Project Zomboid Traits List (Build 42.19): Costs, Exclusives & Recipes

Build 42.19 · 81 selectable traits · 16 occupation or body-state traits · 97 total.

How trait points work

The Points column matches the character-creation screen:

Starting points depend on occupation (including Custom Occupation). You cannot finish creation with a negative remaining budget. Mutual exclusives block incompatible pairs—for example, Smoker conflicts with Athletic.

Names and descriptions match the English UI. Skill XP boosts and recipe grants match Build 42.19. Combat or moodle percentages are listed only when the game shows them clearly.

Selectable positive traits

49 positive traits you can pick at creation. Sorted by cost (highest first), then name.

Icon	Name	Points	Mutually exclusive	Skill boosts	Grants	Description
	Athletic base:athletic	−10	High Weight, Fit, Very High Weight, Out of Shape, Unfit, Very Low Weight, Smoker	+4 Fitness	—	Faster running speed. Can run for longer without tiring.
	Strong base:strong	−10	Weak, Stout, Puny	+4 Strength	—	Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight.
	Bushcrafter base:wildernessknowledge	−8	—	+1 Carving +1 Foraging +1 Knapping +1 Maintenance	Recipes: Herbal Remedies, Knap Stone Blade, Remake Long Stone Blade, Knap Long Stone Blade, Knap Stone Blade Scythe, Fire Harden Spear, Grind Up Plantain, Grind Up Comfrey (+21 more)	Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them, and make simple stone and bone tools. Start fires faster.
	Handy base:handy	−8	—	+1 Carpentry +1 Carving +1 Maintenance +1 Masonry	Recipes: Barbed-Wire Wrap Weapon, Make Bolt Metal Bat, Make Brake Disc Weapon, Make Bucket Maul, Can-Reinforce Long Weapon, Can-Reinforce Short Weapon, Can-Reinforce Weapon, Make Garden Fork Head Weapon (+16 more)	Faster and stronger constructions.
	Hunter base:hunter	−8	—	+1 Aiming +1 Butchering +1 Short Blade +1 Sneaking +1 Tracking	Recipes: Make Stick Trap, Make Snare Trap, Make Crate Trap, Make Box Trap, Make Cage Trap, Make Stag Head Trophy
	Thick-skinned base:thickskinned	−8	Thin-skinned	—	—	Lower chance of being scratched or bitten.
	Blacksmith Knowledge base:blacksmith	−6	Blacksmith Knowledge	+2 Blacksmithing +1 Maintenance	Recipes: Construct Advanced Forge, Construct Blast Furnace, Construct Charcoal Burner, Construct_Charcoal_Pit, Construct_Dome_Kiln, Simple Forge, Construct_Makeshift_Electric_Blower_Forge, Construct Smelting Furnace (+77 more)	Can use an anvil to create metal items.
	Brawler base:brawler	−6	—	+1 Axe +1 Long Blunt	Recipes: Barbed-Wire Wrap Weapon, Make Bolt Metal Bat, Can-Reinforce Long Weapon, Can-Reinforce Short Weapon, Can-Reinforce Weapon, Sheet Metal-Reinforce Weapon
	Fast Healer base:fasthealer	−6	Slow Healer	—	—	Recovers quickly from injuries and illness.
	Fast Learner base:fastlearner	−6	Crafty, Slow Learner	—	—	Increased XP gains.
	Fit base:fit	−6	Athletic, Very High Weight, Out of Shape, High Weight, Unfit	+2 Fitness	—
	Former Scout base:formerscout	−6	—	+1 First Aid +1 Fishing +1 Foraging	Recipes: Make Fishing Rod, Fix Fishing Rod, Make Chum Base	Start fires faster.
	Keen Hearing base:keenhearing	−6	Deaf, Hard of Hearing	—	—	Larger perception radius.
	Stout base:stout	−6	Weak, Strong, Puny	+2 Strength	—	Extra knockback from melee weapons. Increased carrying weight.
	Gymnast base:gymnast	−5	—	+1 Lightfooted +1 Nimble	—
	Hiker base:hiker	−5	—	+1 Foraging +1 Trapping	Recipes: Make Stick Trap, Make Snare Trap, Make Crate Trap
	Target Shooter base:target_shooter	−5	—	+1 Aiming	—
	Adrenaline Junkie base:adrenalinejunkie	−4	Agoraphobic, Claustrophobic, Cowardly, Desensitized	—	—	Moves faster when highly panicked.
	Angler base:fishing	−4	—	+1 Fishing	Recipes: Make Fishing Rod, Fix Fishing Rod, Make Chum Base
	Baseball Player base:baseballplayer	−4	—	+1 Long Blunt	Recipes: Carve Bat
