State of Decay - Survivor Skills Guide

State of Decay, a third-person zombie action game for the Xbox 360, features a variety of different survivors for players to encounter in the post-apocalyptic world. Gathering these survivors is crucial to surviving in the zombie infested world. Each survivor has their own unique characteristics, including skills. Knowing what these skills are and how survivors can use them will ensure you have the best chance to survive as a community.

Recruiting Survivors

Survivors can be met in a variety of ways. The player will start out with several survivors at the beginning of the game. Some will also be acquired through the story. To meet other survivors, you will need to either use the radio at your home base or find them through exploration. About half of the survivors in the game are randomly generated, with randomly assigned skills and characteristics. All survivors have four basic skills that can be leveled, and they may have additional person and unique skills as well, depending on their traits. Personal skills can be leveled while unique skills like cooking or horticulture cannot.  

Bruiser

This is a special personal skill that only certain survivors will have. This skill can allow survivors to carry more items, obtain unique melee combat abilities, and carry heavier firearms. This skill is only found in survivors who have the Natural Athlete, Strong as an Ox, or Brute trait. The bruiser skill is leveled in combat.

Cardio

Cardio is a skill that increases stamina. Stamina is what allows a character to perform actions, such as fighting or running away from zombies. This is a basic skill that every survivor has, and it can be leveled up by running.

Chemistry

Chemistry is a skill that may allow certain survivors to make certain weapons like Molotov cocktails or create medicines more effectively. The Practiced Taxidermy and Doctor traits may contribute to this skill.

Cooking

Survivors with the cooking skill can create feasts if the community has access to a cooking area. Survivors with the Butcher, Liked Tailgating, or Liked to Cook trait can have this skill.

Construction

This is a unique skill that allows survivors to build more advanced workshops at the home base. Survivors with the Architect, Plumber, Mechanic, Handy Man, Carpenter, Electrician, or Engineer trait can have boosts to this skill.

Counseling

Counseling can be found in survivors with the People Person, Funeral Director, Preacher, or Stylist trait. Survivors with this skill can help to keep the community happy and stave off arguments.

Fighting

Fighting is a skill that can be leveled through melee combat. It is a basic skill that all survivors have. The skill improves a character’s vitality, which is their overall health. The fighting skill also gives some survivors new special attacks when leveled.

Horticulture

The Farmer trait may lead to a character having the horticulture skill. This skill may help the community to grow their own food for survival.

Leadership

Leadership is a personal skill that only some survivors will have if they have the Born Leader, People Person, or Presence trait. This skill increases the amount of trust there is between characters. High levels of leadership can unlock special actions that improve combat effectiveness or happiness. Leadership levels up in combat and also through survivor choices.

Medicine  

This skill may make certain survivors more adept at creating medicine. The Army Medic, Dentist, and Doctor traits may contribute to this skill. 

Powerhouse

This is a special personal skill that gives certain survivors the ability to carry more items. It also increases the chance that they will deal critical hits to enemies. Like the bruiser skill, a survivor with powerhouse can learn unique combat abilities. This skill levels up by killing enemies, and it can come from traits like Strong as an Ox and Natural Athlete.

Reflexes

Another personal skill, reflexes is leveled up by delivering the killing blow to an enemy. This skill increases the stamina regeneration rate of survivors. By leveling the skill, players will be able to choose a unique utility and defensive skill. Survivors may have this skill if they have the Nimble or Great Reflexes trait.

Research

Research is used to find new upgrades for the home base. Survivors with the Historian or Studied Linguistics trait can have this skill.

Shooting

Shooting is the ranged weapon equivalent to fighting. Using firearms increases the level of this basic skill. A higher level will result in improved firearm handling, including higher accuracy and reduced recoil.

Wits

Wits are a basic skill that enhances the survivor’s ability to search. It also helps them to survey farther in order to identify things.   This skill can be leveled up by searching and scavenging in the world. Leveling up gives survivors new abilities, such as Quiet Search, which helps reduce noise made during searches, and Gentle Hands, which keeps the survivor from breaks items while scavenging.