Europa Field Manual

Barotrauma Modded Co-op Campaign Guide

A complete reference for a 17-mod multiplayer campaign: a suggested load order, what every mod actually does, and a role-by-role playbook for your crew's first five missions — what to buy, what to focus on, and how to keep your station alive.

17 mods covered MP / Co-op campaign All roles + modded jobs Load order included

01Overview & how to use this guide

This pack turns vanilla Barotrauma into a dense, dangerous, role-driven experience. The mods fall into five jobs: a framework that makes scripted mods possible, a set of system overhauls (medicine, reactors, repairs, weapons, jobs, artifacts), a pile of additive content (new beacons and wrecks), a world overhaul (DynamicEuropa), and quality-of-life / performance tools.

Read the guide in order the first time. Setup and load order are not optional — several of these mods will silently misbehave or break your save if installed wrong. After that, jump to your role and the first-5-missions plan.

Legend: requires hard dependency Lua needs LuaCs scripting XML no scripting needed

02Critical setup — read before you touch the mod list

1. Install LuaCsForBarotrauma first, the modern way. Several mods here (Neurotrauma, Performance Fix, Enhanced Immersion) will not work without it. The recommended method is the launch-option installer: close the game, right-click Barotrauma in Steam → Properties → Launch Options, and paste the auto-updater command from the LuaCs page. With this method you should keep the LuaCs workshop item disabled — it installs client- and server-side automatically every launch and survives game updates. The older "classic" method (enable the workshop package, host, run install_cl_lua in the F3 console, restart) still works but must be redone after every verify/update.

2. DynamicEuropa needs a brand-new campaign and must NEVER be removed mid-campaign. Installing or removing it on an existing save will corrupt the map. Decide up front whether you're running it, then start fresh.

3. Client-side vs. server-side (this is the #1 source of "it doesn't work"). In multiplayer, the host's server runs the gameplay mods, but some features need each player to also have the mod client-side:

Neurotrauma works in MP with the mod server-side; client-side LuaCs is only required for single-player or the sub editor.
Enhanced Immersion's zoom camera and zDoors are Lua features — every player who wants them needs client-side LuaCs. The sound/texture changes work without it.
Performance Fix boosts the server with only server-side LuaCs; for client-side FPS gains each player installs client-side LuaCs too.

Rule of thumb: everyone subscribes to the same mod list, everyone runs the LuaCs launch-option installer, and the host selects LuaForBarotrauma as the Server Executable before hosting.

4. Match the load order on the host AND every client. In multiplayer the host's order is what counts, but mismatched lists cause join errors and "missing file" prompts. If a mod ever errors or shows red in the loader, open the in-game Workshop menu, right-click it, and hit Reinstall before anything else.

03Recommended load order

Barotrauma's mod list runs top → bottom. For this pack I've followed each author's own "place X above Y" instructions, which are internally consistent: the rule that matters for these mods is a mod higher in the list keeps priority over the lower mods it overlaps with. Practically, you only need to preserve the relative positions below.

The non-negotiable relationships, straight from the mod pages:

LuaCs sits at the very top (or is installed via launch option and isn't in the list at all).
Barotraumatic goes high; any mod that edits the spawn list, event manager, or vanilla afflictions belongs below it.
Vanilla Weapons Overhaul goes above other weapon overhauls (e.g. Baroverhaul) to keep its weapon changes.
Enhanced Reactors must be above Immersive Repairs, Neurotrauma, Artifacts & Ruins Enhanced, DynamicEuropa, and anything else touching fuel rods / ores / reactors / radiation.
Immersive Repairs goes below Enhanced Reactors.
DynamicEuropa goes at the very bottom.

