Starfield Explorer Build
Welcome to my Explorer Build for Starfield. A Build that is dedicated to Exploration and discovering the right planet to build your Outpost in Starfield! This Explorer Build is focusing on exploring new Worlds, gathering materials and building Outposts where you can live peacefully or use as production facilities. The Build is not combat oriented but is using some weapons to defend from alien wildlife and hostile humans!
Table of Contents
- Explorer Build Background
- Explorer Build Traits
- Explorer Build Skills
- Explorer Build Weapon
- Explorer Build Armor
- Explorer Build Power
- Explorer Build Companion
- How to Play the Build
Best Background for Explorer Build in Starfield
The Best Background for the Explorer Build is the Explorer Background! Backgrounds are basically starter classes in Starfield, that offer access to a set of three novice skills. Picking the right background for your build will help you become more efficient at your role early in the game.
The Background gives access to the following skills:
- Lasers
- Astrodynamics
- Surveying
The Astrodynamics skill increases the range of your jump drive while reducing the fuel cost, allowing you to travel farther away. Surveying adds zoom levels to your hand scanner and increases the scan distance, which makes surveying plants, minerals and animals faster. Lasers will help you defend yourself from hostiles. Some good alternative Backgrounds are:
- Professor
- Homesteader
- Pilgrim
- Xenobiologist
- Sculptor
Best Traits for Explorer Build in Starfield
Increasing our Health and oxygen is our top priority for the Build! We are spending most of our time surveying and building Outposts on the ground, so it is better to focus on the appropriate Traits. The Best Traits for the Explorer Build are:
- Alien DNA
- Terra Firma
- Introvert or Extrovert
- Faction and Religious
Alien DNA boosts Health and Oxygen but reduces the effectiveness of healing and food items. Terra Firma will boost your Health and Oxygen when on the ground. Introvert boosts Oxygen when adventuring alone while Extrovert boosts Oxygen when adventuring with Companions. Finally you can pick any Faction specific or Religious specific Trait, if you wish to build up your relationship with one of their corresponding groups. You can only have one of those Social focused Traits in the game active. One for Factions and one for Religions.
Best Skills for Explorer Build in Starfield
Below you will find the core skills of the Explorer Build in Starfield! Starfield Skills offer all kind of benefits and can make or break your Build. While we do get access to three Novice Skills with our background, there are a few more we can take to make it truly efficient and powerful. The Core skills of the Build are
- Environmental Conditioning
- Outpost Management
- Astrodynamics
- Surveying
- Scanning
- Planetary Habitation
These are all the skills you should take for an effective Explorer Build in Starfield!
Physical Skills
- Fitness(Novice)
- Weight Lifting(Novice)
- Wellness(Novice)
- Environmental Conditioning(Advanced)
Fitness offers more Oxygen which allows you to take more actions. Weight Lifting is an important skill that will allow you to carry more items while Wellness will increase your overall Health. Environmental Conditioning makes it easier to explore hazardous planets and moons.
Social Skills
- Commerce(Novice)
- Scavenging(Novice)
- Leadership(Expert)
- Outpost Management(Expert)
- Xenosociology(Master)
Commerce will help you make credits in Starfield by selling all the items you are looting! Scavenging helps you discover more items that you can sell or use but also highlights tracked resources at maximum rank. Leadership to boost your Companions’ capabilities. Outpost Management will boost the overall production of your Outposts. Finally Xenosociology can help you against hostile alien wildlife.
Combat Skills
- Lasers(Novice)
- Rifle Certification(Advanced)
Lasers is the Build’s main defensive ability. We are not focusing on combat that much, we are only using weapons to defend ourselves. You should also unlock Rifle Certification to be able to use more potent weapons.
