Starfield: Status Effects Explained (and How to Cure Them)

With all the adventures you’ll be taking on in Starfield, you are bound to take damage. This damage can come from humanoids, aliens, or even just the environment of the planet you are currently on. While the damage might be largely physical, some attacks may result in you acquiring an Affliction resulting in a Status Effect.

Afflictions can be a bit confusing at the start, as you might not know exactly what to do to cure yourself. However, several items in Starfield can help you get back into proper shape and continue your adventuring without worry!

Afflictions in Starfield Can Hamper Your Progress in the Long-Term

Exploring new worlds will expose you to many new environmental threats, many of which can leave a lasting impact. These are known as Status Effects, and they aren’t always from the most obvious causes. If left untreated, they can act as a serious debuff and could be the reason you end up failing more missions in Starfield.

Status Effects are a unique type of damage in Starfield and are not in the same category as physical damage taken from being shot. While the latter can be counteracted by having a steady supply of Med Packs on hand, Status Effects are a bit more persistent. They will also lower the player’s overall max HP, making them a real issue when bullets start to fly.

There are two distinct kinds of Afflictions the player can experience in Starfield: infections and injuries. In these two categories, there are several conditions and maladies that you can experience, each of which is a result of how you interact with your environment. So, if you were to bravely jump off a height, you may get a broken bone. If you’re walking through a noxious biome trying to fill out your Survey Slates, you may be poisoned.

How to Identify Afflictions and Effects in Starfield?

There are a slew of Afflictions you will have to deal with as you work your way through Starfield quests, and each requires a unique healing method. You can find out what Effects you currently have by checking the Status Effects section in the main menu. Starfield will also warn you when you are near an Effect-causing object with a HUD symbol on the lower left corner of the screen.

The Status Effects menu will show you a breakdown of any Afflictions you are currently suffering, such as a broken bone from not using your Boost Pack wisely, along with what you can potentially contract based on your current surroundings. So, if you’re exposed to freezing rain, you could be on the path to developing Frostbite. Specific symbols signify the presence of a Status Effect.

• Red Bandage: Lacerations, Contusions, Puncture Wounds
• Purple Pill: Infections
• Yellow Spray: Brain Injury, Concussion, Heatstroke, Hernia, Hypothermia, Lung Damage, Poisoning, Radiation Poisoning
• Orange Flame: Burns and Frostbite
• Blue Broken Bone: Dislocated Limbs, Fractured Limb, Fractured Skull, Sprain, Torn Muscle

Keep these symbols in mind so that you can move onto the next step.

How to Cure Status Effects in Starfield?

The Effects system in Starfield is a bit more complex than simply being poisoned in Skyrim or radiation sickness from Fallout. There are certain parameters you must be aware of first to know how to cure any Effect. The first is the Severity of the Effect, which determines how many symptoms you may suffer from. Each symptom will act as a debuff to your character.

The second is the Prognosis of the Effect, which can range from ‘Poor’ to ‘Excellent.’ The Prognosis of an Effect will determine how long it will take to heal without any external treatment. If you are Afflicted a second time when recovering from the same infection or injury, the Prognosis will be reverted to ‘Poor.’ While this kind of Prognosis can never heal independently, it can improve over time.

Just as there are two main types of Effects in the game, there are two ways to cure yourself of any Status Effects you may have picked up.

The first way to cure Status Effects is by visiting a doctor in any of the settlements and paying them 500 credits to remove all Effects and also restore your health to full. So far, there hasn’t been an Effect that doctors can’t cure, but maybe that will change in Shattered Space.

The second way to cure Status Effects is to use specific consumables. These can be found or crafted with the right components and recipes purchased from vendors and doctors. Once you have a recipe and the required ingredients, head to any Pharmaceutical Lab workshop to create the consumable.

Here is a comprehensive list of all the injuries and infections you can acquire in Starfield and what consumables you need to cure them.

• Addiction: Addichrone, Junk Flesh
• Brain Injury: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Burn: Analgesic Poultice, Antibiotic Paste, Heal Gel, Heal Paste, Infused Bandages
• Concussion: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Contusion: Analgesic Poultice, Bandages, Infused Bandages, Zipper Bandages
• Dislocated Limb: Anchored Immobilizers, Immobilizer
• Fractured Limb: Anchored Immobilizers, Immobilizer
• Fractured Skull: Anchored Immobilizers, Immobilizer
• Frostbite: Analgesic Poultice, Antibiotic Paste, Heal Gel, Heal Paste, Infused Bandages
• Heatstroke: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Hernia: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Hypothermia: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Infection: Analgesic Poultice, Antibiotic Paste, Antibiotics, Antibiotic Cocktail, Penicillin X
• Laceration: Analgesic Poultice, Bandages, Infused Bandages, Zipper Bandages
• Lung Damage: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Poisoning: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Puncture Wound: Analgesic Poultice, Bandages, Infused Bandages, Zipper Bandages
• Radiation Poisoning: Boosted Injector, Injector, Snake Oil
• Sprain: Anchored Immobilizers, Immobilizer
• Torn Muscle: Anchored Immobilizers, Immobilizer

Make sure you have all the above consumables in some amount in your kit, and you’ll be ready for every injury!

Which planet have you found to be the most dangerous? Let us know in the comments below and check out our Starfield guides to navigate the universe safely!