The best traits to start with in Starfield

Or should you avoid them altogether?

In Starfield, you’ll pick three traits as you make your character during the “One Small Step” mission. Traits buffs, debuffs, or other unusual perks in space. All traits have pros and cons, meaning your initial selection is one of your first major choices in Starfield.

At the end of the day, know that traits are optional — you can skip past choosing if you don’t find the tradeoff for any of them particularly worth it. And if you dislike your choices, some of them can be removed at Reliant Medical surgery centers.

There’s no right or wrong trait to pick — but depending on how you want to play, some traits are better than others. Based on our playtime, here are the best traits to start with in Starfield.

The best traits in Starfield

Traits don’t change too much about the game, but if you’re stuck on which ones to pick, you should choose one (or more) of these five:

• Dream Home
• Extrovert or Introvert
• Wanted
• Raised Enlightened or Universal
• One of the faction traits (Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat, or United Colonies Native)

You can see our explanations as to why these are the best traits in Starfield below.

Dream Home

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

If you know you want to decorate a house, you should opt for the Dream Home trait. For a payment of 500 credits per week, you can have a huge spacious area to call home right off the bat. You’ll quickly realize that 500 credits is nothing in Starfield, so it’s a really cheap house. The location is a little bit out of the way (unlike the apartments on Neon or other hub areas) but it is gigantic. And cheap.

Extrovert or Introvert

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

You should take either Extrovert or Introvert as an early trait, which will reduce your oxygen consumption when you’re with or without companions respectively. Just take whichever one suits your gameplay style more — if you like having companions following, take Extrovert, and if you don’t like having people follow you around, take Introvert.

That said, the opening quests force you to use companions, so you will be stilted for a bit in the early game if you opt for Introvert.

Wanted

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

In exchange for random mercenaries spawning around you, you deal more damage when your health is low, so Wanted is a pretty good trade off. The damage boost can get you out of sticky situations, and the mercenaries aren’t really hard to kill.

Raised Enlightened or Raised Universal

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

If you have extra trait slots, you might as well take Raised Enlightened or Raised Universal, as you’ll get access to exclusive loot depending on which religion you side with. There’s not really a downside to these traits, so it doesn’t hurt.

Freestar Collective Settler or Neon Street Rat or United Colonies Native

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

Again, if you have a spare trait slot, you might as well take one of these faction traits. We recommend taking one based on where you plan on hanging out the most. Note that Neon is singular area, whereas the Freestar Collective and United Colonies have influence over a wider breadth of planets. These traits increase your rewards from missions given by your chosen faction, but increase your bounties from other factions. As mentioned in the Dream Home section, lack of credits isn’t really a big problem, so this isn’t really that big of a boon.

Starfield traits list

Below, you can just see a full list of traits available to pick in the game.

• Alien DNA: You volunteered for a controversial experiment that combines alien and human DNA. As a result, you start with increased health and oxygen, but healing and food items aren’t as effective.
• Dream Home: You own a luxurious, customizable house on a peaceful planet! Unfortunately it comes with a 125,000 credit mortgage with GalBank that has to be paid weekly.
• Empath: You are deeply connected to the feelings of others. Performing actions your companion likes will result in a temporary increase in combat effectiveness. But, performing actions they don’t like will have the precise opposite effect.
• Extrovert: You’re a people person. Exerting yourself uses less oxygen when adventuring with human companions, but more when adventuring alone. (Can’t be combined with Introvert.)
• Freestar Collective Settler: You gain special access to Freestar Collective dialogue options, and better rewards from some missions given by the faction. But, crime bounty towards other factions is greatly increased. (Can’t be combined with any other faction allegiance trait.)
• Hero Worshipped: You’ve earned the attention of an annoying “Adoring Fan” who will show up randomly and jabber at you incessantly. On the plus side, he’ll join your ship’s crew and give you gifts...
• Introvert: You really need your alone time. Exerting yourself uses less oxygen when adventuring alone, but more when adventuring with other human companions. (Can’t be combined with Extrovert.)
• Kid Stuff: Your parents are alive and well, and you can visit them at their home. But you automatically send 2% of your credits home to them every week.
• Neon Street Rat: You grew up on the mean streets of Neon. You gain access to special dialogue options, and better rewards from some missions on Neon. Crime bounty by other factions is greatly increased. (Can’t be combined with any other faction allegiance trait.)
• Raised Enlightened: You grew up as a member of the Enlightened. You gain access to a special chest full of items in the House of the Enlightened in New Atlantis, but lose access to the Sanctum Universum chest. (Can’t be combined with any other religion trait.)
• Raised Universal: You grew up as a member of Sanctum Universum. You gain access to a special chest full of items in the Sanctum Universum in New Atlantis, but lose access to the House of the Enlightened chest. (Can’t be combined with any other religion trait.)
• Serpent’s Embrace: You grew up worshiping the Great Serpent. Grav jumping provides a temporary boost to health and oxygen, but health and oxygen are lowered if you don’t continue jumping regularly. (Can’t be combined with any other religion trait.)
• Spaced: Your body has become acclimated to space. Health and oxygen are increased when in space, but decreased when on the surface. (Can’t be combined with Terra Firma.)
• Taskmaster: Occasionally, if you have crew trained in a certain ship system, that system will automatically repair itself to full health whenever it is damaged below 50%. However, all crew cost twice as much to hire.
• Terra Firma: You’ve never acclimated to space. Health and oxygen are increased when on the surface, but decreased when you’re in space. (Can’t be combined with Spaced.)
• United Colonies Native: You gain access to special United Colonies dialogue options, and better rewards from some missions given by the faction. However, crime bounty by other factions is greatly increased. (Can’t be combined with any other faction allegiance trait.)
• Wanted: Someone put a price on your head, and word has spread. Occasionally, armed mercenaries will show up and try to kill you, but being cornered gives you an edge — when your health is low, you do extra damage.

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