Fallout/Character creation

An impression for the game was "a big dumb ox and a pretty little lady won't have the same experience" - to quote Christopher Smith's great Fallout FAQ.

The three pre-made characters that come with the game can finish it.

First, select your name. The name doesn't make any difference in the game; it is your own preference.

Next, select your age. You can be as young as 16, but as old as 35. Age has an insignificant impact on the game. Probably older characters might have different reactions with young ones, but none that I know of. But at the same time, all of my characters were pretty young.

Now you are ready to select your sex. You can be male or female, and the game does differ if you are a girl or a guy. It's your own choice; try beating both variations of the game. However, there are some issues regarding the sex of your character. The game really doesn't matter if you are male or female, but these are the differences. (Female is recommended for a slightly easier game.)
 * Male characters typically get knocked down and have a greater chance of you scoring a critical hit on them if you hit them in the groin. The female character doesn't have any known weaknesses in combat.
 * NPC's have different reactions if you are female or male (Killian calls you darling if you're female, Keri can have sex with you if you're male, etc.)
 * Probably to offset the male weakness thing, female characters are hated by couple of NPCs, notably Lasher. Harry is a bit harder to BS with if you're female.
 * If you are female, there is no charisma bonus to your character, and there aren't any strength and endurance penalties. Ditto for males as well.

Main Skills
They're pretty self explanatory, but on the descriptions it tells what each skill modifies. All skills are important, but try to keep Luck, Strength, and Perception at least at 4. Characters with Intelligence values of three or less face a totally different game...the only options that you'll receive in dialogue are "Ruk" and "Eeg," as well as the occasional "Yah," "Uh-Huh," and "want more."


 * Strength modifies carry weight, hit points, weapon handling, and some weapon skills.
 * Perception modifies some skills and increases accuracy at range.
 * Endurance - Toughness. It modifies some skills, hit points, and resistance to poison and radiation.
 * Charisma - Looks. It modifies speech and barter, as well as NPC reactions.
 * Intelligence modifies dialogue options (gives you more), skill points given per level, and 'science' skills. High * intelligence is important, seven or eight as a minimum is recommended.
 * Agility - Speed. It modifies many skills, armor class, and action points. An Agility of 10 is recommended for snipers.
 * Luck modifies critical chance, some skills, and the outcome of the game.

Secondary Skills
Here is a list of other skills that you'll face. Whenever you create a character, you have to choose three tag skills. Tagging a secondary skill gives you an instant 20% bonus for that skill and 2% increase for each skill point used to increase the tag skill.


 * Small Guns: The use of rifles, pistols, and various small arms. Be sure to tag this one, since most combat will take place with small arms. This skill can be increased by reading the popular magazine 'Guns and Bullets.'
 * Big Guns: The use of miniguns, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. This skill isn't that great because big guns are fairly easy to aim (with the given strength) and that some small arms are better than these large weapons. (And even then, energy weapons are better than all of these...) Don't tag this one, nor should you really consider building this skill.
 * Energy Weapons: The use of all weapons powered by power cells. This one is good in the endgame. You should build it if you plan on killing the Master and the Lieutenant and all of those mutants.
 * Unarmed: The use of fists in combat. This skill helps early on, but it becomes pretty useless in the midgame. If you find the power fist, this skill truly shines. I tagged it so I would have an easy time in Vault 13 and 15 and not having to resort to my gun.
 * Melee Weapons: The use of knives, sledgehammers, spears, and the like. This one follows like unarmed, except that you'll find super sledgehammers instead of power fists. This one is pretty good if you plan on getting the super sledgehammer.
 * Throwing: Use of throwing knives and grenades. Pretty useless, if you ask me. In the fist place, grenades are hard to find and second, even with something like 70% skill, grenades suffer from having a relatively low accuracy to hit your desired target. And grenades are quite expensive.
 * First Aid: Recovers a few hit points. You can increase this skill with first aid books. It is pretty useless to tag or to build since you can read books (and that First Aid kits increase your success with this skill.)
 * Doctor: Recovers a few more hit points than first aid and you can heal crippled limbs. I've healed crippled limbs with 45% skill, and a doctor's bag increases your chance of success with this skill. Don't worry much about it.
 * Sneak: The art of moving around without making people notice. I really haven't found much use for this skill. You can ignore it.
 * Steal: Pretty self explanatory. I didn't have a need to steal from other characters, so I ignored it.
 * Lockpick: The art of picking locked doors. Now this is one thief-type skill that you should pay attention to. Work on this one and build it to about 65% or so. If you work it to 80%, you don't even have to do the Brotherhood quest. It is worth tagging.
 * Using Lockpicks increases skill by 25%.


