Lately I’ve been digging the “Really Bad Day” start. In fact, you could say I’m kind of addicted to it for the points. It is very hard, no doubt, but after getting many, many, “Really Bad Day” characters killed, I’ve worked out a few tricks that will [maybe, possibly] keep your survivor alive long enough to enjoy the bonuses.
First, the build:
Scenario: Really Bad Day
Profession: Shower Victim
Stats: 12’s across the board. (You can probably get away with less INT and PER, but the STR and DEX need to be this high. See below.)
Positive Traits: Fleet footed, [and then anything else I feel like.]
Negative traits: Some combination of Addictive personality, Insomnia, Wool Allergy, or the like
Skills: Dodge (2), Melee (2)
A few explanations:
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While having no clothes is inconvenient, nakedness is much easier to get rid of than meth withdrawl, especially when all of your other debuffs also have a stat penalty. Definitely take Shower Victim over tweaker. (Plus, you’ve still got your teeth, which is nice.)
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Are stats this high perhaps a bit gamey? Maybe. However this start begins with Influenza, Wasted, Depressed (-100 morale!) and an infection, all of which have stat penalties that stack. If you start with your base stats this high, your effective stats will be in the 4-6 range when the game starts. Of course, if you survive long enough to lose the debuffs, you’ll be a rockstar, even without mutations or bionics. You can probably get away with lower INT and PER, since you’ll lose most of the debuffs by the time you’re crafting or using ranged weapons, but I like them high if I can afford it.
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In my opinion, you can pick whatever positive traits best fits your long-term playstyle, except for Fleet-Footed, which is essential. You’ll be doing an ill-prepared mad dash through town during the day, so that extra bit of speed is going to be the difference between making it to cover and…not.
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For other builds with less frantic starts, I usually don’t take any skills at all, and spend the points on stats. For this scenario, though, I found that the melee and dodge are pretty indispensable.
Anyway, once I start, here’s how I keep my guy alive, [sometimes even successfully.] First, lose the soap that the shower victim starts with. (It adds encumbrance. It’s amazing how often I forget to do this.) Second, smash something to use as a weapon. Third, get out, because the building’s on fire. Fourth, run. (If I have static NPCs enabled, I try to get the starter NPC outside, too. Usually it’s sufficient to open a door or a window to give him a view of the Z’s outside, and he’ll go after them. A cynic might say that I’m using him as a diversion while I make my escape, but in my opinion he’s still better off outside of a burning building than inside it.)
What used to get me killed at this point was that I set about trying to find medicine to combat my various illnesses (especially the infection) right away. That’s a bad idea. Daytime speedlooting is hazardous enough as it is, and with all of your stat debuffs you might as well be serving your brain to the Z’s on a platter. I’ve since learned your only goal once you get outside is to find a place to hide. Hopefully it’ll be enough to run through a few houses closing doors behind you. Once you’re hidden, you want to find a blanket, and just sleep/wait for a few hours until your drunkenness and “Bad Feeling” go away. This will be a big help towards getting your stats back up, and with your morale back and normal you can craft stuff again. At that point you can think about heading out to find some antibiotics and cough syrup. If you can cure your infection on the first day, (and you need to or you die,) and then sleep off your illness for a few days, you’re basically at the starting point of a normal survivor, except with spectacular stats!