#	Mod	Type	Why here
	Band 1 · Framework & performance (top)
1	LuaCsForBarotrauma	Library	Scripting base for everything. Ideally installed via launch option (then not in the list); otherwise place it first.
2	Performance Fix	Lua LuaCs	Global Lua optimiser; doesn't override content, so it rides near the top.
	Band 2 · Major gameplay overhauls
3	Barotraumatic	Monsters/Events	Author: safe at the top; spawn / event / affliction mods go below it.
4	Vanilla Weapons Overhaul (Draconis)	Items/NPC	Above any other weapon overhaul; edits afflictions/damage, so below Barotraumatic.
5	JobsExtended	Total conversion	Adds the expanded job roster. No hard conflict; sits in the overhaul band.
6	Enhanced Reactors	XML	Above Immersive Repairs, Neurotrauma, A&RE, DynamicEuropa, and any reactor/radiation mod.
7	Immersive Repairs	XML	Directly below Enhanced Reactors, per its own load-order note.
8	Artifacts and Ruins Enhanced	Items/Env	Below Enhanced Reactors; above ruin-item mods like Robotrauma / Extract it!.
	Band 3 · Additive content — order among these is flexible
9	ADV Beacon Stations	Beacons	Additive beacon variants; campaign-safe to add anytime.
10	Beacons Extended	Beacons	Additive; no vanilla changes. Keep below Barotraumatic.
11	Even More Beacon Stations	Beacons	Additive; compatible with the other beacon mods.
12	Facehurt's Beacon Stations	Beacons	Additive, vanilla-balanced.
13	Shipwrecks Extended	Wrecks	Additive wrecks; compatible with all wreck mods.
14	Astra's Wrecks	Wrecks	Additive wrecks (incl. Thalamus versions).
	Band 4 · Immersion / QoL
15	Enhanced Immersion	Lua LuaCs	Author: load below other mods, above wreck mods you want it to affect.
	Band 5 · Medical & world (bottom)
16	Neurotrauma	Medical LuaCs	Below Enhanced Reactors & Immersive Repairs. Sits low so the medical overhaul wins on Human.xml.
17	DynamicEuropa	World / Total conversion	Very bottom. Fresh campaign required; never remove mid-campaign.

One known author disagreement. The Immersive Repairs page lists the order as Enhanced Reactors → Immersive Repairs → DynamicEuropa → Neurotrauma (Neurotrauma below DynamicEuropa), while DynamicEuropa's own page says it should sit at the very bottom. I've followed DynamicEuropa's hard rule (bottom) and placed Neurotrauma just above it, which is the most common working setup. If you ever see medical items from Neurotrauma being overridden by DynamicEuropa, swap 16 and 17.

Optional but recommended extras the authors point to: Hungry Europans (place ABOVE DynamicEuropa) for cooking/butchering, and the relevant compatibility patches (Enhanced Reactors ↔ Baroverhaul, Immersive Repairs' Vanilla Oxygen/Welding patches) if you add those base mods. None are required for the 17 listed here.

04The mods, explained — Framework & performance

LuaCsForBarotraumaLibrary · the foundation

What it is: Adds Lua and optional C# modding support to Barotrauma. It's not a content mod — it's the engine that lets scripted mods (Neurotrauma, Performance Fix, Enhanced Immersion's Lua features) exist.
How to use: Install via the Steam launch-option auto-updater (keep the workshop item disabled). Verify it works: press F3 and type cl_reloadluacs (client) or host and type reloadluacs (server). "Command not found" means it isn't installed on that side.
Gotchas: Client-side install is reverted whenever you verify game files or the game updates — the launch-option method re-applies it automatically; the classic method does not.

Performance FixLua optimiser · requires LuaCs

What it does: Reduces how often map entities update, which can dramatically raise FPS on heavy modded servers and big subs. Includes a config (console command performancefix) and an option to disable shadow-casting lights globally.
How to use: Open the config with performancefix (use cl_reloadlua first if you're at the main menu). Start with a Client Entity Interval of 1–2 for a good balance. Use showperf to find what's lagging.
Gotchas: The author notes the base game has improved since release, so gains vary — but the community still finds it valuable with heavy packs like this (Neurotrauma + DynamicEuropa cities). Higher intervals can make some items behave oddly; add their IDs to the priority list if so.

05Gameplay overhauls

BarotraumaticMonsters, events, missions & radio

What it does: Massively increases the variety and frequency of monster spawns (~258+ creatures), and fills wrecks and ruins with enemies. Adds new biomes flavour, new missions/events, and a full radio overhaul with five craftable radios (noise-cancelling, chemical-battery, etc.) where interference and death can come through your headset.
How to use: Bring more meds and ammo than vanilla — empty caves and wrecks are gone. There's deliberately no in-game wiki for its creatures; learn by encountering them. Safe to add or remove from a campaign at any time (you lose its items if removed).
Gotchas: Do not also run the legacy monster packs it absorbed (Xansmonsters, Extended Monsters, etc.) — that causes crashes. Other mods that edit the spawn list, event manager, or vanilla afflictions must load below it.

Vanilla Weapons Overhaul (Draconis)Weapons, armour & NPC loadouts

What it does: Reworks vanilla weapons/armour with a dynamic recoil & bloom system that improves as your weapon skill rises, and adds new gear in three tiers (basic / intermediate / advanced). Adds a "parts kit" resource for crafting/upgrading higher-tier weapons, functional spear/harpoon melee, weapon attachments (flashlight, stab-light, laser, scopes coming), and reworked bags/packs with restricted slots. Station and submarine NPCs are rearmed and buffed to be a real threat.
How to use: Lower-skill crew can still be deadly with basic pistols/carbines. Several weapon groups need Mechanical, Electrical, or even Medical skill instead of pure Weapons skill — a progression path for non-security roles. Heavy weapons (hand cannons, large rifles) have brutal recoil that can stun or injure low-skill users; wear an Exosuit/Exoskeleton to negate it.
Gotchas: Don't stack other weapon mods (EHA, CoL, THG). Place VWO above Baroverhaul if you use it. Its added damage types (frag/blunt/bleed-on-hit) deliberately complicate Neurotrauma injuries — expect more limb incapacitation.