 * Traps: The skill of arming explosives and disarming traps. Not too important; 50% is adequate for arming explosives and detecting a few traps.
 * Science: Covers primarily computers as well as biology, chemistry, physics, etc. It can be increased by reading 'The Big Book of Science,' as well as taking a few computer courses at the Vault 13 Library and the Brotherhood of Steel. 90% is adequate.
 * Repair: Covers standard repair techniques. Build to about 60%. It can be increased by using the tool as well as reading 'Dean's Electronics.'
 * Using a Tool increases skill by 25%.


 * Speech: The act of convincing others that you are right. This skill is second to small guns, and is extremely useful in bullshitting other people. I tagged this one and worked it to 120%.
 * Barter: This skill is used to determine trade prices. Even with relatively low skill, there will be a couple of merchants whose prices will be higher than yours while bartering. I didn't raise this skill one bit.
 * Gambling: Again, pretty self explanatory. There are only two gambling places I know of: Gizmo's and the Malatese Falcon. It is not worth putting valuable skill points into this skill.
 * Outdoors: Practical knowledge of the outdoors. You can read Scout handbooks to raise this skill, and there are a couple at Shady Sands. You don't have to increase this skill by a lot.

Derived Statistics
Derived statistics are statistics that are a direct result of the main statistics, in other words, increase and decrease a skill and see what happens. Note: These are straight out from the Fallout manual.


 * Hit Points: The number of "life" points. If it goes to zero, so will you.
 * Formula : HP = 15 + (2 x EN) + ST. Average is 30.


 * Armor Class: The higher it is, the harder it is for the enemy to hit you.
 * Formula : AC = AG + Armor worn. Average is 5.


 * Action Points: Determines what you can do during combat. They are displayed by the green lights in combat.
 * Formula : AP = 0.5 x AG + 5. Average is 7.


 * Carry Weight: Mass of how much equipment you can carry, rated in pounds. You can barter for more equipment than you can carry.
 * Formula : 25 + (25 x ST). Average is 150 pounds.


 * Melee Damage: How much extra damage your character does in melee or unarmed attacks.
 * Formula : ST - 5, min.1. Average is 1.


 * Damage Threshold: How much damage your armor can withstand when you are hit.
 * Formula: DR = 0 + Armor


 * Damage Resistance: How much damage your armor can resist when you are hit. The value given in the character screen pertains to normal attacks, while the value given in the inventory screen pertains to different types of attacks, including normal but also explosive, fire, laser, and plasma to name some.
 * Formula : DR = 0% + Armor (Combat Armor has 40% DR)


 * Poison Resistance: How much poison damage that you can resist.
 * Formula : PR = 5 x EN. Average is 25%.


 * Radiation Resistance: How much radiation damage that you can resist. Radiation can affect any character, and the only way to get maximum resistance is using RadX.
 * Formula : RR = 2 x EN + Armor Resistance (Combat Armor has 30% Resistance).
 * Average is 10%.


 * Sequence: Determines who will attack first in combat. Higher is better.
 * Formula : SQ = 2 x PE. Average is 10.


 * Healing Rate: How much you can heal in three hours of rest.
 * Formula : HR = 0.5 x EN, min.1. Average is 1.


