Deaf – Absolutely no sound.

This trait is as hardcore as it sounds (pun intended). You won't hear the telltale groan of a zombie behind you, the smash of a window, or even the blaring of a house alarm. As one player put it, "The deaf trait severely reduces your perception radius, zombies approaching from behind will be spotted when they are extremely close". In gameplay terms, that means zombies will literally be on top of you before your character notices them. For a beginner still learning spatial awareness, that often equals a surprise death.

Build 41 vs 42: This trait hasn't changed in cost or effect – it was +12 points and remains +12 because it's so debilitating. The developers basically say "if you take this, you deserve those points." But trust us, those 12 points aren't worth the countless bites you'll suffer. Solo newbies should 100% avoid Deaf. It's sometimes used by experienced players for an extra challenge or roleplay (and even then usually in multiplayer where friends can compensate). Until you really know what you're doing, skip it.

Tips if you're already Deaf: Crank up your volume to catch the jump-scare music stinger (you still get the music cue when zombies aggro, oddly enough). Constantly check your surroundings, use the aiming stance to look behind you frequently, and consider staying out of buildings (since you won't hear alarms). Honestly though, the best "tip" is to reroll without Deaf. 😅

Hard of Hearing – Muffled hearing.

This one is the "diet" version of Deaf. It gives +4 points and reduces the distance and volume of sounds. In Build 41, Hard of Hearing would make you miss distant noises; in Build 42 it got a tweak: instead of globally muffling sound, it significantly shortens the range at which you hear things. Players report that with Hard of Hearing, zombies basically make no sound until they're about 4 tiles away. That's still pretty dangerous! The helicopter event, distant gunshots, subtle window breaks – you likely won't catch those cues.

Beginner verdict: Also not recommended, though it's not as instant-fail as Deaf. If you insist on some extra points from your senses, take Hard of Hearing only if you have a plan – e.g. you're going to stay in rural areas (fewer zombies), or you pair it with the Keen Hearing positive trait (which somewhat offsets it). But that begs the question: why take it at all? Most players who used to grab Hard of Hearing dropped it in B42 because the new implementation (silent zombies until very close) is almost as scary as Deaf.

Tip: Use the game's visual cues religiously. Keep outdoors if possible (360° vision) and use noise-makers (like setting an alarm on a watch and throwing it) to gauge zombie reactions since you might not hear their groans until it's late.

Illiterate – No reading, no skill books.

This trait gives a hefty +8 points because it completely blocks out all reading. No skill books (so you'll gain XP at the base rate only). No recipe magazines (hope you chose an occupation that starts with those recipes or you just can't craft certain things). You even miss out on the fun things like newspapers or comic books for stress relief. One Redditor summed it up as "honestly one of the most crippling traits" – not because it hurts you immediately, but because it severely limits your mid- and late-game. As a beginner, you might not feel the pain on day 1 or 2… but come day 30, when your generator runs out of gas and you still can't read the Generator Manual (and thus can't get power back on), you'll understand. Or when your carpentry is stuck at level 3 because you can't read the Carpentry textbook to get that 5x XP boost.

Build 41 vs 42: No direct changes to Illiterate in B42's code (still +8). However, B42 introduced a lot of new craftable goodies and skills (like expanded crafting trees). Many of those have magazines or manuals tied to them. An illiterate character just won't get to participate in the new content. So if anything, Illiterate is an even worse choice in B42 because you're locking yourself out of more stuff.

Beginner verdict: Avoid, avoid, avoid. Unless you literally want a "simpler" experience where you ignore crafting and just scavenge (and die off when loot runs out), Illiterate will only frustrate you. New players are better off learning how the skill and book system works – reading is a big part of PZ's progression (it's the reason your character's bookshelf at home is as important as their shotgun).

If you took Illiterate and regret it: You can partially compensate by choosing skills that don't rely on recipes (e.g. you can still level up blunt weapons, guard, etc. through use). Prioritize occupations that give vital recipes (Electrician for generators, etc.) since you won't be able to get them later. Consider playing with "XP multiplier" sandbox settings to counter the no-skillbook penalty. But honestly, it might be better to start a new character without this handicap.

Slow Learner – 30% less XP gain.

