Cooking Skill Books
| Cooking Skill Books | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Skill Book |
| Trains | Cooking |
| Volumes | 5 |
| XP Bonus |
|
| Read Time, All Volumes | 50 h |
| Weight | 1 |
| Location | Containers |
| Spawn ID | /additem Base.BookCooking1and 5 more, see Volumes |
The Cooking Skill Books are a series of five volumes that speed up training in the Cooking skill. Each volume covers two skill levels, from Cooking I: "Better Burger Flipping" for a beginner to Cooking V: "Ruban Vert Gourmet - Complete Cooking Techniques" for the last steps.
A volume works as an experience multiplier. Once read, the Cooking experience earned in its two levels counts several times over. The first volume triples the gain, and the last one multiplies it by sixteen. For the survivor who feeds a household, the books turn every meal into faster progress.
The whole series takes about two full days of reading in game time. A Set of Cooking Books holds all five volumes in one bundle.
Book stores and the homes of chefs are the likeliest places to find them.
Reading
The volumes are read in order, and each one helps only while its own levels are being trained. Cooking I: "Better Burger Flipping" covers levels 1 and 2, so it is worth reading before the first proper meal. Cooking II: "Essential Home Cooking Guide" covers levels 3 and 4. Cooking III: "Flavorful Cuisine - 1993 Edition" takes over at level 5, and Cooking IV: "Professional Tips from a Master Chef" at level 7.
A volume picked up too early does not help yet. The character says "I don't get it" and makes no progress until the earlier levels are done. A volume read after its two levels are passed brings no training bonus. The best habit is to finish each volume just before reaching its levels.
The bonus grows with each volume. Volume I gives three times the experience, Volume II five times, Volume III eight times, Volume IV twelve times and Volume V sixteen times.
Longer volumes take longer to read. Volume I takes a little over seven hours of game time, and Volume V takes close to thirteen. Sitting down and wearing Reading Glasses each cut the time by a tenth. The Fast Reader trait cuts it by about a third, and Slow Reader adds a third.
A read can stop at any time. Progress is kept, so the book can wait while the stove needs watching.
Volumes
The five volumes, the levels each one speeds up, the XP bonus while those levels are trained, and how long each takes to read. Reading times are game time at the default two minutes a page. Sitting down and wearing Reading Glasses each cut the time by a tenth, the Fast Reader trait cuts it by about a third, and Slow Reader adds a third.
| Volume | Image | Levels | XP Bonus | Pages | Read Time | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking I: "Better Burger Flipping" | 
|
1 to 2 | x3 | 220 | 7 h 20 min | /additem Base.BookCooking1
|
| Cooking II: "Essential Home Cooking Guide" |
|
3 to 4 | x5 | 260 | 8 h 40 min | /additem Base.BookCooking2
|
| Cooking III: "Flavorful Cuisine - 1993 Edition" |
|
5 to 6 | x8 | 300 | 10 h | /additem Base.BookCooking3
|
| Cooking IV: "Professional Tips from a Master Chef" |
|
7 to 8 | x12 | 340 | 11 h 20 min | /additem Base.BookCooking4
|
| Cooking V: "Ruban Vert Gourmet - Complete Cooking Techniques" |
|
9 to 10 | x16 | 380 | 12 h 40 min | /additem Base.BookCooking5
|
Set of Cooking Books bundles all five volumes in one item and unpacks into them.
| Item | Image | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|
| Set of Cooking Books | 
|
/additem Base.BookCookingSet
|
Using
The Set of Cooking Books packs the five volumes into one item. A set is a little lighter to carry than five loose books and keeps the series together. Unpacking the set gives back the five volumes for reading.
Locations
Book store shelves are the best bet, holding one a little over one time in three. Rooms that belong to a chef come next: bodies there carry one about one time in three, and the dressers, wardrobes, counters, boxes and shelves hold one about one time in four. University storage and pawn shops are also good. Bedrooms, closets, post offices, attics, halls and living rooms turn one up now and then.
The places where it spawns, with the rough chance per container. Each tab shows one kind of place.
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Book store | Shelves | 39.2% |
| Chef | Small box | 26.7% |
| Book store | Other | 8.1% |
| Pawn shop | Other | 8.1% |
| Pawn shop | Shelves | 8.1% |
| Bedroom | Small box | 6.2% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Chef | Body | 31% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Chef | Dresser | 27.4% |
| Chef | Wardrobe | 27.4% |
| Chef | Cardboard box | 26.7% |
| Chef | Counter | 26.7% |
| Chef | Crate | 26.7% |
| Chef | Metal shelves | 26.7% |
| University storage | Other | 11.4% |
| Post office | Other | 4.6% |
| Post office storage | Other | 4.6% |
| Classroom | Counter | 3.5% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Closet | Other | 6.2% |
| Kid's bedroom | Other | 6.2% |
| Bedroom | Cardboard box | 5% |
| Attic | Cardboard box | 3.7% |
| Attic | Crate | 3.7% |
| Attic | Other | 3.7% |
| Bedroom | Crate | 3.7% |
| Hall | Other | 3.7% |
| Living room | Other | 3.7% |
| Kitchen | Other | 2.6% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Counter | 1.6% |
| Survivor safehouse (late game) | Counter | 1.1% |
| Survivor safehouse | Counter | 0.9% |
| Survivor safehouse | Fireplace | 0.4% |
| Survivor safehouse | Shelves | 0.4% |
| Survivor safehouse (late game) | Fireplace | 0.4% |
| Survivor safehouse (late game) | Shelves | 0.4% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Fireplace | 0.4% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Shelves | 0.4% |
Notes
- Read each volume before reaching its first level, not after.
- Reading progress is kept if the read is stopped partway.
- A chef's rooms often hold several volumes at once.
- A spare volume burns for about fifteen minutes as fire fuel.
All Literature Categories
All Skill Books