JobsExtendedThe expanded job roster — core of your crew

This is the mod that adds the new roles your crew will pick. It's built for multiplayer roleplay and larger crews (8+), with 15 jobs, each having 3 sub-roles for further specialisation. Heads of department get Captain-style talents woven in to grow their team's skills faster and act as mentors.

The new jobs

Captain (CO) — the one in charge; only one allowed.
Executive Officer (XO) — second-in-command; a Captain with the Warlord (security) tree instead of politics, +5 vitality, supports the gunnery deck.
Navigator — drives the boat; a Captain with the Frogman tree; leads the dive team / drones / mineral-finding.
Head of Security (HoS) — runs the armoury; Security with Captain-style gunslinger pistol focus; uniquely has Medical/Engineering/Mechanical access for cabinets.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) — runs the infirmary and keeps medical supplied.
Chief of the Boat (COB) — supervises electrical systems and leads technical staff; an Engineer with Bosun leadership.
Quartermaster (QM) — head Mechanic; manages materials and keeps every cabinet and weapon stocked with ammo.
Custodian — assists the Quartermaster; an Assistant crossed with the engineer + mechanic maintenance trees.
Passenger — civilian guest; low skill, supports the crew with buffs while growing into a role.
Prisoner — melee/pistol-focused assistant (a work-release "trustee"); can't be a clown (failed the background check).
Vanilla roles — Medical Doctor, Engineer, Mechanic, Security Officer remain essentially the same.

How to use: Each player picks a job at the lobby. An optional Karma system lets admins gate higher roles (CO needs 95 karma, XO/COB 85, HoS/CMO 75, NAV 65, QM/SO 55, DR 50, ENG 45, MEC 25, down to Prisoner 0) — useful for controlling griefing and clearances.
Gotchas: You can only buy the vanilla 5 bot jobs from stations, not the modded ones (DynamicEuropa enables buying modded bots via cross-mod magic). Forced low-skill starts are removed except for Janitor/Convict/Passenger types. Job uniforms have pockets, but items inside drop if you move the clothing to your hotbar — intentional anti-hoarding.

Enhanced ReactorsReactor & radiation overhaul · XML

What it does: Reactors now radiate heat and leak radiation based on damage. Radiation splits into Radiation Sickness (treat with activated-carbon tablets; potassium-iodide for protection) and Contamination (only detectable with a Geiger counter; spreads sickness to nearby crew). Distance, walls and doors all reduce exposure. Fuel rods glow and irradiate once started, can't be pocket-stacked, must be moved with tongs or in fuel-rod crates, and meltdown size scales with the rod inside.
How to use: Always turn a reactor off and wait for its lights to die before repairing — repairing a live reactor triggers a 30-second critical state where you must spam the repair button or it explodes. Keep potassium-iodide and activated-carbon tablets aboard. Use a craftable hazmat suit when handling rods. Corpses that died contaminated keep irradiating — dispose of them.
Bots: Bot-friendly for single-player, but equip your reactor operator with a hazmat suit (they won't on their own) and give them a higher-priority "clean up items" order so they store spent rods instead of dropping them.

Immersive RepairsRepairs overhaul · XML

What it does: Repairs take more time and coordination. The right tool matters (jackhammer for mining, plasma cutter for structures). Turrets and discharge coils wear out and must be repaired — turrets and hull breaches now need outside diving repairs with shorter-range welders. Adds: engines that need oil (and explode when run dry), oxygen generators that need cleanable air filters, vents that need vent blades, hidden loose-vent inventories (open with a crowbar + E), a reactor critical-state failure (like Enhanced Reactors but no radiation), an "Automatic Welder" placeable, a multitool repair-pack replacement, fixfoam reworked into a sprayer, and a "Welder's Eye" affliction if you weld without a mask.
How to use: Stock oil and spare air filters/vent blades, especially after any flooding. Wear a welding mask. Keep an automatic welder for leaks you can't reach. Don't try to repair a running engine or live reactor unless someone's standing by with an extinguisher.
Gotchas: Bots try to repair external turrets, grab a diving suit, then get stuck — a known unavoidable quirk. Load it directly below Enhanced Reactors.