It sounds mild ("okay, I learn a bit slower, nbd?") but it's deceptively brutal. This trait (which is +6 points in B41, increased to +8 in B42's rebalance mods – though base game might still list +6) reduces all XP gains by 30%. It stacks with the lack of skill books if you also took Illiterate (please don't do that to yourself!). Early game, you might not notice – kill a few zombies, your skills are low anyway. But over time, you'll realize that tasks are taking significantly longer to level up. Need carpentry 7 to build something? With Slow Learner, that's perhaps dozens more logs you must saw.

Now, combine Slow Learner with the fact that as a beginner you might not even know the best ways to level a skill (there are efficient methods veteran players use). You could end up in a situation where it takes literal in-game months to get modest skill levels across the board. Meanwhile, the game's challenges (like tougher hordes, winter cold, etc.) won't wait for you.

Build 42 note: The devs did adjust some trait costs and potentially the value of Slow Learner (there was talk of bumping it to +8 because it's under-picked – most people don't take it as it is). If you're on an updated build, check the cost. Regardless, the effect is the same and it's nasty for singleplayer: you have no one else to pick up the slack in skills. In MP, you could specialize (e.g. "I'll be the fighter, you be the crafter"). In solo, you are everything – so slow XP hurts more.

Recommendation: If you want a "slow progress" experience, sure, but beginners typically want to experience the game's breadth (building bases, fixing cars, etc.). Slow Learner just drags all that out. You're better off taking a more localized negative trait (like Pacifist if you plan to rely on guns – reduces weapon XP only) rather than a blanket XP nerf.

Sleepyhead – Requires more sleep.

This trait gives you +4 points, and the cost is you require more sleep. Practically, your character gets tired faster and needs maybe 10+ hours of sleep instead of 7–8. In gameplay, it feels like your character is an old iPhone battery – draining to 0% far too quickly. As a beginner, you might not realize how dangerous it is to push into the red tiredness moodle; your vision narrows and you can barely fight. With Sleepyhead, you'll hit that state more often and earlier in the evening. You'll find yourself forced to stop looting and look for a bed at 5 PM, or taking naps during the day.

One community member complained that with Sleepyhead, "you end up spending 50%+ of your playtime literally sleeping". That might be a bit hyperbolic, but it underscores the annoyance. And if you ignore the need for more sleep? Your character's combat and running abilities will suffer at the worst possible time (imagine getting drowsy while a horde is chasing you).

To manage Sleepyhead: You can take the Wakeful positive trait (-2 points) to offset it – essentially nullifying both (but then, why take Sleepyhead at all for net +2?). Or abuse coffee and energy drinks, though those are short-term fixes and you might not always have them. Another tactic is to adjust your in-game day length or sleeping rules (in sandbox you could disable sleep requirement, but that's basically cheating the trait away).

Restless Sleeper – Poor quality sleep.

If Sleepyhead is needing more sleep, Restless Sleeper is about getting worse quality sleep. Your character will wake up still tired or wake up periodically during the night. This trait also gives +6 points (quite a lot) indicating how disruptive it can be. You might sleep a full 8 hours and still see the "slightly tired" moodle, meaning you never got that deep restful sleep.

For a beginner, the problem here is inconsistency. Some days you might be fine, other days you'll wake up exhausted for no apparent reason (just the trait doing its thing). It can screw up your plans – you thought you'd get up at dawn to go loot the gas station, but your character is still groggy till noon.

Restless Sleeper pairs terribly with Sleepyhead (please don't ever take both – you'll basically be a zombie yourself). Alone, it's a bit more manageable if you have a routine that allows naps or if you find the herbalist magazine and make herbal tea (there's a fatigue reduction tea). But again, these are advanced tactics.

Build 42: No specific changes to these traits in 42's trait overhaul (their costs stayed the same). However, B42 added Night Events and more activity at night in some cases, meaning being forced to sleep at odd times could make you miss the safer night hours or vice versa.

New player tip: If you find yourself with Restless Sleeper and struggling, try to establish a secure base with a comfortable bed – quality of bed can affect sleep. And consider ending your play session (IRL) when your character sleeps and fast-forwarding – some players mentally don't notice the trait as much if they just speed through the night and deal with the consequences in the morning.

