Starfield is full of secrets across its vast galaxy, with several bases and planets housing a plethora of resources. These range from organic materials sourced from alien fauna and flora, to inorganic components which can be extracted through mining, or items such as spacesuits, weapons, and food. Not all items are considered legal, however, with stolen goods being flagged, and some items marked as Contraband, such as harvested organs, mech components, Va’Ruun Heretic writings, and more are deemed illegal regardless of how they’ve been acquired.
Contraband is worth a considerable amount more credits than traditional loot, but it’s also harder to move it around. Most star systems occupied by the United Colonies or Freestar Collective will scan ships upon arrival, and unless a ship has shielded capacity to reduce the odds of being flagged, players will face serious consequences as a result. Until acquiring a ship with shielded cargo, it is possible to visit a space station located in the Wolf System called The Den to sell this contraband, as it doesn’t scan ships and has several kiosks and a Trade Authority location which will pay for such items.
The Vulture’s Roost Is A Great Source Of Contraband
Vulture’s Roost is a secret base for Ecliptic mercenaries and is a great source of contraband and credits. There are several packages, chests, and safes of contraband found around the location, with 43 contraband items in total. In addition to that, there are over 78,000 credits as well as a wealth of weapons, space suits and a lot of other fancy lootable items which can be sold on for an impressive price somewhere between 170,000 and 200,000 credits.
To attain all of these, however, players will need a ship with shielded cargo and many digipicks on hand. The security skill must also be upgraded to its third rank, which can be done after successfully picking 30 locks. This is because the safes that contain some of the best valued items all have Master locks. It is also useful to have upgraded the Weightlifting skill to avoid becoming over encumbered, although it is possible to do repeat trips to the base to collect any items left behind after it has been cleared of enemy threats.
Alongside the many riches to be found in Vulture’s Roost, there is also a reference to Gordon Ramsay and the Hell’s Kitchen TV show. When exploring the base’s kitchen, it’s clear that Chef Ramsey doesn’t approve of Starfield‘s artificially processed food as several sticky notes with quotes from the show exclaiming “WAKE UP” and “IT’S RAW” can be found next to some discarded Chunks which have been thrown in a garbage bin.
How To Find The Vulture’s Roost
Much like how Starfield‘s Batman-esque “Mantis” side quest is discovered, the location of the Vulture’s Roost can be found by reading a slate labeled Ecliptic Communique that’s been looted off of a defeated Ecliptic mercenary. There are several Ecliptic Communique slates that appear as random items, with some discussing Ecliptic’s interest in abandoned Colony War-era facilities or research labs, with Vulture’s Roost being mentioned by name. Unlike the Mantis quest, however, the Vulture’s Roost won’t appear as a quest marker on the map upon reading these slates due to being deemed an activity rather than a mission. Instead, players will have to determine where to go from reading the slates and then manually locate it on the map.
With how vast Starfield‘s galaxy is, it’s unlikely that players will stumble across the Vulture’s Roost without knowing where to look first. There is still that possibility, however, as the location isn’t unlocked by the Ecliptic note and will be accessible to anyone roaming around the Jaffa star system – which is roughly in the middle of the star map, to the left of Porrima and south of Kryx – at any time. When scanning Jaffa IV – a small planet with a moon on the lower-left side of the system – two icons will appear. One is for a deserted mineral plant, while the other is of a mining colony. Regardless of whether players have read the Ecliptic slate, the mining colony’s unique name, Vulture’s Roost, indicates that it’s something special and worth exploring.
Players Can Also Get A New Ship At The Vulture’s Roost
Vulture’s Roost is located within a Level 35 star system, and players should prepare for quite a fight upon visiting. Ecliptic mercenaries will defend the base with all their might, utilizing elite and high level enemies such as Executioners and Contractors to do so. At one point during the battle, they will also call in reinforcements. These reinforcements arrive with a Dagger spaceship, and once the enemies in the area are defeated, there will be the option to head inside the ship. Inside there will be two more low-level enemies, to defeat before being able to claim The Dagger ship.
The Dagger isn’t one of the best ships in Starfield, but it is still decent. The Dagger comes with 1,826 available cargo space, with 248 shielded capacity that’s useful for hauling back the aforementioned contraband items should players have arrived at Vulture’s Roost on a ship without this feature already. Despite there being better ships on offer throughout the Settled Systems, if the goal is to simply amass a sizable fleet, The Dagger is yet another addition to the collection, and can be customized and improved upon later. Alternatively, it can be sold for a decent credit haul of 55,236, adding to Vulture’s Roost’s impressive payout.
With so many items – both legal and contraband – on offer, Jaffa IV’s hidden Ecliptic base has one of the best combined payouts in Starfield. Although it’s certainly not an area for newer players, for those who can handle the Master locks and waves of challenging opponents, Vulture’s Roost’s rewards definitely make it worth a visit.
