Traits

Traits

Traits are special character abilities in Project Zomboid. They can be positive or negative, and provide different bonuses or penalties. For beginner-friendly trait combinations, check our best builds for beginners guide and comprehensive occupations and traits guide.

Positives

Icon Name Mutually Exclusive Points Description Effect
Speed Demon Sunday driver -1 “The fast driver.” +100% Gear switching speed
+15% Top speed for all vehicles
+200% Engine loudness when reversing
Cat’s Eyes - -2 “Better vision at night.” +20% better vision at night. Affects search mode
Dextrous All Thumbs -2 “Transfers inventory items quickly.” -50% inventory transferring time
Fast Reader Slow Reader -2 “Takes less time to read books.” +30% reading speed
Outdoorsman - -2 “Not affected by harsh weather conditions.” -90% chance of catching a cold.
-99% chance of getting scratched/lacerated while moving through trees. Starts campfires with notched plank faster. Affects search mode
Wakeful Sleepyhead -2 “Needs less sleep.” -30% less sleep required
Iron Gut Weak Stomach -3 “Less chance to have food illness.” -50% chance of food illness. Food illness lasts shorter
Angler -4 “Knows the basics of fishing.” +75% Fishing
Knows how to craft and fix a fishing rod
Baseball Player -4 "Has practice with a baseball bat and knows how to hit with precision." +75% Long Blunt
Brave Cowardly, Desensitized -4 “Less prone to becoming panicked.” -30% panic, except for night terrors and phobias
First Aider -4 "Has a CPR and First Aid course certificate." +75% First Aid
Gardener -4 "Has basic agriculture knowledge." +75% Farming
Knows how to make Mildew Spray and Flies Spray to cure plant diseases
Graceful Clumsy -4 “Makes less noise when moving.” -40% footsteps sound radius.
-10% chance to trip while run/sprint vaulting a low fence or lunging zombies
Inconspicuous Conspicuous -4 “Less likely to be spotted by zombies.” -50% chance of being spotted by a  zombie
Light Eater Hearty Appetite -4 “Needs to eat less regularly.” -25% hunger
Lucky Unlucky -4 “Sometimes things just go your way.” +10% chance of finding rare loot.
-5% chance of failing item repairs. Affects search mode
Nutritionist -4 "Can see the nutritional values of any food." Can see the nutritional values of any food.
(Including non-packaged food and cooked food)
Resilient Prone to Illness -4 “Less prone to disease. Slower rate of zombification.” -25% zombification speed, -55% chance of catching a cold,
-20% cold strength,
-50% cold progression speed
Runner -4 "Runner in the spare times." +75% Sprinting
Sewer -4 "+1 Tailoring" +75% Tailoring
Amateur Mechanic -5 "Has a detailed knowledge of common and heavy vehicle models and their repairs." +75% Mechanics
Gymnast -5 "Agile and discreet." +75% Lightfooted
+75% Nimble
Brawler -6 "Used to getting into trouble." +75% Axe
+75% Long Blunt
Cook -6 "Knows cooking recipes." +100% Cooking
Eagle Eyed Short Sighted -6 “Has a faster visibility fade and a higher visibility arc.” Character has a wider field of view. Affects search mode
Fast Healer Slow Healer -6 “Recovers faster from injury and illness.” Decreased severity of injuries. Does not apply to exercise fatigue
Fast Learner Slow Learner -6 “Increases XP gains.” +30% XP for all skills except Strength and Fitness
Fit Athletic, Out of Shape, Obese, Overweight, Unfit -6 “In good physical shape.” +100% Fitness
Can be gained by training Fitness to level 6.
Replace by Athletic when reaching level 9 Fitness.
Lost if Fitness is below level 6
Former Scout -6 "Knows how to pick wild berries and how to treat small injuries." +75% First Aid
+75% Foraging
Herbalist -6 "Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them." Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them
Can also identify poisonous wild food.
Hiker -6 "Used to surviving in the jungle." +75% Foraging
+75% Trapping
Knows how to make Stick Traps, Snare Traps, and Wooden Cage Traps
Keen Hearing Deaf, Hard of Hearing -6 “Larger perception radius.” +100% perception radius. Zombies approaching from behind will be visible much earlier
Low Thirst High Thirst -6 “Needs to drink water less regularly.” -50% thirst
Organized Disorganized -6 “Increased container inventory capacity.” +30% capacity for all containers, including boxes, cupboards and cars
Stout Feeble, Strong, Weak -6 “Extra knockback from melee weapons and increased carry weight.” +100% Strength
Can be gained by training Strength to level 6.
Replace by Strong when reaching level 9 Strength.
Lost if Strength is below level 6
Adrenaline Junkie Desensitized -8 “Moves faster when highly panicked.” Adds a flat bonus of 0.20 or 0.25 for the character’s base speed at Strong or Extreme Panic, which increases walking, running, and sprinting speed
Handy -8 "Faster and stronger constructions." +100% Carpentry
+100% Maintenance 
+100 HP to all constructions except walls
+11% Building speed
Hunter -8 "Know the basics of hunting." Knows all trap recipes
+75% Aiming
+75% Short Blade
+75% Sneaking
+75% Trapping
Thick Skinned Thin Skinned -8 "Less chance of scratches or bites breaking the skin." -30% chance of receiving wounds
1/13 chance of clothes getting damaged by trees.
Athletic Fit, Out of Shape, Obese, Overweight, Unfit -10 “Can run faster and longer without tiring.” Faster running speed
+4 Fitness
-60% endurance loss when running or sprinting.
Can be gained by training Fitness to level 9.
Lost if Fitness is below 9
Strong Feeble, Stout, Weak -10 “Extra knockback from melee weapons and increased carry weight.” +4 Strength
+40% melee damage
Can be gained by training Strength to level 9.
Lost if Strength is below level 9

