Survival Skills:
A Guide to Player Upgrades in Nether

Nether uses a unique per-life Stat Tree system that allows players to customize their survival experience in the game. As the player hunts down Nether in the city of Burnham, they will earn experience points and Level Up. Each time the player levels up, s/he will earn a stat point that they can use to improve his/her survivor’s stats. Stat points can be invested into any of 6 different stat trees. Survivors can upgrade their Guns, Stamina, Survival, Strength, Stealth or Melee stats. Like I mentioned, this Stat Tree system is based on a single life! Die and you will unlearn all of your skills, and have to start all over. However, if you can survive for long enough, you will become a formidable force in the world, possessing unique skills that will give you a definite edge!

Currently, the game doesn’t have a tool-tip explaining how these trees work, so I wanted to write up a quick guide explaining what each tree does, and what skills each tree unlocks.

Each Stat Tree will passively provide an upgrade to the Survivor’s abilities every time they level it up. Each stat can be levelled up 10 times. A Survivor can earn 30 levels, allowing a Survivor either max out 3 stats or unlock a variety of mid-level abilities.

Each of the 6 stat trees in Nether allows a survivor to learn special skills. Skills represent massive improvements to a survivor’s abilities. Some skills will improve a survivor’s passive abilities, some will unlock new active abilities in the survivor’s arsenal. Skills are unlocked in a stat tree at levels 1, 4 and 10.


Above is a representation of a stat tree for the survivor’s Guns stat. Stat Tree UI is still a work in progress, but as of right now the stat tree is organized as pictured above. At the far right of the tree is the stat name, as well as a “+” button that the player will use to invest stat points when they Level Up. Next to the Level Up button is the Stat Icon, a pictorial representation of the Stat. To the left if the Stat Icon is the Stat Tree itself. Every Stat Tree starts with a Skill that is unlocked at level 1. The next two levels are represented by small notches. Investing in these levels will grant the Survivor a boost to the stat he is investing in. Then there is another skill at level 4 followed by more stat boosts, and finally the powerful level 10 skill. Level 10 skills will provide the Survivor with a significant advantage, and can often help shape a survivor’s play style.

Below, I’ll break down each stat, explain how it works, and detail which skills the player can unlock by levelling it up.

The Gun Stat improves a survivor’s skill with firearms


Passive Stat Increase -- Critical Chance
Levelling Up Guns grants the player a passive chance of dealing a critical hit when shooting an enemy. Critical Hits deal 30% bonus damage. At level 1, Guns have a 2% chance to deal critical damage. At Max level, that chance increases to 20%.

Level 1 Skill: Steady Aim
The Level 1 Guns Skill unlocks the survivor’s ability to hold their breath while using a scoped weapon by pressing Left Alt. This will allow for more accurate long distance shots.

Level 4 Skill: Headshots
The Guns Level 4 Skill makes it so that headshots will always deal extra critical damage. Headshots deal 50% bonus damage.

Level 10 Skill: Marksman
At level 10, the survivor will deal 25% more damage with all guns. This skill has a great synergy with the Guns stat’s critical damage shots, and will make the survivor into an especially deadly gunslinger.

The Stamina stat increase a survivor’s ability to perform physically taxing actions, like sprinting or swinging around heavy weapons.


Passive Stat Increase -- Extra Stamina
Levelling up Stamina increases a survivor’s stamina reserves, allowing them to sprint for longer periods of time, or perform more attack/ block/ charge melee attacks before tiring. At level 1, stamina is increased by 5%. At level 10, it is increased by 50%.




Level 1 Skill: Fighter
The Fighter Skill decreases melee stamina costs 25%

Level 4 Skill: Hi-Jump
The Hi-Jump skill increases the survivor’s jump height by 20%, allowing the survivor to vault over low fences and cars, and to reach rooftops or buildings that were previously inaccessible.

Level 10 Skill: Runner
Runner increases the survivor’s sprint speed by 25%, making it easier to escape from Nether or aggressive players.

