Probably Stolen specializations: 9 starts, equipment and playstyles

Which starting trade should you choose?

Choose a business you want to operate. Apprentice teaches ordinary trading; Water Merchant starts with treatment tools; rat and fish businesses need daily feeding; hydroponics needs water and power; Gunsmith and Chemist add permits or legal risks. Rock Bottom starts without cash or a business kit.

For your first run, choose Apprentice to learn buying, appraisal and rent. Choose Water Merchant to focus on water, or Rat Wrangler for breeding and meat. Compare starting cash, equipment and rent, then pick the trade you want to play.

Apprentice: more cash for your first purchases

The scenario definition includes extra Credits, a Storage Bay, household goods and food. It suits a first run focused on learning prices and keeping enough cash for rent before buying more machinery.

Water Merchant: learn testing and purification

This start supplies the Water Trading Manual, testing and purification equipment, and water containers. Learn to identify the water you have before deciding what to treat or sell.

Use the beginner guide for the shop’s daily routine, or keep the water guide open while comparing a testing strip with the purity chart.

Compare starting cash and rent

Cash and rent below are before starting traits. Savings adds 150 credits afterwards, including with Rock Bottom. Specialization, traits and difficulty are selected separately.

Specialization	Availability	Credits	Rent	Introduction
Apprentice	Playable in version 1.0	550	200	Available; skipping is optional
Water Merchant	Playable in version 1.0	400	200	Available; skipping is optional
Fence	Playable in version 1.0	450	250	Skipped automatically
Rock Bottom	Playable in version 1.0	0	200	Skipped automatically
Hydroponic Farmer	Playable in version 1.0	450	240	Available; skipping is optional
Gunsmith	Playable in version 1.0	150	250	Skipped automatically
Chemist	Playable in version 1.0	300	200	Skipped automatically
Rat Wrangler	Playable in version 1.0	600	200	Available; skipping is optional
Aquafarmer	Playable in version 1.0	150	240	Available; skipping is optional

How many starts are available in 1.0?

1.0 offers nine selectable starts: Apprentice, Water Merchant, Fence, Rock Bottom, Hydroponic Farmer, Gunsmith, Chemist, Rat Wrangler, Aquafarmer. Choose difficulty separately from your profession.

Available start	When to choose it	First task
Apprentice	You want to learn buying and selling first	Inspect stock and keep working cash
Water Merchant	You want to focus on water	Test your starting water before treating it
Rat Wrangler	You want a breeding and meat business	Check sexes, food and free cage space
Rock Bottom	You want a start without an equipment benefit	Plan how to build cash without a starter stockpile
Fence	Contraband and hidden storage	Inspect incoming stock
Hydroponic Farmer	Grow crops for sale or ingredients	Prepare water, nutrients and power
Chemist	Process chemical products	Prepare the first caffeine batch
Gunsmith	Work with firearms and mods	Check the permit and compatible parts
Aquafarmer	Raise fish for meat and breeding	Set up the circulation system

The game defines fourteen scenarios. Junker, Organ Dealer, Street Food Vendor remain Work In Progress; Moonshiner, Pharmacist are hidden and unfinished. The table preserves those career descriptions so you can distinguish their equipment from the nine playable starts.

Older Playtests and Mods can show a different selection. A video showing Moonshiner is not evidence that this unfinished start is available in the unmodified full release. Check the game version and Mod list before following its opening steps.

What does each start provide?

