Backgrounds guide in Starfield. Learn about the recommended Backgrounds, Starting Skills, advantages and tips.
Best Backgrounds - Which Class To ChooseCharacter Background List
| Background | Starting Skills | Orientation |
|---|---|---|
| Beast Hunter | Fitness (Physical) Ballistics (Combat) Gastronomy (Social) | Balance |
| Bouncer | Boxing (Physical) Security (Tech) Fitness (Physical) | Balance |
| Bounty Hunter | Piloting (Tech) Targeting Control Systems (Tech) Boost Pack Training (Tech) | Pirate |
| Chef | Gastronomy (Social) Duelling (Combat) Scavenging (Social) | Balance |
| Combat Medic | Pistol Certification (Combat) Medicine (Science) Wellness (Physical) | Combat |
| Cyber Runner | Stealth (Physical) Security (Tech) Theft (Social) | Pirate |
| Cyberneticist | Medicine (Science) Security (Tech) Lasers (Combat) | Combat |
| Diplomat | Persuasion (Social) Commerce (Social) Wellness (Physical) | Trader |
| Explorer | Lasers (Combat) Astrodynamics (Science) Surveying (Science) | Exploration |
| Gangster | Shotgun Certification (Combat) Boxing (Physical) Theft (Social) | Combat |
| Homesteader | Geology (Science) Surveying (Science) Weight Lifting (Physical) | Exploration |
| Industrialist | Persuasion (Social) Security (Tech) Research Methods (Science) | Trader |
| Long Hauler | Weight Lifting (Physical) Piloting (Tech) Ballistic Weapon Systems (Tech) | Pirate |
| Pilgrim | Scavenging (Social) Surveying (Science) Gastronomy (Social) | Exploration |
| Professor | Astrodynamics (Science) Geology (Science) Research Methods (Science) | Exploration |
| Ronin | Duelling (Combat) Stealth (Physical) Scavenging (Social) | Combat |
| Sculptor | Medicine (Science) Geology (Science) Persuasion (Social) | Balance |
| Soldier | Fitness (Physical) Ballistics (Combat) Boost Pack Training (Tech) | Combat |
| Space Scoundrel | Pistol Certification (Combat) Piloting (Tech) Persuasion (Social) | Balance |
| Xenobiologist | Lasers (Combat) Surveying (Science) Fitness (Physical) | Exploration |
| [File Not Found] | Wellness (Physical) Ballistics (Combat) Piloting (Tech) | Combat |
Background Details
Beast Hunter (Combat-Oriented)
| From the Ashta of Akila to the Terrormorphs that plague the whole of the Settled Systems, hostile alien life abounds. You've learned the skills to track them, find them, and take them down. |
Starting Skills
| Fitness | Physical More Oxygen |
|---|---|
| Ballistics | Combat Ballistic Weapon DMG |
| Gastronomy | Social Craft Better Food |
Great if you want to use Ballistic weapons with good survivability.
Bouncer (Balance-Oriented)
| You've worked the line at the toughest clubs in the Settled Systems. Back then, you learned that most non-lethal confrontations can be solved one of two ways: a strong right hook, or a more strongly secured door. |
Starting Skills
| Boxing | Physical Unarmed DMG |
|---|---|
| Security | Tech Hacking Locks |
| Fitness | Physical More Oxygen |
Best background if using weapons in battle isn't your thing.
Bounty Hunter (Pirate-Oriented)
| Wherever there are wanted individuals, there are those who profit from their capture. And your quarry knows that in the vastness of space, they can run... but they can't hide. |
Starting Skills
| Piloting | Tech Ship Upgrade |
|---|---|
| Targeting Control Systems | Tech Ship Targeting |
| Boost Pack Training | Tech Better Boost Pack |
Best background to prepare for battle in your ship.
Chef (Balance-Oriented)
| While the unrefined masses scarfed down Chunks by the shipload, you catered to those with a more... discerning palate. In your kitchen, countless alien species became true culinary masterpieces. |
Starting Skills
| Gastronomy | Social Craft Better Food |
|---|---|
| Duelling | Combat Melee Weapon DMG |
| Scavenging | Social Extra Items |
Much like Ronin but with better food rather than stealth.
