TL;DR
- Sickness reduces max HP by 50% and comes from consuming murky water or spoiled food
- Craft medicine using Aloe Vera and Yarrow or find it in caches near crash sites and camps
- Rain Catchers provide clean water without boiling, essential for recovery
- Always prioritize food safety and water purification to prevent illness
- Advanced players should establish multiple medicine production sites across the island
Navigating a hostile island filled with dangerous creatures becomes exponentially more challenging when your character falls ill in Sons of the Forest. Understanding how to prevent and treat sickness is crucial for long-term survival in this challenging environment.
The game’s 1.0 update introduced a comprehensive sickness system that significantly elevates the survival experience. This mechanic means your character can contract various illnesses that, if left untreated, may ultimately prove fatal. Learning the intricacies of how sickness operates and mastering effective treatment methods is essential for enduring the island’s threats.
Fundamentally, the sickness system penalizes players for consuming murky water or spoiled food, forcing more strategic resource management decisions. Before this update, players could indiscriminately consume any available resources to maintain their hydration and nutrition levels. Now, careful selection of consumables is mandatory to avoid contracting debilitating illnesses that gradually drain your health.
When your character becomes sick in Sons of the Forest, a distinctive status icon appears on your HUD, and your maximum health points are substantially diminished. This health reduction makes you exceptionally vulnerable during combat encounters with the island’s monstrous inhabitants, dramatically increasing your chances of death.
Stay healthy, stay happy.
Many players underestimate how quickly spoiled food accumulates – meat left on drying racks for more than 3 in-game days becomes hazardous. Similarly, drinking from stagnant ponds or streams without purification guarantees sickness. Advanced players recommend establishing multiple water collection points and regular food rotation to minimize risks.
To restore your character’s severely compromised health in Sons of the Forest, you must implement effective recovery strategies. There are several proven methods to overcome sickness, with the most reliable approaches being:
Medicine represents the most efficient solution for curing sickness, as you would anticipate. It’s reasonably accessible throughout the game world, available through both crafting and discovery in random caches scattered across the island. For players preferring self-sufficiency over random chance, combining Aloe Vera and Yarrow creates a single medicinal item.
If you opt to search for pre-made Medicine caches, I highly recommend investigating areas surrounding the initial crash site or thoroughly exploring abandoned campsites, as these locations typically contain the highest concentration of lootable containers. Virtually any openable container might contain Medicine, so meticulously check suitcases, storage boxes, and medical kits you encounter.
The alternative approach beyond using Medicine involves consistently consuming purified water. Clean water is primarily acquired by constructing a Rain Catcher, requiring 12 Sticks and one Turtle Shell for assembly. This device automatically gathers rainwater, which is inherently pure and requires no additional purification process. You can directly collect clean water from the Rain Catcher, though remember that rainfall is necessary for water production. Conversely, discovered water in flasks or canteens must be boiled at a fire to become safe for consumption.
For optimal recovery speed, combine both methods: take Medicine immediately when symptoms appear while simultaneously ensuring a steady supply of clean water. This dual approach typically reduces recovery time from 10-15 minutes to just 5-7 minutes. Additionally, resting in a shelter accelerates the healing process, making base construction an important strategic consideration.
Advanced players should establish dedicated medicinal gardens near their primary bases, cultivating both Aloe Vera and Yarrow for consistent supply. These plants respawn every 2-3 in-game days, providing renewable resources for medicine production. Strategic placement of multiple Rain Catchers around your base ensures water availability even during dry periods.
Action Checklist
- Build Rain Catcher using 12 Sticks + Turtle Shell for clean water
- Gather Aloe Vera and Yarrow for emergency medicine crafting
- Scout crash site and camps for medicine caches
- Establish medicinal garden near base for renewable resources
- Rotate food stocks and avoid consuming anything over 3 days old
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Sons Of The Forest – How To Cure Sickness Master Sons of the Forest sickness mechanics and recovery strategies to survive longer on the monster-infested island