Mastery Cave

Warning: Spoilers   This page or section contains unmarked spoilers from update 1.6 of Stardew Valley. Players may want to avoid or be cautious toward reading this article/section.

Mastery Cave
Closed:	Never
Address:	Cindersap Forest
Occupants:	None

The Mastery Cave is an area located in the Cindersap Forest. It is unlocked after the Player has achieved max level in all 5 skills. It is unlocked right after the player reaches level 10 on their fifth skill; there is no need to wait until the next day.

If attempted to enter before reaching level 10 in all skills, a message will display: Only a master of the five ways may enter ([Number of max level skills]/5). Inside, the player finds a letter from Grandpa in the southeast corner, a pedestal in the middle of the cave that reads "The Last Path" and displays the mastery progress bar, and the five pillars, each describing a mastery of a skill.

Grandpa's Letter

In the southeast corner Grandpa has left a letter for the Farmer. The letter will read the following:

“

“My dear <player's name>, If you're reading this note, you've found the secret room I've prepared for you. Within these walls are tips, recipes, and even some of my most cherished tools... all the very best from the many happy years I spent in the valley. By coming this far, you'll have proven that you possess the skill and wisdom to make good use of these powerful secrets. I hope my discoveries help you in your journey to making <Farm's name> a shining star of the whole world! Make me proud! - Grandpa ”

Masteries

Each pillar represents a mastery which grants special items or benefits. One can only be claimed once the Player reaches a new mastery level. The masteries may be picked in any order. However, each mastery level after the first costs progressively more experience points to unlock.

Unlike skills, any type of experience gained counts towards a new mastery level. For instance, catching fish or mining nodes both generate progress for obtaining a new mastery level. In addition, unlike skills, it is possible for the player to track their progress towards the next mastery level in-game. The experience required to unlock each mastery level is as follows:

Level	Mastery points needed to unlock from previous level	Total Mastery Points Required
1	10,000	10,000
2	15,000	25,000
3	20,000	45,000
4	25,000	70,000
5	30,000	100,000

After reaching a new mastery level, a message will show saying "You've reached a new level of understanding...". The player can then claim one of the masteries by going to the cave and interacting with a pillar.

Obtained masteries will show up in the Special Items & Powers tab of the player.

Name	Rewards
Farming Mastery		Iridium Scythe	Can be used to harvest any crops. It's also excellent at gathering hay.
		Statue Of Blessings Recipe	Touching the statue gives a unique blessing every day.
		You can now find Golden Animal Crackers, which permanently doubles a farm animal's produce. Doesn't work on pigs.
Mining Mastery		Statue Of The Dwarf King Recipe	Choose from two mining-related powers each day.
		Heavy Furnace Recipe	It's more efficient than a regular furnace. Requires 25 pieces of ore and 3 coal per use.
		Gem-bearing rocks now grant twice the gems.
Foraging Mastery		Mystic Tree Seed recipe	This can be planted to grow a special tree.
		Treasure Totem recipe	Use on diggable terrain to summon a ring of treasure spots.
		You can now find Golden Mystery Boxes, which contain superior items.
Fishing Mastery		Advanced Iridium Rod	Use in the water to catch fish. Up to two bobbers can be attached at once.
		Challenge Bait recipe	A "perfect" catch yields triple the fish. However, each time a fish escapes the "fishing bar", the catch is reduced.
		You can now encounter Golden Fishing Treasure Chests.
Combat Mastery		Anvil recipe	Allows you to re-forge trinkets, randomizing their stats. Costs 3 iridium bars per use.
		Mini-Forge recipe	Now, you can use a dwarvish forge from the convenience of your home.
		Unlocks a new equipment slot for trinkets. Trinkets can be found while adventuring and grant special powers.

Completed Mastery Skills

Mastery Completion

After completing all 5 of the mastery skills a candle will light above each of the pillars, the letter on the right will be removed, and a hat will appear on the pedestal between the combat and the foraging mastery pillars. There will also be a message saying "You feel Grandpa's hand patting your shoulder... "

Trivia

• In Secret Note #27, Grandpa mentions a "very special secret" he hid somewhere in the valley, referring to the Mastery Cave.
• If a player hovers their mouse over the pillars showing the mastery rewards, they will be able to see a normal mouse instead of the custom one.

History

• 1.6: Introduced.