Skills & skill books

All 35 skills in Build 42, the fastest way to level each one, the XP each level needs, every skill book title by volume, the magazines that teach recipes, and how TV and VHS fit in. Updated for Build 42.21, November 2026.

A dark house interior — Read first, practise second

01Part

How XP and levels work

Every skill goes from 0 to 10. Most need 32,775 XP in total; Fitness and Strength need 487,500 each and only rise through exercise and use.

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
XP for this level	75	150	300	750	1,500	3,000	4,500	6,000	7,500	9,000

Starting level boosts XP

A skill at 0 when you start earns 0.25x. A starting +1 earns 1x, +2 earns 1.33x, +3 or more 1.66x. That is why a job’s skills matter more than the levels themselves.

Learner traits

Fast Learner multiplies XP by 1.3, Slow Learner by 0.7. Crafty boosts crafting skills only. Neither applies to Fitness or Strength.

Books multiply

A skill book multiplies XP while your level is inside its range. The multiplier builds up as you read: 10% of the bonus per 10% of the pages.

Media is capped

TV programmes and VHS tapes give XP once per character, and by default only up to level 3 (sandbox: Maximum Media XP Level).

02Part

Every skill and how to level it

Skill	Group	What it does	Fastest way to level
Fitness	Passive	Endurance, less exhaustion, faster melee and climbing	Exercise menu, jogging, sprinting, melee hits. No books. 487,500 XP to max
Strength	Passive	Melee damage, knockback, carry weight, less muscle strain	Exercise menu, moving with over half a load, chopping trees. No books
Running	Agility	Running and sprinting speed	Jog or sprint while you have endurance. No books
Lightfooted	Agility	Quieter footsteps	Move quietly near zombies. No books
Nimble	Agility	Faster movement in combat stance	Move while aiming. In B42 standing still and fence-hopping no longer count
Sneaking	Agility	Zombies notice you from shorter range	Sneak near zombies without being seen. No books
Axe	Combat	Axe speed, damage, crits	Hit things with axes. No books
Long Blunt	Combat	Bats, crowbars, shovels	Hit with long blunt weapons. No books
Short Blunt	Combat	Hammers, clubs, pipes	Hit with short blunt weapons. No books
Long Blade	Combat	Machetes, swords, katanas	Hit with long blades. Books at half rate
Short Blade	Combat	Knives	Hit with knives. No books
Spear	Combat	Spears and garden forks	Hit with spears. No books
Maintenance	Combat	Melee weapons wear more slowly; better repairs	Melee hits, repairing and sharpening, making spears
Aiming	Firearm	Hit chance, crits, range	XP per target hit, 2.7x below level 5, so shotguns level it fastest. Books at half rate
Reloading	Firearm	Reload and rack speed	Reload actions, more XP below level 5. Books at half rate
Carpentry	Crafting	Wooden builds and furniture, stronger walls	Build and dismantle wooden things, saw planks. TV and VHS
Cooking	Crafting	Better food, more recipes	Cook and prepare food. TV and VHS
First Aid	Crafting	Faster healing, better treatment	Treatment only: bandage about 5 XP, burns 10, stitches and splints 15, bullets 20
Electrical	Crafting	Generators, electronics, wiring	Dismantle electronics, electrical repairs
Welding	Crafting	Metal barricades and structures	Torch recipes, dismantling with a propane torch. Was Metalworking
Mechanics	Crafting	Vehicle repair, parts, hotwiring	Install, remove and repair parts. VHS
Tailoring	Crafting	Clothing repair, padding, bags and armour	Rip clothes, patch, craft bags and armour
Blacksmithing New	Crafting	Forged tools, parts and weapons	Forge and anvil recipes
Carving New	Crafting	Small wood and bone items	Batch small carvings; Carve Bat gives the most XP
Knapping New	Crafting	Stone tools and blades	Batch stone parts. Was Flint Knapping
Glassmaking New	Crafting	Glass, bottles, jars, panes	Furnace glass recipes in batches
Masonry New	Crafting	Brick and stone builds	Stone and brick builds, pickaxe ground cover
Pottery New	Crafting	Clay vessels, kiln work	Shape clay and fire it in batches
Agriculture	Farming	Crop information and yields	Harvest crops you planted. TV and VHS. Was Farming
Animal Care New	Farming	Animal information, product yield	Water animals, collect eggs, milk, shear
Butchering New	Farming	Meat and leather yield	Hook, head, skin and butcher carcasses
Fishing	Survival	Catch rate and size	Catch fish, check nets. TV and VHS
Trapping	Survival	Trap success, better traps	Harvest traps with a catch. TV
Foraging	Survival	Search Mode radius and finds	Collect forage finds. TV
Tracking New	Survival	Animal tracks and clues	Inspect tracks in Search Mode

