NOTE: If you want this to look better, you should probably use
wordpad instead of notepad, so the perk tables line up correctly.
This is a perks FAQ for Fallout 2, and it tells about and recommends
perks to choose while playing the game, and how to get the special
ones. There are some minor spoilers involved, but not really very
many.
In Fallout 2, perks improve your character a lot if you choose them
correctly. They're one of the most important things in the game, and
you can only get them once every few levels, so you want to choose
them correctly.
You don't really need to know much about the game to use this FAQ,
but it doesn't tell you exactly how to get the secret perks, so if
you need to, use another FAQ for that.
And this is all my opinion, so you may not agree with me. I have
played the game a lot though, so I should be right about most things.
CONTENTS
========
REVISION
CREDITS
DRUGS & PERKS
PERK TABLES
PERK GUIDE
Normal Perks
Unattainable Perks
Special Perks
DISCLAIMER/COPYRIGHT STUFF
REVISION
========
1.0 - 3/7/01. The new FAQ. I wrote it ages ago, but I'm just
releasing it now.
CREDITS
=======
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com), for putting this up, hopefully.
The No Mutants Allowed (www.nma-fallout.com) Fallout 2 boarders, and
the old Interplay boarders, because heaps of people there have said
stuff in the past about Fallout 2.
The Gamefaqs Fallout boarders, because it's a fun board. I haven't
really learnt that much there (because people only started coming to
it about half a year ago), but it's the most fun board that I've been
to. Jeweetweetie (stuffed up the spelling) on this board said that
someone should release a perk FAQ, and since I'd already written one,
I decided to release this.
DRUGS & PERKS
=============
If you don't have enough stats to get a perk, then you can use drugs
to increase your stats temporarily so you meet requirements for them,
and then you can keep the perk even when your stats go under the
requirements. The drugs increase your stats something like this, if
I remember correctly:
9
=
Better Criticals 5
Dodger 3
Master Trader 3
Sharpshooter 3
Speaker 3
Demolition Expert 2
Explorer 2
Here and Now 2
Mysterious Stranger 2
Karma Beacon 1
Light Step 1
Mutate! 1
Pyromaniac 1
12
==
Lifegiver 5
Tag! 5
Action Boy 4
Gain Agility 4
Gain Charisma 4
Gain Intelligence 4
Gain Luck 4
Gain Perception 4
Living Anatomy 4
Gain Endurance 3
Gain Strength 3
HtH Evade 3
Master Thief 3
Mr. Fixit 3
Medic 2
Cult of Personality 2
Weapon Handling 1
15
==
Bonus HtH Attacks 5
Bonus Rate of Fire 5
Pickpocket 4
18
==
Silent Death 4
24
==
Slayer 5
Sniper 5
PERK GUIDE
==========
Requirements: The statistic/and or skill and/or level requirements
that are needed to be able to choose the perk.
Effect: The effect of the perk.
Ranks: The number of times this perk can be chosen.
Who: What type of character this perk is useful for.
Rating: Rating out of five for the perk.
Quote: What the game says about the perk.
After that: My description and reasons to choose the perk or not.
Here are the perks, the normal ones first, then the unattainable
ones, and then the special ones.
NORMAL PERKS
============
You get perks when you level up. You get one on levels with a
multiple of 3, or if you have chosen the skilled trait, then level
with a multiple of 4. Go to your character screen when you level up,
and a perk window will open up, and shows you the perks you can pick
(what you see depends on if you meet the requirements or not). Then
choose a perk, or press cancel to choose the perk next time you come
to the character screen. If you don't choose a perk before the next
level that you get a perk, then you can only get the one perk.
"Each level of Action Boy (insert girl if you wish) gives you an
additional AP to spend every combat turn. You can use these generic
APs on any task."
Action boy is good for any character, as it gives an extra AP. You
can choose it twice to get 2 APs, and with some characters, that
could be an extra shot from a gun! But if you're a non-combat
character, it isn't as good, and if you are a combat character, there
are usually better perks to choose (the 5/5 ones).
Adrenaline Rush
Requirements: Strength < 10, level 6.
Effect: +1 to strength in one combat when HP < 1/2 max HP.
Ranks: 1
Who: Melee Fighters
Rating: 2/5
"With this Perk, you gain +1 to your strength when you drop below 1/2
of your max hit points."
Strength isn't that important. If this lasted the whole time you
were under half HP, not just in combat, then it would be more useful
(but still not very useful). Strength isn't that important anyway,
because you can increase it lots throughout the game.
Awareness
Requirements: Perception 5, level 3.
Effect: Can examine anyone and see their equipped weapon and current
and maximum HP.
Ranks: 1
Who: Everyone
Rating: 5/5
"With Awareness, you are given detailed information about any critter
you examine. You see their exact hit points and information about
any weapon they are equipped with."
Pretty much the best perk to get early. Knowing the enemies HP and
weapon is invaluable to you. Nearly everyone should get it. If you
don't have enough perception, then you should drug up to get it.
Better Criticals
Requirements: Perception 6, Luck 6, agility 4, level 9.
Effect: +20% on the critical hit chart when a critical hit is
rolled.
Ranks: 1
Who: Everyone
Rating: 5/5
"The critical hits you cause in combat are more devastating. You
gain a 20% bonus on the critical hit table, almost ensuring that more
damage will be done. This does not affect the chance to cause a
critical hit."
