Skills
A list of skills in alphabetical order, what levelling them does, efficient ways to level them and notes on π server specific differences.
VHS & Books
Be sure to read skill books for an XP multiplier boost.
Watching VHS tapes can provide XP up until Level 4.
π‘Tip: Use Named Skill VHS Tapes mod to make spotting useful VHS easier.
As of this writing 31/10/26, the following categories do not have skills books or VHS.
- Melee: Axe, Long Blunt, Short Blunt, Short Blade and Spear.
- Physical: Strength and Fitness.
- Agility: Nimble, Sneaking, Lightfooted and Running.
- Lifestyles: Yoga and Meditation.
- Melee: Axe, Long Blade, Short Blunt and Spear.
- Physical: Fitness and Strength.
- Agility: Nimble, Sneaking and Running.
- Skill: Butchering, Carving, Glassmaking, Maintenance, Masonry and Tracking.
- Lifestyles: Yoga, Meditation, Cleaning and Music.
πΎ Agriculture (previously Farming)
Improves how much information you get when checking crops.
How to level
Experience is gained from harvesting crops.
Check cheatsheets for the ideal time for planting certain crops.
See Agriculture on PZWiki for detailed information on farming.
Changes from Build 41
- Seed Bearing has been replaced with Blooming.
- Fertilizer can now kill crops if overused.
- Foraging can provide seeds.
- Watermelons can be cut apart for seeds (destroying the watermelon). Pumpkins provide seeds when eaten.
- Not only annual seasons, but also growing seasons matter.
π Animal Care
Affects the player's ability to check information about animals, recognise if an egg is fertilised, and increases resource yield from animals.
See Animals for more info.
How to level
- Collecting resources such as milking cows.
- Petting livestock and companion pets (on a cooldown).
πAnimals may currently be transported in vehicle trunks, due to issues with animal trailers.
βοΈ Blacksmithing
Allows players to forge metal crafting materials, armor, tools and weapons.
How to level
π₯ Forge Spoons
Requirements: Primitive Forge or better, charcoal, iron chunk, hammer, crude or regular Tongs, Metalworking Chisel.
- At the forge turn an Iron Chunk into an Iron Bar Quarter.
- Select Forge 2 Spoons.
- Smelt the spoons into Iron Chunks.
- Repeat from Step 1.
π‘ Forge Simple Blades
Requirements: Primitive Forge or better, an iron or steel bar quarter, charcoal, hammer, crude or regular Tongs, or metalworking pliers.
- Forge an Iron / Steel Bar Quarter from an Iron / Steel Chunk.
- Craft the Crude Blade at the forge.
- Smelt unwanted blades to recover iron.
πͺ Forge Gold Coins
Requirements: Primitive Forge or better, gold jewellery, small hacksaw / pliers / metalworking pliers, hammer, Tongs, charcoal.
- Loot gold jewellery from zombies and stores. Right-click and scrap with a Small Hacksaw, Pliers, or Metalworking Pliers. Collect 10 Gold Fragments.
- At the forge, select Forge a Gold Sheet.
- Select Forge Coins until you have 10.
- Use the 10 Gold Coins to repeat from step 2.
π Forge Hand Scythe Blades
Requirements: Everyday Smithing recipe magazine, charcoal, iron chunks, tongs.
- Forge Iron Chunks into Iron Bar Quarters.
- Forge bars into Hand Scythe Blades.
- Smelt the blades into iron chunks and repeat.
π External Guides
π₯© Butchering
Affects the quality of meat harvested from animals.
How to level
Experience is gained processing corpses.
You can start small with rabbits caught via Trapping or fillet fish caught via Fishing using a knife.
Larger animals like deer, pigs or other livestock are best processed using a built Butchering Hook.
Don't forget to right-click the ground afterwards and collect the bones for more XP.
πͺ Carpentry
Allows you to build structures, storage and furniture.
How to level
- π²Chop trees.
