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New World: Beginner’s guide to crafting

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New World features a remarkably deep crafting system that’s broken down over three categories and 16 skills. Each one can be leveled up as you perform specific tasks, and your performance is further augmented by a variety of tools and upgradable crafting stations.

While New World‘s crafting system seems complex, it’s actually a fairly straightforward process. If you’re looking to become one of the best creators in Aeternum, here’s what you need to know about gathering, refining, and crafting.

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Gathering in New World

New World player gathering resources.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Before you can start crafting, you’ll first need to collect a variety of resources. There are four different types of gathering skills you can level up — each one associated with a different type of resource and requiring a unique tool. As your abilities grow, you’ll be able to equip better tools, harvest better resources, and even have resource nodes marked on your compass.

Unless you plan on buying resources from other players, it’s highly recommended you focus on improving these gathering skills as quickly as possible. Not only are they a good source of income for new players, but they’ll ensure you have a stockpile of components ready to rapidly level up your refining and crafting skills down the road.

  • Harvesting: Requires a sickle used to harvest herbs, fiber, and other resources from plants.
  • Logging: Requires a logging ax used to acquire a variety of logs and wood.
  • Mining: Requires a pickax used to acquire a variety of ores.
  • Skinning: Requires a skinning knife used to acquire raw meat and hides.

Refining in New World

With your bundle of resources in hand, you’re almost ready to start crafting — all that’s left is a bit of refining. New World breaks these up into five different classes, and you’ll need to level up each if you’re hoping to craft the best gear in all Aeternum.

However, you’ll also need to pay attention to your Refining Stations. These can be upgraded as part of a Town Project, although they’ll need to first be approved by the local Governor. The better the Refining Station, the more options you’ll have while refining. These stations can be found in most settlements and are conveniently located on your world map.

  • Leatherworking: Performed at a Tannery, you can turn rawhide into workable leather.
  • Smelting: Performed at a Smelter, you can refine ore into ingots to later use when crafting weapons and other gear.
  • Stonecutting: Performed at a Stonecutting Table, you can refine stones and raw gemstones into workable stone blocks and cut gemstones.
  • Weaving: Performed at a Loom, you can refine fiber and other harvest materials into Linens.
  • Woodworking: Performed at a Woodshop, you can refine wood into usable lumber.

Crafting in New World

Crafting Station in New World.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ve gathered resources, refined them into workable materials, and are finally ready for some actual crafting. Seven crafting skill lines are available, and — just like refining — you’ll also need to pay attention to the rank of the Crafting Station you’re using.

Here’s a look at all seven crafting skills and what they enable you to create:

  • Arcana: Potions, Magical Weapons
  • Armoring: All types of Armor
  • Cooking: Food, Drink, Fishing Bait
  • Engineering: Ranged Weapons, Spears, and Ammo
  • Furnisher: Items for Player Housing
  • Jewelcrafting: Trinkets and Gems
  • Weaponsmithing: Melee Weapons and Shields

Your crafted items can be further augmented using Azoth — a rare in-game resource. Azoth is also used as part of New World‘s fast-travel system, and with no mounts currently available, you’ll want to be very cautious with how much you use during crafting. Running out of Azoth means you’re limited to some very basic fast travel options — so be prepared to spend plenty of hours on Aeternum’s lonely dirt roads if you use up your Azoth to craft a high-end weapon.

Jon Bitner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
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