The Survival stat increases a survivor’s ability take advantage of the world around him. Survivalists make better use of items scattered around the world.


Passive Stat Increase -- Decreased Loot Time
Levelling up the survival stat decreased the amount of time that the player needs to spend looting an object. This skill is perfect for scavengers. At level 1, looting time is decreased by 5%, and at level 10 it is decreased by 50%.

Level 1 Skill: Dietitian
Dietitian allows the survivor to make the most out of his meals, increasing the amount of nutrition restored by food by 20%



Level 4 Skill: Gourmand
Overeating can be a good thing! With the Gourmand skill, any extra nutrition awarded to the survivor after they are full will restore health.

Level 10 Skill: Doctor
At level 10, the survivor has become a master of keeping himself alive, and learns to use healing items efficiently. With the Doctor skill, the survivor gains an extra 25% HP when using healing items.

The Strength stat makes the survivor hardy, more rugged, and...well, stronger! A strong survivor can carry more and heavier items, better stabilize his weapon, and withstand more physical punishment than most.


Passive Stat Increase -- Increase Weight Limit
Aside from backpack space, the only thing that limits how many items a survivor can carry is his weight limit. Levelling up strength increases this weight limit. At level 1, the weight limit is increased by 3% and at max level it goes up by 30%


Level 1 Skill: Steady Aim
By increasing his strength, the survivor is able to hold his gun steady while firing, decreasing spread when firing from the hip.

Level 4 Skill: Thick Skin
By conditioning his body, the survivor makes himself harder to kill. The Thick Skin skill grants an extra 250 max health.

Level 10 Skill: Strong Back
At max level, the survivor trains himself to carry more than he ever could before. Strong back adds 4 extra slots to a survivor’s inventory.

The Stealth tree allows a survivor to move more quietly and take advantage of enemies caught unawares.


Passive Skill Increase -- Quiet Walking
Increasing the stealth stat allows the survivor to walk more quietly, and reduces the sound made when jogging (default walking -- not sprinting, crouching or crawling.)

Level 1 Skill: Cautious
The survivor learns to make less noise when looting, and is able to pick up items without alerting
nearby Nether

Level 4 Skill: Silent Steps
At level 4, the survivor’s mastery of stealth movement increases, and he learns to walk while crouched in complete silence without alerting Nether

Level 10 Skill: Backstab
Taking advantage of his ability to sneak up on enemies, the survivor learns to strike before an enemy knows he is there. This skill grants 300% bonus damage when melee attacking an enemy from behind while crouched.

The Melee stat refines the survivor’s ability to fight in close quarters, in hand-to-claw combat. Increasing the melee stat will unlock extra abilities to improve the survivor’s melee capabilities.


Passive Stat Increase -- Melee Damage
Increasing the melee stat increases the damage a survivor deals with melee weapons like knives, bats, axes, etc. At level 1, melee damage receives a 2% boost. At level 10, the bonus is 20%

Level 1 Skill: Blocking
At level 1, the survivor learns to use a melee weapon defensively and block incoming damage. To Block, Right-Click with a melee weapon out. Blocking drains stamina, and will only prevent damage from frontal attacks. Enemies attacking the survivor from the sides or back will still deal full damage.

Level 4 Skill: Focus
At level 4, the survivor learns to shut out distractions and focus on his next attack. This unlocks the survivor’s ability to “charge up” his next attack. By Holding down Left-Click with a melee weapon, the survivor can charge an attack for a few seconds before releasing it and dealing extra damage.

Level 10 Skill: Flanking
The level 10 skill teaches a survivor to use his superior knowledge of melee fighting and positioning to gain an advantage when attacking an enemy from the side or from behind. With flanking, a survivor will deal 150% damage when attacking from the side, and 200% damage when attacking from behind. This bonus damage will stack with backstab.


And that’s about it! Hopefully this guide will help everyone understand and make better use of the stat trees until we are able to improve our UI. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you in game!