Crafting in Starfield is pretty straightforward when you have all the Skills, resources and upgrades. While locating and mining for materials is easy enough, whether scanning for them on planets or using autominers in outposts, you must have a Research Laboratory, research different items across categories and craft the item in the correct workstation.
Here’s a step-by-step process to crafting everything in the game, starting with the necessary skills.
Best Skills for Crafting
There are five Skills associated with crafting – Botany, Spacesuit Design, Weapon Engineering, Outpost Engineering and Zoology, all in the Science tree.
Botany and Zoology allow you to receive more common and uncommon resources from planets and creatures while also letting you produce them in your outposts. Ranking them up allows for rare and Exotic resources – they’ll be necessary when making food and medicine.
Outpost Engineering allows for improved modules for outposts, and by ranking it up, you can research and make Superior and Cutting-Edge modules while cutting down on resource costs.
Spacesuit Design allows crafting Spacesuit, Helmet and Pack mods, with higher Ranks allowing for Superior and Cutting-Edge mods.
Weapon Engineering lets you craft weapon mods, with higher Ranks allowing for Superior, Cutting-Edge and Master mods. Both are necessary for researching additional mods from the Research Laboratory. If you’re going to craft any equipment or weapon mods, you need at least one Skill Point in both of them.
It also helps to have Research Methods, a Novice Skill in the Science tree, which reduces the resources needed to craft items and research projects by 10 percent. At Rank 3, this goes up to 40 percent, and Rank 4 causes sudden developments to become twice as common while reducing resource costs by 60 percent.
Special Projects, a Master Skill in the Science tree, is also necessary for researching experimental projects and crafting rare, Exotic and Unique components.
How to Research Projects
Once you have a Research Laboratory in your ship, open it up to see the five main categories – Pharmacology, Food and Drink, Outpost Development, Equipment and Weaponry – along with the available projects to research. Based on the resources available and your Skills, you can research a project, which can take some time.
After completing one project, another will become available for crafting new items. Let’s look at all the different Research Projects, their corresponding items and what you need to make them. If you’re at The Lodge, Constellation’s base on New Atlantis, they have workstations for every item and space to store it. Ideally, you should have workstations in your ship to craft to on demand.
Weapon Mods
Weapon Mods consist of Barrel Mods, Grip and Stock Mods, Optic and Laser Mods, Internal Mods, Muzzle Mods, Receiver Mods and Magazine and Battery Mods. They require a Weapon Workbench to craft. Depending on the mod, you can adjust a gun’s aim-down-sight speed, accuracy, damage reload speed, the number of bullets in a magazine, recoil, stability and much more.
Here are all the different research projects for weapon mods, how to unlock them and the resources required. Remember that the resources spent on researching and crafting the mods are separate.
To mod a weapon, use the Weapon Workbench and select a weapon. You’ll see each slot that can be modded and the available mods based on the projects researched. Select the mod, and if you have the resources, press Install to craft and install the mod.
| Project | Required Skill | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Barrel Mods 1 | None | 3 Iron, 3 Nickel, 2 Sealant |
| Barrel Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 1 | 2 Tungsten, 4 Nickel, 2 Lubricant |
| Grip and Stock Mods 1 | None | 3 Aluminum, 3 Nickel, 3 Sealant |
| Grip and Stock Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 1 | 4 Adhesive, 3 Tungsten, 2 Polymer |
| Grip and Stock Mods 3 | Weapon Engineering Rank 2 | 4 Titanium, 8 Adhesive, 4 Polymer |
