The Troll Challenge

So far it’s not so bad. Started as a security guard for the Cx4 Storm, then built a Knife Spear which seems to do good damage regardless of my pitiable strength. Now that there’s the easily crafted wooden needle it’s easy to craft a full set of protective gear before you even leave the shelter, which gives me good protection regardless of my low health. Aiming for the RV with a Welding Kit, unless I can get enough cooking to start mass producing mutagen. Biggest risk I think is traps, actually, perception of 4 means little to no warning before I step on a landmine.

That was practically my undoing, stepped on a landmine. That alerted a HUGE horde of zombies, I tried trapping them on shrubs and run. Then I got surrounded.

Hmm Im going to try this one, it can’t be that hard

pfft easy just looted a fema camp on first day with the military recruit profesion, now i have 90 rounds for my M4 that can safely carry me through the enterity of the game.

Should have been more restrictive mang, you just got counter trolled.

Orly?

Did you complete any objectives?

Still not but Im looting a lab empty of serums.

(Thats the easiest one)

Fun fact with intelligence 4 you need to be on drugs to repair your clothes

Nah, you just need to not suck at tailoring. I put three points into it at character creation (along with half a dozen others). I was 90% fully armored before I even left the shelter (no good source of leather /grumble). Since you wind up with a ton of points in this challenge, my half blind mentally handicapped cripple was a master at half a dozen skills before the apocalypse.

Still working on my skills. Even with Fast Reader reading takes FOREVER. Haven’t found a Library, or a book with a mutagen or welding recipe yet, so I’m mostly clearing the buildings that look the most promising - groceries for food, military surplus and gun stores for weapons, a pharmacy for more inhalers and other useful gear. Unless I accidentally step on a landmine, I should be fine, though I’d like to find some slug rounds in case I run into a tank.

Thank god someone else takes tailoring and makes a bunch of things before they leave the shelter.

Set up a good stash room with a bed, wood stove, and a single door which is easy to defend. Still don’t have the recipes I would need, but I’m doing good on supplies. Got a good Rivtech shotgun to compliment the Cx4, which should stop a Tank in its tracks (hopefully). Stocking up on Kevlar, Cotton, and Leather for the next tier of armor, got two welders - one for the RV welding kit, one for basic vehicle maintenance - and plenty of batteries.

Ahh the only difficult think about this challenge is learning the recipes from the books, my character learns 4 recipes daily if I am lucky, and those mutagen journals give me all the wrong recipes :(. On other news I have enough rivtech ammo to topple empires

There mang I completed your challenge, at the end I went with the artifact win condition and was lucky to find a temple after almost no effort of forest exploration (It was even near the mine were I got the petrified eye) the two artifacts inside the temple were both gigantic POS however, but thats what happens when you stealth ace through mines without even fighting the wryms.

Its not the character that looted the fema camp because that one succumbed too a glitch with the shakes disease.
Overall, the whole thing was not very hard as I prioritized fighting soldiers and exploring the wilderness, by the 3rd of spring I had more ammo that I could desire after successfully looting trap clusters, the lab, and a nearby outpost. After that I went to town to find a workable vehicle and a road map and then I used it to find the mine and the temple, the whole thing took me less that 30 in game days.

Yeah heres the save so that you can believe me file

I then commited suicide just to retrieve the memorial:

[spoiler]Cataclysm - Dark Days Ahead version 0.9-3618-g1e8e60c memorial file

In memory of: Szocs Gabor Ferenc
"I… WON!"

He was a male Military Recruit when the apocalypse began.
He died on Summer of year 1, day 7, at 10:19 PM.
He was killed in a strange temple in the wilderness.

Cash on hand: $0

Final HP:
Head: 49/57
Torso: 57/72
L Arm: 61/72
R Arm: 66/72
L Leg: 69/72
R Leg: 67/72

Final Stats:
Str 4 Dex 4 Int 3 Per 4
Base Stats:
Str 4 Dex 4 Int 4 Per 4

Final Messages:

