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o======================================================================o
|                                       |
|                Fallout 3                   |
|                                       |
o======================================================================o
Version 1.01
Written by: Nathan Garvin
Email: Theendbringer (at) Hotmail (dot) com.
If you're going to email me about this guide, make sure you put
"FALLOUT 3" in the title, or I'll probably end up deleting it as junk.
I have no affiliation with Bethesda, Fallout 3, or any other parties
involved with this game. This is a not-for-profit fan-made guide. If you
wish to post, mirror, or quote this guide, feel free to do so. Credit
would make me happy, an email would make me feel good. Let your
conscience be your guide, just like all good people.
Table of Contents
o======================================================================o
I. Introduction                {INT001}
II. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attributes        {SPC001}
1. Strength            {SPC002}
2. Perception            {SPC003}
3. Endurance            {SPC004}
4. Charisma            {SPC005}
5. Intelligence            {SPC006}
6. Agility            {SPC007}
7. Luck                {SPC008}
8. My Personal Build, Attributes{SPC009}
III. Statistics                {STA001}
1. CND                {STA002}
2. RAD                {STA003}
3. EFF                {STA004}
4. LVL                {STA005}
5. HP                {STA006}
6. AP                {STA007}
7. XP                {STA008}
IV. Skills                {SKL001}
Base                {SKL002}
Tag!                {SKL003}
Leveling            {SKL004}
Bobbleheads            {SKL005}
Books                {SKL006}
Min/Maxing            {SKL007}
Breakdown of Skill Points    {SKL008}
The Skills            {SKL009}
Barter            {SKL010}
Big Guns        {SKL011}
Energy Weapons        {SKL012}
Explosives        {SKL013}
Lockpick        {SKL014}
Medicine        {SKL015}
Melee Weapons        {SKL016}
Repair            {SKL017}
Science            {SKL018}
Small Guns        {SKL019}
Sneak            {SKL020}
Speech            {SKL021}
Unarmed            {SKL022}
Skills I Tag! (and why)        {SKL023}
V. Perks                {PRK001}
Level 2 Perks            {PRK002}
Black Widow/Lady Killer
Daddy's Boy/Daddy's Girl
Gun Nut
Intense Training
Little Leaguer
Swift Learner
Thief
Level 4 Perks            {PRK003}
Child at Heart
Comprehension
Educated
Entomologist
Iron Fist
Scoundrel
Level 6 Perks            {PRK004}
Bloody Mess
Demolition Expert
Fortune Finder
Gunslinger
Lead Belly
Toughness
Level 8 Perks            {PRK005}
Commando
Impartial Mediation
Rad Resistance
Scrounger
Size Matters
Strong Back
Level 10 Perks            {PRK006}
Animal Friend
Finesse
Here and Now
Mister Sandman
Mysterious Stranger
Nerd Rage!
Night Person
Level 12 Perks            {PRK007}
Cannibal
Fast Metabolism
Life Giver
Pyromaniac
Robotics Expert
Silent Running
Sniper
Level 14 Perks            {PRK008}
Adamantium Skeleton
Chemist
Contract Killer
Cyborg
Lawbringer
Light Step
Master Trader
Level 16 Perks            {PRK009}
Action Boy
Better Criticals
Chem Resistant
Tag!
Level 18 Perks            {PRK010}
Concentrated Fire
Computer Whiz
Infiltrator
Paralyzing Palm
Level 20 Perks            {PRK011}
Explorer
Grim Reaper's Sprint
Ninja
Solar Powered
Additional Perks        {PRK012}
Ant Might
Ant Sight
Barkskin
Dream Crusher
Hematophagy
Junior Survivor
Power Armor Training
Rad Limb Healing
Survivor Expert
Survivor Guru
Wired Reflexes
My Personal Build, Perks    {PRK013}
VI. Bobbleheads                {BOB001}
VII. Updates/Thanks            {UPD001}
o======================================================================o
|                                       |
|            Introduction {INT001}                   |
|                                       |
o======================================================================o
Well, this isn't my first FAQ, so I don't have any excuses if it sucks.
With that said, I hope you don't think it sucks, in fact, I hope you
think it's rather helpful, even if you don't agree with what I might
have to say. This FAQ was created to explain a bit about character
generation in Fallout 3, namely how I go about creating my characters.
I find this to be the most effective means of playing through the game,
as you get a character that is not only powerful and versatile, but
easy to get off the ground. Unlike my previous FAQ, since this is a
character creation FAQ, I would be interested in various strategies
readers may have, even if they are contrary to my own opinions. And as
always, if I missed something (probable) or got something wrong (likely)
let me know. I'll fix it, and give you credit. I do not include book
locations in this FAQ, as I simply never bothered to find them all. If
you absolutely must find all the books to max your character, I'm sure
there's another FAQ out there. I have recored the books I have found,
and if the mood ever strikes me, I may yet add that section to the FAQ.
If you like my FAQs, I'll promote myself by letting everybody know I'm
planning on working on the following projects: Baldur's Gate 1 & 2,
Fallout 1 & 2, Overlord 2, Planescape: Torment, and The Witcher.. If any
of those strike your fancy. Keep in mind, these are just my opinions,
they are not fact, so don't get your feathers ruffled if you don't agree
with me.
