Character Skills

Character Skills Guide

Introduction

Prison Architect is a management simulation where you, the Warden, do not have traditional character skills, spells, or talent trees. Instead, the game revolves around the capabilities of your staff and the prisoners. This guide details every role (playable or controllable) and their unique skills, behaviors, and upgrades. Understanding these skills is crucial for efficient prison management, from security to rehabilitation.

Playable Roles vs. Controllable Entities

You directly control only staff (via assignment and deployment) and indirectly influence prisoners through programs, policies, and layout. There are no player-character levels or skill points—improvements come from building, hiring, and scheduling.

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1. Staff Roles and Abilities

1.1 Guards

• Skills: Patrolling, Arresting, Searching, Cell Shakedown, Escorting, Suppressing (if armed).


• Cooldowns: None; actions are immediate but take time (searching 10–20 seconds).


• Upgrades: None directly, but hiring guards with higher aggression or speed via mods (base game has traits only for prisoners).


• Combos: Pair with Dog Handlers for contraband detection; use patrols overlapping prisoner needs zones to reduce unrest.


• Recommended Use: Assign patrol routes near high-traffic areas, canteens, and workshops. Use “Search Cell Block” during lockdowns.




1.2 Armed Guards



• Skills: Taser (non-lethal), Lethal Shot (rifle), Freeze (all prisoners stop moving), Suppression (reduces nearby prisoner aggression).


• Cooldowns: Taser has a 5-second cooldown; lethal shot has a 10-second cooldown.


• Upgrades: None, but having more armed guards increases suppression radius.


• Combos: Use taser on an escaping prisoner, then have a regular guard arrest him. Use lethal shot only when a prisoner attacks others.


• Recommended Use: Station at armory doors, perimeter walls, and during large riots. Do not overuse lethal force—causes reputational damage.




1.3 Dog Handlers



• Skills: Contraband Sniff (detect weapons, drugs, phones in a radius), Attack (on command, bites prisoner), Patrol (moves with dog).


• Cooldowns: Sniff ability lasts 30 seconds, cooldown 10 seconds.


• Upgrades: None, but dogs can be trained via mods.


• Combos: Sniff near cell block entrances after visitation; follow with a guard search.


• Recommended Use: Patrol dog handlers along the main corridor and outside the canteen. Use Attack to subdue fights quickly.




1.4 Cooks



• Skills: Prepare meals in kitchen (set menu size, variety), operate serving tables, clean kitchen (if assigned).


• Cooldowns: Cooking time depends on number of inmates and kitchen size.


• Upgrades: Hire cooks with the “Sanitary” trait (fewer food poisoning events).


• Combos: Ensure balanced meals (variety > 1) for prisoner mood boost.


• Recommended Use: One cook per 20 prisoners. Schedule eat time before work.




1.5 Janitors



• Skills: Clean floor stains, Repair broken objects (if assigned), Empty Trash.


• Cooldowns: Cleaning 5–10 seconds per tile.


• Upgrades: None; hire more janitors as prison grows.


• Combos: Keep cleaning stations near kitchens and toilets to prevent smell complaints.


• Recommended Use: One janitor per 30 prisoners. Set cleaning zones via deployment.




1.6 Gardeners



• Skills: Plant and Maintain trees, bushes, flowers, Water plants, Remove dead foliage.


• Cooldowns: Planting instant; maintenance every 12 hours.


• Upgrades: None.


• Combos: Decorative greenery boosts prison beauty and prisoner mood. Place near visitation areas.


• Recommended Use: One gardener per 5 large rooms or 15 small planters.




1.7 Administrators (Warden Office staff)



• Warden: Unlocks grants, reports, and policies. No direct skills but enables programs.


• Accountant: Unlocks Grant Management (faster grant completion) and Finance Report.


• Foreman: Unlocks Workshop (prisoner labor), Construction speed boost.


• Psychologist: Unlocks Rehabilitation Programs (Behavioral Therapy, Alcoholism Treatment, etc.).


• Chief Guard: Unlocks Deployment, Patrols, and Armed Guards.


• Cooldowns: None; they provide passive bonuses and unlock features.


• Upgrades: Hire better-qualified admins via job postings (higher salary = better stats? stats are hidden, but some mods show skill).


• Combos: Hire all five to maximize prison efficiency.


• Recommended Use: Hire Warden first, then Chief Guard for security, Accountant for cash flow.




1.8 K9 Unit (Unlock via Deployment)



• Skills: Same as Dog Handler but with extended radius.


• Cooldowns: Same.


• Upgrades: None.


• Combos: Use for perimeter patrols.


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2. Prisoner Skills and Traits



Prisoners do not have skill trees but develop work skills and education through programs. These are listed in the Intelligence > Skills tab.



2.1 Work Skills (Learned via Workshops)



• Carpentry: Unlocks Workshop production of beds, tables, chairs. Required for Prisoner Labor.


• Metalworking: Unlocks metal furniture production.


• Electronics: Unlocks phone, TV, computer assembly.


• Cleaning: Unlocks janitorial work.


• Kitchen Safety: Unlocks kitchen work.


• Laundry: Unlocks laundry work.


• Gardening: Unlocks gardening work.


• Teaching: Unlocks education programs (prisoner becomes a teacher).