NeurotraumaDeep medical overhaul · requires LuaCs

What it does: Completely overhauls human health: individual organ damage and failure, surgeries (including amputation and organ transplants), infection, combustion, and a huge amount of medical equipment and symptoms. Causes must be diagnosed from symptoms or with a health scanner, and over-medicating actively harms the patient.
How to use: Configure it via the ESC menu → "Neurotrauma". There's an official training map to practise on, and a community Trello guide. Surgery requires adequate medical skill — low skill turns incisions into "nasty lacerations" (a failed skill check), so let trained medics operate.
Gotchas: This is the fork version — do not add NT Unstunned, Consent Required Extended, or NT Better Scanner (already merged). Incompatible with any non-patch mod that overwrites Human.xml or vanilla medicine. Known issues: bots won't treat injuries, and you currently can't open the health menu of someone lying on a bed.

Artifacts and Ruins EnhancedResearch, artifacts & alien ruins

What it does: Artifacts no longer reveal what they are on sight — you identify them by observing effects or scanning, then research them at a research station using alien circuitry (identified artifacts sell for far more). Researching a known artifact yields an unknown serum, which you research with stabilozine to unlock new tech: Artifact Containment, Gene Cleansing, Living Metal, Stasis, Teleportation. Ruins are reworked — indestructible, always hold at least one artifact, more modules, loot (serums, alien circuitry), and danger.
How to use: Build the new research workbench at a fabricator, then craft unlocked items there after injecting the right serum. Use an artifact scanner to gauge danger (fast/red = dangerous, slow/green = safe) before transporting without a case. Note: cure items for artifact afflictions have deliberately obscure names — in the medical fabricator, search an to find antidotes (e.g. analarin for alien-infection coma, anarmu for the muting artifact, ansain for the sacrificial artifact).
Gotchas: Semi-compatible with other artifact mods (theirs still spawn but won't gain these research mechanics). Load below Enhanced Reactors, above Robotrauma / Extract it!.

06Additive content — beacons & wrecks

These six mods simply enlarge the pool of beacon stations and shipwrecks the game can spawn. They make no vanilla changes, are broadly compatible with each other and with DynamicEuropa, and most can be added to a campaign at any time. Order among them barely matters — just keep them below Barotraumatic and above DynamicEuropa.

ADV Beacon Stations~54 new beacons

A big pack of beacon stations for variety, playable in any mode and addable to ongoing campaigns. Activation works as normal (repair hull/equipment, rewire, restore power, pump water, activate sonar). Watch out: mines surround stations ADVBS-037 and ADVBS-041 — approach carefully. Confirmed compatible with DynamicEuropa.

Beacons Extended~56 community beacons

Adds 56 beacons from various authors to the rotation with no vanilla edits, so it's compatible with all basic beacon mods unless filenames clash. Note: it does not add new mission types — just beacon variety. Pairs with the same team's Shipwrecks Extended.

Even More Beacon Stations8 stations (5 + 3 bandit)

Eight beacons from small to large, including three bandit variants; larger ones are designed to be easy to fix. Confirmed compatible with Beacons Extended. Warning: at least one station has a nuclear depth-charge docking trap that has ended ironman runs — dock cautiously and watch for alarm indicators.

Facehurt's Beacon Stations4 biodome beacons

Four cinematic "underwater biodome" glass-exterior beacon stations, balanced around vanilla using only vanilla tags and assets. Some come with secure cabinets that can spawn starter weapons/ammo — a small early-game windfall.

Shipwrecks ExtendedMany new wrecks

Adds a large number of new shipwrecks — some dangerous, some harmless, some dockable. Compatible with all known wreck mods (including More Wrecks for Barotrauma). Great salvage variety; pairs with Beacons Extended.

Astra's Wrecks7 themed wrecks

Adds wrecked versions of several ships (Kessel, Azimuth Type 2 Okayu, Orca, Remora, Venture, Destiny, Kessel-B), including Thalamus-infested variants — rounding out vanilla ships that lacked wrecks. Lightweight and additive.

07Immersion & world

Enhanced ImmersionSound, visuals, zoom & hidden rooms · requires LuaCs

What it does: Adds visual interactions + sound effects to junction boxes, capacitors, lockers, cabinets, etc.; rebalances ambient audio (quieter water, shorter reactor sound range) so you can hear threats; replaces door buttons with ID-scanner textures; lets you wire many decorative items on/off. Lua features: a zoomed-in camera that pulls back when you aim, and "zDoors" integration that opens extra background rooms.
How to use: Non-Lua features (sound/texture) work for anyone with the mod. For the zoom camera and zDoors, each player needs client-side LuaCs. The zoom only scales correctly at 1920×1080 or lower.
Gotchas: Items overridden by other mods won't get its new sounds/interactions. It changes combat diving-suit stats and can overwrite Immersive Diving Gear (load it below that mod if you run both). A lighter "Enhanced Immersion (lua only)" version exists if you only want the camera.