Broken Steel Note:
If you have the expansion Broken Steel installed, please keep in mind
that this FAQ is NOT intended for use with that expansion. If you have,
or plan to get Broken Steel, do not use this FAQ, as the advice herein
is no longer compatible. I have the expansion myself, and am working
on a new character build with the expansion, which pretty much makes
the process of leveling up a lot more brain-dead. Some things-like the
bobblehead locations and general game mechanics are fine-but the
impetus for choosing your perks and attributes are simply not efficient
for Broken Steel. If you made a character with this FAQ, and upgraded
to Broken Steel, and saw that "Almost Perfect" perk.. well, hey, I
didn't know either.. download my new FAQ for Broken Steel.
o======================================================================o
|                                       |
|        S.P.E.C.I.A.L Attributes {SPC001}               |
|                                       |
o======================================================================o
Your seven attributes are cleverly formed into the anagram 'SPECIAL',
which stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma,
Intelligence, Agility, Luck. Not all attributes are made equal, and I'll
help show you why. These are just my opinions, you can do well making
any character you want. Even.. a melee character. Gnnh.
Attributes do a number of things for you-depending on what the actual
attribute is, but they all give a 2 point bonus to their related skills
for each point in that attribute. For example, if your Strength was 5
your base Melee Weapons skill would get a 10 point bonus. Luck is the
exception, which gives a 1 point bonus for each two points in Luck to
all your skills.
You can get a Vault-Tec limited edition bobblehead that adds a +1 bonus
for each of your attributes. You should plan on getting these (or at
least the more important ones) and adjust your characters' attributes
appropriately. The most you want in any one attribute is 9.. the
bobblehead wont raise your attribute above 10-nothing will-so it's a
waste to start out with an attribute score of 10.
o======================================================================o
Strength {SPC002}
Skills: Melee Weapons
Strength is a measure of your raw physical power. It affects how much
you can carry, and determines the effectiveness of all melee attacks.
Strength determines the damage you do with melee attacks.. a whopping
half a point of damage for each point of strength. Yes, 10 points of
Strength gets you the same damage as the Iron Fist perk, wow!) As far as
the skill point bonuses go, Strength is the weakest attribute, factoring
into only one skill.. the aforementioned Melee Weapons skill. Frankly,
Strength isn't a very good attribute at all, unless you're dead set on
whacking things in melee. If you like guns, the most you want to put
into Strength is 4 points. With the bobblehead that gives you five,
which is enough for the Strong Back perk. For each point of Strength you
have your carrying capacity is improved by 10 (from a base of 150).
Strong Back adds 50 points to your carrying capacity-the equivilent of
5 points of Strength, further making Strength redundent, even to players
that want to melee.
o========o============o=================o======o
|Strength|Melee Damage|Carrying Capacity|Skills|
o========o============o=================o======o
|   1    |      .5    |       160       |  +2  |
|   2    |     1.0    |       170       |  +4  |
|   3    |     1.5    |       180       |  +6  |
|   4    |     2.0    |       190       |  +8  |
|   5    |     2.5    |       200       | +10  |
|   6    |     3.0    |       210       | +12  |
|   7    |     3.5    |       220       | +14  |
|   8     |     4.0    |       230       | +16  |
|   9    |     4.5    |       240       | +18  |
|  10     |     5.0    |       250       | +20  |
o========o============o========================o
You can further increase your Strength by completing the quest 'Those!'
and recieving the injection from Doctor Lesko.
Various types of power armor will raise your strength.. at the cost of
Agility. The Strength raising power armor isn't as good as the T51-b
armor, however.
Grade: **
o======================================================================o
Perception {SPC003}
Skills: Explosives, Lockpick, and Energy Weapons
A high Perception grants a bonus to the Explosives, Lockpick and Energy
Weapons skills, and determines when red compass markings appear (which
indicate threats).
Perception's big draw is that it increases the distance as which you
notice threats-red marks on your compass. Granted this is only useful
for avoiding said threats, or ambushing/sneaking up on them. Still, if
you are a ranged fighter, this is useful for letting you know where your
enemies are before you engage. If tactical advantages don't mean
anything to you, obviously Perception shouldn't be high on your list.
Even without the threat markers (which I am personally fairly fond of)
Perception gives a bonus to three skills.. which makes it fairly useful
by that simple virtue alone. I start out with 3 points, get 3 more
through Intense Training as I level, and round it out at 8 with the
Ant Sight perk and the bobble head.
o==========o======o
|Perception|Skills|
o==========o======o
|    1     |  +2  |
|    2     |  +4  |
|    3     |  +6  |
|    4     |  +8  |
|    5     | +10  |
|    6     | +12  |
|    7     | +14  |
|    8     | +16  |
|    9     | +18  |
|   10     | +20  |
o==========o======o
You can further increase your Perception by completing the quest
'Those!' and recieving the injection from Doctor Lesko.
The Shady Hat you get for completing all the sub objectives of
the Mirelurk portion of the Wasteland Survival Guide quest is a rather
snazzy way to add a point of Perception.. and some points of Sneak to
boot.
