Is Dead uses BaseBuildingPlus (BBP) for base building. Instead of vanilla fences, you build foundations, walls, floors, roofs, doors, and stairs that snap together. It looks complicated, but every piece follows the same pattern: craft a kit, place it, build the frame, then build the tier you want.
1. Get a flagpole and a group
You can't place BBP pieces until you're in a group, and anything built outside your flag's territory despawns. If you haven't yet, start with the flagpole guide.
2. Make a workbench
- Find a BBP 2.0 Book. They turn up most often in industrial zones and garages.
- Combine the book with 5 wooden planks to make a workbench. You get the book back, so place the workbench and attach the book to it.
- Most kits cost 3 planks and 3 nails. Attach the planks and nails to the workbench, walk up to it, and use the Read action (F) to pick a kit.
- A step ladder kit (10 planks and 10 nails) helps you reach higher floors while building.
3. Place and build
- Take a kit in your hands to see its hologram. Press ↓ to turn on snapping, then scroll the mouse wheel to cycle through attachment points.
- Use PgUp and PgDn to raise or lower the hologram until it lines up.
- Once placed, attach the materials and build the frame, then build the tier you want on top.
4. Tiers
- Wood (T1): logs or planks plus nails. This is what most players use.
- Metal (T2): sheet metal and nails, built over a finished T1 piece.
- Concrete (T3): concrete bricks and mortar mix, built with a shovel or pickaxe.
On Is Dead, bases can only be raided when the flag is lowered and removed, so higher tiers are about looks rather than defense. Wood is enough. Save your materials for expanding.
Common recipes
Default BBP values. Server settings can change them, so the workbench in game always has the final say.
| Piece | Frame | Wood (T1) | Metal (T2) | Concrete (T3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 2 logs, 10 nails | 8 planks, 10 nails | 3 sheet metal, 10 nails | 2 concrete bricks, 1 mortar |
| Large wall | 5 planks, 10 nails | 2 logs or 6 planks, 10 nails | 4 sheet metal, 10 nails | 3 concrete bricks, 1 mortar |
| Small wall | 3 planks, 10 nails | 1 log or 3 planks, 10 nails | 2 sheet metal, 10 nails | 2 concrete bricks, 1 mortar |
| Large floor or roof | 5 planks, 10 nails | 8 planks, 10 nails | 3 sheet metal, 10 nails | 2 concrete bricks, 1 mortar |
| Large door | 5 planks, 10 nails | Frame: 2 logs or 5 planks, 10 nails. Door: 5 planks, 10 nails | Frame: 3 sheet metal, 10 nails. Door: 5 sheet metal, 15 nails | Not available |
| Large window | 5 planks, 10 nails | 2 logs or 8 planks, 10 nails | 4 sheet metal, 10 nails | 3 concrete bricks, 1 mortar |
| Large stairs | None | 5 planks, 10 nails | None | None |
For every piece, including gates, garages, ramps, slopes, and fences, see the BBP recipe wiki.
5. A first base that works
- Foundations, starting from the highest point if the ground is uneven
- Walls, leaving gaps where doors and a vehicle entrance will go
- A door with a codelock
- A roof
- Storage: Virtual Storage Barrels hold a huge amount without lag
Then expand a little at a time. A small finished base beats a giant unfinished one, and big bases hurt everyone's frame rate. Bases are capped at 20 meters tall.
Fixes for common problems
- Can't place anything: you're not in a group yet. Press M and create one on the Group tab.
- Can't walk through your door: usually desync. Remove the codelock and any Christmas lights, then use the mouse wheel on the door and choose Force Synchronization.
- Items fall through the floor: a known BBP bug that hasn't been fixed upstream. Keep valuables in storage, not on the floor.
- The BBP well: it always despawns, so don't build it.