Starfield Backgrounds and Classes- Every Starfield Background in the game

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Starfield has a lot of backgrounds, so choosing one that’s right for you can be a challenge. Starfield’s vast array of backgrounds gives each player the chance to customize their game to their liking. Similar to other Bethesda RPGs, you can come up with a character of your own design and truly live out your alternate life.

Will you be the owner of some megacorps, or you will seek prestige through from the way you handle outer space flight? Are you one of the human beings bound for the stars that will take down major factions or will you be happy simply creating true culinary masterpieces?

The background you choose will help you later in the game thanks to the skills you start off with. Whether you are piloting a starfighter and targeting foes, or simply visiting the many planets, your story is yours to create. Here are all the Starfield backgrounds.

What are backgrounds in Starfield?

Career paths in the game are represented by starfield backgrounds. Each title corresponds to a profession, accompanied by an initial set of skills designed to guide you. As an easy-to-understand example, if you’re interested in catching criminals, you’d pick the Bounty Hunter background over the Diplomat.

As well as unlocking starting skills, diverse backgrounds also unlock exclusive dialogue choices and even special missions and routes. With this, you can either choose a background based on desired statistics or one that lets you roleplay a specific role in Starfield.

How do you get backgrounds in Starfield?

Once you start Starfield, you just need to start a new character. You’ll be asked to pick a background in the character creation menu. From there, just pick one.

Starfield list of Backgrounds

Below are all of the backgrounds in Starfield:

1. Gangster
2. Industrialist
3. Bouncer
4. Homesteader
5. Combat Medic
6. Bounty Hunter
7. Diplomat
8. Cyberneticist
9. Long Hauler
10. Ronin
11. Professor
12. Pilgrim
13. Chef
14. Beast Hunter
15. Explorer
16. Cyber Runner
17. [FILE NOT FOUND]
18. Xenobiologist
19. Sculptor
20. Soldier
21. Space Scoundrel
22. Explorer

Starfield backgrounds explained

We can only be specific about a few backgrounds thanks to the explanations given in Starfield’s many showcases. We’ve reworded some descriptions so we can provide a bit more clarity than you’d get from the game’s description.

Chef

Even though everyone wanted chunks of sugary goodness, your focus was on delighting those with a more refined palate. Within your galley, you transformed countless alien ingredients into true epicurean masterpieces.

Starting Skills

• Gastronomy – The access to novel worlds opens doors to a plethora of ingredients, allowing a skilled chef to craft delectable dishes and libations beyond imagination.
• Dueling – In an era where the close-quarters combat artistry is often overshadowed, adept execution of melee weaponry can outshine ranged battles in the hands of a proficient duelist.
• Scavenging – Success in scavenging hinges on the knowledge of where and how to seek, held by the select few who can unearth almost anything. Embracing the culinary journey, the chef’s background bestows a proficiency in cooking, enabling the crafting of specialized fare and exploration of fresh recipes in your research sanctuary. Furthermore, a modest 10% enhancement to melee damage is granted, accompanied by the ability to forage unique artifacts and materials.

Combat Medic

Amidst the vast expanse, humanity’s quarrels persist even in the boundless cosmos. This is your arena. Fearless in the face of adversaries, yet your true dedication lies in safeguarding allies.

Starting Skills

• Pistol Certification – Given the prevalence of personal firearms in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such arms is deemed an essential skill.
• Medicine – Humanity’s resilience against the galaxy’s perils hinges on advancements in medical sciences and technology.
• Wellness – Through an active lifestyle and nutritional mindfulness, one’s overall health flourishes, offering an extended span of vitality. The battle medic encompasses versatile advantages, making it an ideal choice for neophytes. Augmented pistol damage and 10% heightened restoration from medical supplies amplify your prowess. Additionally, an elevated carrying capacity by 10kg simplifies looting, leaving more room for exploration and less for inventory maintenance.

Cyber Runner

From the luminescent alleys of Neon to the sprawling domain of New Atlantis, mega-corporations loom as paragons of influence, honor, and riches. Amidst their realm, you’ve woven intricate webs, serving and subverting with equal finesse, often trading conscience for credits.