Grade: ***
o======================================================================o
Endurance {SPC004}
Skills: Big Guns and Unarmed
Endurance is a measure of your overall physical fitness. A high
Endurance gives bonuses to health, environmental resistances, and the
Big Guns and Unarmed skills.
Every point of Endurance gives you 20 health, a fairly significant
amount considering you gain 10 points per level (excluding the first)
added on to a base of 100. This bonus is retroactive-should you gain
more Endurance later, you'll find yourself burdened with an extra 20
health. By 'environmental resistances' they mean Radiation Resistance.
You'll gain a 2% bonus for every point above 1, again retroactive. This
is a fairly good attribute, and it gives bonuses to two skills, even
though they are two I'm not particularly fond of. Despite it being a
good attribute, I tend to put 5 points in it to start, get another from
the bobble head, and 2 from Intensive Training to end at 8. I could
start it at 4, and be perfectly happy with 5 at the end, but I really
don't have anything better to spend the points on.
o=========o=========o=================o====================o======o
|Endurance|Hitpoints|Poison Resistance|Radiation Resistance|Skills|
o=========o=========o=================o====================o======o
|    1    |  120    |        0%       |         0%         |  +2  |
|    2    |  140    |        5%       |            2%         |  +4  |
|    3    |  160    |       10%       |         4%         |  +6  |
|    4    |  160    |       15%       |         6%         |  +8  |
|    5    |  180    |       20%       |         8%         | +10  |
|    6    |  200    |       25%       |        10%         | +12  |
|    7    |  220    |       30%       |        12%         | +14  |
|    8    |  240    |       35%       |        14%         | +16  |
|    9    |  260    |       40%       |        16%         | +18  |
|   10    |  280    |       45%       |        18%         | +20  |
o=========o=========o=================o====================o======o
Grade: ****
Many people say you can get a bonus to Endurance from the Barkskin
perk, which you can recieve by taking Harold's side in the quest
'Oasis'. I have never recieved any Endurance for doing this quest,
however. (My Barkskin always just gives a bonus to Damage Resistance.)
o======================================================================o
Charisma {SPC005}
Skills: Barter and Speech
Having a high Charisma will improve people's disposition of you, and
give bonuses to both the Barter and Speech skills.
This is a perfectly good dump attribute. It gives a bonus to two skills,
granted good skills, but this attribute fails on the virtue of its main
benefit-or lack thereof. This skill unlocks dialogue options, but to get
that benefit, you'll need to have at least 8 points in it. That's a lot
of points that could be spent elsewhere. You know, making your character
a skill whore, or a combat phenom. Worse, you can affect dialogue
options with a high enough Speech skill-and get EXP for it. Unless
you're crazy about the role-playing, avoid this skill. Make it 1, or
make it 8. And then get the bobble head, and put on some clothes that
give you another point to finish at 10. And then get Black Widow or
Lady Killer, Child at Heart, and a high Speech skill. Just keep in mind,
you WILL have to fight in this game, and those points in Charisma are
going to hurt. I give it a 1 and let my Speech skill get me through the
game. Shame, Charisma was a good skill in the first two Fallout games.
o========o======o
|Charisma|Skills|
o========o======o
|    1   |  +2  |
|    2   |  +4  |
|    3   |  +6  |
|    4   |  +8  |
|    5   | +10  |
|    6   | +12  |
|    7   | +14  |
|    8   | +16  |
|    9   | +18  |
|   10   | +20  |
o========o======o
Grade: *
o======================================================================o
Intelligence {SPC006}
Skills: Science, Repair, and Medicine
Intelligence affects the Science, Repair and Medicine skills. The
higher your Intelligence, the more Skill Points you'll be able to
distribute when you level up.
Okay, three skills is good, but most importantly for every point of
Intelligence you have you get an extra skill point to distribute every
level. Now, for all those 10% skill perks, each point of Intelligence
gives you 19 skill points by level 20, twice as potent than any such
perk. You should get your Intelligence up to 9 to start, and then head
to Rivet City as soon as you get out of Vault 101 to get the bobble
head. It is well worth the trouble to get the bobble head for a cool 10
Intelligence before you reach level 3. There are advocates of the
opposite strategy-a 1 Intelligence with all the skill books and bobble
heads makes it possible-however unlikely-to get 100% in all skills. A
high Intelligence just makes life easier, and it forces you to find
less skill books. Besides, where else would you put the attribute
points? Endurance? A good number of the better perks require certain
skill levels to get. It would be extremely tedious to get your skills up
via books while having to watch your level to ensure you dont over-level
and waste perks.. If that's your idea of fun, go ahead. I prefer to be
smart.
o============o=====================o======o
|Intelligence|Skill Point per Level|Skills|
o============o=====================o======o
|   1        |         11          |  +2  |
|   2        |         12          |  +4  |
|   3        |         13          |  +6  |
|   4        |         14          |  +8  |
|   5        |         15          | +10  |
|   6        |         16          | +12  |
|   7        |         17          | +14  |
|   8           |         18          | +16  |
|   9        |         19          | +18  |
|  10         |         20          | +20  |
o============o=====================o======o
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Agility {SPC007}
Skills: Small Guns and Sneak
Agility affects your Small Guns and Sneak skills, and the number of
Action Points available for V.A.T.S.
