Smuggler Canteen + Disguised Contraband

Smuggling has always been a risky business in the Settled Systems. Scan jammers and shielded cargo holds make the odds better, but even the best smugglers can still get caught. For those who want to eliminate the risk, slipping contraband past security is now guaranteed. It requires effort and enterprise, but the reward is a better payout for keeping those illicit goods—and yourself—out of the security lockup.

This lightweight system expands smuggling activities through skill investment, custom research, deliberate scavenging, and specialized crafting. Access the new workbench as a standalone build menu item, or find it in the decorated outpost canteen hab.

Beat The Scans The Smuggler Workstation and crafting recipes are gated behind Deception Rank 1 and the custom Smuggling Research Project (found under Outpost Development). This specialized workbench allows the player to craft containers resembling ordinary miscellaneous items, enabling contraband to pass through security scans undetected.

This system functions in parallel with the existing contraband system—it does not alter or replace the base security scanning mechanics. Undisguised contraband is still subject to normal security scans and carries the same inherent risks.

While disguised, contraband cannot be sold to vendors—the container must be unpacked to pass the contraband to your preferred Trade Authority representative. Contraband sold using this system earns a markup from vendors.

Keep It Casual A small outpost pack is included to anchor operations. The only required item is the Smuggler Workstation, which is used to pack and unpack the disguised containers. For maximum convenience, this workbench is available in ships and player homes as well as outposts.

Additional buildable items include themed structures, resource storage containers, utility items, custom displays, and furnishings. Recipes align with vanilla values and are available immediately near the bottom of the Structures build menu tab (with the exception of the gated workbench).

For operations that prioritize immediate atmosphere, a fully furnished canteen hab is ready to build. It features a variety of interactive objects, including: ⠀› Bounty terminals ⠀› Storage containers and displays ⠀› Vending machines and dispensers ⠀› An integrated Smuggler Workstation

For those interested in complete customization, an empty version of the canteen hab is also included.

Note: Dispensers in the decorated hab are initially empty when the hab is built. They automatically stock their inventory when the outpost cell is reloaded – traveling away and returning or saving and reloading will trigger them to fill.

Note 2: Custom bounty terminals use the vanilla script. If you set up shop in a faction's territory, the terminals (built-in or freestanding) will not be able to clear your record with that faction.

Reclaimed From the Shaw Gang The Smuggler Canteen is a reproduction of the canteen hab at the Shaw Gang Camp outside of Akila City.

Both habs feature sealed interiors to make them safe in any environment, built as standalone structures equipped with doors only. Due to this unique construction, connecting them to vanilla outpost habs or airlocks is not supported.

Note: Canteen habs are fully navmeshed. Please see the Known Quirks section below for NPC navigation details.

System Details & Recipes A resourceful smuggler relies on practicality — this system maintains the gameplay balance with scavenging and crafting elements.

Contraband is hidden inside ordinary miscellaneous items: the resulting containers combine the weight of both items used to craft them, feature visual cues to distinguish them from vanilla items, and retain full physics for custom decorating and displays.

Once safely past security, the haul can be unpacked at the workbench and earns a 25% markup at the Trade Authority and other contraband vendors.

⠀› Heart of Ice - Ice Bucket + Harvested Organs ⠀› Parsec-pass - Parsecpooch + Aurora ⠀› Serpent’s Song - Double Bone Horn + Va’ruun Heretic Writings ⠀› Echoes of War - Eggmund + Mech Component ⠀› Pandora’s Cube - Cube Toy + Xenowarfare Tech ⠀› Gemini’s Antiques - Wooden Face Sculpture + Black Market Antiquities ⠀› Digital Canvas - Desktop Photo Frame + Stolen Artwork ⠀› Starlocked: Autonomous Systems Expansion - Starlocked Board Game + Sentient AI Adapters

Because the unpacking process destroys the miscellaneous items, crafting recipes for these are automatically unlocked by completing the Smuggling research project. However, the disguises rely on relatively commonplace objects that can be found in most cities and settlements.

Note: first time’s the charm—contraband unpacked from this system cannot be repacked into another disguise container. The Parsec-pass recipe is only calibrated to conceal the standard Aurora; player-manufactured variant is not supported.

Known Quirks ⠀⠀Decorated Canteen Smuggler Workstation: The decorated Canteen itself is not gated by any research or skills. The built-in workstation can be accessed immediately, but the crafting menu will appear completely blank until all usage requirements (Deception Rank 1 and Smuggling research) are met.

⠀⠀Workbench Camera: The workbench is a custom model. Occasionally when exiting, the camera may temporarily stick in the blurred third-person perspective. Moving your character backward away from the workbench will finalize the exit.

⠀⠀Dynamic Clutter Utility Shelves: Top-down placement is recommended. Because these shelves use snaps to place the clutter sets, building from the bottom upward creates a sequential chain with the bottom set as the anchor. Moving the anchor will also move sets above that are chained to it. Repeated moving of these chains may cause the snaps to temporarily become disabled—if a shelf becomes unresponsive, all attached clutter sets should be deleted to reset the snap nodes.

⠀⠀NPC Pathing Preference: Testing has shown that NPCs are able to navigate the custom habs. They appear to have an exclusive preference for the doorway beside the bounty terminal desks. As with any custom navmesh, NPCs may exhibit irregular pathing or default to teleportation.

⠀⠀Build Menu Filtering: Because interior spaces (like ships and player homes) naturally disable the default outpost Structures tab, only the interior-compatible items (the Smuggler Workstation and select decor/furnishings) will appear in that list when crafting inside a ship or home. This is normal behavior to prevent menu conflicts.

⠀⠀Oddly Specific Decorated Hab Furniture Obstruction: An inconsistent interaction has been observed between the side door and the left desk chair at the bounty terminal tables. Depending on the rotation (and sometimes the height) of the hab, the door being open will cause only the left chair to be obstructed. Closing the door will allow the chair to be used. Rebuilding and rotating the hab on the terrain seems to resolve this conflict more effectively.

⠀⠀Low Ground Placement: The Canteen and empty hab are designed to be placed low to the ground and work best on flat areas, such as a ship landing site. Building on slopes that force the foundation platform under the terrain may cause built-in furniture to be obstructed. If this happens, the hab should be rebuilt higher above the ground, rotated, or placed in a flatter spot.

⠀⠀Consoles: ⠀⠀⠀PlayStation: When the decorated canteen is built, the coffee sign lettering may not initially show - after the outpost location is reloaded, the projected decal will appear. ⠀⠀⠀Xbox: Chairs at the bounty terminal desk in the decorated canteen may occasionally offset the player character on first use, standing up and re-entering will correctly center them.

Compatibility & Installation Precautions: Always make a manual/hard save before installing mods. Safe to install on existing character mid-playthrough. Load Order: Load order neutral, recommend placement with other outpost mods. Uninstalling: Mods should generally not be removed mid-save. Best practice is to finish the current character run or hit the Unity before uninstalling. If it must be removed, revert to a save from before the mod was installed.

Contact To get in touch, please visit my author channel in the Collective Modding server on Discord https://discord.gg/JnmckM5fzZ

Special thanks to Saskia for testing and feedback!