State of Decay 2 5th Skills
Explore all of the State of Decay 2 5th skills available including quirk skills, community skills, Red Talon and Heartland skills.
| 5th Skill | Description | Effect | Also Gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acting | Pretending to be other people for fun and profit. | +100% Standing Rewards +10% Influence Gained |
• Pop Culture Knowledge |
| Administration (Heartland) | Increases facility-building speeds and reduces overall food consumption. | -25% Food Consumed Overall +50% Build Action Speed |
None |
| Animal Facts | How many toes an elephant has, and other vital information. | No useful effect. | None |
| Bartending | Raising spirits with spirits. | +2 Morale (Community) | • Knowledge of Alcohol Beverages • Knowledge of Cooking |
| Business | How to make a profit doing practically anything. | +35 Influence per day +10% Influence Gained |
• Knowledge of Influence |
| Combat Medicine (Red Talon) |
Emergency medicine for the field of battle. | +2 Item Stack Size • Offers Medical Advice (via the Radio) |
• Knowledge of Medicine • Knowledge of Surgery |
| Comedy | The art of making people laugh. | +2 Morale (Community) +100% Standing Rewards |
• Pop Culture Knowledge |
| Demolitions (Red Talon) |
The delicate art of making things go boom. | +2 Item Stack Size | • Knowledge of Electronics • Knowledge of Munitions |
| Design | Figuring out how to make things for humans to use. | +Build Action Speed +50% Facility Action Speed |
• Knowledge of the Arts • Knowledge of Craftsmanship |
| Drill Instruction (Heartland) |
Unlocks Superior Defenses facility upgrade, which improves base defenses and allows training drills. | +25% Facility Action Speed | • An expert in Drill instruction |
| Driving | Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long. | +100% Fuel Efficiency +50% Vehicle Endurance +50% Vehicle Stealth |
None |
| Excuses | Getting out of things in style. | +10 Morale | None |
| Farting Around | "I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different." - Kurt Vonnegut | +10 Morale | None |
| Firearms Maintenance (Red Talon) |
Keeping firearms clean, well-tuned, and ready for action. | -25% Durability Loss (Community) | • Knowledge of Engineering • Knowledge of Mechanics |
| Fishing | Turning bodies of water into food through engineering and trickery. | +2 Food Per Day | None |
| Foraging (Red Talon) |
Living off the land when cut off from the supply chain. | +1 Food Per Day +1 Meds Per Day |
• Knowledge of Gardening |
| Fortifications (Red Talon) |
Quick and elegant building techniques for short-order defense. | +2 Materials Per Day -2 Zombie Threat |
• Knowledge of Construction • Knowledge of Craftsmanship |
| Geek Trivia | Skrewts, Ainur, Jefferies tubes, and the uses of the number 47. | +6 Morale +50% Experience Rate |
• Pop Culture Knowledge |
| Gut Packing (Red Talon) |
Filling stomachs quickly and efficiently. | -30% Food Consumed Overall | • Knowledge of Cooking • Knowledge of Nutrition |
| Hacking (Red Talon) |
Cyberwarfare methods for a bygone age. | +1 Outpost Limit at Command Center (Max 1) | • Knowledge of Computers • Knowledge of Programming |
| Hairdressing | Styling hair with a mix of cutlery and chemistry. | +10% Influence Gained | • Knowledge of Chemistry |
| Hygiene | The lost art of keeping yourself clean and germ-free. | +50% Infection Resistance (Community) +10 Max Health (Community) |
None |
| Ikebana | Brightning a space with the careful arrangement of nature. | +2 Morale (Community) +10 Influence Per Day |
• Knowledge of the Arts • Knowledge of the Gardening |
| Infrastructure (Red Talon) |
Building and managing physical facilities for long-term deployments. | +1 Materials Per Day +1 Fuel Per Day |
• Knowledge of Plumbing
• Knowledge of Utilities |
| Law | What people used to do about crime and conflict. | • Knowledge of Influence +10% Influence Gained |
None |
| Lichenology | The study of lichens. | +2 Meds Per Day | • Knowledge of Gardening • Knowledge of Herbalism |
| Literature | Still important. Our children should know how their ancestors viewed the world. | +6 Morale +100% Experience Rate |
• Knowledge of the Arts |
| Logistics (Red Talon) |
Maintaining and managing gear and supplies. | +1 Item Stack Size (Community) +25 Parts Per Day |
• Knowledge of Craftsmanship • Knowledge of Metalwork |
| Making Coffee | Giving people a good start to each day. | -25% Fatigue Severity (Community) |
• Knowledge of Coffee Preparation • Knowledge of Cooking |
| Mobile Operations (Red Talon) |
Managing operations involving vehicles. | +25% Fuel Efficiency (Community) +1 Fuel Per Day |
• Knowledge of Automechanics • Knowledge of Mechanics |
