SWTOR Crew Skills Guide

Star Wars The Old Republic Crew Skills Guide by Goshee

Hello everyone!

I have made this guide for those of you who wish to learn more about the Crew Skills feature in SW:TOR.

If you wish to learn more about the game, please check out my Guide: Newcomers which includes nearly everything you need to know before you start playing!


TABLE OF CONTENTS

• GENERAL
• GATHERING SKILLS
• CRAFTING SKILLS
• MISSION SKILLS
• WHAT IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR MY CLASS?
• REVERSE ENGINEERING
• MODIFICATION
• COMPANIONS
• COMPANION LIST

GENERAL

• You can have a maximum of 3 crew skills at any time
• You can have up to 3 gathering skills at the same time
• You can have up to 3 mission skills at the same time
• You can only have 1 crafting skill at any given time
• There are no limitations on what class does what type of crafting
• You will get a quest around level 10 which will tell you to research a crew skill
• Each one you talk to gives a nice sum of exp so make sure you talk to them all!
• Companions can’t die on crafting missions but they can fail
• To remove a crew skill simply open the companion window, find the skill you want rid of then press the small red ‘x’ button on the far right
• Crew Skills belong to you not your companion
• The time it takes to complete a crew skills depends on your companions affection. High affection will result in a lower completion time.
• Crafting missons can take between 5mins to 24hrs
• One companion can queue up 5 crafting sessions max, you can keep adding to the queue once a job is completed however. But the total can’t exceed 5 at a time.
• To queue multiple crafting sessions simply keep clicking ‘craft’ on whatever item you want your companion to create.
• The crafting queue can be seen underneath the name of the companion you assigned it to
• You can store your gathering materials in the bank and your companion will still have access to them! You don’t need to carry them around with you wherever you go!

All skills now have their recommended crafting, gathering and mission skills after them. Skills are also color coded. Find the skill you want, note its colour, then simply find other skills of the same colour.

Note: If a skill has two colours then its beneficial to more than one profession.

The types of crew skills are as follows:

GATHERING SKILLS – Maximum of 3 at any time

• Archaeology
  Archaeology is the study of crystal formations and archaeological finds. Crystal formations contain crystals that an Artificer can use to construct lightsaber modifications and armor for Force users. Archaeological finds contain artifact fragments of Force-imbued technology. These valuable items contain ancient formulas and algorithms used in the crafting skills Artifice and Synthweaving. Archaeologists can send their companions on missions to gather resources.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ARTIFICE, SYNTHWEAVING

• Bioanalysis
  Bioanalysis is the practice of collecting genetic material from creatures and vegetation. Genetic materials include cell fibers, bacterial strains, toxic extracts and medical fluids. Biochemists use these materials to create medpacs to restore health, stimulants (single-use injections) that provide a boost to physical abilities, and biological implants that enhance combat prowess by stimulating neural networks and regulating brain system functions. The crafting skill Biochem utilizes Bioanalysis resources. Bioanalysts can send their companions on missions to gather resources.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: BIOCHEM

• Scavenging
  Scavenging is the art of salvaging useful parts and base materials such as metals, alloys and synthetic Compounds from potential technological resources-junk piles, fallen droids, abandoned cargo, and broken Down vehicles. The crafting skills Armormech, Armstech, and Cybertech utilize Scavenging resources. Scavengers can send their companions on missions to gather resources.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ARMORMECH, ARMSTECH, CYBERTECH

• Slicing
  Slicing is not a skill required for crafting. Slicing is the art of accessing secure computer systems and lockboxes to acquire valuable items, credits and rare tech schematics. Common Slicing targets include electronic safes, date stations, security mainframes and biometric footlockers. These targets contain credits, rare tech schematics used to construct Cybertech gadgets, vehicles and space upgrades, and mission discovery objects that unlock challenging missions that can potentially yield great rewards. Slicers can send their companions on missions to retrieve these valuable items. Other possible mission rewards include augments that can be slotted into exceptionally crafted items. Recommended Crafting Skills: All (for mission discoveries), Cybertech (for tech schematics)

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ALL

CRAFTING SKILLS – Maximum of 1 at any time

• Armormech
  Armormech is the ability to work with hard metals, alloys and synthetic materials to construct armor for non-Force users. Vendor-purchased fluxes are used during the armor creation process to refine the materials to ensure suitability. Armormechs can reverse engineer their crafted armor and possibly discover new ways to improve armor creation.