03Part

Every skill book

24 skills have books, five volumes each: 120 books. Volume 1 covers levels 1 to 2, volume 2 levels 3 to 4, and so on up to volume 5 for levels 9 to 10. You can start a volume one level early, but not after you have passed its range.

Volume	Vol 1	Vol 2	Vol 3	Vol 4	Vol 5
Levels	1–2	3–4	5–6	7–8	9–10
Multiplier	x3	x5	x8	x12	x16
Half-rate*	x1.5	x2.5	x4	x6	x8
Pages	220	260	300	340	380

* Aiming, Reloading and Long Blade books run at half the normal multiplier.

Skill	Vol 1	Vol 2	Vol 3	Vol 4	Vol 5
Agriculture	Better Gardening	Growing Food at Home	Liam Keating's Subsistence Farming	The Science of Crop Genetics and Yields	USDA Guide to Agricultural Output Maximization
Aiming half-rate	Better Aiming	Drawing and Shooting	Leading Moving Targets	Long Range Sniping Tactics	Secrets From the World's Best Snipers
Animal Care	A Tale of St. Francis	Animal Welfare Basics	How Animals Think: A Helpful Guide	The Wants and Needs of Diverse Fauna	Wilds Tamed: An In-Depth Comparative
Blacksmithing	Elementary Forge Practice	General Purpose Blacksmithing	Old West Smiths and Their Secrets	Really Hard Steel Co. Workers Handbook	The Complete Encyclopedia of Metallurgy
Butchering	Butchering Basics	From Chuck to Shank	Hunter's Guide to Butchering	Master Butcher's Complete Guide	The Ergonomics of Tools in Meat Cutting Operations
Carpentry	A Guide to Nailing	Carpentry, Woodcraft Style	Hand Crafted Shelving and Storage	Making Your Own Cabin From Scratch	Site Joinery and Architectural Carpentry
Carving	Beginners Carving	Cool Woodshaping Projects!	Grinling Gibbons: His Life and Works	Medieval Wood and Bone Carving Techniques	The Art and Process of Natural Material Carving
Cooking	Better Burger Flipping	Essential Home Cooking Guide	Flavorful Cuisine - 1993 Edition	Professional Tips from a Master Chef	Ruban Vert Gourmet - Complete Cooking Techniques
Electrical	Basic Electronics	Kentucky AV Guide '93	Practical Wiring Guide	Telecommunications in the 20th Century	Understanding Integrated Controls for Electronic Systems
First Aid	A Scouts Injury Guide	Bandaging and Suturing	Emergency Paramedics Manual	Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body	Surgical Techniques of the Operating Room
Fishing	Dean's Good Fishing Guide	Fly Fishing, with JR Hartley	Fresh and Saltwater Fishing	Latest Rod and Net Techniques	The Authoritative Kentucky Fishing Guide
Foraging	A Feast in the Forest	Dean's Guide to Sticks & Stones	Finding The Treasure in the Trash	Survival Foraging: How Nature Can Save Your Life	US Park Service Complete Nature Census - Kentucky
Glassmaking	Glass: A History	From Sand to Glass: A Journey	Laboratory Manual of Glassblowing	Secrets of the Carlow Crystal Makers	Venetian Glass: An Electron Microprobe Analysis
Knapping	Flint Knapping 101	Guide to Kentucky Geology	Lithic Technology Manual 1993	Schmidt Rock Hardness Testing Techniques	Technological Morphometrics of Clovis Artifacts
Long Blade half-rate	Cool Swords!	Fencing: A History	Old Sword-Play	The Zettels of Johannes Liechtenauer	Wear Analysis of Selected Medieval Swords
Maintenance	Basic Repairs	Better Tools, Made Easy	Home Guide to Tool Repairs	Maintaining High Grade Tools	Understanding Biomechanics of Tool Use
Masonry	A Bricklayer's Life	Flooring: Do It Yourself	Dibnah's Guide to Bricks	Secrets of a Professional Mason	Statistical Analysis of Historic Masonry Constructions
Mechanics	Carzone's Repair Guide	How Vehicle Engines Work	Laine's Repair Manual '93	Long Term Vehicle Maintenance	Mastering Automotive Fault Diagnosis Techniques
Pottery	Ancient Pottery	Build Your Own Kiln	Glazing Ceramics at Home	Ming Chinese Masterworks: A Guide	Pyrometamorphic Process of Ceramic Materials
Reloading half-rate	Basic Reloading	Dead Man's Click	Jungle Style Reloading	Strippers, Speedloaders, and Bolt Action	The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Reloading Techniques
Tailoring	Basic Clothing Repair	From Rags to Royalty: A Sewing Guide	Haute Couture Tailoring Methods	Modern Patterns from the Catwalks of Paris	Textile Production and Manufacturing Techniques
Tracking	Animal Pawprints	Hunting with Hemingway	Long Range Animal Tracking	The Smell of Ivory: An African Adventure	Understanding Animal Behavior Through Spoor Placement
Trapping	Basic Pest Control	Better Trapping, with Dean	Park Rangers Wildlife Handbook '93	Research on Rodents and Mammals of Kentucky	The Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Psychology
Welding	Basics of Welding	Building with Metal	Machining Metal: The Mass Genfac Guide	Ore to Sheets: A Complete Metalworking Manual	Technological Fundamentals of Metal Fabrication