Weak / Feeble – Strength penalties.

These are Strength penalties. Feeble (used to be called "Weak" in older versions, but now Weak is the bigger penalty) gives you a moderate strength reduction (often starting at 3 instead of 5, for example) for +6 points. Weak (the worse one) can drop you to strength 1 out of 10 and gives +10 points. The immediate effect is lower carry weight (you might only carry, say, 6 units before becoming encumbered, versus 12+ for a strong character) and lower melee damage.

What does that mean in practice? With Weak/Feeble, a single backpack of loot can overweight you easily. You might not be able to shove zombies away effectively or knock them down with a hit. If a zombie grabs you, your chance to break free is lower. It's an underappreciated but huge handicap, especially for beginners who tend to carry a lot of "just in case" items. You'll be dropping your loot and running often – if you can run (more on that next).

In Build 41, these traits were somewhat manageable if you focused on strength training – doing a lot of melee combat or fitness exercises could eventually raise your strength. Build 42 introduced dynamic trait removal: if you level up your strength past a threshold, you can actually lose the Weak/Feeble trait during the game. Sounds good, right? The catch: getting from strength 1 to 5 (to clear "Weak") is a monumental task. It could take months of game time and constant working out – activities that are risky and exhausting in a zombie apocalypse. A beginner is likely not going to achieve that before something bad happens.

Advice: If you are new, do not take Weak, period. Feeble is slightly less severe, but still rough. The 6 extra points from Feeble can tempt you to grab another cool positive trait, but think long term: you're trading permanent combat handicap for maybe a minor convenience. If you do start Feeble, make strength training a part of your routine (push-ups, carrying logs, meleing zombies whenever safe). But be prepared: you'll feel the difference every time you swing a bat or lug a duffel bag.

Unfit / Out of Shape – Fitness penalties.

These are Fitness (endurance) penalties. Out of Shape gives +6 and sets you at low fitness (maybe around 3). Unfit is +10 and is basically rock-bottom fitness (often 0 or 1 fitness skill). Fitness governs how long you can run, how many swings you can take before getting exhausted, and your general cardio. If you've ever played Zomboid and noticed the "Exertion" moodle (Moderate/High/Exhausted Exertion), you know that when you're tired from exertion, your damage plummets and you can barely jog.

An Unfit character can reach high exertion after killing just a handful of zombies or sprinting down a street. That's terrifying when alone – it means your escape options and fight options are severely limited. Out of Shape is not as terrible but still means you can't run for long. Essentially, these traits make every chase and fight shorter – you have less margin to deal with threats.

Like strength, fitness can be improved over time by exercise and activity, and Build 42 similarly allows losing these traits if you get your fitness up. But again, training up from Unfit is a slow, painful process. You'd be dedicating a lot of in-game days to exercise (which itself makes you tired and in danger).

Advice: Don't take Unfit as a newbie. It's regarded as one of the hardest negatives because it affects everything you do physically. Some experienced players take it for a challenge run, often pairing it with the Strong trait to offset combat (like a strong but asthmatic survivor). But as a new player, you don't have those tactics down yet. Out of Shape is slightly more forgiving; you can live with Out of Shape if you also take something like Athletic (to cancel it out) – but that's again just wasting points.

Very Underweight / Underweight – Weight penalties.

These traits affect both Strength and Fitness a bit (since they're tied to your weight stat) and come with other penalties like lower max health (for Very Underweight). Underweight (+6) and Very Underweight (+10) also start you off at a low weight (which can make you more prone to injury). The idea is you can eat food to eventually get out of the underweight category (if you reach a healthy weight, some penalties go away). In Build 41, many players took Underweight as a "free" 6 points because you could fairly easily bulk up by overeating for a week or two in-game, thus negating the trait.

Build 42 turned that upside down by overhauling the nutrition and weight system. Now, food is scarcer and weight changes are more realistic (read: slower and harder). As one player noted after B42, "Even when eating everything in sight, characters with High Metabolism will watch their weight drop dangerously" – and that's with High Metabolism, but it illustrates how simply keeping weight is tough. For Underweight characters, gaining those kilos is now a real project. You need a steady surplus of calories, which means either hoarding tons of non-perishables, fishing/farming effectively, or getting lucky with finding a lot of food. Early game, new players struggle with food management anyway; being underweight makes it more urgent.

