Skills

In Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, skills are what you will build upon to create a protagonist you find unique. Skill Points can be used to increase the level of efficiency of a skill and can be used to drive certain stats to mastery levels or to make a well-rounded character who's the jack of all trades. Every skill is also dependent on the level of your stats like Strength or Intelligence. Here are the list of skills you can choose from in ZE:SH:

**Athletics**—a measure of physical fitness and acrobatics. A higher skill level means you can evade attacks better, climb ropes faster, leap over higher fences, and perform other more difficult physical feats. Athletics is based on Agility and Dexterity.

**Close-Combat Weapons**—the ability to use swords, knives, axes, clubs, and other melee weapons. It is also the skill used for throwing weapons. At the Basic level, you know how to hold a weapon effectively. At the Master level, you can block, parry, riposte, and perform other moves with close-quarters weapons. Close-Combat Weapons factors Agility and Strength.

**Cooking**—the art of preparing food to be eaten. At the Basic level, you can fry an egg without burning down the kitchen. At the Master level, you could be an executive chef at a five-star restaurant. In survival situations, the skill provides bonuses to nourishment from food and allows a player to salvage nearly spoiled food for consumption. Players with Cooking benefit from high Intelligence and Dexterity.

**Crafting**—allows players to create simple items, from weapons to tools. At advanced levels, more intricate items can be made, such as complex traps or electronics, from less sophisticated parts. A high Crafting skill requires greater Intelligence and Strength.

**Driving**—allows players to operate and steer vehicles. At higher skills, one may drive more complicated vehicles. At the Advanced level, a player can attempt to hotwire a car or drive an eighteen-wheeler. At even higher levels, boats, military vehicles, helicopters, and planes may be piloted. Driving utilizes Intelligence and Dexterity.

**Electronics**—provides knowledge of all varieties of electronic equipment and devices: radios, computers, smartphones, and gear. Building electronics becomes possible at higher levels. Electronics is based on Intelligence and Dexterity.

**Empathy**—provides an inherent understanding of human emotion, allowing players to sense motives, determine if someone is lying, and gain greater relationship bonuses. Willpower and Perception factor into Empathy.

 H**and-to-Hand Combat**—the ability to attack and defend without the use of weapons. This skill incorporates all manners of unarmed physical combat, such as Boxing, Martial Arts, and Wrestling. Though weaponless attacks on the living dead may not be effective, the Apocalypse hosts numerous threats from the living as well, and an adequate Hand-to-Hand Combat skill might save one's life when a pistol is empty. High Agility and Strength benefit Hand-to-Hand Combat.

 I**ntimidation**—used for face-to-face confrontations and to manipulate someone through words and actions. Intimidating someone starts a battle of wills, and winning the contest may coerce one into performing an action or giving up vital information. This skill uses Charisma and Willpower.

**Leadership**—used to provide direction to groups of people, rally and inspire them, and have them obey commands. Those with high Leadership can command larger groups of people and instill devout levels of allegiance. Leaders may also extend this skill to training animals. High Leadership is dependent on Intelligence and Charisma.

**Medicine**—this skill provides knowledge of medical treatment, both emergency and long-term care, and also includes the ability to use diagnostic tools. Having at least one skill level provides first aid knowledge, while superior or greater levels allow surgical intervention if resources are available. Intelligence directly affects Medicine.

**Persuasion**—the ability to use words and gestures to alter a person's mood or action. Typically, subversive means are used to influence people. The target of Persuasion might have the willpower to resist. Persuasion is based on a person's Charisma.

**Ranged Weapons**—allows the use of pistols, shotguns, bows, crossbows, rifles, and submachine guns. Basically, any weapon fired at a distance utilizes this skill. Ranged Weapons also affects weapon care and maintenance, though making or modifying weapons falls under the Crafting skill. Ranged Weapons is based upon a player's Dexterity and Perception.

**Scavenging**—measures the ability to find usable items and resources in all settings, from the deep forest to abandoned buildings. Adept scavengers creep into fallen houses and locate food, ammo, and clean water where others would search and leave empty-handed.

**Science**—an understanding of the fundamental theories and laws of the scientific world, including biology, chemistry, and physics. Higher-level scientists also learn laboratory skills and the use of investigative tools and techniques.

**Search**—provides a means to scan an area to detect hidden or out-of-place objects or people, and to find hidden snares and traps. This does not cover finding hidden food or water in an Apocalyptic setting; that action is covered by the Scavenging skill. Search will uncover a hidden gunman in an abandoned store, track an injured animal through dense woodlands, and locate a hidden passage in a series of tunnels.

**Stealth**—the ability to move silently and remain concealed from sight. The higher the level, the better chance of creeping through a room without being noticed, even over broken glass, in well-lit areas, or among highly alert enemies.

**Survival**—measures how well an individual can survive outdoors and withstand the rigors of an Apocalyptic setting. This skill also measures the ability to camp in the wild, live in extreme weather conditions, hunt, fish, train animals, and locate fresh water in the wilderness.