Criticals are important for nearly everyone, unless you have luck 1
or something. It will make your critical hits better, for example if
you normally get 1.5 x damage critical hit you might get 2 x or 3 x
or something. Good perk, for all characters that will be fighting.
Bonus HtH attacks
Requirements: Agility 6, level 15.
Effect: -1 AP for each attack with a HtH weapon.
Ranks: 1
Who: Melee fighters
Rating: 5/5
"You have learned the secret art of the East, or you just to punch
faster. In any case, your Hand-to-Hand attacks cost 1 AP less to
perform. "
A must for melee and unarmed fighters. It'll let you attack more
times per turn. With a super sledge you'll be able to attack heaps
with this and do way more damage. Get it ASAP (if you plan on
fighting unarmed or melee that is).
Bonus HtH Damage
Requirements: Agility 6, Strength 6, level 3.
Effect: +2 maximum damage for each HtH attack.
Ranks: 3
Who: Melee fighters
Rating: 2/5
"Experience in unarmed combat has given you the edge when it comes to
damage. You cause +2 points of damage with hand-to-hand and melee
attack for each level of this perk."
+2 damage isn't really that much. Especially when it is only added
to your maximum damage instead of your base damage. Much better off
choosing something else. If you are going to level up for ages later
on though this is ok then, but otherwise, leave it alone.
Bonus Move
Requirements: Agility 5, level 6.
Effect: +2 AP each round to be used only for moving.
Ranks: 2
Who: Melee fighter especially, but everyone can benefit.
Rating: 4/5
"For each level of Bonus Move, you get 2 free APs each turn that can
only be used for movement. In other words, you can move 2 free hexes
per turn for each level of this perk."
You can move more in a round. Useful to run away a bit from the
enemy so they waste APs chasing you so they can't attack as much.
Also useful in melee when you knock an opponent away, you can run up
to them to hit them again without wasting as much AP. Pretty good.
"Your training in firearms and other ranged weapons has made you more
deadly in ranged combat. For each level of this perk, you do +2
points of damage with ranged weapons."
+2 maximum damage is hardly any. Maybe if you're leveling up and
have nothing else to choose you might want it. Better if you are a
minigunner or burst moder as each bullet has the +2 damage on it, but
it's still not enough to make much of a difference.
Bonus Rate of Fire
Requirements: Agility 7, Intelligence 6, Perception 6, level 15.
Effect: -1 AP for each gun attack.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone who fights with guns.
Rating: 5/5
"This perk allows you to pull the trigger a little faster and still
remain as accurate as before. Each ranged weapon attack costs 1 AP
less to perform."
Another really good perk. Can shoot more with this, which makes it
so good. With fast shot and this you can shoot many times per turn.
One of the best perks.
Cautious Nature
Requirements: Perception 6, level 3.
Effect: +3 perception in random encounters to determine how far away
the enemy is from you.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 1/5
"You are more alert outdoors and enemies are less likely to sneak up
on you. With this perk you get a +3 to your perception in random
encounters when determining placement."
This doesn't really make much difference. You need perception 6 to
get it anyway, which is good enough perception to be places well. If
you had perception 1 and got it it might be slightly useful, but it
isn't. All the hard battles like bounty hunters and enclave patrols
are always in the same position anyway so it makes no difference.
Comprehension
Requirements: Intelligence 6, level 3.
Effect: Books are 150% effective when read.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 1/5
"You pay much closer attention to the smaller details when reading.
You gain 50% more skill points when reading books."
Books aren't common enough to make this useful. 150% of what you
learn is only about 3 extra points anyway. And the skills you learn
from books aren't that important either. And you can only increase
your skills up to 91% or so using books.
Cult of Personality
Requirements: Charisma 10, level 12.
Effect: Your karma is supposedly treated as positive for good
people, and negative for evil people.
Ranks: 1
Who: Evil diplomats
Rating: 2/5
"Your reputation is always positive to people. Without this perk a
large negative reputation would have a bad effect on good natured
people. This works in the reverse as well. Evil people will even
treat Mr. Goodie Good as one of the gang."
You need 10 charisma to get it. Not many people would have that.
And it doesn't affect you much anyway, what you say is more important
than first reactions. It doesn't even work if you are evil and try
and talk to the deathclaws in Vault 13, they still don't like you.
Not really that good.
Demolition Expert
Requirements: Agility 4, traps 75%, level 9.
Effect: Explosives always blow up at the right time and do more
damage.
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves and other explosive users
Rating: 2/5
"You are an expert when it comes to the fine art of handling
explosives. They all go off when they are supposed to, as well as
causing extra damage."
Explosives aren't really that useful. And they are pretty rare. And
it's a waste to get traps up to 75%, unless you're assassinating
Bishop. If you do get traps up to 75%, you probably won't need this
perk much anyway. If you're a wimpy character that plants dynamite
on people then it's a little bit better.
Dodger
Requirements: Agility 6, level 9.
Effect: AC +5
Ranks: It says 1 in the manual, but probably 3.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 3/5
"You are less likely to be hit in combat if you have this perk. You
gain a +5 to your Armour Class, in addition to the AC bonus from any
armour worn."