Very Underweight also gives you -1 fitness, -1 strength inherently (on top of the weight effects) and lowers your max health. So you're weaker, slower, and any hit you take is more dangerous because you have less HP buffer. Ouch.

Advice: Underweight can still be manageable if you prioritize food and maybe take the Nutritionist trait (to see calorie values) so you focus on high-calorie diets. But for a beginner, it's another layer of complexity. Very Underweight is quite challenging now – you'll be spending a lot of time eating and resting to try to get out of the danger zone, instead of doing fun survivor stuff. If you want points from a weight trait, Overweight or even Obese might be paradoxically easier for a newbie – yes, you start slow, but losing weight by running around is easier (and less immediately dangerous) than gaining. Plus, Overweight gives you extra fat as a buffer against starvation and a bit more health than underweight.

High Thirst – Need 2× as much water.

Previously +6 points, meaning you needed 2x as much water as normal. It wasn't a big deal because water is everywhere (until the water shuts off, by which time many players already had rain collectors). Many veterans called it "free real estate" for points. In Build 42, the trait was slashed to +1 point because the devs increased how punishing it is (and to dissuade people from taking it). One redditor lamented, "With high thirst, a 1L bottle can't even last a full day like it used to".

Consider that: normally a full bottle might keep you hydrated a day or more; with High Thirst, you might need two or more bottles per day. As a beginner, you might not yet know where all the water sources are (or that you should fill every empty container before water shuts off). High Thirst means if you don't have a base with water reserves or live near a lake, you'll be trekking out dangerously often just to find a drink.

After the water utility shuts off (which happens in the first month or so by default settings), a High Thirst character is in real trouble if they haven't prepared. You'll burn through stored water fast. And boiling/disinfecting water (if you resort to rivers) is an extra step that requires equipment.

Build 42 impact: The direct nerf in points indicates the devs think "this isn't worth many points now," implying the downside alone should discourage it. And indeed, most players stopped picking High Thirst in B42; it's basically not worth the bother for just +1. From a new player perspective, even if it were still +6, I'd caution against it now because the game's balance changed. You have more important things to worry about than lugging water jugs around every day.

Tip if you have it: Immediately prioritize water storage. Gather pots, buckets, anything that can hold water, and fill them. Set up rain collector barrels (carpentry level 4 required, which again if you're illiterate or slow learner, oh boy…). Also remember that many houses have wells or water coolers – mark them on your map for emergency refills. Basically, make water management your #1 task.

High Metabolism (also known as Hearty Appetite) – Constant hunger.

This trait means you use up calories faster (need to eat more often to maintain weight). In Build 41 it gave +4 or +6 (it changed at some point; currently it's often listed as +2 in B42, meaning they reduced its point yield because it became more punishing). The new food system in Build 42 recalibrated calories for foods and made them generally lower, plus made food more scarce in general loot. The result: a character with High Metabolism is constantly starving. One community tip quipped that High Metabolism "has become one of the worst choices in B42" – and that's coming from players who used to always take it.

What does High Metabolism feel like? You might eat a big pie and only stay "Fed" for a few in-game hours before the hunger moodle comes back. If you don't continuously eat, you'll start losing weight. Losing too much weight gives you the Underweight trait penalties on the fly. People have reported cases like "I ate two full fridges of food in three days and only gained 3 kg" because of this trait and B42's new nutrition. That's insane – and as a beginner, you're unlikely to have that much food or the foresight to constantly chow down.

Also, hunger in Zomboid isn't just an RP thing – if you're very hungry or starving, you get weak and slow, which in a fight is a death sentence. So High Metabolism can indirectly cause combat problems because you're often fighting on an empty stomach (minus combat strength).

How to cope: If you accidentally took this trait, you must make food a priority above almost everything else. Scavenge all non-perishables early (they last). Start fishing or trapping as soon as you can, or farming (though crops take time). In B42, you might notice wild animals – hunting is another way to get food, but that's advanced for a newbie. Cook food optimally to not waste calories (don't burn things). It's a lot to manage.