Starting Skills

• Stealth – Discretion governs your combat philosophy, enabling covert approach and lethal execution with silenced weaponry, striking terror through effectiveness.
• Security – Though revered for its imperviousness, the standardized digital lock yields to adept manipulation of code.
• Theft – Less honorable and far from lawful, discreet property retrieval occasionally necessitates the mastery of unobtrusive possession alteration. The cyber infiltrator beckons those drawn to stealth and subterfuge. Enhanced stealth capabilities, coupled with silenced arms, facilitate silent navigation through opposition. Proficiency in lockpicking opens doors and safes, enhancing looting endeavors, while adept pickpocket skills amplify your nimbleness.

Cyberneticist

Robots? Trinkets. Neuroamps? Mere diversions. The Colony War’s legacy furnished veterans with implants, yet your vision transcended. Melding man and machine, you aspired to a loftier symbiosis.

Starting Skills

• Medicine – Humanity’s resilience against the galaxy’s perils hinges on advancements in medical sciences and technology.
• Security – Though revered for its imperviousness, the standardized digital lock yields to adept manipulation of code.
• Lasers – Within the Settled Systems, personal laser arms proliferate, their potency exponentially heightened through specialized training. Harmonizing human and machine essence, the mechatronic visionary excels in self-regeneration with medical finesse. Proficiency in laser weaponry refines combat prowess, while lockpicking aptitude complements thieving acumen, rendering it a well-rounded choice.

Diplomat

Guns have fallen silent; tranquility graces the Settled Systems. Yet, a quiet battle persists, guarded by those who ensure its continuity. Through your efforts, pacts crystallized, words resonated, lives were spared.

Starting Skills

• Persuasion – Amid the Settled Systems, the nuanced skill of discourse often surpasses impulsive gunfire, ushering resolutions through understanding.
• Commerce – Thriving in the Settled Systems’ laissez-faire economy demands adeptness in commerce for running a successful enterprise.
• Wellness – A vibrant life and sustained longevity blossom from an active lifestyle and nutritional mindfulness. If diplomacy supersedes violence, the envoy path beckons. Heightened odds of persuasive success in dialogue challenges characterize the diplomat’s forte. A knack for commerce suits those seeking monetary gain or skilled negotiations. Plus, an elevated wellness foundation boosts initial health by 30 points, setting you apart from other backgrounds.

Explorer

Echoes claim exploration’s demise; you chose to defy them. Amidst factional tussles for cosmic dominion, your gaze remained fixed on unveiling the Settled Systems’ marvels.

Starting Skills

• Laser Proficiency – Personal laser weaponry proliferates throughout the Settled Systems, its potency amplified through dedicated training.
• Stellar Navigation – Advanced technology paves the way, but finesse, patience, and an affectionate touch coax boundless potential from a starship’s gravity drive.
• Planetary Survey – The newfound ability to decode alien world data on-site stands pivotal amid humanity’s access to uncharted realms. Perfect for intrepid spacefarers, the cosmic voyager commences with laser weapon finesse, enhancing combat performance. Expertise in grav drive manipulation maximizes your starship’s potential. Meanwhile, the knack for on-site planetary analysis provides a wealth of data for uncharted explorations.
• Astrodynamics – We aren’t sure exactly what this skill does but it is most likely to do with the efficiency of motion in space.

Beast Hunter

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 – In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
• Ballistics – Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.
• Gastronomy – The access to novel worlds opens doors to a plethora of ingredients, allowing a skilled chef to craft delectable dishes and libations beyond imagination.

Bouncer

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 – Once considered a “sport of kings,” boxing is still practiced as a recreational competitive activity, but its combat applications can’t be denied.
• Security – While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
• Fitness – In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.

Bounty Hunter

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 – As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
• Targeting control systems – Missile weapons are favored because they can lock onto an enemy ship, but an intimate knowledge of tracking systems can make them even more effective.
• Boost Pack Training – Specialized training and innovations in personal mobility systems have allowed for unfettered exploration on alien worlds.

