The Outlaw Cyber Runner Build – Starfield

In a game like Starfield, the space cowboy archetype is hard to ignore. And on the opposite side of that coin are space outlaws. Just as dashing and quick on the draw, but more accustomed to breaking the law than to keeping it. And since our first space cowboy build was inspired by Raylan Givens, it’s only fair that our outlaw is created around the character of Boyd Crowder, Raylan’s friend and nemesis portrayed by Walton Goggins.

Character Creation

Background

For our Background, we’ll be picking Cyber Runner. Not exactly the perfect fit thematically, but the skills it provides are all integral for a proper space outlaw.

• Stealth – it’s much easier to commit crimes when the law can’t see you.
• Security – breaking in is the bread and butter of any self-respecting outlaw.
• Theft – picking pockets is a great way to make a quick buck when morals aren’t an issue.

Traits

• Wanted – being a famous outlaw must have its drawbacks.
• Raised Universal – an outlaw like Boyd isn’t above using religion to run a scam.
• Freestar Collective Settler – to denote your humble miner origins.

Progression – Fire in the Hole

Since Starfield will eventually allow you to unlock everything, the build will be focusing on the core skills required to turn your character into a notorious outlaw. Outside of these, feel free to unlock supplementary skills that fit well with your playstyle.

Our main skills will be located in the Social and Combat skill groups, however both Physical and Tech groups have an important skill each for us, as picking locks and sneaking up on people will always remain useful for us.

• Stealth
• Security

For early Social and Combat skills you should focus on:

• Persuasion
• Theft
• Ballistics

We get Persuasion because while Boyd has been accused of being a lot of things, inarticulate isn’t one of them. Theft makes us a better criminal. And Ballistics makes us better at using all firearms while unlocking the next tier of Combat skills. If you want, you can throw in Pistol Certification into the mix there.

Moving on to the more advanced skills, we’ll be grabbing:

• Deception
• Intimidation
• Demolitions
• Heavy Weapons Certification

Since we’re not merely an outlaw but a space outlaw, whenever an opportunity presents itself, we’ll be acting as a space pirate. Deception makes us better at that. With Intimidation, our reputation will precede us, allowing us to scare our foes into running away. Demolitions is the key skill for anyone looking to follow in Boyd Crowder’s footsteps. And whenever using hand-thrown explosives will cause more inconvenience to us than to our targets, Heavy Weapons will allow us to dispatch our foes in style.

The above skills will turn you into a proper menace and a real space outlaw, so for your subsequent skills feel free to advance through the Science skill group to help you craft all the necessary supplies, or go down the Physical path to eventually unlock Concealment.

The Gameplan

The core of this build is extremely straightforward in what you’ll want to do – you’ll be utilizing your dishonest skills to steal everything that’s not bolted down. You’ll be sneaking into restricted areas, picking pockets of unsuspecting merchants, and cracking locks and security systems with the best of them. And whenever you encounter something that’s actually bolted down, you’ll do your best to blow it up. At the same time, being an eloquent charming rogue, you’ll be great at influencing people and making them forgive your transgressions.

In practice, all of these activities and systems guiding them will take some time to master. But once you do, the whole galaxy will become your playground.