Small Guns and Sneak are both magnificent skills, and I live and die by
V.A.T.S. in this game. You get a measly two points for each point in
Agility plus a base of.. 65? Still, weapons just aren't accurate at a
range, and ammo is a commodity, so V.A.T.S. is good times. Besides, you
are invulnerable while in V.A.T.S. so it's something worth abusing.
There are tons of great perks that need a 6 Agility, so getting at least
a 5 and then the bobble head is a good idea. I prefer to get nine to
make the most of V.A.T.S.
o=======o=============o======o
|Agility|Action Points|Skills|
o=======o=============o======o
|   1   |      67     |  +2  |
|   2   |      69     |  +4  |
|   3   |      71     |  +6  |
|   4   |      73     |  +8  |
|   5   |      75     | +10  |
|   6   |      77     | +12  |
|   7   |      79     | +14  |
|   8    |      81     | +16  |
|   9   |      83     | +18  |
|  10    |      85     | +20  |
o=======o=============o======o
Grade: ****
o======================================================================o
Luck {SPC008}
Skills: All skills
Raising your Luck will raise all of your skills a little. Having a high
Luck will also improve your critical chance with all weapons.
Luck is a fantastic attribute. Every point gives you a 1% critical hit
rate. A critical hit on an enemy's head in V.A.T.S. with a combat
shotgun is a GOOD thing. With 10 points of Luck, Finesse, and the
best modifier from the Wasteland Survival Guide, you can get an 18%
critical rate. That's good times. As if that's not good enough, Luck
gives a bonus to all your skills, one point for every odd attribute
point in Luck (1,3,5,7,9). That's a total of 13 skill points for every
other attribute point. At 6.5 per point, that's a better skill bonus
than any other attribute. If critical hits don't matter to you, you
should still get a base of 3 at least. You can find a bobble head and
a Lucky 8 Ball to give you two more points, so an 8 is the most you
should get, which I do.
o====o===============o======o
|Luck|Critical Chance|Skills|
o====o===============o======o
|  1 |       1%      |  +1  |
|  2 |       2%      |  +1  |
|  3 |       3%      |  +2  |
|  4 |       4%      |  +2  |
|  5 |       5%      |  +3  |
|  6 |       6%      |  +3  |
|  7 |       7%      |  +4  |
|  8 |       8%      |  +4  |
|  9 |       9%      |  +5  |
| 10 |         10%     |  +5  |
o====o===============o======o
Grade: *****
You can further increase your Luck by possessing the Lucky 8 Ball. Like
a bobblehead, this item just sits in your inventory and makes your life
easier.
If you do Reily's Rangers quest and choose the armor, you get a nice
custom suit of combat armor with very high DR and a +1 bonus to Luck.
If you like the look of that armor, and are comfortable with going with
that, you can leave your Luck one point lower and use the armor to
compensate. I prefer power armor, though.
My Personal Build, Attributes {SPC009}
o======================================================================o
I count on getting all the bobbleheads (which is much easier than
finding all the books) and the Lucky 8 Ball. Also, I plan on getting
the Ant Sight perk. It's been said you can get a 1 point bonus to your
Endurance from Harold, but I never have. In any case, if somehow I do,
I have extra Endurance to get. I play by using Stealth to sneak up on my
enemies, typically with Small Guns. Sneak Criticals are good times,
and my V.A.T.S. ensures I win my fights. This is my personal build for
casual gameplay.
Base    Bobble    Perks    Misc    Total
Strength    4    1    0    0    5
Perception    4    1    3    1    9
Endurance    5    1    2    0    8
Charisma    1    1    0    0    2
Intelligence    9    1    0    0    10
Agility        9    1    0    0    10
Luck        8    1    0    1    10
Beginning HP:    200    Beginning AP:    83
Ending HP:    450    Ending AP:    110
If I want a rougher experience, a more intensive hide & seek session
looking for books, I use this build to maximize my hit points. I also
pick the Life Giver perk instead of the Educated perk. Once again, I
would max my Endurance at 9 and try to get the Barkskin perk from the
quest 'Oasis', but I've never recieved a point of Endurance from the
quest.
Base    Bobble    Perks    Misc    Total
Strength    4    1    0    0    5
Perception    4    1    3    1    9
Endurance    7    1    2    0    10
Charisma    1    1    0    0    2
Intelligence    7    1    0    0    8
Agility        9    1    0    0    10
Luck        8    1    0    1    10
Beginning HP:     240    Beginning AP:     83
Ending HP:    520    Ending AP:    110
o======================================================================o
|            Statistics {STA001}                   |
o======================================================================o
You could really look a lot of this up in the manual, but that's too
much for some folk.. I'll just assume you're looking it up here for my
expert opinion. Yeah..
CND {STA002}
o======================================================================o
Like the manual says, this screen has an outline of your poor little
Pip Boy. The healthier he is, the happier he'll look! Also, you can
see the condition of all your body parts. This feature seems a little
tacked on, and most of the time you'll only take serious bodily harm
from explosions, traps, or Robobrains. Getting crippled is a bad thing,
obviously, and the effects range from occassionally losing focus and
becoming temporarily blind to hobbling around at half speed. Using
stimpaks on the injured member or sleeping in a bed will fix you up.