Kills:
a - giant ant x1
a - soldier ant x1
B - bear x2
O - blob x9
o - small blob x40
Z - boomer x7
C - cougar x9
d - coyote x2
d - coyote x4
H - crawler x1
D - deer x1
a - dermatik x3
d - dog x15
d - skeletal dog x1
d - Z-9 x1
d - fox x2
d - fox x2
s - half worm x4
r - jackrabbit x1
k - kreck x1
M - moose x5
p - opossum x4
r - rabbit x1
r - raccoon x5
s - rattlesnake x1
s - sewer snake x3
Z - skeleton x4
. - jumping spider x1
s - giant jumping spider x1
. - wolf spider x1
s - giant wolf spider x2
v - turkey x1
2 - turret x2
m - weasel x1
d - wolf x12
W - giant worm x2
B - zombear x7
Z - zombie x51
Z - zombie brute x2
z - zombie child x21
Z - zombie cop x6
Z - crawling zombie x6
Z - shocker zombie x2
d - zombie dog x23
Z - fat zombie x40
Z - firefighter zombie x4
Z - grabber zombie x8
Z - hazmat zombie x2
Z - feral hunter x1
Z - decayed zombie x4
Z - zombie scientist x4
Z - shrieker zombie x10
Z - smoker zombie x1
Z - zombie soldier x6
Z - spitter zombie x8
Z - swimmer zombie x3
Z - tough zombie x8
Total kills: 370

Skills:
bartering: 0 (0%)
computers: 4 (4%)
construction: 0 (40%)
cooking: 8 (0%)
driving: 1 (5%)
electronics: 0 (45%)
fabrication: 4 (40%)
first aid: 0 (29%)
mechanics: 0 (4%)
speaking: 0 (0%)
survival: 3 (99%)
swimming: 2 (26%)
tailoring: 4 (19%)
trapping: 4 (0%)
archery: 4 (58%)
bashing weapons: 2 (42%)
cutting weapons: 4 (82%)
dodging: 1 (76%)
marksmanship: 4 (50%)
launchers: 0 (0%)
melee: 6 (76%)
piercing weapons: 0 (14%)
throwing: 0 (39%)
unarmed combat: 0 (66%)
handguns: 2 (30%)
rifles: 2 (25%)
shotguns: 0 (2%)
submachine guns: 2 (30%)

Traits:
Addictive Personality
Fast Learner
Fleet-Footed
Glass Jaw
Lightweight
Quick
Sleepy
Strong Back

Ongoing Effects:
Pain (7)
Bionics:
No bionics were installed.
Power: 0/0

Weapon:
L - katana

Equipment:
W - reinforced boxer shorts (fits)
d - reinforced combat boots (fits)
m - stylish sunglasses
O - reinforced cargo shorts (fits)
j - tactical dump pouch
r - reinforced army pants (fits)
D - reinforced chest rig (fits)
c - reinforced winter gloves
Q - army helmet
b - army pants (fits)
I - drop leg pouches (fits)
x - MBR vest (superalloy)
e - gold watch
B - gas mask

Inventory:
p - crossbow
P - S&W 619 (7)
t - Taurus Pro .38 (8)
X - .38 FMJ (83)
s - .38 Special (288)
k - .38 Super (50)
a - marked batteries (100)
f - steel crossbow bolt (26)
C - binoculars
J - flashlight (on) (58)
( - glowstick (1200)
q - lighter (57)
) - lighter (98)
E - matchbook (19)
K - matchbook (20)
U - screwdriver
h - sewing kit (168)
l - Robe of Hideous Beasts
G - Boots of Sleeping Aeons
o - welding goggles
M - chunk of meat [2]
z - cooked meat
{ - plastic bottle of clean water [3] (2)
F - first aid kit (4)
^ - Adderall (9)
y - antibiotics (14)
n - aspirin (17)
v - bandages (21)

- caffeine pills (10)

T - chewing gum (14)

    • heroin (3)
      w - inhaler (98)
      N - nicotine gum (10)
      A - Prozac (15)
      & - sm. cardboard box
      S - military ID card [5]
      g - money bundle
      i - long rope
      u - skewer [10]
      Y - superglue [3]
      ! - syringe
      H - paper wrapper
      ; - water purification tablets (45)

Lifetime Stats
Distance Walked: 10665 Squares
Damage Taken: 41 Damage
Damage Healed: 49 Damage
Headshots: 2

