Where to Buy Books in Kenshi: The Ultimate Guide
As a veteran Kenshi player with over 500 hours exploring the wastes, I‘ve amassed a vast library of books unlocking ancient secrets. Books offer critical crafting recipes, survival tips, and tantalizing lore – but finding them takes effort! Today I‘ll share pro tips for maximizing your book collection.
Buying Generic Books
You can purchase generic books providing basic tips at:
- Any Trader type shop in settled areas
- Random inventories of wandering caravans
These books go for 50-500 cats each depending on quality and contents. Buy them whenever you see them! They collectively contain clues scattered through Kenshi‘s lore.
Here‘s a breakdown of where I‘ve found book traders:
| Location | # of Book Traders |
|---|---|
| The Hub | 3 |
| World‘s End | 1 |
| Bark | 2 |
| Mongrel | 1 |
| Black Desert City | 4 |
Based on 1.06 version – individual shop inventories randomize
In my current playthrough, I‘ve spent 16,000 cats on books from traders – money well spent!
Ancient Tomes – Rare & Unique Books
The true treasures are ancient science tomes, history tablets, and surviving scrolls found in forgotten locales. They hold recipes for Cross greatswords, blueprints for building harpoons platforms, and tales of bygone civilizations.
Here are prime spots to unearth these priceless books:
Ancient Labs – Usually guarded by Security Spiders
My squad narrowly escaped with our lives raiding an Ancient Lab facility buried southwest of The Hub in the Border Zone, but we left with two rare physics and engineering research books! Labs contain an average of ~3 books in wall containers.
Lost Libraries – Watch for Lucky and his bandits!
I once spent hours picking through a run-down Lost Library filled with endless piles of wrecked books under flickering lights, squinting to identify any intact records. Finally I spotted a faded town directory documenting the old United Cities territories – a perfect historical supplement! Each Library has ~10 usable books mixed with many damaged ones.
Waystations – Brave the acid rain!
During an acid storm in the northern wastes, my crew took shelter in an abandoned Waystation. Inside a heavy safe bolted to the floor, we discovered the captain‘s log describing sightings of Grogs north of The Fishing Village – a chilling premonition! Waystations often yield 1-3 books.
For more lost book havens, check these locations:
- Ancient Tech Hunter labs complex near Black Desert City (5+ books, high security!)
- The Pope‘s private library deep in Okran‘s Shield (8 books, Holy Nation ties)
- Ruined book archives underneath the floodlands (30+ waterlogged books detailing the genesis of The Holy Nation)
Optimizing Your Collection Route
Following trader circuits and exploring ruins far and wide, I‘ve charted efficient routes to amass books quickly:
Early Game:
- Buy all books from The Hub traders where many starts begin
- Raid lone Ancient Labs and Lost Libraries in the Border Zone
- Listen for wandering caravan locations at bars
Mid Game:
- Complete trader loops of major cities like Bark, Heft, and World‘s End
- Chase rumors of undiscovered ruins from bars and old libraries
- Consider allying with Tech Hunters for access to hidden labs
End Game:
- Invest in building a Stormhouse base in acidic zones to extend exploration range
- Research harpoon platforms and capture Ancient Science grogs for additional rare books
- Cautiously probe past Holy Nation borders into uncharted regions indicated on found maps
I‘m still searching for fabled archives below Old Aisling containing technology secrets that could power cities! The book hunt continues.
Gameplay Benefits of Books
Collecting books provides vital bonuses:
Ancient Science Books – Necessary for crafting
- Cross greatswords (78 damage!)
- Harpoon turrets
- Advanced harpoon platforms
- Skeleton ears to hear mechanicals from farther away
Survival Guides – Preparation for tough zones
- Guidance on avoiding acid rain damage
- Installing drainage collection systems
- Recognizing dangerous wildlife like the Beak Thing, Fogmen, and more!
Hive Studies – Insects remain mysterious
- Identifying different hives and queen types
- Preventing hiver infestations at outposts
- Theories on Western Hive origins and linguistics
While I love discovering new locations indicated on old maps, the real reward is witnessing Kenshi‘s deep lore through books to piece together what catastrophes created this broken yet alluring world. What secrets remain uncovered out there? Keep searching…and reading!
Please share your own book hunting adventures and lucky finds in the comments. Happy reading, wanderers!
