Magazine & Crafting Progression Guide

Since Alpha 21, 7 Days to Die uses the "Learn by Reading" system where crafting recipes are unlocked by finding and reading magazines. This guide covers how the system works and the best strategies to progress quickly.

How the Magazine System Works

Basic Mechanics

• Magazines unlock crafting recipes when read
• Each magazine series has multiple volumes (typically 7)
• Reading more volumes unlocks better recipes in that category
• Progress is shown as a percentage in your skills menu

What Magazines Unlock

Category	Unlocked By	Not Unlocked By Magazines
Weapons	Weapon-specific magazines	-
Armor	Armor magazines	-
Workstations	Forge Ahead magazines	-
Vehicles	Vehicle magazines	-
Mods	-	Schematics only
Perk Book items	-	Complete book sets

Magazine Categories

Weapon Magazines

Magazine	Unlocks	Volumes
Pistol Pete	Pistol, Desert Vulture, parts, ammo	7
Shotgun Messiah	Shotguns, parts, shells	7
Sniper	Hunting Rifle, Sniper Rifle, 7.62 ammo	7
Automatic Weapons	SMG, AK-47, Tactical AR, 9mm/7.62 ammo	7
Archery Weekly	Bows, Crossbows, arrows, bolts	7
Spear Hunter	Spears, throwing weapons	7
Bar Brawling	Knuckles, brass knuckles	7
Urban Combat	Clubs, bats, batons	7
Blade Weapons	Knives, machetes	7

Essential Magazines

Magazine	Unlocks	Priority
Forge Ahead	Forge, Workbench, Chemistry Station, Cement Mixer	Critical
Lucky Looter Weekly	Lockpicks, better loot quality	High
Great Heist	Safes, security bypass	Medium
Wasteland Treasures	Treasure maps, buried supplies	Medium

Vehicle & Utility Magazines

Magazine	Unlocks
4x4 Truck	4x4 Truck parts and vehicle
Motorcycle	Motorcycle parts and vehicle
Gyrocopter	Gyrocopter parts and vehicle
Tech Junkie	Robotic turrets, drones
Electrical	Generators, wiring, traps

Best Looting Strategies

Strategy 1: Mailbox Farming

Mailboxes have a high chance to contain magazines and are quick to loot.

• Run through residential neighborhoods
• Hit every mailbox you see
• Fast, efficient, low danger
• Great for early game

Strategy 2: Crack-A-Book Stores

Bookstores are magazine goldmines.

• Search for Crack-A-Book POIs on your map
• Clear zombies first, then loot thoroughly
• Check all bookshelves, desks, and containers
• Can yield 10-20+ magazines per store

Strategy 3: Targeted Container Looting

Magazines spawn more often in thematically appropriate containers.

Magazine Type	Best Containers	Best POIs
Cooking	Kitchen cabinets, Shamway crates, coolers	Restaurants, Shamway stores
Weapons	Gun safes, military crates	Gun stores, military bases
Vehicles	Garage toolboxes, car trunks	Auto shops, gas stations
Medical	Medicine cabinets, hospital crates	Hospitals, pharmacies
Forge Ahead	Tool boxes, hardware crates	Hardware stores, factories

Strategy 4: Trader Missions

Double your loot from quest POIs:

1. Accept a quest from trader
2. Go to the POI but don't start the quest
3. Loot the entire building
4. Start the quest (POI resets)
5. Loot again during/after quest completion

Increasing Magazine Drop Rates

Perk Investment

Putting skill points into related perks increases your chance of finding specific magazines.

• Each perk point gives a flat % boost to finding related magazines
• 1 point in Archery = ~2x chance to find Archery Weekly magazines
• This stacks with other bonuses

Lucky Looter Perk

Rank	Effect
1	Improved loot quality
2	Better chance of finding magazines
3	Increased stack sizes in loot
4	Rare items appear more often
5	Significantly improved all loot

Server Settings

Server admins can adjust loot abundance:

<property name="LootAbundance" value="100"/>

• 100: Default
• 150-200: Faster progression
• 50: Hardcore scarcity

Workstation Progression

Forge Ahead Magazine Levels

Volumes Read	Unlocks
0	Campfire (always available)
1	Basic Forge recipes
2	Forge crafting
3	Workbench crafting
4	Chemistry Station crafting
5	Cement Mixer crafting
6	Advanced recipes
7	All Forge Ahead recipes

Guaranteed Forge Ahead Locations

Every trader has one of each workstation inside their compound. Looting these guarantees at least 1 Forge Ahead magazine.

Multiplayer Magazine Sharing

Team Strategy

• Specialize: Each player focuses on different magazine categories
• Share duplicates with teammates who need them
• Coordinated looting covers more ground
• One player with high Lucky Looter leads looting runs

Trading Magazines

• Duplicate magazines can be dropped or traded
• Traders occasionally sell magazines (expensive)
• Vending machines may contain magazines

Progression Timeline

Day 1-3: Survival Basics

• Focus on any magazines you find
• Prioritize Forge Ahead for workstations
• One weapon magazine to improve combat

Day 4-7: Pre-Horde Prep

• Target Crack-A-Book stores
• Complete at least 1 weapon magazine series
• Get Forge Ahead to level 3+ for Workbench

Day 7-14: Expansion

• Vehicle magazines become priority
• Start collecting electrical magazines
• Complete multiple weapon series

Day 14+: Optimization

• Fill in gaps in magazine collection
• Tech Junkie for turret defense
• Complete all vehicle magazines

Common Mistakes

Avoid These Errors

• Scrapping magazines: Always read them first!
• Ignoring mailboxes: Fast, easy magazine source
• Not speccing related perks: Huge drop rate bonus
• Looting wrong containers: Use targeted looting
• Skipping Crack-A-Book: Best magazine density

Magazine vs Schematic vs Perk Book

Type	How to Get	What It Unlocks
Magazine	Looting, reading	Most crafting recipes
Schematic	Rare loot, traders	Weapon mods, specific items
Perk Book	Complete 7-volume set	Passive bonuses, special recipes