No books exist for Fitness, Strength, Running, Lightfooted, Nimble, Sneaking, Axe, Long Blunt, Short Blunt, Short Blade and Spear. Those only rise by doing.

04Part

Recipe magazines

Magazines do not give XP. They teach recipes, permanently, the moment you finish reading. Many Build 42 recipes can also be researched or learned by levelling, but a magazine skips the wait.

Magazine	Teaches
Laines Standard / Commercial / Performance Auto Manual	Basic, intermediate and advanced vehicle parts (the three mechanics tiers)
How to Use Generators	Using, connecting and repairing generators
Wilderness Survival	Herbalist knowledge, stone blade, fire-hardened spear, whetstone, poultices
Sparky's Lighting Guide	Improvised flashlight and lantern
Zapper! / Like Clockwork / Home Security Monthly	Remote controllers, timers and motion sensors for explosives
The Cheapskate's John Spiral series	Homemade explosives, smoke bombs and gas mask filters, key copying, blank IDs, shivs, improvised weapons
Real Spy Secrets	Hollow book, noise maker, firecracker
Welder Monthly (Mar to Jun 1993)	Metal sheets, fences, gates, crates, lockers, shelves, metal walls, floors, frames and stairs
Everyday Smithing, Blunt Forge, American Bladecraft, Small-Scale Smithing	Smithed tools, cookware, nails, hammer heads, blades and parts
Modern / Medieval / Iron Age Blacksmithing	Forges; smelting and blast furnaces; charcoal pit and primitive forge
Medieval Armory	Sword, spear and dagger parts; maces and spiked clubs
Murano Glass Manual, Carlow Crystal Guide, Bottle Making at Home	Wine and lantern glass, drinking glasses, panes, bottles and jars
Tool Use of Early Man, Cultures of Prehistory, The First Weapons, Pioneering Carvers	Stone axes, blades and mauls; bone tools and weapons; carved utensils
Angler USA	Fishing net and wire, fishing rod, chum
Small Game Hunting, The Hunter, Wildlife Preserve, Get Stuffed	Snares, box and stick traps, cage traps, a stag head trophy
The Farmers Guide, Kentucky Farmer, Growing Your Own, Cropping for Cash, Herbal Remedy Growing, Thyme Time, Blooms and Blossoms	Scarecrow, barbed wire, pest and mildew cures, crop seasons
Good Cooking, Grandma's Kitchen, Italian Delights, World Cooking, Delicious Meals	Doughs and batters, cookies, pizza, sushi, fried dishes
Outfit Apocalypse and the armour magazines	Tyre, bone, scrap, metal and plate armour
Leather Crafts, Homespun, Cowboy Living, Woolly Yarns and the clothing magazines	Leather gear, clothing, knitting, framepacks and bags

05Part

TV, VHS and Life and Living

Life and Living TV

