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Inventive

Inventive
Inventive
Class Traits
Type Positive Trait
Points -2
Effect Has lower skill level requirements to research recipes from items or auto learn recipes.
Conflicts Inventive
Free With DIY Expert

Inventive lowers the skill level a character needs to research recipes from items or learn them automatically. Recipes come one skill level earlier than usual.

It is a positive trait and costs 2 points at character creation. The DIY Expert occupation grants it for free. It suits a builder who wants key recipes early, before finding the right book or magazine. For a cheap price, it can speed up important milestones.

Inventive Effects

Recipes that unlock at a skill level arrive one level sooner. The same goes for recipes learned by researching an existing item. Taking an item apart to study it works with less skill.

The generator is a good example. Normally, connecting a generator is learned automatically at Electrical level 3. With Inventive, it comes at level 2. That saves a whole level of Electrical training, or the hunt for the right book or magazine.

Early generators make a big difference. Power keeps fridges running and lights on after the grid shuts off.

There is a small downside. Item quality depends on skill level. Crafting a recipe at a lower level can give an item with lower starting condition. Carved handles are one example, coming out weaker at low Carving.

Occupations with Inventive

These occupations hand out Inventive for free.

Name Image Points
DIY Expert DIY Expert -2

Inventive Conflicting Traits

A character with Inventive cannot also take these traits.

Name Image Points Type
Inventive Inventive -2 Positive Trait

Picking Inventive

For 2 points, Inventive is a strong buy for any crafter. It helps most when skill books are hard to find.

A DIY Expert start already includes it. Other builders can add it cheaply.

It pairs well with Crafty or Fast Learner. Faster training and earlier recipes together make a crafter grow very quickly.

Notes

  • Recipes unlock one skill level earlier.
  • Researching items also needs one level less.
  • Generators can be connected at Electrical level 2.
  • Low-level crafting can give items in worse condition.