Gives you extra armour class. +5 AC is a -5% chance of someone to
hit you. It isn't much, but if you get it three times it is a -15%
chance to hit, which is a bit. It's a waste to get 3 of these perks
though, when there's much better perks available. And by then, the
enemies are usually too good to miss you.
"You are more likely to move before your opponents on combat, since
your sequence is +2 for each level of this perk."
Not really that useful. Would have been better if low perception
characters could have got it. Sequence isn't really that important
either if you have perception of 6, because that's enough to get a
good sequence. And Sequence isn't that important in the first place.
"Each level of educated adds +2 skill points when you gain a new
experience level. This perk works best when purchased early in your
adventure."
2 extra skill points per level is a little bit, but like the dodger
perk, you can get +6 skill points per level if you take it 3 times,
but it's a waste of perks. Maybe if you're using a dumb character,
too…
Empathy
Requirements: Perception 7, intelligence 5, level 6.
Effect: Shows what to say while talking. Blue is friendly, red is
hostile.
Ranks: 1
Who: Diplomats mainly, but anyone can benefit.
Rating: 4/5
"You have studied other human beings, giving you inside knowledge of
their emotional reaction to you. You will see the reaction level of
the person you are talking to when involved in an indepth
conversation."
A pretty useful perk. Unfortunately you need 7 perception to get it,
which means diplomats will probably have to drug up for it. Can get
you out of trouble sometimes, or if you don't have a clue what to
say, you can just click the blue answer. Pretty good perk.
Blue = good thing to say.
Red = bad thing to say.
Green = neutral thing to say.
Explorer
Requirements: level 9.
Effect: More likely to have special encounters.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 2/5
"The mark of the explorer is to search out new and interesting
locations. With this Perk, you have a greater chance of finding
special places and people."
Special encounters aren't really very useful. Unless you really want
the solar scorcher and have low luck, you probably don't need this.
The items you get from special encounters aren't really very good, or
at least, aren't worth wasting a perk on (the hypos and monument
piece are pretty good.
"With each level of this perk, you get a +2 bonus to your healing
rate. This is in addition to your normal healing rate, thus you heal
faster."
Extra healing isn't really that useful, as it doesn't help you in
combat or anything. If you have healing rate above 1 you definitely
won't need it. You can heal for as long as you want, as the time
limit to the game is really long, which makes this less useful. Like
fast metabolism, if you don't have anything else to choose, choose
this.
Fortune Finder
Requirements: Luck 8, level 6.
Effect: More money found in random encounters.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 1/5
"You have the talent of finding money. You find additional money in
random encounters in the desert."
You don't get money very often in random encounters to start with,
and then when the enemy does have money, it isn't very much, so it
isn't going to be increased by much, making this perk pretty useless.
"You can roll with the best of them. You gain +20% to your gambling
skill."
+20% to gambling is pretty good, especially if your skill is over
100%, when it increases slower. Gambling isn't that important
though.
Gain Agility
Requirements: Agility < 10, level 12.
Effect: Permanent agility +1
Ranks: 1
Who: People with 5, 7 or 9 agility before this perk.
Rating: 4/5
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Agility."
+1 agility is only useful if it puts you on to an even number, so you
get more action points, which is the main reason for it. A pretty
good perk if that is the case, but skip it if it isn't.
Gain Charisma
Requirements: Charisma < 10, level 12.
Effect: Permanent charisma +1
Ranks: 1
Who: People with an odd number of charisma before this perk and
aren't evil.
Rating: 4/5
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Charisma."
If this puts you to an even number of charisma, you get an extra NPC,
which is good if you like NPCs and can get them. Not very useful if
it gives you an odd number of charisma. Evil people only get a few
NPCs, anyway.
Gain Endurance
Requirements: Endurance < 10, level 12.
Effect: Permanent endurance +1
Ranks: 1
Who: People with an odd number of endurance.
Rating: 3/5
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Endurance."
Endurance isn't really that important, as the only important thing it
does is increase you HP per level, and not by much either. Much
better to choose lifegiver instead, unless you have 3 endurance.
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Intelligence."
Good, as intelligence gives you extra dialogue options and skill
points. Pretty good.
Gain Luck
Requirements: Luck < 10, level 12.
Effect: Permanent Luck +1
Ranks: 1
Who: Snipers and Slayers, and people with luck 5.
Rating: 4/5
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Luck."
Luck is pretty good, but it can be raised in ways other than this.
If you are a sniper or slayer it will give you more critical hits.
If it puts you up to luck 6 and you have enough stats for better
criticals then it is good.
Gain Perception
Requirements: Perception < 10, level 12.
Effect: Permanent Perception +1
Ranks: 1
Who: Wannabe snipers, pretty much anyone with under 8 perception.
Rating: 4/5
"With this Perk you gain +1 to your Perception."
Pretty good because it lets you increase your range of firing at your
targets. Also will help you to get the sniper perk, but some drugs
can do that too. Still it is pretty good.
Not that good, because strength goes up +4 with power armour and +1
with the module, and strength isn't that important in the first place
for most people. With those two increases two strength you'll
probably be able to use any weapon anyway.
Ghost
Requirements: Sneak 60%, level 6.
Effect: In darkness sneak is +20%
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves.
Rating: 3/5
"When the sun goes down or you are in a poorly lit area, you move
like a ghost with this Perk. Your Sneak skill is enhanced +20% in
dark conditions."