Combat Medic (Combat-Oriented)
| Leave it to human beings to fight over something as infinite as outer space. That's where you come in. You've never been afraid to take on the enemy... but you'd much rather take care of your friends. |
Starting Skills
| Pistol Certification | Combat Pistol Damage |
|---|---|
| Medicine | Science Health Recovery |
| Wellness | Physical Higher Max Health |
Your choice if you want to blast your way through.
Cyber Runner (Pirate-Oriented)
| From Neon to New Atlantis, the megacorps stand as monuments to power, prestige and profit. You've worked both for and against them, on the inside and out, often sacrificing conscience for credits. |
Starting Skills
| Stealth | Physical Stealth Skills |
|---|---|
| Security | Tech Hacking Locks |
| Theft | Social Pickpockets |
Stealth also increases suppressed weapon damage. Best for farming while avoiding the enemy.
Cyberneticist (Combat-Oriented)
| Robots? Mere toys. Neuroamps? Good for parlour tricks. The Colony War may have made implants and upgrades available to veterans, but you once saw a greater future. Humans and machines, as one. |
Starting Skills
| Medicine | Science Health Recovery |
|---|---|
| Security | Tech Hacking Locks |
| Lasers | Combat Laser Weapon DMG |
Specializes in combat with better health recovery and increased Laser damage but more balanced with ability to hack difficult locks.
Diplomat (Trader-Oriented)
| The wars are over. Peace now reigns in the Settled Systems. But only because there are those quietly fighting to keep it. Because of you, agreements were signed, words were heeded... lives were spared. |
Starting Skills
| Persuasion | Social Persuasion Success Rate |
|---|---|
| Commerce | Social Better Prices |
| Wellness | Physical Higher Max Health |
Focuses on trade but also with some survivability with higher max health.
Explorer (Exploration-Oriented)
| They said exploration is a lost art. You didn't listen. As the major factions argued over the space they desperately tried to control, you were busy uncovering the wonders of the Settled Systems. |
Starting Skills
| Lasers | Combat Laser Weapon DMG |
|---|---|
| Astrodynamics | Science Efficient Grav Jump |
| Surveying | Science Hand Scanner Upgrade |
Great for exploring with the occasional fighting in mind.
Gangster (Combat-Oriented)
| You were always disgusted by suckers killing themselves to make an "honest wage." As soon as you were old enough to hold a weapon, you took what you wanted from anyone unlucky enough to have it. |
Starting Skills
| Shotgun Certification | Combat Shotgun DMG |
|---|---|
| Boxing | Physical Unarmed DMG |
| Theft | Social Pickpockets |
Great for combat especially if you want to get close to the enemy.
Homesteader (Exploration-Oriented)
| The discovery of the Settled System' many oxygen-rich planets and moons meant humans could live just about anywhere...if they had the know how. You did, and utilized it to great effect. |
Starting Skills
| Geology | Science More Resources |
|---|---|
| Surveying | Science Hand Scanner Upgrade |
| Weight Lifting | Physical Carrying Capacity |
Best for farming items and resources.
Industrialist (Trader-Oriented)
| There was a time when all you wanted to be was a titan of industry, maybe a ship designer or megacorp exec. Thankfully, that skillset never goes out of style in the settled systems. |
Starting Skills
| Persuasion | Social Persuasion Success Rate |
|---|---|
| Security | Tech Hacking Locks |
| Research Methods | Science Less Research Requirements |
No combat related skills but all 3 skills will make a difference in the long run.
Long Hauler (Pirate-Oriented)
| Let those other hothead pilots obsess over laser weapons and manoeuvrability. You're a space trucker, pure and simple. Pack the cargo, get it there fast, get paid, repeat. Life is simple and good. |
Starting Skills
| Weight Lifting | Physical Carrying Capacity |
|---|---|
| Piloting | Tech Ship Upgrade |
| Ballistic Weapon Systems | Tech Ballistic Weapon DMG |
Much like the Bounty Hunter except more focused on being on land.
