The full roster in How Many Dudes? holds more than 40 recruitable Dude Types, and each one carries a single unique ability that fires before any Relics or Trinkets change a run. Knowing exactly what those abilities do is the fastest way to decide who to recruit, where to place them, and which effects will react to each other in battle.
Quick answer: Every Dude Type below is available from the start of a run. Read its ability text to learn the repeatable behavior it performs, then position it correctly if the ability references a roster neighbor or a most-injured/lowest-HP target.
Complete Dude Type and ability list
The table lists each Dude Type, the name of its ability, and how that ability behaves in combat. The official Dudex is the in-game glossary that defines specialized terms such as Direct Damage, Taunt, Dash, Deflection, and Stored Damage if you need the exact wording.
| Dude Type | Ability | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | Get Down | On Direct Damage, 15% chance to Dash to a Roster Dude in danger. That Dude becomes an Asset for 8 seconds and gains Temporary Health equal to 20% of the Agent’s Max HP. |
| Alien | Tractor Beam | Every 3 seconds, Beams a random Dude of the Type directly above it on the Roster, forcing that Dude to Dash to and attack the enemy with the lowest HP. |
| Assassin | Toxic Slash | Direct Damage injects Toxins that lower the target’s Attack Power by 5% for 5 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. |
| Bard | Four Chord Song | Every 4th Direct Damage, plays a Song that grants 4 random Dudes 4% Attack Power and Run Speed for 4 seconds, stacking up to 4 times. |
| Cave | Unga Bunga | First, Cave Dude Unga. Then he Bunga. |
| Chef | Burger | On Direct Damage, prepares a Burger that Heals for 70% of Attack Power. Holds up to 4 Burgers and delivers them to Roster Dudes as needed. |
| Cleric | Divine Pulse | Every 2 seconds, creates a Pulse at the most-injured Roster Dude, healing injured Dudes in range for 100% of the Cleric’s DPS, split among them. |
| Construction | Hammer Toss | On Direct Damage, 20% chance to toss a Hammer at a nearby enemy for 50% of Attack Power and Taunt it for 3 seconds. |
| Cowboy | Lasso | Every 3 seconds, Lassoes a Roster Dude to his side, prioritizing Dudes farther away. |
| Cyborg | Extermination | On Direct Damage to its Primary Target, 25% chance to grant a stacking 1% Attack Power to all Cyborg Dudes for the rest of the battle. |
| Dentist | Novocaine Injection | On Direct Damage, injects a random Dude with Novocaine for 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. Each stack prevents 3% of incoming damage. |
| Druid | Bear Form | After 10 Direct Damage hits in Dude Form, shapeshifts into a Bear for 3 seconds, gaining 30% Attack Power and 200% Cleave. |
| Echo | N/A | A support entity summoned by Quantum Dude rather than a recruitable Type. |
| Electrician | Static Discharge | Direct Damage builds a Static Charge. At 10+ Charges, the next attack discharges a Static Shock, Throwing him and dealing 40% Attack Power per Charge. |
| Explorer | Canteen | When a Roster Dude drops below 30% HP, gives a Sip that Heals for 150% of DPS. Holds 2 sips and refills one every 3 seconds. |
| Farmer | I’m Fine | High natural Toughness. When healed by another Dude, Donates 50% of the restored HP to the most-injured other Roster Dude. |
| Finance | Dividend | Each Finance Dude on the team generates $3 at the end of every battle. |
| Frankendude | Blood Pump | High natural Regeneration. Every second, Donates 10% of current HP to the 2 most-injured Roster Dudes, split between them. |
| General | Tactical Command | Every 4 seconds, commands a random Dude of the Type directly below it on the Roster to Taunt up to 3 nearby enemies. |
| Ghost | Phase Shift | On Direct Damage, 30% chance to Equalize HP between the most-injured and healthiest Roster Dudes, then Heals both for 100% of Attack Power. |
| Hacker | Exploit | Every 4 seconds each Hacker gains an Exploit. When a Dude attacks, its Exploits are consumed for 100% of DPS each, combined into one Direct Damage strike. |
| Knight | Taunting Presence | Every 3 seconds, Taunts 5 nearby enemies to focus their attacks on him. |
| Lich | Enthrall | 70% of incoming damage is Stored in Thralls. Every 3 seconds it is Expelled as True Damage. If Fatal, the Thrall Heals 50% HP and gains a Revenant stack. |
| Manager | Micromanage | At battle start, picks 4 Non-Manager Dudes as Interns, copies and Stores 15% of their damage, and Expels it onto its Micromanage Target. |
| Medic | Triage | Heals the 3 most-injured Roster Dudes for 10 every time it deals a total of 50 damage. |
| Mummy | Curse of Doom | All Direct Damage generates equal Doom Stored on the target. When the target’s HP drops below its Doom level, the curse Expels the damage. |