+20% is pretty good, but isn't that useful because it's only in
darkness time, and you don't often do much in darkness. Oh well.
"Your innocent demeanor makes stealing from people a little easier.
You gain 20% to your Steal skill."
A bonus to steal, but only if you are good. Better later when it's
harder to increase skills, but you don't really need that high a
steal skill anyway.
Healer
Requirements: Perception 7, Intelligence 6, First Aid 40%, level 3.
Effect: Doctor and First Aid heal 4-10 points more each rank.
Ranks: 2
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 2/5
"The healing of bodies comes easier to you with this perk. Each
level of this perk heals 4-10 additional hit points when using the
First Aid or Doctor skills."
First Aid and Doctor aren't that useful, but this would make them way
better. Too bad they aren't more useful. If you do like to use
those skills lots then this is good, but you don't usually use them
near the end of the game.
Heave Ho!
Requirements: Level 6.
Effect: +2 strength bonus to determine range of thrown weapons.
Ranks: 3
Who: Throwers.
Rating: 1/5
"Each level of the Heave Ho! Perk gives you an additional +2 to
stength (up to 10) for the purposes of determining range with thrown
weapons only. This perk will not exceed a weapon's maximum range."
Throwing weapons are pretty useless to start with, and their range
isn't that bad. Just move closer to the target if you want to hit
them.
Here and Now
Requirements: Level 9.
Effect: Puts you up a level.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 2/5
"With this Perk, you immediately gain one experience level."
The best thing about leveling up is getting perks, and that's the
main reason for it. If you can't find ANYTHING useful to choose,
then take this.
HtH Evade
Requirements: Unarmed 75%, level 12.
Effect: If you click turn, and both of your item slots don't have
weapons in them (HtH weapons are allowed), you get +2 AC for each
action point left, and 1/12 of you unarmed skill to AC as well.
Ranks: 1
Who: Melee fighters.
Rating: 3/5
"If both item slots are empty, each unused action point gives you a
+2 instead of a +1 towards your armour class at the end of your turn,
plus 1/12 of your unarmed skill."
You won't want to click turn much of the time when you can attack
instead. If you've got jinxed and a high unarmed skill and action
points, and power armour, then the enemy will have a very low chance
of hitting, especially at night with guns. But that doesn't happen
very often. May as well attack instead of clicking turn.
Kama Sutra Master
Requirements: Endurance 5, Agility 5, level 3.
Effect: Better at doing the dirty.
Ranks: 1
Who: Diplomats.
Rating: 1/5
"When it comes to pleasing sexually, you wrote the book."
Pretty useless. You don't do the dirty much in the first place, and
it usually doesn't matter how good you are at it. If you get sexpert
and/or gigolo it will do just as good a job as this perk. Pretty
much a waste.
Karma Beacon
Requirements: Charisma 6, level 9.
Effect: Karma is doubled for the purpose of dialogue and reactions.
Ranks: 1
Who: Diplomats
Rating 1/5
"Your Karma shines twice as bright. Whether good or bad, your Karma
is doubled for any kind of reaction modifiers."
Karma isn't really that important. If you're evil it's probably
worse to get it, unless you have cult of personality perk, but even
then maybe not. Not good. Once your karma is not a wanderer
anymore, it doesn't make a difference.
Lifegiver
Requirements: Endurance 4, level 12.
Effect: +4 HP per level per rank.
Ranks: 2
Who: Anyone
Rating: 5/5
"With each level of this perk, you gain an additional 4 HP every time
you advance a level. This is in addition to the hit points you
already gain per level based off of your endurance."
One of the most useful perks, +4 HP per level is a lot, if you take
it at level 12 or 15. If you're right near the end of the game it
probably isn't worth taking it. +4 HP is good for you. You'll have
heaps of HP by the end.
Light Step
Requirements: Agility 5, Luck 5, level 9.
Effect: Less chance to set off traps.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"You are agile, lucky, and always careful. This perk halves your
chances of setting off a trap."
Traps are rare, and do hardly any damage anyway, which makes this
perk nearly useless.
Living Anatomy
Requirements: Doctor 60%, level 12.
Effect: +10% doctor, +5 max damage every attack.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 4/5
"You have a better understanding of living creatures and their
strengths and weaknesses. You get a one-time bonus of +10% to
doctor, and you do +5 damage per attack to living creatures."
This is a good perk. +5 damage to every attack is better than 2
levels of both of the bonus damages. The +10% for doctor is ok. The
+5 damage is really good though. Super good for the burst weapons.
Magnetic Personality
Requirements: Charisma < 10, level 3.
Effect: An extra NPC can join the group.
Ranks: 1
Who: Non evil and non dumb people.
Rating: 3/5
"You get 1 extra slot in your companion limit, but don't forget more
than 5 is always a crowd."
Gives you an extra party member. Wicked if you like NPCs a lot.
Remember you can always just drug up to get an extra party member
though, and they're not that useful anyway.
"A Master Thief is proficient at stealing and picking locks. You
gain +15% to Stealing and Lockpicking. Steal from the rich, and give
to you."
Better than most skill perks as it gives you lots of extra skill
points. Of course it's better as your skill is higher, so you don't
have to waste as many skill points on them.