There's a positive trait, Light Eater, that does the opposite (need less food). In B42, Light Eater is golden because of how scarce food is. High Metabolism is the polar opposite – a self-inflicted famine. In older versions, it wasn't a big deal since you could loot a whole neighborhood of canned goods and be set. Now, every can of beans is precious, and you're basically making your stomach a hole with no bottom.

Clumsy and Conspicuous – Stealth killers.

Clumsy (makes your footsteps and movement noises louder) and Conspicuous (increases the range at which zombies can spot you). Each of these is +2. Alone, each one is a moderate disadvantage; together, they synergize in the worst way – you're making more noise and any zombie that hears or sees you will do so from further away. It's the opposite of the beloved Inconspicuous trait (which stealth players love because it significantly reduces the zombie vision/hearing range on you).

New players typically haven't mastered stealth – sneaking in Zomboid is an art (staying low, breaking line of sight, moving at the right speed). If you take Clumsy or Conspicuous, you're basically turning up the difficulty on stealth. Expect to pull bigger groups of zombies with your actions. You might be puzzled why "these zombies always notice me from so far away" – check your traits.

Clumsy specifics: You're more likely to trigger random noise events like tripping fences or shaking trees. It's not usually instantly deadly, but it means stealth approaches (like crawling up behind a zombie for a jawstab) are more likely to fail.

Conspicuous specifics: The default detection distances for zombies can be adjusted by this trait (it's roughly a 50% increase in how far away they can spot you). That's huge – a zombie that might have ignored you at 20 tiles may now lock on. It effectively increases the radius of every group's aggro around you.

Combined effect: Let's put it this way – many players regard taking both as a "challenge run" move. For a beginner, I definitely don't recommend doubling up here. Even one of them will make early towns harder. If you spawn in, say, West Point (a dense town) with Clumsy, you might find you keep getting into fights you think you should have avoided. It can be discouraging.

Alternatives: If you want points and don't mind a little extra risk, take just one. Clumsy is arguably easier to manage (you can try to move slowly to offset some noise). Conspicuous is more consistently dangerous. Or better yet, skip both and maybe take something like Short Sighted – it affects your foraging vision radius mostly, and is a minor inconvenience (and glasses can mitigate it with a mod, etc.).

Cowardly (Agoraphobic and Claustrophobic) – Panic attacks.

Cowardly (not an actual trait name in current game, but effectively represented by Agoraphobic and Claustrophobic). These two traits give +4 each and cause panic when outdoors (agoraphobic) or indoors (claustrophobic). People sometimes nickname a build that takes both as the "Cowardly" build – you basically panic everywhere unless you're in that sweet spot like a doorway (half-in, half-out?).

Panic in Zomboid reduces your accuracy and vision cone. A panicked character also sometimes makes more noise (heavy breathing). Now, every character will experience panic early on when seeing zombies, unless they have the Brave trait. But they can get desensitized with time or if they're a Veteran (occupation).

Agoraphobic means every time you step outside, your panic climbs. Claustrophobic means when you're in a small room or enclosed space, it climbs. Either can be managed by gradually exposing yourself (the game lets you reduce the effect over long periods – e.g. spend a lot of time outside, an agoraphobic will chill out more). But in the crucial early days, these are extremely distracting. Imagine trying to loot a house but your Claustrophobic character starts hyperventilating inside, making noise and losing vision. Or you run out to your shed and your agoraphobic survivor goes into full panic, just as zombies start coming.

For a newbie, it's an additional curveball. You might not understand why your character's panicked at "nothing". It requires roleplay knowledge (oh they're scared of open spaces). Managing it can be as simple as popping beta-blockers (if you find some) or just enduring it until you calm down. But fighting while panicked is tough – your swings can miss more and you get tired faster.

Advice: Pick at most one, if any, once you know how to deal with panic. Many experienced players actually consider these "mild" negatives once you're established: a Claustrophobic base-dweller can just spend time outside each day to keep panic down, an Agoraphobic can do quick dashes between safehouses. But as a beginner, you're still establishing safe zones and figuring out combat; constant panic attacks won't help.

Hemophobic – Fear of blood.

