Chapter 1
Pottery in Build 42
Pottery looks like a hobby. It is not. It is the skill that makes the crucibles for blacksmithing, the bricks for masonry and the pipe for glassmaking.
Pottery turns clay into shaped objects on a bench or wheel, then fires them in a kiln. It is the middle of the Build 42 crafting chain, and every other craft waits on it.
Crucibles
Level 1. The pots that hold molten metal. No crucible, no forge.
Bricks
Clay in a mold, fired in a kiln. Masonry lays them.
Jars and pots
Storage that beats bowls on the floor. Jars at level 5.
Molds and pipes
Anvil molds and the glass blowing pipe.
The potter's loop
- DigClay from roads and riverbanks.
- ShapeOn the bench or wheel.
- DryUnfired piece.
- FireIn a kiln with a log or charcoal.
- UseOr hand it to the smith.
Why it matters
A blacksmith who does not level Pottery is stuck at "recipe locked" forever. Around 75 XP gets Pottery to level 1 and unlocks crucibles. It is the cheapest gate in the whole chain.
Chapter 2
Build your potter
Pottery has one trait and a few jobs that start it. Most players level it as a side quest.
Potter (job)
The Build 42 pottery job. Starts with Pottery levels and the recipes.
Artisan (trait)
+1 in several crafting skills including Pottery and Glassmaking.
Crafty (trait)
130% XP in crafting skills. No starting level.
Blacksmith (job)
Not Pottery, but the job that needs it most.
Watch out: point costs change
The game makers still tune traits and jobs. Always read the numbers on your own character screen.
Pottery has 5 books at 3, 5, 8, 12 and 16 times XP. Since clay is the limit, not time, a book stretches every lump.
Chapter 3
Clay: the bottleneck
Every pottery recipe eats clay. Getting clay is the real skill.
Forage it
Search Mode near roads and wet ground gives clumps of 2 to 4 clay. Forests and river edges are best.
Dig a clay deposit
Find a clay deposit near water. With an empty sack and a digging tool, dig it. One deposit fills a sack with about 8 clay.
What clay costs
| Use | Clay |
|---|---|
| Mug or pipe segment | 1 |
| Small crucible | 1 plus sand |
| Large crucible | 2 plus sand |
| Ceramic pot | 5 |
| A kiln | 20 |
Secret: XP per clay, not XP per craft
A mug is 15 XP for 1 clay. A pot is 15 XP for 5 clay. Grind mugs. Make pots only when you need pots.
Chapter 4
Stations: bench, wheel and kilns
4 stations. Each does a different job. There is no one "clay oven" that does everything.
| Station | Build cost | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Pottery bench | Wood, from the Build menu | Simple hand shaping. Bricks in molds. |
| Pottery wheel | Wood and a wheel, from the Build menu | Mugs, jars, pots, crucibles, pipes. |
| Primitive kiln | 20 clay and a kept mason's trowel | Fires most pieces. The pipe fires only here. |
| Advanced kiln | 20 clay and a kept mason's trowel | Fires larger pieces. The anvil mold fires only here. May need Pottery 3. |
Watch out: the dome kiln is a blacksmith station
It makes charcoal and coke from 40 stone blocks and concrete. It does not fire pottery.
Watch out: old recipes
There is no current "15 clay and 5 rocks" kiln recipe. Both kilns are 20 clay and a trowel.
Secret: light the room
A dark basement pottery is a misclick factory. Put a lamp next to the wheel. Put the kiln in a shed, away from wooden walls.
Chapter 5
Shape it: the pottery wheel
Click the wheel, pick the item, craft. The result is unfired clay.
Sculpt a piece
Right-click the pottery wheel or bench. Choose a recipe. Most need clay, some need water, some need a clay sculpting tool.
Secret: carve a sculpting tool
The clay sculpting tool is looted from kitchens and cabinets, or carved from a small handle and a knife at Carving 1.
Secret: XP comes from shaping
Pottery XP is earned when you craft the unfired piece. Firing finishes it. Shape a lot, fire in batches.
Chapter 6
Fire it: the kiln
Unfired clay is fragile. The kiln makes it real.
