Traits are special character abilities in Project Zomboid. They can be positive or negative, and provide different bonuses or penalties.
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. |