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Build 42
Guides
Character
Crafting
World
Multiplayer
Buying
News
Language
English
Português
Español
Indonesia
CHARACTER PLANNER
Build 42 — 25 occupations × 81 traits. Pick one occupation, balance positive and negative traits.
① SELECT OCCUPATION
Custom Occupation
custom
Gives 8 build points to spend freely. No starting skills or gear.
Burger Flipper
crafting
Gives 2 build points. Fast food kitchen training — starts with Keen Cook.
Tailor
crafting
Gives 2 build points. Expert clothing repair and modification — +4 Tailoring and 59 sewing/knitting recipes.
Doctor
medical
Point neutral. Premium medic — highest First Aid in the game.
Farmer
farming
Point neutral. Build 42 expanded farming system — starts knowing 63 crop/pest recipes.
Firefighter
combat
Point neutral. Reliable day-one kit with axe and protective gear. Sprinting + Strength = best beginner all-around.
Lumberjack
combat
Point neutral. Ax-pert trait gives -25% swing speed and +50% damage with axes. S-tier melee opener.
Nurse
medical
Point neutral. Free Night Owl trait — doesn't get tired at night. Solid medical starter.
Rancher
farming
Point neutral. Build 42 livestock expert — knows how to craft barbed wire.
Carpenter
crafting
Costs 2 build points. 4 Carpentry is the highest in the game. Excellent base-building role (19 recipes).
Chef
crafting
Costs 2 build points. Highest Cooking level. Keen Cook trait auto-granted (20 cooking recipes).
Construction Worker
crafting
Costs 2 build points. All-around builder + construction weapon bonus. +2 Masonry / +2 Short Blunt is a lot.
DIY Expert
crafting
Costs 2 build points. Free Inventive trait for lower recipe-research skill requirements (24 recipes).
Electrician
utility
Costs 2 build points. Highest Electrical skill — can operate generators from day one (12 unlocks).
Fishing Guide
survival
Costs 2 build points. Survival food expert — fishing rod crafting, foraging bonus, animal butchering (5 recipes).
Fitness Instructor
combat
Costs 6 build points. Massive stat boosts. -6 means you need 6 points of negative traits to balance.
Security Guard
combat
Costs 2 build points. Night Owl trait + Short Blunt for melee. Indoor clearer, stairwell holder.
Mechanic
vehicle
Costs 4 build points. Highest Mechanics skill — can repair all vehicle types without recipe magazines.
Engineer
crafting
Costs 4 build points. Can craft traps and explosives without recipe magazines (13 unlocks).
Park Ranger
survival
Costs 4 build points. 75% faster movement through forests, 2x foraging radius. Grants Herbalist (5 trap recipes).
Police Officer
combat
Costs 4 build points. Highest Aiming skill. 4 Aiming = headshot machine.
Welder
crafting
Costs 4 build points. Can weld foraged metal to create items and barricades. 4 Welding unlocks 85 high-tier recipes.
Burglar
combat
Costs 6 build points. Exclusive Burglar trait: hotwire vehicles, 50% less likely to break window locks, faster sheet-rope climbing (14 unlocks).
Blacksmith
crafting
Costs 6 build points. Build 42 core crafting role — can build stone furnace and work metal (86 unlocks).
Veteran
combat
Costs 8 build points. Ultimate challenge build — starts at -8, need 8 points of negative traits. Desensitized = zero panic.
② BUILD PREVIEW
Occupation
None selected
Traits
0
Points Pool
8
Points Spent
0
Remaining
8
③ SELECT TRAITS
All
+ Positive
− Negative
Adrenaline Junkie
Moves faster when highly panicked (flat +0.20/+0.25 base speed at Strong/Extreme Panic).
+4
Angler
+1 Fishing. Knows how to make and fix a fishing rod. Improves foraging.
+4
Artisan
Better at pottery and glass crafts. +1 Glassmaking / +1 Pottery.
+2
Athletic
+4 Fitness. Faster running, can run longer without tiring. Can be trained off by exercising.
+10
Baseball Player
+1 Long Blunt. The classic melee weapon skill boost.
+4
Blacksmith Knowledge
+2 Blacksmithing / +1 Maintenance. Can use an anvil to create metal items. Required for high-tier blacksmithing recipes.
+6
Brave
Less prone to becoming panicked (reduced panic gain except night terrors and phobias).