"You have mastered one aspect of bartering - buying goods for more
cheaply than normal. With this perk, you get a 25% discount when
purchasing items from a store or another trader."
The manual says this makes your goods worth more, but it actually
makes the other persons worth less by 25%. Better than increasing
your barter by 25%. Kind of like getting auto-haste in FF8 instead
of Spd +40%. Anyway, it's better than a skill that increases your
barter.
Medic
Requirements: First Aid 40% or Doctor 40%, Level 12.
Effect: +10% First Aid, +10% Doctor.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone.
Rating: 2/5
"The Medic Perk gives you a one-time bonus of +10% to the First Aid
and Doctor skills. Healing skills are a good thing."
If you're actually going to use those skills, Healer is a much better
perk to choose. These skills aren't that useful. If you just want
doctor, get Living Anatomy instead.
More Criticals
Requirements: Luck 6, level 6.
Effect: +5% critical chance.
Ranks: 3
Who: Good for anyone who will never get Slayer or Sniper.
Rating: 3/5
"You are more likely to cause critical hits in combat if you have
this perk. Each level of more criticals gets you an additional +5%
chance to cause a critical hit."
More Criticals is possibly a waste of a perk/perks as Slayer and
Sniper will nearly make this seem as this isn't there. If you are
never going to get Sniper or Slayer then this is ok to get.
Otherwise not really very useful, as 6 luck is pretty much enough to
do well with Sniper and Slayer.
Mr. Fixit
Requirements: Repair or Science 40%, Level 12.
Effect: +10% Science and Repair skills.
Ranks: 1
Who: People who don't have Vic or a science person in their party,
and want these skills.
Rating: 3/5
"This Perk will give you a one-time bonus of +10% to the Repair and
Science skills. A little late night cramming never hurt anybody,
especially you."
These two skills are pretty useful, but if you have NPCs that can do
the job you're probably better off without this perk. Better later
when it's harder to increases the skills.
Mutate!
Requirements: Level 9.
Effect: Can get rid of a new trait and choose a new one.
Ranks: 1
Who: You shouldn't have stuffed up choosing traits at the start.
Rating: 1/5
"The radiation of the wasteland has changed you! One of your Traits
has mutated into something else..."
If you need this, damn you for stuffing up choosing a perk. Unless
you didn't choose gifted that is, and you're near the end of the
game. That would be good. You CAN'T use this to get rid of jinxed
if you got it from the pariah dog, because it becomes a perk.
Mysterious Stranger
Requirements: Luck 4, level 9.
Effect: 30% + 2 x luck chance of the Mysterious Stranger of coming
and helping you in a random encounter.
Ranks: 1
Who: Low Charisma people or dumb people.
Rating: 2/5
"With this perk you have gained the attention of a Mysterious
Stranger, who will appear to help you from time to time. If your
ally is lost in combat, do not expect him (or her) to be replaced."
This isn't really that useful because there isn't that much chance of
the mysterious stranger appearing, and that it isn't that powerful
anyway. Near the end it only has an H&K G11E so it isn't that
powerful. You can steal your stranger's ammo though, but it doesn't
have that much ammo anyway. And once the stranger dies it doesn't
come back, which is pretty bad.
"You are a very skilled negotiator. Not only can you barter with the
best of them, but you can talk your way into or out of almost
anything. With this perk you gain +10% to both barter and speech."
Another skill increasing perk. Not too good, as barter isn't that
useful. Increases speech though, which is. Not really that good
though.
Night Vision
Requirements: Perception 6, level 3.
Effect: The negative modifier for attacking in the dark is reduced.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"With the Night Vision perk, you can see in the dark better. This
will reduce the overall darkness level by 20%."
It isn't that often that you fight at night, but if you fight at
night a lot for some reason, then this is ok. There are a lot better
perks available though.
"You are efficient at arranging your inventory in general. This
makes it that much easier to carry that little extra you've always
needed."
If you are a 10 strengther then this is sort of useful. If you are a
small framer then it is good too. If you have lots of NPCs however
it won't be that useful as they can carry the stuff for you. Better
Perks available, but good if you are weak.
Pathfinder
Requirements: Endurance 6, Outdoorsman 60%, level 6.
Effect: 25% less time to travel on the world map with each rank.
Ranks: 2
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"The Pathfinder is better able to find the shortest route. With this
Perk, your travel time on the World Map is reduced by 25% for each
level."
There isn't really a time limit in this game, so it doesn't really
matter how long it takes to travel somewhere, making this perk about
as useful as perks that increase your healing rate. More convenient
to you as the player than it is in the game.
Pickpocket
Requirements: Agility 8, Steal 80%, Level 15.
Effect: There are no negative modifiers for the size of the object or
where you are facing in stealing.
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves
Rating: 4/5
"You are much more adept at stealing than the normal crook. You can
steal with the best of them, because with this Perk, you ignore size
and facing modifiers when stealing from a person."
Makes stealing the heavy items way easier, as it counts them as the
same weight as a piece of money. It's also good when you can't get
behind the enemy and you can steal from the front with no penalty.
But if you don't have extreme load times, then you may not want this,
because you can just reload when you stuff up stealing.
Presence
Requirements: Charisma 6, level 3.
Effect: +10% reaction modifier to people per rank.
