Health

Health, or better known as HP, is a value that dictates the amount of “life” within a player’s character, whether in the case of zombies or humans. If Health reaches zero, the character dies. Health can be increased, decreased, preserved, or hindered by multiple different status effects, which can either negatively or positively impact the health bar.

The amount of health is dictated by the player’s perks, if human, and the zombie type, if zombie. While there are alternative ways to increase the robustness and strength of a human and zombie, they are largely a result of one’s own choice and selection of perks and zombie type.

Health can be increased in multiple ways, primarily by getting better perks within the Health section of the Skill Tree. However, better health can be acquired by trinkets, such as Health Pack. Health Pack can provide up to twenty-eight additional health, which can compensate for any other perks which may reduce it. Perks like Armor can reduce incoming damage up to 26%, which, when combined with high health, can make you a walking tank. The allegory also includes the -30 movement speed penalty that accompanies a perfected Armor trinket, so do with that as you will.

Health can be decreased in a similar manner. By taking certain perks, your health is lowered by a specific amount. Some of these perks simply reduce a tiny bit of HP, but others can remove quite a portion. Trinkets can have a similar effect, but do not outright reduce HP. Instead, certain trinkets, like Antibleeder and Cleanser, when perfected, add a +8% extra damage taken modifier, and Evasion Cloak gives a 15% damage taken when perfected. This consequently reduces how survivable your character can be in certain situations but can enhance your survivability in others.

Health can be regained in multiple ways; however, they can be summed up into two categories:

   Direct Healing: Instant injection of health. Can be received from Medkits, Rejuvenators, and healing tools in general. Food items, which may give single and sometimes multiple bonus effects, such as Agility, Defense, and Regeneration.

    Indirect Healing: A form of healing that occurs after a set amount of time, for a certain quantity. Can be received from Regeneration or On Painkiller effects. (Core difference is that, while Regeneration is a slow increase in health, On Painkiller instantly gifts the player with a shot of health that slowly decays over time.) Phantom health can be considered a form of Indirect healing, which is acquired from the perk found in the Melee skill tree, which provides a “phantom” health, which is only gained after a period, and decreases if injured.

Health can also be lost in multiple ways, and these are much more numerous than health gain. They can be summed up into similar categories:

   Direct Damage: Intake of damage that instantly influences a character. Can be self-inflicted, ranging anywhere from using explosives near oneself to fall damage, or caused by zombie scratches, lacerations, cuts, stabs, disembowelment, or castration. Damage caused by zombies sometimes follows different status effects, such as Wound, which hinders healing, or Tremor, which disorients and causes a brain aneurysm, for added immersion.
   Indirect Damage: Intake of damage that occurs after a certain duration or occurs gradually. Bleeding and Poison are both examples of a form of damage that occurs gradually over time. While poison and bleed are quite dangerous, they can be healed before the loss of health.