| Optic and Laser Mods 1 | None | 3 Aluminum, 2 Chlorosilanes, 3 Sealant |
| Optic and Laser Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 1 | 4 Aluminum, 3 Adhesive, 3 Chlorosilanes, 3 Zero Wire |
| Optic and Laser Mods 3 | Weapon Engineering Rank 2 | 8 Adhesive, 8 Vanadium, 8 Iridium, 4 Zero Wire |
| Muzzle Mods 1 | Weapon Engineering Rank 1 | 5 Titanium, 10 Tungsten, 5 Sealant |
| Muzzle Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 2 | 4 Titanium, 4 Tantalum, 4 Polymer, 3 Zero Wire |
| Muzzle Mods 3 | Weapon Engineering Rank 3 | 8 Titanium, 8 Adhesive, 4 Isotopic Coolant, 4 Polymer, 4 Ytterbium |
| Magazine and Battery Mods 1 | Weapon Engineering Rank 2 | 5 Titanium, 8 Lead, 5 Adhesive |
| Magazine and Battery Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 3 | 8 Lead, 4 Adhesive, 4 Uranium, 3 Isocentered Magnet, 3 Tau Grade Rheostat |
| Magazine and Battery Mods 3 | Weapon Engineering Rank 3, Special Projects Rank 1 | 12 Lead, 8 Adhesive, 8 Toxin, 3 Positron Battery, 3 Ytterbium |
| Internal Mods 1 | Weapon Engineering Rank 2 | 5 Zero Wire, 8 Irioium, 10 Tungsten, 10 Sealant |
| Internal Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 3 | 4 Titanium, 4 Adhesive, 4 Tantalum, 3 Isocentered Magnet, 3 Zero Wire |
| Internal Mods 3 | Weapon Engineering Rank 4 | 8 Titanium, 8 Europium, 4 Polymer, 1 Power Circuit x1, 4 Ytterbium, 4 Zero Wire |
| Receiver Mods 1 | Weapon Engineering Rank 3 | 5 Isotopic Coolant, 3 Microsecond Regulator, 10 Ytterbium, 30 Titanium, 10 Lubricant |
| Receiver Mods 2 | Weapon Engineering Rank 4 | 3 Isotopic Coolant, 8 Lubricant, 2 Microsecond Regulator, 8 Polymer, 8 Ytterbium |
Equipment Mods
Equipment mods require a Spacesuit Workbench, and there are three kinds – Helmet Mods, Spacesuit Mods and Pack Mods. Helmet Mods provide resistance to damage and statuses, increase enemy detection range, and reduce detection by foes.
Pack Slot Mods will automatically heal when your HP drops (though it has a short cooldown before working again), restore additional health from items, regenerate health out of combat, increase carrying capacity and O2 capacity and more.
Finally, the Spacesuit Mods increase resistance to different statuses and damage, reduce the O2 consumed when sprinting, reduce enemy detection, increase carrying capacity, and buff melee damage.
As with weapons, whenever you want to mod a piece of equipment, open up the Spacesuit Workbench and click on the item to see the mod slots. Select one to see the available mods and whether the resources are available for crafting. If they are, press Install.
Here are all the research projects, skills required and resources required.
| Project | Required Skill | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet Mods 1 | None | 3 Tungsten, 2 Cosmetic, 3 Polymer |
| Helmet Mods 2 | Spacesuit Design Rank 1 | 4 Titanium, 4 Adhesive, 2 Positron Battery, 2 SterileNanotubes, 3 Zero Wire |
| Helmet Mods 3 | Spacesuit Design Rank 2 | 12 Tungsten, 4 Caelumite, 3 High-Tensile Spidroin, 2 Indicite Wafer, 3 Microsecond Regulator, 4 Polymer |
| Spacesuit Mods 1 | Spacesuit Design Rank 1 | 8 Polytextile, 5 Copper, 5 Cosmetic |
| Spacesuit Mods 2 | Spacesuit Design Rank 2 | 4 Titanium, 4 Adhesive, 4 Polytextile, 2 Positron Battery, 2 Semimetal Wafer |
| Spacesuit Mods 3 | Spacesuit Design Rank 3 | 12 Tungsten, 4 Caelumite, 2 Indicite Wafer, 8 Lubricant, 3 Microsecond Regulator, 3 Positron Battery |
| Pack Mods 1 | Spacesuit Design Rank 1 | 10 Aluminum, 10 Beryllium, 8 Mag Pressure Tank, 5 Monopropellant |
| Pack Mods 2 | Spacesuit Design Rank 2 | 4 Sealant, 4 Beryllium, 4 Monopropellant, 3 Polymer, 2 Zero-G Gimbal |
| Pack Mods 3 | Spacesuit Design Rank 3, Special Projects Rank 1 | 8 Beryllium, 8 Amino Acids, 4 Biosuppressant, 8 Monopropellant, 4 Tau Grade Rheostat, 4 Zero-G Gimbal |
Food and Drink
You’ll pick up plenty of food and drink items in the Settled Systems. However, it’s also good to make some (like Boba Alien Tea for increased XP) on demand.
