# Tips, Tricks, and Newb Questions!

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [January 3, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42 "2013-01-03T03:04:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 17

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**Author:** ![Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sep](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sep)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/321 "2013-03-22T02:06:13Z")

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> [@KA101](#):
>
> Did I say I like Self-Aware? I hope not, because I despise the shift from HP Ignorant.

cool, we’re on the same page.

> [@KA101](#):
>
> Enforcing a character concept is worth points IMO

that’s why i asked if i could maybe get the point i’ll have to spend back this way.

> [@KA101](#):
>
> It was my impression that the forum frowned on players taking additional points at character generation; I take additional points for the martial-arts traits, as a workaround for buggy NPCs.

its my impression that you’re frowning while making a strawman argument while offering a rationalization for how your moraly superior. can we please stop that? there’s no point in criticizing how people learn, play or enjoy themselves. you write a lot of good stuff here, so if i stepped on your toes somehow just say that. thanks!

and if you must know, i’m on my 2nd carebear guy, he’s almost 2yrs old and has gotten there with the big stats, gazillions of bandages and zero deaths. i have other folders for death runs and experimentations. good thing we can do that. but i gtg, there’s a scary swamp to pacify on my way to swimming practice 🙂

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**Author:** ![Lost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@Lost](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Lost)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/322 "2013-03-22T05:23:11Z")

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My character just finished his first year, and halfway through spring now. The level I’m at at this point just makes combat extremely easy unless you berserk charge into the swarm. No matter how high your dodge is, getting hit once causes them all to start stacking up. I really want to find a mine or portal and fight some of the higher end monsters.

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**Author:** ![kenoxite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kenoxite/32/858_2.png) [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/323 "2013-03-22T23:07:49Z")

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Seeing that smokers have become the new PITA, which kind of gear do you need to not be affected by smoke? Is a gas mask the only option? I think it is, but you never know. So far dust and filter masks seem to only reduce the damage taken.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/324 "2013-03-22T23:53:06Z")

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Re Sep: OK, good to know that apparently it’s OK to take extra points.

Re smoke: If smoker-smoke is anything like gas, it’s gas mask or nothing. Not sure if goggles/nicitating membrane would help. Guessing that maybe the filter mask helps against spores or something? Goodness knows that there are enough of them in the Science Labs.

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**Author:** ![TaintedHolyWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TaintedHolyWater](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TaintedHolyWater)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/325 "2013-03-23T00:57:08Z")

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Not sure about what to wear to avoid the smoke but I find that burst fireing into the center of the cloud works quite well. Grenades also work amazingly.

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**Author:** ![Greiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8797f3/32.png) [@Greiger](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Greiger)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/326 "2013-03-23T01:36:08Z")

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I’ve been wearing a filter mask while driving wildly into the clouds and so far that seems capable of protecting from the smoke inhalation, so at the very least a filter mask can let you get very close to them without issue.

I am almost certain a full on gas mask would protect you completely, they can handle thick toxic gas, which is probably about twice as bad as the regular smoke the smoker spews out. I figure if they can handle that, they can handle anything.

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**Author:** ![GlyphGryph](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/glyphgryph/32/847_2.png) [@GlyphGryph](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/GlyphGryph)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/327 "2013-03-23T02:22:19Z")

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Also, little known fact about smokers - If you can’t see them, they can’t see you. Smokers have no special ability to allow them to see through the smoke they create. Worse for them, the smoke destroys your smell. This means that beyond initial contact (They only generate smoke when they spot you) they are functionally blind, unless they catch a glimpse of you through the clouds.

Finally, the smoke blocks OTHER zombies from seeing/smelling you as well.

Use this to your advantage!

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**Author:** ![Secretness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@Secretness](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Secretness)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/328 "2013-03-23T02:55:14Z")

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Just wondering what are the good options for the two way radio items or do they not work yet?

EDIT: never mind seems like it doesn’t work yet

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**Author:** ![kenoxite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kenoxite/32/858_2.png) [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/329 "2013-03-23T10:37:18Z")

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Thanks for the tips, guys.

@GlyphGryph: good to know. I was starting to think they’re OP, being a mob that you can’t kill at a distance (because you simply can’t see it) nor melee “safely”, as you take damage from both the zombie(s) AND the smoke precisely in the chest, the area most likely to be hit by a zombie.

BTW, the [wiki](http://www.wiki.cataclysmdda.com/index.php?title=Diseases#Smoke) entry about smoke should probably be extended.

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**Author:** ![Musu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Musu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Musu)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/330 "2013-03-23T19:24:22Z")

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Hello. Do I need str \> 8 if I am trying to go melee? I try to use broadsword but I rarely can not lose it during the fight.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/331 "2013-03-23T19:31:58Z")

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Welcome to the forum, Musu. I’d recommend ST of 10 or 11 for going melee–at those levels you can generally retrieve combat knives, and have a pretty good chance of getting the broadsword/machete out too.

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**Author:** ![Musu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Musu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Musu)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/332 "2013-03-23T22:30:49Z")

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Will high melee and cutting skill prevent losing weapons or it only depends on STR?

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**Author:** ![Iosyn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/iosyn/32/35_2.png) [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/333 "2013-03-23T23:33:06Z")

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mainly depending on strength and the actual cutting damage of the weapon. weapons with high cutting damage (i.e decent weapons) will tend to get stuck more IIRC. with my standard 8 str my machete (about what, 20-30 cut) gets torn out of my grip quite a few times. my crowbar, (I think? might be a nailboard) with bash 16-20ish cut 3 gets stuck in but I can always pull it out.

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**Author:** ![Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sep](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sep)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/334 "2013-03-24T20:07:10Z")

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i found a PDA. can i get it to do than to produce a soft glow?

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/335 "2013-03-24T20:11:20Z")

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Nope. If you found one then it’s a bug.

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**Author:** ![Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Sep](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sep)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/336 "2013-03-24T20:28:58Z")

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> [@The Darkling Wolf](#):
>
> Nope. If you found one then it’s a bug.

ok, does finding it in an npc count? 🙂 the guy had me fetch him software from the other side of town and i was hoping the thing had a usb-host adapter lol. thanks for the info!

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/337 "2013-03-24T20:33:52Z")

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There’s no risk to using it, they’re just not fully implemented yet.

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**Author:** ![Jack\_Slinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jack\_Slinger](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Jack_Slinger)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/338 "2013-03-24T20:49:06Z")

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Been away for the week end and just got my hands on 0.3, im trying a no towns build and I was wondering how do you get plant fiber?

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/339 "2013-03-24T21:03:00Z")

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Butchering triffids.

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**Author:** ![Mantar](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mantar/32/42_2.png) [@Mantar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mantar)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/340 "2013-03-24T21:11:50Z")

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Hey, now, it’s “plant fibre.” It uses the British spelling because all Triffids are from England.

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