Negatives

Icon Name Mutually Exclusive Points Description Effect
Sunday driver Speed Demon +1 “The very slow driver” -40% acceleration, max speed of 30MPH, No change to engine loudness
All Thumbs Dextrous +2 “Transfers inventory items slowly” +300% inventory transferring time.
Clumsy Graceful +2 “Makes more noise when moving” +20% footsteps sound radius,
+10% chance to trip when run/sprint vaulting a low fence or lunging zombies.
Cowardly Brave, Desensitized +2 “Especially prone to becoming panicked” +100% panic except for night terrors and phobias.
Short Sighted Eagle Eyed +2 “Small view distance. Slower visibility fade.” -2 foraging radius in search mode.
Slow Reader Fast Reader +2 “Takes longer to read books” -30% reading speed.
Weak Stomach Iron Gut +3 “Higher chance to have food illness.” +100% chance of food illness. Food illness lasts longer.
Agoraphobic Desensitized +4 “Gets panicked when outdoors” Enters in Panic when outdoors and affects search mode.
Claustrophobic Desensitized +4 “Gets panicked when indoors” Enters in Panic when indoors.
Conspicuous Inconspicuous +4 “More likely to be spotted by zombies.” +100% chance of getting spotted by zombies.
Disorganized Organized +4 “Decreased container inventory capacity” -30% capacity for all containers, including boxes and cupboards.
Hard of Hearing Deaf, Keen Hearing +4 “Smaller perception radius. Smaller hearing range.” Besides the decreased perception radius, the range of sound will be decreased and the sound effects will be muffled.
Hearty Appetite Light Eater +4 “Needs to eat more regularly” +50% hunger.
Pacifist - +4 “Less effective with weapons” -25% XP for all weapon skills, Maintenance skill and Aiming skill
Prone to Illness Resilient +4 “More prone to disease. Faster rate of zombification.” +25% zombification speed. +70% chance of catching a cold,
+20% cold strength,
+50% cold progression speed.
Sleepyhead Wakeful +4 “Needs more sleep” -30% tiredness rate.
Smoker - +4 “Stress and unhappiness decrease after smoking tobacco. Unhappiness rises when tobacco is not smoked.” Stress will constantly slowly rise. Smoking Cigarettes will lower the stress level.
Unlucky Lucky +4 “What could go wrong for you, often does.” -10% chance of finding rare loot. +5% chance of failing item repairs. Affects search mode.
Asthmatic - +5 “Faster endurance loss” +40% endurance loss when running or sprinting.
+30% endurance lost when swinging.
Hemophobic Desensitized +5 “Panic when performing first aid on self, cannot perform first aid on others, gets stressed when bloody” -
Feeble Strong, Stout, Weak +6 “Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight.” -2 Strength
Can be lost by training Strength to level 5.
Trait will be gained if Strength is below level 5
High Thirst Low Thirst +6 “Needs more water to survive” +100% thirst
Out of Shape Athletic, Fit, Unfit +6 “Low endurance, low endurance regeneration.” -2 Fitness
Can be lost by training Fitness to level 5.
Trait becomes Unfit is Fitness goes below level 3.
