Fallout 2 Character Creation guide
written and copyrighted by James Spairana, A.K.A "Paragon"
e-mail: showtime@partlycloudy.com (Questions? Clarifications? Suggestions?)
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Legal Notes: Oh, do whatever you want with this document, as long as you don't change it
or reproduce it without credit to me, the author.
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Version .75
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So, you want to create your own character for Fallout 2, eh?
Well, read on, and get some ideas on what to do, and how to do it.
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General Tips - For people who just want some quick hints
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-Finesse is a great Trait for any combat character.
-Gifted is a good way to get some of the better Perks.
-Small Guns is overall the best combat skill.
-Don't tag more than two combat skills; Small Guns, Big Guns, and Energy Weapons all have
powerful, end-game weapons, so you shouldn't need more than one tagged.
-Big Guns, while a useful skill, requires a LOT of ammo.
-First Aid and Doctor are great skills for anyone to have.
-Agility is the most important stat that relates to combat.
-Speech is a worthless skill for a character with low Intelligence and Charisma.
-Throwing sounds kinda cool, but it's one of the worst skills in the game.
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Primary Statistics Explanation - Using your character points
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Strength
-Each point of strength raises you starting HP by 1.
(not a big deal at all, but still a bonus)
-Increases the amount of weight you can carry
(useful for characters with a low Barter skill)
-Increases the damage you do with melee attacks
(very useful for the beginning of the game)
-Allows you to handle heavier weapons properly
(every point of ST lower than the min. requirment of a weapon is -20% chance to hit)
-Affects a few skills
(Unarmed and Melee Weapons)
-Allows you to throw things farther
(Not very useful, but when you have a spare grenade. . .)
Perception
-Allows you to aim better
(Extends your base aiming range)*
-Allows you to notice things better
(Traps, details, and the like)
-Starts you farther away from enemies in a random encounter
(Wouldn't want to land in the middle of a pack of Deathclaws, now would we?)
-Affects many skills
(Ranged combat skills, healing skills, some others)
-Increases your Sequence
(Your turn comes about faster in combat)
-Gives access to some good perks
(Sniper, Awareness)
Endurance
-Increases your starting HP by 2 per point of EN
(Better than the ST bonus!)
-Increases the amount of HP you gain per level up
(This can easily make a huge difference)
-Increases your Healing Rate
(Take less time to heal the same amount of HP while resting or travelling)
-Increases your Poison Resistance
(Not very useful after the beginning of the game)
-Increases your Outdoorsman skill
(A useful skill for avoiding random encounters you don't want)
Charisma
-Increases your Speech and Barter skills
(Quite a bit, too!)
-Increases the number of NPCs you can get in your party at once
(Very useful for a non-combat character)
-Opens some dialouge options
(Useful for diplomatic characters)
Intelligence
-Increases the number of Skill Points you get per level
(Essential!)
-Opens up dialouge options
(And thereby opening more quests and solutions)
-Increases some skills
(First Aid, Doctor, Outdoorsman, Science, and Repair)
Agility
-Increases the number of Action Points you get
(Essential for combat!)
-Increases your starting Armor Class
(No big deal)
-Increases many skills
(All combat and thief skills)
-Gives access to some of the best perks
(Bonus Rate of Fire, Sniper)
Luck
-Increases your Critical Chance
(Great for snipers)
-Affects special random encounters
(Unlucky characters meet exploding cows and the Pariah Dog)
-Affects critical failures in combat
(Nothing like watching your enemy's gun blow up on him)
-Affects how well you handle pistols, sub-machine guns, and rifles.
-The most useful combat skill in the game.
Big Guns
-Affects how well you handle Rocket Launchers, Flamethrowers, and large machine guns.
-Requires a LOT of ammo.
-The Vindicator Minigun is the most powerful weapon in the game.
Energy Weapons
-Affects how well you handle and guns which use Small Energy Cells of Micro Fusion Cells as ammo.
-Doesn't come into play until late in the game.