Channel 203 on a working TV, broadcasting at 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 for roughly the first nine days. Cooking, Carpentry, Fishing, Agriculture, Foraging and Trapping. Watch every slot before the power goes.

Retail VHS tapes

Woodcraft (episodes 1 to 7, Carpentry), The Cook Show (1 to 7, Cooking), Exposure Survival (1 to 8, mixed survival skills), Carzone (1 to 3, Mechanics) and the Growing Fruit and Veg and Growing Herbs tapes (Agriculture). Play them in a VCR or TV with a slot.

Home VHS

Home recordings are flavour and give no XP. Check the tape name before you hunt for a VCR.

The cap

Each show or tape pays once per character, and only up to level 3 by default. After that, books are the only shortcut.

The radio and TV broadcasts also tell the story of the Knox Event; see lore and broadcasts.

06Part

A levelling plan for your first month

Our advice, not The Indie Stone’s.

Day 1 to 3: watch Life and Living at every slot. Loot every bookshop and library for volume 1 of Carpentry, Cooking, First Aid and Agriculture.
Week 1: read Carpentry vol 1 and build: barricades, crates, rain collectors. Read First Aid vol 1 before you need it.
Week 2: Agriculture vol 1 and 2 before planting. Maintenance vol 1 so your weapons last.
Week 3: Mechanics vol 1 and a Laines Auto Manual for the car you want.
Month 1: pick one deep craft, Blacksmithing or Masonry, and read volumes 1 to 3 before you start grinding it.

Crafting order and stations are in the crafting guide; occupations that start you ahead are on traits and occupations.

07Part

Quick answers

How many skills are in Project Zomboid Build 42?

35, including the new Blacksmithing, Carving, Knapping, Glassmaking, Masonry, Pottery, Animal Care, Butchering and Tracking.

How much XP do skill books give?

They multiply XP rather than give it: x3, x5, x8, x12 and x16 for volumes 1 to 5, while your level is in the volume’s range. Aiming, Reloading and Long Blade books are half that.

Do skill books work if I am above their level?

No. Volume 1 is for levels 1 and 2; once you pass level 2 it does nothing. You can start a volume one level early.

How many times can I get XP from a VHS tape?

Once per character, and only up to level 3 by default.

How do you level Fitness and Strength fast?

The exercise menu, with food and rest. Strength also rises from carrying heavy loads and chopping trees; Fitness from running and melee.

Skills, XP values and book titles from the Build 42 game data as published by pindrop.gg (server files, September 2026) and pzfans.com (42.19), cross-checked with projectzomboid.wiki. The levelling plan is ProjectZom’s opinion.