 * Critical Chance: Chance of scoring a critical hit on the opponent. I think it increases up to 4 times with a hit to the eyes.
 * Formula : CC = LK. Average is 5%.


 * Poison is measured in units; keep it below 25.
 * Being 'radiated' qualifies having a rem count of 75, with 300 or above being quite serious. A rem count of 5 or higher will bring symptoms of nausea; a rem count of 75 is quite serious, while a rem count of 300 or higher is fatal. If you have enough radiation in your body to necessitate attention, the message 'Radiation' will appear on the screen.

Traits
You can choose up to two traits. Be careful in choosing traits because after you select, there's no going back. Here is a list:


 * Fast Metabolism: Your body is much less resistant to poison and radiation, but it heals faster. Don't take this one: you'll want some poison resistance and you'll have to take two RadX's to get complete radiation resistance with or without this perk (unless you have the Rad Resistance perk or 10 endurance and Power Armor), and that there are plenty of stimpacks lying around. Don't take this one.
 * Bruiser: Your strength is increased by two but your actions points are decreased by two. Not a good one...you'll need all the action points that you have.
 * Small Frame: Your agility is increased by one but your carry weight drops by 30 pounds. It isn't too bad, but the carry weight decrease hurts in the beginning. At least Ian and Tycho have unlimited carrying capacities.
 * One Hander: You are good with one-handed weapons but are bad with two handed weapons. Not a good choice, since the best weapons are two handed.
 * Finesse: Your normal attacks do 30% less damage but your critical chance is increased by 10%. Not too bad of a tradeoff, but I didn't tag this one. And critical damage isn't affected.
 * Kamikaze: Depletes your armor class to what you are wearing but increases sequence by 5. It isn't that great because with 6 perception you'll attack before anyone else does. (in the required fights, that is.)
 * Heavy Handed: Your melee damage is increased by 4 but criticals do 30% less damage. Good in the beginning, and criticals do heaps of damage anyway. But it isn't good in the end, where super mutants and deathclaws lurk around.
 * Fast Shot: You can't aim, but your total cost is decreased by one. It isn't a bad tradeoff if you have high critical chance, and is really really good if you take the perks 'Bonus Ranged Attack', 'Sniper', or 'Slayer' The turbo plasma rifle will cost 2 APs to shoot and the super sledgehammer will only cost 1 AP with those perks. Since most of the aforementioned perks come up in the end, it is good to pass this one by.
 * Bloody Mess: You will always see a grotesque death animation whenever you kill a critter. There really isn't a downside to this, so you can take this one if you want to. The ending at the very very end changes slightly (and for the better).
 * Jinxed: Everybody makes more critical failures, but so do you! If you have 9 or 10 Luck, you'll make few critical failures. Only take it if you have 9 or 10 Luck.
 * Good Natured: Your combat skills are decreased by 10%, but speech, doctor, science, etc. are increased by 15%. Not that great...you'll need high combat skills while 70% or so in the non-combat areas will let you go through the game easily.
 * Chem Reliant: Your addiction rate is increased by 200%, but your withdrawal rate is only 50%. Some drugs, like RadAway, have a 10% addiction rate and no withdrawal...so, it isn't worth it.
 * Chem Resistant: Your addiction rate is 50% of normal, but chems only last for half as long. Not too bad, since combat doesn't take a long time on the Fallout clock.
 * Night Person: Normally, your intelligence and perception are decreased by one from 1800 to 0600 hours. This trait reverses what happens normally. Since most people will ask to talk to you during the day, this isn't that great.
 * Skilled: You get a 10% increase to all of your skills, but you get a perk every four levels. You'll want those perks as early as possible...they are quite useful.
 * Gifted: All of your primary stats are increased by one, but you get 5 fewer skill points per level and your secondary skills are lowered by 10%. This is among the best traits, since there are only a few skills that you really need to work on.

It is recommended to take Gifted and either Bloody Mess, Chem Resistant, or Small Frame.