• Upgrades: Each program takes ~2–4 days (in-game time). Prisoners with higher intelligence learn faster.


• Combos: Combine multiple work skills to reduce prison costs (e.g., laundry and kitchen).


• Recommended Use: Assign workshops early to reduce idle time and earn money.




2.2 Education Skills (Learned via School)



• Literacy: Unlocks all other education courses.


• Mathematics: Unlocks Bookkeeping (prisoner can manage finances in workshop).


• General Education: Boosts intelligence and reduces re-offending chance.


• Upgrades: None; classes held in Library or classroom.


• Combos: Literacy -> Maths -> General Ed reduces reoffending significantly.


• Recommended Use: Enroll high-security prisoners to lower re-offending.




2.3 Special Traits (Random at Arrest)


Prisoners have innate traits that affect behavior:

• Volatile: Prone to violence when stressed.


• Snitch: Likely to inform on other prisoners.


• Ex-Law Enforcement: High suppression and can be targeted.


• Cop Killer: Extremely high security risk.


• Documented Gang Member: Strong loyalty within gang.


• Legendary: Combines multiple negative traits + high skills.


• Effects: Traits influence need levels, learning speed, and contraband creation.


• Combos: Use Informant program to turn snitches into intelligence sources.


• Recommended Use: Segregate volatile prisoners; use protective custody for snitches.




2.4 Needs and Their “Skills”


While not skills, prisoners’ needs (hunger, bladder, recreation, etc.) act like timers that must be met. Failure causes misbehavior. Treat each need as a passive ability that requires management.

• Hunger: Solved by canteen schedule.


• Bladder: Solved by toilets in cells and common areas.


• Recreation: Solved by yard time.


• Exercise: Solved by weights or yard equipment.


• Family: Solved by visitation.


• Comfort: Solved by quality of cell (bed, TV, radio).


• Upgrades: None; but cell quality items are upgrades.


• Combos: Satisfy needs together to reduce suppression requirement.


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3. Programs and Rehabilitation “Skills”



Programs are like training courses for prisoners. They improve prisoner behavior and unlock skills.



3.1 Foundation Courses



• Behavioral Therapy: Reduces aggression over time. Requires psychologist.


• Alcoholism Treatment: Reduces drunken behavior.


• Drug Addiction Treatment: Reduces drug use.


• Anger Management: Reduces fights.


• Cooldowns: Each session lasts 1 hour daily; progress per day.


• Upgrades: None; success depends on psychologist skill (hidden).


• Combos: Pair with work programs to give prisoners purpose and reduce recidivism.


• Recommended Use: Mandatory for high-security prisoners.




3.2 Security Programs



• Informant: Prisoner becomes a known snitch; you receive contraband tips.


• Elite Informant: Upgraded informant gives more detailed reports.


• Cooldowns: None; requires high trust.


• Combos: Use dog handlers to verify tips.


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4. Special “Moves” and Abilities (Game Mechanics)




• Lockdown: All prisoners go to cells; guards search. No cooldown but requires deployment control.


• Call to Arms: Armed guards rush to a location; temporary suppression boost.


• Freeze (Armed Guard): Stops all prisoner movement within visual range for 3 seconds.


• Taser (Armed Guard): Single-target incapacitate; effective against escaping prisoners.


• Shakedown: Searches all cells in a sector; takes 1 hour.


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5. Recommended Builds (Strategies)





5.1 Maximum Security Build



• Roles: High guard-to-prisoner ratio (1:5), armed guards at every choke point, dog handlers along main corridors.


• Programs: Behavioral Therapy, Anger Management, Informant network.


• Skills Focus: Prisoner work skills in metalworking (legit economy), no education to avoid smart criminals.


• Tips: Use solitary punishment to reduce gang influence.




5.2 Rehabilitation Build



• Roles: Hire psychologist early, prioritize school and workshop.


• Programs: All education courses, alcohol/drug treatment.


• Skills Focus: Literacy -> General Ed, then carpentry or gardening.


• Tips: Low re-offending rewards grants. Use open-plan cells to reduce bullying.




5.3 Low-Cost Minimum Security Build



• Roles: Minimal armed guards, rely on regular guards and snitches.


• Programs: Only informant program.


• Skills Focus: Cleaning and kitchen (self-sufficiency).


• Tips: Use dormitories instead of cells to save money.

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6. When to Use Each Skill/Ability

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7. Synergies and Combos

• Sniff + Search + Informant: Dog detects contraband, informant reveals location, guard searches. Triple combo for maximum efficiency.


• Workshop + Carpentry + Kitchen: Prisoners produce furniture and food, reducing expenses.


• Armed Guard + Suppression + Behavioral Therapy: Reduce aggression to near zero.


• Yard + Recreation + Exercise: Satisfy multiple needs with one schedule slot.

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8. Final Advice

Prison Architect has no skill trees for the player, but mastering the abilities of your staff and prisoners is key. Experiment with different ratios of roles, invest in programs for long-term savings, and always have a contingency for riots (armed guards + lockdown). Keep an eye on your prison’s Grading (in Reports) to adjust your skill focus. Remember: a well-trained workforce (prisoner labor) can fund your entire operation.

Now go build that perfect prison—and watch your character skills (and re-offending rates) improve.