Before you start
5 things to know
- About 75 XP reaches Pottery 1, which unlocks crucibles. Chapter 1
- Grind mugs: 15 XP for 1 clay. A pot costs 5 clay. Chapter 3
- The dome kiln makes charcoal. It does not fire pottery. Chapter 4
- XP comes from shaping. Shape a lot, then fire in batches. Chapter 5
- Make many crucibles. The anvil cast needs 32 units of molten iron. Chapter 7
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 clay ground, forests and farmland.
- ShapeOn the bench or wheel.
- BatchCollect unfired pieces.
- 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 that starts it. No job does. Most players level it as a side quest.
No potter job
No job starts with Pottery levels. Artisan is the only starting boost.
Artisan (trait)
+1 Pottery and +1 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 gives clumps of 2 to 4 clay. Forests and farmland are best. Rain helps.
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 main stations, plus a hand press for bricks, tiles and molds. Each does a different job. There is no one "clay oven" that does everything.
| Station | Build cost | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Pottery bench | 4 planks, 4 nails and a sheet. Needs Carpentry 5 | Hand shaping: sheet molds, smoking pipes, the glass blowing pipe. |
| Pottery wheel | 4 planks, 4 nails, a stone wheel and a small stone wheel | Mugs, bowls, plates, jars, pots, crucibles, pipe segments. |
| Primitive kiln | 20 clay and a kept mason's trowel | Fires every piece except the anvil mold. Bricks 3 at a time. |
| Advanced kiln | 20 clay and a kept mason's trowel | Fires the same pieces in bigger batches, bricks 6 at a time. The anvil mold fires only here. No Pottery level needed. |
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 art stores and pottery studios, 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.
- Most pieces fire in either kiln, like the glass blowing pipe.
- Some only fire in the advanced kiln, like the anvil mold.
- Charcoal comes from burning logs in a charcoal burning pile or barrel.
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: smiths want many crucibles
A large crucible holds 20 units of molten iron, a small one 10. The anvil cast alone needs 32 units. An emptied crucible comes back for reuse. Keep the wheel turning.
Secret: 75 XP to level 1
With Pottery I read, about 7 mugs make you a level 1 potter who can make crucibles. With Artisan, 2 mugs. 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 ceramic tiles for brick floors, and clay shingles.
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, at the bench. Fires in either kiln. |
| Clay pipe segment | 0 | 1 clay and water, 15 XP. No recipe uses it yet. |
| Anvil mold | Advanced kiln | Casting a real anvil. Pressed on a press with 8 clay in a wooden mold. |
Secret: smoking pipes are the mid grind
A clay smoking pipe is 1 clay for 40 XP at level 3, made at the bench with a sculpting tool. 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 | Bowls hold soup and stew. Pots cost 5 clay and no recipe uses them yet. |
| Clay jar | 5 | 3 clay and water, 40 XP. Holds 2.5 L of water. No research shortcut. |
Chapter 11
What each level unlocks
The ladder from the game files. No magazines needed for any of it.
| Level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| 0 | Sheet mold, mugs, bowls, plates, pots, pipe segments, bricks and tiles |
| 1 | Small and large crucibles |
| 2 | Glass blowing pipe |
| 3 | Clay smoking pipe |
| 5 | Clay jar |
| 6 to 10 | No new recipes. XP only |
Watch out: the advanced kiln level
Fan guides say Pottery 3. The game files (42.21.0) show no Pottery level for either kiln, just 20 clay and a mason's trowel. 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. About 7 mugs with the book reach level 1, or 2 with Artisan. 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: smoking pipes
40 XP for 1 clay at the bench. The best ratio in the skill. Read III. 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. About 7 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. Clay smoking pipes | 40 XP for 1 clay. The best ratio |
| 4 to 5 | More smoking pipes and bricks | Volume |
| 5 to 6 | Read Pottery III. Clay 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 for brick floors | 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.
- Smoking pipes at 3 are 40 XP per clay.
- Shape in bulk, fire in batches.
- 1 log or 1 charcoal per firing, not both.
- The advanced kiln fires bricks 6 at a time.
Beyond
- The anvil mold needs the advanced kiln.
- Bricks need a brick mold.
- Jars need Pottery 5. No shortcut.
- 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. | No mason's trowel, or under 20 clay. | Get a mason's trowel and 20 clay. |
| 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. We checked the game files for version 42.21.0. 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 level. Fan guides said Pottery 3. The game files show none.
- Checked against the game files (42.21.0): recipes, clay costs, XP per craft, skill levels, kiln costs and firing, books and traits.
- 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