Outward 2 Character Creation Guide: All Starting Background and Trait Items
The Outward 2 open beta is officially live on Steam, inviting players to return to the beautiful yet unforgiving wilderness of Aurai. Just like its predecessor, this sequel demands careful planning from the very first screen. Your choices during character creation dictate your initial survival odds.
In the current beta build, the Starting Background and Traits you select directly determine the gear, tools, and silver sitting in your inventory when you wake up. To help you plan your starting build, community members on Reddit have compiled the exact items granted by each selection.
Here is a breakdown of the community-reported starting items for character creation in the Outward 2 beta. Note that because the game is currently in open beta, these details are subject to change prior to the official release.
Default Starting Gear
Regardless of your chosen background, most characters begin with a baseline set of equipment. Community testers report that the standard starter pack includes:
- Equipped: Shiv, Tattered Tunic, Tattered Handwraps, Tattered Shoes, Burlap Sack (backpack)
- Pouch: Flint and steel, Map of Simeon's Bastion, Scrap Waterskin, Focaccia
Selecting certain backgrounds or traits will overwrite or add to this default list.
Starting Backgrounds
Your background represents your character's history before their adventure begins. This choice provides the largest chunk of starting utility, weapons, or silver.
| Background | Community-Reported Items |
|---|---|
| Criminal | Marauder Gloves, Iron Dagger, Tripwire Trap Recipe, Crushing Mechanism, Slicing Mechanism, 2x Iron Shards, Linen Cloth, Wood |
| Shipwrecked | Kazite Oni Half-Mask, Meat Pounder (One-Handed Mace), Alchemy Station Kit |
| Karaburan Refugee | Nomad's Backpack (replaces Burlap Sack), Meat Pounder, Alchemy Station Kit |
| Aberdeen | Short Bow, 3x Bullets, 1x Life Potion, 2x Soothing Salve, Cooking Pot Kit |
| Soroborean | 50x Silver, 2x Mineral Tea, 2x Spore Tea, Alchemy Station Kit |
| Traveler | Ash Boots, Iron Dagger, Tripwire Trap Recipe, Crushing Mechanism, Slicing Mechanism, 2x Iron Shards, Linen Cloth, Wood, 2x Jerky |
| Warrior's Heir | Iron Sword, Meat Pounder, Metal Rod, Tattered Handwraps, Tattered Sandals, 1x Iron Scrap |
| Elatt Worshipper | 2x Light Varnish |
| Calixa Worshipper | 2x Spiritual Varnish |
| Lone Wolf | Nothing |
| Deadbeat | Nothing (associated with worse starting conditions) |
Selectable Traits
Traits allow you to further customize your character's starting toolkit. These choices add specific crafting tools, consumables, or backup weapons to your inventory.
- Chemist: Alchemy Kit
- Brute: Meat Pounder (starter one-handed mace)
- Crafty: Tripwire Trap Kit Recipe, 1x Crushing Mechanism, 1x Slicing Mechanism, 1x Wood, 1x Linen Cloth, 2x Iron Scrap
- Bookworm: 2x Mineral Tea, 2x Spore Tea
- Intense: 1x Life Potion, Human Femur (one-handed blunt weapon)
- Hoarder: Metal Rod (two-handed weapon), Tattered Handwraps, Tattered Sandals, 1x Iron Scrap
- Gourmet: Cooking Pot
- Oaf: Branch Bow, 3x Bullets
- Stubborn: Iron Buckler
Outward 2 Tips: Early Strategy Speculation
Based on these early findings, players looking for a smoother start in the Outward 2 beta may want to prioritize backgrounds that solve immediate survival bottlenecks:
- Inventory Space: The Karaburan Refugee is highly valued by testers because it replaces the tiny Burlap Sack with the Nomad's Backpack immediately. Managing weight is crucial early on, making this a massive quality-of-life boost.
- Early Silver: The Soroborean background grants 50 Silver right away. In a game where training and basic recipes cost a premium, starting with cold hard cash offers great flexibility.
- Combat & Traps: Players looking to rely on traps and stealth can pick Criminal or Traveler, combined with the Crafty trait, to secure early-game defensive tools without spending silver on blueprints.