During the Delivering Devils quest in Starfield, players must make a decision on how to approach their objective. They need to locate Dr. Percival Walker, but he’s got some outstanding debt with Mars’ Trade Authority. Players can either wipe out that debt themselves, adjust it and pay it off, or kill the local Spacer leader and finish off some research that will more than pay that debt off.
We were paralyzed with indecision when we encountered this point in the quest. That’s why we tried out all three routes to see which one was the most interesting and lucrative. Below, we’ve explained what happens when players complete each objective and why we’d opt for one over the others.
Related: Starfield Complete Guide – Quest, Lore, Story & Trailers
Should You Pay or Change Percival’s Debt or Kill the Spacer Leader and Finish His Research
The Delivering Devils quest is one of the two quests players will be given after completing their inaugural mission with The Vanguard. They must deliver a sample to Dr. Percival Walker in Mars’ mining colony Cydonia. The problem is that he’s acquired quite a bit of debt by illegally selling knock-off drugs to Trade Authority customers.
Following instructions from the Trade Authority, players can find Lou, an old friend of Percival’s. After speaking to him, two options for clearing the debt arise. It’s possible to either pay it outright or find a computer terminal to lower the debt and pay it off. Upon leaving the bar, players will be given a third option to seek out the local Spacer leader and kill them so Percival’s drug research can be completed. Now, players have three options for how to clear that debt and find him.
What Happens if You Pay Percival’s Debt in Starfield
When players pay Percival’s full debt of 21,867 Credits with the Mars Trade Authority, they’ll clear it and move on from holding him accountable for his actions. Then, players are free to speak to Lou and tell him the debt is gone.
They’ll be informed that Percival is in the nearby Abandoned Mines location and will get a key that will let them into the deepest section of the mine, where Percival is holding out. The only disadvantage to this route is that players must kill all the Spacers in the mine anyway, and they’ve paid the maximum amount.
This is the best option for players who just want to rush the quest. It’s an easier way to complete it and get into meatier quests for New Game+ runs that players want to beat so they can get into deeper New Game+ content.
What Happens if You Change Percival’s Debt in Starfield
Players must find the nearby computer terminal linked to the Trade Authority to change Percival’s debt. The path to it can be found in the Broken Eagle bar through the massive door behind the counter. No one will stop players from walking up there.
The computer is up the stairs and along the walkway. Players will need to drop down a small set of stairs to find the locked door hiding the computer. After using a Digipick to get inside, players can alter the debt to 10,000 Credits, 5,000 Credits, 2,000 Credits, 1,000 Credits, 500 Credits, 50 Credits, or 1 Credit. The lowest we’d suggest changing the debt to is 1,000 Credits because the Trade Authority sees anything lower as unbelievable.
There’s some incredible loot in the room with this computer. We picked up a Lacerate Coachman shotgun that randomly applies the Bleed Effect to our targets after hitting them. We’ve been using this for hours, much later into the game than when we did this quest, so all of this loot is well worth collecting regardless of the route players are taking.
After changing the debt, players can visit the Trade Authority and pay it off. Since the amount has changed, it’s thought the company has taken pity on Percival, and as long as it’s a believable amount, like 1,000 Credits, the transaction will go through fine.
Then, players can visit Lou and get Percival’s location again. Lou will note the player chose to lower the debt and did so successfully during his dialogue, but nothing else changes with this outcome. Players still need to clear the Abandoned Mines with this route, but they’ll have paid less to clear the debt.
What Happens if You Kill the Spacer Leader and Finish Percival’s Research in Starfield
If players choose to kill the Spacer leader in the Abandoned Mine and finish Percival’s research in order to clear his debt, they’ll have what we believe is the most desirable outcome from this quest. To do this, players must visit the Abandoned Mine. It’s guarded by Spacers that must be killed before entering. One drops an item that starts the Mantis quest, so it’s worth searching every enemy.
Once players are inside, they’ll need to fight through the mine, killing Spacers as they go. There are loads of Spacers in here and they’re incredibly well-equipped, so it’s worth taking a companion along. After players reach the end of the mine, they’ll kill the Spacer leader and find themselves in a research lab. We found some contraband in there, so it’s worth looking around to see what’s been dropped in the past.
Players now need to follow the instructions from their contact to complete Percival’s research by gathering a mineral sample and processing it. They’ll get an elevator key that takes them up to the surface, and can quickly travel back to Cydonia.
When players deliver the research to their contact, they’ll be told they need to sell it with a good pitch to the Trade Authority. It doesn’t look like players’ dialogue choices during the pitch make a difference to the outcome. The Trade Authority wants the research and will clear Percival’s debt as well as pay the character 1,300 Credits for it.
Following this massive win for the player and Percival, it’s time to visit Lou and get Percival’s location. He’ll explain how Percival is in the Abandoned Mine, but since players already cleared it out, it shouldn’t be too much trouble. It’s easy to find Percival by following the mine all the way to the end and taking the previously locked path through to the new tunnels.
Percival will be waiting for players at the end of the incredibly long and convoluted mine. After speaking to him, players will be invited inside to check out their delivered sample. This will advance Starfield’s Delivering Devils quest to the next major plot point.
What is the Best Method for Completing Delivering Devils in Starfield
We believe the best way to complete Delivering Devils in Starfield is to first find the Trade Authority’s computer and change Percival’s debt. The loot in the computer room is amazing, and players can take it freely with no one waiting to catch them.
Then, we think that the best course of action is to kill the Spacer leader in the Abandoned Mine, complete Percival’s research, use that to pay off his debt, before going to find him in the mine. This way, players reap the most rewards possible from the quest in terms of loot and XP from combat.
As we mentioned above, the loot from this quest has served us late into Starfield. Between the items we got from this quest and the Mantis ship and spacesuit, we’ve had endgame gear for a long time and don’t see that changing any time soon.
