Game information
Mastery and Inspiration
Close a specific recipe gap for Iron Detail or Ink, and tell a finished inspiration count from an unclaimed reward.
full game 1.009.1 · Site updated
On this page
A technology unlock does not fill a recipe’s mastery requirement. Iron Detail needs smithing mastery 6. Ink needs book-writing mastery 2. Heat Handler adds 2 only to recipes that list it, including Iron Detail, and only after you own the perk.
Choose the next action for your current gap
These are separate links, not a single-choice checklist. More than one problem can apply. Start with the situation that is stopping your current job, then follow its links.
The recipe is unlocked but work is blocked
Compare that recipe’s required mastery with the actual worker’s branch mastery, equipped tool bonuses and its exact linked perks. Use the existing calculator below for its listed recipes; for other recipes, follow their own requirements.
The inspiration count is too low
Find the family’s qualifying actions and counting unit. Completed recipes, collected quantities and positive historical quality changes are different units. Cumulative level targets are not added together.
The count is met but the reward is unclaimed
Meet the listed visibility/level conditions, hold the Faith price for that level and claim it in the game’s inspiration view. Claiming pays that level’s Faith and awards branch experience; it does not clear the cumulative count or directly award a talent point. Experience fills the branch’s level threshold; a level-up grants its corresponding point.
A useful perk is missing
Use the Keeper node view to check branch points, parent nodes and the exact granted perk. A perk applies only to the listed worker and linked behavior; owning Cook II does not substitute for Cook in the Burger output formula.
A zombie cannot perform the work
Check that zombie’s own mastery, resources, parent nodes and available red-skull slots. Keeper perks are not copied to it. The Zombie view lists its actual costs; these are separate from the technology planner’s saved progress.
Scroll sideways to compare all columns.
| Active executor | Burgers per completion | Inspiration per completion |
|---|---|---|
| Without Cook | 4 | 1 |
| With Cook | 6 | 1 |
Each completed qualifying recipe adds 1 to Cook inspiration. Ten Burger completions give 40 or 60 Burgers and 10 inspiration progress, regardless of portion count.
Use the active executor’s perk, not the keeper’s perk for every zombie. Buying this keeper node does not grant Cook to a zombie.
Check the recipe’s unlock, ingredients and Farming mastery 5 before starting. Burger
Acquisition
In the Farming talent branch, buy the first mastery +1 node, then its second mastery +1 node, then Cook. Each costs 1 branch talent point; the complete chain costs 3 points. Buying Cook does not unlock the recipe or satisfy its mastery requirement.
Keeper talents · Cook · Inspiration levels · Mastery and inspiration
Mastery input
Enter the talent-branch number when you want the perk and tool added here. If you type the effective mastery already shown on that recipe, the calculator does not add those bonuses again. Other recipes are not planned on this page: use the requirement shown at their station.
Plan the recipe gap
Iron Detail
Requirement 6 on Smithing. Stations: Iron Anvil, Steel Anvil. Materials: 1 Iron Ingot. Recipe: Iron Detail.
Player perk Heat Handler adds 2 only while it is owned and only on this recipe. Buying it costs 1 talent point after Smithing mastery +1. It does not raise every craft by 2.
Zombie perk Advanced Blacksmith adds 4 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
Ink
Requirement 2 on Book writing. Stations: Writing Desk. Materials: 1 Ash, 1 Water, 1 Melted Fat. Recipe: Ink.
Player perk Scribe adds 4 only while it is owned and only on this recipe. Buying it costs 1 talent point after the previous node in this branch. It does not raise every craft by 4.
Zombie perk Dead pen adds 3 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
Scroll sideways to compare all columns.
| Level | Cumulative actions | Faith to claim | Experience on claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 50 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 100 | 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 200 | 10 | 2 |
YOUR NEXT STEP
Enter the current mastery
The requirement and one verified bonus are listed above. The calculator starts once you enter a number.
Perks now add mastery, not starting progress
Green Thumb, Master Brewer and Sommelier now add mastery to their linked recipes instead of granting starting crafting progress. Select the actual recipe and worker below. A player perk must be owned; it is not copied onto a zombie. Zombie bonuses come from that zombie’s own listed perks. Unrelated recipes receive none of these bonuses.
The Master Brewer tooltip still says +2, while the current configuration gives +3 mastery; this calculator uses +3. The planting and automatic-wine examples compare the numeric requirement only. They do not predict crop yield, failure chance or completion time. If more than one equipped item contributes, use the effective mastery already shown for that recipe rather than treating one selected tool as the entire equipment bonus.
Plant Wheat
Requirement 2 on Farming. Stations: Garden Bed. Materials: 4 Wheat seed. Recipe: Plant Wheat.
This compares mastery only. It does not predict output, planting success or automatic completion time. View recipe
Player perk Green Thumb adds 2 only while it is owned and only on this recipe. Buying it costs 1 talent point after Farming mastery +1. It does not raise every craft by 2.
Zombie perk Dirt Digger adds 2 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
Zombie perk Crop Planter adds 4 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
Beer
Requirement 6 on Farming. Stations: Brewing Stand. Materials: 5 Hops, 5 Water, 10 Fuel. Recipe: Beer.
This compares mastery only. It does not predict output, planting success or automatic completion time. View recipe
Player perk Master Brewer adds 3 only while it is owned and only on this recipe. Buying it costs 1 talent point after Farming mastery +1. It does not raise every craft by 3.
Zombie perk Brewer adds 3 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
Bronze Wine
Requirement 10 on Farming. Stations: Wine Barrel. Materials: 4 Bronze Grape Juice. Recipe: Bronze Wine.
This compares mastery only. It does not predict output, planting success or automatic completion time. View recipe
Player perk Sommelier adds 3 only while it is owned and only on this recipe. Buying it costs 1 talent point after Grape Master. It does not raise every craft by 3.
Zombie perk Winemaker adds 5 on this recipe when that zombie has it. Player perks are not copied onto the zombie.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Enter the current mastery
The requirement and one verified bonus are listed above. The calculator starts once you enter a number.
What this does not decide
A player report that a finished inspiration added no progress is not treated as a missed claim, and this page cannot confirm a repair for it. Zombie bonuses are separate; the Bronze Nails example shows one low-level zombie upgrade.
Sources
Current rules
The current rules on this page were checked against the Steam Windows game files and behavior rules for the version shown in the page header. This is file-based verification, not a live-save playthrough; save progress can affect the result.
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