Days to Die Crafting Skill Magazines Locations
In Days to Die version 2 (A21 and later), crafting skill magazines are found primarily in loot containers scattered across the world, with each magazine type tied to a specific loot stage and biome. There is no single guaranteed spawn; instead, you must loot the right containers in the right places to find the magazines you need.
How Magazine Looting Works
Since Alpha 21, the old skill point system was replaced by a magazine-based progression. Each magazine you read grants a small amount of XP toward a specific crafting skill, and after reading a certain number, you unlock the next tier of recipes. The type of magazine you find depends on the loot container you search and the loot stage of the area you are in.
Loot stage is a hidden number that increases as you gain character levels and game difficulty. Higher loot stages unlock better loot tables, but they also affect which magazines drop. In the early game, you will mostly find basic magazines like the Graduation Notes (for the Forge Ahead skill) and Home Improvement Weekly (for Advanced Engineering). As you progress, you will see more specialized magazines.
Magazine Types and Where to Find Them
Each crafting skill has its own magazine, and each magazine has a preferred container type and biome. Here is a breakdown of the most important magazines and their common loot sources.
- Forge Ahead (Forge, Workbench, Crucible): Found in working stiff crates, hardware store shelves, and garage toolboxes. Best in the Wasteland or Desert biomes.
- Home Improvement Weekly (Cement Mixer, Forge, Workbench): Common in construction sites, hardware stores, and residential garages. Also drops from toolboxes and metal shelving.
- Lucky Looter (Loot Stage boost): Found in all loot containers, but more common in safes, gun safes, and rare loot bags.
- Handgun Weekly (Pistol crafting): Found in gun safes, weapon bags, and police car trunks. Also in shotgun messiah crates.
- Rifle World (Rifle crafting): Similar to Handgun Weekly, but more common in military loot and the Wasteland biome.
- Archery Weekly (Bow and crossbow crafting): Found in hunting cabins, campsites, and sporting goods stores.
- Shotgun Monthly (Shotgun crafting): Drops from shotgun messiah crates and gun safes, but also from zombie loot bags.
- SMG Monthly (SMG crafting): Rare, mostly in military loot and high-tier safes.
- Blade of the Wasteland (Blade weapons): Found in kitchen containers, restaurants, and butcher shops.
- Brawler Weekly (Fist weapons): Common in gym bags, lockers, and sports stores.
- Flint and Steel (Firearms repair): Found in toolboxes and hardware stores, but also in garages.
- Scrap and Salvage (Junk turret and robotics): Found in electronics stores, working stiff crates, and laboratories.
Best Loot Locations by Biome
The biome you loot in matters because each biome has a different loot stage multiplier. The Wasteland has the highest multiplier, followed by the Desert, then the Forest, and finally the Snow biome. This means you will find higher-tier magazines (like SMG Monthly or Robotics Weekly) more often in the Wasteland, even at the same character level.
For early game, the Forest biome is safest and has plenty of residential areas with toolboxes and kitchen containers. For mid-game, the Desert offers more military and industrial loot. For late game, the Wasteland is the only place to reliably find the rarest magazines, but it is also the most dangerous.
Loot Stage and Magazine Rarity
Your loot stage is calculated from your character level, game stage, and the biome multiplier. The higher your loot stage, the better the loot tables you roll on. However, magazine drops are also weighted by rarity. For example, the Forge Ahead magazine is common early, but the Robotics Weekly is rare even at high loot stages.
To increase your loot stage, you can:
- Level up your character by gaining XP from killing zombies, completing quests, and crafting.
- Increase your game difficulty (higher difficulty raises loot stage).
- Loot in the Wasteland biome, which adds a large bonus.
- Read the Lucky Looter magazine, which permanently boosts your loot stage.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
One common mistake is assuming that all magazines are equally likely to drop from any container. That is false. Each magazine has a list of containers it can appear in, and some containers are much more likely to yield a specific magazine. For example, you will rarely find Handgun Weekly in a kitchen cabinet; you need to loot gun safes and weapon bags.
Another misconception is that the trader sells all magazines. In fact, traders have a rotating stock of a few magazines, but they are expensive and not always available. You are better off looting than relying on traders.
Also, note that magazines are not consumed when you read them; they are destroyed, but the skill points are permanent. You can read duplicates to gain extra XP, but you cannot store them for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find all magazines in any biome?
Yes, but the drop rates vary. You will find all magazines in any biome, but the Wasteland gives a higher chance for rare ones. If you are looking for a specific magazine, you should target the containers that drop it, regardless of biome.
Do traders sell magazines?
Yes, traders have a limited stock that changes daily. They sell magazines from their respective trade groups, but the selection is random and often limited. It is not a reliable way to get a specific magazine.
What is the fastest way to get Forge Ahead magazines?
Loot working stiff crates, hardware store shelves, and garage toolboxes. The Desert biome has many industrial areas with these containers. Also, the ‘Lucky Looter’ magazine increases your chance of finding any magazine.
Do magazines respawn in containers?
No, containers do not respawn loot in the same playthrough. Once you loot a container, it stays empty. However, if you leave the area and return after a long time (in-game days), some containers may respawn, but this is not guaranteed and depends on the game settings.
Can I share magazines with other players?
Yes, you can drop magazines on the ground or put them in a container for other players to pick up. This is a common way to distribute magazines in multiplayer games.
What happens if I read a magazine I already know?
You get additional skill XP toward the same skill. This can help you reach the next tier faster, but it is not wasted because the XP accumulates.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.