RAD {STA003}
o======================================================================o
This screen shows your current level of radiation exposure via the
bar across the bottom. Your radiation level ranges from 0 rads to
1000 rads, with significant negative effects occuring every 200 rads,
as follows:
200 rads: -1 EN
400 rads: -2 EN, -1 AG
600 rads: -3 EN, -2 AG, -1 ST
800 rads: -3 EN, -2 AG, -2 ST
1000 rads: Death!
You won't lose maximum HP while suffering from radiation poisoning, so
the endurance loss isn't too bad. However, losing agility and strength
kinda sucks. Fix yourself up with some radaway or prevent radiation
poisoning by using rad-x. Just don't become addicted!
EFF {STA004}
o======================================================================o
If you're suffering from radiation poisoning, or if you are in some
other way buffed or impared, that'll show up here. This just lists the
various status effects affecting you.
LVL {STA005}
o======================================================================o
This is, of course, your level. You start out level 1, and reach level
2 immediately upon exiting the vault. As of now you can reach a
lamely low maximum level of 20. Each time you level up you'll recieve
10 HP, a perk, and 10 skill points + intelligence.
HP {STA006}
o======================================================================o
Hit Points, of course. When you run out of these, you die. Hit points
are good, and since endurance is one of the best ways to get more of
them, endurance is pretty good too. You start out with a base of 100
and recieve 10 every level (sans the first). You also gain 20 more per
point of endurance and possibley 30 from the Life Giver perk. That's a
maximum of 520 hit points, but I commonly end with a measly 450. Hit
points are good.. but there are other considerations to be made.
AP {STA007}
o======================================================================o
Action points are all important for my play style. The more action
points you have, the more shots you can take in V.A.T.S., which is
much more accurate, damaging, and during which, you're invincible. If
you're too elite of an FPS shooter for V.A.T.S., just give yourself an
agility of 1 and have fun. For the rest of us, V.A.T.S. is win. You
start out with 65 and gain two points for every point of agility. With
the Action Boy/Girl perk, you can top out at 110 (which I always do).
There's an arguement that AP becomes redundant if you get the Grim
Reaper's Sprint perk, but in its defense, the more AP you have, the
more shots you can take, the better your chance of killing and enemy
and replenishing your AP. It's good stuff people, trust me.
XP {STA008}
o======================================================================o
Your experience points rates your progress towards the next level. You
recieve anywhere from 1 to 50 experience for killing an enemy, and you
get a comparably whopping amount for completing the games' quests. I'll
go ahead and say it here.. there are plenty of chances to gain XP in
this game. Killing enemies, completing quests, giving certain items
(scrap metal, sensor modules, sugar bombs and the like) to certain NPCs,
picking locks, disabling/disarming mines, hacking computers.. Point is,
you NEVER need perks that increase your XP. The level cap is too low
already, you'll level just fine plaything through the game.
o======================================================================o
|                                       |
|                Skills {SKL001}                   |
|                                       |
o======================================================================o
Skills determine how good you are at various activities, anything from
picking locks, hacking computers, attacking with various weapons,
sneaking, interacting with NPCs and so forth. Your skills are every bit
as important as your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes and your perks, with
one exception.. it's entirely possible to create a character with a
score of 100 in every skill.
Base {SKL002}
o======================================================================o
You start out with two points in each skill, and get an additional two
points per S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute in related skills with the
exception of Luck, which gives .5 point for each point of Luck
(rounded up).
Tag! {SKL003}
o======================================================================o
You select three skills to tag during the G.O.A.T. test. Unlike the
first two Fallout games, this doesn't double your rate of skill point
increase, it merely adds a 15 point bonus to those skills.
Leveling {SKL004}
o======================================================================o
You gain 10 skill points per level plus your Intelligence score.
Getting the bobblehead from Rivet City early earns you extra skill
points. If you get Educated at level 4, you can further increase your
bonuses for leveling up.
Bobbleheads {SKL005}
o======================================================================o
There is a bobblehead in the game for each skill, each of which
increases your skill by 10 points. Free and easy skill points, you
shouldn't raise any skill above 90 until you have the bobblehead for
that skill, or you're wasting points.
Books {SKL006}
o======================================================================o
In addition to perks, leveling, intelligence, and bobbleheads, you can
get skill bonuses from books throughout the game. These books each give
you a one point bonus to a specific skill, depending on the book. This
cannot increase your skill level above 100. In the game there are
twenty-five of each skill book (except for 'Tales of a Junktown Jerky
Vendor, of which there are only twenty-four.) This means skill books
can account for a quarter of your points in every skill. With the
Comprehension perk, you get two skill points per book, from which half
of all the possible skill points in the game can be derived. That's a
big deal. I make my characters with the idea in mind that I should
find anywhere from fifteen to twenty of each book. This allows me to
play casually and not stress skill books too much. If you want to play
more thoroughly, create your character to max out each skill naturally
at 50 (52 for Barter) and let the books do the rest.
