Fallout 2/Perks

At certain points in the game (after each 3rd level or 4th level with skilled) you will be able to pick a perk for your character. Perks are different than traits in that they only offer positive things; obviously, there are many useless perks and a select few that absolutely shine. After the detailed list of perks, a short list will follow that will include the "good" perks.

Note that there is a primary statistic level for most perks. You can take drugs (e.g., Mentats or Buffout) to get perks that you wouldn't normally get. This is especially useful for Sniper/Slayer as they have fairly high skill requirements.


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


 * Adrenaline Rush: Strength is increased by one if hit points fall below 50%.
 * Requirements: 1-9 Strength, Level 6
 * 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


 * Comprehension: Your character will gain an additional 50% skill points when reading books like Guns and Bullets, Dean's Electronics, etc.
 * Requirements: 6 Intelligence, Level 3
 * Ranks: 1


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


 * Demolition Expert: Explosives will do more damage and will detonate on time.
 * Requirements: 4 Agility, 90% Traps, Level 9
 * 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


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


 * Gambler: A one-time bonus of 20% to the Gambling skill.
 * Requirements: 50% Gambling, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Gain Skill: Adds one point to one primary skill.
 * Requirements: 1-9 in skill, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


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


 * Harmless: Another one-time bonus, this time a 20% bump to the Steal skill.
 * Requirements: 50% Steal, 49+ Karma points, 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


 * Here and Now: Your character gains an additional level instantly.
 * Requirements: Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Karma-Sutra Master: Gives better reactions to NPCs when having sex.
 * Requirements: 5 Endurance adn Agility, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * Karma Beacon: Karma is doubled for the purposes of dialogue.
 * Requirements: 6 Charisma, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


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


 * Living Anatomy: A bonus of 10% to the doctor skill as well as dealing 5 extra points of damage to living creatures. Excellent perk.
 * Requirements: 60% Doctor, Level 12
 * Ranks: 1


 * Master Thief: It's a one-time bonus of 15% to the Lockpick and Steal 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


 * 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: 4 Luck, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * Negotiator: Gives a one-time bonus of 10% to the Speech and Barter skills.
 * Requirements: 50% Speech, 50% Barter, 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 NPC's reaction by 10% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Charisma, Level 3
 * Ranks: 3


 * Pyromaniac: Your character will do 5 more damage with flamethrowers.
 * Requirements: 75% Big Guns, Level 9
 * Ranks: 1


 * 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 15% per level.
 * Requirements: 6 Endurance, 4 Intelligence, Level 6
 * Ranks: 2


 * Ranger: The Outdoorsman skill is increased by 15%.
 * Requirements: 6 Perception, Level 6
 * Ranks: 1


 * 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


 * Thief: Another one-time bonus of 10% to the Lockpick, Sneak, Steal, and Traps skills.
 * Requirements: Level 3
 * Ranks: 1


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


 * Weapons Handling: It adds 3 to Strength when determining which weapons can be used (determined by strength).
 * Requirements: 5 Agility, Level 12
 * Ranks: 1

Good perk list
Here's a list of the perks that absolutely shine:
 * Action Boy (especially if you have 8 oor 9 Agility)
 * Awareness
 * Better Criticals
 * Bonus HtH attacks
 * Bonus Move
 * Bonus Rate of Fire
 * Living Anatomy
 * More Criticals
 * Mr. Fixit
 * Slayer
 * Sniper
 * Thief