The Cooking Station is used to make meals and drinks, and they have various effects, from restoring health to increasing storage capacity and damage resistance. Here are all the associated research projects and the Skills and resources required.
| Project | Required Skill | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Old Earth Cuisine 1 | None | 3 Bread, 2 Red Meat, 2 Cheese |
| Old Earth Cuisine 2 | Gastronomy Rank 1 | 2 Spice, 2 Cheese, 2 Egg, 2 Butter, 2 Poultry |
| Old Earth Cuisine 3 | Gastronomy Rank 2 | 4 Spice, 8 Nutrient, 4 Beer, 4 Poultry, 4 Dairy, 4 Egg |
| Old Earth Cuisine 4 | Gastronomy Rank 3 | 8 Spice, 16 Nutrient, 4 Bread, 4 Poultry, 4 Beans, 4 Butter, 4 Noodles |
| Beverage Development 1 | None | 3 Spice, 3 Fiber, 3 Water |
| Beverage Development 2 | Gastronomy Rank 1 | 2 Aromatic, 2 Benzene, 2 Spice, 4 Metabolic Agent, 2 Tranquilitea Sunray |
| Beverage Development 3 | Gastronomy Rank 2 | 4 Spice, 4 Nutrient, 4 Dairy, 8 Fiber, 8 Water, 4 Coffee |
| Beverage Development 4 | Gastronomy Rank 3 | 12 Spice, 4 Tea, 12 Water, 4 Boom Pop! Black Licorice, 4 Boom Pop! Root Beer, 4 Boom Pop! Cola |
| Mixology 1 | None | 2 Aromatic, 2 Alkanes, 3 Spice |
| Mixology 2 | Gastronomy Rank 1 | 4 Aromatic, 4 Spice, 2 Liquor, 2 Can-uck! Poutine |
| Mixology 3 | Gastronomy Rank 2 | 8 Aromatic, 4 Dairy, 4 Liquor, 4 Soda |
| Mixology 4 | Gastronomy Rank 3 | 4 Tomato, 10 Spice, 8 Liquor |
| Exotic Recipes 1 | Gastronomy Rank 4 | 3 Aromatic, 3 Spice, 4 Fiber, 3 Nutrient, 2 Noodles |
| Exotic Recipes 2 | Gastronomy Rank 4 | 4 Aromatic, 4 Membrane, 4 Spice, 2 Wine, 3 Egg, 3 Red Meat |
| Exotic Recipes 3 | Gastronomy Rank 4 | 2 Quark-D. Tissues, 4 Aromatic. 8 Fiber, 4 Wine, 4 Butter |
| Exotic Recipes 4 | Gastronomy Rank 4 | 4 Quark-D. Tissues, 12 Spice, 16 Nutrient, 8 Egg, 4 Bread, 8 Noodles, 4 Beans |
Pharmacology
A Pharmaceutical Lab is required for making medicine to restore health and treat conditions like infections, burns, fractured bones, and much more. However, you can also craft enhancers for increased jump height, movement speed, carry capacity, damage resistance, melee damage and O2 capacity.
You can also make essential materials like Dwarf Star Heart, Supermassive Heart and more. Here are all the research projects needed to unlock them all for crafting.
| Project | Required Skill | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Enhancement 1 | None | 2 Tetrafluorides, 2 Argon, 3 Metabolic Agent |
| Performance Enhancement 2 | Chemistry Rank 1 | 4 Carboxylic Acids, 2 Membrane, 4 Solvent, 2 Hippolyta, 2 Infantry Alpha |
| Performance Enhancement 3 | Chemistry Rank 2 | 4 Toxin, 4 Ionic Liquids, 4 Stimulant, 2 Squall, 2 Synapse Alpha |
| Performance Enhancement 4 | Chemistry Rank 3 | 8 Stimulant, 4 Squall, 4 Aurora, 4 CQB-X, 3 Whiteout |
| Medical Treatment 1 | None | 3 Antimicrobial, 2 Animo Acids, 2 Aluminum |
| Medical Treatment 2 | Chemistry Rank 1 | 4 Amino Acids, 4 Analgesic, 4 Antimicrobial, 2 Heart+, 2 Battlestim |
| Medical Treatment 3 | Chemistry Rank 2 | 4 Sealant, 8 Metabolic Agent, 4 Sedative, 4 Antibiotics |
| Medical Treatment 4 | Chemistry Rank 3 | 8 Membrane, 4 Trauma Pack, 4 Heart+, 2 Immunostimulant |
| Innovative Synthesis 1 | Chemistry Rank 3, Special Projects Rank 1 | 2 Tetrafluorides, 2 Carboxylic Acids, 2 Solvent, 4 Mercury, 1 Alien Genetic Material |
| Innovative Synthesis 2 | Chemistry Rank 3, Special Projects Rank 1 | 4 Carboxylic Acids, 2 Solvent, 2 Aurora, 2 Alien Genetic Material, 2 Dwarf Star Heart |
| Innovative Synthesis 3 | Chemistry Rank 3, Special Projects Rank 1 | 3 Ionic Liquids, 4 Carboxylic Acids, 4 Solvent, 4 Alien Genetic Material, 2 Subgiant Heart, 2 Black Hole Heart |
Outpost Development
Outposts mirror the settlement building of titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. An Industrial Workbench is used to craft their components, and they’re used for mining and extracting resources, storing items, cultivating materials from plants and creatures, and much more.
