Core Survival Mechanics

Character health is a core metric that dictates survival. Reaching 0 Health results in instantaneous death. Health is natively capped at 100 points, and managing it requires keeping your player's secondary vital stats elevated. Your HUD displays five critical Core Health Metrics that you must monitor constantly to prevent death:

• Food: Depletes over time; starvation drains your health.
• Water: Dehydration is the fastest killer early on.
• Temperature: Cold and wet conditions cause sickness.
• Blood (Droplet Icon): Maximum value is 5,000 mL. Dropping below 2,500 mL causes fatal blood loss. Blood status directly dictates how fast your actual Health regenerates.
• Health (Cross Icon): Your definitive life pool. Decreases from physical trauma, bleeding, cold exposure, starvation, or dehydration. Lower levels drastically decrease your character's movement speed.
• Shock (Hidden Value): Ranges from 0 to 100. Taking heavy damage from blunt force or high-caliber firearms drastically cuts Shock. Dropping below 25 Shock triggers immediate unconsciousness.

There are no medical supplies that instantly replenish health points. Health recovery is a slow passive system determined by your character's metabolic statuses.

• Bandage Wounds Immediately: Unchecked cuts drain blood rapidly. Use sterilized bandages or rags to halt bleeding.
• Elevate Food and Hydration: Keep your energy and water meters in the white. Maximum blood regeneration requires at least 800+ Energy and 1,200+ Water.
• Regen Blood First: Your blood level determines health recovery rates. At maximum blood (5,000 mL), you recover 4 HP per minute. At low blood levels, health recovery drops to less than 1 HP per minute.
• Stay Warm and Dry: Hypothermia constantly eats away at health. Wring out wet clothes and maintain a white temperature gauge.

DayZ features a hidden immunity score calculated by combining your Health, Blood, Hunger, and Thirst levels.

* 72% Immunity: Keeps your character safe from the common cold and influenza. * 95% Immunity: Makes you completely immune to cholera and salmonella. You can safely eat raw food or drink unpurified pond water at this tier. * Multivitamins: Popping a multivitamin temporarily forces your immunity level to a flat 100% for five minutes.

If you are currently suffering from a specific health issue, check your character's symptoms (e.g., coughing, vomiting, shaking) or any active HUD icons so you can identify the exact illness and give you a treatment plan.

• The Common Cold / Flu: Caused by being cold and wet. Look for sneezing and coughing. Treat with Tetracycline or Multivitamins.
• Cholera: Caused by drinking unpurified pond/river water or using dirty bottles. Look for frequent vomiting when eating/drinking. Treat with Tetracycline.
• Toxic / Food Poisoning: Caused by consuming rotten/burned items or eating with bloody hands. Look for vomiting and sharp hydration drops. Treat with Charcoal Tablets.
• Wound Infection: Caused by using dirty rags to bandage cuts. Look for fever, grunting in pain, and a blurred screen. Clean with disinfectant in Stage 1, or use Tetracycline in Stage 2.
• Kuru (Brain Disease): Caused by eating human meat or fat. Look for uncontrollable laughing and severe hand tremors. There is no tablet or cure for this illness.