	Brave base:brave	−4	Cowardly, Agoraphobic, Claustrophobic, Desensitized	—	—	Less prone to becoming panicked.
	Eagle Eyed base:eagleeyed	−4	Short Sighted	—	—	Faster visibility fade. Higher visibility arc. Weapon sights more effective at long range.
	Graceful base:graceful	−4	Clumsy	—	—	Makes less noise when moving.
	Herbalist base:herbalist	−4	Herbalist	+1 Foraging	Recipes: Herbal Remedies, Grind Up Plantain, Grind Up Comfrey, Grind Up Wild Garlic, Black Sage Growing Season, Broadleaf Plantain Growing Season, Comfrey Growing Season, Common Mallow Growing Season (+1 more)	Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them.
	Inconspicuous base:inconspicuous	−4	Conspicuous	—	—	Less likely to be spotted by zombies.
	Organized base:organized	−4	Disorganized	—	—	Increased container inventory capacity.
	Resilient base:resilient	−4	Prone to Illness	—	—	Less prone to disease. Slower rate of zombification.
	Runner base:jogger	−4	—	+1 Running	—
	Sewer base:tailor	−4	—	+1 Tailoring	Recipes: Knit Open-Face Balaclava, Knit Full Balaclava, Knit Beanie, Knit Doily, Knit Legwarmers, Knit Scarf, Knit Socks, Knit Sweater Vest (+51 more)
	Tinkerer base:tinkerer	−4	—	+1 Maintenance	—
	Cat's Eyes base:nightvision	−3	—	—	—	Better vision at night.
	Crafty base:crafty	−3	Fast Learner, Slow Learner	—	—	Increased XP gains for Crafting skills.
	Keen Cook base:cook	−3	Keen Cook	+1 Butchering +2 Cooking	Recipes: Make Cake Batter, Prepare Pie Dough, Prepare Bread Dough, Prepare Baguette, Prepare Biscuits, Prepare Cookies, Prepare Chocolate Chip Cookies, Prepare Oatmeal Cookies (+8 more)	Knows cooking recipes.
	Vehicle Knowledge base:mechanics	−3	Vehicle Knowledge	+1 Mechanics	Recipes: Basic Mechanics, Intermediate Mechanics	Has knowledge of common and commercial vehicle models, and repairs.
	Wakeful base:needslesssleep	−3	Sleepyhead	—	—	Needs less sleep.
	Artisan base:artisan	−2	—	+1 Glassmaking +1 Pottery	Recipes: Make Glass Jar, Make Glass Bottle, Make Drinking Glass, Make Wine Glass, Make Glass Pane, Make Lantern Glass	Better at pottery and glass crafts.
	Dextrous base:dextrous	−2	All Thumbs	—	—	Transfers inventory items quickly. Faster rope climbing speed, and less chance of falling. Faster weapon shouldering time.
	Fast Reader base:fastreader	−2	Slow Reader, Illiterate	—	—	Takes less time to read books.
	First Aider base:firstaid	−2	—	+1 First Aid	—
	Gardener base:gardener	−2	—	+1 Agriculture	Recipes: Make Flies Cure from Cigarettes, Make Flies Cure from Loose Tobacco, Make Flies Cure from Chewing Tobacco, Make Mildew Cure, Make Aphids Cure, Make Scarecrow, Carrot Growing Season, Broccoli Growing Season (+56 more)
	Inventive base:inventive	−2	Inventive	—	—	Has lower skill level requirements to research recipes from items or auto learn recipes.
	Iron Gut base:irongut	−2	Weak Stomach	—	—	Less chance to have food illness.
	Light Eater base:lighteater	−2	Hearty Appetite, Very High Weight	—	—	Needs to eat less regularly.
	Low Thirst base:lowthirst	−2	High Thirst	—	—	Needs less water to survive.
	Mason base:mason	−2	—	+2 Masonry	Recipes: Construct Advanced Forge, Construct Blast Furnace, Construct_Dome_Kiln, Simple Forge, Construct Smelting Furnace, Construct Primitive Forge, Construct Primitive Furnace	Better at building stone and brick constructions.
	Nutritionist base:nutritionist	−2	Nutritionist	—	—	Can see the nutritional values of any food.
	Outdoorsy base:outdoorsman	−2	—	—	—	Less affected by harsh weather conditions.
	Whittler base:whittler	−2	—	+2 Carving	Recipes: Sharpen Bone, Sharpen Long Bone, Sharpen Jawbone, Carve Bone Fishing Hook, Carve Bone Sewing Needle, Carve Knitting Needles, Carve Bat, Carve Bone War Hatchet Head (+11 more)	Can carve wood and bone items.
	Speed Demon base:speeddemon	−1	Sunday Driver	—	—	Drives very fast.