- πͺ΅Saw logs into planks.
- Craft wooden poles.
- Build floors, fences, rain barrels and crates.
- Build and use a table saw.
Changes from Build 41
- No XP from dismantling furniture.
π‘ Carving
Allows the player to craft wood and bone tools and weapons using a knife, cleaver or Sharp Flint Flake (made using Knapping).
How to level
Carve branches into stakes and trowels.
Carve Branch β Wooden Rod β Small Handles β Spoon.
Carve spoons into forks.
π³ Cooking
Allows you to create more nutritious food, raises your ability to detect poison.
How to level
- Cook raw meat.
- Prepare meals.
- πRaise chickens and cook the eggs they produce. See Animals for more info.
β‘ Electrical
Grants the ability to hot-wire vehicles, convert lamps to run on batteries (level 5), build light switches and other devices such as ovens or freezers, craft various devices, raise efficiency of generator repairs.
How to level
- Dismantle watches, ear buds, walkie talkies, cameras, headphones and other electrical items found on zombies.
- Dismantle televisions, desktop computers, radios and other electronics found in the world.
- Repair generators.
- Craft Makeshift Radio (requires Guerilla Radio β June 1993 magazine). Dismantle for more XP and return of some materials.
- Repair vehicle lights with Scrap Electronics. Requires Mechanics Level 2.
- Craft Makeshift Walkie Talkie (requires Sparky's Radio Guide magazine). Dismantle for more XP and return of some materials.
- Craft Makeshift Ham Radio (requires Guerilla Radio β May 1993 magazine). Dismantle for more XP and return of some materials.
π Not required but prioritise dismantling Antique Television where possible, so other players can still easily find TVs to play VHS.
π©Ή First Aid
Affects the speed of recovery after applying a poultice and splint, as well as the lifespan of bandages.
How to level
- Bandage injuries. Using the table saw can incur injuries at low Carpentry levels.
- Perform autopsies and other research on corpses.
π XP gains from the glass shard method have been nerfed. This is where you repeatedly step on glass on the floor with bare feet, remove shards with tweezers, suture the wound and bandage.
π Fishing
Affects how long it takes the player to catch a fish, efficiency (chance of line breaking, fish escaping, loss of bait), and size of catches.
How to level
Fishing experience is gained by casting a fishing line into the water, or by retrieving yields from fishing nets.
The player will gain fishing experience regardless of the outcome of the catch. Larger fish will provide more experience per catch.
π Guides
- Hold right-click to aim your rod toward water ripples
- Press the left mouse button to cast, wait for a bite
- Hold left-click to reel
- Hold right-click to give slack or control line tension
πΏ Foraging
A method for the player to find useful resources on the ground.
How to level
Gained whenever the player finds something with Search Mode.
- Click the magnifying glass icon on the left menu or press the shortcut (found under Esc > Options > Keybinds > Search Mode).
- Walk or crouch walk. Running or sprinting will take you out of Search Mode.
The search radius can be affected by the weather, your traits, companion perk or other factors.
πΈ Glassmaking
A process for melting broken glass or sand into glass for panes and other objects.
Finding materials
- Breaking bottles produces Broken Glass.
- Gardening stores have sacks of sand.
- Use a sack and shovel to pick up sand tiles.
How to level
Make Glass Panes
Requirements: Carlow Crystal Guide magazine, crucible and ceramic sheet mold made with Pottery, tongs, a built Simple Furnace or better.
- Melt sand or glass in the furnace into a crucible.
- Combine the ceramic sheet mold with the crucible at any crafting surface.
πͺ¨ Knapping
How to level
You can make a Knapping Tool from deer antlers, but most recipes also accept using a stone, stone hammer or wooden mallet.
- Make Sharp Flint Flakes from Flint Nodules.
- Make Sharp Flint Flakes into Stone Blades.
- Craft a Large Stone Axe Head from a Large Smooth Flat Stone.
