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Skills

Skills are a type of game mechanic in Dead State.[ | ]

Skills can be thought of as the character's knowledge base - emotional, physical, and learned knowledge. Every action in the game requires Skill checks to determine how successful the player is at achieving certain actions. There are eight Skill categories.

Skill points are used to increase skills, with more points needed for higher levels of the skill. Each skill begins at 0 and can be improved up to a level of 10. One skill point is needed for the first level of each skill. One of two Skill Perks can be selected at levels 3, 6, and 10 for each skill. Skill Perks can be active skills (such as the Kick ability gained at Melee level 3) or passive skills (such as the Survey ability gained at Survival level 3).

Stat points are granted each time a skill point milestone is reached. Defeating enemies does not yield experience, you must achieve certain goals to gain skill points.


Leveling Up and Goals2

You gain points that you can put into your skills by completing goals. Some goals are unique one-offs (e.g. Repair the Fence) while some are repeatable (e.g. collect 150 food, collect 200 luxury items etc).All skills range from 0-10 and as you reach the higher levels the cost for increasing them also goes up. For skill level 1-2 it will cost you one point a piece, two for 3-4, three for 5-7, four for 8, five for 9 and 6 for level 10. To completely level up a skill it will cost you 30 points which translates as 30 unique goals or 1500 antibiotics found.


Repeating Goals

There are 5 basic repeating goals. Each time one is fulfilled you get a skill point and the counter is reset. They are:


  • 10 Antibiotics
  • 150 Food
  • 25 fuel
  • 200 Luxury items
  • 100 Parts
  • Decode 10 data items


Luxury items have a "value" associated with them - this tells you how much they will count towards the goal. Food is measured on a per item basis so while a 10 lb bag of rice might get you a lot of rations it only counts as one item towards the goal. Fuel is measured by the .5 of a gallon (i.e. 12.5 gallons = skill point), antibiotics and parts have a one to one ratio.


Unique Goals

These goals don't repeat. Once you achieve them you get the skill point and they're added to the list of completed goals. They are:


  • Repair the fence - Get the basic fence to 31 HP before day 3 (you lose if you don't complete this goal)
  • Build a shelter upgrade - needs to be a new one, repairing the fridge or fence doesn't count
  • Build 3 shelter upgrades - this is total, so includes the upgrade in the previous goal
  • Build 6 shelter upgrades
  • Build 10 shelter upgrades
  • Build 13 shelter upgrades
  • Explore 5 new locations
  • Explore 15 new locations
  • Explore 30 new locations
  • Explore 40 new locations
  • Explore 65 new locations
  • Find enough food to survive for a week - find 200 pounds of food
  • Find enough luxuries to make the shelter more comfortable - find 500 luxury items
  • Find 100 pounds of fresh food - oddly enough this can include food marked as "undesirable" such as the dead rat and edible insects. You must stock them and take the morale penalty for them to count towards the goal.


It is possible to completely upgrade your character by clearing the repeating goals a lot. I found that harvesting and fishing (with Nathan and Troy once you get them) can help buff your character quite quickly.



Skill List[ | ]

Melee[ | ]

Melee

How well the character deals with close enemies (physical force)

  • less AP required for melee strikes
  • more damage caused in melee strikes
  • greater ability to Bash objects

Ranged[ | ]

Ranged

How well the character deals with distant enemies

  • increased accuracy/damage/critical hit chance (+5% THC per level, damage/critical relative to enemy range)
  • increased range
  • faster reload time (less AP needed)

Leadership[ | ]

Leadership

how well the character is able to get others to follow their example

  • dialogue skill (ranges from reasoned to intimidating), can be used to avoid penalties to the survivor's mood if you tell them to get back to work.
  • increases effectiveness of allies in combat

Negotiation[ | ]

Negotiation

how well the character convinces others to share their point of view

  • dialogue skill (ranges from understanding to conniving). Can be used to further increase the survivor's mood if granting a survivor their request to take the day off.
  • For allies, improves the morale gain from crisis events if they chose to accept your opinion.
  • reduces Morale decay

Medical[ | ]

