Sons Of The Forest Kelvin guide: How to heal Kelvin, can he die, and do you need to feed him?

Learn everything you need to know about Kelvin in Sons of the Forest

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games

Want to know more about Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest? Kelvin is king in Sons Of The Forest . An ally who survives the helicopter crash at the start of the game, Kelvin is your first companion in Sons Of The Forest, and he’s incredibly useful. While the crash leaves him in a shocked state and unable to speak, Kelvin is still capable of carrying out a wide array of orders, and can follow, fish, fetch wood, and build small shelters to help you survive the cannibal-infested island.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest, including how to find him, whether you need to feed him, if he can fight and die, and a wealth of other important info that you’ll need to know.

• How to get Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest
• How to use Kelvin effectively in Sons Of The Forest
• Kelvin FAQ: Everything else you need to know about Kelvin

Looking for ways to survive your first few days in Sons of the Forest? Watch the video above for 15 essential tips.Watch on YouTube

How to get Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest

When you start a new game, you and Kelvin crash onto the island in a helicopter. When the cutscene ends and you gain control for the first time, have a look around the clearing to find Kelvin injured on the ground nearby.

To get Kelvin as a companion, simply find him on the ground and help him up. This will initiate another short cutscene in which you get Kelvin back on his feet. Once this ends, you can start giving Kelvin commands.

How to use Kelvin effectively in Sons Of The Forest

If you have bigger exploration and crafting projects to tackle, Kelvin is excellent at taking care of relatively mundane tasks like snatching fish right out of the nearest river. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games Limited

When Kelvin is your companion, you can issue commands with a notepad by interacting with him. Below, you’ll find a full list of commands that you can give Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest:

• Follow me
• Get [item] and [drop here, give to me, or follow me]
• Build [shelter or fire]
• Stay [here or hidden]
• Take a break
• Clear [5, 10, or 20 meters]
• Take [item]

Out of all these commands, we recommend using Kelvin to build a shelter for your first night. You can always make a tent in Sons Of The Forest , but ordering Kelvin to make a shelter frees you up to collect resources, craft weapons, and find important tools such as the Rebreather .

The “Clear” command is also a consistently excellent one throughout the game, as it makes Kelvin start clearing nearby land in a 5, 10, or 20 meter radius. This isn’t a combat command to clear enemies. Instead, he’ll start chopping trees, making it easier to build a base. This also lets you get plenty of logs, so that you can start building while Kelvin keeps chopping.

The “Get” commands allows you to order Kelvin to collect sticks, rocks, logs, or fish. With a doubt, the best option here is fish. Food isn’t always easy to come by in Sons Of The Forest, but Kelvin is a fishing pro.

If you order Kelvin to get fish, he’ll wander to the nearest water source, assume a crouched position, and just grab fish straight out of the water. He’ll keep doing so for a short while, or until you give him another command, which makes Kelvin an excellent source of food in Sons Of The Forest.

The “Take” command is also noteworthy, both to hand off weapons and other important tools to Kelvin, but also if you just want to give the poor guy a new change of clothes. Like Sons Of The Forest’s other recruitable ally, Virginia , Kelvin can don a wide variety of outfits over the course of the game. These include a Blazer, a Hoodie, a Leather Jacket, a Tactical Jacket, a Tuxedo, and even a cute pair of pink Pyjamas.

Do you need to feed Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest?

No, you do not need to feed Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest. You also don’t need to get water for him. Kelvin may occasionally eat berries, drink water, or sleep, but you do not need to issue these as commands or give him your resources.

Kelvin’s truly a resilient fellow, and will take care of himself when you leave him to his own devices. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games Limited

Can Kelvin fight in Sons Of The Forest?

No, Kelvin cannot fight in Sons Of The Forest. There is no way to give Kelvin a weapon, so he’ll simply try to evade attacks during combat.

If you’re wondering why Kelvin can’t fight, it’s because the crash made him deaf and put him in a bit of a daze. For this reason, we’d recommend keeping him away from dangerous situations.

While Kelvin cannot fight, he is able to warn you of incoming enemies if he sees them. He’ll do so by running over to you and pointing in their direction, so consider using Kelvin as a lookout if you need someone watching your back. Just be ready to defend him when enemies do arrive.

Can you heal Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest?

You can heal Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest, but only when he drops to the ground. This will happen if he takes enough damage from either you or enemies.

To heal Kelvin, you must walk over to him and interact with him in his downed state. This will make you revive him from the ground, as you would a fellow player while playing Sons Of The Forest multiplayer .

Can Kelvin die in Sons Of The Forest?

You can kill Kelvin with your own two hands, but why would you ever do such a thing? Why! |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games Limited

Yes, Kelvin can die in Sons Of The Forest. He can either be killed by cannibals or mutants, or by the player.