Gangster

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 – The cornerstone of close quarters combat, or CQC, the shotgun has proven a simple, deadly weapon for hundreds of years.
• Boxing – Once considered a “sport of kings,” boxing is still practiced as a recreational competitive activity, but its combat applications can’t be denied.
• Theft – Less honorable and far from lawful, discreet property retrieval occasionally necessitates the mastery of unobtrusive possession alteration. The cyber infiltrator beckons those drawn to stealth and subterfuge. Enhanced stealth capabilities, coupled with silenced arms, facilitate silent navigation through opposition. Proficiency in lockpicking opens doors and safes, enhancing looting endeavors, while adept pickpocket skills amplify your nimbleness.

Homesteader

The discovery of the Settled Systems’ many oxygen-rich planets and moons meant humans could like just about anywhere… if they had the know how. You did, and utilized it to great effect.

Starting Skills

• Geology – Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
• Surveying – Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
• Weight Lifting – Weight training can significantly increase one’s ability to carry weapons and equipment, both in space and on the ground.

Industrialist

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 – In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.
• Security – While the standardized digital locking mechanism is renowned for its security, any code can be broken with the proper training.
• Research Methods – By skillfully employing both new and time-tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights.

Long Hauler

Let those other hotheaded pilots obsess over laser weapons and maneuverability. You’re a space trucker, pure and simple. Pack the cargo, get it there fast, get paid, and repeat. Life is simple and good.

Starting Skills

• Weight Lifting – Weight training can significantly increase one’s ability to carry weapons and equipment, both in space and on the ground.
• Piloting – As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
• Ballistic Weapons Systems – While there have been significant advancements in ship-borne weaponry, sometimes the simplest tool is the most effective.

Pilgrim

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 – There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.
• Surveying – Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
• Gastronomy – The access to novel worlds opens doors to a plethora of ingredients, allowing a skilled chef to craft delectable dishes and libations beyond imagination.

Professor

You 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 – Advanced technology is one thing, but it takes skill, patience, and a little but of love to coax even more capability out of a ship’s grave drive.
• Geology – Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
• Research Methods – By skillfully employing both new and time-tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights.

Ronin

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

• Dueling – Considered by many to be a lost art, close attacks with a melee weapon can often be deadlier than ranged combat when carried out by a skilled practitioner.
• Stealth – For a combatant who values discretion above all else, the ability to approach a target while undetected and kill with a silenced weapon is as terrifying as it is effective.
• Scavenging – There are those who can find just about anything, and their success is usually dependent on knowing how, and where, to look.

Sculptor

With your knowledge of anatomy and skilled, steady hands, you could have had a lucrative career as a surgeon. Instead, you followed your heart, and created works of art to amaze and inspire.

Starting Skills

• Medicine – Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy’s many dangers.
• Geology – Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements.
• Persuasion – In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.

Soldier

The Settled Systems is no stranger to warfare, and if there’s one thing armed conflict relies on it’s trained warriors with guns and guts. You had both. Simple, bloody work… and you were great at it.

Starting Skills

• Fitness – In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.
• Boost Pack Training – Specialized training and innovations in personal mobility systems have allowed for unfettered exploration on alien worlds.
• Ballistics – Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.

Space Scoundrel

Good? Bad? Whose right is it to say? If there’s anyhting you’ve learned while traipsing through the galaxy, it’s this: space may look black, but it’s really one bit shade of grey.

Starting Skills

• Pistol Certification – Considering the popularity of the personal sidearm in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such weapons is often considered essential.
• Piloting – As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
• Persuasion – In the Settled Systems, the nuanced ability to listen and discuss can often accomplish far more than simply shooting first and asking questions later.

Xenobiologist

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 effered.

Starting Skills

• Lasers – Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.
• Surveying – Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset.
• Fitness – In space, the greatest commodity is oxygen, and the increased lung capacity gained by a regular physical fitness regimen is essential to survival.

[FILE NOT FOUND]

Oddly, there is 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

• Ballistics – Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.
• Piloting – As more people journey into space, the number of those certified to effectively pilot various types of spacecraft has increased dramatically.
• Wellness – By embracing an active lifestyle and good nutrition habits, one may improve their overall sense of health, and even gain prolonged life expectancy.