| Mutant | Floofballs | Direct Damage has a 50% chance to create a Floofball that Heals for 100% of Attack Power, attached to a Dude in danger. Up to 4 per Dude. |
| Necrodude | Skeledude Summoner | Summons a Skeledude at battle start. When the Skeledude is Knocked Out, summons a new one after 6 seconds. |
| Ninja | Shuriken Throw | On a Direct Crit, throws a Shuriken that bounces around, hitting 2 enemies for 50% of Attack Power. |
| Paladin | Blessed | At battle start, Blesses 2 random Roster Dudes. The Blessing cuts damage taken by 10% and Transfers 20% of the remaining damage to the Paladin. |
| Pirate | Rum | Taunts 4 enemies for 3 seconds at battle start. Every 5 seconds, drinks Rum for 20% Evasion for 3 seconds. |
| Psionic | Mind Hijacker | Taunts 5 enemies at battle start. On Deflecting or taking Deflected Damage, 5% chance to Taunt 2 nearby enemies for 3 seconds. |
| Quantum | Quantum Echo | Every 5 seconds, Summons an Echo Dude if none is active. For each active Echo, Heals the most-injured Roster Dude for 50% of DPS every second. |
| Ranger | Magic Arrow | On Direct Damage, 25% chance to fire a Magic Arrow at a distant enemy for 100% of Attack Power. |
| Regular | Mob Mentality | Gains 2% Attack Power and Max HP for every additional Regular Dude on the Roster. |
| Samurai | Swift Pursuit | Every 3 seconds, Dashes to the enemy with the lowest HP to help finish it off. |
| Skeledude | N/A | A summoned support unit created by Necrodude rather than a recruitable Type. |
| Spartan | Phalanx | 20% chance to Block incoming Direct Damage aimed at nearby Dudes. |
| Time | Time Anomaly | Every 4 seconds, attaches 2 Time Anomalies to the Dudes next to it on the Roster. They detonate after 3 seconds. |
| Trooper | Orbital Strike | At battle start and every 10 seconds, calls an Orbital Strike on a random enemy, hitting all enemies in the blast for 100% of DPS. |
| Vampire | Bloodsucker Aura | When it Lifesteals, applies its Aura to 2 random Roster Dudes for 2% Lifesteal for 4 seconds, stacking up to 4 times. |
| Viking | Berserker Rage | On Direct Damage, 5% chance to go Berserk for 3 seconds, gaining 50% Attack Speed and Run Speed. |
| Warlock | Pact | Slows incoming damage through a Pact. Direct Damage has a 25% chance to Expel 20% of the Stored Pact damage onto the target and Taunt it for 3 seconds. |
| Wizard | I cast Fireball | Casts a Fireball every 3 seconds at a random enemy for 50% of DPS to all enemies in the blast area. |
| Zombie | Undead Hunger | When healed, 15% chance to Taunt 3 nearby enemies for 3 seconds. Recovers from being Unconscious after only 1 round. |
Abilities that depend on roster order
A few abilities read the Roster itself, so their value changes with where you place the Dude. Positioning is a free adjustment, and getting it right often matters more than any extra Relic.
| Dude Type | Positional rule |
|---|---|
| Alien | Beams the Type directly above it on the Roster. |
| General | Commands the Type directly below it on the Roster. |
| Time | Attaches Anomalies to the two Dudes next to it on the Roster. |
To confirm placement works, put the intended target next to the source Dude, reopen both ability descriptions, and watch the first battle for the expected Beam, command, or detonation. If the effect lands on the wrong Dude, the neighbor slot is filled by the wrong Type.
Summoned units vs recruitable Types
Not every entity you see in combat is a Dude you can recruit. Echo Dude and Skeledude appear in ability text and take part in fights, but they are produced during battle rather than picked from a Flyer.
- Skeledude is summoned by Necrodude at battle start and re-summoned 6 seconds after it is Knocked Out. There is no Skeledude Flyer.
- Echo Dude is summoned by Quantum Dude, and each active Echo increases the healing Quantum sends to the most-injured Roster Dude.
How the six Families group the roster
Every recruitable Dude belongs to one of six thematic Families, and each Family owns its own Relics and synergies. Posting a Flyer for a Type makes both that Type’s Relics and its Family Relics available to the run, so the Family label predicts which upgrades enter your pool.
| Family | General identity |
|---|---|
| Action | Dramatic recoveries and comeback plays. |
| Employed | Workplace-themed tools and economy effects. |
| Fantasy | Magic and otherworldly effects. |
| Sci-Fi | Technology and unusual gadgets. |
| Undead | Chaos and knockout interactions. |
| Warrior | Precision and coordinated attacks. |
Membership in a Family does not force a fixed role. Two Types in the same Family can spend its Relics in different ways, and a mixed-Family team works well when the resulting Relic pool supports your plan. Since every Dude is available from the start of a run, the practical decision is which abilities and Family Relics fit the roster you are building rather than which Dude is unlocked.
