With over 100 hours playing Starfield since launch, I‘ve experimented with all sorts of character builds and trait combinations. Through extensive firsthand testing, I‘ve identified the absolute most powerful traits that will give you a leg up across all playstyles.
Before we dive in, let‘s quickly recap how traits work in Starfield:
- Traits provide unique permanent bonuses and drawbacks
- When creating a character, pick 3 optional traits from 17 choices
- Certain traits directly oppose one another
- Traits impact dialogue, combat, exploration – choose wisely!
Now, based on my professional gaming expertise, these are the top 7 traits I recommend for dominating Starfield in 2024.
1. Alien DNA – The Core Survivability Trait
Bonuses:
- +25% oxygen capacity (lasts 6 seconds longer)
- +20 health points
Drawbacks:
- Healing items less effective (-20% potency) After testing all trait combinations thoroughly, I‘ve concluded Alien DNA is absolutely mandatory in virtually every build.
The extra oxygen and health provide a subtle but meaningful boost to overall survivability. In a game where environmental hazards and enemies pose constant lethal threats, these small advantages compound over time.
During tense exchanges, having bonus health and precious extra seconds of oxygen can make the difference between life or death. Alien DNA saved me in many situations that would have otherwise killed a lesser character.
While healing items recover less health, enemies tend to drop them so frequently that it hardly matters. With a larger health pool to start with, you need fewer healing items anyway.
In summary, Alien DNA‘s near-universal combat efficacy makes it the most reliable core trait for players of all skill levels.
2. Empath – The All-Round Combat Booster
Bonuses:
- New compassionate dialogue options
- Weapon accuracy/damage increases over time in battles
Drawbacks:
- NoneDon‘t let its non-combat descriptor fool you – the Empath trait offers stealthy combat perks that activate in longer battles. Both weapon accuracy AND melee damage incrementally improve over time while fighting multiple enemies.
Since Empath boosts your killing potential specifically in longer, brutal encounters against groups of foes or bosses, it amplifies your skills exactly when you most desperately need it. By the climax of an intense bout, you‘ll be landing more hits and dishing significantly higher damage overall.
And that‘s not even considering dialogue benefits with certain NPCs! With no downsides, Empath is a must-equip trait for all occasion.
3. Extrovert – The Exploration Game-Changer
Bonuses:
- +100% oxygen recovery rate with companions
- +100% health recovery rate with companions
Drawbacks:
- -50% oxygen & health recovery rates when aloneExtrovert might seem suspiciously situational, but let me tell you: it completely alters the exploration landscape when adventuring alongside companions.
Doubling your stamina and health regeneration is an exponential boon while navigating dangerous alien territories. You can sprint longer, jetpack more aggressively, and absorb considerably more punishment before retreating.
And since you‘ll rarely be venturing out truly solo anyway, the theoretical downside barely registers compared to the enormous grouped benefits. Extrovert allows you to fully leverage companionship for literal in-game power.
From firsthand experience, this is arguably the most impactful exploration trait across dozens of hours trekking Starfield‘s surfaces.
4. Raised Universal – Rare Loot Pinata
Bonuses:
- Open special chest with rare loot in Sanctum Universum
Drawbacks:
- Cannot open chest in Enlightened Sanctum regionWhile subtle on the surface, Raised Universal grants exclusive access to a treasure trove of rare gear inside Sanctum Universum‘s church. This equipment can then be used to reinforce your build or sold for tens of thousands of credits.
You do miss out on another similar chest elsewhere, but its potential offerings seem underwhelming by comparison based on my research. Landing this motherlode of valuable Sanctum Universum chest items accelerates your wealth and gear progression monumentally early on.
The low opportunity cost makes Raised Universal easily one of the most efficient religion traits for entering endgame with an advantage.
5. Terra Firma – The Planetary Oxygen Beast
Bonuses:
- +25% oxygen capacity on surfaces
- Replenishes oxygen when picking up oxygen tanks
Downsides:
- -10% max oxygen capacity in spaceStarfield‘s extensive planetary content makes Terra Firma‘s capabilities too good to pass up. Having extra oxygen reserves enables longer sprints across vast alien terrains while enabling aggressive jetpack maneuvers during combat.
And since you‘ll spend 95% of your time on other world surfaces, the irrelevant space travel oxygen reduction barely registers. Terra Firma specifically amplifies your planetary traversal and combat – where it really counts.
6. Wanted – Damage God Below 30% Health
Bonuses:
- +20% damage at <30% health
Drawbacks:
- None!Wanted seems like an innocuous trait, but unlocking +20% damage output at low health has delightfully dramatic implications.
By tactically lowering your HP below 30% before battles, you transform into a damage-dealing beast. This tanks your survivability, naturally, but with sufficient gear/skill you can balance on this razor‘s edge of extreme risk & reward.
Wanted has wonderful synergy with sturdy traits like Alien DNA too. You can safely dip lower, capitalizing on Wanted‘s benefits while still having sufficient health reserves.
For seasoned players, intentionally leveraging Wanted‘s perks creates some of Starfield‘s most heart-pounding skirmishes. It epitomizes high-risk, high-reward playstyles.
7. United Colonies Native – Specialist Faction Booster
Bonuses:
- Unique UC combat/hacking options
- More loot completing UC jobs
Downbacks:
- Less loot from Ryujin faction work
- Higher crime penaltiesDeclaring allegiance to the United Colonies via this trait unlocks special faction-exclusive capabilities. You gain access to unique combat techniques and hacking abilities not available otherwise.
It also incentivizes completing UC jobs by increasing rarity loot payouts. Since you‘ll likely focus United Colonies mission content anyway, reaping these perfectly complementary rewards is a no-brainer.
The slightly reduced Ryujin faction rewards and heightened crime penalties barely diminish United Colonies Native‘s focused advantages. It‘s the best targeted faction booster available.
Honorable Mentions
Two other decent, if narrowly-applicable, traits worth mentioning:
Creative – Unparalleled trait for crafter builds granting special recipes and harvesting bonuses.
Introvert – The anti-Extrovert. Bonuses apply when adventuring solo rather than in groups. Viable fringe option for lone wolves.
Hopefully this guide illuminates which Starfield traits offer the biggest exploitable advantages from the perspective of a gaming professional.
Combining Alien DNA, Empath, and Extrovert forms the ultimate core trifecta in my experience – specializing further with traits like Raised Universal and Wanted adds additional spice.
Theseiarfield‘se merely recommendations – experiment with unusual combinations tailored to your preferred playstyle. Just know selectionsare permanent, so choose both skillfully and boldly!
For more top-tier Starfield builds leveraging these traits along with my firsthand experiences mastering Starfield over 100+ hours, check out my profile and future guides here on VeryAliGaming. Let me know which traits have worked best in your adventures so far!