This trait gives +5 and causes panic when you perform first aid on anyone (including yourself) and when you see a lot of blood on yourself. In solo play, you're typically only bandaging yourself (unless you have NPCs with you or something). So Hemophobic tends to mean if you get injured and try to bandage, your character will start freaking out, possibly dropping things or taking longer to perform the action due to shaking, etc.

Also, after killing zombies you often get blood on your clothes. A Hemophobic will get stressed and anxious from that. You can wash yourself and your clothes to mitigate it, but that's extra chores after every skirmish.

For a new player, this trait is often more trouble than they realize. You might not plan on getting hurt, but you will get scratched or lacerated at some point. If your character panics when trying to bandage a bleeding wound, that can delay the bandaging (potentially losing more health or making noise). It's not usually instantly fatal, but it adds danger to an already dangerous moment (being injured).

In Build 41/42, Hemophobic didn't change. It's actually more of a multiplayer concern (as a Hemophobic doctor in MP is a bad idea because you panic while treating others). In singleplayer, some people take it and just deal with occasional panic after fights.

Advice: If you're good about staying uninjured or you don't mind your screen flashing panic occasionally until you wash up, Hemophobic is manageable. But it's certainly not helpful for a beginner. It pairs badly with traits that already cause panic (imagine being agoraphobic and hemophobic – you're terrified of the outdoors and also of blood, yikes). If you take it, get in the habit of washing blood off yourself at lakes or sinks regularly. Carry beta-blockers (anti-panic medicine) for emergency medical situations. And note that the panic from bandaging is short-lived; if you survive the fight that caused the injury, you'll probably be okay to just endure the panic while you wrap up.

All Thumbs – Slow item transfers.

This makes transferring items take 2× as long. It's +2 points, reflecting that it's a mild inconvenience – and indeed many players took it in the past because "eh, I can live with slow looting." However, consider the scenarios: You're quickly grabbing stuff from a fridge while zombies might be approaching – with All Thumbs, that "quick grab" might turn into a sluggish progress bar. Or you're moving ammo into your main inventory during a fight and it's taking ages.

A user recounted that with All Thumbs, they felt "I was spending more time moving items than actually playing the game". It can certainly feel that way. As a new player, you might not be as efficient in looting (veterans know what to pick, what to skip; newbies often loot a lot of junk). All Thumbs will exacerbate that inefficiency. You'll stand around in menus longer, which is time not watching your surroundings.

Does All Thumbs directly kill you? Not usually. But it can contribute to getting caught off-guard. Plus, it's just frustrating if you don't know why everything is so slow. If you're aware and patient, it's one of the lesser evils – but I'd still advise against it for your first run. You have enough to learn without waiting 10 seconds to move a can of soup.

Tip: If you did take it, try to only loot when an area is truly clear. You can partially mitigate by increasing your character's Inventory Transfer skill (yes, repeatedly moving items eventually ups a hidden skill that slightly speeds transfers). Also, bags help because you can use the "Transfer All" option which might be a single action rather than many small ones.

Disorganized – 30% less container space.

This trait reduces container capacity by 30%. Backpacks, crates, glove boxes – everything holds less weight. So an item that's 1.0 weight might take up 1.3 of the container's capacity with this trait. It's +4 points, so the game considers it a moderate disadvantage.

In practice, Disorganized means you can't carry as much loot in your bags or store as much in a given container. It doesn't affect how much you personally can carry (that's strength related), but indirectly it does because you might need to carry extra bags or make more trips. For a solo player, making more trips to gather the same amount of loot = more exposure to danger.

Early game, you might not notice because you don't have much stuff. But once you start stockpiling, you'll fill up your base storage real fast. Your car's trunk will fit less, meaning you might leave useful supplies behind.

One particularly nasty impact is on bags: A normal Big Hiking Bag has 22 capacity; with Disorganized, it's around 15. That's a lot less you can schlep per run. New players often already struggle with inventory management ("I want to take all this food and these tools and… oh I'm overloaded"). Disorganized makes that worse. It also stacks against you if you don't take the Organized trait later (which gives +30% capacity).

In B42, no specific change except maybe some new containers (e.g. new furniture or crates types) – but nothing special, it's same effect.