+4
Brawler
+1 Axe / +1 Long Blunt. Reinforced weapon crafting.
+6
Bushcrafter
+1 Carving / +1 Foraging / +1 Knapping / +1 Maintenance. Finds medicinal herbs, crafts medicines/poultices, makes stone & bone tools, starts campfires faster. (Build 42 rename of Wilderness Knowledge.)
+8
Cat's Eyes
Better vision at night (+20% night vision). Improves foraging.
+3
Crafty
130% XP gain for all crafting skills. Build 42 new trait.
+3
Dextrous
Transfers inventory items quickly (50% faster), faster rope climbing & less chance of falling, faster weapon shouldering.
+2
Eagle Eyed
Wider field of view, faster visibility fade, weapon sights more effective at long range. Improves foraging.
+4
Fast Healer
Recovers quickly from injuries and illness (recently inflicted injuries have less severity).
+6
Fast Learner
130% XP gain for all skills except Strength and Fitness.
+6
Fast Reader
Takes less time to read books (130% reading speed).
+2
First Aider
+1 First Aid skill.
+2
Fit
+2 Fitness. Can be trained off by exercising.
+6
Former Scout
+1 First Aid / +1 Foraging / +1 Fishing. Knows how to make and fix a fishing rod, starts fires faster.
+6
Gardener
+1 Farming. Improves foraging. 64 crop / pest-cure recipes.
+2
Graceful
Makes less noise when moving (60% footstep sound radius). Harder for zombies to detect you.
+4
Gymnast
+1 Lightfoot / +1 Nimble. Perfect for stealth builds.
+5
Handy
+1 Carpentry / +1 Carving / +1 Maintenance / +1 Masonry. +100 HP to constructions, ~11% faster building. Build 42 new trait.
+8
Herbalist
+1 Foraging. Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines & poultices. (Also granted by Park Ranger.)
+4
Hiker
+1 Foraging / +1 Trapping. Improves foraging. Trap crafting.
+5
Hunter
+1 Aiming / +1 Tracking / +1 Sneak / +1 Short Blade / +1 Butchering. Improves foraging. Trap crafting.
+8
Inconspicuous
Less likely to be spotted by zombies (50% chance of being spotted from far).
+4
Inventive
Lower skill level requirements to research recipes from items or auto-learn recipes. Build 42 new trait. (Also granted by DIY Expert.)
+2
Iron Gut
50% chance of food illness, and food illness lasts shorter.
+2
Keen Cook
+2 Cooking / +1 Butchering. Knows cooking recipes. Improves foraging. (Also granted by Burger Flipper / Chef.)
+3
Keen Hearing
Larger perception radius (200%). Zombies approaching from behind are visible much earlier.
+6
Light Eater
75% hunger — needs to eat less regularly.
+2
Low Thirst
50% thirst — needs less water to survive.
+2
Mason
+2 Masonry. Better at building stone and brick constructions. Build 42 new trait.
+2
Nutritionist
Can see the nutritional values of any food, even unpackaged. Improves foraging. (Also granted by Fitness Instructor.)
+2
Organized
130% capacity for all containers, including boxes, cupboards and cars.
+4
Outdoorsy
Less affected by harsh weather conditions (10% chance of catching a cold, reduced scratch/laceration from trees). Improves foraging. (Build 42 rename of Outdoorsman.)
+2
Resilient
Less prone to disease (45% chance of a cold), slower zombification (75% rate). Build 42 new trait.
+4
Runner
+1 Sprinting. Sprint distance bonus.
+4
Sewer
+1 Tailoring. 59 sewing / knitting recipes. Build 42 new trait.
+4
Speed Demon
200% gear-switching speed, 115% top speed for all vehicles. Build 42 new trait.
+1
Stout
+2 Strength. Extra knockback, increased carrying weight. Can be trained off by exercising.
+6
Strong
+4 Strength, +40% knockback power. Can be trained off by exercising.
+10
Target Shooter
+1 Aiming. Extra headshot accuracy. Build 42 new trait.
+5
Thick Skinned
Lower chance of being scratched or bitten by zombies (1.3x injury-avoidance chance), reduced clothing damage from trees.
+8
Tinkerer
+1 Maintenance. Repair is faster. Build 42 new trait.
