Farmer
| Farmer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Occupations |
| Type | Occupation |
| Points | 0 |
| Skill Boosts |
|
The Farmer brings the strongest crop-growing start in the game. It suits a survivor who plans to live off the land for a long run.
The occupation costs no points from the trait budget. It starts with four levels of Agriculture. It also starts with one level each in Animal Care and Strength. The Farmer knows the growing season of every common crop and herb, plus a set of farm recipes.
Canned food and packaged goods run out in time, and fresh food spoils. A farm is the answer to both problems, and the Farmer starts most of the way there. Healthy crops, larger harvests and full knowledge of planting seasons turn a backyard plot into a steady food supply. The free trait budget leaves room to cover the rest of survival with traits.
Farmer Skills
Four levels of Agriculture show a crop's growth phase, water level and disease at a glance. Hovering over a crop shows a tooltip with its state. The water level appears as a bar in the info window. Crops start healthier, recover from disease more easily and give bigger harvests.
The skill helps the crops in other ways too. Bad planting months cause fewer problems at higher levels. Fertilizer and good timing are more likely to bring a bonus yield. Level 6 adds the time left until the next growth phase, which is a short climb from the start.
Agriculture grows only from harvesting crops the character planted. Plowing, sowing, weeding, watering and fertilising all help the crop, but only the harvest pays out. A healthy crop gives more experience at harvest, while a neglected one gives less. Good care pays off in skill as well as food.
One level of Animal Care starts the path to raising livestock. Watering animals and collecting eggs push the skill higher. Level 3 shows whether a mammal is pregnant or an egg-layer's eggs are fertilised.
One level of Strength raises melee damage and carry weight a little. Hauling water, seeds and harvests is a little easier as a result. Strength is slow to train, so a free level is worth having.
A new Farmer starts with these skill levels.
| Skill | Levels | Skill Group |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | +4 | Farming |
| Animal Care | +1 | Farming |
| Strength | +1 | Physical |
Farmer Recipes
The Farmer knows how to make cures for crop diseases and pests. The Mildew Cure, the Aphids Cure and the Flies Cure all protect a field. The Flies Cure can be made from cigarettes, loose tobacco or chewing tobacco.
The Scarecrow is known too. Barbed wire can be made from wire, which helps with fencing. The Farmer also knows how to make a jar of preserved food, so a big harvest can be stored.
The growing seasons cover vegetables, fruits, grains and herbs. Carrots, potatoes, cabbages, corn, tomatoes and strawberries are among them. Grains such as wheat, barley and rye are known too, along with flax, hops and tobacco. Other characters must read magazines or seed packets to learn these seasons.
Medicinal and wild plants are part of the list as well. Chamomile, comfrey, common mallow, broadleaf plantain, black sage and wild garlic can all be grown at home. Flowers such as sunflowers, roses, lavender and marigolds are known too.
A Farmer knows these recipes from the start, with no book or magazine needed.
| Name | Image | Recipe | Crafting Materials | Tools | Skill | Station | Learned | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aphids Spray | 
|
Make Aphids Cure | - | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.GardeningSprayAphids
| |
| Barbed Wire | 
|
Make Barbed Wire from Wire | 1x Wire | Pliers | None | Any Surface | Yes | /additem Base.BarbedWire
|
| Pest Flies Spray |
|
Make Flies Cure from Chewing Tobacco | - | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.GardeningSprayCigarettes
| |
| Pest Flies Spray |
|
Make Flies Cure from Cigarettes | - | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.GardeningSprayCigarettes
| |
| Pest Flies Spray |
|
Make Flies Cure from Loose Tobacco | - | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.GardeningSprayCigarettes
| |
| Jar of Bell Peppers | 
|
Make Jar of Preserved Food |
|
Bread Knife | Cooking: 0 | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.CannedBellPepper
|
| Mildew Spray |
|
Make Mildew Cure | - | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.GardeningSprayMilk
| |
| Scarecrow | 
|
Make Scarecrow |
|
- | None | In Hand | Yes | /additem Base.Mov_Scarecrow
|
A Farmer also knows the growing season of these crops.
| Crop |
|---|
| Barley |
| Basil |
| Bell Pepper |
| Black Sage |
| Broadleaf Plantain |
| Broccoli |
| Cabbage |
| Carrot |
| Cauliflower |
| Chamomile |
| Chives |
| Cilantro |
| Comfrey |
| Common Mallow |
| Corn |
| Cucumber |
| Flax |
| Garlic |
| Green Pea |
| Habanero |
| Hemp |
| Hops |
| Jalapeno |
| Kale |
| Lavender |
| Leek |
| Lemongrass |
| Lettuce |
| Marigold |
| Mint |
| Onion |
| Oregano |
| Parsley |
| Poppy |
| Potato |
| Pumpkin |
| Radish |
| Rose |
| Rosemary |
| Rye |
| Sage |
| Soybean |
| Spinach |
| Strawberry |
| Sugar Beet |
| Sunflower |
| Sweet Potato |
| Thyme |
| Tobacco |
| Tomato |
| Turnip |
| Watermelon |
| Wheat |
| Wild Garlic |
| Zucchini |
How to Play Farmer
A Farmer plays best as a long-term settler. A safe field near reliable water is the first goal. Seeds come from seed packets, from extracting them from crops and from blooming plants at harvest.
Planting each crop in its best season raises yields, and the Farmer knows those seasons from the start. Pest and disease cures keep a field healthy through the year.
Placement matters. Crops grow best outside in the sun on ground level. Zombies and vehicles crush crops, so a fence around the field protects them. Scything grass destroys crops in the area, so cutting near the field needs care.
Water becomes the main worry once the taps fail. Under default settings, the water shuts off at a random time in the first weeks. Rain collectors keep a field watered after that. A Farmer who sets them up early avoids a thirsty harvest.
The Farmer also has strong foraging bonuses. Crops stand out most, with smaller boosts for herbs, animals, fruits and vegetables. Weather and darkness also hurt the Farmer's foraging less than usual. The search radius is a little wider than normal too.
The occupation costs nothing, so the full trait budget stays free. Gardener adds another level of Agriculture. Keen Cook adds Cooking levels, which turn a harvest into better meals. A combat trait helps protect the field, since the Farmer's starting skills lean toward farm work.
The Exposure Survival show on Life and Living TV gives Agriculture experience. Several tapes about growing fruit, vegetables and herbs help too. Watching only pays off in the first three levels, so the Farmer gains more from the higher Agriculture books.
A Farmer and a Rancher make a natural pair in a group. One handles the crops while the other handles the animals.
Notes
- Every growing season is known without magazines.
- Pest and disease cures protect the field from the start.
- Fence the field, since zombies and vehicles crush crops.
- Foraging turns up wild crops more readily for a Farmer.
- Only harvests of the character's own crops train Agriculture.
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