There are 13 skills, each of which can gain a score of 100 for a total
of 1300 skill points total in the game. You start out with a base of
two, which is an automatic 26 skill points towards your total. You gain
an additional number of skill points which are variable depending
upon your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. 9 points of Luck will net you
65 skill points right there. You gain a minimum of 11 skill points
per level (after level 2, you should get the Intelligence bobblehead
asap for an additional 18 skill points). This will net you at least
227 skill points. With a good Luck score
Min/Maxing {SKL007}
o======================================================================o
If you want to ensure you'll max out all skills at 100, get every skill
to at least 40 points. You'll get ten more from the bobbleheads, and
you can get 50 more points from the skill books if you have
Comprehension. For Barter, you'll need a minimum of 42 since there are
only 24 books. Keep in mind that some perks require skills to be at
certain levels, like Cyborg. You might want to boost such skills to
the minimum level-and really strive to get your hands on the
bobbleheads you'll need early on.
Breakdown of Skill Points {SKL008}
o======================================================================o
There are 13 skills in the game, each of which can be raised to a score
of 100, for a grand total of 1300 possible skill points in the game. I
have broken down all the various means by which I recieve skill points
with my character build. There are also some general pieces of
information that apply to all characters. With the table below you can
see just how my character will play out. To make a long story short,
I will end up with the ability to aquire 236 more skill points than
I can use. This gives me the freedom to miss 118 skill books in the
game provided I have the Comprehension perk. If you want to run a
tighter ship you can always exchange some Intelligence for something
else (I'd recommend Endurance.) Each point of Intelligence you trade
off, you'll sacrifice 21 skill points (1 point a level over 19 levels,
plus two points since Intelligence gives a two point bonus to three
skills, where Endurance only gives a two point bonus to two skills.)
Also, you could choose to switch out Educated for Life Giver for even
more hit points-and even less wiggle room. Keep in mind, there are
items you can wear that raise and lower skills, and additional perks
you can choose to increase skills. Personally I prefer not to rely on
equipment for bonuses, and perk only skills are never worth it.
I also take four Intensive Training perks, which gives me a three
point bonus to Perception, and a one point bonus to Endurance. This
gives me an additional 22 skill points.
Skill points
gained from..     Formula     Points  Math (out of 1300)
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|                  |2 points per    |    |            |
|Base            |skill x 13    |  26     |    1274        |
|              |skills        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Strength    |attribute x 1    | 2-20  |    1266        |
|        |skill         | (8)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Perception    |attribute x 3    | 6-60  |    1230        |
|        |skills         | (36)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Endurance    |attribute x 2    | 4-40  |    1206        |
|        |skills         | (24)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Charisma    |attribute x 2    | 4-40  |    1202        |
|        |skills         |  (4)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Intelligence    |attribute x 3    | 6-60  |    1148        |
|        |skills         | (54)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |2 points per    |    |            |
|Agility    |attribute x 2    | 4-40  |    1112        |
|        |skills         | (36)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |.5 points per    |    |            |
|Luck        |attribute x 13    | 13-65 |    1060        |
|        |skills     |    |            |
|        |(round up)    | (52)     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|                  |15 points x3     |    |            |
|Tag!            |skills        |  45     |    1015        |
|              |        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
******These skill bonuses are just from character creation******
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|                  |10 points      |     |            |
|Leveling       |+Intelligence    |209-380|     654        |
|              |x19 levels    | (361)    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Intelligence   |1 point per      |     |            |
|less than 10    |level x18    |    |            |
|and Bobblehead    |levels        |  18    |     636        |
|before level 3 |        |     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Chose Educated |3 points per     |     |            |
|perk at level 4|level x16     |   48  |     588        |
|              |levels        |     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Chose Silent   |10 points into    |     |            |
|Running perk at|Sneak skill     |   10  |     578        |
|any level         |        |     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Chose Cyborg   |10 points into    |     |            |
|perk at any    |Energy Weapons |   10  |     568        |
|level         |skill        |     |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
***These skill bonuses are just from playing the game, without***
*******finding any item except the Intelligence bobblehead*******
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|                  |2 points per    |    |            |
|Bobbleheads    |skill x 13    |  26     |     542        |
|(Attributes)     |skills        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|                  |10 points per    |    |            |
|Bobbleheads    |skill x 13    |  130    |     412        |
|(Skills)     |skills        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Bobblehead-Luck|1 point per    |    |            |
|and Lucky 8    |skill x 13    |  130    |     399        |
|Ball with Luck |skills        |    |            |
|7 or lower     |        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|        |        |    |            |
|Skill Books    |1 point per    |  324    |      88        |
|        |book x324 books|    |            |
|        |        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
|Skill Books    |        |    |            |
|with the    |2 points per    |  648    |     -236        |
|Comprehension    |book x324 books|    |            |
|perk        |        |    |            |
o===============o===============o=======o=======================o
********With my build, I only need to find 206 of the 324********
********skill books in the game. About 16 books per skill********
The skills {SKL009}
o======================================================================o
Below I have listed and explained the skills. It seems more redundant
than explaining S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes or perks, since you can
easily max all of the skills, but this might help you choose which
skill to tag and boost.
o======================================================================o
Barter {SKL010}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Charisma
Book: Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor
The Barter skill affects the prices you get for buying and selling
items. In general, the higher your Barter skill, the lower your prices
on purchased items.