Ranks: 3
Who: Diplomats
Rating: 1/5
"You command attention by just walking into a room. The initial
reaction of another person is improved by 10% for each level of this
perk."
With Charisma 6 you get good reactions without needing this perk.
Initial reactions aren't important anyway, and usually there isn't
any difference in initial reaction anyway. Pretty useless.
Pyromaniac
Requirements: Big Guns 75%, Level 9.
Effect: Only +5 damage with fire weapons.
Ranks: 1
Who: Flame thrower people.
Rating: 1/5
"You do extra damage with fire based weapons, and enemies always seem
to die in the most painful fiery fashion."
Even if you are a big gunner, you probably won't use the flame-
thrower much, which makes it pretty useless. If you are going to use
the flame-thrower the whole time though, it would be ok, but Living
Anatomy does the same thing but to all attacks.
Quick Pockets
Requirements: Agility 5, level 3.
Effect: Only 2 AP is needed to access inventory.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 4/5
"You have learned to pack your equipment better. Accessing your
inventory only costs you 2 Action Points in combat instead of 4."
Pretty good. Instead of clicking reload or using a stimpack you can
open your inventory and reload all your weapons or heal yourself as
much as you want. Of course if you hardly ever go into the inventory
in combat then it will be a pretty useless perk.
Quick Recovery
Requirements: Agility 5, level 6.
Effect: Takes only 1 AP to get up.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"You are quick at recovering from being knocked down."
Think about it, how many times do you get knocked down? Hardly ever,
which makes this perk more useless than most. If you are a melee
fighter however, it might be a bit more useful as the monsters will
hit you more and knock you down more. But anyway, it usually costs 3
AP, and this brings it down to 1. You may as well get the Quick
Pockets perk, or nearly any other perk instead.
"You are better able to avoid radiation and the bad effect radiation
causes. Each level of this perk improves your radiation resistance
by 15%."
Damn useless. +15% resistance is hardly any. And you don't run into
radiation that much. It should have been +50% resistance so that
people would actually take it. But it is one of the most useless
perks available. Don't get it.
Ranger
Requirements: Perception 6, Level 6.
Effect: +15% outdoorsman, more chance at finding special encounters.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You gain a +15% towards your Outdoorsman skill. You are more likely
to avoid random encounters if you choose, and tend to find those
"special" encounters more than most."
It gives you a bit of outdoorsman, which isn't a very good skill, and
lets you find special encounters more often, which is pretty useless
too. So you should probably skip this perk.
"You are an adept salesperson. With this Perk you gain +20% towards
your Barter skill."
Another skill increasing perk, with increases a skill which isn't
that good. I suppose it's better than outdoorsman or something
though. Much better to get the master trader perk or something like
that. But if you want it get it when your skill is over 100% because
of the skills-are-harder-to-increase-then thing.
Scout
Requirements: Perception 7, level 3.
Effect: Can see a square further on the world map, and special
encounters are found easier.
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves, or anyone.
Rating: 3/5
"You have improved your ability to see distant locations, increasing
the size of explorations of the World Map by one square in each
direction. You also have a better chance of finding special
encounters."
If you want to find special encounters, then choose this perk because
it gives something useful with it. Seeing an extra square is useful,
but you don't really need it that much because you know where you are
heading anyway. But still more useful than ranger and explorer.
Sharpshooter
Requirements: Perception 7, intelligence 6, level 9.
Effect: +2 to perception for range modifiers.
Ranks: 1
Who: Gun fighters.
Rating: 3/5
"You have a talent for shooting things at longer distances. For each
level of this perk, you get a +2 bonus to perception for the purposes
of determining range modifiers. It's easier than ever to kill at a
long range!"
This can increase perception for range modifiers over 10, it even
says so in the readme.txt file. Well if you want to be able to shoot
for a longer range, get this perk. Or you probably should get Gain
Perception instead if that is available. But anyway this is good for
the long range fighters. Don't worry about it if you are a big
gunner.
Silent Death
Requirements: Agility 10, Sneak 80%, Unarmed 80%, Level 18.
Effect: Double damage if hit opponent in the back while sneaking.
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves and melee fighters.
Rating: 4/5
"While sneaking, if you hit a critter in the back, you will cause
double damage using a hand-to-hand attack. Silent Death is that kind
of perk."
Double damage in the back is good. If you don't use melee or unarmed
then ignore this perk. Just run behind the enemy, put sneak on and
then backstab them, for double damage. Good, and extra good if you
have bonus move so you don't waste APs moving behind the enemy. High
requirements though.
Silent Running
Requirements: Agility 6, Sneak 50%, level 6.
Effect: Can run with sneak on.
Ranks: 1
Who: Thieves.
Rating: 3/5
"With this perk, you now have the ability to move quickly and still
remain quiet. You can sneak and run at the same time. Without this
perk, you would automatically stop sneaking if you ran."
Like the faster healing, this isn't useful to the character, it's
just convenient for the player that they don't have to walk when
sneaking, which takes more time. I suppose it is useful though if
you have to sneak past a moving opponent, they will have less chance
of seeing you as you won't be there for as long. An ok choice for a
perk.
Slayer
Requirements: Agility 8, Strength 8, Unarmed 80%, Level 24.
Effect: You get a critical hit in unarmed or melee combat when you
hit and make a luck roll.
Ranks: 1
Who: Melee fighters.
