Stardew Valley Mastery System Explained

Not sure about Stardew Valley’s Mastery System? Check out here to learn everything about it.

Stardew Valley‘s version 1.6 update has introduced plenty of new changes and additions to the game. The Mastery System is one such new addition that can benefit you greatly. Because of this update, you can go beyond level 10 (the highest level) of a Skill and earn Mastery. Earning Mastery for each Skill will reward you with special stars you can use in a secret room.

At first, you will find it a little confusing, but that’s fine. You can refer to our guide and learn everything about the latest Mastery System in Stardew Valley. This includes earning the Mastery Stars (or Points) and the location of the secret room where they are spent.

Also Read: How to Get Moss in Stardew Valley 1.6

How to Earn Mastery in Stardew Valley

Mastery Stars in Stardew Valley
Screenshot by Gamer Tweak

In Stardew Valley, you can advance your character through five skills: Farming, Mining, Foraging, Fishing, and Combat. Each skill has a maximum level cap of 10. Once you have advanced to level 10 of a Skill, the extra XP you receive will help you earn Mastery. You will know you have earned a Mastery Star by looking at the Skills tab.

The ways of earning Mastery are simple: fight to gain XP in Combat Skill, Grow crops to gain XP in Farming, and so on. Once you have earned Mastery in all the Skills, the secret room door will be unlocked for you. But where do you find this room? Scroll down below to know its location.

Where to Find the Secret Mastery Room in Stardew Valley

The secret room where you can spend your Mastery is the Cindersnap Forest. It is located on the southern side of Leah’s Cottage, on the other side of the river (see the images above). After entering this Mastery Room, you will receive a note from your Grandpa acknowledging your Mastery of all the Skills.

Once inside the room, you will see 5 icons representing each of the 5 Skills. You can interact with them and earn certain rewards for earning Mastery in Stardew Valley. For your reference, here are the rewards you will get for mastering each of the Skills:

1 Foraging Mastery Rewards

  • Mystic Tree Seed (Recipe): This can be planted to grow a special tree.
  • Treasure Totem (Recipe): Use on diggable terrain to summon a ring of treasure spots.
  • Golden Mystery Boxes (Perk): You now find Golden Mystery Boxes containing superior items.

2 Combat Mastery Rewards

  1. Anvil (Recipe): This allows you to re-forge trinkets, randomly determining their stats. It costs 3 Iridium bars per use.
  2. Mini-Forge (Recipe): Now, you can use a dwarvish forge from the convenience of your home.
  3. Trinket (Perk): Unlocks a new equipment slot for trinkets. Trinkets can be found while adventuring and grant special powers.

3 Fishing Mastery Rewards

  • Advanced Iridium Rod (Tool): Use in the water to catch fish. Up to two bobbers can be attached at once.
  • Challenge Bait (Recipe): A “perfect” catch yields triple the fish. However, each time a fish escapes the “fishing bar”, the catch is reduced.
  • Golden Fishing Chests (Perk): You can now encounter Golden Fishing Chests.

4 Mining Mastery Rewards

  • Statue of The Dwarf King (Recipe): Choose from two mining-related powers each day.
  • Heavy Furnace (Recipe): It’s more efficient than a regular furnace. Requires 25 pieces of ore and 3 coal per use.
  • Gem Rocks Yield (Perk): Gem-bearing rocks now grant twice the gems.

5 Farming Mastery Rewards

  • Iridium Scythe (Tool): Can be used to harvest any crops. It’s also excellent at gathering hay.
  • Statue of Blessings (Recipe): Touching this statue gives a unique blessing every day.
  • Golden Animal Crackers (Perk): You can now find Golden Animal Crackers, which permanently doubles a farm animal’s produce. Doesn’t work on pigs.

That’s all there is to know about the new Mastery System in Stardew Valley. Aside from this, if you are curious to know about the Mods that are compatible with v1.6, then we have a guide on that as well. Feel free to access it on our website.