-Encompasses some of the strongest weapons.
-Encompasses some of the most expensive weapons.
Melee Weapons
-Affects how well you handle spears, knives, sledgehammers, and the like.
-Very useful for the beginning of the game.
-Not so good for the end of the game.
-Essentially interchangeable with Unarmed.
Unarmed
-Affects how well you attack without a weapon, or with a glove/set of knuckles equipped.
-Very useful for the end of the game.
-Opens a couple quests.
-Essentially interchangeable with Melee Weapons.
Throwing
-Affects how well you handle grenades, throwing knives, and the like.
-Pulse Grenades are the best weapons against robotic enemies.
-Requires a high Strength, both for attack range and for carrying all those items.
First Aid
-Heals a small amount of HP(usually 1-5).
-Can be raised to 91% by reading books.
Doctor
-Heals a larger amount of HP(1-10).
-Allows you to repair a crippled limb (including your eyes).
Sneak
-Allows you to walk past enemies undetected.
-Useful for thief characters.
-More effective in dark areas and at night.
-Affected by the range from your enemy.
-Allows you to steal from some shelves (in some shops, for instance).
Lockpick
-Allows you to open doors and chests without the proper key.
-Useful for any character.
-Prevents you from jamming a lock that you're trying to pick.
Steal
-Allows you to steal items and money from characters or shelves without them noticing.
-Allows you to plant ticking dynamite on an enemy, then run away.
Traps
-Allows you to spot traps on doors or chests you're trying to lockpick.
-Allows you to spot traps laid on the floor before you walk over them.
-Allows you to set explosives properly, so they don't blow up in your face.
Science
-Allows you to hack into computers.
Repair
-Allows you to fix certain objects (for quests).
-Allows you to properly break certain objects (for quests).
Speech
-Allows you to convince people that what you're saying is right. . .even if it's a lie.
-Opens up some dialouge options.
Barter
-Allows you to buy things for less.
Gambling
-Allows you to play slot machines/blackjack/roulette/etc in casinos, and win (cash).
Outdoorsman
-Allows you to spot random encounters, then accept or decline them.
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Perk Explanation
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*Denotes a great perk
Action Boy
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: 5 Agility
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: +1 Action Point per perk level
Adrenaline Rush
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: Under 10 Strength
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When your HP reaches less than 1/2 its maximum, you gain a point to Strength.
*Awareness
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 5 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When you Examine an NPC, you get their HP (current/max), when weapon they're equipped
with, what type of ammo it's using, and how much ammo it's holding.
Better Criticals
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 4 Agility, 6 Perception, 6 Luck
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Each critical hit will do +20% damage upon what it would normally do.
Bonus HtH Attacks
-Available at level 15
-Requirements: 6 Agility
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Your Unarmed and Melee Weapon attacks take one less AP to perform.
Bonus HtH Damage
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Agility, 6 Strength
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: For every level of this perk, you will do an extra 2 points of damage with
melee attacks.
Bonus Move
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 5 Agility
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: Each level gives an extra 2 AP which can only be used for movement. These extra AP
show up as yellow dots (as opposed to the usual green) in the AP bar.
Bonus Ranged Damage
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 6 Agility, 6 Luck
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: Each level of this perk provides +2 to the maximum damage of any ranged weapon that you
use.
-Bonus: Every ranged weapon takes one less AP to attack with. This applies to targeted and
burst attacks as well.
Cautious Nature
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When determining your starting position in random encounters, you get a +3 bonus to
Perception.
Cult of Personality
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: 10 Charisma
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Your initial reaction when talking to NPCs will always be positive.
Demolition Expert
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 4 Agility, 90% Traps skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Explosives you set do more damage, and always go off on time.
Dodger
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: Agility 6
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +5 Armor Class.
Earlier Sequence
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Perception
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: +2 Sequence for each perk level.
*Educated
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 6 Intelligence
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: For every perk level, your character gets an extra 2 skill points per experience level.