| Movie Trivia | Box office grosses, Oscar winners, and obscure directors. | +6 Morale +50% Experience Rate |
• Pop Culture Knowledge |
| Music | Raising spirits with rhythm and melody. | +2 Morale (Community) +100% Standing Rewards +25 Influence Per Day |
• Knowledge of the Arts |
| Painting | Conveying meaning and evoking emotion through color and form. | +2 Morale (Community) +25 Influence Per Day |
• Knowledge of the Arts |
| People Skills | The most essential of the "soft" skills. | +100% Standing Rewards +10% Influence Gained |
• Knowledge of Influence |
| Pinball | Live catches, death saves, and outlane shakes. | +100% Standing Experience Rate | • Knowledge of Mechanics |
| Poker Face | I want to hold 'em like they do in Texas plays. | +20 Max Stamina +10% Influence Gained |
• Knowledge of Influence |
| Police Procedure (Heartland) |
Make less noise when searching quickly, and find more plague samples. | -50% Chance of Search Crash | • Extracts Plague Samples More Often |
| Political Science | The workings of power within government. | +100% Standing Rewards +25 Influence Per Day |
• Knowledge of Influence |
| Recycling | Finding use from your refuse. | +2 Materials Per Day +25 Parts Per Day |
None |
| Scrum Certification | We're going to get so much done. | +50% Build Action Speed +50% Facility Action Speed +2 Labor |
None |
| Self-Promotion | The underappreciated art of getting people to look at you. | +100% Standing Rewards | • Knowledge of Influence |
| Sewing | Turning cloth and threat into useful things. | +1 Item Stack Size (Community) +10 Max Health (Community) |
• Knowledge of Craftsmanship |
| Sexting | There's a right way to do everything. | -5 Influence Per Day | None |
| Shopping | How to find a bargain in a pile of useless junk. | +50% Search Speed +25 Parts Per Day |
None |
| Sleep Psychology | A better night's sleep leads to a better day's work. | +4 Morale (Community) +2 Beds |
None |
| Soundproofing | A quieter base is a safer base. | -4 Zombie Threat | None |
| Sports Trivia | Stats, jersey numbers, and classic plays. | +100% Cardio Experience Rate +100% Fighting Experience Rate +20 Max Stamina |
• Knowledge of Sports |
| Tattoos | Body artistry. | +10% Influence Gained | • Knowledge of the Arts • Knowledge of Medicine |
| TV Trivia | Actors, awards, and episode numbers. | +6 Morale +50% Experience Rate |
• Pop Culture Knowledge |
Red Talon 5th Skills
| 5th Skill | Description | Specializations | Also Gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Medicine (Red Talon) |
Emergency medicine for the field of battle. | +2 Item Stack Size • Offers Medical Advice (via the Radio) |
• Knowledge of Medicine • Knowledge of Surgery |
| Demolitions (Red Talon) |
The delicate art of making things go boom. | +2 Item Stack Size | • Knowledge of Electronics • Knowledge of Munitions |
| Firearms Maintenance (Red Talon) |
Keeping firearms clean, well-tuned, and ready for action. | -25% Durability Loss (Community) | • Knowledge of Engineering • Knowledge of Mechanics |
| Foraging (Red Talon) |
Living off the land when cut off from the supply chain. | +1 Food Per Day +1 Meds Per Day |
• Knowledge of Gardening |
| Fortifications (Red Talon) |
Quick and elegant building techniques for short-order defense. | +2 Materials Per Day -2 Zombie Threat |
• Knowledge of Construction • Knowledge of Craftsmanship |
| Gut Packing (Red Talon) |
Filling stomachs quickly and efficiently. | -30% Food Consumed Overall | • Knowledge of Cooking • Knowledge of Nutrition |
| Hacking (Red Talon) |
Cyberwarfare methods for a bygone age. | +1 Outpost Limit at Command Center (Max 1) | • Knowledge of Computers • Knowledge of Programming |
| Infrastructure (Red Talon) |
Building and managing physical facilities for long-term deployments. | +1 Materials Per Day +1 Fuel Per Day |
• Knowledge of Plumbing
• Knowledge of Utilities |
| Logistics (Red Talon) |
Maintaining and managing gear and supplies. | +1 Item Stack Size (Community) +25 Parts Per Day |
• Knowledge of Craftsmanship • Knowledge of Metalwork |
| Mobile Operations (Red Talon) |
Managing operations involving vehicles. | +25% Fuel Efficiency (Community) +1 Fuel Per Day |
• Knowledge of Automechanics • Knowledge of Mechanics |
Heartland 5th Skills
| 5th Skill | Description | Specializations | Also Gives | Used By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration (Heartland) | Increases facility-building speeds and reduces overall food consumption. | -25% Food Consumed Overall +50% Build Action Speed |
None | Aunt Fi |
| Bomb-Making (Heartland) |
Unlocks Demolitions Lab facility upgrade, which allows the crafting of explosives and ammunition. | +2 Item Stack Size -33% Weapon Repair Parts Cost |
• Knowledge of Mechanics • An expert in Bomb-Making |
Keesha Green |