+4
Vehicle Knowledge
+1 Mechanics. Knowledge of common & commercial vehicle models and repairs (can repair standard + heavy-duty vehicles). (Also granted by Mechanic.)
+3
Wakeful
-30% fatigue increase rate, +10% sleep efficiency — needs less sleep.
+3
Whittler
+2 Carving. Can craft bone fishing hook, bone sewing needle, sharpen animal bones. Improves foraging. Build 42 new trait.
+2
Agoraphobic
Gets panicked when outdoors. Foraging search radius decreased.
-4
All Thumbs
Transfers inventory items slowly (400% time), can't craft while walking, slower rope climbing & weapon shouldering.
-2
Short of Breath
Faster endurance loss (140% running/sprint endurance, 130% swing endurance). (Build 42 rename of Asthmatic.)
-5
Claustrophobic
Gets panicked in small indoor rooms; the smaller the environment the greater the panic. (Build 42 new selectable trait.)
-4
Clumsy
Makes more noise when moving (120% footstep sound radius).
-2
Conspicuous
More likely to be spotted by zombies (200%).
-4
Cowardly
Especially prone to becoming panicked (200% panic gain except night terrors and phobias).
-2
Deaf
Can't hear any sound and can't listen to the radio (can still watch TV with subtitles). Huge point reward, huge penalty.
-12
Disorganized
70% capacity for all containers (world containers & bags, not main inventory).
-6
Fast Metabolism
Permanent tendency to lose weight — starts with Low Weight trait. (Build 42 name change.)
-2
Weak
-2 Strength, carrying capacity reduced to 9 (instead of 12), reduced chance to shove. (Build 42: base id feeble, shown as "Weak".)
-6
Fear of Blood
Panics when administering first aid to self (only while bleeding), can't perform first aid on others, stressed when bloody.
-5
Hard of Hearing
Smaller perception radius and hearing range; audio becomes muffled.
-4
Hearty Appetite
150% hunger — needs to eat more regularly (+3% bonus to packaged foods/mushrooms/berries/animals).
-4
High Thirst
Twice as thirsty; health bar drops faster when dying of thirst.
-2
Illiterate
Cannot read any text except comic books, illustrated books and HottieZ; cannot write notes. Huge point reward.
-10
Out of Shape
-2 Fitness. Low endurance and endurance regeneration. (Build 42: was the generic "Unfit" band.)
-6
Prone to Illness
More prone to disease (170% chance of a cold), faster zombification (125%).
-4
Puny
-5 Strength, -40% knockback power, extremely small carrying weight. Can be trained off by exercising.
-10
Reluctant Fighter
75% skill XP for Short/Long Blade, Small/Long Blunt, Axe, Spear, Maintenance and Aiming. (Build 42 rename of Pacifist.)
-5
Restless Sleeper
Slow loss of tiredness while sleeping; higher chance of waking to a zombie banging on doors. (Build 42 rename of Insomniac.)
-6
Short Sighted
Anything more than 4 tiles away becomes blurred; weapon sights less effective. Fixable with eyeglasses.
-2
Slow Healer
Recovers slowly from injuries and illness (recently inflicted injuries have more severity).
-3
Slow Learner
70% XP gain for all skills except Strength and Fitness.
-6
Slow Metabolism
Permanent tendency to gain weight — starts with High Weight trait. (Build 42 name change.)
-2
Slow Reader
70% reading speed — takes longer to read books and literature.
-2
Sleepyhead
+30% fatigue, -10% sleep effectiveness; needs at least 12h of sleep to recover. (Build 42 rename of Sleepy.)
-4
Smoker
Unhappiness rises when tobacco is not smoked; stress/unhappiness drop after smoking.
-3
Sunday Driver
Accelerates vehicles 40% slower, max speed 30 mph. (Build 42 new trait.)
-1
Thin Skinned
Higher chance of being scratched or bitten by zombies (0.7x), more clothing damage from trees.
-8
Unfit
-4 Fitness. Very low endurance and endurance regeneration. Can be trained off by exercising.
-10
Weak Stomach
200% chance of food illness, and it lasts longer. (bamboogaming 42.20.4 = "Gives 2 points"; game-rack also +2.)
-2
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④ UNLOCKED RECIPES & ABILITIES
Pick an occupation (and traits) to see the recipes and abilities your build unlocks.