Fire a piece
Right-click the kiln. Choose the unfired item. Craft. Each firing needs a fire starter and fuel.
- Some pieces only fire in the primitive kiln, like the glass blowing pipe.
- Some only fire in the advanced kiln, like the anvil mold.
- Charcoal comes from a charcoal pit or by burning logs in a burn pile.
Watch out: fire
A kiln is a fire. Stone floor, stone walls, no curtains. See the Masonry guide.
Chapter 7
Crucibles: why smiths love potters
A crucible holds molten metal in the furnace. It is the first thing every blacksmith needs, and it is Pottery 1.
Make a crucible
On the wheel: a small crucible from 1 clay and sand, or a large crucible from 2 clay and sand. 25 XP each. Fire it.
Secret: crucibles wear out
Every melt uses up crucible life. A blacksmith needs a steady supply. The anvil cast alone eats 32 iron-filled crucibles. Keep the wheel turning.
Secret: 75 XP to level 1
5 mugs with the book read, and you are a level 1 potter who can make crucibles. That is the whole gate to blacksmithing.
Chapter 8
Bricks and tiles for masons
Masonry lays bricks. Pottery makes them.
Press bricks
On a flat surface or bench with a brick mold, press clay into unfired bricks. Fire them in a kiln.
Pottery also makes roof tiles and floor tiles for masonry builds.
Chapter 9
Molds, pipes and glass parts
The specialist pieces that other skills cannot make for themselves.
| Piece | Level | For |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet mold | 0 | Glassmaking. 3 clay, 15 XP. |
| Glass blowing pipe | 2 | Glassmaking. 2 clay and water, 35 XP. Fires in the primitive kiln. |
| Ceramic pipe segment | 3 | Water systems. 1 clay, 40 XP. A great grind. |
| Anvil mold | Advanced kiln | Casting a real anvil. Pressed on a press with 8 clay in a wooden mold. |
Secret: pipe segments are the mid grind
1 clay for 40 XP at level 3. Nothing beats that ratio.
Chapter 10
Jars, mugs and bowls
The homely pieces. They still matter after the shutoff.
| Piece | Level | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mug | Low | 1 clay, 15 XP. The starter grind. Holds water. |
| Bowl and pot | Low | Cooking and storage. Pots cost 5 clay. |
| Earthenware jug | 5 | 3 clay and water, 40 XP. Big water storage. |
| Clay jar | 5 | Storage. Can be learned early by researching an unfired jar found in the world. |
Chapter 11
What each level unlocks
The ladder players report. No magazines needed for any of it.
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 0 | Sheet mold, mugs, simple bowls |
| 1 | Small and large crucibles |
| 2 | Glass blowing pipe |
| 3 | Ceramic pipe segments. Possibly the advanced kiln. |
| 5 | Earthenware jug, clay jar |
| 6 to 10 | Larger and better pieces, more XP per craft |
Watch out: the advanced kiln level
Fan guides say Pottery 3. The official wiki's building page shows no requirement but is stale. Check your Build menu.
Chapter 12
Training plan: 0 to 10
Clay is the limit. Every plan below is about XP per lump.
Level 0 to 1: mugs
Read Pottery I. Build a wheel. Sculpt mugs. 15 XP for 1 clay. 5 mugs with the book reaches level 1. Now make crucibles.
Levels 1 to 3: crucibles and the pipe
Crucibles at 25 XP and the smith needs them anyway. The glass pipe at 2. Read Pottery II.
Levels 3 to 6: pipe segments
40 XP for 1 clay. The best ratio in the skill. Read III. Jugs and jars at 5.
Levels 6 to 10: only if you want it
Read IV and V. Keep making what the base needs. Most players stop around 5.
