Fallout 2 skills

Skills in Fallout 2 are learned abilities of your character. The skill level shows how good your character is at that skill. 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.

Skill advancement

Raising a skill one percentage point initially costs one skill point, or two percentage points for one skill point if the skill is tagged.

When buying 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. E.g. if a skill is at 100%, and tagged, spending one skill point takes the skill to 102%, for the cost of one skill point.

Unlike perks, 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.

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 Strength 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 unless you save and reload, but that will doubtlessly be necessary in any case to avoid become Addicted), 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 Oil Rig.

List of skills

Combat skills

Skill	Associated stat	Associated skillbook
Big Guns	Agility	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Energy Weapons	Agility	Cat's Paw Issue No.5 Fallout 2 Hintbook
Melee Weapons	Strength	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Small Guns	Agility	Guns and Bullets Fallout 2 Hintbook
Throwing	Agility	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Unarmed	Agility Strength	Fallout 2 Hintbook

Active skills

Skill	Associated stat	Associated skillbook
Doctor	Intelligence Perception	Fallout 2 Hintbook
First Aid	Intelligence Perception	First Aid Book Fallout 2 Hintbook
Lockpick	Agility Perception	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Repair	Intelligence	Dean's Electronics Fallout 2 Hintbook
Science	Intelligence	Big Book of Science Fallout 2 Hintbook
Sneak	Agility	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Steal	Agility	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Traps	Agility Perception	Fallout 2 Hintbook

Passive skills

Skill	Associated stat	Associated skillbook
Barter	Charisma	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Gambling	Luck	Fallout 2 Hintbook
Outdoorsman	Endurance Intelligence	Scout Handbook Fallout 2 Hintbook
Speech	Charisma	Fallout 2 Hintbook