Rating: 5/5
"The Slayer walks the earth! In hand-to-hand combat all of your hits
are upgraded to critical hits, causing destruction and mayhem."
One of the best perks. Critical hits are good. If you have luck 10
you will get critical hits 95% of the time, which is good. So the
more luck you have the better. Even if you have 1 or 2 luck it is
still good as it is the same as multiple more criticals perks. Good.
Smooth Talker
Requirements: Intelligence 4, level 3.
Effect: Your dialogue options are as your intelligence is 1 more for
each level of the perk.
Ranks: 3
Who: Not dumb people, or people with intelligence over 7.
Rating: 2/5
"You have learned to increase your dialogue options without
understanding what you're talking about. Each level of this perk
will increase your intelligence by one, up to 10, for purposes of
dialogue only."
Well you can get it if you choose, but the dialogue options aren't
that much different. If you wanted dialogue options you should have
put your intelligence higher. Oh well.
"Yum! Tastes like chicken. For each level of this Perk, you gain
+25% to your poison resistance."
Uselss perk, as poison isn't that bad. More useful than getting the
radiation resistance perk though. If you get poisoned just take the
antidote. Poison isn't that powerful anyway, unless you get hit
heaps. Don't get this.
Sniper
Requirements: Perception 8, Agility 8, Small Guns 80%, level 24.
Effect: Critical hit with guns when you hit and a luck roll is
successful.
Ranks: 1
Who: People you use guns.
Rating: 5/5
"You have mastered the firearm as a source of pain. With this perk,
any successful hit in combat with a ranged weapon will be upgraded to
a critical hit if you also make a luck roll."
Possibly the best perk available. The same as Slayer except for gun
fighting instead of unarmed and melee.
"Being a Speaker means you have a one-time bonus of +20% to Speech.
From the mouth of babes and all that."
Increases your speech skill by +20%. Do it later on when it's more
expensive to increase skills, if at all.
Stonewall
Requirements: Strength 6, level 3.
Effect: 50% less likely to be knocked down.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"You are much less likely to be knocked down in combat."
You don't get knocked down very much, which makes it pretty useless.
Should have made this perk so you never get knocked down and people
might actually choose it.
Strong Back
Requirements: Strength 6, Endurance 6, level 3.
Effect: +50lbs to carry weight.
Ranks: 3.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 3/5
"AKA Mule. You can carry an additional 50 pounds of equipment for
each level of this perk."
"You are a master of the outdoors. This perk confers the ability to
survive in hostile environments. You get a +25% bonus to
Outdoorsman."
Outdoorsman isn't that useful, but 25% is a lot for skills, so it may
be useful. Better when you are at higher levels when it is harder to
increase. With three ranks you could put it up really high.
"You are indeed a Swift Learner with this Perk, as each level gives
you an additional +5% bonus whenever you earn experience points.
This is best taken early."
It seems useful when you see it the first time you play the game, but
then you realize it isn't. You don't really need that much
experience to go up levels that this makes a difference. So don't
get it. You'll probably only get around 300,000 experience in the
whole game or whatever, so that's an extra 15,000 experience which is
only 1 extra level. This isn't very good.
Tag!
Requirements: Level 12.
Effect: Tag another skill, which doubles the number of skill points
that is in it, and it increases twice as fast too.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 5/5
"Your skills have improved to the point where you can pick an
additional Tag Skill. Tag skills increase twice as fast."
This is really useful, even though it is sort of a bug. Get a skill
up to 100%, then tag it. It doubles the points in it, so it'll go up
to 175% or whatever. Then you can just take the points off that
skill back down till it's 100 again, and you'll have 100 extra skill
points to do whatever you want with. And the skill goes up twice as
quick, which is good. If you don't exploit bugs, then it may not be
that useful, unless you want another tag skill.
Thief
Requirements: Level 3.
Effect: +10% to sneak, lockpick, steal and traps.
Ranks: 1
Who: Anyone
Rating: 3/5
"The blood of a thief runs through your veins. With the Thief Perk,
you get a one-time bonus of +10% to your Sneak, Lockpick, Steal and
Traps skills. A well rounded thief is a live thief."
A pretty good one actually. Anyone can get it, and it increases all
the thief skills by +10, which is pretty useful. A good one at the
low levels if you have a bad character or you can't choose what to
pick.
"When you are tough, you take less damage. Each level of this perk
adds +10% to your general damage resistance."
Sort of like Swift learner, how it appears useful but it isn't that
useful. It should be good early in the game when you don't have much
armour, but it isn't as the enemy might do 10 damage and it will
decrease to only 9. Not that good. And armour is much better.
Weapon Handling
Requirements: Strength < 7, Agility 5, level 12.
Effect: Gives +3 to strength in determining what weapons can be
handled without penalty.
Ranks: 1
Who: Total Weaklings
Rating: 1/5
"You can wield weapons much larger than normally allowed. You gain a
+3 to your strength for the purposes of Strength checks when trying
to wield weaponry."
It adds +3 to strength for weapon use. Only useful if you have
strength 3 or lower, and only then maybe. 5 strength is enough, and
you get power armour later which increases strength a lot, so you can
use nearly any weapon anyway with 3 strength. Don't get it, unless
you can't handle having to use weapons without penalties.