π οΈ Maintenance
Reduces the chance for a melee weapon to lose condition on each hit.
How to level
- Hit zombies with melee weapons.
- Repair or sharpen weapons.
- Craft makeshift weapons or armour such as Bone Club or Tire Body Armour.
𧱠Masonry
Allows the player to build stronger brick and stone constructions.
How to level
Collect loose stones with right-click β Gardening. Decorative map rocks cannot be collected, examples of rocks you can pick up are shown below.
- Break Large Stone into stones.
- Make Stone Block from stones.
π§ Mechanics
Affects how successful players are at removing or installing car parts and how effective car repairs are.
How to level
- Remove and reinstall radios, batteries and lights once per day per vehicle.
- Remove and reinstall car tires. Requires a car Jack and Lug Wrench or Tire Iron.
- Repair vehicle seats and lights, which also levels Tailoring and Electrical respectively. You'll also need Level 2 in each of the other relevant skills.
As your level increases, you'll be able to repair more parts with metal and Welding skill.
π£ Nimble
Improves your movement speed while in combat stance, allowing you to safely retreat while fighting. Also reduces footstep sound alongside Lightfooted.
How to level
- Walking in combat stance around zombies.
- Practising yoga.
- Having a fox, rat or other companion that boosts Nimble gains.
- Picking traits that boost Nimble.
πHolding down a key or using a macro to walk into a corner on loop is considered an exploit and disabled.
πΊ Pottery
Allows crafting clay objects such as moulds, bricks, ceramic tiles and more.
Where to find clay
- Collect clay from the ground using a sack and shovel.
- Sacks of clay can spawn in pottery stores and schools.
- Forage with stones as Search Focus.
How to level
Build or find a Pottery Wheel.
- β Early XP: Make clay mugs with the Pottery Wheel.
- π Level 1: Make items as needed for example:
Used for making glass panes.
Used for Glassmaking and Blacksmithing.
- Made with clay and sand at the Pottery Wheel.
𧡠Tailoring
Allows you to apply patches to clothes, increasing the defence depending on material used and player level. At level 8, grants the ability to completely repair holes in clothes, restoring the original defence and appearance.
How to level
- Craft Rag Bandanas. Turn foraged hemp dogbane into twine if you have no thread.
- Apply and remove padding to clothing with lots of sections like Overalls.
- Sew burlap into sacks, tear sacks into burlap, repeat.
Build a loom and use foraged hemp dogbane to make burlap.
- Repair vehicle seats. Requires Mechanics Level 2.
Changes from Build 41
Ripping clothes no longer provides thread. At level 1 Tailoring you can extract thread from rags using tweezers, punch and chisel or other tools.
π¦ Tracking
Affects the player's ability to identify and locate wild animals in Search Mode with Animal Tracks selected as the focus.
Enter search mode with the magnifying glass icon on the left or relevant keybind (found under Esc > Options > Keybinds > Search Mode).
β οΈ As of this writing (31/10/26), this skill is largely thought to be underdeveloped.
How to level
- Sneaking near deer or rabbits.
πͺ€Trapping
Affects the chance of successfully catching animals in a craftable trap.
How to level
Gained by retrieving animals caught in a trap.
π External Guides
For a list of preferred bait for each animal see this PZWiki table.
For general trapping tips check this video:
π₯ Welding (previously Metalworking)
Allows building metal structures and items, repairing car parts, crafting engine parts.
How to level
- Dismantle vehicle wrecks.
- Build Metal Floor (requires Welder Monthly β June 1993 magazine).
- Build Metal Floor without magazine.
- Salvage light bulbs.
- Build Industrial Floors.
- Barricade windows with metal sheets.
πAnother wreck can spawn after vehicles are dismantled or salvaged elsewhere in the world.
πMetal sheet conversion and cutting metal bars XP have been disabled.
Triva
- Starting a skill from Level 0 results in a permanent 25% reduction in XP gain compared with starting at level 1.