*Empathy
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 5 Intelligence, 7 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When speaking with NPCs, your dialouge choices are colored. Red choices will cause a
negative reaction, white will cause no mood change, and green will cause a positive
reaction.
Explorer
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You are more likely to get special random encounters.
Faster Healing
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Endurance
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: +2 Healing Rate per perk level.
Fortune Finder
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 8 Luck
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: The money you find on enemies' bodies in random encounters is increased.
Gambler
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 50% Gambling skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +40 skill points to the Gambling skill.
*Gain Agility
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Agility
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Agility.
*Gain Charisma
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Charisma
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Charisma.
Gain Endurance
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Endurance
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Endurance.
*Gain Intelligence
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Intelligence
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Intelligence.
*Gain Luck
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Luck
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Luck.
Gain Perception
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Perception.
Gain Strength
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Less than 10 Strength
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +1 Strength.
Ghost
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 60% Sneak
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When in poorly lit areas, you recieve 1 +20% bonus to the Sneak skill.
Harmless
-Available at level X
-Requirements: 50% Steal, Less than 49 Karma
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +40 skill points to the Steal skill.
*Healer
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 5 Intelligence, 6 Agility, 7 Perception, 40% First Aid skill
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: For every perk level, the use of healing skills will restore an extra 4-10 HP.
Heave Ho!
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: For each perk level, you recieve a +2 Strength bonus for determining thrown weapon
ranges.
Here and Now
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You immediately gain another experience level.
*HtH Evade
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Unarmed 75%
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: If both items slots are empty, you will get +3 to your Armor Class for every remaining
action point at the end of your combat turn.
Kama Sutra Master
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 5 Agility, 5 Endurance
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: In situations where intimate contact is required, you do best at it.
Karma Beacon
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 6 Charisma
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Your Karma is double for dialouges and initial reactions.
*Lifegiver
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: 4 Endurance
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: For every perk level, you get an extra +4 HP for gaining an experience level.
Light Step
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 5 Agility, 5 Luck
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You become less likely to set off traps.
Living Anatomy
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: Doctor 60%
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You gain 20 skill points to the Doctor skill, and every attack you make towards living
creatures now does an extra 5 points of damage.
*Magnetic Personality
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: Less than 10 Charisma
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You can now recruit an extra party member.
-Bonus: You choose lose one of your traits (you choose which) then you choose one to replace it.
Mysterious Stranger
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 4 Luck
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: For every random encounter there is now a chance of 30% + double your luck that
a 'mysterious stranger' will appear and assist you in combat. If the ally dies
it will not be replaced.
Negotiator
-Available at level X
-Requirements: 50% Barter skill, 50% Speech skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +20 skill points to Barter and Speech.
Night Vision
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: The penatly to hit chance in poorly lit conditions is reduced.
Pack Rat
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +50 lbs. to Carry Weight.
Pathfinder
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 6 Endurance, 60% Outdoorsman skill
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: Your travel time is reduced 25% for every perk level.
*Pickpocket
-Available at level 15
-Requirements: 8 Agility, 80% Steal skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When stealing, size and facing penalites are ignored; your chance to steal is the same
no matter what.
Prescence
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Charisma
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: Your initial reaction with people is 10% better for every perk level.
Pyromaniac
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 75% Big Guns skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You deal +5 points of damage with fire-based weapons (all three of them).
*Quick Pockets
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 5 Agility
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: The AP cost to access inventory in combat is halved.
Quick Recovery
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 5 Agility
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: The AP cost to stand up after being knocked down in combat it reduced to one.
Rad Resistance
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 4 Intelligence, 6 Endurance
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: +15% Radiation Resistance per perk level.
Ranger
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 6 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You gain +20 skill points to Outdoorsman and have a slightly easier time finding
special random encounters.
Salesman
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 50% Barter skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +40 skill points to Barter.
Scout
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 7 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: Your vision range on the world map is increased by one square.
Sharpshooter
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 6 Intelligence, 7 Perception
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: For the purpose of chance to hit, you recieve a +2 bonus to Perception.