Gained if Fitness goes below level 5
Overweight Athletic, Fit, Out of Shape, Obese, Underweight, Very Underweight +6 “Reduced running speed, low endurance and prone to injury.” Starting weight is 95
Replaced by Obese if weight goes above 100.
Lost if weight goes below 85.
+10% chance to trip while run/sprint vaulting a low fence.
+15% chance to fail a tall fence climb.
-30% endurance regeneration.
-1 Fitness
Restless Sleeper - +6 “Slow loss of tiredness while sleeping” Sleep less hours, and slower loss of tiredness when sleeping.
Slow Healer Fast Healer +6 “Recovers slowly from injuries and illness” Increased severity of injuries.
Does not apply to exercise fatigue.
Slow Learner Fast Learner +6 “Decreased XP gains” -30% XP in all skills except Strength and Fitness.
Underweight Obese, Overweight, Very Underweight +6 “Low strength, low endurance and prone to injury.” Starting weight is 70.
Replace by Very Underweight if weight goes below 65.
Lost if weight goes above 75.
-20% melee damage.
+10% chance to trip while run/sprint vaulting a low fence or lunging zombies.
+15% chance to fail a tall fence climb
-1 Fitness
Illiterate Fast Reader, Slow Reader +8 “Cannot read books” Unable to get a mood boost by reading leisure books, learning new recipes by reading recipe magazines, or getting an XP multiplier by reading skill books.
Thin-skinned Thick Skinned +8 “Increased chance of scratches, lacerations, or bites breaking the skin.” +27% chance of receiving wounds.
1/3 chance of clothes getting damaged by trees
Obese Athletic, Fit, Out of Shape, Overweight, Underweight, Very Underweight +10 "Reduced running speed, very low endurance and prone to injury." Starting weight is 105.
Replaced by Overweight if weight goes below 100.
+20% chance to trip while run/sprint vaulting a low fence.
-10% chance to trip from lunging zombies.
+25% chance to fail a tall fence climb.
-60% endurance regeneration.
+20 fall damage.
-2 Fitness
Unfit Athletic, Fit, Out of Shape +10 "Very low endurance, very low endurance regeneration. " Can become Out of Shape by training Fitness to level 3.
Gained if Fitness is below level 3.
-4 Fitness
Very Underweight Athletic, Obese, Overweight, Underweight +10 "Very low strength, very low endurance and prone to injury." Replaced by Emaciated if weight goes below 5o.
Replaced by Underweight if weight goes above 65.
-40% melee damage.
+20% chance to trip while run/sprint vaulting a low fence or lunging zombies.
+25% chance to fail a tall fence climb.
+10 fall damage.
-2 Fitness
Weak Feeble, Strong, Stout +10 "Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight." -40% melee damage.
Can become Feeble by training Strength to level 2.
Gained if Strength goes below level 2
-5 Strength
Deaf Hard of Hearing, Keen Hearing +12 "Smaller perception radius and hearing range" Can't hear sound. Radio chatter doesn't appear.
Still able to watch TV due to closed captions.

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