Selectable negative traits

32 negative traits that give points back. For beginner-safe picks and traps, see negative traits for beginners.

Icon	Name	Points	Mutually exclusive	Skill boosts	Grants	Description
	Deaf base:deaf	+12	Hard of Hearing, Keen Hearing	—	—	Can't hear sound.
	Illiterate base:illiterate	+10	Fast Reader, Slow Reader	—	—	Cannot read any books or in-world text.
	Puny base:weak	+10	Weak, Stout, Strong	-5 Strength	—	Far less knockback from melee weapons. Extremely small carrying weight.
	Unfit base:unfit	+10	Athletic, Fit, Out of Shape	-4 Fitness	—	Very low endurance and endurance regeneration.
	Thin-skinned base:thinskinned	+8	Thick-skinned	—	—	Higher chance of being scratched or bitten by zombies.
	Disorganized base:disorganized	+6	Organized	—	—	Decreased container inventory capacity. Affects world containers and bags, but not your main inventory.
	Out of Shape base:out of shape	+6	Athletic, Fit, Unfit	-2 Fitness	—	Low endurance, low endurance regeneration.
	Restless Sleeper base:insomniac	+6	—	—	—	Slow loss of tiredness while sleeping.
	Slow Learner base:slowlearner	+6	Crafty, Fast Learner	—	—	Decreased XP gains.
	Weak base:feeble	+6	Stout, Strong, Puny	-2 Strength	—	Less knockback from melee weapons. Decreased carrying weight.
	Fear of Blood base:hemophobic	+5	Desensitized	—	—	Panic when performing first aid on self. Cannot perform first aid on others. Gets stressed when bloody.
	Reluctant Fighter base:pacifist	+5	—	—	—	Decreased combat XP gains.
	Short of Breath base:asthmatic	+5	—	—	—	Faster endurance loss.
	Agoraphobic base:agoraphobic	+4	Adrenaline Junkie, Brave, Desensitized, Claustrophobic	—	—	Gets panicked when outdoors.
	Claustrophobic base:claustrophobic	+4	Adrenaline Junkie, Agoraphobic, Brave, Desensitized	—	—	Gets panicked when in small indoor rooms.
	Conspicuous base:conspicuous	+4	Inconspicuous	—	—	More likely to be spotted by zombies.
	Hard of Hearing base:hardofhearing	+4	Deaf, Keen Hearing	—	—	Smaller perception radius. Smaller hearing range.
	Hearty Appetite base:heartyappetite	+4	Light Eater, Very Low Weight	—	—	Needs to eat more regularly.
	Prone to Illness base:pronetoillness	+4	Resilient	—	—	More prone to disease. Faster rate of zombification.
	Sleepyhead base:needsmoresleep	+4	Wakeful	—	—	Needs more sleep.
	Slow Healer base:slowhealer	+3	Fast Healer	—	—	Recovers slowly from injuries and illness.
	Smoker base:smoker	+3	Athletic	—	—	Unhappiness rises when tobacco is not smoked. Stress and unhappiness decrease after smoking tobacco.
	All Thumbs base:allthumbs	+2	Dextrous	—	—	Transfers inventory items slowly. Can't craft anything while walking. Slower rope climbing speed, and higher chance of falling. Slower weapon shouldering time.
	Clumsy base:clumsy	+2	Graceful	—	—	Makes more noise when moving.
	Cowardly base:cowardly	+2	Adrenaline Junkie, Brave, Desensitized	—	—	Especially prone to becoming panicked.
	Fast Metabolism base:weightloss	+2	Slow Metabolism	—	Grants: Low Weight	Permanent tendency to lose weight. Starts with Low Weight trait.
	High Thirst base:highthirst	+2	Low Thirst	—	—	Needs more water to survive.
	Short Sighted base:shortsighted	+2	Eagle Eyed	—	—	Smaller view distance. Slower visibility fade. Weapon sights less effective.
	Slow Metabolism base:weightgain	+2	Fast Metabolism	—	Grants: High Weight	Permanent tendency to gain weight. Starts with High Weight trait.
	Slow Reader base:slowreader	+2	Fast Reader, Illiterate	—	—	Takes longer to read books and other literature.
	Weak Stomach base:weakstomach	+2	Iron Gut	—	—	Higher chance to have food illness.
	Sunday Driver base:sundaydriver	+1	Speed Demon	—	—	Drives very slow.