DynamicEuropaWorld / map total conversion · bottom of list

What it does: The single biggest change in the pack. 20+ unique, service-specialised outposts that grow (or that you can help build or destroy), outpost takeovers and destruction, monster lairs and husk swarms that spread between locations, a biome overhaul with new hazards, integrated Pirates Ahoy! content (pirate missions, vessels, items, outposts, collectible music), and integrated Hungry Europans food/drinks for roleplay.
How to use: Plan your route — outposts specialise, so the gear/service you need is location-dependent. You can help grow allied outposts or wipe out rival ones (flood a construction site 50%, or blow a reactor at a full station). With enough faction reputation you can join outpost takeover fights.
Gotchas (important): Requires a brand-new campaign and must never be removed mid-campaign — it kills your map. It overrides a lot, so mods adding missions/factions/hireable characters or editing the map/biomes can conflict without a patch; check its compatibility-patch collection. Keep it at the very bottom of the load order.

08How the mods reshape every role

Before the per-role playbooks, internalise the four shifts this pack forces on the whole crew:

Medicine is a profession now

Neurotrauma means a hit isn't "lose HP" — it's organ damage, bleeding, fractures, infection. Wrong drugs make it worse. You need at least one real medic, and everyone should carry basic first aid and know to get to the medic, not self-medicate blindly.

The sub is needier

Enhanced Reactors + Immersive Repairs mean reactors irradiate and must be powered down to repair; engines need oil; oxygen needs filters; vents need blades; turrets/coils wear out and hull repairs happen outside. Engineering and mechanical roles are now constant jobs, not occasional ones.

Combat is lethal and skill-gated

Barotraumatic floods the map with monsters and arms station/wreck NPCs; VWO adds recoil that punishes low weapon skill and damage types that compound Neurotrauma injuries. Security matters, and so does buying the right tier of weapon for each shooter.

The world is bigger and political

DynamicEuropa makes outposts specialised, destructible, and faction-driven, with husk swarms and pirates. Navigation and command decisions (where to go, who to side with) carry real weight and reward planning.

The role guides below assume multiplayer campaign with the JobsExtended roster. Each card covers the role's job, its first-5-missions focus, a shopping list, and management tips. Buy prices are relative (Barotrauma economy varies by outpost/DLC), so treat amounts as priorities, not exact figures.

Command department

CommandCaptain (CO)1 only

The decision-maker: sets the route, accepts missions, manages the budget, and gives orders the bot/crew follow. With DynamicEuropa your routing choices (which specialised outpost, which faction) define the whole campaign.

First 5 missions — focus

Run the map screen and the wallet. Pick missions the crew can actually survive (start with beacon activations, simple salvage, and short transport hops — not monster nests).
Assign stations out loud before undocking: who's on reactor, who's on helm/sonar, who's on guns, who's medic. Use the command menu to set crew orders.
Hold reputation discipline early — don't antagonise a faction whose outposts you'll need for fuel, ammo, or medical resupply.

Buy first

Fuel rods (2–3 spare) — the campaign-enders are running dry, not combat
A stock of oxygen tanks & welding fuel for the crew
Crew-wide basics: bandages, a few medical items, ammo for mounted guns
One good captain's sidearm (a revolver/pistol you have skill for)

Manage your role

Keep a cash reserve — a single Neurotrauma surgery run or fuel emergency can be expensive.
Talk constantly. In this pack, silent crews die to husk swarms and floods that one callout would have prevented.
Park the helm to a Navigator if you have one and focus on orders + the map.

CommandExecutive Officer (XO)Command

Second-in-command — a Captain built on the Warlord/security tree with +5 vitality. Keeps the crew on task and backs the gunnery deck. Effectively your combat-capable deputy and the natural boarding-party leader.

First 5 missions — focus

Be the Captain's enforcer of station assignments — chase down the player who wandered off the reactor.
Lead defensive fire during monster attacks and take point on hostile boardings/raids (DynamicEuropa outpost fights, pirates).
Step into command if the Captain dies or is incapacitated — know the route and finances.

Buy first

A solid mid-tier rifle/carbine + ammo (VWO tiers)
Body armour you can move in; an exosuit later for heavy weapons
Stun baton / sidearm for boarding

Manage your role

Don't hoard the armoury — coordinate with the Head of Security.
Keep your weapon skill climbing; VWO recoil rewards it heavily.

CommandNavigatorCommand

Drives the boat — a Captain with the Frogman tree. Depending on the sub, also leads the dive team, locates minerals, and runs exploration drones. On long DynamicEuropa hauls this is a full-time job.

