their non-violent and welcoming nature.
We recommend not choosing traits that grant you better dialogue choices for one particular faction if it will anger the other factions. Some of these traits include Freestar Collective Settler and Neon Street Rat. Moreover, since you will almost never rely on combat using the pacifist builds, traits like Wanted and Alien DNA are useless as they provide damage and health boost.
click to enlarge + 3For the pacifist builds, you should entirely focus on building your Social and Science skill trees. Persuasion, Intimidation, and Diplomacy are the three must-have skills for this build. From the Tech skills tree, Security skill is essential for this build to pick locks and hack into various systems and terminals.
Best Weapons and Armor for Pacifist Builds
Ideally, you don’t want to worry about weapons or armor for a pacifist build. Since you will be resolving conflicts via dialogue, your words will be your best weapon. However, the pacifist playstyle might require you to sneak around enemies and perform stealthy pickpockets and hacks. Light armor sets will likely be ideal for these situations. That being said, we might see armor sets that boost your diplomatic abilities or stealth/hacking options as well. Stay tuned for those!
As for the best pacifist weapon, a pacifist should avoid violence at all costs, so it doesn’t really make sense to carry a weapon. You can look around for some non-lethal options, but we’d still suggest avoiding these for a true pacifist build.
Check out our Starfield - Builds Hub for more information on what kind of builds to expect and take a look at the main story path.
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