Fallout 2 skills

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This page lists all skills in Fallout 2.

• The content is not described in full detail on this page. For details, please see the respective articles.
• For skills in other Fallout games, please see "Skill".
• For an overview of Fallout 2 content, please refer to "Portal:Fallout 2."

 

Skill advancement

Each skill has its own skill level, which is expressed as a percentage. Skill levels can be increased by allocating skill points earned from gaining levels. Skills can also be improved by reading specific books or completing quests within the game.

Raising a skill one percentage point costs one skill point. If the player character has a specifically tagged skill, one skill point will raise the corresponding skill by two percentage points.

When purchasing skills, if the skill type is tagged, two skill % (at 1-100%) are given for each skill point spent. There are no half skill points for a cost of one. Similarly, when buying skills at cost two or higher, two or more skill points must still be purchased at once, for a cost of two, or three for three, etc. (E.g. if a skill is at 101%, and tagged, the next purchase must be of two skill, taking the skill to 103%, for a cost of two skill points.)

To raise a skill one percentage point (or two if it is tagged) when its current percentage value is between or including:

• 1% to 100% costs 1 skill point
• 101% to 125% costs 2 Skill points
• 126% to 150% costs 3 Skill points
• 151% to 175% costs 4 Skill points
• 176% to 200% costs 5 Skill points
• 201% to 300% costs 6 Skill points

Note that if the second of the two skill points bought for a tagged skill ends up above the transition between two costs, the cost is the lower one. For example, if a skill is at 100% and tagged, spending one skill point takes the skill to 102% for the cost of one skill point.

Skill points can be left unspent and will remain, to be spent later. This could conceivably be useful in the event of a hurdle in the game of unknown type that would prevent further progress, e.g. a locked door. Any unspent skill points in excess of 99 are lost.

Perks can be left unspent and saved until later. When the perk option opens simply select cancel and it will close. The perk window will keep reopening each time one enters the character screen but each time it can be closed again with cancel. However, one cannot stack perks; if they have avoided selecting a perk and gain another one, the first perk will be lost.

Effect of stats on skills

SPECIAL stats (Strength, Perception, etc.) modify skills with a considerable bonus. The game keeps track of this bonus throughout the game, in real time. Any changes to stats, (e.g. chem effects, aftereffects, and addiction effects, the Hubologist zeta scans, Gain (statistic) perk, red memory module enhancement, mirrored shades equipped, ear bitten off by the Masticator etc.) during the game add to or subtract from this modifier.

Effect of difficulty settings on skills

• Combat and tagged skills are unaffected by difficulty settings.
• Active and passive skills are lowered by 10 (%) when the difficulty is changed from "normal" to "hard".
• Active and passive skills are raised by 20 (%) when the difficulty is changed from "normal" to "easy".

Maximizing skill point gain/cost ratio

Reducing the base stat modifier of skills with chem effects, and/or by changing the difficulty to hard, can reduce the cost of skill points if it lowers the skill below a skill cost threshold. For example, Science can be raised to 135% for only one skill point per % by lowering Intelligence to zero with Mentats' aftereffects or Psycho effects (there is a limit of two chems without saving and reloading, but that will doubtlessly be necessary in any case to avoid addiction), and raising the difficulty to "hard" before spending. It can be raised a further 20% if needed, afterwards, by setting the difficulty to "easy" (same goes for reading books). This also works for higher tiers of skill point cost. Note, however, a player buying the higher tiers is doubtless in late game or finished with the game story, and may prefer to just wait for or look for the Vault City designer notes after finishing the Enclave Oil Rig.

List of skills

Note: The Fallout 2 Hintbook increases all skills to 300%. To avoid cluttering the table, it is not listed for each individual skill.

Combat skills

Skill	Associated stat(s)	Associated skill book	Initial value
Small Guns	Agility	Guns and Bullets	5% + (4 x AG)
Big Guns	Agility		2% x AG
Energy Weapons	Agility	Cat's Paw issue no.5	2% x AG
Unarmed	Agility, Strength		40% + (.5 x ST) + (.5 x AG)
Melee Weapons	Agility, Strength		55% + (.5 x ST) + (.5 x AG)
Throwing	Agility		4% x AG

Active skills

Skill	Associated stat(s)	Associated skill book	Initial value
First Aid	Perception, Intelligence	First Aid Book	30% + (.5 x PE) + (.5 x IN)
Doctor	Perception, Intelligence		15% + (.5 x PE) + (.5 x IN)
Sneak	Agility		25% + AG
Lockpick	Perception, Agility		20% + (.5 x PE) + (.5 x AG)
Steal	Agility		20% + AG
Traps	Perception, Agility		20% + (.5 x PE) + (.5 x AG)
Science	Intelligence	Big Book of Science	25% + (2 x IN)
Repair	Intelligence	Dean's Electronics	20% + IN

Passive skills

Skill	Associated stat	Associated skill book	Initial value
Speech	Charisma		25% + (2 x CH)
Barter	Charisma		20% + (2 x CH)
Gambling	Luck		5% x LK
Outdoorsman	Endurance, Intelligence	Scout Handbook	0% + (2 x EN) + (2 x IN)

Skills Fallout Small Guns · Big Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Throwing · First Aid · Doctor · Sneak · Lockpick · Steal · Traps · Science · Repair · Speech · Barter · Gambling · Outdoorsman Fallout 2 Small Guns · Big Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Throwing · First Aid · Doctor · Sneak · Lockpick · Steal · Traps · Science · Repair · Speech · Barter · Gambling · Outdoorsman Fallout 3 Small Guns · Big Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Throwing · Explosives · Medicine · Sneak · Lockpick · Science · Repair · Speech · Barter Fallout: New Vegas Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Explosives · Medicine · Sneak · Lockpick · Science · Repair · Speech · Barter · Survival Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Small Guns · Big Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Throwing · Explosives · Athletics · Medicine · Sneak · Lockpick · Pilot · Science · Repair · Speech · Barter · Survival Fallout Tactics Small Guns · Big Guns · Energy Weapons · Unarmed · Melee Weapons · Throwing · First Aid · Doctor · Sneak · Lockpick · Steal · Traps · Science · Repair · Pilot · Barter · Gambling · Outdoorsman · Speech