Like it is said in the manual, you gain an advantage on trade prices,
which is fairly important. The more money you get for your loot, the
more ammo you can buy. The more ammo you have, the easier your life
will be. Being able to get your hands on more ammo, armor, and meds
will make the game easier, obviously. There is, however, plenty of
loot in the game, so while this skill helps, it's not a skill you
should lose sleep over.
Grade: ****
o======================================================================o
Big Guns {SKL011}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Endurance
Book: U.S. Army: 30 Handy Flamethrower Recipes
The Big Guns skill determines your combat effectivness with all
oversized weapons such as the Fat Man, Missile Launcher, Minigun, and
Gatling Laser.
The more points you have in Big Guns, the more damage they'll do, and
the better your accuracy in V.A.T.S. They already do a ton of damage,
but that just means they'll get that much better by focusing on Big
Guns. Of course, this is a fairly specialized niche of weapons that
have rather limited use and even more limited ammo. Granted, you'll
find more 5mm rounds than you can shake a stick at, but you'll also
burn through it like nothing else. I've managed to play through the
game without using a simple Big Gun. In fact, the only situation in
which I found myself wanting one was against Super Mutant Behemoths,
and there are very few of them in the game.
Grade: **
o======================================================================o
Energy Weapons {SKL012}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Perception
Book: Nikola Tesla and You
The Energy Weapons skill determines your effectiveness with weapons
such as the Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Plasma Rifle, and Plasma Pistol.
Unfortunately, Energy Weapons describes a rather weak and limited
selection of weapons in Fallout 3. The exception of course, is the
Alien Blaster, but ammo is incredibly rare for this gun. Probably the
worst ranged weapons in the game.
Grade: **
o======================================================================o
Explosives {SKL013}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Perception
Book: Duck and Cover!
The Explosives skill determines the power of any set mines, the ease of
disarming any hostile mines, and the effectiveness of any thrown
grenade.
Explosives aren't very useful. They do good damage, but they come in
extremely limited quantity. They're annoying to aim, and they take too
long to detonate. I know, I know, "aim better!" Most situations in
which one could be used I found it easier to simply use a gun, or a
missile. Pulse grenades and mines are only effective against machines.
Some people suggest using Frag Mines against Mirelurks, but I found it
simpler to just go downhill from them and put an end to them with a
shotgun. And about the 'ease of disarming hostile mines', I have no
idea what they mean. At any level I was able to disarm Frag Mines,
there's no check, no roll, no mini-game, you just get close and
activate the mine. I don't know if a higher Explosives score increases
the distance at which you can do this, or what.. I'm pretty sure it's
useless though, except with the quest 'The Power of the Atom.' Even
then, your skill doesn't have to be very high.
Grade: *
o======================================================================o
Lockpick {SKL014}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Perception
Book: Tumblers Today
The Lockpick skill is used to open locked doors and containers.
Every 25 points in this skill allows you to pick a more difficult lock.
It also increases your chance to force locks (whee..) There are
plenty of locks in the game, so this skill becomes useful simply
because of how often you'll need to use it. It is one of the few skills
you should level up quickly (the faster you get it up in ranks, the
sooner you'll be able to pick more difficult locks.) It's a good
candidate for a Tag! skill.
o==============o===============o
|Lockpick SKill|Lock Difficulty|
o==============o===============o
|       0      |   Very Easy   |
|      25      |      Easy     |
|      50      |     Average   |
|      75      |      Hard     |
|     100      |   Very Hard   |
o==============o===============o
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Medicine {SKL015}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Intelligence
Book: D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine
The Medicine skill determines how many Hit Points you'll replenish upon
using a Stimpak, and the effectiveness of Rad-X and RadAway.
More potent Stimpaks, Rad-X, and RadAway? Not bad. I don't tend to use
them often, but when I need them, they come in handy. I wouldn't fret
about this skill, but the higher it gets, the more potent your meds
will be, and everybody can be happy with that.
Grade: ***
o======================================================================o
Melee Weapons {SKL016}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Strength
Book: Grognak the Barbarian
The Melee Weapons skill determines your effectiveness with any melee
weapon, from the simple lead pipe all the way up to the high-tech
Super Sledge.
I'm not sure what's 'high-tech' about a Super Sledge, but it sure does
pack a whallop. Melee weapons are inferior to Small Guns in damage and
range, but they do have one great perk-they require no ammo. That
makes life easier in the early going. And there are tons of them in
the game. Super Mutants and Raiders will carry them liberally, so
you should never be hurting for melee weapons. That said, you can
mow down enemies with melee weapons before they ever get close to you,
and it shouldn't be a surprise that the bad guys can return the favor.
There's no point in rushing a Super Mutant with a missile launcher.
Of course, since skills are so liberal in this game there's no reason
you should focus solely on melee weapons. They have their place, but
that place is mostly for early on, when ammo is scarce(ish). You'd
think that would make this skill worthy of an endorsement for early
leveling, but frankly, the sooner you get your Small Guns up, the
sooner you'll get to ditch Melee Weapons entirely.
Grade: ***
o======================================================================o
Repair {SKL017}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Intelligence
Book: Dean's Electronics
The Repair skill allows you to maintain any weapons and apparel. In
addition, the higher your Repair skill, the better the starting
condition of any custom-made weapons.
