Anita Cass



A former big rig driver, Anita was on her way back from picking up her daughter Renee from graduate school in Baton Rouge and attempting to drive back to her home in Taos, New Mexico. Blocked roads, detours, and a lack of gas nearly doomed them, but Davis answered her call for help on the CB radio and guided them safety to Splendid.

Recruitment
Anita is one of the initial survivors you meet when you awake at the Shelter.

Events

 * One of the first choices you make in the game is whether to take either Anita or Renee with you on a trip to the Llano Hardware store. When you take one, the other will come up to you the next day and complain to you about it - even if their family member has survived.
 * If Renee is killed in the field, Anita will come to your room and yell at you for letting her down.
 * If Renee is infected, Anita will come to you in a fury. If you shut her down immediately, or mention killing Renee, it will cause a significant Mood loss, and she'll run out of the room distraught. If you're somewhat neutral or try to take responsibility, she'll be less upset, but will still suffer a Mood penalty. If you're kind to her, she'll bring up using antibiotics to control the infection: if you acknowledge this idea, she'll demand you take her out in the field right away to look for more - if you deny her, she'll take a Mood hit and insist on going on her own to look for some if she has to.
 * At about a week and a half after the start of the game, if Renee and Anita are both alive, you'll overhear them talking in the cafeteria about Renee's future. Renee wants to be able to go and help outside the Shelter if need be, while Anita wants her to stay inside and safe. If you side with Anita, Renee will take a small Mood penalty, while Anita will get a small Mood boost; if you side with Renee, the bonuses go the other way. If you have a Negotiation or Leadership skill of 6 or higher, you can argue a more balanced view, giving them both a small Mood bonus. If you do nothing, both Renee and Anita will suffer a small Mood penalty.
 * Just over two weeks in the Shelter (again, if Renee is still alive), Anita will ask to speak with you. She will have an initial response reactive to whether you took her or Renee out in the field initially, and will explain that Renee's medical skills make her too valuable to risk in the field, and that she needs more training to feel more comfortable in a doctor-type role. She asks you to acquire a Medical Dictionary to help Renee increase her knowledge. If you already have Medical Dictionary, you can give it to her now, or you can speak to her later when you have it - giving her the Medical Dictionary causes Renee to gain the "Medical Support" trait, which increases the healing rate in the Shelter 15% if Renee is in the Nurse role.
 * If Anita gets infected, she'll either ask you to protect Renee (if she's alive) or promise her that their deaths won't be in vain. If you're dismissive or cruel, she'll take a major Mood penalty, while a more neutral response will result in a smaller Mood penalty. If you're understanding, she will gain a small Mood bonus. However, be aware that if you promise Anita that you'll take care of Renee, she will be permanently blocked from going out into the field.

Special Requests
Luxury Items Upgrade
 * Fancy Chocolates
 * Deodorant
 * Stone-Reinforced Fence

Stats

 * See also Ally Stats.

Survivors develop their skills over time, these stats represent their starting point.

Anita's skill progression focuses heavily on Melee, Mechanical, and Survival, and gradually picks up the occasional point in Medical, Leadership, and Negotiation (but none of them will go above 6). Her stat gain is Agility, Strength, Vigor, and Perception.

Traits
Initial
 * Hammer Bearer: "Anita is used to the weight of sledgehammers, and gains an additional 5% critical chance with them."
 * Rock Solid: "This ally enjoys having a Stone-Reinforced Fence around the Shelter, and will gain a one-time mood boost after it is completed."

Play Style
Anita is a melee-oriented character specializing in hammers, and can be invaluable in the first weeks of the game when it comes to combat. However, using her in the field too often could upset her daughter Renee if she comes to harm, so she's best swapped out as a member of your scavenging "B" team when you get some stronger characters in the Shelter. Another weakness with Anita is she cannot reach 10 strength which prevents her from bringing the full potential of the unique sledgehammer

Anita will react negatively to killing neutral survivors.

Trivia

 * Age: 46
 * Hometown: Taos, NM
 * Sick event: migraine
 * Subleader Supported: Todd
 * Shelter Location: First floor, Cafeteria, next to Job Board
 * Anita was the first character that portrait artist Kim Gray created, and her look was updated multiple times throughout the project.