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: SCAVENGING

• Armstech
  Armstech is the ability to work with hard metals, alloys and synthetic materials to craft blasters and blaster modification. Vendor-purchased fluxes are used during the weapon creation process to refine the materials to ensure suitability. Crafted blasters include blaster pistols, blaster rifles, sniper rifles, assault cannons and shotguns. Blaster modifications include blaster barrels. Melee weapons include vibroblades and electrostaves. Armstechs can reverse-engineer their crafted blasters and possibly discover new ways to improve their creation.

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: SCAVENGING

• Artifice
  Artifice is the delicate skill of constructing lightsaber modifications, enhancements, generators and focii. Lightsaber modifications include color crystals and hilts that augment a Force user’s combat attributes. Color crystals determine beam and bolt color for lightsabers and blasters. Enhancements are modification upgrades for weapons and armor. Artificiers can reverse engineer their crafted items and possibly discover new ways to improve their creation.

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: ARCHAEOLOGY

• Biochem
  Biochem is the skill involved in crafting medical supplies, performance-enhancing chemical serums and biological implants. Biochemists can create medpacs to restore health, stimulants (single-use injections) that provide a boost to physical abilities, and biological implants that enhance combat prowess by stimulating neural networks and regulating brain stem functions. Biochemists can reverse engineer their crafted implants and possibly discover new ways to improve implant creation.

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: BIOANALYSIS

• Cybertech
  Cybertech is the skill to assemble droid armor, earpieces, grenades, armoring, mods and miscellaneous gadgets. Armoring and mods are upgrade modifications that augment combat ability. Earpieces are external mini-computers that are worn on or near the ear. They enhance combat prowess by giving audio and visual feedback to the wearer or though direct neural feedback via an external nerve relay. Cybertechs can reverse engineer their crafted items and possibly discover new ways to improve their creation. Note: Cybertech produces high grade modifications and funky explosives which can be used by anyone!

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: SCAVENGING

• Synthweaving
  Synthweaving is the process of fabricating synthetic materials out of crystals, various chemicals and artifact fragments to construct armor for Force users. Vendors provide premade solutions, suspensions and composites that are used during the Synthweaving process. Synthweavers can reverse engineer their crafted armor and possibly discover new ways to improve armor creating.

RECOMMENDED GATHERING SKILLS: ARCHAEOLOGY

MISSION SKILLS – Maximum of 3 at any time

• Diplomacy
  Diplomacy is the art of conducting and managing negotiations. Sending your companions on diplomatic missions can influence your light side or dark side standing. In addition to light side and dark side influence, possible Diplomacy rewards include medical supplies used to construct prototype and artifact implants, medpacs, stimulants, adrenals and gifts for companions to raise their Affection rating.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: BIOCHEM

• Investigation
  Investigation is the skill of researching, gathering, analyzing and decoding secret information. Sending your companions on Investigation missions can yield valuable items in the form of researched compounds used to construct prototype and artifact weapons and blaster barrels, prototype schematics for all crafts, and gifts for companions to raise their Affection rating. All crafting skills benefit for the schematics.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ARMSTECH, ALL (for schematics)

• Treasure Hunting
  Treasure Hunting is the ability to track down and recover valuable items by following a series of clues. Companion characters sent on Treasure Hunting missions can return with rare gemstones used to construct prototype and artifact enhancement, hilts, color crystals, focii and generators. Other possible rewards include lockboxes that can hold contain valuable items or credits and gifts for companions to raise their Affection rating.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ARTIFICE

• Underworld Trading
  Underworld Trading entails the exchange of goods and services on the galactic black market. Sending your companions on Underworld Trading missions can yield luxury fabrics and underworld metals used to construct prototype and artifact armor, earpieces, grenades, space upgrades and weapons and armor modifications. Other possible rewards include gifts for companions to raise their Affection rating.

