1) Prone to Illness

As you’d expect, the Zombie Apocalypse is dirty, which creates a recipe for illness

Of course no one exactly wants their Project Zomboid character to get sick, but if they do get sick, it isn’t too terrible. As long as you have a base, that is. If your character winds up sick, you’ll want to hunker down somewhere warm and safe, where you have a supply of food and water. Most of the time, as long as your character rests, illnesses will pass within a few days.

Why Prone to Illness is Great:

• Zombification is a death sentence, so faster zombification isn’t a big deal
• Colds are avoidable, by not going out in the cold without proper gear
• Symptoms of colds like coughs and sneezes can be muffled by tissues

Prone to Illness full details:

• Gives +4 points
• Zombification is 125% faster
• Chances of catching a cold are 170%
• Colds are 120% stronger
• Colds get worse 150% faster

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2) Slow Healer

Injuries are bound to happen, whether they’re deep wounds or small scratches.

In Project Zomboid, either a wound kills you immediately, it heals within a couple of days, or it takes a couple of weeks. Only severe wounds will take more than a few days, even with the slow healer trait. Wounds taking longer to heal will give you some time to do activities around your base that may be easy to ignore while your character is healthy. Such as exercising, organizing your supplies, and gaining or losing weight.

Why Slow Healer is Great:

• Gives a good amount of points
• Wounds taking longer to heal isn’t too bad, as long as you have a base and some medical supplies
• Medical supplies aren’t too hard to find in pharmacies, doctor’s offices, hospitals, houses, and even gas stations

Slow Healer full details:

• Gives +6 points
• It takes longer to heal from injuries such as scratches, deep wounds, and lacerations
• Exercise fatigue isn’t affected

3) Weak Stomach

The easiest illness to avoid in Project Zomboid has to be food poisoning.

Food illnesses come from eating raw or rotten foods. Weak stomach really just makes your character more likely to get sick from eating these foods, but they shouldn’t be eaten regardless. This makes the weak stomach trait super easy to forget about, pretty much making it free points that you can use for positive traits.

Why Weak Stomach is Great:

• Food poisoning is a rare illness that’s avoidable
• Make sure not to eat raw meats or rotten food
• This trait is so good it’s easy to forget you choose it, since raw or rotten food has red text letting player’s know it’s dangerous

Weak Stomach full details:

• Gives +3 points
• 200% chance of catching food poisoning
• Food poisoning doesn’t last as long

4) Underweight

If you need more points and are fine dealing with more setbacks, then underweight is a great trait.

With the underweight trait your character’s starting weight is 70. In order for your character not to have any negative weight based traits, their weight needs to be between 80 and 85. Losing too much weight will make your character weaker. Starting underweight means your character will need to eat more food to gain weight, which is easier than losing weight, especially early in your Project Zomboid play through.

Why Underweight is Great:

• Gives a good amount of points
• Eating a lot of food early in the game is easy
• Eat lots of perishable food, since it will go bad quickly

Underweight full details:

• Gives +6 points
• -1 fitness
• Your character’s starting weight is 70
• Chances of tripping are increased by 10%
• Higher chances of failing to climb large fences
• Deal less melee damage

5) Overweight

On the other side of the weight spectrum is the overweight trait.

If you’re interested in starting Project Zomboid with a weight trait, but don’t want to deal with eating every hour in-game, then overweight is a good alternative. Overweight will save you food that can be stored for later in your play through, which is great.

Why Overweight is Great:

• Max fitness is still high
• Losing weight takes time, but saves your character’s resources
• Eating fresh foods will help lose weight, and saving snacks and candy for later is useful if your character becomes depressed

Overweight full details:

• Gives +6 points
• Max fitness level while overweight is 9
• 1% lower running speed
• 200% endurance loss
• 110% chance of tripping
• 95% chance of being tripped by zombies when they attack you
• 85% chance to climb tall fences
• 70% endurance regeneration

6) Sunday Driver

Driving is an unavoidable part of Project Zomboid, too bad there isn’t public transport.

Sunday driver is a blessing and a curse. It only gives one point, but it’s also a great way to protect your character. Driving too fast can lead to car accidents that can kill your character or destroy your car, both of which are terrible. Since Sunday driver lowers the max driving speed to 30, it makes car accidents less damaging.

Why Sunday Driver is Great:

• Driving in Project Zomboid is extremely dangerous
• Driving slower is actually a good thing, since it will decrease the likelihood of being in a bad car accident

Sunday Driver full details:

• Gives +1 point
• Cars accelerate 40% slower
• Max speed of 30 km/h

7) Hard of Hearing

Hearing is an important sense when it comes to the zombie apocalypse.

If you rely more on sight in Project Zomboid, then the hard of hearing trait is perfect for your character. Hard of hearing, of course, makes hearing more difficult and less long-ranged. This makes it easier for zombies to sneak up on your character, but as long as you pay attention to doors being jostled and other signs of zombies, then you’ll be fine!

Why Hard of Hearing is Great:

• Your hearing is decreased, but sight is still great
• Things like zombies banging on doors may not be audible, but you’ll be able to see the door shaking
• Hard of hearing is great paired with positive traits to increase your character’s eyesight

Hard of Hearing full details:

• Gives +4 points
• Sound effects are muffled
• You won’t be able to hear sounds outside a small radius

8) Out of Shape

Fitness is something that can be leveled slowly over time with dedication.

Out of shape lowers your character’s initial fitness level. This means they’ll have slower endurance regeneration and lower endurance, but this is something that happens with a bunch of traits, so it’s something you adjust to as you play. Having your character work out at least once a day in-game will help level up their fitness in no time.

Why Out of Shape is Great:

• Decreases your character’s initial fitness
• Fitness can be leveled up by working out regularly
• Fitness can also be leveled passively by running around, fighting zombies, and simply playing the game

Out of Shape full details:

• Gives +6 points
• -2 fitness
• Slower endurance regeneration
• Lower endurance

9) Conspicuous

If you’re more of a fighter, than the conspicuous trait won’t be an issue for you!

Conspicuous makes it easier for zombies to spot your character. If you play the game without changing any settings for the zombies, odds are zombies see you most of the time anyway. With their oddly amazing sight and hearing. Being seen also isn’t much of an issue if you kill all the surrounding zombies before looting.

Why Conspicuous is Great:

• Your character is more likely to be spotted by zombies, but zombies already have weirdly great eyesight and hearing with the base settings
• Settings can be changed to make zombies more realistic and brainless, which will make this trait less of an issue

Conspicuous full details:

• Gives +4 points
• 200% chance of being seen by zombies

10) Feeble

If you prefer not to lose levels in fitness, then feeble is a good option.

If you pick feeble, your character will start with two levels of strength lost. It isn’t too difficult to level strength through a couple different means. Including exercising and simply fighting zombies with your bare hands.

Why Feeble is Great:

• Decreases your character’s starting strength
• Strength is another passive trait that can be leveled just by fighting zombies
• Strength can also be leveled by working out

Feeble full details:

• Gives +6 points
• -2 strength

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