In Once Human, progression shifts dramatically once you understand the difference between scavenging a random firearm and permanently unlocking its blueprint. Early on, you may feel starved for weapons, but that scarcity is intentional. The world rewards exploration, calculated risk, and extracting from dangerous locations over hoarding loot from mundane houses. This guide breaks down how guns and blueprints actually work, where to prioritize your search, which unlocks offer the most impact, and what to expect when moving your base.
Whether you’re chasing the agile Bobcat SMG or trying to confirm if Stella Montis holds the Vulcano, you’ll leave here with a clear, actionable roadmap.
Understanding Blueprints vs. Gun Drops
Guns you pick up in the field are temporary. They have durability, can be lost on death, and cannot be recovered if you fail to extract. Blueprints, on the other hand, are permanent crafting recipes. Once you unlock a blueprint, you can craft that weapon or piece of gear indefinitely as long as you have the required materials. This makes every blueprint a long-term investment, while every found gun is just a short-term tool.
This distinction shapes every decision. Instead of hoarding rare weapons in a stash you rarely use, your goal should be to extract blueprints. The moment you learn the Tempest shotgun blueprint, for example, you can craft a fresh one whenever you need it. You no longer fear losing it during a PvP encounter or a difficult dungeon run.
Where to Find Guns and Blueprints in Once Human
The game distributes loot based on risk. Basic houses and abandoned vehicles mainly provide scrap, common ammo, and low-tier healing items. If you want firearms and the blueprints that matter, you need to push into high-tier points of interest (POIs).
High-Tier POIs and Enemy Sources
Bunkers, research labs, military installations, and tech-focused ruins are your primary hunting grounds. These locations spawn tougher ARC enemies, corrupted creatures, and mini-bosses, all of which have a far higher chance of dropping weapons or blueprints. Additionally, locked containers, encrypted tech crates, and data terminals found in these POIs are blueprint goldmines.
Some of the most reliable spots include:
- Overlook Town military checkpoint and its underground bunker.
- Rift Anchor sites, particularly the lab complexes near Broken Delta.
- The H.A.M. facility in the southern desert region (high blueprint density).
- Abandoned research outposts scattered across Iron River.
If you’re hunting specific weapon types, note that each faction’s enemy type slightly influences loot tables. ARC soldiers often drop military-grade firearms more frequently, while mutated organisms might yield bioweapon blueprints.
Missions and Objective Rewards
Don’t sleep on story missions, side quests, and seasonal objectives. Many guaranteed blueprint rewards are tied to completing specific quest chains. For example, the “Survival Guide” and “Path of the Metahuman” missions grant blueprints for entry-level weapons that still outperform random drops. Always check your quest log for blueprint rewards and prioritize those tasks when you need a reliable baseline.
What Are the Best Blueprints to Unlock First?
Your early blueprint choices heavily influence how smoothly you transition into mid- and late-game content. While personal playstyle matters, some blueprints simply offer more value because of their versatility, ammo efficiency, or raw power.
Top Weapon Blueprints
Bobcat SMG – A compact, rapid-fire SMG that excels in close-quarters combat. Its blueprint allows crafting with common resources, making it easy to replace. Ideal for bunker clears and PvP skirmishes.
Tempest Shotgun – Semi-automatic, high burst damage. The blueprint is highly sought after because shotguns stagger enemies and trivialize many elite encounters when crafted with enhanced slugs.
Vulcano Marksman Rifle – A precision semi-automatic rifle that rewards headshots. Unlocking this blueprint gives you a reliable option for long-range engagements without relying on rare sniper drops.
Recurve Crossbow (Elite variant) – Silent, retrievable bolts, and devastating when modded. Its blueprint is often overlooked but invaluable for stealth clears and supply runs.
Utility and Armor Blueprints
Don’t fixate only on weapons. Armor and utility blueprints are equally important:
- Hazard Suit components – Essential for surviving polluted zones. Prioritize chest and helmet blueprints first.
- Tactical Gloves (Reinforced) – Boost reload speed and weapon swap, directly improving your DPS.
- Backpack Expansion – Increases carry capacity, letting you extract more loot per run.
Can You Find Bobcat, Tempest, or Vulcano Blueprints in Stella Montis?
Stella Montis is a high-level zone characterized by its abandoned mining complex and fortified ARC outposts. The short answer is yes, you can find Bobcat, Tempest, and Vulcano blueprints there, but they are not guaranteed spawns. These blueprints exist in the loot table for the most difficult containers and elite enemies within that region.
Specifically, look for:
- Weapon Research Lockers inside Stella Montis’s central command bunker. These lockers have a small chance to drop any military-grade blueprint.
- Elite ARC Captains patrolling the open pit area. They occasionally drop Tempest or Bobcat blueprints.
- Encrypted Data Vaults (require a keycard found in the same POI). These vaults have the highest blueprint drop rate in Stella Montis and can contain the Vulcano blueprint.
If you’re determined to farm Stella Montis, learn the rotation of high-value containers and prioritize them over clearing trash enemies. Some players report the Vulcano is rarer there than in the Iron River labs, so manage expectations and treat each run as part of a larger grind.
What Happens to Blueprints and Items When You Move Your Camp?
Moving your base doesn’t affect your blueprint collection at all. Blueprints are tied to your character or account, not to any physical location. Once unlocked, they remain available in your crafting menu regardless of where you set up camp.
Physical items stored in your camp inventory behave differently. When you relocate, all placed structures and furniture are automatically packed into your camp storage. You won’t lose anything, but you’ll need to rebuild your layout at the new site. Crafted weapons, armor, resources, and any other items sitting in storage crates also move with you seamlessly. Just be aware that the camp’s territory boundaries change, so any outdoor farms or defense structures will need to be repositioned.
A common concern is whether blueprints gained from looting containers inside a previous base location disappear. They don’t. Looted blueprints are permanently learned the moment you extract them or use the blueprint item from your inventory.
