Police Officer
| Police Officer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Occupations |
| Type | Occupation |
| Points | -4 |
| Skill Boosts | |
The Police Officer brings the strongest firearms start in the game. It suits a survivor who wants to rely on guns from the first day.
The occupation costs 4 points from the trait budget. It starts with four levels of Aiming. It also starts with one level each in Reloading and Nimble.
Aiming is one of the hardest skills to train. Every practice shot costs ammunition and draws zombies. The Police Officer skips the riskiest part of that climb. A gun in skilled hands kills fast and from a distance, which makes the occupation strong whenever ammunition is at hand.
Police Officer Skills
Four levels of Aiming make shots far more accurate. Fewer shots miss and more land as critical hits. The aim recovers faster after moving, and guns fire again more quickly. Firearms also lose condition more slowly. No other occupation starts higher in Aiming.
Movement also hurts accuracy less at higher levels. Most firearms reach a little further with each level. The gain varies from gun to gun, and rifles gain more range from the skill than pistols do.
One level of Reloading speeds up swapping magazines and loading rounds. The Veteran starts one level higher in this skill. Faster reloads let a shooter keep firing during a fight instead of backing off.
One level of Nimble speeds up movement in the combat stance. A Police Officer can back away while keeping the gun raised. Nimble also quietens footsteps a little.
Aiming experience slows down from level 5, so the head start saves a great deal of shooting. From that point, gains drop to a little over a third of the normal rate. The later Aiming skill books are especially valuable for that reason.
A new Police Officer starts with these skill levels.
| Skill | Levels | Skill Group |
|---|---|---|
| Aiming | +4 | Combat - Firearms |
| Reloading | +1 | Combat - Firearms |
| Nimble | +1 | Physical |
How to Play Police Officer
A Police Officer plays best with a gun and a plan. Firearms kill quickly, but every shot is loud and draws zombies. Choosing a safe spot and an escape route before shooting makes a big difference.
Ammunition is the main limit, since every shot uses some up. The Police Officer has a small foraging bonus for ammunition, weapons, junk and trash. Weather hurts the Police Officer's foraging a little less too.
Police stations and gun stores hold the most firearms and ammunition. The Police Officer can start at a police station in some towns. Muldraugh has the Muldraugh Police Department. Rosewood has the Rosewood Police Department. Riverside has the United States River Patrol. Other starts use ordinary residential housing.
Aiming experience comes from landing shots on enemies. Only shots fired outside a vehicle count. A safe spot with an escape route makes a training session far less risky. Hunter and Target Shooter each add a level of Aiming at character creation.
The high point cost leaves less room for traits. Melee training starts from scratch, so a backup weapon for quiet fights is useful. A knife, hammer or bat saves ammunition on lone zombies and keeps the noise down.
Guns are hard to find in the first days outside police stations and gun stores. A Police Officer who spawns at home may fight with melee for a while before the first good firearm turns up. The Aiming start pays off fully once a gun and a stock of ammunition are in hand.
Panic works against a shooter. Higher panic levels make aiming harder at range, cut critical hits and make clearing a jam harder. Brave reduces panic from zombies by a large amount, which keeps a shooter's aim steadier in a tense fight.
Gun programs on television and tape give Aiming and Reloading experience. Dead Wrong, Knox Gun Owners Club's Guide to Guns and Basic Gun Handling (Officer Use Only) all help. Those gains only count in the first three levels of a skill. The Police Officer's Aiming is already past that point, but Reloading still benefits.
Nimble trains by walking in the combat stance. Laps around a safe yard with the weapon raised build the skill steadily, with or without zombies nearby.
Training Reloading by unloading and reloading magazines is safe and quiet. Inserting a magazine gives experience. Loading rounds into a magazine or straight into a gun gives experience too. No shots need to be fired, so a quiet room works as a training ground.
Notes
- Aiming starts higher here than for any other occupation.
- Every shot draws zombies, so plan an escape first.
- Police stations and gun stores hold the most guns and ammunition.
- Train Reloading quietly with spare magazines.
- Carry a melee weapon for silent kills.
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