First 5 missions — focus

Master helm + sonar: run active sonar in safe water, passive near threats so you don't ring the dinner bell for monsters.
Plan depth and route around level hazards and husk-swarm lairs; keep the sub off the seabed (hull damage = outside repairs).
Coordinate dive ops: when the crew salvages a wreck/beacon, position the sub close and hold it steady.

Buy first

A good diving suit (you'll lead dives) + spare O2 tanks
Diving knife / harpoon (VWO functional melee) for the swim out
Hull/periscope upgrades when affordable

Manage your role

Announce hard turns and dives — crew working outside or on ladders can be thrown or stranded.
Watch your sonar discipline around Barotraumatic spawns; noise pulls swarms.

Security department

SecurityHead of Security (HoS)Security lead

Runs the armoury — Security with a Captain-style gunslinger pistol focus. Uniquely also has Medical, Engineering and Mechanical access, so the HoS can reach tox cabinets and custom department cabinets. Your weapons quartermaster and lead shooter.

First 5 missions — focus

Inventory and control the armoury; hand out weapons matched to each shooter's skill (VWO basic gear for low-skill, advanced for trained users).
Be first responder to hull breaches with monsters inside — clear them so the mechanic can weld.
Manage ammunition flow with the Quartermaster so guns never run dry mid-fight.

Buy first

Ammo, ammo, ammo (and the parts kits to craft better weapons)
A reliable shotgun + your gunslinger pistol
Body armour; an exosuit for hand-cannons/heavy rifles
Stun batons / handcuffs for boarders & traitor control

Manage your role

Keep heavy weapons locked until needed — VWO recoil can injure untrained users.
Use your cross-department access responsibly; you're a backup hand for tox/engi/mech, not a replacement.

SecuritySecurity Officer (SO)Security

The standard trigger-puller (vanilla role). With Barotraumatic's monster density and VWO's lethal NPCs, you'll fight far more than in vanilla.

First 5 missions — focus

Hold the line at breaches and airlocks; don't chase monsters into flooded rooms alone.
Use the Frogman/Enforcer talents for harpoon work — VWO's functional spears/harpoons aim cleanly and synergise with security harpoon talents.
Conserve ammo; let the sub's turrets do the heavy lifting on big creatures.

Buy first

SMG/carbine + plenty of mags (reloadable by anyone in VWO)
Harpoon gun for underwater threats
Diving suit so you can fight outside/in floods

Manage your role

Grind weapon skill early — recoil/bloom drop fast as it rises.
Carry a couple of bandages; Neurotrauma bleeds kill before you reach the medic.

SecurityPrisonerCombat assistant

A work-release "trustee" — an Assistant geared for melee and pistol combat (Captain-like pistol talents), but barred from the clown role. No longer spawns cuffed and has a headset. A scrappy extra gun and labour pair for the security/logistics teams.

First 5 missions — focus

Back up Security in melee range and help haul/salvage between fights.
Earn trust (and karma, if the server uses it) by being useful, not chaotic.
Grow into a fuller role over the campaign.

Buy first

A pistol you have talent for + a melee weapon
Basic armour & a diving mask

Manage your role

Stick with the group; a low-skill solo prisoner is monster food.
Defer to the HoS on weapon hand-outs.

Medical department

MedicalChief Medical Officer (CMO)Medical lead

Runs the infirmary and keeps medical supplied — the senior medic with mentor talents. With Neurotrauma, this is one of the most demanding roles in the pack: you diagnose organ failure, infection, fractures and radiation, and perform surgery.

First 5 missions — focus

Stock and organise the medical bay before undocking; know where every drug is.
Learn Neurotrauma diagnosis — use a health scanner, read symptoms, and don't over-medicate (wrong/excess drugs cause new damage).
Set up a surgery spot (bed + analgesic + scalpel). Practise on the official training map first; surgery needs real medical skill or incisions become lacerations.
Treat radiation early (activated-carbon for sickness, potassium-iodide for contamination) and screen crew with a Geiger counter after reactor incidents.

Buy first

Full Neurotrauma drug spread: blood packs, antibiotics, analgesics, anti-bleed, splints/tourniquets
Health scanner + surgical tools (scalpel, etc.)
Potassium-iodide & activated-carbon tablets (radiation)
Restock raw materials so you can fabricate meds mid-voyage

Manage your role

Bots can't treat in Neurotrauma — a human medic is mandatory in MP.
Keep patients off beds when you need their health menu (known NT/basegame bug).
Triage: stop bleeding and restore breathing first, diagnose second.

MedicalMedical DoctorMedical

The working medic (vanilla role). Same Neurotrauma demands as the CMO at a smaller scale — on a small crew you may be the only medic.

