Soulmask's 12 workstation categories, the age progression system, and how proficiency skills unlock better crafts
Soulmask has over 1,300 craftable recipes across 12 workstation categories. Your access to recipes is gated by your Bonfire age tier, Awareness Strength level, and the proficiency skills of your tribesmen.
You cannot craft what you cannot reach
| Gate | How It Works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bonfire Age | Each bonfire upgrade unlocks new workstation types and recipe tiers. You must progress from Campfire through to Fine Steel Pit Bonfire. | Steel smelting requires the Blast Furnace, which unlocks at Iron Pit Bonfire. |
| Awareness Strength | Many workstations and upgrades require a minimum Awareness level. Progress by defeating bosses, clearing dungeons, and activating Mysterious Tablets. | Cooking Stove unlocks at Awareness 8; Worktop at Awareness 30. |
| Tribesman Proficiency | Workstations are manned by tribesmen with matching proficiency skills. Higher skill levels = faster crafting, better quality, and access to advanced recipes. | A tribesman with high Cooking skill is essential for the Cooking Stove and Worktop. |
Progress Through Time
Your tribe's technological era is defined by your Bonfire tier. Each upgrade unlocks new workstations, building tiers, and material types.
| Age | Bonfire Tier | Key Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campfire | Basic hand crafting: stone tools, thatch buildings, campfire cooking |
| 2 | Bonfire | Bonfire area protection (prevents building decay), first workstations: Sawbench, Tanning Rack, Loom, Workbench |
| 3 | Bronze Pit Bonfire | Bronze smelting (Forge), bronze tools and weapons, expanded building tiers |
| 4 | Iron Pit Bonfire | Iron smelting, Blast Furnace (steel), advanced workstations: Cooking Stove, Craftsman's Bench, Armor Forging Table |
| 5 | Steel Pit Bonfire | Steel tools and weapons, metal building tier, end-game crafting stations |
| 6 | Fine Steel Pit Bonfire | Highest-tier recipes, enhanced workstations, airship construction |
Where You Make Things
Soulmask groups its 1,347 recipes into 12 workstation categories. Each category corresponds to a proficiency skill that tribesmen can level.
The largest category (~398 recipes). Covers all building pieces (thatch, wood, stone), furniture, fences, traps, tools, and basic containers. Primarily uses Log, Plank, Thatch, Branch, Stone, Clay, and Rope.
Food preparation and buff meals. Campfire (early) → Cooking Stove (mid) → Worktop (late). Recipes produce stat-boosting foods, healing items, and beverages. Seven simultaneous buff slots: 3 meals, 2 drinks, 1 medical, 1 recreational (cigar/alcohol).
Potions, medicines, poisons, and reagents. Uses the Mortar & Pestle, Alchemy Bench, and Fermentation Barrel. Key for antidotes, stamina potions, and advanced crafting components.
All melee and ranged weapons: swords, spears, hammers, bows, shields, and flintlock firearms. Higher bonfire ages unlock better weapon materials (stone → bronze → iron → steel).
Crafting armor sets at the Armor Forging Table. Armor tiers: Cloth, Hide, Bone, Bronze, Iron, Steel. Each set provides different stat bonuses and protection values.
Processing hides into leather at the Tanning Rack. Rough Leather → Delicate Leather. Also produces saddles, bags, and leather-based components used across other crafting trees.
Loom-based crafting: Fiber → Cloth → Linen. Also produces Thick Rope, Thin Rope, and Gauze. Essential for bandages, sails, and high-end clothing.
Ceramic and clay goods: pots, jars, ceramic molds, and water storage. Uses the Kiln for firing clay items. Provides essential storage and cooking vessels.
Farming and agriculture: farmland preparation, seed processing, crop management. Tribesmen with Plant proficiency manage farms for food and crafting materials (cotton, cactus, herbs).
High-temperature processing: firing ceramics, smelting ores into ingots, producing glass, carbonizing wood into charcoal/coke. Uses Furnace, Blast Furnace, Carbonization Furnace, and Kiln.
The general-purpose advanced bench. Crafts complex items like Construction Hammer, Fishing Rod, enhanced tools, weapon upgrades, and mechanical components.
End-game crafting: windmills, powered furnaces, turrets, traps, airship components, and automation infrastructure. Requires Iron or Steel age to unlock most recipes.
Tribesman Skills
Each workstation category is powered by a tribesman's proficiency skill. Higher skill = faster craft times, better output quality, and access to advanced recipes.
Assign tribesmen whose proficiencies match the bench
| Proficiency Skill | Covers | Key Benches |
|---|---|---|
| Woodworking | Wood & Stone category | Sawbench, Building Workshop |
| Stoneworking | Stone & clay structures | Masonry Bench, Kiln (partial) |
| Cooking | All food preparation | Campfire, Cooking Stove, Worktop |
| Alchemy | Potions, medicines, poisons | Mortar & Pestle, Alchemy Bench |
| Weapon Crafting | Weapons and shields | Weapon Bench, Craftsman's Bench |
| Armor Crafting | Armor sets | Armor Forging Table |
| Leatherworking | Hide processing, leather goods | Tanning Rack |
| Weaving | Cloth, linen, rope | Loom, Spinning Wheel |
| Potting | Ceramics, clay items | Potter's Wheel, Kiln |
| Plant Cultivation | Farming, crops | Farmland, Crop Bench |
| Firing / Kiln | Smelting, glass, carbonization | Furnace, Blast Furnace, Kiln |
| Craftsman | Advanced mechanical items | Craftsman's Bench, Engineering Table |
ShuLianDuExpRatio setting in GameXishu.json controls how fast proficiencies level. Default 1.0; 2.0 is recommended for co-op servers.What You'll Need
Understanding the material tiers and where they come from is essential for efficient crafting.
| Category | Early | Mid | Late |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Branch, Log, Fiber | Plank, Hardwood, Hardwood Plank | Hardwood Strip, Premium Handle |
| Stone | Stone, Flint, Clay | Stone Brick, Limestone | Blackstone Brick, Marble |
| Metal | Copper Ore, Tin Ore | Bronze Ingot, Iron Ingot | Steel Ingot, Mysterious Alloy |
| Fabric | Fiber, Thatch | Cloth, Thick Rope, Thin Rope | Linen, Gauze, Delicate Leather |
| Leather | Raw Hide | Rough Leather | Delicate Leather |
| Fuel | Wood, Fiber | Charcoal | Coke (from Coal) |
| Food | Raw Meat, Berries | Cooking Oil, Wheat, Salt | Spices, Exotic Ingredients |
| Special | Resin, Bone | Crystal, Sulfur, Saltpetre | Mysterious Crystal, Precision Parts |
What to Build First
Resources are scarce in the early game. Invest them wisely to accelerate your tribe's growth.
Your damage output and gathering speed depend on your equipped tools. Upgrade your pickaxe, axe, and primary weapon first. Stone tools are sufficient through the early Bonfire stage.
Build a Bonfire and enclose it with walls and a roof. The Bonfire prevents building decay within its radius. A simple rectangle of Thatch walls is fine — you will upgrade later.
Sawbench (Log → Plank), Tanning Rack (Hide → Leather), Loom (Fiber → Cloth). These three unlock the material chains for almost everything else.
Cloth or Hide armor significantly improves early survival chances. Place Groundspikes around the Bonfire for Barbarian invasion defense.
Once your base is secure, invest in Farmland for steady food and Cotton. Assign tribesmen to automate gathering, crafting, and bonfire fueling.
As you progress through Bonfire ages, unlock Cooking Stove (better food buffs), Craftsman's Bench (advanced tools), and Armor Forging Table (proper armor).