Perks
After your character reaches the third level, you can choose a perk. A perk is something that gives you a clear-cut benefit without a drawback. You can pick a perk after your character's level is a multiple of three (or four, those with skilled).

'Per level' means the rank of the perk.


 * Action Boy: It gives you one extra action point per level.
 * Requirements: 5 Agility, Level 12
 * Ranks: 3


 * Animal Friend: Animals won't attack you unless they are threatened or are attacked first.
 * Requirements: 5 Intelligence, 25% Outdoorsman, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Awareness: You get to see a critter's hit points and what weapon they are carrying. Really good.
 * Requirements: 5 Perception, Level 3
 * Ranks: 1


 * Better Criticals: It enables instant death and increases damage done by all criticals by 20%.
 * Requirements: 6 Perception and Luck, 4 Agility, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Bonus HtH Attacks: All hand-to-hand attacks cost one less action point to perform.
 * Requirements: 6 Agility, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Bonus HtH Damage: All hand-to-hand attacks deal two extra hit points of damage per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Agility, 6 Strength, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Bonus Move: It gives you two free action points to move around per level.
 * Requirements: 5 Agility, Level 6
 * Ranks: 3


 * Bonus Ranged Damage: All ranged attacks deal two extra hit points of damage per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Agility and Luck, Level 6
 * Ranks: 2


 * Bonus Rate of Fire: All attacks (except unarmed) cost one less action point.
 * Requirements: 7 Agility, 6 Intelligence, 4 Perception, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Cult of Personality: Your reputation is always positive. Great for evil characters.
 * Requirements: 10 Charisma, Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Dodger: A 5% increase in armor class in addition to armor class bonus when armor is worn per level.
 * Requirements: 4 Agility, Level 9
 * Ranks: 2


 * Earlier Sequence: It adds two to your sequence per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Perception, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Educated: Adds two extra skill points whenever you level up per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Intelligence, Level 6
 * Ranks: 3


 * Empathy: Highlights in blue better dialogue choices; highlights in red for bad dialogue choices.
 * Requirements: 7 Perception, 5 Intelligence, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Explorer: You'll get more random encounters with this perk.
 * Requirements: Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Faster Healing: Healing rate is increased by one per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Endurance, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Flower Child: You're 50% less likely to get addicted to drugs, and your withdrawal time drops by half.
 * Requirements: 5 Endurance, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Fortune Finder: You'll find more money in random encounters.
 * Requirements: 8 Luck, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Friendly Foe: Your allies will be highlighted in green instead of red.
 * Requirements: 4 Perception, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Ghost: It's a one-time bonus of 20% to the Sneak skill.
 * Requirements: 60% Sneak, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Healer: You heal two to five more hit points when using First Aid or the Doctor skills per level.
 * Requirements: 7 Perception, 6 Agility, 5 Intelligence, 40% First Aid, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Heave Ho!: This perk will increase your strength by two for determining range with thrown weapons per level. It won't affect carry weight, skills, etc.
 * Requirements: Level 6
 * Ranks: 3


 * Lifegiver: You will gain four hit points when you gain a level per level.
 * Requirements: 4 Endurance, Level 12
 * Ranks: 3


 * Master Thief: It's a one-time bonus of 10% to the Lockpick, Steal, Traps, and Sneak skills.
 * Requirements: Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Master Trader: You have a 25% discount whenever you purchase or barter goods from a store or another person.
 * Requirements: 7 Charisma, 60% Barter, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Medic: It's a one-time bonus of 20% to the First Aid and Doctor skills.
 * Requirements: Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Mental Block: It tunes out any outside mental interference, such as the Master attempting to psychically attack you.
 * Requirements: Level 15
 * Ranks: 1


 * More Criticals: Increases critical chance by 5% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Luck, Level 6
 * Ranks: 3


