While creating your character in Starfield, you’ll have to make the difficult decision of choosing the starting traits. There are a total of 17 traits with different buffs, debuffs, and unique interactions. Which ones are the right pick for you and which traits are the best in Starfield? All of this will be central to this guide and will help you make the right choice.
You can only choose 3 traits while creating your character. Some of the traits will disable other traits like choosing one faction trait will render other faction traits unequippable. Each trait has some advantages and disadvantages. Some traits can be removed later on in the game if you think they are worthless. You can not add others later on, so do keep that in mind.
This informative guide is going to talk about the 9 best traits you can choose for your character in Starfield.
9. Terra Firma
The Terra Frima trait buffs you while you are on any planet or moon’s surface. It gives you more oxygen and health which is always a good thing. It does debuff you with the opposite effect if you are in space.
We would argue that the majority of the time you’ll spend in Starfield is traversing planet surfaces instead of space. Rather than going for the contrary trait i.e. Spaced, this trait has far more utility in the long run.
There are fewer instances where space movement comes into play so it is only natural you boost your effectiveness while on planet surfaces.
8. Hero Worshipped
If you’ve played Oblivion then you may be familiar with the adoring fan. With this trait equipped, he makes a return to annoy you in Starfield. The Hero Worshipped trait is a bit of a meme trait but there aren’t any downsides to having the fan.
He essentially acts as an additional companion that you can take along. If he bothers you too much, you can send him off to one of your outposts or tell him to leave your service but he isn’t all that bad.
As a companion, he can carry your loot and since he’s skilled in weightlifting you can carry even more. And since he loves you so much he literally doesn’t care what you do making this trait a great treat to have with the Empath trait as you can’t upset him. If you can tolerate his cheesy lines then this trait is good.
7. Taskmaster
With the Taskmaster trait, if you have your crew trained in a certain ship system, that system will automatically repair itself to full health whenever it is damaged below fifty percent. Yet, all recruitable crew cost twice as much to hire now.
If you are the one who loves engaging in space combats then this trait will come in handy. Your crew will save your ship when nearing dicey situations without you needlessly micromanaging everything.
Recruiting companions does get more expensive but you can always collect more Credits throughout your playthrough. The value they provide in return is priceless and you will praise your crew for rescuing you in the heat of the battle when you are too busy surviving.
6. Introvert
Opposite to the Extrovert trait, we have the Introvert trait. This is for all those loners out there, discovering the galaxy on their own terms never to be bogged down by a companion.
This trait increases your endurance when you’re adventuring alone but decreases it when you’re with other human companions. It is only really useful if you’re running solo. There is technically one instance where this trait is useful and that’s for non-human companions. You can take Vasco along with you while not suffering any of the negative effects.
5. Extrovert
The Extrovert trait synergizes really well with the previously mentioned Empath trait. It helps you conserve your oxygen when you’re out adventuring with your human companions. If you don’t know already, oxygen in Starfield functions like stamina, and the more oxygen you have the more you can exert yourself through sprinting and jumping.
With the Extrovert trait, it’s a win-win situation. You get a companion on your side with extra firepower and they give a boost to your oxygen. If you combine it with the Empath trait, you can receive two buffs easily just by spending time with your human companions.
Conversely, if you ever plan on leaving your companion and adventuring alone then this trait will backfire. You’ll use more oxygen when lone-wolfing. Before picking this trait, it’s crucial to figure out what type of adventurer are you and whether you’ll be accompanied by a human companion or not. This trait won’t work with a non-human companion.
4. Empath
If you’re planning on exploring the vast reaches of space with a companion then you definitely want to consider the Empath trait. It gives you a temporary boost in combat effectiveness when you perform actions that your companion likes. On the flip side, if you do something your companion isn’t too happy about it can have the opposite effect, reducing your combat effectiveness.
This trait will obviously be useful if you’re going to run with a companion but if not then you won’t need it. However, the vast emptiness of space can get quite lonely so having a companion around is quite nice, not to mention the extra firepower in the beginning.
You probably won’t know what your companion likes and dislikes are so you may upset them quite a bit and get the debuff but as you build your relationship and understand them then you should start getting the buff a lot more often.
If you are going for this trait, it’s probably wise to choose a companion that closely aligns with your character. For instance, you don’t want to team up with a companion who has good morals when all you do is steal all the time, you’ll probably put them on edge.
3. Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat & United Colonies Native
These three traits are for factions only. Freestar Collective Settler is for the Freestar Ranger faction. Neon Street Rat is for the Ryujin Industries faction. And, United Colonies Native is for the UC Vanguard faction. All three of them are great choices since they unlock unique dialogue options and better rewards from certain missions associated with these factions.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that choosing one of these traits will increase your crime bounty towards other factions. This means that if you engage in activities that are seen as hostile or aggressive towards other factions, your reputation with them will decrease even faster than usual.
Choosing one of these traits really comes down to which faction you fancy doing missions for the most. We would advise avoiding any of these specific traits in your first playthrough as it kind of locks you into that faction and you might want to get a feel for how the functions are.
On the other hand, if you have done your research and like the sound of a particular faction more than the others, you may as well pick up their trait so you can score some sweet loot along the way.
2. Kid Stuff
The Kid Stuff is another funny little trait. This would probably be the first time in any RPG, at least in Bethesda’s RPG, that your parents are still alive and kicking. Not only do your parents provide some depth to your character and surprisingly unique interactions/dialogue exchanges, but they also reward their loyal son/daughter from time to time.
These gifts can range from weapons to gear to even whole ships. Even if these gifts are useless to you you can just sell them. It is a neat little trick to make some extra credits on the side.
However, there are some strings attached to all these gifts and love they shower. You have to give them two percent of your credits each week to take care of them. Considering the amount of stuff you receive and the family banter that comes with this trait, the weekly payment won’t feel that cumbersome, especially for such a low percentage.
1. Wanted
The Wanted trait is one of the best traits you can unlock in Starfield. On the surface level, it sounds like an extremely horrible experience but there is a secret advantage to this trait.
Every now and then you’ll be ambushed by mercenaries. These armed personnel aren’t that hard to kill and you’ll be left with all kinds of loot when they are dead.
In the best case, they will land their ship on the planet which you can easily steal. Sell this ship back and make huge sums of money. The trait’s negative aspect turns out to be its best when you look at it from afar.
Furthermore, there is the positive side of the trait. You will do more damage when your health is running low. This could help turn the tables in your favor and take out enemies before they can take you out.
You can always skip choosing traits while creating your character. Just know that you can not go back and add them. Having traits does provide an additional layer of challenge and in some cases, more depth to your character. Choose the best traits in Starfield wisely for you will be stuck with it for the rest of your playthrough.