Tag skill

 

Tag skills are the player character's specializations. At the start of every Fallout game except for 4, the player chooses three Tag skills which will be their character's specialties throughout the game. The Tag! perk allows you to pick an an additional, fourth tag skill later in the game.

In Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, tagged skills increase at double the rate of an untagged skill (i.e. One skill point translates to a 2% increase in the skill). In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas however, a tagged skill only gives a 15 point boost.

Tag skills are a vital part of the Fallout universe because they essentially dictate what type of character you will play. A fighter will tag combat skills whereas a diplomat may choose speech, barter and science. A well-rounded character usually includes at least one diplomatic and one combat skill.

Tag skill bonuses

Tagging skills also provides an immediate benefit to your starting equipment in Fallout and Fallout Tactics.

Fallout starting equipment

• 1x Colt 6520 10mm pistol
• 48x 10mm JHP
• 1x Knife
• 2x flares
• 4x stimpaks

Tag Bonuses
Small Guns: +24 10mm JHP Unarmed: +1 Brass knuckles Throwing: +2 throwing knives First Aid: +2 stimpaks Doctor: +1 doctor's bag Steal or Lockpick: +1 lock pick set Science: +2 Buffouts +2 Mentats Repair: +1 tool Outdoorsman: +3 water flasks

Fallout Tactics starting equipment

• 1x MP5 H&K
• 48x 9mm ball
• 1x Happy Pie
• 1x Classic Nuka-Cola
• 1x stimpaks
• 1x Midwest Brotherhood leather armor

Tag Bonuses

Small Guns: +24 9mm ball +1 booze Big Guns: +1 Happy Pie +2 booze Energy Weapons: +3 pre-War donuts +1 booze Unarmed: +1 brass knuckles +1 Buffout +3 rot gut Melee Weapons: +1 broken bottle +1 knife Throwing: +3 spears +1 frag grenade +10 rocks First Aid: +1 antidote +2 poison +1 First aid kit Doctor: +1 doctor's bag +3 fruit +1 scalpel Sneak: +1 axe handle Lockpick: +1 stinky meat platter +25rp Steal: +$30 +100rp Traps: +1 explosive trap +3 T13 antipersonnel mines Science: +1 clipboard +1 Mentats +4 classic Nuka-Cola Repair: +1 tool kit +1 crowbar Pilot: +1 Cat's Paw +2 XXXXXBeer +6 beer Barter: +1 Cat's Paw +50rp Gambling: +$500 Outdoorsman: +1 Rad-X +1 healing powder

Behind the scenes

At one point, it was planned for Fallout 3's tag skills to give double the points, the same as the previous games.