How to manipulate NPCs in Starfield to unlock safes for you

There are many enjoyable game mechanics in Starfield. Some of them are given to you from the start, while you have to level up certain skills to gain others. However, you could be fortunate enough to get some skills for free if you know how. The Manipulation skill makes it possible to influence NPCs in the game and get them to do your bidding. This skill can be invaluable in combat scenarios, giving you a tactical advantage in sticky situations. But there are more creative ways you can use Manipulation, such as making NPCs open locks for you so you don’t have to deal with pesky digipicks. Here’s our guide on how you can make NPCs in Starfield unlock safes for you.

Manipulation in Starfield, explained

To make NPCs unlock safes on your command, you need to learn how to get and use the Manipulation skill. Manipulation is a tier-4 skill within the Social skill tree of Starfield. This skill equips you with the unique ability to make NPCs obey your commands. You can make them open doors, move out of the way, or even sit down on a couch for a while. We’re going to use the manipulation skill to get NPCs to unlock their safes for us.

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How to get Manipulation skill in Starfield

To get the Manipulation skill, you need to put 10 points into the Social section via the Starfield skills menu. But this isn’t the only method to mind control some NPCs. Completing the Ryujin faction questline presents a chance to acquire Manipulation without any cost. You will receive a Cyberpunk-esque device called an Internal Neuromap that will give you the ability to manipulate NPCs, without spending any skill points

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How to unlock safes with Manipulation in Starfield

Armed with either the Manipulation skill or an Internal Neuromap, you are now ready to voodoo your way into safes throughout the Starfield universe. To unlock a safe that the NPC owns, first bring up your Scanner and aim it at the NPC. Then press the “social” button, that is “E” on PC, and it will reveal a variety of actions that will affect NPC. To unlock a safe, select “manipulation.” To carry out the manipulation, aim the scanner at the safe you want to unlock and click the social button again. The NPC will walk toward the safe and unlock it, allowing you to plunder the goodies inside.

Do note that Manipulation only works on certain NPCs, and how well it works depends on the levels of both you and the NPC. If the enemy is at a higher level, you need to be higher as well to make it work. If it doesn’t work for you a few times, I would suggest trying it on some lower-level NPCs first and continuing to rank up your manipulation skill.

For more guides, check out our other Starfield articles.