Science Skills
- Astrodynamics(Novice)
- Geology(Novice)
- Medicine(Novice)
- Research Methods(Novice)
- Surveying(Novice)
- Botany(Advanced)
- Scanning(Advanced)
- Spacesuit Design(Advanced)
- Weapon Engineering(Advanced)
- Zoology(Advanced)
- Astrophysics(Expert)
- Outpost Engineering(Expert)
- Planetary Habitation(Master)
- Special Projects(Master)
Most skills from this line are important for the Build because of its Explorer-Scientist nature. Astrodynamics allows you to travel farther and for less fuel, Medicine can help in case you are attacked. Surveying, Geology, Botany and zoology are vital to discover and harvest valuable resources. Scanning assists with discovering rare resources while Astrophysics makes it easier to scan planets and moons. Research Methods and Special Projects will make your research and crafting more efficient. With Spacesuit Design and Weapon Engineering you can add helpful mods to your Spacesuit and Weapon. Finally with Outpost Engineering and Planetary Habitation you can build more Outposts as well as research and create better modules for them.
Tech Skills
- Boost Pack Training(Novice)
No skill from this line is necessary for the build but you can unlock Boost Pack Training for better traveling on the surface of planets.
Best Weapon for Explorer Build in Starfield
Combat is not a priority for the Build but you can use some weapons to protect yourself. Rifles are potent, deal good damage with the right skills and are efficient in open world. Our focus is Laser Rifles, since it is easier to find ammo for them. Early in the game you can find easily and use an Equinox Laser Rifle. You can later upgrade to the Orion Laser Rifle. When picking mods for your Weapon focus on mods that increase Accuracy and Damage!
Orion Laser Weapon Mods:
| Slot | Component |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Long Barrel |
| Laser | Recon Laser Sight |
| Optic | Reflex Sight/Short-Medium Scope |
| Muzzle | Focus Nozzle |
| Grip and Stock | Standard Grip/Stabilizing Stock |
| Magazine and Battery | Ignition Beams |
| Internal | Amplifier |
Best Armor for the Explorer Build
The Best Armor for the Explorer Build is the Nishina Spacesuit! A Spacesuit that reduces damage from Alien enemies, which is going to be helpful while exploring planets! The Suit also applies a Med Pack automatically if you get hit while low on Health. Another good alternative is the Peacemaker Spacesuit, that boosts the damage of rifles. This armor will help you defend yourself easier against Aliens and Humans. To maximize the potential of your Spacesuit you can add the following Mods:
- First Slot – Shielding of your choice
- Second Slot – Optimized Servos(reduces oxygen cost for sprinting)
- Third Slot – Heavy Shielding(increases all damage resistance)
- Fourth Slot – Gravitic Composites(reduces detection from enemies) or Pocketed(increases carrying capacity)
Best Power for Explorer Build in Starfield
The Best Power for the Explorer Build is Reactive Shield! This power reflects projectiles and increases your resistance to attacks. A few more powers you can use are:
- Elemental Pull
Powers are unique abilities you can unlock by advancing the main quest line and completing the “Into the Unknown” main mission. Powers offer unique effects to your character and can complement your Build. If you wish to learn more about Powers, you can read my Starfield Powers Guide!
Best Companion for Explorer Build in Starfield
The Best Companion for the Explorer Build is Sarah Morgan. Sarah can assist in combat with her Lasers skill but also in exploration thanks to her Astrodynamics! Other good Companions you can use with the Build are:
- Heller
- Supervisor Lin
- Adoring Fan
- Ezekiel
- Autumn MacMillan
- Amelia Earhart
- Rafael Aguerro
- Erick Von Price
Companions in Starfield come with their own unique skills that can assist your character and further complement your Build! Not all Companions are good for every role and type of gameplay. Picking the right Companion with the right skills will help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently. If you wish to learn more details about all available Companions, you can read my Starfield Companions Guide!
How to Play the Explorer Build in Starfield
The Goal of the Build is to explore Planets and find the best spots where you can build an Outpost! Focus on unlocking and leveling up your Science Skills so you can explore more efficiently. Combat has low priority for the Build but is necessary if you need to defend yourself. Laser Rifles are easy to get and use and can devastate enemies in Starfield. Try to keep your distance from enemies and rely on your Companion for support!
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