RECOMMENDED CRAFTING SKILLS: ARMORMECH, CYBERTECH, SYNTHWEAVING

WHAT IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR MY CLASS?

Note: Cybertech produces high grade modifications and funky explosives which can be used by anyone!

• Jedi Knight – Artifice, Synthweaving, Biochem, Cybertech
• Jedi Consular – Artifice, Synthweaving, Biochem, Cybertech
• Smuggler – Armormech, Armstech, Biochem, Cybertech
• Trooper – Armormech, Armstech, Biochem, Cybertech

• Sith Warrior – Artifice, Synthweaving, Biochem, Cybertech
• Sith Inquisitor – Artifice, Synthweaving, Biochem, Cybertech
• Bounty Hunter – Armormech, Armstech, Biochem, Cybertech
• Imperial Agent – Armormech, Armstech, Biochem, Cybertech

REVERSE ENGINEERING

• Reverse Engineering (RE) is the process of de-constructing an item in order to gain some of its crafting materials. There is also a chance of gaining a new recipe.
• The quality of the item determines what materials you receive
• You can only Reverse Engineer specific types of items you can craft yourself. For example synthweaving will only allow you to Reverse Engineer force user armours.
• When an item is reversed engineered, the item is destroyed in the process. Make sure you RE the correct item because once it is gone, it isn’t coming back!
• Reverse engineering can be done at any time in the game, you do not require any form work bench
• To reverse engineer an item simply click the golden RE icon in the upper right corner of your inventory.
• When clicked this will blackout any non-reversible items and highlight those you can Reverse.
• Simply click on the item you want to RE and you will begin doing so.
• After the item has been RE’d a loot table will pop up with the materials you gathered from the process. Click take all.
• An important aspect of Reverse Engineering is that it will be the only way to get certain patterns/recipes. Details on this are still mostly unknown, such as the chances of getting these patterns etc.

MODIFICATION

• Modification is the process of enhancing an item so that it performs better in combat.
• Basically when you add a modification you are giving the item better stats
• You can modify many weapons and armours in game whenever you like
• A general crafting table isn’t required, you simply have to [CTRL+Right Click] the item you want to modify
• Simply drag and drop or [Right Click] the item into its designated slot and click apply for the mod to take effect.
• You can also de-mod an item, for a small fee
• To de-mod and item Simply drag and drop the modification out of its slot and into your inventory, you will then be prompted with a message saying “this will cost however many credits” and click OK. The mod will then be in your inventory and you can place another in its place.
• Colour crystals change the colour of your weapons effect. These items also have stats on them which means at some point in time you will have to decide whether to keep the colour you want or choose the colour with the better stats.
• Whether this will be kept implemented is left for debate, voice your concerns in the suggestion forum.
• Also note that some colour crystals are forbidden to certain ranks within the Light or Dark side of the force. For example, red lightsaber crystals are forbidden to Rank 1 Light or above.

COMPANIONS

• For more information regarding companions and levelling please look at my newcomer guide here
• You can view your companions abilities by looking in your own skill sheet and selecting the companion tab.
• Companions can be sent to sell all the grey items in your inventory. Simply hit ‘N’ to open up the companion window and click the icon below the orange head. You will then have to confirm and it will take your companion approximately 3 minutes to complete.
• Companions can be sent to gather resources and other items from your crew skills. They can however fail and come back with nothing. To do this open your companion window, select the skill and choose a mission to send it on. It will cost a small amount of money and take 3 minutes or more.
• Often your companion will want to talk with you in private. Head to a Cantina or your space ship to initiate the chat
• Companions gain and lose affection during story scenes depending on what choices you make. If there is an easy way to see how this happens, I havent seen it. For now you will simply have to make an educated guess based on your companion’s personality. If they are aggressive they will often react positively to the darkside choices and vice versa.
• A positive companion affection, as far as I’m aware, only decreases the time of crew skill tasks and opens up some side quests.
• Companions can use the crafting items in your bank so there is no need to lug around excess materials!

COMPANION LIST


JEDI KNIGHT

JEDI CONSULAR

TROOPER

SMUGGLER

SITH WARRIOR

SITH INQUISITOR

BOUNTY HUNTER

IMPERIAL AGENT