Perks in Fallout 3 are special features that can be unlocked by players on each level. Perks can increase some S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes, gain bonuses to certain skills or enable unique gameplay options. To unlock perks you have to meet specific level, skill or attribute requirements. Note that some features give both bonuses and penalties.
There are 58 common perks, 5 special and 7 quest ones in Fallout 3. In addition, there are 14 common perks, 5 special and 4 quest ones in all add-ons. Due to a large number of perks, we will cover only the most important and useful ones. Be sure to read this guide to invest your perk points more effective. However, special and quest perks don’t require spending points.
Top rated regular perks
Here we will describe the best features of both original game and its add-ons. They are divided by levels. For example, ones in the section Level 2 include only perks which are available at the 2nd level. It’s clear that points from the section Level 20 are available only upon reaching this level. Some perks require investing points in attributes. Remember abbreviations for them: ST – Strength, PE – Perception, EN – Endurance, CH – Charisma, IN – Intelligence, AG – Agility, LK – Luck.
- Level 2.
Daddy’s Boy and Daddy’s Girl for male and female characters, respectively, increase Science and Medicine skills by 5 points. These features are cool for all who build clever heroes with high intellect. Additional requirements: at least 4 IN.
Gun Nut has 3 ranks each adding extra 5 points to Small Guns and Repair skills. Obviously, it’s the coolest low-level feature for all combatants. Repair is extremely helpful for everybody in the post-apocalyptic world. Additional requirements: at least 4 IN and 4 AG.
Intense Training is pretty unusual. It has 10 ranks! Each level allows you to increase any S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute by 1. Be sure to unlock this if you don’t like other available perks. Additional requirements: none.
- Level 4.
Iron Fist is priceless for heroes that want to destroy everything even without weapons. This feature has 3 ranks and each increases your Unarmed Damage skill by 5 points. Additional requirements: at least 4 ST.
Educated is universal for everybody. It gains 3 additional skill points at every level. So far as skills are the basic feature of every character regardless of specialization, you want to unlock it as fast as possible. Additional requirements: at least 4 IN.
Comprehension is quite similar to the previous feature. It allows you to get twice more skill points from books. It’s necessary to take either Educated or Comprehension but you can unlock both perks for more points. Additional requirements: at least 4 IN.
- Level 6.
Bloody Mess literally allows you to dive in the cinematic sanguinary hell. The feature makes the animation of death bloodier and crueler. But more important is another bonus. It enhances the damage dealt with all kinds of weapons by 5%. Additional requirements: none.
Toughness gives you extra 10% Resistance to the damage. It looks nice but there is a problem with game’s mechanics. So far as the perk cannot increase your DR above 85% benefits may be less when you wear high-level armor. Additional requirements: at least 5 EN.
- Level 8.
Size Matters adds 15 points to the Big Guns skill. It’s cool, trust us. It’s so cool that we recommend choosing Big Guns as primary or secondary attacking feature. Even more, this feature has 3 ranks each with 15 points bonus! Additional requirements: at least 5 EN.
Scrounger can potentially reward you with a large amount of money. With it, you can find much more ammo in chests, safes, and containers. Even if you hold tons of ammo be sure to take it and sell. Additional requirements: at least 5 LK.
Commando is almost as useful as the first feature from this category. It increases the accuracy of all two-handed guns by 25%. A lot of powerful guns are two-handed, you know. Additional requirements: none.
- Level 10.
Finesse is extremely valuable for all fighters as it increases the chance of performing a critical attack by 5%. You can argue it’s not so much but even 5% is enough to facilitate your battles. Additional requirements: none.
Mysterious Stranger is funny but unpredictable. It summons a mighty stranger while you are in V.A.T.S. mode. This teammate can kill almost any foe with a direct hit but you never know when he will appear. Additional requirements: at least 6 LK.
Night Person gives you additional 2 points to IN and PE. But it works only at night. Take this perk if you are OK with night travels and battles as 2 points are a cool bonus for every attribute, especially, IN. Additional requirements: none.
- Level 12.
Fast Metabolism makes stimpacks more effective adding 25% to the number of health restored per item. Every melee fighter and tank with high EN should take this feature. Other players may ignore it. Additional requirements: none.
Pyromaniac boosts the damage with firearms by 50% and it’s extremely cool! The only problem is that you must invest 60 points in the skill which is not as useful as the described feature. Additional requirements: at least 60 Explosives.
Silent Running is the real deal for stealth heroes. It boosts your Sneak skill by 10 points which lower the sound you generate greatly. At high levels, this turns the protagonist into a real assassin. Additional requirements: at least 50 Sneak and 6 AG.
- Level 14.
Cyborg is apparently one of the top rated features. It boosts your Energy Weapons skill with 10 extra points, reduces the basic damage took, harm from poisons and radiation by 10%. However, it has strict conditions. Additional requirements: at least 60 Medicine and Science.
Light Step is not as useful as Cyborg feature but it’s pretty nice too. After unlocking this, you will walk on minefields and traps without getting any damage. There are several dangerous areas with various mines in the Wasteland. Additional requirements: at least 6 PE and AG.
- Level 16.
Better Criticals obviously enhances critical attacks from your character by 50%. Be sure to combine it with Finesse. This mix can surprise you with frequent and deadly crits. Additional requirements: at least 6 PE and LK.
