Data tables

Skills

Skills Proficiency Skill trees Perks Weapon mastery

Skills

You learn a skill by doing it. Proficiency runs from 1 to 100; every level adds a little to the skill's own bonus, and the levels open the tiers of its tree. The bonus shown is what proficiency alone gives at 100, before any tree node.

11 rows


Firearms	Guns and crossbows. Every kill with one teaches it, and the kick gets easier to hold.	-10% draw time, -15% recoil
Melee	Quiet work. Bats, blades, and bare hands.	+12% melee damage
Scavenging	Everything you need is in someone else's pockets.	+6% loot chance, -15% search time
Medicine	Stitches, antibiotics, and fighting the Bloom.	+30% healing
Cooking	Fire, food, and clean water.	+20% food and water value
Engineering	Repairs, builds, and keeping the lights on.	-15% repair time
Botany	Growing food: seeds, soil and harvests.	+40% crop yield
Piloting	Driving and flying: trucks, boats and aircraft.	+10% engine power
Crafting	Your crafting level. Better recipes, better quality, less waste.	+15% chance of better quality
Fishing	Rivers, lakes and the open Pacific. Patience that feeds a town.	-20% wait for a bite, +12% rare catches
Hunting	Reading sign, the wind and a clean shot. Meat, hides and the hills that feed you.	+60% tracking range, +20% meat and hide grade

Skill points (one per character level) buy tree nodes. Perk points (one every 5 levels) buy perks.

Proficiency

The skill experience needed to reach each proficiency level. Focused play earns roughly 700 to 1,500 skill experience an hour.

11 rows


5	178
10	851
20	3,589	Tier 2 of the tree opens
30	8,100
40	14,329	Tier 3 of the tree opens
50	22,235
60	31,791	Tier 4 of the tree opens
70	42,974
80	55,763	Tier 5 of the tree opens
90	70,145
100	86,103

Tier 1 of every tree is open from the start.

Skill trees

Every node of every tree. A node costs one skill point per rank, and its tier needs the proficiency shown. Type a skill's name in the filter to see one tree.

