Skills (abilities)

Fallout 2 Walkthrough  → Skills

There are 18 skills in Fallout 2, and mastering them all to an equal degree is impossible. Skills (perks) define the overall style of your future gameplay, so choose your development paths with the utmost care.

Special Skills:

When creating a character, the player must choose three "special skills" to develop. Each skill selected as a special skill receives a one-time bonus of +20% and subsequently increases at twice the rate of other skills. (When you spend skill points on a special skill, it increases by 2%, not 1%).

Skill upgrade costs

Current value (in %) Price increase (per 1%)

1-100 1

101-125 2

126-150 3

151-175 4

176-200 5

201+ 6

Skill List

This section provides a full description of skills and how the initial value of each one is calculated. The base value is calculated before any other skill interactions are considered. It is then modified by various factors in the following order: first, the choice of special skills, then traits, and finally, the addition of skill points.

Small Guns - This skill covers the use of pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, rifles, and shotguns. The higher the skill's value, the greater the chance of hitting a target with a given weapon and the greater the range of accurate fire.

Starting value: 5% + (4 * Dexterity). Average starting value: 25%.

Big Guns - This skill includes flamethrowers, machine guns, and grenade launchers. Like light weapons, the skill value affects the chance to hit and firing range.

Initial value: 0% + (2 * Dexterity). The average initial value is 10%.

Energy Weapons - Using energy weapons is not a common skill, even in a post-nuclear world. When atomic explosions thundered, this type of weaponry was just beginning to be used in warfare. You'll need this skill if you want to fire laser, plasma, and pulse weapons. In fact, any weapon that uses energy charges or batteries instead of bullets falls into this category.

Base value: 0% + (2 * Dexterity). Average starting value: 10%.

Unarmed - the ability to strike people with your hands and feet. The higher your Unarmed skill, the greater your chance of hitting your target in combat. This skill also includes the use of weapons such as brass knuckles, spiked brass knuckles, and the legendary energy fist. At higher levels, you'll learn new, more powerful strikes. Every character starts with a good Unarmed skill, as its basic principles are quite simple.

The starting value is 30% + (2 * (Dexterity + Strength)). The average starting value is 50%. This skill will allow you to become a boxing and martial arts champion in the game!

Melee Weapons - includes knives, spears, sledgehammers, crowbars, and the like. Using these primitive tools in combat is quite close to human nature.

Starting value: 20% + (2 * (Dexterity + Strength)). Average starting value: 40%.

Throwing - This skill, as the name suggests, is used to throw weapons. Throwing knives, small stones, and grenades are all thrown weapons. If you miss, the thrown object must land somewhere, and it's quite possible to throw it so poorly that the weapon lands right on your foot. If it's a knife, you might be able to get away with it, but if it's a grenade, you'll be in big trouble. The maximum throwing distance depends on the character's Strength and the type of thrown weapon. 

Base value: 0% + (4 * Dexterity). Average starting value: 20%.

First Aid is the ability to treat minor injuries. It allows you to heal minor injuries, cuts, and bruises. You can heal yourself or anyone else.

Initial value: 0% + (2 * (Perception + Intelligence)). Average initial value is 20%.

Doctor is a more advanced form of healing. You can heal serious injuries, including broken limbs, but cannot heal poison or radiation damage. You can heal yourself or another person/creature.

Starting value: 5% + (Perception + Intelligence). Average starting value is 15%.

Sneak - The ability to move quietly and/or stealthily. When you sneak, it's harder for others to notice you—at a distance, of course. If you get too close to a dangerous creature, regardless of your Sneak skill, you'll be spotted. Naturally, the chance of being spotted while sneaking depends on your line of sight, lighting, the target's camouflage, and luck. Such is the life of a thief. After a successful sneak attack, you gain a bonus when attempting to steal from your target.

Initial value: 5% + (3 * Dexterity). Average initial value is 20%.

Lockpick - If you need to open a lock without a key, this is the skill for you. Use it to get things that others probably wouldn't want, but you might still need. Having a lockpick increases your chances, but it's not required. In the world of Fallout, there are two types of locks: mechanical and electronic. Regular lockpicks work against mechanical locks, but to attempt to pick an electronic lock, you need a special electronic lockpick. These locks are much more difficult to open and can only be done with an electronic lockpick.

Starting value: 10% + (Perception + Dexterity). Average starting value is 20%.

Steal is the art of moving objects undetected through space. Larger items are more difficult to steal than smaller ones. The more items you try to steal in one go, the easier it is to spot. It's impossible to steal items someone is using (weapons out of their hands, armor worn, etc.). If you're trying to steal from someone, it's a good idea to stand behind them, or even better, sneak up behind them.

Starting value: 0% + (3 * Dexterity). Average starting value: 15%. This skill can earn you some good money and gain experience at the same time.

Traps - In addition to planting and disarming devices capable of harming others, this skill extends to planting, arming, and using explosives. The higher your Traps skill level, the lower the chance that an explosive device will detonate in your hands or the timer will go off at the wrong time.

Initial value: 10% + (Perception + Dexterity). Average initial value: 20%. A rarely used skill.

Science is the skill of working with electronic devices. It also affects a character's intuition. Characters with a high Science score will notice things others might miss. Science rolls are primarily made when using (or hacking) computers, but are far from limited to that.

Initial value: 0% + (4 * Intelligence). Average initial value is 20%.

Repair is the practical side of the "Science" skill. In situations where repair shops are unavailable (in the desert, etc.), a person with a high Repair skill is useful. This skill determines the ability to repair any type of broken equipment.

Starting value: 0% + (3 * Intelligence). Average starting value is 15%. It is used in several quests.

Speech is a dialogue skill. The better your Speech skill, the better your chances of steering a conversation in the right direction. Your conversational skill determines whether an NPC will trust you and follow your advice.

Initial value: 0% + (5 * Charisma). Average initial value: 25%. A crucial skill for a player who wants to complete the game practically unarmed.

Barter is the skill of trading. The Barter skill will help you get more for less when trading equipment, weapons, and anything else. A high Barter stat lowers the price of purchasing items and increases the amount you receive from selling equipment. A good Barter stat isn't particularly important if you're killing everyone indiscriminately (in which case, you'll get your money's worth through trophies), but it's crucial for more prudent characters accustomed to receiving a fair reward for their efforts.

Starting value: 0% + (4 * Charisma). Average starting value: 20%.

Gambling - encompasses knowledge of the rules of gambling and the ability to win. A character with a high Gambling skill wins more often.

Initial value: 0% + (5 * Luck). Average initial value: 25%.

Outdoorsman is a skill for surviving in the wilderness and hostile environments. This is taught to scouts. The "Outdoorsman" skill is used to avoid unwanted encounters on the global map and increases the chance of special encounters. It's always useful to have someone with a high value for this skill.

Starting level: 0% + (2 * (Stamina + Intelligence)) Average starting value: 20%.