Weight and body-state traits

Selectable metabolism options: Fast Metabolism (+2 points, grants Low Weight) and Slow Metabolism (+2 points, grants High Weight). Details: Is Underweight free? and losing Obese / weight traits.

Icon	Name	Points	Mutually exclusive	Skill boosts	Grants	Description
	Emaciated base:emaciated	—	Very High Weight, High Weight	—	—	Low strength, low endurance and prone to injury.
	High Weight base:overweight	0	Athletic, Fit, Emaciated, Very Low Weight, Low Weight	-1 Fitness	—	Reduced running speed, low endurance and prone to injury.
	Low Weight base:underweight	0	Very High Weight, Very Low Weight, High Weight	-1 Fitness	—	Low strength, low endurance and prone to injury.
	Very High Weight base:obese	0	Athletic, Emaciated, Fit, Light Eater, Very Low Weight, Low Weight, High Weight	-2 Fitness	—	Reduced running speed, very low endurance and prone to injury.
	Very Low Weight base:very underweight	0	Athletic, Very High Weight, High Weight, Hearty Appetite, Low Weight	-2 Fitness	—	Very low strength, very low endurance and prone to injury.

Occupation-granted traits

These are not free multi-picks on the trait list—occupations grant them at creation. Some share a display name with a selectable version (for example Blacksmith Knowledge, Inventive, Nutritionist, Vehicle Knowledge, Keen Cook, Herbalist); the occupation copy is free with that job.

Icon	Name	Points	Mutually exclusive	Skill boosts	Grants	Description
	Ax-pert base:axeman	0	—	—	—	Better at chopping trees. Faster axe swing.
	Blacksmith Knowledge base:blacksmith2	0	Blacksmith Knowledge	—	—	Can use an anvil to create metal items.
	Burglar base:burglar	0	—	—	—	Can hotwire vehicles. Less chance of breaking window locks.
	Desensitized base:desensitized	0	Adrenaline Junkie, Agoraphobic, Brave, Claustrophobic, Cowardly, Fear of Blood	—	—	Far less prone to panic. Ignore discomfort.
	Herbalist base:herbalist_prof	0	Herbalist	+1 Foraging	Recipes: Herbal Remedies, Grind Up Plantain, Grind Up Comfrey, Grind Up Wild Garlic, Black Sage Growing Season, Broadleaf Plantain Growing Season, Comfrey Growing Season, Common Mallow Growing Season (+1 more)	Can find medicinal herbs and craft medicines and poultices from them.
	Inventive base:inventive_prof	0	Inventive	—	—	Has lower skill level requirements to research recipes from items or auto learn recipes.
	Keen Cook base:cook2	0	Keen Cook	—	—	Knows cooking recipes.
	Marksman base:marksman	0	—	—	—	Improved gun accuracy and damage. Quicker reload.
	Night Owl base:nightowl	0	—	—	—	Requires little sleep. Stays extra alert even when sleeping.
	Nutritionist base:nutritionist2	0	Nutritionist	—	—	Can see the nutritional values of any food.
	Vehicle Knowledge base:mechanics2	0	Vehicle Knowledge	—	—	Has knowledge of common and commercial vehicle models, and repairs.

Related guides