Stardew Valley 1.6: New Mastery System explained

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update has added loads of new features to the game, including the Mastery System. Here’s everything to know about mastering each skill on the farm.

Stardew Valley’s latest update has brought with it plenty of exciting new features, as well as great quality-of-life updates to help improve replayability for longtime fans.

One of these new features, the Mastery System, is a beneficial addition for players who’ve already completed one or more farms in the game.

The Mastery System starts once players have reached the maximum skill level, rank 10, in Farming, Fishing, Foraging, Mining, and Combat. Once all five skills are at max rank, it will unlock a secret room in the Cindersap Forest, located behind a door in a hill. Head straight down from Leah’s cottage, and it’s easy to find.

This secret room is where players can redeem any Mastery Points they’ve earned. Although players can stumble across the door before all five skills are at max rank, they won’t be able to enter until they’ve reached rank 10 in all of them.

How to earn Mastery Points in Stardew Valley

Mastery Points are earned by using skills that are at max rank. Whenever a skill at max rank is used, any experience points which would have normally leveled it, are now converted into points for the Mastery Bar, visible at the bottom of the skills tab on the character page. Once the bar is full, players receive a Mastery Point to spend in the secret room.

Mastery Points start being earned as soon as a skill is at max rank.

Redeeming Mastery Points for rewards in Stardew Valley

Mastery Points can be redeemed inside the secret room for special rewards like the Iridium Scythe, which can harvest any crop. Or the Mini-Forge, which lets players use a dwarvish forge at their home. On top of rewards, players also receive a different perk for each different Mastery.

Check out the full list of rewards and perks available below.

Skill Mastery	Reward	Perk
Mining	Statue of the Dwarf King, Heavy Furnace	Gem-bearing rocks now grant twice the gems
Fishing	Advanced Iridium Rod, Challenge Bait	You can now encounter Golden Fishing Chests
Combat	Anvil, Mini-Forge	Unlocks a new equipment slot for trinkets. Trinkets can be found while adventuring and grant special powers
Foraging	Mystic Tree Seed, Treasure Totem	You now find Golden Mystery Boxes, which contain superior items
Farming	Iridium Scythe, Statue of Blessings	You can now find Golden Animal Crackers, which permanently doubles a farm animals produce. Doesn’t work on pigs.