All Character Categories


All Traits


Trait Image Points Effect
Adrenaline Junkie Adrenaline Junkie -4 Moves faster when highly panicked.
Angler Angler -4 Fishing +1
Artisan Artisan -2 Better at pottery and glass crafts.
Athletic Athletic -10 Faster running speed. Can run for longer without tiring.
Baseball Player Baseball Player -4 Long Blunt +1
Blacksmith Knowledge Blacksmith Knowledge -6 Can use an anvil to create metal items.
Brave Brave -4 Less prone to becoming panicked.
Brawler Brawler -6 Axe +1, Long Blunt +1
Bushcrafter Bushcrafter -8 Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them, and make simple stone and bone tools. Start fires faster.
Cat's Eyes Cat's Eyes -3 Better vision at night.
Crafty Crafty -3 Increased XP gains for Crafting skills.
Dextrous Dextrous -2 Transfers inventory items quickly. Faster rope climbing speed, and less chance of falling. Faster weapon shouldering time.
Eagle Eyed Eagle Eyed -4 Faster visibility fade. Higher visibility arc. Weapon sights more effective at long range.
Fast Healer Fast Healer -6 Recovers quickly from injuries and illness.
Fast Learner Fast Learner -6 Increased XP gains.
Fast Reader Fast Reader -2 Takes less time to read books.
First Aider First Aider -2 First Aid +1
Fit Fit -6 Fitness +2
Former Scout Former Scout -6 Start fires faster.
Gardener Gardener -2 Agriculture +1
Graceful Graceful -4 Makes less noise when moving.
Gymnast Gymnast -5 Lightfooted +1, Nimble +1
Handy Handy -8 Faster and stronger constructions.
Herbalist Herbalist -4 Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them.
Hiker Hiker -5 Foraging +1, Trapping +1
Hunter Hunter -8 Aiming +1, Tracking +1, Sneaking +1, Short Blade +1, Butchering +1
Inconspicuous Inconspicuous -4 Less likely to be spotted by zombies.
Inventive Inventive -2 Has lower skill level requirements to research recipes from items or auto learn recipes.
Iron Gut Iron Gut -2 Less chance to have food illness.
Keen Cook Keen Cook -3 Knows cooking recipes.
Keen Hearing Keen Hearing -6 Larger perception radius.
Light Eater Light Eater -2 Needs to eat less regularly.
Low Thirst Low Thirst -2 Needs less water to survive.
Mason Mason -2 Better at building stone and brick constructions.
Nutritionist Nutritionist -2 Can see the nutritional values of any food.
Organized Organized -4 Increased container inventory capacity.
Outdoorsy Outdoorsy -2 Less affected by harsh weather conditions.
Resilient Resilient -4 Less prone to disease. Slower rate of zombification.
Runner Runner -4 Running +1
Sewer Sewer -4 Tailoring +1
Speed Demon Speed Demon -1 Drives very fast.
Stout Stout -6 Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight.
Strong Strong -10 Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight.
Target Shooter Target Shooter -5 Aiming +1
Thick-skinned Thick-skinned -8 Lower chance of being scratched or bitten.
Tinkerer Tinkerer -4 Maintenance +1
Vehicle Knowledge Vehicle Knowledge -3 Has knowledge of common and commercial vehicle models, and repairs.
Wakeful Wakeful -3 Needs less sleep.
Whittler Whittler -2 Can carve wood and bone items.
Trait Image Points Effect
Agoraphobic Agoraphobic +4 Gets panicked when outdoors.
All Thumbs All Thumbs +2 Transfers inventory items slowly. Can't craft anything while walking. Slower rope climbing speed, and higher chance of falling. Slower weapon shouldering time.
Claustrophobic Claustrophobic +4 Gets panicked when in small indoor rooms.
Clumsy Clumsy +2 Makes more noise when moving.
Conspicuous Conspicuous +4 More likely to be spotted by zombies.
Cowardly Cowardly +2 Especially prone to becoming panicked.
Deaf Deaf +12 Can't hear sound.
Disorganized Disorganized +6 Decreased container inventory capacity. Affects world containers and bags, but not your main inventory.
Fast Metabolism Fast Metabolism +2 Permanent tendency to lose weight. Starts with Low Weight trait.
Fear of Blood Fear of Blood +5 Panic when performing first aid on self. Cannot perform first aid on others. Gets stressed when bloody.
Hard of Hearing Hard of Hearing +4 Smaller perception radius. Smaller hearing range.
Hearty Appetite Hearty Appetite +4 Needs to eat more regularly.
High Thirst High Thirst +2 Needs more water to survive.
Illiterate Illiterate +10 Cannot read any books or in-world text.
Out of Shape Out of Shape +6 Low endurance, low endurance regeneration.
Prone to Illness Prone to Illness +4 More prone to disease. Faster rate of zombification.
Puny Puny +10 Far less knockback from melee weapons. Extremely small carrying weight.
Reluctant Fighter Reluctant Fighter +5 Decreased combat XP gains.
Restless Sleeper Restless Sleeper +6 Slow loss of tiredness while sleeping.
Short Sighted Short Sighted +2 Smaller view distance. Slower visibility fade. Weapon sights less effective.
Short of Breath Short of Breath +5 Faster endurance loss.
Sleepyhead Sleepyhead +4 Needs more sleep.
Slow Healer Slow Healer +3 Recovers slowly from injuries and illness.
Slow Learner Slow Learner +6 Decreased XP gains.
Slow Metabolism Slow Metabolism +2 Permanent tendency to gain weight. Starts with High Weight trait.
Slow Reader Slow Reader +2 Takes longer to read books and other literature.
Smoker Smoker +3 Unhappiness rises when tobacco is not smoked. Stress and unhappiness decrease after smoking tobacco.
Sunday Driver Sunday Driver +1 Drives very slow.
Thin-skinned Thin-skinned +8 Higher chance of being scratched or bitten by zombies.
Unfit Unfit +10 Very low endurance and endurance regeneration.
Weak Weak +6 Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight.
Weak Stomach Weak Stomach +2 Higher chance to have food illness.
Trait Image Points Effect
Ax-pert Ax-pert - Better at chopping trees. Faster axe swing.
Desensitized Desensitized - Far less prone to panic. Ignore discomfort.
Emaciated Emaciated - Low strength, low endurance and prone to injury.
High Weight High Weight - Reduced running speed, low endurance and prone to injury.
Low Weight Low Weight - Low strength, low endurance and prone to injury.
Marksman Marksman - Improved gun accuracy and damage. Quicker reload.
Night Owl Night Owl - Requires little sleep. Stays extra alert even when sleeping.
Very High Weight Very High Weight - Reduced running speed, very low endurance and prone to injury.
Very Low Weight Very Low Weight - Very low strength, very low endurance and prone to injury.