We have a separate guide on how to build an outpost here. Check out all the research projects you must complete to unlock every possible option.
| Project | Required Skill | Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Extraction 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1 | 30 Aluminum, 10 Chlorosilanes, 20 Copper, 10 Adaptive Frame, 5 Drilling Rig, 8 Mag Pressure Tank |
| Resource Extraction 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 16 Aluminum, 8 Chlorosilanes, 8 Caesium, 8 Adaptive Frame, 2 Aldumite Drilling Rig, 3 Microsecond Regulator |
| Manufacturing 1 | None | 3 Sealant, 3 Iron, 3 Adaptive Frame, 2 Zero Wire |
| Manufacturing 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1 | 8 Sealant, 8 Tungsten, 12 Iron, 4 Adaptive Frame, 4 Lubricant, 2 Reactive Gauge, 4 Zero Wire |
| Manufacturing 3 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 12 Sealant, 12 Tungsten, 16 Iron, 12 Adaptive Frame, 4 Lubricant, 2 Positron Battery, 4 Reactive Gauge, 8 Zero Wire |
| Horticulture 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1, Botany Rank 1 | Tungsten x10 Adaptive Frame x10 Mag Pressure Tank x8 Metabolic Agent x10 Nutrient x10 |
| Horticulture 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2, Botany Rank 1 | 8 Tungsten, 8 Adaptive Frame, 4 Amino Acids, 4 Mag Pressure Tank, 12 Metabolic Agent, 12 Nutrient |
| Domestication 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1, Zoology Rank 1 | 30 Aluminum, 10 Sealant, 10 Adhesive, 10 Adaptive Frame, 5 Molecular Sieve |
| Domestication 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1, Zoology Rank 1 | 16 Aluminum, 12 Sealant, 12 Adhesive, 8 Adaptive Frame, 4 Hypercatalyst, 3 Substrate Molecule Sieve |
| Power Generation 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1 | 20 Copper, 30 Silver, 10 Cobalt, 10 Adaptive Frame, 8 Isocentered Magnet, 10 Zero Wire |
| Power Generation 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 12 Titanium, 12 Beryllium, 8 Caesium, 1 Power Circuit, 1 Supercooled Magnet, 2 Tau Grade Rheostat, 8 Zero Wire |
| Power Generation 3 | Outpost Engineering Rank 3 | 12 Lead, 12 Tungsten, 4 Isotopic Coolant, 2 Power Circuit, 2 Supercooled Magnet, 4 Tau Grade Rheostat, 4 Paramagnon Conductor, 4 Nuclear Fuel Rod, 3 Control Rod |
| Power Generation 4 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1, Special Projects Rank 1 | 20 Lead, 16 Tungsten, 8 Isotopic Coolant, 4 Power Circuit, 12 Tau Grade Rheostat, 4 Control Rod, 3 Tasine Superconductor, 2 Rothicite Magnet, 4 Vytinium Fuel Rod |
| Decoration 1 | None | 3 Fiber, 2 Ornamental Material, 3 Structural Material |
| Decoration 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1 | 4 each of Aluminum, Adhesive, Fiber, Pigment and Structural Material |
| Decoration 3 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 12 each of Aluminum, Adhesive and Structural Material, 8 each of Fiber and Nickel and 2 Luxury Textile |
| Robots 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 1 | 3 each of Aluminum and Beryllium, 2 Zero Wire |
| Robots 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 12 each of Titanium, Chlorosilanes, Cobalt, Zero Wire, 3 each of Austenitic Manifold and Positron Battery, 4 Polymer |
| Outpost Defense 1 | Outpost Engineering Rank 2 | 30 Aluminum, 10 Titanium, 5 each of Fluorine and Copper, 3 Positron Battery and 8 Zero Wire |
| Outpost Defense 2 | Outpost Engineering Rank 3 | 16 Aluminum, 12 Titanium, 4 each of Neon and Copper, 3 Positron Battery, and 1 each of Power Circuit and Veryl-Treated Manifold x1 |
Starfield is available for Xbox Series X/S and PC and playable on Game Pass. You can check out our review here for more details. If you’re keen on more than just crafting, read our guide for the best Skills to pick up early. We also have guides on leveling up quickly, farming Credits, where to find the best ships and how to be a space pirate.
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