When you are creating your Starfield character, you can take up to three different traits. These will add some flavor to your character but can also be quite impactful when it comes to how the game plays out. Some do lead to quite strong advantages, while others might lead to headaches down the line.
The best Traits to take in Starfield
The best traits to take in Starfield will largely depend on your personal playstyle, as they really can be quite impactful. Read on to find a list of the very best traits to take in the game during character creation.
Wanted
Wanted is a fun one if you like a challenge and are worried Starfield might not deliver you enough adversaries. It can also be a great source of money when combined with a good ability to fly ships using the Piloting skill. Wanted means that, from time to time, mercenaries will show up and try to kill you. In return, you will do more damage when your health is low. If you have a solid piloting skill, you can take out the mercs and then steal their ship. If you get tired of the Wanted trait later in the game, you can remove it by visiting the Trackers Alliant Agent in The Well at New Atlantis on Jemison.
Hero Worshipped
This is one that some players might want to avoid, as the character that you get is super annoying. If you are more of a realist and just want the extra help, then this is essentially a free crew member. This Adoring Fan will appear very early in the game and can be added to your crew. He will come with the Scavaging, Concealment, and Weight Lifting skills, making him a solid option to accompany you on quests to find lots of resources.
Taskmaster
The Taskmaster skill adds quite a bit of value to your crew but also quite a bit of expense. If you have crew trained in a certain ship’s systems, that system will automatically repair itself to full health whenever it is damaged below 50%. The crew members will cost twice as much, however. This might seem costly, but after a while, money becomes pretty much a non-issue in the game, while that ability to repair will have value forever.
Kid Stuff
Kid Stuff gives you parents, and those parents have a home that you can visit. You also send home 2% of your credits to them weekly, which is a small price to pay for loving parents in a cold and distant future.
Introvert
This one is only for people who wish to play without a companion. If your previous experience with companions in Bethesda games lets you know it’s not something you like, you can take this for a benefit to your oxygen usage rate. Keep in mind, you not only lose the improved oxygen use rate when you are with a companion but you get hit with a nerf as well.
Extrovert
This is the exact opposite of Introvert. If you will definitely be traveling with companions, then you will want to take this for the improved oxygen usage. You cannot combine the Introvert and Extrovert traits.
Alien DNA
This is an interesting one, as it will allow you to start the game with better health and oxygen use, two pretty important aspects of exploring and combat. The downside is that healing items will not be as effective, although it is essentially possible to research your way out of that downside with some better healing items or just carry more of them.
Neon Street Rat
Neon is a large location in the game, with plenty of things to see and do. With lots to explore and plenty of missions to pick up there, the additional dialogue options could prove to be very useful. It does mean that other factions will place large bounties on you if you give them a reason to, and that will attract tougher Bounty Hunters if someone comes after you.
Empath
If you want to speed-run your relationships, then Empath is the one for you. It’s best used on a second playthrough, where you know which characters you really want to charm. Doing something that someone likes will give them a combat bonus, but annoying them will give them a nerf. Definitely a strong option for folks who are confident that they know what companions they will be playing with and how to keep them happy.
Do you need to take three traits?
No, you do not need to take three traits. In fact, you do not need to take any traits at all if you don’t want to. Some traits can also be reversed during gameplay if you don’t like them. By and large, traits are really just about adding some flavor to your game rather than dramatically impacting your run. They are not really balanced in any major way, and you are really just opting into some potential fun, access to new dialogue, and maybe some additional loot from time to time.
Be sure to check out our guides on the best backgrounds to take for your character, as well as the best skills to level up early to have the best chance of success in those early hours of gameplay.