 * Mr. Fixit: It's a one-time bonus of 20% to the Repair and Science skills.
 * Requirements: Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Mutate!: It changes one of your traits into something else.
 * Requirements: Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Mysterious Stranger: A stranger comes from time to time to help you out.
 * Requirements: 7 Luck, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Night Vision: It reduces the overall darkness by 10% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Perception, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Pathfinder: It reduces your travel time by 25% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Endurance, 40% Outdoorsman, Level 6
 * Ranks: 2


 * Pickpocket: This perk lets you ignore size and facing modifiers when you are stealing.
 * Requirements: 8 Agility, 80% Steal, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Presence: It improves the NPCs' reactions by 10% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Charisma, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Quick Pockets: With this perk, one less action point to access the inventory than normal per level.
 * Requirements: 5 Agility, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Rad Resistance: It increases your radiation resistance by 10% per level.
 * Ranger: Your chances of getting a bad random encounter are lowered for each level of the perk.
 * Requirements: 6 Perception, Level 6
 * Ranks: 3


 * Scout: It increases the size of explorations on the world map by one square for each direction.
 * Requirements: 8 Perception, Level 3
 * Ranks: 1


 * Scrounger: In a random encounter, it doubles the amount of ammunition that you find.
 * Requirements: 8 Luck, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Sharpshooter: It increases your perception for range modifiers only per level.
 * Requirements: 7 Perception, 6 Intelligence, Level 6
 * Ranks: 2


 * Silent Death: With this perk, you can use the Sneak skill and attack a critter using a hand-to-hand attack from the back for double damage.
 * Requirements: 10 Agility, 80% Sneak, Level 18
 * Ranks: 1


 * Silent Running: You can run and sneak at the same time with this perk.
 * Requirements: 6 Agility, 50% Sneak, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Slayer: A 10-sided dice is rolled. If the number is equal to or below your luck, you'll get a critical hit with unarmed or melee weapons. It's really nice and works extremely well with the Super Sledgehammer, Power Fist, or the Ripper.
 * Requirements: 8 Strength, 8 Perception, 80% Unarmed, Level 18
 * Ranks: 1


 * Smooth Talker: Increases your intelligence by one for dialogue purposes only per level.
 * Requirements: 4 Intelligence, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Snakeater: It gives you a 25% increase to your poison resistance.
 * Requirements: 3 Endurance, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Sniper: Same as Slayer, except it works with ranged weapons. It is great with aimed shots (using Small Guns) and is really really nice with burst weapons. (It actually makes the SMG a source of total devastation...)
 * Requirements: 8 Perception, 8 Agility, 80% Small Guns, Level 18
 * Ranks: 1


 * Speaker: It's a one time bonus of 20% to your Speech and Barter skills.
 * Requirements: Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Strong Back: This perk gives you an increase in carry weight by 50 pounds per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Strength, 6 Endurance, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Survivalist: This perk gives you a 20% increase in Outdoorsman for survival purposes only per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Endurance, 6 Intelligence, 40% Outdoorsman, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Swift Learner: Whenever you gain experience, you'll receive 5% more experience per level of the perk.
 * Requirements: 4 Intelligence, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Tag: With this perk, you can pick a new tag skill in addition to the ones you already have.
 * Requirements: Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Toughness: It adds 10% to your general damage resistance per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Endurance, 6 Luck, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3

Sample characters
The sample characters include a general-purpose character who functions as a good diplomat and a shooter, three special characters, a diplomat, and two specialized "Sniper" characters.


 * All-rounder: ST 6 PE 6 EN 6 CH 6 IN 8 AG 10 LK 5 OR
 * ST 6 PE 7 EN 5 CH 6 IN 9 AG 10 LK 5 OR
 * ST 6 PE 8 EN 5 CH 6 IN 8 AG 10 LK 5 (Rounded sniper)


 * Tag Small Guns, Speech, and something else. This is an all around average character. You can mess with other skills to increase Luck and Agility. The Rounded Sniper variant can, as its name suggests, get the "Sniper" perk later on in the game.