Start	Starting resources and trade	What to consider	Status
Apprentice	Extra Credits, a Storage Bay, household goods and food.	Keep cash for restocking and rent.	1.0
Junker	Scavenging gear, tools, a Furnace and higher Scavenger reputation.	Learn the furnace and its materials.	WIP
Water Merchant	Water Trading Manual, testing and purification equipment, and containers.	Identify water quality before treating it.	1.0
Fence	Smuggler’s Bay, contraband, higher Black Market reputation and access to the Janitor Underground Exchange.	Lower Security reputation and higher starting rent.	1.0
Hydroponic Farmer	Hydroponic manual, equipment, seeds and supplies.	Higher starting rent.	1.0
Chemist	A chemistry manual and laboratory equipment.	Read the manual before buying production materials.	1.0
Organ Dealer	Organ-trading manual, refrigerated organ storage and a transfusion kit.	—	WIP
Pharmacist	Drug-trading and first-aid manuals, plus medical stock.	Learn what the medicines do.	WIP · hidden
Street Food Vendor	A cooking manual, a stove and ingredients.	Learn the recipes and ingredient requirements.	WIP
Moonshiner	Moonshine Trading Manual and starter brewing equipment.	The scenario description identifies moonshine as illegal.	WIP · hidden
Gunsmith	A Class 1 weapon permit, firearms, gun mods and ammunition.	Check which goods the permit covers.	1.0
Rock Bottom	No starting benefits listed.	—	1.0
Rat Wrangler	An animal cage, rats and food.	Learn feeding and animal care.	1.0
Aquafarmer	Recirculating Aquaculture Systems; Start with a stock of Tilapia and Fish Food	Increased starting rent	1.0

Which traits affect the opening days?

Savings adds spending money immediately. For reputation, compare Diplomatic with Well Connected: one increases the reputation earned through trade, while the other gives every faction a head start.

Trait	Points	Effect
Savings	1	Adds 150 starting Credits
Bad Lease	-1	Raises starting rent by 40 Credits
Vigilant	2	Prevents nighttime robbery
Diplomatic	2	Adds 33% to reputation generated by trade
Intimidating	2	Reduces available evidence generated by crimes by 33%
Well Connected	2	Adds 15 starting reputation with all factions

Bad Lease trades a point for a larger rent bill. Decide whether your opening budget can carry that cost. The menu shows available traits and any conflicts between them.

What should you do during your first trading cycle?

1. Reserve rent and food money. Set your spending limit before buying stock or machines.
2. Sort your starting equipment. Apprentice can begin with ordinary goods; Water Merchant should test water; Rat Wrangler should put food with the rats and check for a breeding pair.
3. Complete one sale. Inspect goods before negotiating, or follow one batch through production and selling. See the beginner trading guide and rat-ranching steps.
4. Restock before expanding. Buy supplies for the next cycle, then use the remaining money for equipment.

Can you add wine, water or rats after choosing a start?

Yes. Joe Wild’s network adds Water Trading, Retired Winemaker and Ranching for base fees of 300,200 and 750 Credits. Farming, chemistry and gunsmith referrals are also available in 1.0. Keep money for the next supplies as well as the introduction.

Compare the money-making routes before buying. Wine can ferment while you trade; a rat colony needs food and cleaning each evening. Choose according to the space and cash you can keep supplying.

Which guides match the other careers?

Junker connects to dismantling and smelting, Hydroponic Farmer to growing crops, Chemist to chemical processing, Gunsmith to refurbishment and mods, and Fence to Black Market supply and storage.

Use the career Wiki to check the work, starting equipment and current-version entrances. Ordinary BloomBerry winemaking has its own equipment workflow; Moonshiner is a separate career definition.

Look up the career itself under Moonshiner, and the Synthetic Yeast recipe under moonshine brewing.

Shared items when skipping the introduction

Skipping the introduction unlocks basic trading systems and puts a mentor-notes book, Joe Wild’s card and the Security dossier in your documents. Starts other than Rock Bottom also receive a Magnifying Glass, Labeler, topical bandage and waist pack. Rock Bottom keeps the document grants but receives none of those four tools. Known Snitch removes the wanted poster; the commissary-ban trait removes stamp-related documents. Starting-trait rewards are applied separately after the specialization.

Plan your opening and first trades

• Starting traits: all 48 perks and opening choices
• Difficulty and modes: costs, reputation and new-game options
• Controls and shop interface: keyboard and mouse reference
• After-hours locations: unlocks, packing and travel