First 5 missions — focus

Carry a mobile med-kit so you can treat at the point of injury, then move serious cases to the bay.
Learn the three or four most common Neurotrauma emergencies (bleeding, broken bones, infection, oxygen loss) cold.
Coordinate with the CMO on who handles surgery vs. field care.

Buy first

Portable medical kit + bandages, antibiotics, analgesics
A health scanner if the CMO doesn't have a spare

Manage your role

Grind medical skill before attempting surgery.
Remember VWO's bleed/blunt damage types mean more limb injuries to manage.

Engineering department

EngineeringChief of the Boat (COB)Engineering lead

Supervises all electrical systems and leads technical staff — an Engineer with Bosun leadership. With Enhanced Reactors + Immersive Repairs, power and the reactor are now a serious, ongoing responsibility.

First 5 missions — focus

Own the reactor: keep it fed and, crucially, shut it down and wait for the lights to die before any repair — repairing it live triggers the critical state and a possible meltdown.
Wear a hazmat suit when swapping fuel rods; move rods with tongs/crates; never pocket-stack them.
Manage junction boxes/capacitors — in Immersive Repairs, flooded ones can zap, catch fire, or electrocute the water.
Direct the Engineer/COB juniors: assign who watches power while you firefight problems.

Buy first

Hazmat suit (or materials to craft one) for rod handling
Fuel-rod tongs + fuel-rod crates
Potassium-iodide for yourself; a Geiger counter
Spare wiring + FPGA circuits (multitool upkeep)

Manage your role

A radiation leak spreads via walls/distance — seal the reactor room and treat exposed crew fast.
Don't let contaminated corpses sit; they keep irradiating the room.

EngineeringEngineerEngineering

The hands-on power tech (vanilla role). On a small crew the Engineer often is the reactor operator and electrician both.

First 5 missions — focus

Keep the reactor tuned to load; pre-stage spare fuel rods in crates near the reactor.
Repair junction boxes/wiring promptly — but power down what you can first to avoid Immersive Repairs zaps.
Build and maintain the multitool/automatic welders the crew relies on.

Buy first

Hazmat suit + tongs (shared with COB if solo)
Screwdriver/wrench or a multitool; spare FPGA circuits
Spare fuel rods

Manage your role

Wire turret/coil/oil/filter conditions to a display (Immersive Repairs supports it) so you see failures early.
Coordinate with the Mechanic: you handle power, they handle hull/oil/vents.

Logistics & mechanical department

LogisticsQuartermaster (QM)Mechanical lead

Head Mechanic and supply chief — manages materials, keeps every storage cabinet filled, and supplies ammunition for all weapons. With the Custodian's help, also keeps the sub clean and stocked. The logistics backbone of a modded crew.

First 5 missions — focus

Set up the fabricator/deconstructor workflow: turn salvage into ammo, oil, filters, vent blades, and medical/engineering consumables.
Keep consumable stockpiles topped: oxygen, welding fuel, oil for engines, air filters, vent blades, ammo.
Run resupply at outposts — in DynamicEuropa, buy department-specific gear at the right specialised station.

Buy first

Bulk raw materials for crafting (the campaign runs on your fabricator)
Engine oil, spare air filters, vent blades (Immersive Repairs upkeep)
Ammo stock + VWO parts kits for the armoury

Manage your role

Label/organise cabinets so the crew finds gear in a crisis.
Coordinate buys with the Captain's budget and the HoS's ammo needs.

MechanicalMechanicMechanical

The hull-and-systems fixer (vanilla role). Immersive Repairs makes this a constant job: outside hull welding, oiled engines, air filters, vent blades, and the right tool for each task.

First 5 missions — focus

Keep a diving suit on standby — hull breaches now require welding from outside with short-range tools.
Keep engines oiled (they degrade and explode dry) and oxygen-generator filters clean, especially after flooding.
Carry the right tools: welder + mask (avoid Welder's Eye), wrench/screwdriver or multitool, an automatic welder for unreachable leaks, fixfoam sprayer for emergencies.

Buy first

Diving suit + spare O2 (outside repairs)
Welding mask, plasma cutter/jackhammer, multitool
Engine oil, spare air filters & vent blades, fixfoam + sprayer

Manage your role

Don't repair a running engine without an extinguisher buddy.
After every fight/flood, sweep vents (crowbar + E reveals loose-vent inventories) and check blades/filters.

LogisticsCustodianSupport

Assists the Quartermaster — an Assistant crossed with the engineer + mechanic maintenance trees. The crew's utility hand: cleaning, restocking, and light repairs.