-Bonus: When making a melee attack, you roll twice. Critical chance is equal to your luck X 10
on the first roll (95% max), and unchanged on the second roll.
Smooth Talker
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 4 Intelligence
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: For the purposes of dialouge options, you gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence per perk level.
Snakeater
-Available at level 6
-Requirements: 3 Endurance
-Number of levels: 2
-Bonus: +25% to Posion Resistance per perk level.
*Sniper
-Available at level 24
-Requirements: 8 Agility, 8 Perception, 80% Small Guns skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: When making a ranged attack, you roll twice. Critical chance is equal to your luck X 10
on the first roll (95% max), and unchanged on the second roll.
Speaker
-Available at level 9
-Requirements: 50% Speech skill
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +40 skill points to Speech.
Stonewall
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Strength
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You are half as likely to be knocked down when attacked.
-Bonus: Every amount of experience points you earn is increased by 5% for each perk level.
Tag!
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You get to pick an additional tag skill, which then gets a skill point bonus as if it had
always been a tag skill. (+20 skill points immediately, and also doubles the number of
skill points you've already put into it)
Thief
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: None
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: +10 skill points to Steal, Lockpick, Traps, and Sneak.
Toughness
-Available at level 3
-Requirements: 6 Endurance, 6 Luck
-Number of levels: 3
-Bonus: +10 Damage Resistance per perk level.
Weapon Handling
-Available at level 12
-Requirements: 5 Agility
-Number of levels: 1
-Bonus: You get a +3 Strength bonus for the purposes of meeting a weapon's minimum strength
requirment.
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Character Creation Molds
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******NOTE******
If you don't have the stat requirments to get a perk at a certain level, use a chem to boost
your stats, then grab the perk. Save your game first, and reload if you become addicted.
Balanced Character
Traits: Gifted, Finesse
Tag Skills: Small Guns, Steal, Speech
Stats:
Perks: Awareness, Quick Pockets, Better Criticals, Lifegiver, Bonus Rate of Fire,
Pickpocket, Gain Luck, Sniper
Playing Style: This character is designed to be able to do just about anything. Put the
points from your first few levels into Small Guns, then when you hit
level 5 or so, spread out the skill points into more of the skills.
Other: The Hubologist in NCR can give you a Zeta Scan, which will either raise your
luck by 2 or lower it by 1. Save your game first, and try different dialouge
options each time.
Sniper
Traits: Finesse
Tag Skills: Small Guns, Sneak, Doctor
Stats:
Perks: Awareness, More Criticals, Better Criticals, Gain Luck, Bonus Rate of Fire,
Sharpshooter, Bonus Move, Sniper, Living Anatomy
Playing Style: Get a rifle and attack from afar. Aim for the head, legs, and eyes. Always.
Other: The Hubologist in NCR can give you a Zeta Scan, which will either raise your
luck by 2 or lower it by 1. Save your game first, and try different dialouge
options each time.
Melee Fighter
Traits: Heavy Handed
Tag Skills: Unarmed, Melee Weapons, Outdoorsman
Stats:
Perks: Thief, Silent Running, Ghost/Harmless, Pack Rat, Pickpocket, Lifegiver,
Lifegiver
Playing Style: Avoid fighting whenever possible. If you have to assassinate someone, sneak
up to them and plant some ticking dynamite on them. . .then run. Steal anything
you can! Get as much stuff as you can. Trade it for armor, healing chems, or
better weapons (if you can use them).
Diplomat
Traits: Skilled, Good Natured
Tag Skills: Speech, Barter, Doctor
Stats:
Playing Style: Get as many NPCs as you can handle (use my NPC FAQ for info on them).
TALK your way through situations, and give your best weapons to your NPCs. . .
. . .you won't be of much use with them.
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That's it. Those are all the basic layouts. Feel free to modify them as you like, to suit
your playing style or level of experience (make your characters less effective if you're
better at playing and want a challenge).
