Attributes in SCUM have their own skills, and understanding both of these is essential for your character progression. By learning the effects of attributes on the respective skills, you will be able to make wise decisions while spending points in your playthrough. Also, it is important to understand how body type and age affect your character’s attribute set, so that point allocation is made in the right direction.
Since this will be what you’ll be playing as throughout your journey, it’s important to take note of how you should go about using the character creator at the start
Understanding SCUM Skills and Attributes
Effects of Age
Each attribute point is equal to 2 skill points that you can unlock later in that branch. So for example, if you choose 20 as the age, you will have +2.0 points for Dexterity but as you choose an age around 30, these 2 points will be distributed equally among Dexterity and Strength.
Therefore, each of those attributes will have 2 skills that you can unlock in the game. Going even older will lead to some points be deducted from the above attributes and added to the Constitution or Intelligence. Age, therefore, can contribute a total of 2 points to these attributes.
Effects of Body Type
The next thing that affects all these attributes is what kind of body type you choose for your character. The three body types and their effects on the attributes are listed below:
- Muscular: +4 Strength, +5 Constitution, +1 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Points from Age
- Thin: +1 Strength, +5 Constitution, +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, + 2 Points from Age
- Fat: +4 Strength, +1 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +5 Intelligence, +2 Points from Age
Now, as it seems, there’s a cap, a maximum limit on each attribute and that appears to be 5. Say you are Thin and already have 5 points of Constitution, setting age to over 30 with +0.1 Constitution would not get added as the limit has already been reached. Keep that in mind when choosing the character’s age and how it goes with his body type.
Let’s now take a look at how your chosen attributes and the available skill points can be used in gameplay scenarios. We’re going to take a look at all the SCUM skill selection for each of the four attributes.
Strength
Allocating 3 attribute points to Strength is optimum for a starter character. It increases the muscle power in unarmed combat and the capability of carrying more equipment. Medium Archery and Rifles is recommended for Strength skills. This will not only allow you to have decent battle abilities but also spare points for remaining skills.
Constitution
It influences stamina affecting activities like running, jumping and swimming. Put 2.5 points in Constitution, and go for medium Endurance skill. It will allow the character to keep going despite many wounds, injuries, etc. The rest of the skill points should be dumped into Resistance for prevention against drugs, illnesses, and diseases.
Dexterity
Faster reloading with weapons, weapon throwing, and opening locks/stealing quicker. Performing activities like driving, climbing, sailing, and even stealth much faster.
Allocate 3 attribute points to Dexterity. Then, Advanced Stealth can be your best friend if you want to make haste of things from the start of your gameplay. It heavily affects crouching, meaning you will be able to take down enemies before they notice your presence at all.
Go for Advanced Thievery if you are a PvP player or want to do endgame type of looting, which requires you to be a good lockpicker.
Intelligence
Intelligence helps use weapons more tactically including a greater precision with sniping. At Character creation, picking an Advanced Medical skill will be the most efficient thing you can do. As a new player, it will be very helpful for you to be able to heal with just a couple of bandages. All the rest of the skills can be gradually improved with your gameplay progression.
Advanced Engineering is also a decent option. It will allow you to craft Gold Locks, make your own ammo, and upgrade walls to Brick and Concrete levels.
Tips and Strategies for Skills in SCUM
Skill Points can be spent on each skill according to a certain degree and extend. If you spend 3 points on a skill, you will have upgraded that skill to the advanced version. Otherwise, 2 points will result in medium knowledge of that skill and 1 point with just basic information of that skill.
We should also tell you that if you’re successful and quite proficient in using your existing skill, then with time, you’ll be able to achieve the ultimate level for that skill: the Advance+ Level.
These work differently for every skill. For example, an Advance+ Awareness skill may alert the player of any danger around him while an advance+ tactical skill will inform the player of the opponent’s next move or position. With all of that said, you can still change the course of these skill points depending on how actively or not you use them the actual game.
If you’re not making much use of your Intelligence skills and rather using skills belonging in the Strength attribute section, you will start dropping points from Intelligence and start learning the Strength section more and thus will be getting more points there instead.
SCUM Wiki
How to Survive
SCUM Beginners Guide
Starting Skills and Attributes
Character Customization
Advanced Tips and Features
Crafting Tips
How to Cook
How to Start a Fire
Opening Canned Food
How to Pee, Poo, and Vomit
