Thanatology tops out at level 5 in The Sims 4, and it requires the Life & Death Expansion Pack. Build it by researching theories on a computer, asking about hauntings, using a bookshelf, or progressing in the Reaper or Undertaker career. Level 5 unlocks Soul Soup and the Voodoo doll ability Toy with Death. If you want to skip progression, a cheat can set the skill directly.
What you need to know before levelling Thanatology
Electronic Arts describes Thanatology as a five-level skill included with The Sims 4 Life & Death. Teens, Young Adults, Adults, and Elders can learn it. The expansion was released on October 31, 2024, and requires The Sims 4; EA sells it as a license for digital content. See the official Life & Death product page for pack details and availability.
You do not need a physical book or accessory to build the skill. The books and Voodoo doll mentioned below are in-game items. The optional skill-class route requires Discover University; the other routes rely on Life & Death and the relevant in-game interactions or career.
Ways to level up Thanatology
EA documents several ways to earn Thanatology skill progress, but does not publish measured rates comparing them. Skill books are described as slower than other methods, so choose a route that fits your Sim rather than relying on an unsupported time-to-max estimate.
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- Wonder at treasures that have endured time’s passing, witnessing the comeand go of generations with ghastly grace.
- Build your Bucket List by collecting goals throughout your Sim’s life, startingas a Young Adult. Items will appear on your list based on your Sim’s traits andfamily relations, and you can also choose your own.
- Make death your life’s work with a career of reaping souls, helping Ghosts,dispersing hauntings, and more as a member of Grim’s team. Or, you couldbecome a Mortician and deal with death more from the perspective of theliving.
- The veil between life and death is thin in Ravenwood. Visit the countryside and perhaps take a swim by the mysterious face in the cliffs. Or, head into the village where you’ll find some odd goods forpurchase near the old Specter cemetery.
Research theories on a computer
Select a computer, choose Read Theories on, then select a Thanatology theory. EA lists four topics: The Boomsbluff Mystery House, The House of the Fallen Trees, The Mysterious Death of Robert Crumplebottom, and The Unknown Horse. This option is available at level 1.
Use social interactions
Try Inquire about Local Hauntings with eligible Sims. Inquire about Ghostly Self is specifically for Ghost Sims. At level 3, your Sim unlocks Speak a Dead Language, which also builds Thanatology.
Rank #2
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- An Endless Journey — Build your Bucket List by collecting goals throughout your Sim’s life, starting as a Young Adult.
- A Ghastly, Gorgeous Life — Make death your life’s work with a career as a member of Grim’s team.
- Goodbye (For Now) — Different Sims will grieve in different ways. There are 4 types that will tie in with both Sims’ personalities and their relationships with the deceased.
- Friendly or Fiendish? — Linger on as a Ghost and spend your afterlife helping or terrorizing the living.
- A Town Worth Haunting — The veil between life and death is thin in Ravenwood, a three-neighborhood town.
Use a bookshelf or Thanatology skill books
Select a bookshelf and choose Look up Historical Deaths. You can also read the three Thanatology skill books as they become available: Thanatology Vol 1: Mortal Mortality, Thanatology Vol 2: Handbook for the Recently Expired, and Thanatology Vol 3: Piercing the Veil. EA says books are slower than other skill-building methods. Its general note that skill books alone cannot take a skill above level 9 does not limit Thanatology, whose cap is level 5.
Build it through the Reaper or Undertaker career
Joining either the Reaper or Undertaker career lets your Sim gain Thanatology naturally as they progress. In the Undertaker career, the Funeral Director and Mortician branches list Thanatology level 2 at rank 6 and level 4 at rank 9. Some Mortician ranks also require reading Thanatology theories as a promotion task. Tasks vary by rank, so check the in-game Career Panel for your Sim’s current requirements. In the Mortician branch, having Thanatology can also lead to more career chance cards.
Rank #3
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Attend a skill class with Discover University
If your household owns Discover University, open the Sim’s phone, select the Business app, then choose Sit in on Skill Class and Thanatology. EA lists the fee as §250 per class and the available hours as 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is an optional cross-pack route, not a requirement for learning the skill.
What each Thanatology level unlocks
| Level | Documented unlocks |
|---|---|
| 1 | Research Thanatology theories on a computer; buy Thanatology Vol. 2. |
| 2 | Unlock the next Thanatology book and purchase a Voodoo doll through a computer. Thanatology level 2 is an alternative to the usual Mischief level 3 requirement for buying the doll. |
| 3 | Speak a Dead Language and gain more Voodoo doll abilities. |
| 4 | Discuss Deadly Enigmas with the Grim Reaper. Undertaker Sims can handle grief better. |
| 5 | Make Soul Soup and use Toy with Death on the Voodoo doll. |
EA’s Thanatology skill guide lists the full set of level unlocks.
Rank #4
Set Thanatology to level 5 with a cheat
Use the cheat console to enable cheats, then enter the skill command. On PC and Mac, open the console with Control+Shift+C. EA also documents controller button combinations for PlayStation and Xbox in its skill guide.
- Open the cheat console and enter
testingcheats true. - Enter
stats.set_skill_level minor_thanatology 5to set the skill to its maximum level.
Replace the final 5 with another level from 1 to 5 if you want a lower Thanatology level. The skill’s maximum is 5, not 10.
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Sources and version context
The skill and career details here are from Electronic Arts’ support guides: the Thanatology skill guide and Undertaker career guide. EA’s product announcement lists Life & Death for PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Game mechanics can change with patches; the game version was not independently checked for this guide.
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