Medical

How well the character deals with healing the human body

  • less AP required for using healing items
  • more health gained from healing items
  • can heal wounds on self and allies

Science[ | ]

Science

how well the character can reuse elements to create new items

  • crafting new items (better armor, new ammo, new thrown weapons [explosives])
  • crafting medical supplies
  • upgrades to Shelter
  • coats Melee weapons with a contact corrosive, inflicting the Poisoned status

Survival[ | ]

Survival

How well the character survives in an outdoor environment

  • faster travel on foot and with horses on the Area Map
  • Harvesting on the Area Map
  • actively avoid random encounters

Mechanical[ | ]

Mechanical

How well the character works with items with moving (machine) parts

Skill Perks[ | ]

Skill Perks are gained at level 3, 6, and 10 of a skill. As an ally's skills increase, they gain perks as well. The player can influence what perks are received.

Skill Level 3 Level 6 Level 10
Melee
Melee
Backstab
Backstab: +15% Critical Chance for attacks to an enemy's back
Barrage
Barrage: Save up to 4 AP for the next turn.
Warrior
Warrior: critical chance for all melee weapons doubled
Brawler
Brawler: +5 to Armor Class
Quick Reflexes
Quick Reflexes: -1 AP to Melee attacks
Ranged
Ranged
Vital Shot
Vital Shot: +5% Critical Chance against humans.
Quick Draw
Quick Draw: -1 AP for Ranged attacks
Sharpshooter
Sharpshooter: Increase effective distance of all ranged weapons by 50%
Head Shot
Head Shot: +10% Critical Chance against undead.
Quick Reload
Quick Reload: -2 AP for reloading a weapon.
Leadership
Leadership
Aim for the Head
Aim for the Head: Team +25% to hit chance for 3 rounds, 5 round cooldown.
Get Up
Get Up: Targeted KO'ed Ally is immediately revived with 10 health, 5 round cooldown.
Double Time
Double Time: +4AP for every ally for 1 round
Dont Panic
Don't Panic: No team member can panic for 3 rounds, 5 round cooldown.
Finish Them
Finish Them: Team has +50% Critical Chance for remainder of turn.
Negotiation
Negotiation
Likeable
Likeable: +5 Morale each day
Popular
Popular: +10 Morale each day.
Unity
Unity: -20% time for every project
Team Effort
Team Effort: -25% repair time for crisis damaged upgrades.
Rationing
Rationing: -25% food consumption per day.
Medical
Medical
Paramedic
Paramedic: +5 hp healed by medical items.
Combat Medic
Combat Medic: -50% to AP cost of healing in combat.
Expert Physician
Expert Physician: +10HP to all allies
Herbalist
Herbalist: +2 bandages per day added to shelter inventory.
Chief of Operations
Chief of Operations: +50% to healing rate of shelter doctor/nurse.
Science
Science
Immunity
Immunity: +50% to chemical resistance.
Chemist
Chemist: -50% to Lab project times.
Bomberman
Bomberman: +50% damage with thrown weapons
Inventor
Inventor: +1 gallon of fuel added to shelter inventory each day.1
Pharmacist
Pharmacist: 2x anti-biotic production.
Survival
Survival
Survey
Survey: +50% to world map detection range.
Trailblazer
Trailblazer: +25% to world map speed when on foot.
Animal Magnetism
Animal Magnetism: Dog will show up and help in combat.
Forager
Forager: +25% to items in forage random encounters.
Expert Gardner
Expert Gardener: +50% to Garden food production.
Mechanical
Mechanical
Architect
Architect: -10% to upgrade construction time.
Solar Power
Solar Power: -50% generator fuel use.1
Impenetrable
Impenetrable: Fence +500HP
Efficiency
Efficiency: -10% to upgrade requirements use.
Grease Monkey
Grease Monkey: -50% to vehicle fuel use.

Notes[ | ]

1 The Inventor perk does not seem to work if the Solar Power Perk(Mechanical 6) is taken before the Inventor perk.

2 The skill point guide was taken from the Steam Guide "Dead State Locations Map and Tips"

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