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Recipe Papers
April 17, 2026 at 07:41 PM
Initial Recipe Papers hub (item database 2026-04-18)
Recipe papers are consumable unlock items found in the Misc tab of the inventory. Using one teaches your crew a new crafting recipe or raises the tier of an existing one. They are the main way players expand their crafting list beyond the base unlocks granted by story progress.
Two families are in circulation. Upgrade Manuals raise a weapon, armor, or accessory category from one tier to the next. Plans (written as "Plans: Item Name") unlock a single specific item from scratch.
Upgrade Manuals come in sets of three tiers (I, II, III) and cover every major equipment category. Reading the tier I manual first unlocks the tier II recipe for that category, and so on. A tier III manual only takes effect once the tier II version has been used.
Manual | Raises Tier For |
|---|---|
Armor Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
One-Hand Weapon Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Melee Weapon Upgrade Manual I / II / III | All melee weapons |
Greatsword Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Club Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Halberd Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Musket Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Pistol Upgrade Manual I / II / III | |
Jewelry Upgrade Manual I / II | Rings and necklaces |
Plans unlock specific named items. The paper's title always begins with "Plans:", followed by the item name. Examples include
Weapon Plans: Arboris Saber, Blunderbuss, Bonebreaker, Buccaneer's Friend, and most other tiered weapons.
Ring Plans: a full set covering every ring rarity and slot.
Necklace Plans: 18 papers covering the necklace rarity ladder.
Cannon Plans: tempered variants of 12-, 24-, and 36-pounder cannons (9 papers).
Ship Plans: hull upgrade unlocks for the Brig, Frigate, and Ketch.
Ship Customization Plans: sail, trim, figurehead, and hull-color unlocks. See Ship Customization.
Looted from enemies and destructible world containers across the archipelago.
Purchased from faction vendors on Tortuga once reputation is high enough. See Faction Reputation.
Dropped by named bosses. Higher-tier manuals tend to come from tougher encounters.
Read upgrade manuals in order. Skipping tier II does not prevent tier III from being stored, but the tier III recipe only activates once tier II is already unlocked.
Plans are consumed on use. If the recipe is already known, the paper gives no benefit, so check your crafting menu before tearing one open.
Plans and manuals are tradable cargo. Sell duplicates to smugglers if you already know the recipe.