110 rows


Firearms	1	0	Steady Hands	3	+4% firearm damage and 5% less recoil per rank.
Firearms	1	0	Trigger Discipline	2	Gunfire carries 12% less far per rank.
Firearms	1	0	Ammo Hound	2	+8% chance to find ammo per rank.
Firearms	2	20	Hollow Points	3	+5% firearm damage per rank.
Firearms	2	20	Cold Nerves	2	Take 3% less damage per rank.
Firearms	2	20	Brass Collector	1	+15% chance to find ammo. Weapon mastery grows 25% faster.
Firearms	3	40	Marksman	2	+8% firearm damage and 6% less recoil per rank.
Firearms	3	40	Silent Death	1	Gunfire carries 25% less far.
Firearms	4	60	Executioner	2	+10% firearm damage per rank.
Firearms	4	60	Ammo Economist	1	+20% chance to find ammo.
Firearms	5	80	Deadeye	1	Press your Deadeye key while armed: for 6 seconds your shots deal double damage. 90s cooldown.
Melee	1	0	Brawler	3	+6% melee damage per rank.
Melee	1	0	Second Wind	2	Faster stamina recovery.
Melee	1	0	Thick Skin	2	Take 3% less damage per rank.
Melee	2	20	Bone Breaker	3	+7% melee damage per rank.
Melee	2	20	Footwork	2	+4% movement speed per rank.
Melee	2	20	Iron Grip	1	Take 5% less damage.
Melee	3	40	Heavy Swing	2	+10% melee damage per rank.
Melee	3	40	Quiet Kill	1	The infected sense you 10% less far.
Melee	4	60	Juggernaut	2	+15 max health per rank.
Melee	4	60	Bloodlust	1	Melee kills restore 8 health.
Melee	5	80	Berserker	1	Below half health you deal +40% melee damage and melee kills fully restore stamina.
Scavenging	1	0	Keen Eye	3	+4% chance on every loot roll per rank.
Scavenging	1	0	Deep Pockets	3	+3 kg carry weight per rank.
Scavenging	1	0	Quick Hands	2	Search 15% faster per rank.
Scavenging	2	20	Pack Rat	2	+5 kg carry weight per rank.
Scavenging	2	20	Treasure Sense	2	+6% chance on every loot roll per rank.
Scavenging	2	20	Light Step	1	The infected sense you 10% less far.
Scavenging	3	40	Fortune Favors	2	+8% chance on every loot roll per rank.
Scavenging	3	40	Ghost	1	The infected sense you 12% less far.
Scavenging	4	60	Hoarder	2	+8 kg carry weight per rank.
Scavenging	4	60	Smash & Grab	1	Search 25% faster.
Scavenging	5	80	Nose For It	1	Unsearched bodies within 40 m glow faintly so you can see them through the fog.
Medicine	1	0	Field Dressing	3	Healing items restore 15% more per rank.
Medicine	1	0	Constitution	3	6% less infection from bites per rank.
Medicine	1	0	Triage	2	+8 max health per rank.
Medicine	2	20	Antiviral Study	2	8% less infection per rank.
Medicine	2	20	Clean Wounds	2	Infection spreads on its own 20% slower per rank.
Medicine	3	40	Surgeon	2	Healing items restore 25% more per rank.
Medicine	3	40	Iron Blood	2	10% less infection per rank.
Medicine	4	60	Vitality	2	+12 max health per rank.
Medicine	4	60	Slow Burn	1	Infection spreads on its own 30% slower.
Medicine	5	80	Immune Response	1	The Bloom stops climbing on its own, so only a new dose or going hungry and thirsty pushes it up, and bites infect 40% less.
Cooking	1	0	Home Cook	3	Food and water restore 10% more per rank.
Cooking	1	0	Iron Stomach	2	Get hungry 7% slower per rank.
Cooking	1	0	Hydrated	2	Get thirsty 7% slower per rank.
Cooking	2	20	Preserver	2	Food on the fire stays good 15% longer before it burns, per rank.
Cooking	2	20	Campfire Chef	2	Food on the fire and everything you craft is done 10% faster per rank.
Cooking	3	40	Nutritionist	2	Food and water restore 15% more per rank.
Cooking	3	40	Lean Living	2	Hunger and thirst drain 8% slower per rank.
Cooking	4	60	Boiled Clean	1	8% less infection from bad food and water.
Cooking	4	60	Rationing	2	Get hungry 10% slower per rank.
Cooking	5	80	Master Chef	1	Every meal also heals 15 health.
Engineering	1	0	Tinkerer	3	Repairs and interactions 7% faster per rank.
Engineering	1	0	Scrapper	2	+3% loot chance per rank.
Engineering	1	0	Reinforced Gear	2	Take 3% less damage per rank.
Engineering	2	20	Efficient Builder	2	Craft 10% faster per rank.
Engineering	2	20	Grease Monkey	2	+6% vehicle engine power per rank.
Engineering	3	40	Under Pressure	2	Repairs 10% faster per rank.
Engineering	3	40	Scrap Plating	2	Take 4% less damage per rank.
Engineering	4	60	Fabricator	1	Craft 20% faster.
Engineering	5	80	Jury-Rig	1	Repairs, builds and objective interactions take 30% less time, and crafting 10% less.
Botany	1	0	Green Thumb	3	+8% crop yield per rank (found and gathered).
Botany	1	0	Herbalist	2	Healing items restore 5% more per rank.
Botany	1	0	Forager	2	+2% loot chance per rank.
Botany	2	20	Soil Science	2	+10% crop yield per rank (found and gathered).
Botany	2	20	Seed Keeper	2	Food on the fire stays good 10% longer before it burns, per rank.
Botany	3	40	Hydroponics	2	+12% crop yield per rank (found and gathered).
Botany	3	40	Fresh Diet	2	Food restores 8% more per rank.
Botany	4	60	Blight Ward	1	6% less infection.
Botany	5	80	Sentinel Cultivator	1	+30% crop yield, and you know which plants actually work: healing items restore 10% more.
Piloting	1	0	Road Warrior	3	+5% engine power per rank.
Piloting	1	0	Steady Driver	2	Take 2% less damage per rank.
Piloting	1	0	Scout	2	+2% loot chance per rank.
Piloting	2	20	Tuned Engine	2	+7% engine power per rank.
Piloting	2	20	Engine Muffler	2	The infected sense you 5% less far per rank.
Piloting	3	40	Supply Runner	2	+4 kg carry weight and +1 kg comfortable load per rank.
Piloting	4	60	Overdrive	2	+10% engine power per rank.
Piloting	4	60	Navigator	1	+5% XP.
Piloting	5	80	Ace	1	+20% engine power, and you drive so smoothly the infected sense you 5% less far.
Crafting	1	0	Handy	3	Craft 6% faster per rank.
Crafting	1	0	Frugal	2	8% chance per rank to get one material back.
Crafting	1	0	Steady Hand	2	Precision checks are easier per rank.
Crafting	2	20	Batch Work	2	+2 max batch size per rank.
Crafting	2	20	Quality Control	2	+6% chance per rank to craft one quality higher.
Crafting	3	40	Salvager	2	Recycling returns 15% more per rank.
Crafting	3	40	Field Kit	1	Workbench recipes can be crafted anywhere, by hand.
Crafting	4	60	Gunsmith	2	Crafted weapons start with 10% more durability per rank.
Crafting	4	60	Efficient	1	Recipes cost 10% fewer materials.
Crafting	5	80	Masterwork	1	10% chance for a Masterwork: top quality, your name engraved, double durability.
Fishing	1	0	Patience	3	Fish bite 6% sooner per rank.
Fishing	1	0	Good Knots	2	Your line holds 5% more strain per rank.
Fishing	1	0	Clean Cuts	2	+12% fillets from every catch per rank.
Fishing	2	20	Quiet Water	2	Reeling and splashing carry 20% less far to the infected per rank.
Fishing	2	20	Water Reader	2	+5% odds on rare and heavy fish per rank.
Fishing	3	40	Drag Master	2	Your line holds 8% more strain per rank.
Fishing	3	40	Bait Whisperer	1	A missed bite keeps your bait half the time.
Fishing	4	60	Deep Water	2	+8% odds on rare and heavy fish per rank.
Fishing	4	60	Dock Butcher	1	+30% fillets, and gutting is twice as fast.
Fishing	5	80	Old Salt	1	Legendary fish take your line half again as often, and you gut a catch in no time.
Hunting	1	0	Soft Feet	3	Animals see and hear you 6% less far per rank.
Hunting	1	0	Reading Sign	2	Hunter sense picks up prints, blood and sign 15% further per rank.
Hunting	1	0	Sharp Knife	2	Field dress, skin and quarter 10% faster per rank.
Hunting	2	20	Wind Sense	2	You keep the wind in your face without thinking: animals sense you 8% less far per rank.
Hunting	2	20	Skinner	2	Better meat and pelt grades: +8% per rank.
Hunting	3	40	Blood Trailer	2	Hunter sense reaches 25% further per rank. Blood reads like a map.
Hunting	3	40	Still Hunter	1	Standing still, you are part of the hillside: animals sense you 12% less far.
Hunting	4	60	Camp Butcher	2	+10% meat and pelt grade and 15% faster processing per rank.
Hunting	4	60	Ghost of the Hills	1	Animals sense you 15% less far, and the infected 5% less far.
Hunting	5	80	Old Hunter	1	The hills know you: legendary animals show up twice as often for you.

