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Wondering about Starfield crew members and how the crew system works? Not-quite-random-NPCs and not-quite-companions, crew members in Starfield are an important part of manning and maintaining larger ships and outposts across the Settled Systems in Bethesda Studio’s sci-fi RPG.
We’ll go over what Starfield crew members are, where you can find them, and who the best ones are to choose for your crew. Keep in mind crew aren’t quite the same thing as Starfield companions, so check out our guide for that. If you’re getting started, take a look at our Starfield tips and tricks. And if you need gear, our Starfield best weapons and Starfield best armor guides have you covered.
What are crew members in Starfield?
Starfield crew members are a type of NPC that can be hired to work aboard your starship, or at your Starfield outposts. Crews are essential to keeping large ships or installations working effectively, with certain modules even requiring crew members to function. If you want to build large starships or operate outposts that can produce a lot, then you’re going to need a crew. Much like companions, it may be possible to use the Starfield romance system with some crew members too.
Not only that, but certain crew members can be a major help when it comes to combat situations. Some crew members have skills that increase their usefulness with certain weapons, so whether you’re exploring hostile worlds or are being attacked by space pirates, you and your crew will be able to have each others’ backs.
And if you’re after a partner in-game, many of the recruitable crew members are also potential romance options in the game as well. If you have your eye on the space cowboy Sam Coe, for example, recruiting him to your crew is the best way to have interactions with him so you can eventually nab him as a romance option.
Where can you hire crew members in Starfield?
You can find crew members across the settled systems. While there are a lot of NPCs you can bring on as crew, you’ll often have to complete quests or conversations to unlock the crew option. Spaceports, bars, cities – all these feature NPCs you can draft in to your crew. But you’re equally likely to stumble across potential crew members in the strangest places. Heller, a ballistics expert, can be found in the wreckage of a starship for example.
You’ll also find a few on all the major planets and when taking on local quests on New Atlantis, Jemison, Cydonia, and Mars. Sarah Morgan, for example, is a member of Constellation, and following the Constellation main story questline is key to unlocking her as a potential crew member.
By taking the Hero Worshipped trait during character creation, the Adoring Fan will occasionally spawn and give you gifts. By talking to him, you’ll be able to recruit him to your crew to work explore space alongside you.
The best method for crew member recruitment, however, is through companions. You can only have one companion adventuring with you at any given time, but you can always bring others on as valuable crew members. Even more importantly, companions all have four traits, ranked one to four, which give them special abilities and competencies. By comparison, most other crew members only have two or three traits, so companion crew members get a distinct edge.
All Starfield NPC crewmembers
Here’s all the crew members we know you’ll be able to hire so far, including those who double as companions. We’ll keep this updated as we learn more about the game and meet more crew member candidates.
| NPC Name | Location | Faction | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoring Fan | New Atlantis | Unknown/NA | Weight Lifting (Rank 2), Scavenging (Rank 1), Concealment (Rank 1) |
| Barrett | Constellation HQ, New Atlantis | Constellation | Starship Engineering (Rank 4), Particle Weapons Systems (Rank 3), Robotics (Rank 2), Gastronomy (Rank 1) |
| Heller | Crashed Starship | Unknown/NA | Outpost Engineering (Rank 3), Geology (Rank 1) |
| Marika Boros | The Viewport Tavern, New Atlantis | Unknown/NA | Ballistics (Rank 2), Particle Weapons Systems (Rank 1), Shotgun Certification (Rank 1) |
| Sam Coe | Akila City | Constellation | Piloting (Rank 4), Rifle Certification (Rank 3), Payloads (Rank 2), Geology (Rank 1) |
| Sarah Morgan | Constellation HQ, New Atlantis | Constellation | Astrodynamics (Rank 4), Lasers (Rank 3), Leadership (Rank 2), Botany, (Rank 1) |
| Vasco | Constellation HQ, New Atlantis | Constellation | Aneutronic Fusion (Rank 1), Shield Systems (Rank 2), EM Weapon Systems (Rank 1) |
How to get rid of Crew members in Starfield
If you decide you no longer want a crew member, you’ve got a few options. The first and most effective way is a permanent removal via lethal force. i.e. kill them. While certainly effective, it’s probably not a great look for your character to go around executing individuals who become redundant.
The second option is to reallocate them somewhere, perhaps to a distant outpost you hardly think about. True, this isn’t actually getting rid of them, but given that you can link up outposts to form trade routes, it’s more likely a waste to get rid of them completely. Thirdly, you can get rid of them through dismissal dialogue option, available by interacting with them
That covers the Starfield crew members, what they do, and where you can find them. If you’re ready to dive deeper into Starfield, there are some amazing quests to take on, like the Sabotage, Delivering Devils, Absolute Power, Surgical Strike, Operation Starseed and Entangled missions. For ship upgrades, check out the ship manufacturers, best ships, best ship parts, best reactors, and starship weapons. And if you need to do some shopping, check out the New Atlantis shops, Neon shops, and Akila City shops too.
Do I need crew members in Starfield?
You will need crew members in Starfield if you’re planning on operating larger starships or high-yield outposts. Certain modules require a crew member to function.
How do I find crew members in Starfield?
You can find crew members in Starfield just about anywhere. Some will be stranded on desolate moons or crashed ships, others will hang around spaceports. Try talking to as many NPCs as possible, and be sure to check major locations like New Atlantis.
