Are you an aspiring space pirate looking to rise in Starfield? Then leveling up your Deception skill should be a top priority. This skill allows you to bluff, intimidate and otherwise deceive your opponents in space combat. Higher Deception means enemies will more likely surrender to you, providing cargo, credits and other loot. We’ll explain Deception leveling in Starfield.
How Does Deception Leveling Work in Starfield?
The Deception skill allows pirates and smugglers to more easily prey on ships and sneak contraband past authorities. To unlock this useful Advanced-tier skill, you will first need to invest at least 4 points into other Social skills.
Once Deception is available, focus on leveling it up through piracy and smuggling activities. For the early ranks, target weaker ships that are easier to force into surrendering. Equip your ship with the best weapons and armor to widen the strength gap between your ships. Accept surrender from as many ships as possible to reach the rank-up challenges.
Scanning cargo ships is also a good way to level Deception. Attempt to sneak illegal goods like narcotics or weapons past authority ship scanners. Load your cargo hold close to the maximum to increase the chance of detection. Retake the cargo if scanned, but try sneaking it through again, as each failed check still provides skill experience.
- Rank 1 – Convince 5 ships to surrender
- Ships 10% stronger
- Enemy contraband scans 10% less effective
- Rank 2 – Convince 10 ships to surrender
- Ships 20% stronger
- Enemy contraband scans 20% less effective
- Rank 3 – Convince 20 ships to surrender
- Ships 30% stronger
- Enemy contraband scans 30% less effective
- Rank 4
- Ships 50% stronger
- Enemy contraband scans 50% less effective
With higher ranks, you can efficiently demand surrender from more formidable pirate targets and craft, expanding your lucrative illicit operations across the star systems.
That’s all for the Deception leveling in Starfield. You can also check our guides on what to loot, the best spacesuit tier list, and if you can transmog. For more help on this game, be sure to take a look at our Starfield Wiki Guide.