Perks

Survivor perks, bought with perk points. They work whatever your skills are.

11 rows


Pack Mule	3	+4 kg carry weight and +1.5 kg comfortable load per rank: you slow down later under a heavy pack.
Tough as Nails	3	+10 max health per rank.
Marathon	2	+5% movement speed per rank.
Quick Learner	3	+5% XP per rank.
Lucky	2	+5% loot chance per rank.
Cast-Iron Gut	2	Hunger and thirst drain 7% slower per rank.
Hard to Kill	2	Take 4% less damage per rank.
Ghost	2	The infected sense you 8% less far per rank.
Resilient	2	8% less infection per rank.
Light Sleeper	1	Respawn twice as fast after dying.
Scholar	1	Skill proficiency grows 20% faster.

Weapon mastery

Each weapon class has its own mastery, from 0 to 50, earned by kills with that class. Mastery tames recoil, kick and sway for that class.


Handguns	Sidearms and revolvers. Always within reach.
SMGs	Close work, fast and messy.
Rifles	Carbines and battle rifles. The backbone of any fight.
Shotguns	Doors, faces, hordes. Nothing argues back.
Marksman	One breath, one shot, one fewer.
Heavy weapons	Machine guns and launchers. Loud enough to wake the dead.
Crossbows	A string and a thump. Nothing past a few steps hears it.

A kill is worth 8 mastery experience on an ordinary infected, 22 on a special infected and 40 on a survivor. A headshot pays 50% more.

Mastery experience: level 10 needs 1,200, level 20 needs 4,800, level 30 needs 10,800, level 50 needs 30,000.