If you picked it: you can offset some of it by finding the biggest bags (military backpack, etc.) and using vehicles for storage. Use the trunks and seats of cars to haul loot instead of trying to cram everything on your person. Build lots of crates in your base (easy if you have carpentry skill) so you have enough space. It's livable, but again, it's a quality-of-life hit that new players might find vexing.

Pacifist (+4) – Slower combat skill gains.

Reduces your weapon XP gains by 25%. If you plan on fighting a lot of zombies (and as a solo player, you will), this drags out how long it takes to get better with weapons. It's not as crippling as Slow Learner (it only affects combat skills), but it means you'll be clumsy with weapons longer. A new player might already struggle to use, say, blades effectively; Pacifist makes it take longer to reach a competency where you stop missing half your swings. It's not the worst trait ever, but many regret taking it because combat skill grind is slow as-is.

Asthmatic (+5) – Endurance penalties.

This one is like a mini Unfit combined with occasional coughing fits. It's a relatively new trait (introduced around B41) that causes you to lose endurance faster and sometimes have shortness of breath. It's thematic, but for a beginner it's just another stamina handicap that can surprise you ("why am I getting exhausted so fast?"). I'd avoid it unless you specifically want that challenge.

Smoker (+4) – Need regular cigarettes.

Wait, why is Smoker here? Isn't it an "easy" negative? Generally yes – cigarettes are common and as long as you keep smoking, the stress stays manageable. We include it here only to warn: if you take Smoker, be sure you find cigarettes and a lighter on day 1. A beginner who doesn't know where to find cigs could end up with a stressed-out character (stress gives you penalties and can lead to depression). It's not a huge deal, but chain-smoking is something you'll have to remember to do regularly. Some newbies actually forget their character is a smoker until they're panicking for no reason. So, Smoker is fine, just be aware of the responsibility (and the minor hit to your fitness and thirst it causes).

Short Sighted (+2) – Reduced view distance.

A minor one – slightly reduced view distance and foraging radius. Many guides say it's practically free points because the impact is hardly noticeable (especially if you find glasses). For a beginner, I agree it's not too dangerous. Just noting that if you do take it, and you find foraging to be difficult, it might not entirely be your fault – Short Sighted reduces the range at which you see forageables, so it's a bit tougher to level Foraging early on. Otherwise, feel free – it's one of the "okay" negatives if you aren't doing a lot of long-range spotting.

Broken Leg (only in custom scenarios) – Start injured.

Not a trait, but some players essentially start with injuries. A broken leg start, for example, is extremely hard for a new player (you can't move well). Just a PSA: Don't start with a self-imposed injury or illness via sandbox settings if you're new. Surviving with a normal healthy body is hard enough!

The Sunday Driver Demise

A Redditor shared how they took Sunday Driver (the trait that makes your driving slow) thinking "hey, +1 point, why not." Fast forward to them trying to escape a mini-horde in a car – they couldn't accelerate enough to run over even a single zombie blocking the road. The car got swarmed and they were dragged out and eaten. They described that build as "totally a pain." The lesson? That one point isn't worth the inability to outspeed a shambling corpse when it counts!

The Deaf Survivor Group

Another player recounted a multiplayer session where one friend took Deaf for kicks. Everything was fine until a house alarm went off. The hearing players all shouted and scrambled, but the Deaf player, having forgotten about his trait, calmly kept looting… oblivious to the fact that zombies were converging on his house from all sides. He only realized when they started breaking down the door. In solo, that situation would likely have ended in death. It's a funny story in a group (they laughed about how he "forgot he was deaf"), but alone it would've been tragic.

Illiterate Life

There's a masochistic challenge some try – playing as an illiterate character. One such attempt documented how around day 15, the player had stockpiled a lot of skill books… only to realize none of them could be read. They ended up using them as fuel in a campfire because that was the only use. When a helicopter event hit (drawing massive hordes) and they needed to relocate and wire a generator at a new safehouse, they couldn't – the character didn't know how, and the magazine was unreadable to them. That run ended with them in darkness, without power or water, barricaded in a farm, unable to farm effectively (no farming magazine knowledge) – essentially, illiteracy quietly strangled their long-term survival.