As you decide the best background for your character, you must choose a set of appropriate Traits for your character in Starfield. Traits are not as straightforward as your character’s background. Think of them as modifiers that will affect your entire playthrough. Each trait offers some pros & cons.
Traits can be related to your personality, religious beliefs, what kind of life you’ve led up to this point, whether you have parents, how you behave around people, what kind of properties you own, etc. All of this is a lot to take in for new players & that’s where this nifty guide will come in clutch.
So, let’s first grasp what exactly traits are, their types, and how they affect gameplay in Starfield.
How Do Traits Work in Starfield?
Traits are permanent modifiers that will make things easier for you based on which ones you selected and your play style. They are the most effective when the player knows how they want to play the game and chooses the ones that best suit their style.
Each trait in Starfield offers a few pros and cons. You cannot add more traits once you’ve finished creating your character. So, be mindful of your decision. Removing them is also not always the easiest process.
You have to pick 3 traits at the start of your playthrough. We’ll explain what each trait does in Starfield, which traits don’t synergize with others, and how to remove any traits you don’t like from your character.
List of Traits in Starfield
There are a total of 17 traits in Starfield. Here is a detailed look at all of them, along with the methods required to remove them from your character later on in the game.
Alien DNA
Alien DNA allows you to start the game with increased health and oxygen levels. The downside of this trait is that food and healing items will not be as potent while healing.
This is not a bad trait, considering how little you can heal with food anyway. It can make those early hours in the game easy for you as you get used to the enemies and the game mechanics.
To Remove: Visit any doctor in any major settlement in the game and pay 10,000 credits to get it removed.
Dream Home
This trait makes it so that you start the game with a luxurious house that you can visit at any time to relax. You can also store any extra materials or items you have on you.
The downside is that you have to pay Galbank a weekly mortgage payment. The total amount you owe them is 125,000 credits.
This is not a bad deal at all, considering you get such a lavish house in return where you can set up crafting tables, sort out your gear, and do whatever else you want.
To Remove: To get rid of the trait, you can go to Galbank and tell them to sign a foreclose deal with you and take the house back.
Empath
Empath is a weird trait. It allows you to gain combat effectiveness if your companions like your decisions. The negative here is that the same trait will reduce your combat effectiveness if your companions dislike your choices.
To Remove: We recommend avoiding this trait in your first playthrough but if you had selected it already and want to get rid of it, simply go to Reliant Medical in any city and get it operated.
Extrovert
The Extrovert trait cannot be selected if you want to opt for the Introvert trait as well, and vice versa. This trait allows you to consume less oxygen while playing the game with companions.
The downside is that you will use more oxygen if you go on adventures alone. You should only pick this trait if you wish to bring your companions everywhere with you.
To Remove: Go to the Church of Enlightened and speak to the Head there. You can find him on Jemison, near the Well of New Atlantis. He can train you to change your personality and stop being an Extrovert.
Freestar Collective Settler
You can only pick one trait between Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat, and Universal Colonies Native.
Freestart Collective Settler is a faction-based trait that offers additional dialogue options and rewards when doing missions for the Freestar Collective.
But the downside is that your Crime Bounty with the other factions will increase. This perk should be picked up when you have already beaten the game once and know which factions will you be siding with in the next playthrough.
The method to remove this trait has not been discovered yet.
Hero Worshipped
The Hero Worshipped trait lets an adoring fan follow you around as a companion in your crew and give you gifts randomly. The fan will also talk a lot which can be considered the downside of this trait.
To Remove: If you don’t want the fan to follow you around anymore, you can opt for any of the following options:
- Question him about his fandom and engage in combat to make him leave or just kill him.
- Use persuasion to convince him that you are a murderer. He will leave the crew permanently.
- Be cold and tell him that he is not allowed on the ship. He can still be your fan if he wants to.
Keep in mind that letting go of the fan would mean that he is going to take any items you had placed in his inventory along with him. If he takes off with any important items, you’ll have to track and kill him to retrieve the items.
Introvert
The exact opposite of the Extrovert trait. You will consume less oxygen when adventuring alone and more oxygen when exploring with companions.
To Remove: Go to the Church of Enlightened and speak to the Head there. You can find him on Jemison, near the Well of New Atlantis. He can train you to change your personality and stop being an Extrovert.
Kid Stuff
Ever wanted parents in a video game? With the Kid Stuff trait, you can have parents in Starfield who live in their own house. You can visit them whenever you want and talk to them. Sometimes they’ll visit you too.