 * Pacifist: ST 4 PE 5 EN 9 CH 6 IN 8 AG 10 LK 5


 * Take Gifted and Good Natured, and tag Lockpick, Science, and Speech. This character can get you through the game without killing people. To see how to do this, look in the 'Pacifist' section below. For some strange reason, the female sex is more fitting for this character (although it won't make a difference).


 * Dim-Wit: ST 5 PE 6 EN 6 CH 7 IN 3 AG 8 LK 5


 * Take Chem Resistant, and tag Small Guns, Unarmed, and something else. You start out with two Mentats. You can use them if dialogue is needed. If you feel that the game is too difficult, take the Smooth Talker perk.


 * Late-Game Badass: ST 7 PE 8 EN 6 CH 5 IN 7 AG 8 LK 6 OR
 * ST 6 PE 7 EN 5 CH 5 IN 7 AG 9 LK 8


 * Take Gifted, Fast Shot, and for the perks, make sure you take Bonus Rate of Fire, Better Criticals, and Sniper as perks. To get the Sniper perk, you have to kill the Deathclaws at the Boneyards and not kill the Mother Deathclaw and her eggs. The deathclaws will respawn and will give you better killing opportunities.
 * Also, for the second character, you'll need to take Mentats to get the Sniper perk.


 * Diplomat: ST 5 PE 6 EN 4 CH 8 IN 10 AG 10 LK 4


 * Take Gifted, and tag Small Guns, Speech, and one of these: Unarmed or Lockpick. This character will have low hit points and should stay at a low level; he/she is not eligible for the Sniper perk later on. Be sure to take Bonus Rate of Fire. This character is not good for endgame killings (Master, Deathclaws, etc). If you are going to go after the three, then get the powered armor later on.


 * Sharpshooter: ST 6 PE 8 EN 5 CH 6 IN 7 AG 10 LK 6


 * Take Gifted, Small Frame, tag Small Guns, Energy Weapons, and preferably Speech. Build tag skills to 130% or so and you'll have an easy time at the end. Be sure to get the Plasma Rifle sooner or later, and increase other skills with books.


 * Assault Sniper: ST 6 PE 8 EN 5 CH 6 IN 7 AG 10 LK 6


 * Same as above, except exchange Speech for Melee. Be sure to build Speech to 90% or so, and take the Speech perks if necessary. Build small guns, energy weapons, and melee to over 110%, and ask the Brotherhood for the Super Sledgehammer.

Upgrading your statistics
During your adventure, you can receive some bonuses to your statistics.
 * Drugs, such as Buffout, Mentats, Psyccho, and RadX can increase them temporarily. (For more info on which stats they alter, refer to the appendix.)
 * Armor can provide a good increase in armor class, damage threshold and resistance, as well as radiation resistance.
 * Tycho can teach you some outdoorsman skill if you ask.
 * MacRae, the guard at the Blades, can teach you some fighting skills if you ask him. It's futile to ask if they're at 91%.
 * Watching the Brotherhood Initiate training can give you an increase in melee and unarmed skills.
 * The Brotherhood has computer courses that can increase your science skill by 15%.
 * Reading books can increase your skills, up to 91%. These include: Scout Handbook (outdoorsman), Big Book of Science (Science), Guns and Bullets (small guns), Dean's Electronics (repair), and the First Aid Book (first aid).
 * The Brotherhood surgeon can increase all of your skills (except for charisma and luck) for a price (and long recovery time).
 * Strength   : $2000, 3 weeks
 * Perception : $4000, 1 week
 * Endurance  : $3000, 1 week
 * Intelligence: $6000, 3 weeks ($3000 for characters with less than 3 Intelligence)
 * Agility    : $5000, 3 weeks
 * Patrick the Celt, the wandering bard,, can increase your charisma by one if you sing the Gaelic song with him.
 * Chuck, the fortune teller, can increase your luck by two if you get your fortune told and choose the right conversation path.