No More Room in Hell 2 — All Responder Classes
In No More Room in Hell 2 you play as a Responder — a volunteer drafted into the Civil Recovery Corps. Each Responder has a pre-outbreak profession that determines their starting skill. There are 26 classes in total.
How Responders Work
You can have up to three active Responders. When you create a new one — to fill an empty slot or replace a fallen character — the game shows you three random Responders, each with a starting skill based on their profession. If you don't like the options, you can reroll for 50 Credits.
Every Responder gets a randomly generated name. Their profession determines one starting skill, and as they level they fill more skill slots through the 3-choose-1 system. Losing a Responder to permadeath costs that character's level, skills, gear and currency — account progress survives.
All 26 Classes & Starting Skills
| Class | Starting Skill | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Army Reservist | Hellfire | Increased hip-fire accuracy with rifles |
| Baseball Rookie | Hard Blow | More stagger damage from two-handed melee |
| Bear Hunter | Penetrating Shot | Heavy shots penetrate more targets |
| Coast Guard Veteran | Limbo | Survive longer when downed |
| Courier | Mule | Increased backpack capacity |
| Deer Hunter | Quiet Steps | Reduced noise from movement |
| Deputy | Tight Shot | Shotgun pellets have reduced spread |
| Designated Marksman | Steel Chamber | Heavy rifles deal increased damage |
| Detective | Headblown | Handguns deal increased headshot damage |
| Engineer | Longer Battery | Flashlight batteries last longer |
| Football MVP | Adrenaline Rush | At critical health, consume no stamina |
| Hockey Player | Rush | Two-handed heavy attacks use less stamina |
| Lumberjack | Headhunter | Increased melee headshot damage |
| Marine Veteran | Steady Shot | Crouching enhances rifle precision and reduces recoil |
| Martial Arts Master | Heavy Shoves | Shoving deals damage |
| MMA Fighter | Sturdy Body | Reduced damage from attacks |
| Nurse | Skilled Medic | Heal yourself and others faster |
| Police Sniper | Eagle Eye | Damage falloff on heavy rifles is reduced |
| Prepper | Scavenger | Increased ammo from pickups |
| Quartermaster | Vulture | Larger ammo stacks |
| Rescue Specialist | Healing Item Stack | Carry more medical items per stack |
| Sheriff | Overkill | Shotguns fire more pellets |
| Sous Chef | Butcher | Easier to dismember zombies |
| Spinal Surgeon | Hitman | One-handed melee hits harder but costs more stamina |
| Swim Captain | Thick Skin | Increased maximum health |
| Track Star | Athlete | Increased stamina |
Note: version 1.0 removed some Early Access starting skills (Averaging, Guts, Teddy Bear) and added Handgun/Rifle/Shotgun Reloading, so a few classes now offer an alternative starting skill.
Best Classes for Beginners
For your first Responder, stamina and durability outrank damage:
- Track Star (Athlete) — the melee economy backbone; more stamina means more swings and shoves before you gas out.
- Swim Captain (Thick Skin) — a flat maximum-health boost with no downside.
- MMA Fighter (Sturdy Body) — reduced incoming damage for anyone who plans to stand near zombies.
- Prepper (Scavenger) — more ammo per pickup directly fights the scarcity that ends most runs.
Character Creation & Rerolling
When the three offered Responders don't fit, spend 50 Credits to reroll. If you're chasing a specialized build, don't accept the first set — some of the stronger perk paths work better when your starting skill already matches your plan. Use Solo Mode to test a class's feel before risking it in co-op.
Permadeath & Progression
Each Responder has independent progression — levels, skills, gear and currency all belong to that character. Permadeath means all of it is lost on death. Account-level progression (including unlocked skill options) persists, so a fallen Responder's experience still helps your next character. Keep at least one backup Responder so a bad Nightmare run doesn't leave you rebuilding from zero.
Build around your class: see the best builds to match skills to weapons, and the beginner guide for how to keep your Responder alive.