Fortunately, Kelvin is already quite good at staying safe. He won’t follow you into caves, for example, which means you’re on your own if you want to get the shovel or find the keycards in Sons Of The Forest .

If Kelvin does succumb to the cannibal attacks, or if you decide to kill him yourself, then he won’t respawn at all for the rest of your save. However, you can revive Kelvin (and Virginia , the other main companion) by tinkering with your save file.

Can you get rid of Kelvin?

If you’d rather get rid of Kelvin and work alone without killing him, that’s also an option. Simply use the “Take a break” command to order Kelvin to rest. He’ll go idle and stay roughly in the location where you leave him, but this allows you to run off and do your own thing without his help.

If you’re looking for a more permanent solution to remove Kelvin from the island - or existence - then obviously just grab the nearest weapon. Be warned, though, that we’d strongly recommend keeping Kelvin alive, as he is incredibly useful for helping you survive in the early game.

If he’s really annoying you, just leave him resting by a creek. You never know when you might need him back.

What updates has Kelvin received since Sons of the Forest’s launch?

Kelvin’s been through quite a lot since Sons of the Forest first entered Early Access in 2023. The game’s subsequent patches have focused quite a bit on cleaning up his occasionally erratic behaviour (such as randomly dropping radios and destroying them in Patch 01) and becoming more resilient (no longer shall Kelvin burn to death while walking over firepits in your base, as of Patch 02).

Perhaps Kelvin’s first adjustment in Patch 01 addressed one of his most notorious quirks: that he would frequently chop down trees used to build treehouses. This would send player bases crashing to the ground, and was an infuriating way to watch your progress disappear. This patch also balanced his food-gathering skills, ensuring that he no longer stood around catching fish indefinitely.

That wraps up our guide on Kelvin in Sons Of The Forest. If you’ve delivered Kelvin a swift death and now need to fend for yourself, take a look at our guide on how to make a fire . When you’re ready to explore further, you can learn how to find useful tools such as the Modern Axe , Stun Baton , Pistol , Shotgun , and more.

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

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How to find the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest

Learn where to find the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games

Looking for the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest? Sons Of The Forest is a tough survival game, but you can make it a little easier with the 3D printer. No, you won’t use it to make your own custom Warhammer miniatures! Instead, you can use it to print crucial items, such as the flask to store water , or the mask to pacify enemies. If you’re itching to find the 3D printer and don’t know where to look, that’s where we come in.

We’ll break down how to find the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest, which is no longer in early access after the release of the version 1.0 update. We’ll explain exactly where you need to go to get the 3D printer, and list all of the items you can print.

In this guide:

• How to get the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest
• How to use the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest

Looking for ways to survive your first few days in Sons of the Forest? Watch the video above for 15 essential tips.Watch on YouTube

How to get the 3D printer in Sons Of the Forest

The 3D printer is found in a cave that’s marked by a green pulse on the map. You can find the exact location in the image below.

Follow the green pulse above the player in this image. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games

Once you arrive at the marker, simply head down the slope and into the cave. Shuffle through the gap to get in, and then continue into the darkness until you see a light up ahead. You’ll find yourself in a corridor that seems kind of like a mysterious underground lab, and the light up ahead leads into a safe room.

When you enter the safe room, you’ll find the 3D printer on a desk by the wall. It’s already loaded with some resin, but you can find more on the shelves nearby.

The exact 3D printer location in Sons Of The Forest. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Endnight Games

How to use the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest

To use the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest, you must press “R” on the nearby computer to cycle through the various items that you can print. When you’ve settled on an item (and checked that the 3D printer has enough resin), you can hit the “E” key to start printing.

Below, you’ll find a list of items that you can make using the 3D printer:

• Arrows (50 resin)
• Flask (100 resin)
• Mask (150 resin)
• Grappling Hooks (100 resin)
• Tech Mesh (250 resin)
• Sled (1000 resin)

With the resin available in this room alone, you should be able to make most of the cheap items, or a single sled. We’d recommend getting the flask and mask first, along with some arrows if you prefer ranged weapons.

Before heading out, make sure to also search the rest of the room. You’ll find some Carbon Fiber arrows in the corner, and there is also a bed here that you can use to save and sleep. It’s the perfect shelter!

If you’re not comfortable with lighting a fire and making a tent in Sons Of The Forest to survive in the outdoors, then this is the ideal base.

That wraps up our guide on how to find the 3D printer in Sons Of The Forest. Of course, the items that you can 3D print aren’t the only important tools that you’ll need to survive. If you want to explore underwater, for example, you’ll need to get the Rebreather in Sons Of The Forest . This also allows you to get the Shovel in Sons Of The Forest , which you can use to dig up hidden items. If you’re scared of exploring, consider learning how to get Virginia in Sons Of The Forest first, as she makes an excellent combat companion.

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