UNATTAINABLE PERKS
==================
The only way to get these are through item editors. Or you can play
Fallout 1, instead.
Mental Block
Requirements: ?
Effect: The Master in Fallout cannot do bad stuff to you in the hall.
The same as wearing a psychic nullifier.
Ranks: 1
Who: No one
Rating: 0/5
"Mental Block is the ability to tune out any outside mental
interference. You must have learned this talent from a passing guru,
or from a really late night at a bar."
It wasn't even useful in Fallout, as you could just get the psychic
nullifier to do the same thing for you. I don't think you can get it
in this game.
Scrounger
Requirements: ?
Effect: Double the amount of ammo found in regular encounters
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You can find more ammo than the normal post-holocaust survivor.
This perk doubles the amount of ammo found in random encounters."
I don't think this is in the game. Better than Fortune Finder, as
ammo is worth more and more useful than a few extra dollars. But it
still isn't that good.
Flower Child
Requirements: ?
Effect: 50% resistance to drugs, and half the withdrawal time.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 3/5
"With this perk, you are less likely to be addicted to chems (50%
less likely, actually), and you suffer half the withdrawal time of a
normal person."
Just like the Chem Reliant and Chem Resistant traits, without the bad
effects. I think you can only get it in Fallout though. I'm not
sure. It would be sort of useful.
Animal Friend
Requirements: ?
Effect: Animals are supposedly not hostile in random encounters.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"Animals will not attack one of their friends, unless the animal is
threatened or attacked first. Exactly what an animal is in this
world is open to debate."
I think that an animal might be threatened if you try and fight it
(ie they could have left that out). Anyway, if you didn't want to
fight animals you would just run away from them. Not very useful,
but I think you can't get it anyway. I think the animals would be
manti, rats, dogs and geckos.
SPECIAL PERKS
=============
You get these perks by doing certain things in the game. Yes, I know
jinxed is a perk when you get it from the pariah dog, but it acts
just like the trait.
Gecko Skinning
Requirements: Rescue Smiley the trapper, and then he teaches it to
you when you go back and ask him to in Klamath.
Effect: Can take Gecko Skins off Gecko bodies.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have the knowledge of how to skin geckos properly to get their
hides.
You don't really encounter skinnable geckos much after you get this
perk, which makes it a bit useless. But anyway, gecko skins are
heavy, and not really worth that much. This perk is free though, so
of course you should get it.
Dermal Impact Armour
Requirements: Look up combat implants on the Vault City medical
database in their vault, and then talk to the doctor in the courtyard
of Vault City or San Fran and they can do this for you for $ as long
as you have a set of combat armour that you can give up.
Effect: +5% normal and explosion damage resistance.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have inherent protection against physical attacks."
This perk costs money, so you may as well get it. +5% isn't that
much, but you aren't wasting a perk on it so you may as well get it.
Dermal Impact Assault Enhancement
Requirements: After getting the above perk you can get this one for $
and a pair of combat armour.
Effect: +5% normal and explosion damage resistance, charisma -1.
Ranks: 2
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have extra inherent protection against physical attacks."
Same as the above, but lowers your charisma permanently by 1, which
is probably not worth it.
Phoenix Armour Impants
Requirements: Look up combat implants on the Vault City medical
database in their vault, and then talk to the doctor in the courtyard
of Vault City or San Fran and they can do this for you for $ as long
as you have a set of combat armour that you can give up.
Effect: +5% laser, plasma and fire damage resistance.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have inherent protection against energy attacks."
Just like the dermal impact armour, but for different types of
attacks.
Phoenix Assault Enhancement
Requirements: After getting the above perk you can get this one for $
and a pair of combat armour.
Effect: +5% laser, plasma and fire damage resistance, charisma -1.
Ranks: 2
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have extra inherent protection against energy attacks."
Same as the above, but lowers your charisma permanently by 1, which
is probably not worth it.
Vault City Innoculations
Requirements: If you are poisoned and radiated, and go to the doctor
in Vault City, I think you can get this perk then.
Effect: +10% resistance to poison and radiation.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"You have gained +10% resistance to both poison and radiation."
A free perk. If you are poisoned and radiated you may as well go
there and get the extra resistance, but it isn't that important.
Remember poison goes out of your blood pretty quickly.
Vault City Training
Requirements: If you have lots of doctor skill (80% I think) you can
talk to Doctor Troy in Vault City I think and you get +10% to doctor
from him.
Effect: +10% doctor.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 2/5
"You have received the Vault City medical training."
May as well talk to him if you have high doctor skill. +10% doctor
for free is good.
Expert Excrement Expeditor
Requirements: Shovel at the caravan office in Broken Hills five
times, and you get this perk.
Effect: +5% Speech.
Who: Anyone
Rating: 1/5
"You can sling bull with the best of them."
Hey, it's free. You get $500 for shoveling five times, and then you
get this perk after that. You may as well do it. I don't see why
you wouldn't.
DISCLAIMER/COPYRIGHT STUFF
Fallout 2 (c) Black Isle or Interplay or something.
Fallout 2 Perks FAQ (c) whitechocobo666 2001.
Use this FAQ anywhere you want, just don't edit the content at all (I
don't care if you change it to HTML or anything like that). If you
like, you can e-mail me and tell me that you're going to put it on
your site, but you don't have to.
