Short Blade Skill
| Short Blade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Skills |
| Type | Skill |
| Skill Group | Combat - Melee |
| Max Level | 10 |
| Total XP | 32,775 |
| Best Occupation |
|
The Short Blade Skill governs fighting with knives and other small blades. It raises attack speed and damage with them and reduces the muscle strain of each strike. It belongs to the Combat - Melee group.
The Kitchen Knife, Hunting Knife and even a Screwdriver all count as short blades. A trained character lands jaw stabs more often, which makes these small weapons far more useful. The Burger Flipper, Chef and Doctor each start with a level in this skill, and the Hunter trait adds another.
Short blades are the stealth weapons of the game. A knife strike from behind can end a zombie quietly in one move. Knives are also light and easy to find, since nearly every kitchen holds one. Their weakness is wear. Most knives lose condition quickly, so a knife fighter carries spares.
How to Level Short Blade
Short Blade experience comes from hitting enemies with a short blade. Every strike that lands on a zombie counts. Steady fighting with a knife is the main way up.
The early levels fill fast, and the later ones need many more hits. Fighting small groups that the character can handle safely gives the steadiest progress.
Some tape programs give a little Short Blade experience. The tape Mother's Boy is one of them. Gains from watching only help in the first three levels.
The Fast Learner trait raises the experience rate to 130 percent. The Slow Learner trait lowers it to 70 percent. The Reluctant Fighter trait lowers it to 75 percent for every combat skill.
Knife fights happen at grabbing distance. That makes careful training more important than fast training. Pick off lone zombies, ideally from behind, and avoid crowds while the skill is low.
Cheap blades work well for practice. A Stone Knife, Shiv or spare Kitchen Knife trains the skill as well as a Hunting Knife. Saving the best knife for emergencies keeps it sharp when it counts.
Strength and Fitness rise during long training too. Fitness speeds up attacks and slows exhaustion, and Strength adds melee damage.
The XP each Short Blade level asks for, with the running total from level 0.
| Level | XP Needed | Total XP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | 75 |
| 2 | 150 | 225 |
| 3 | 300 | 525 |
| 4 | 750 | 1,275 |
| 5 | 1,500 | 2,775 |
| 6 | 3,000 | 5,775 |
| 7 | 4,500 | 10,275 |
| 8 | 6,000 | 16,275 |
| 9 | 7,500 | 23,775 |
| 10 | 9,000 | 32,775 |
Short Blade Level Effects
Each level makes short blade strikes faster and harder. Damage climbs with the skill, so a trained fighter needs fewer strikes per zombie. Critical hits also become more common.
The skill raises the chance of a jaw stab with blades that have a stabbing attack. The chance grows a little with every level, up to almost a third more than at level zero.
A higher level also raises the chance of pushing off a zombie that grabs from the front. Muscle strain falls as the skill grows, so long fights tire the arm less.
These bonuses apply only to weapons in the short blade group.
A critical hit can kill a zombie in a single strike. At low levels a knife is a backup weapon for emergencies. At high levels the faster strikes and more frequent jaw stabs make it a real weapon of choice for quiet, careful play. The chance of a knife losing condition also depends on Maintenance, so raising both helps a blade last.
Short Blade Starting Levels
The Burger Flipper, Chef and Doctor each begin with one level of Short Blade. The Hunter trait adds one more level at character creation. A Chef or Burger Flipper with the Hunter trait starts with two levels.
A head start means the first knife fights go a little more smoothly. Jaw stabs also come slightly more often from the start.
The Chef and Burger Flipper handle knives in the kitchen anyway. A Kitchen Knife serves both for cooking and for defence, which saves space in the pack. The Hunter trait suits a quiet character who stalks game and zombies alike.
These occupations and traits start a character with levels in Short Blade.
| Name | Image | Type | Levels | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger Flipper | 
|
Occupation | +1 | +2 |
| Chef | 
|
Occupation | +1 | -2 |
| Doctor | 
|
Occupation | +1 | 0 |
| Hunter | 
|
Trait | +1 | -8 |
Short Blade Weapons
The skill covers knives, small tools and improvised blades. The Kitchen Knife, Hunting Knife, Fighting Knife and Machete Blade Knife are common choices. Tools such as the Screwdriver, Scissors and Ice Pick count too.
Improvised weapons fill out the group. The Shiv, Glass Shiv, Smashed Bottle and Stake all use this skill. Crafted blades such as the Stone Knife and Simple Metal Knife do as well.
Even cutlery counts. Forks and spoons can be used as short blades in a desperate moment.
The Kitchen Knife hits hard for its size but wears out fast. It is common in kitchens and general stores. A sturdier knife such as the Hunting Knife lasts longer between replacements. Many knives also serve as tools for cooking, butchering and crafting.
The hardest-hitting weapons that Short Blade governs. Every one of them is listed under Short Blades.
| Name | Image | Damage | Weight | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.2 | 1 | /additem Base.FightingKnife
|
| Handguard Dagger | 
|
0.6 - 1.2 | 1 | /additem Base.HandguardDagger
|
| Hunting Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.2 | 1 | /additem Base.HuntingKnife
|
| Long Simple Metal Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.2 | 1 | /additem Base.LongCrudeKnife
|
| Large Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.1 | 1 | /additem Base.LargeKnife
|
| Scrap Metal Large Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.1 | 1 | /additem Base.LargeKnife_Scrap
|
| Machete Blade Knife | 
|
0.6 - 1.1 | 1 | /additem Base.MacheteKnife
|
| Long Stone Knife | 
|
0.7 - 1.1 | 1 | /additem Base.StoneKnifeLong
|
| Long Sharp Bone | 
|
0.6 - 1 | 1 | /additem Base.SharpBone_Long
|
| Simple Metal Knife | 
|
0.5 - 0.9 | 0.7 | /additem Base.CrudeKnife
|
| Ice Pick | 
|
0.6 - 0.9 | 0.3 | /additem Base.IcePick
|
| Kitchen Knife | 
|
0.3 - 0.7 | 0.7 | /additem Base.KitchenKnife
|
| Sushi Knife | 
|
0.3 - 0.7 | 0.7 | /additem Base.KnifeSushi
|
| Railroad Spike Knife | 
|
0.3 - 0.7 | 0.5 | /additem Base.RailroadSpikeKnife
|
| Screwdriver | 
|
0.3 - 0.7 | 0.5 | /additem Base.Screwdriver
|
Notes
- Jaw stabs grow more likely with every level of this skill.
- A Chef with the Hunter trait starts with two levels.
- A Screwdriver is both a tool and a short blade weapon.
- Shivs and smashed bottles train the skill when no knife is at hand.
- Approach lone zombies from behind for the quietest kills.
- Carry a spare knife, since short blades wear out quickly.
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