First 5 missions — focus

Keep the sub clean and cabinets full so specialists don't waste time hunting for items.
Handle low-risk maintenance (refilling, ferrying tools/ammo, basic fixes) to free up the Engineer/Mechanic.
Be the runner during emergencies — bring the medic supplies, bring the mechanic oil/blades.

Buy first

A basic toolset + diving mask
Whatever consumables the QM asks you to ferry

Manage your role

You're force-multiplier glue; ask the QM/COB what's short and fix it.

Civilian roles

CivilianAssistantGeneralist

The vanilla jack-of-all-trades. In a modded crew the Assistant is your flex hand — learn one department's basics and plug holes.

First 5 missions — focus

Shadow whichever department is short-staffed and learn its mod systems.
Haul, fetch, and hold the line in a pinch; don't try solo heroics with low skills.
Use early missions to grind toward a specialty you'll grow into.

Buy first

Diving mask + basic tools
A cheap sidearm and some bandages

Manage your role

Pick a lane by mission 3–4 so your skills start to matter.

CivilianPassengerSupport / buffs

A civilian guest travelling with the crew — low skill, but supports the team with buffs while growing into a role. Think paying passenger, researcher, or thrill-seeker.

First 5 missions — focus

Apply your support buffs and stay out of the firing line until your skills develop.
Help with safe labour (research artifacts at the bench, organise cargo, ferry items).
Use the early voyages to specialise toward a department.

Buy first

Personal safety gear (diving mask, a few meds)
Anything that helps the role you're growing into

Manage your role

You're an asset, not ballast — pair with a specialist and assist.

09Your first five missions — a crew arc

A staged plan that lets a new modded crew learn the systems before the pack's lethality catches up to them. Keep hops short and bank reputation and money.

Mission 1 — Shake-down run (easy beacon or transport)

Pick the safest available job. Goal: confirm everyone's mods work and each station is crewed. Engineer verifies reactor control and rod handling; Mechanic checks oil/filters/vent blades; Medic lays out the bay; Security inventories the armoury. Take a beacon-activation if offered — the new beacon mods make these varied and forgiving (just watch for ADV Beacon's mines and Even More Beacon's trap station). Bank the pay; buy spare fuel rods and consumables.

Mission 2 — Salvage a wreck

Shipwrecks Extended / Astra's Wrecks give you fresh wrecks to loot, but Barotraumatic means wrecks now contain monsters. Send a dive team (Navigator + Security + a fixer) with the sub close and steady. Practise Neurotrauma field care on the inevitable bites. Sell salvage; the Quartermaster turns scrap into ammo/oil/filters.

Mission 3 — First combat mission (monster nest or pirate)

Now use the systems for real. Security/XO lead the fight; let turrets handle big creatures; Medic runs triage on organ/bleed injuries; Engineer keeps power up under stress. Expect a hull breach — Mechanic welds from outside while Security clears intruders. Debrief: what ran out (ammo? oil? meds?) becomes your next shopping list.

Mission 4 — Research & reputation

Grab a ruin/artifact run (Artifacts & Ruins Enhanced). Bring alien circuitry and a research bench plan; identify and research an artifact for a tech unlock and better sale value — military/research merchants pay most. In DynamicEuropa, pick a faction to favour and route to its specialised outposts. Start saving for a sub or weapon upgrade.

Mission 5 — Step up the difficulty

By now skills have risen (VWO recoil eases, medics can attempt surgery, engineers handle reactor scares calmly). Take a tougher contract — a defended outpost takeover, a deeper biome, or a high-value salvage. Lock in your roles, upgrade the sub (hull, periscope, reactor) or invest in advanced VWO weapons via parts kits, and you're ready for the real campaign.

10Money & buying priorities

This pack punishes under-supply more than vanilla. A simple priority ladder for the Captain and Quartermaster every time you dock:

Survival consumables first — fuel rods, oxygen, welding fuel, engine oil, air filters, vent blades. Running out of these ends runs.
Medical — restock the Neurotrauma drug spread and raw materials so the medic can fabricate mid-voyage.
Ammo & defence — keep the armoury and turrets fed; buy VWO parts kits to upgrade weapons over time.
Radiation kit — potassium-iodide, activated-carbon, a Geiger counter, hazmat materials.
Upgrades last — sub hull/reactor/periscope and a new submarine only once your reserve is healthy. Keep a cash buffer for emergencies (surgery resupply, fuel, repairs).

Reputation is currency too. In DynamicEuropa, faction standing unlocks better merchants, missions, and the ability to join outpost fights. Don't burn a faction whose specialised outpost you'll depend on for fuel, medicine, or ammo.

11Sources

Every mod detail above is drawn from the official Steam Workshop pages you provided; the load-order direction note is informed by the official Barotrauma help discussion.