If you’ve spent even a few hours grinding through Enshrouded’s foggy biomes and building out your first base, you’ve probably already run into a quest asking you to track down a missing craftsperson. These NPCs are the backbone of your in-game progression, unlocking everything from better armor to farmable food sources that keep you alive through tougher Shroud encounters. If you’re wondering how many craftspeople in Enshrouded you can actually recruit for your base, you’re not alone – a lot of new players get confused about whether there are hidden NPCs they’re missing halfway through their playthrough. This guide breaks down every confirmed craftsperson, how to unlock them, and what perks they bring to your settlement.
How Many Craftspeople in Enshrouded Are There Total?
If you’ve seen conflicting numbers online when searching for how many craftspeople in Enshrouded are available, that’s usually because older guides were written before the full release when only 5 or 6 NPCs were available in early access. As of the latest game updates, there are 8 total craftspeople you can unlock across all currently playable biomes. The full list includes the Blacksmith, Hunter, Alchemist, Farmer, Carpenter, Weaver, Mason, and Jeweler. Each is found in a different zone, from the starting Springlands to the late-game Kindlewastes, so you’ll naturally run into their rescue quests as you progress.
None of these craftspeople are missable, and you don’t have to unlock them in a fixed order, though some are locked behind story progression that clears higher level Shroud zones. All 8 craftspeople can be unlocked before you beat the main story, so you don’t have to worry about saving any quests for post-game content. Each one serves a unique purpose, with no overlaps in their core crafting menus, so you’ll want to unlock every single one to get access to 100% of the game’s craftable items.
Key Perks of Unlocking Every Craftsperson
A lot of new players write off craftsperson rescue quests as optional side content, but these NPCs give you perks that make every part of the game easier, from combat to exploration to base building. Even unlocking just one extra craftsperson early can cut your early game grind time in half, so it’s worth prioritizing these quests whenever they pop up on your map. The biggest benefits of recruiting all 8 craftspeople include:
I used to put off hunting for craftspeople to focus on main story quests on my first playthrough, and that was a huge mistake. You’ll progress through the story far faster if you take 15 minutes to unlock a new craftsperson as soon as their location pops up on your map. For example, unlocking the farmer early lets you grow your own food, so you don’t have to waste 10 minutes every play session foraging for berries to keep your stamina bar full.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Recruiting Craftspeople
Even if you know how many craftspeople in Enshrouded you need to find, it’s easy to make small mistakes that waste your time when you’re tracking them down. Don’t skip the side quests tied to each craftsperson after you recruit them. A lot of players think once they bring an NPC back to their base, they’re done, but most craftspeople have follow-up quests that unlock even more recipes and perks. For example, the blacksmith’s follow-up quest to find his lost hammer unlocks the ability to craft legendary tier weapons way earlier than you would get them otherwise.
Another common mistake is trying to unlock higher level craftspeople before you upgrade your Flame Altar. Most craftspeople in mid to high level biomes are trapped behind Shroud zones that require a level 3 or higher Flame Altar to survive in for more than a few seconds. I made that exact mistake on my first playthrough, when I rushed to the weaver’s location before upgrading my Flame Altar, and had to turn back halfway because my Shroud resistance ran out too fast.
Make sure you have an empty crafting station slot available before you go to recruit a new NPC. You can’t add a new craftsperson to your base if you don’t have a spot for their specific workbench, and you’ll have to make the trip back to their location again if you leave without building the station first. It only takes 30 seconds to check your base for open spots before you head out, so it’s worth doing to save yourself the extra trip.
How to Prioritize Which Craftspeople to Unlock First
If you’re a new player still working through the first biome, you don’t have to unlock all 8 craftspeople right away. You can prioritize based on your playstyle to make your early game much smoother, instead of following a fixed order that doesn’t fit how you like to play. If you main a melee build, unlock the blacksmith first – he gives you access to better armor and weapons that let you take on early boss fights with way less grind. If you prefer exploring and building, unlock the carpenter first, as he unlocks better building materials and storage chests that hold far more items than the basic ones you start with.
If you play with a group, prioritize the alchemist as early as possible – his group resistance potions and mass healing items make co-op runs through high level Shroud zones way more efficient. You can hold off on unlocking the jeweler until you hit level 20 or higher, since most of his recipes require rare gems you won’t find until you reach the mid-game mountain biome. If you’re struggling to find a specific craftsperson’s location, check your quest log for any unmarked rescue quests – most craftsperson quests pop up automatically when you get within a few hundred meters of their trapped location.
At the end of the day, taking the time to track down every craftsperson is one of the highest ROI activities you can do in Enshrouded. Even if you only play for a couple hours a week, having all 8 NPCs at your base cuts down on grind time and lets you focus on the parts of the game you actually enjoy, whether that’s building, exploring, or fighting bosses. If you were wondering how many craftspeople in Enshrouded you need to recruit, now you know exactly how many there are, what perks they bring, and how to avoid the most common mistakes players make when tracking them down. Don’t be afraid to take a break from main story quests every once in a while to hunt down a missing NPC – you’ll thank yourself later when you can craft that high tier weapon you’ve been eyeing without having to grind for hours for rare drops.