| Car Chopping (Heartland) |
Unlocks Vehicle Depot facility upgrade, which offers vehicle upgrades and advanced vehicle repair toolkits. | +25% Fuel Efficiency +50% Vehicle Stealth |
• Knowledge of Mechanics • An expert in Car Chopping |
Larisse Davis |
| Drill Instruction (Heartland) |
Unlocks Superior Defenses facility upgrade, which improves base defenses and allows training drills. | +25% Facility Action Speed | • An expert in Drill instruction | Captain Logan |
| Fabrication (Heartland) |
Unlocks Fabricator Shop facility, which improves weapon durability and carrying capacity. | None | • Knowledge of Craftsmanship • An expert in Fabrication |
Diana Mullen |
| Game Hunting (Heartland) |
Unlocks Hunter's Kitchen facility, which allows the preparation of stat-boosting feasts. | +15% Influence Gained | • Knowledge of Cooking • An expert in Game Hunting |
Reba McGill |
| Machine Learning (Heartland) |
Unlocks Drone Uplink facility, which allows calling of drone strikes and deliveries. | -15% Most Radio Cooldowns +25 Parts Salvaged from Weapons |
• Knowledge of Computers • An expert in Machine Learning |
Isabella Reyes (IzzBee) |
| Outlaw Chemistry (Heartland) |
Unlocks Outlaw Chem Lab facility upgrade, which allows the crafting of stuff that burns and some chemical enhancements. | +5 Max Ammo Storage +5 Max Fuel Storage |
• Knowledge of Chemistry • An expert in Outlaw Chemistry |
Brock Jensen |
| Paramedicine (Heartland) |
Unlocks Trauma Pharmacy facility, which offers Health regen and injury/trauma removal. | • Offers Medical Advice (via the Radio) +5 Max Meds Storage -10% Most Radio Cooldowns |
• Knowledge of Medicine • An expert in Paramedicine |
Vicente Martin |
| Pioneering (Heartland) |
Unlocks Utilities Complex facility, which supplies water and power to the entire base. | None | • Knowledge of Utilities • An expert in Pioneering |
Chavez |
| Plague Pathology (Heartland) |
Unlocks Plague Annex facility, which allows the crafting of plague consumables and community-wide infection removal. | • Extracts Plague Samples More Often +50 Infection Resistance • Offers Medical Advice (via the Radio) |
• Knowledge of Medicine • An expert in Plague Pathology |
Isaac Robinson |
| Police Procedure (Heartland) |
Make less noise when searching quickly, and find more plague samples. | -50% Chance of Search Crash | • Extracts Plague Samples More Often | Helena Cruz |
| Subsistence Farming (Heartland) |
Unlocks Farming Complex upgrades, which increases food production. | +1 Food Per Day +1 Meds Per Day |
• Knowledge of Gardening • An expert in Subsistence Farming |
Malik Wilson |
| Weaponsmithing (Heartland) |
Unlocks Weapons Depot facility upgrade, which allows the crafting of badass melee and ranged weapons. | +15% Weapon Durability -33% Weapon Repair Parts Cost |
• Knowledge of Craftsmanship • An expert in Weaponsmithing |
Quincy Maxwell |
Community Skills
| 5th Skill | Description | Specializations | Special versions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Unlocks Still, improves crafting of incendiaries and recovery items. | • Munitions • Pharmacology |
Outlaw Chemistry |
| Computers | Unlocks Command Center 3 and Spy Drones. | • Electronics • Programming |
Machine Learning |
| Cooking | Unlocks Kitchen 2, and allows preparation of feasts. | • Cuisine • Nutrition |
Game Hunting |
| Craftsmanship | Unlocks Forge and Barracks 2, and allows weapon crafting. | • Construction • Metalwork |
• Fabrication •Weaponsmithing |
| Gardening | Allows the improvement of yields and the growing of meds at Gardens and Farms. | • Agriculture • Herbalism |
Subsistance Farming |
| Mechanics | Unlocks Workshop 3. Allows the crafting of homemade crossbows, toolkits, and box mines. | •Automechanics • Engineering |
• Bomb-Making • Car Chopping |
| Medicine | Unlocks Infirmary 3. Allows crafting of first aid kits, reduces the cost of Emergency Medicine, and offers Health-boost actions at Infirmaries. | • Pathology • Surgery |
• Paramedicine • Plague Pathology |
| Utilities | Unlocks Hydroponics and boosts power and water duration. | • Electrical • Plumbing |
Pioneering |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Red Talon 5th skills?
Yes! Survivors can use Red Talon 5th skills.
Can I use Heartland 5th skills?
Yes, but Heartland-only facilities mentioned won't be buildable in the campaign.
Is there a skill book that lets you change your survivor's 5th skill?
No, skill respec books can only change your base skills (cardio, fighting, shooting etc).
Does Hacking stack with Crowdsourcing for +2 outposts total?
No unfortunatley it does not.
What's the best 5th skill?
The Hacking 5th skill is a personal favorite of mine (+1 outpost limit).
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