They’ll occasionally give you gifts such as spaceships, guns, and other items. The negative here is that the game will automatically send 2% of your total credits to them on a weekly basis. 2% is not that much for having caring parents.
To Remove: You gotta kill the…. nah, just kidding. If you don’t want parents anymore, you can go and have a chat with them. Tell them that you cannot support them any longer. That’s how you can end matters with them. But…how could you?
Neon Street Rat
You can only pick one trait between Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat, and Universal Colonies Native.
Neon Street Rat is a faction-based trait that offers additional dialogue options and rewards when doing missions in the city of Neon.
But the downside is that your Crime Bounty with the other factions will increase. This perk should be picked up when you have already beaten the game once and know which factions will you be siding with in the next playthrough.
To Remove: This trait can be removed by talking to Madam Sauvage on Neon and telling her via dialogue that you want to let go of your past. Doing so will allow you to stop classifying as a Neon native.
Raised Enlightened
Religious Trait – Cannot be combined with other religious Traits.
If you practice the Enlightened religion in Starfield, you’ll belong to an organized atheist group and have access to a special chest that is filled with different types of items in the House of the Enlightened.
The flip side is that you won’t be able to access the chest in the Sanctum Universum.
To Remove: Have a chat with Andy Singh, who can be found in the House of the Enlightened, and express your desire to leave the Enlightened group.
Raised Universal
Religious Trait – Cannot be combined with other religious Traits.
If you practice the Universal religion in Starfield, you’ll belong to a group that believes in a higher power and have access to a special chest that is filled with different types of items in the Sanctum Universum.
The flip side is that you won’t be able to access the chest in the House of the Enlightened.
To Remove: Have a chat with Keeper Acquilis, who can be found in the House of the Enlightened, and express your desire to leave the Enlightened group.
Serpent’s Embrace
Religious Trait – Cannot be combined with other religious Traits.
The people who practice this religion believe that a great serpent envelopes the universe and will one day crush and destroy everything. Having this trait allows you to gain an oxygen and health boost every time you perform a Grav. Jump.
The con is that your health and oxygen will be reduced if you don’t regularly perform Grav. Jumps.
To Remove: To stop being a believer in the chaos that the great serpent will ensue, you will have to talk to Mir’za. She is locked up in a cell on the New Atlantis Spaceport.
Head to the UC Security Office and start checking the cells there. You’ll find her in one of them. Tell her you kinda changed your mind and that should be it.
Spaced
Cannot be Equipped with the Terra Firma trait.
The Spaced trait gives you a health and oxygen boost when you are in space. And it reduces your oxygen and health when you are on the ground.
To Remove: Go to any Reliant Medical and get yourself operated for a fee of 10,000 Credits.
Taskmaster
The Taskmaster trait makes it so that your ship’s systems will fully repair themselves when under 50% if you have a trained crew member there. The downside of this trait is that any crew member you try to hire will cost you double the amount.
To Remove: Talk to Andy Singh over at the House of the Enlightened to get some counselling and get the trait removed.
Terra Firma
Cannot be Equipped with the Spaced trait.
The Terra Firma trait gives you a health and oxygen boost when you are on the ground. And it reduces your oxygen and health when you are in space. In general, Terra Firma would be the better choice since you’ll be fighting on the ground a lot more than in space.
To Remove: Go to any Reliant Medical and get yourself operated for a fee of 10,000 Credits.
Wanted
The Wanted trait makes it so that you’ll get jumped by bounty hunters randomly. You’ll also get a damage boost whenever your health is low.
You can use this opportunity to farm some decent loot as bounty hunters can drop anything ranging from guns, suits, and even ships. Most people would argue that this trait does not have any down sides. Which is… quite true.
To Remove: Talk to any Tracker Alliance Agent in any major city and tell them to wipe your slate clean by paying them 3,000 Credits.
United Colonies Native
You can only pick one trait between Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat, and Universal Colonies Native.
Neon Street Rat is a faction-based trait that offers additional dialogue options and rewards when doing missions in the UC Territories.
But the downside is that your Crime Bounty with the other factions will increase. This perk should be picked up when you have already beaten the game once and know which factions will you be siding with in the next playthrough.
To Remove: You can stop being part of the Universal Colonies by talking to Administrator Rookes. Tell him that you want to be considered a citizen of the Settled Systems instead.
Conclusion
So that’s what traits do in Starfield. We hope this guide will help you make the right decision while choosing traits for your character. Keep visiting WIG and keep an eye out for more exclusive Starfield coverage!