Tag! adds the 4th tag skill. You may know that such skills define the hero’s specialization. Each tag skill immediately increases by 15 points. So, this item can greatly expand your overall characteristics. Additional requirements: none.
- Level 18.
Computer Whiz perk is designed for all who aren’t too experienced in mini-games. It gives you a replay option of any unsuccessful hacking attempt. However, if hacking mini-game is easy, the feature will not be useful. Additional requirements: at least 70 Science and 7 IN.
Infiltrator is the same as Computer Whiz but works with lockpicking. Players find this mini-game simpler than its hacking analog. If you are bad both at breaking terminals and doors take this perk too. Additional requirements: at least 70 Lockpick and 7 PE.
Paralyzing Palm comes better together with Iron Fist feature. Once unlocked this ability you can stun any foe with an unarmed attack. Moreover, it works also with weapons that use the Unarmed skill. Additional requirements: at least 70 Unarmed.
- Level 20.
Grim Reaper’s Spirit will restore your AP after performing a kill while in V.A.T.S. It’s the really powerful feature that doesn’t let you run out of AP during entire combat. Additional requirements: none.
Ninja is a logical final for every stealth hero. It adds extra 15% of critical chance for melee and unarmed attacks as well as enhances the damage of sneak criticals by 25%. But it costs pretty high. Additional requirements: at least 80 Melee Weapons and Sneak.
- Higher level perks available in Broken Steel only.
Puppies! is just funny, not so helpful. It spawns a puppy near Vault 101 when Dogmeat or one of his puppies dies. Of course, you can resurrect Dogmeat using the console but, wait; do you ever dream of your own cute puppies? Additional requirements: none.
Almost Perfect is brilliant. It immediately increases all of your attributes to 9 which turn your hero into the Wasteland’s god. You must reach the 30th level to unlock it, although. Additional requirements: none.
Special perks
Here we will shortly describe each perk that can be obtained by interactions with NPCs or performing specific actions. Features from the original game:
- Dream Crusher. Reduces a chance of enemies’ critical hits by 50%, grants you a 30% discount in Moira’s shop in Megaton, and increases Moira’s Repair skill by 30 points. To unlock it you should dissuade Moira from creating her survival guide.
- Hematophage. With it, you can heal yourself with packs of blood for 20 HP in lieu of only 1. This feature is available during the Blood Ties side quest. Your goal is to reconcile enemies and ask Vance to reveal secrets of his nature.
- Power Armor Training. It simply turns you into an invincible tank as you are able now to use the best armor. This feature unlocks after talking with Paladin Gunny or after beating the main quest during the 1st DLC.
Perks from DLCs:
- Covert Ops. Gives extra 3 points to your Science, Small Guns, and Lockpick skills. To unlock it find 10 specific suitcases. Only available in the 1st DLC.
- Auto Axpert. Enhances the efficiency of auto axe 25%. Requires collecting 10 steel ingots from the 2nd story part of the appropriate DLC. Only available in the 2nd DLC.
- Ghoul Ecology. Must add 5 extra points of damage to ghouls but actually works with all hostiles. Find Plik’s journal to unlock this feature. Only available in the 4th DLC.
- Xenotech Expert. Adds extra 20% to your damage with extraterrestrial guns. To unlock it simply spawn 10 enemies in the special area. Only available in the 5th DLC.
Quest perks
These features can be unlocked through different quests. Sure, they are free and you keep your points. Perks from the original game:
- Ant Might or Ant Sight. Both perks increase your Fire Resistance by 25%. Moreover, the first option increases ST by 1 while the second one increases PE by 1. To get it you must spare the queen from Those! quest or kill her and convince Lesko it was necessary.
- Barkskin. Enhances your Resistance to damage by 5 forever. It’s a pretty nice bonus which you may obtain from the Oasis quest. There are different solutions but you should eliminate the heart of Harold to unlock this feature.
- Rad Regeneration. This one heals your hands and legs while you are poisoned by radiation. Note that only advanced level of poisoning suits you. This feature is granted by Moira Brown in Megaton by accepting her offer to suffer from 600 rads.
- Survival Expert. Grants additional Resistance to poisons and radiation. According to your choice, you can receive increased HP, better Medicine and Science or Sneak and Speech skills, reduced basic damage took or higher critical chance. Just help Moira to write her book. It is unavailable together with Dream Crusher.
- Wired Reflexes. It enhances your precision in V.A.T.S. mode by 10%. The feature is available after you inform Zimmer from The Replicated Man side quest about the entity of Harkness also known as A3-21. Note that this ending will grant you an evil karma.
Perks from DLCs:
- Booster Shot. Lowers the radiation impact by 10% after beating Free Labor quest. Only available in the 2nd DLC.
- Pit Fighter. Lowers the basic harm took and the radiation impact by 3% after beating Hole battles quest. Only available in the 2nd DLC.
- Punga Power! Reduces the harm received from local fruits after beating Walking with Spirits quest. Only available in the 4th DLC.
- Superior Defender. Gives 5 extra damage points and lowers the radiation impact by 10 while you are still after beating The Local Flavor quest. Only available in the 4th DLC.
So, now you see which perks are worth unlocking and realize which quests can reward you with the best bonuses. It’s only up to you how to train your character but our list suits every style of playing. Explore the Wasteland and have a good luck!
