Medical Supplies and Prosthetics

Medical Supplies and Prosthetics

In the harsh world of Kenshi, injuries are a constant threat, and losing a limb is a grim reality for many adventurers. This section will guide you through acquiring essential medical supplies to keep your squad alive and well, and how to embrace the power of prosthetics to turn disability into an advantage.

Basic Medical Care: Keeping Your Squad Alive

Even a minor skirmish can leave your characters bleeding out. Always carry a stock of basic medical supplies. Early game, these are your lifeline.

• First Aid Kits: These are your bread and butter for healing minor to moderate wounds.
  • Acquisition:
    • Starting Gear: Most starts provide at least one.
    • General Stores: Found in almost every town and outpost. Look for the "General Store" or "Trader" icons on your map.
    • Medical Shops: Dedicated medical shops (e.g., in Hub, Squin, Stack) will have larger quantities.
    • Looting: Bandits, Dust Bandits, and other low-tier enemies often carry them.
  • Usage: Right-click on an injured character or drag the kit onto them. Ensure the character using the kit has a decent "First Aid" skill to maximize healing efficiency.
• Splint Kits: Essential for repairing broken limbs, which severely hamper movement and combat effectiveness.
  • Acquisition:
    • Medical Shops: Your primary source.
    • Larger General Stores: Sometimes available in more developed settlements.
    • Tech Hunters: Often carry them, especially in their outposts.
  • Usage: Similar to First Aid Kits. Apply to a character with a broken limb. A higher "First Aid" skill will repair the limb faster and more effectively.
• Bandages (Advanced): While First Aid Kits are good, specialized bandages offer better healing for specific wound types or superior overall recovery.
  • Standard Bandages: A slight upgrade from First Aid Kits, offering better healing per use.
    • Acquisition: Medical Shops, Tech Hunter outposts.
  • Sterile Bandages: The best conventional healing item, providing rapid and effective wound closure. Crucial for high-level combat.
    • Acquisition: Primarily found in advanced Medical Shops (e.g., Mongrel, Black Desert City, World's End), or rarely from high-tier enemy loot.
    • Strategy: Prioritize these for your main combatants and those with high "First Aid" skill.

The World of Prosthetics: Replacing Lost Limbs

Losing a limb in Kenshi is not the end; it's an opportunity for enhancement. Prosthetics can replace lost arms or legs, often providing significant stat bonuses over natural limbs, especially at higher grades.

Acquiring Prosthetics

Prosthetics are categorized by quality (Scout, Economy, Standard, Specialist, Masterwork) and type (Arm, Leg). Higher quality prosthetics offer better stat bonuses but are significantly more expensive and harder to find.

1. Early Game (Economy/Standard):
   • The Hub: The Shinobi Thieves fence in The Hub sometimes sells low-grade prosthetics.
   • Squin/Stack: General stores and occasional wandering traders might have basic models.
   • Scavenging: Rarely found on defeated enemies in more dangerous zones, or in ancient ruins.
2. Mid Game (Standard/Specialist):
   • Black Desert City: The Skeleton shops here are a reliable source for Standard and sometimes Specialist grade limbs. Be prepared for high prices.
   • Mongrel: The Tech Hunter shop in Mongrel often stocks a good selection, including Specialist grade, due to its isolation and advanced tech.
   • Tech Hunter Outposts: Various Tech Hunter settlements across the world will have a rotating stock.
3. Late Game (Specialist/Masterwork):
   • World's End: This remote, high-tech city is arguably the best place to find Masterwork grade prosthetics. Be prepared for a long journey and significant cost.
   • Black Desert City (Advanced Shops): Certain shops within Black Desert City can rarely stock Masterwork items.
   • Robotics Workshops (Player-Built): Once you establish a base and research "Robotics," you can construct your own Robotics Workshop. This allows you to craft prosthetics, eventually reaching Masterwork quality with high-skilled crafters and rare materials.

Installing Prosthetics

Once you have a prosthetic, you'll need a character with a high "Robotics" skill to install it. Alternatively, you can pay a roboticist in a major city (e.g., Black Desert City, World's End) to perform the installation.

• Self-Installation:
  • Requires a character with a high "Robotics" skill (ideally 60+ for reliable installation without complications).
  • Right-click the prosthetic on the character who needs it.
  • A failed installation can cause minor damage or even loss of the prosthetic, so save beforehand if your skill is low.
• Professional Installation:
  • Locate a Robotics shop in a major city.
  • Talk to the shopkeeper and select the option to install a prosthetic.
  • This is generally safer and guarantees success, but comes at a cost.

Key Prosthetic Types and Their Benefits

Each prosthetic type offers unique advantages, allowing for specialized character builds.

• Scout Leg: Increases movement speed and dodge chance. Ideal for scouts, thieves, or anyone needing to outrun danger.
• Industrial Lifter Arm: Significantly boosts strength and laboring speed. Perfect for miners, farmers, or heavy weapon users.
• KLR Series Arm/Leg: A balanced option, offering good all-around combat and movement bonuses.
• Stealth Leg: Enhances stealth and dodge. Great for assassins and infiltrators.
• Skeleton Arm/Leg: Provides substantial bonuses to combat stats (melee attack, defense, dexterity) and often health. The ultimate choice for combat specialists.

Remember, a well-equipped squad with appropriate medical supplies and strategically chosen prosthetics can overcome almost any challenge the Kenshi wasteland throws at them. Don't let a lost limb be a setback; let it be an upgrade!