This skill is surprisingly good. The better a weapons' condition, the
more damage it does, irregardless of what weapon type it is. This skill
allows you to do more damage with ALL weapons. Not only that, it keeps
armor in tip top shape as well, improving its damage reduction. Another
benefit of Repair is the higher your Repair skill, the more low quality
weapons you can combine to make higher quality weapons. This frees up
inventory space, and generally makes looting easier. Why tug around
several crappy suits of Raider armor when you can carry around one good
suit? Definately a tag-worthy skill.
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Science {SKL018}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Intelligence
Book: Big Book of Science
The Science skill represents your combined scientific knowledge, and
is primarily used to hack restricted computer terminals.
Just like Lockpicking, but for computers! Granted, hacking is less
useful in many ways. A great deal of computers unlock safes, and
many others just disable turrets. Still, it's experience, and there
are plenty of situations in which it is useful. Some of which are
even exclusive to Science. Keep in mind you also need it for the
excellent Cyborg perk. It's a consideration for a tag skill, although
I'd consider Lockpick more useful early on.
o=============o===============o
|Science SKill|Hack Difficulty|
o=============o===============o
|       0     |   Very Easy   |
|      25     |      Easy     |
|      50     |     Average   |
|      75     |      Hard     |
|     100     |   Very Hard   |
o=============o===============o
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Small Guns {SKL019}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Agility
Book: Guns and Bullets
Small Guns determines your effectiveness with all conventional
projectile weapons, such as the 10mm pistol, BB Gun, and Combat
Shotgun.
Small Guns are plentiful and powerful, useful in close range
(shotguns), medium range (assault rifles), and long range (sniper
rifles). They comprise a variety of ammo including BBs, 10mm rounds,
.32 calibur rounds, .44 rounds, 5.56mm rounds, .308 rounds, and of
course shotgun shells. This is a huge variety of weaponry to fall
under one skill. In fact, you don't even need another weapon skill
than Small Guns. It's not just the most varied, and composed of the
greatest library of ammunition (by far), but possibly the most
powerful. In particular the 10mm Submachine Gun, the Chinese
Assault Rifle, and the Combat Shotgun are all extremely powerful,
especially in V.A.T.S. The fact that the Combat Shotgun has such a
large clip size (12 rounds) and deals as much damage as it does makes
it overwhelming. This is the most versatile weapon skill in Fallout 3,
and regardless of what else you want to fight with, you should make
sure you've got Small Guns covered. Certainly worth considering for a
Tag! skill.
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Sneak {SKL020}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Agility
Book: Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual
The higher your Sneak skill, the easier it is to remain undetected,
steal and item, or pick someone's pocket. Successfully attack while
undetected grants an automatic critical hit.
Sneaking allows you to pick your fights, and with a high Perception,
it allows you to situate yourself in a position that makes surviving
a fire fight easier. Picking off that Super Mutant with the missile
launcher will make your life easier, as will avoiding that group of
Talon Company Mercenaries. Also, stealing stuff is great. It's a fine
way to get some better guns early on, or to just nab some stuff to
sell. Karma smarma. Good guys need money too. And automatic critical
hits? Critical hits are devastating in Fallout 3, and a critical
sneak attack headshot will just about end anything you'll come up with.
Especially with a combat shotgun. In the face. Yeah.. Oh, and the
Better Criticals perk just makes the situation all the better. Of
course, Sneak wont get you any experience, and it will only help so
much if you cant fight your way out of a wet paper bag, so while it's
extremely useful, it's worth focusing on after you get some other
skills a little higher.
Grade: *****
o======================================================================o
Speech {SKL021}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Charisma
Book: Lying, Congressional Style
The Speech skill governs how much you cna influence someone through
dialogue, and gain access to information they might otherwise not want
to share.
Speech allows you to interact with characters better. Any time a
Speech option comes up, you'll get a chance to radically alter the
course of the conversation. Failure usually only deprives you of the
benefit of suceeding. Success will convince NPCs to do things without
a hassle, give you more money, or tell you about cool loot. If you
have a high Charisma, you might not need this skill. Of course, skill
points are expendable, but S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes aren't. And,
you get experience for successfully using Speech, unlike with having
a high Charisma. You typically only get one shot at making a Speech
check for an NPC about a specific subject, so I'd suggest you save
and reload. If you want to do quests off the bat, you should boost
your Speech to get as much out of the quests as you can. If you level
first, you can put Speech off a bit. Saving and reloading will allow
you to succeed at any Speech check.. eventually, a higher Speech skill
just cuts down on the bother. It's good, but it can wait. Also, in Oasis
a little girl named Yew will give you an item that permenantly increases
your Speech by 10 points.
Grade: ****
o======================================================================o
Unarmed {SKL022}
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attribute: Endurance
Book: Pugilism Illustrated
The Unarmed skill is used for fighting without a weapon, or with the
few weapons speciafically designed for hand-to-hand combat, like Brass
Knuckles, or the Power Fist.
Granted, you can actually do some real damage with this skill, but it
takes three perks to get it on par with Melee Weapons, and another
(Paralyzing Palm) to make it worth anything at all. Granted, it takes