Game History
| Year 1, Spring 1, 8:00 AM | evac shelter | Szocs Gabor Ferenc began their journey into the Cataclysm.
| Year 1, Spring 1, 8:31 PM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 8:16 AM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 9:36 AM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 10:06 AM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 10:06 AM | science lab | Worn blanket was completely destroyed.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 2:19 PM | field | Worn trenchcoat was completely destroyed.
| Year 1, Spring 2, 2:19 PM | field | Worn trenchcoat was completely destroyed.
| Year 1, Spring 3, 12:13 AM | road | Triggered a crossbow trap.
| Year 1, Spring 3, 8:48 AM | science lab | Stepped on a caltrop.
| Year 1, Spring 3, 9:56 AM | science lab | Stepped on a caltrop.
| Year 1, Spring 3, 2:11 PM | forest | Triggered a crossbow trap.
| Year 1, Spring 3, 8:06 PM | science lab | Stepped on a caltrop.
| Year 1, Spring 4, 8:19 PM | science lab | Stepped into thick goo.
| Year 1, Spring 5, 11:01 AM | field | Received a deep bite wound.
| Year 1, Spring 5, 1:02 PM | road | Worn waistcoat (fits) was completely destroyed.
| Year 1, Spring 5, 1:41 PM | house | Recovered from a bite wound.
| Year 1, Spring 5, 4:31 PM | forest | Caught by a beartrap.
| Year 1, Spring 6, 3:07 PM | science lab | Threw up.
| Year 1, Spring 6, 3:58 PM | science lab | Threw up.
| Year 1, Spring 7, 4:16 PM | forest | Caught by a beartrap.
| Year 1, Spring 7, 4:17 PM | forest | Stepped on a caltrop.
| Year 1, Spring 7, 4:17 PM | forest | Caught by a beartrap.
| Year 1, Spring 10, 10:39 AM | science lab | Reached skill level 4 in fabrication.
| Year 1, Spring 10, 6:47 PM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 14, 11:54 AM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 14, 4:31 PM | science lab | Became addicted to alcohol.
| Year 1, Spring 14, 5:44 PM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 14, 5:53 PM | science lab | Stepped into a dissector.
| Year 1, Spring 14, 5:53 PM | science lab | Worn fur cloak was completely destroyed.
| Year 1, Summer 4, 8:15 PM | road | Received a deep bite wound.
| Year 1, Summer 4, 9:52 PM | house | Recovered from a bite wound.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 6:04 AM | road | Received a deep bite wound.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 9:39 AM | road | Triggered a crossbow trap.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 11:48 AM | road | Caught by a beartrap.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 12:04 PM | road | Contracted an infection.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 12:04 PM | road | Recovered from a bite wound.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 1:07 PM | field | Recovered from an infection… this time.
| Year 1, Summer 5, 3:55 PM | road | Became addicted to alcohol.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 3:49 PM | mine entrance | Set off an alarm.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 3:49 PM | mine entrance | Set off an alarm.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 5:03 PM | mine | Became addicted to opiates.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 7:14 PM | strange temple | Opened a strange temple.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 7:23 PM | strange temple | Triggered a flood trap.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 7:25 PM | strange temple | Water level reached knees.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 7:25 PM | strange temple | Water level reached the ceiling.
| Year 1, Summer 7, 10:19 PM | strange temple | Szocs Gabor Ferenc committed suicide.
[/spoiler]

Still working on mine. Carrying capacity and reading speed are the biggest limiting factor. The former I can compensate for with a modified shopping cart, but the latter is tricky. I can get my int up briefly with mood and drugs, but reading is a prolonged activity. Even with frequent breaks to boost my mood with candy, drinks, music, etc I still have trouble gaining access to all the recipes I need. Currently I’m focusing on building my skills through normal actions, then going back and trying to gain the recipes with higher skills. Seeing the “you fail to learn any new recipes” message from a 45 minute reading action is disappointing.

Found a vehicle welding rig book. Now to read for a month before I can learn the damned recipe sigh.

Still slowly grinding on the book. Had an interesting experience though - apparently, if you stay inside long enough Zombears will start piling up outside of your house. Was studying when one smashed through my door, followed by three more Zombears and a small pack of Zombie Dogs (plus a giant worm).

Just try to build a massive vehicle from scratch, they come out of the woodwork!

I’m pretty much living off giant worm sausage as I fend off inexhaustible waves of Zombie wildlife at the moment

The RV Welding Rig is the only recipe left in the friggin book that I don’t know. I have the skill required to learn it, it just always gives me the “You fail to learn a new recipe” message. Endless frustration.

Edit: I’m actually at a loss. There was one more recipe in the book, and once I learned it it told me I couldn’t learn anything else. Most likely that means I don’t have the required skills to learn it, but I have no idea why. According to the JSON, it takes 4 electronics and fabrication to make, which I have, and learning it from an electronics book requires 8 electronics skill, which I also have. Unless I need the 8 fabrication skill required to learn it from a fabrication book, I’m at a loss.

Edit2: It was the fabrication skill limit. I now have a lifetime supply of cudgels, and can begin work on the vehicle welding rig.

The challenge is complete, finally got a working Vehicle Welding Rig. The RV is solar powered and mostly intact.

It would have been easier to exploit a loophole in the description, have a non-crippled character build the RV then suicide and have a cripple come and find it…