In the world of Starfield, space is an extremely dangerous place to hang out. Around every corner, behind every alien plant, there seems to be some type of affliction just waiting to seriously mess up the player's day. Luckily for everyone, Starfield provides players with exactly what they need to deal with every type of injury imaginable.
Status Afflictions are a specific type of damage category in Starfield, different from the typical damage received from bullets or falls. In most cases, these maladies cannot be healed with medpacks or food. This damage category will lower the player's max hp, lingering around until it is dealt with. Each type of Status Affliction will require a specific type of remedy, and this guide will explain how to acquire exactly what is needed for the cure.
What Are Status Afflictions in Starfield?
In Starfield, afflictions are broken down into two categories: Injuries and Infections. These two categories affect the player in different ways, and actually have a rather complex system built around them. Within both categories, there are multiple types of maladies one can sustain. For example, the Injury category could include fractured limbs, lacerations, burns, and many more. All afflictions will be found in the Status Effects section of the main menu, which can be accessed by pressing Y from that screen.
When the player finds themselves near an object that will cause a specific affliction, the lower left corner of the HUD will display the type of danger.
How Do I Heal a Status Affliction in Starfield?
Affliction and Treatment Icons:
The most important concept to remember when dealing with afflictions is the use of affliction and treatment icons. Each type of affliction will have a specific icon that can be found in the 'Status Effect' menu.
To heal an effect, the player then will need to search through their Aid inventory, and find an item with an icon that matches the affliction. A perfect example is given in the 'Help' section of Starfield's menus, which explains that a 'Burn' affliction will have an orange flame symbol, and the 'Heal Gel' used to cure it will also have the same orange flame symbol, found just below the item name. Aid items will be most commonly found scattered around Starfield' s massive world, or purchased from a vendor.
Known Affliction and Treatment Symbols:
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Icon Image |
Aid Item Healing Ability |
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Advanced Affliction Recovery Explained
Starfield features a set of fairly complex rules that govern the affliction mechanic. The set of mechanics includes the following:
- Severity: Basic afflictions will have only a single symptom, such as Lung Damage affecting oxygen recovery. The more sever the affliction, however, the more symptoms it will have. The worst afflictions will have up to three symptoms.
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Prognosis: This mechanic uses a rating system that ranges from 'Poor' to 'Excellent.' The Prognosis system will determine how long it takes for an affliction to heal on its own, without any kind of treatment.
- If the player gains an affliction while already recovering from the same injury or infection, the Prognosis will be reverted to the poor status.
- A poor Prognosis will never heal on its own, but over time, a prognosis can improve.
Visiting Doctors to Treat Afflictions:
Players can find doctors in various places around the world of Starfield. In New Atlantis, taking an elevator down to the area known as The Well will lead to one of these practitioners. Doctors can heal all afflictions, for a price. They also carry medica supplies that many other merchants do not. If the credits are right, this is one of the easiest ways to treat Status Afflictions.
Starfield is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.