How to find all potential companions, mercenaries, recruit specialists for the ship and much more
While traveling through the Starfield universe, you can make friends, and some of them will even become your constant companions. In addition to companions, there are NPCs who can become crew members on Frontier, your spaceship. Luckily, Starfield offers a huge variety of both, and traveling with one companion will be emotionally different than replaying the game with another companion.
Below you will learn where to look for companions and crew members, as well as how they differ from each other. And we’ll start, perhaps, with the first ones. Companions in Starfield are those characters that can follow the main character, automatically help him in any battle initiated, and even carry some items, offering additional inventory slots (carrying capacity).
However, companions can be divided into four separate categories, which you see below:
- Satellites from the Constellation
- Additional satellites
- Mercenaries
- Crew members
Let’s figure out how the types of companions listed above differ and how to use them correctly in the game.
How many companions are there in Starfield?
As you travel through the world of Starfield, you can meet over 20 unique companions, although the number may be higher. After all, the galaxy is huge and full of people who want to make money or go on adventures.
With the exception of one narrative moment, there were no situations in the game that would lead to the final death of a companion, however companions can fall in battle. In reality, they simply fall unconscious and you can revive them. If the battle ends or some time passes, the companion will automatically get back to his feet.
But even if you start shooting at the satellite (accidentally or not), you will not be able to kill him. The only time a companion can die is during the aforementioned narrative arc, which you will encounter on your own anyway.
Is it possible to romance companions?
Yes, you can become romantically involved with some of your companions. Apparently, you can do this with at least four companions from the Constellation (with the exception of Vasco). You can have an affair with Andrea and Sarah. Perhaps this can be done with other characters. It all comes down to the fact that you must travel for a long time with your chosen companion, make those decisions that will please him/her, and wait for the moment when their personal tasks begin and you can declare your love. First you will become a couple, and after some more time of adventure together you can even get married.
Satellites from the Constellation (story)
The constellation in Starfield is a big five well-developed characters with their own backstories, personalities, and skills. It is with them that you will spend most of the game. As you progress through the main storyline, all five team members will join you. In a conversation with them, you will learn a lot of interesting things about the events that took place in the world of Starfield. And you will have to communicate constantly. They will literally persuade you to spend a few minutes talking.
Vasco
Vasco is a cool robot companion and the first character you’ll go on a journey with during the One Small Step mission. He will help you control the spaceship.
Barrett
Barrett is the first member of the Constellation you will meet in the game. However, you will not be able to accept him into your team until the start of the story mission “Back to Vectera” (in the early stages of the game). Again, Barrett will be helping around the ship.
Sarah Morgan
Sarah is the leader of the Constellation, and she will be your first companion as soon as you meet her at the end of the One Small Step mission. She specializes in the use of laser weapons.
Andrey
Andreya is a member of the Constellation that you will meet during the mission “Into the Unknown” when Vladimir sends you to find her. The girl specializes in stealth.
Sam Coe
Sam Coe and his adorable daughter Cora can be found during the Empty Nest quest at the start of the Starfield story campaign. He specializes in rifle shooting. It is noteworthy that the character was voiced by the same actor who gave the voice to Adam Jensen from Deus Ex: Huam Revolution.
Additional satellites
Additional companions are individual characters that you can recruit as part of specific tasks. These characters will not accompany you, they do not affect your story or storyline in any way, but if you create a network of outposts, you will need to hire such NPCs to manage them.
It is worth noting that these characters can still accompany you on adventures, sometimes even help in battle. Just don’t expect them to react to events during missions in the same way that members of the Constellation do.
Here are some examples of additional companions you will meet during story missions:
Moara Otero
Moara is a character you will rescue during The Old Neighborhood, the second Starfield mission. You can find him at the Broken Spear bar in Sidonia. If you ask, he will join the team. The man specializes in shooting and some ship weapons systems.
Lin
You can return to Supervisor Lyn – your boss at the start of the game – during the mission “Back to Vectera”. She specializes in outpost management.
Heller
Heller is a Vecter colleague and Lin’s loyal assistant. You can also recruit him during the mission “Back to Vectera”. He can perform the duties of an engineer at an outpost.
Raphael
Raphael is a character you can meet much later in the story as part of the Entangled quest, many hours after the start of the game. If you decide to side with him (you’ll understand what he’s talking about when you get to the right point), he will tell you that he needs a break, but will eventually join you as an engineer if you ask.
Enthusiastic fan
This is an additional “companion” that you can only get if you select the Hero Worshiped trait/trait when creating your main character. If you do this, the weirdo will follow you and help you with everything. Whether you want it or not. He specializes in stealth, collecting junk, and carrying things.
Mercenaries
Hired companions are different from story companions and are on the border between additional companions and crew members (which we will get to a little later). You can hire such characters in local bars for credits. It is enough to pay once, and the character will remain your companion forever. In addition, almost every mercenary can be persuaded to reduce the cost of hiring. Immediately after this, they will be able to join your team or outpost. You can take them on a trip and even communicate. Each of the mercenaries has a unique name, appearance and character.
You can meet mercenaries in at least the following places:
- Astral Hall in Neon
- The Hitching Post in Aquila City
- Broken Spear in Sidonia
- “Viewpoint of New Atlantis
Mickey Kaviar
Mickey Kaviar is a chef with a great hairstyle). You can meet a man in the Astral Lounge on Neon. He specializes in cooking and wellness. You can hire him for 9000 credits.
Rosie Tannehill
Rosie is a doctor. You can find her at The Hitching Post in Aquila City. She specializes in healing and wellness skills. You can hire her for 12,000 credits.
Omari Hassan
Omari Hassan is a spacecraft engineer. You can find him at the same establishment, The Hitching Post in Aquila City. He specializes in your ship’s shield system and shipbuilding. You can hire him for 16,500 credits.
Gideon Acker
Gideon Acker is a rocket scientist. You can hire him at the Viewport establishment in New Atlantis. He specializes in controlling your ship’s weapon systems. To hire you will have to pay 12,000 credits.
Simeon Bankovsky
Simeon Bankowski is a sniper who can be found in Viewport in New Atlantis. He specializes in dealing damage and destroying targets from afar through his marksmanship skills. You can hire him for 15,000 credits.
Marika Boros
Marika Boros is a shotgun shooter. You can hire her at Viewport in New Atlantis. She specializes in all firearms, ballistic weapons, including shotguns. You can hire her for 16,500 credits.
Andromeda Kepler
Andromeda Kepler is an engineer who can be recruited at the Broken Spear bar in Sidonia. She specializes in outpost design and piloting. You can accept a woman into your team for 15,000 credits.
Crew members
Crew members are slightly different from standard companions in that they are not individuals, but rather a set of skills. They don’t even have names. Crew members, like hired companions, can be recruited for credits. Depending on the current skills and their quality, the cost of hiring can reach impressive values. As with hired companions, there is a one-time fee per crew member.
Where and how to hire crew members
Crew members can be found in several of the game’s major hub cities. Mostly in the same place where you meet hired companions. In Neon, for example, you should go to the Astral Lounge and go to the corner of the bar. You can also visit the Viewport of New Atlantis and the Broken Spear of Sidonia.
Since crew members are randomly generated, I can’t tell you exactly where to look for NPCs with a specific skill set. Carefully research such establishments, check the available characters and make sure that the stash has credits for hiring them.
Here are some examples of what kind of crew members you can meet and how many credits you need to hire them:
- Defense systems specialist on a spaceship – 7,000 credits.
- Specialist in propulsion systems on a spaceship – 7,500 credits.
- Spaceship missile weapons specialist – 6,000 credits.