Level by level: Pottery
The best single thing to do at each level. Read the matching book first when one exists.
| Level | Do this for most of your XP | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | Read Pottery I. Sculpt mugs | 15 XP for 1 clay. 5 mugs with the book |
| 1 to 2 | Crucibles, small and large | 25 XP each, and the smith needs them |
| 2 to 3 | Glass blowing pipe | 35 XP, and glassmakers need it |
| 3 to 4 | Read Pottery II. Ceramic pipe segments | 40 XP for 1 clay. The best ratio |
| 4 to 5 | More pipe segments and bricks | Volume |
| 5 to 6 | Read Pottery III. Jugs and jars | 40 XP, big storage |
| 6 to 7 | Anvil mold in the advanced kiln | Rare, valuable |
| 7 to 8 | Read Pottery IV. Keep the wheel turning | Clay is the limit |
| 8 to 9 | Tiles and roof pieces for masons | Every piece counts |
| 9 to 10 | Read Pottery V. Only if you love it | Most stop at 5 |
Pottery shed checklist
Materials
Tools
Setup
Your ticks are saved in this browser, on this device only.
Chapter 13
Tips, tricks and fixes
20 tips from the wheel
Setup
- Take Artisan or Crafty if pottery is the plan.
- Dig clay near water with a sack. 8 per deposit.
- Carve a sculpting tool at Carving 1.
- Build the wheel and the primitive kiln first.
- Light the room.
Crafting
- Grind mugs, not pots.
- Read the book. Clay is finite.
- Crucibles at level 1. Make many.
- Pipe segments at 3 are 40 XP per clay.
- Shape in bulk, fire in batches.
- 1 log or 1 charcoal per firing, not both.
- Pipe fires in the primitive kiln only.
Beyond
- The anvil mold needs the advanced kiln.
- Bricks need a brick mold.
- Research an unfired jar to learn jars early.
- Keep sand for crucibles.
- The dome kiln is for charcoal, not pottery.
- Kiln in a shed on stone.
- Stop around 5 unless you love it.
- Pair with the Blacksmithing and Glassmaking guides.
Fix-it table
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| I cannot make a crucible. | Pottery 0, or no sand. | Sculpt mugs to level 1. Get sand. |
| The piece will not fire. | Wrong kiln, no fuel, or no lighter. | Check which kiln. Add 1 log or charcoal and a lighter. |
| I ran out of clay. | It is the bottleneck. | Dig deposits with a sack. Forage wet ground. |
| The recipe needs a sculpting tool. | Some do. | Loot one or carve one. |
| I cannot build the advanced kiln. | Possibly Pottery 3, or no trowel. | Level up. Get a trowel. |
| The anvil mold will not fire. | Needs the advanced kiln. | Build it. |
| Pottery XP is slow. | Making pots. | Mugs, then pipe segments. |
| The kiln started a fire. | Wooden surroundings. | Stone floor and walls. |
| I cannot see the wheel menu. | Dark room. | Add a lamp. |
| No brick recipe. | No brick mold. | Craft or loot one. |
Chapter 14
Potter's test
7 questions. Get them all right and you can throw a pot.
Chapter 15
Words and sources
Potter's word list
- Clay
- The raw material. Dug or foraged.
- Unfired
- Shaped but not yet baked. Fragile.
- Kiln
- The oven that fires clay.
- Crucible
- A fired pot that holds molten metal.
- Sculpting tool
- The shaping tool some recipes need.
- Brick mold
- A frame for pressing bricks.
- Glass blowing pipe
- A ceramic tube for glassmaking.
- Anvil mold
- A ceramic form for casting an anvil.
- Dome kiln
- A blacksmith station for charcoal and coke, not pottery.
How sure are we?
Every fact here was checked in September 2026 for game version 42.20.4. Order of trust: the official wiki, then well-sourced fan guides, then player reports.
- What the skill does, XP from pottery recipes, wheel and kiln use, Crafty at 130%. Confirmed on the official wiki.
- Kiln build costs and firing fuel. Fan guide for 42.19.
- XP values and clay costs per piece. Fan guides. Approximate.
- Advanced kiln at Pottery 3. Flagged. Fan guides say 3, the wiki page is stale.
- Job and trait values. May change.
Sources
- PZwiki (the official wiki): Pottery, Pottery Wheel, Pottery (Building)
- PZfans kiln guide for 42.19 and metalworking overhaul for 42.20.4
- Alttab.wiki workstation recipe index (XP per clay, jar research)
- Vortex Gaming pottery guide (recipe levels and XP)
- Build42guide.wiki skill leveling page (75 XP to level 1)
- Projectzomboid.wiki pottery and masonry page