Pilgrim (Exploration-Oriented)
| Wayfarer, wanderer, seeker...transient. You've been called many things during your travels, and learned something those others could never understand - the journey IS the destination. |
Starting Skills
| Scavenging | Social Extra Items in Containers |
|---|---|
| Surveying | Science Hand Scanner Upgrade |
| Gastronomy | Social Craft Better Food |
Capable of making good use of items.
Professor (Exploration-Oriented)
| You've always enjoyed learning, but nothing could compare to the joy of teaching others. As humankind spread throughout the stars, there was never a lack of knowledge to obtain, and you gladly assisted. |
Starting Skills
| Astrodynamics | Science Efficient Grav Jump |
|---|---|
| Geology | Science More Resources |
| Research Methods | Science Less Research Requirements |
Research will be significantly faster with more resources and less requirements.
Ronin (Combat-Oriented)
| Masterless and unbound, you wandered the Settled Systems as a blade for hire. To some, you were a simple mercenary. To others, a hero. And to a select few...a nightmare they could never wake from. |
Starting Skills
| Duelling | Combat Melee Weapon DMG |
|---|---|
| Stealth | Physical Stealth Skills |
| Scavenging | Social Extra Items in Containers |
Stealth also increases suppressed weapon damage. Best for sneaking up on the enemy.
Sculptor (Balance-Oriented)
| With your knowledge of anatomy and skilled, steady hands, you could have become a surgeon. Instead, you followed your heart, and created works of art to amaze and inspire. |
Starting Skills
| Medicine | Science Health Recovery |
|---|---|
| Geology | Science More Resources |
| Persuasion | Social Persuasion Success Rate |
There are no weapon damage perks but Medicine will help with survivability.
Soldier (Combat-Oriented)
| The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare, and if there's one thing armed conflict relies on its trained warriors with guns and guts. You had both. Simple, bloody work...and you were great at it. |
Starting Skills
| Fitness | Physical More Oxygen |
|---|---|
| Ballistics | Combat Ballistic Weapon DMG |
| Boost Pack Training | Tech Better Boost Pack |
Increases Ballistic weapon damage but also great for exploring with more oxygen and improved boost pack.
Space Scoundrel (Balance-Oriented)
| Good? Bad? Whose right is it to say? If there's anything you've learned traipsing through the galaxy, it's this: space may look black, but it's really one shade of grey. |
Starting Skills
| Pistol Certification | Combat Pistol Damage |
|---|---|
| Piloting | Tech Ship Upgrade |
| Persuasion | Social Persuasion Success Rate |
Well balanced overall, good for beginners.
Xenobiologist (Exploration-Oriented)
| The Settled Systems is home to untold alien species. And while none of them have yet proven sentient, that never deterred you. So you sought out and studied them for whatever gifts they offered. |
Starting Skills
| Lasers | Combat Laser Weapon DMG |
|---|---|
| Surveying | Science Hand Scanner Upgrade |
| Fitness | Physical More Oxygen |
Your choice if you want to explore on land.
[File Not Found] (Combat-Oriented)
| Oddly, there's no information on file about your past life. Clerical oversight? Deletion by some powerful unknown faction? Or was there just nothing of note to mention? Whatever the reason, your past is known only to you. What's important is the here and now, and the path you're about to forge. |
Starting Skills
| Wellness | Physical Higher Max Health |
|---|---|
| Ballistics | Combat Ballistic Weapon DMG |
| Piloting | Tech Ship Upgrade |
Best if you want to use Ballistic weapons and want to focus on combat.
Related Starfield Guides
Character Creation Guide
Character Creation - How To Change AppearanceBackground Features & Builds
| Combat Oriented | ||
|---|---|---|
| Combat Medic | Cyberneticist | Gangster |
| Ronin | Soldier | [File Not Found] |
| Exploration Oriented | ||
| Explorer | Pilgrim | Professor |
| Xenobiologist | ||
| Pirate Oriented | ||
| Bounty Hunter | Cyber Runner | Long Hauler |
| Trader Oriented | ||
| Diplomat | Industrialist | |
| Balance Oriented | ||
| Beast Hunter | Bouncer | Chef |
| Sculptor | Space Scoundrel | |
