Fallout 4 Perks Guide

Fallout 4 Perks Guide

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Intro

Bethesda made the controversial decision of removing skills from Fallout 4. Bobbleheads based on skills still exist, but the skills themselves are gone entirely. Here’s where to find them.

In their place is a perk system, similar to the one Bethesda implemented in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The new system has opened up tons of different possibilities for character building.

Most perks come easy, just by leveling up, but others take some exploring and bonding. Let’s dive into our Fallout 4 Perks guide and give you the breakdown of them all, shall we?

What Are Perks?

Perk Tab

Perks are additional abilities or bonus effects for your Sole Survivor and come in five main categories:

  • SPECIAL perks
  • Bobblehead perks
  • Magazine perks
  • Companion perks
  • Temporary perks

To have access to every perk and perk rank in the game, you must have the Nuka-World and Far Harbor DLCs.

SPECIAL Perks

Perk Chart

SPECIAL perks are the meat and potatoes of the perk system in Fallout 4. Every time you level up, you receive a perk point. You can use that point to invest in one of the many perks under the SPECIAL attribute perk trees. You can also use perk points to increase your SPECIAL attribute. 

There is a total of seven SPECIAL attributes in Fallout 4:

  • Strength
  • Perception
  • Endurance
  • Agility
  • Charisma
  • Intelligence
  • Luck

Selecting a perk requires meeting the minimum attribute and character level requirements. The first rank of every perk is available immediately, provided you meet the attribute requirement.

Strength Perks

STR 1

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Iron Fist

  • Rank 1. Punching attacks now do 20% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Punching attacks do 40% more damage and can disarm opponents. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. Punching attacks do 60% more damage. Your unarmed Power Attacks now have a chance of crippling an enemy’s limbs. Level 18 is required.
  • Rank 4. Punching attacks do 80% more damage. The chance of unarmed Power Attacks crippling limbs is even higher. Level 31 is required.
  • Rank 5. Punching attacks do double damage. Critical hits in VATS will paralyze opponents. Level 46 is required. 

STR 2

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Big Leagues

  • Rank 1. Melee weapons do 20% more damage. 
  • Rank 2. Melee weapons do 40% more damage, and you have a chance of disarming enemies. Level 7 is required.
  • Rank 3. Melee weapons do 60% more damage. Your chance of disarming enemies is even higher. Level 15 is required.
  • Rank 4. Melee weapons do 80% more damage, and you can now hit every target in front of you with your attacks. Level 27 is required.
  • Rank 5. Melee weapons do double damage. You gain a chance of crippling an enemy’s limb as well as knocking their head clean off, Grand Slam style. Level 42 is required.

STR 3

Armorer

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  • Rank 1. You now have access to base level and Rank 1 armor mods.
  • Rank 2. You gain access to Rank 2 armor mods. Level 13 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain access to Rank 3 armor mods. Level 25 is required.
  • Rank 4. You gain access to Rank 4 armor mods. Level 39 is required.

STR 4

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Blacksmith

  • Rank 1. You gain access to base level and Rank 1 melee weapon mods.
  • Rank 2. You gain access to Rank 2 melee weapon mods. Level 16 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain access to Rank 3 melee weapon mods. Level 29 is required.

STR 5

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Heavy Gunner

  • Rank 1. Heavy guns do 20% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Heavy guns now do 40% more damage, and you have increased hip-fire accuracy. Level 11 is required.
  • Rank 3. Heavy guns now do 60% more damage, and you have even better hip-fire accuracy. Level 21 is required.
  • Rank 4. Heavy guns now do 80% more damage, and you have a chance to stagger your enemies. Level 35 is required.
  • Rank 5. Heavy guns now do double damage. Level 47 is required.

STR 6

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Strong Back

  • Rank 1. You gain +25 carry weight. 
  • Rank 2. You gain +50 carry weight. Level 10 is required.
  • Rank 3. When overencumbered, you can use Action Points to run. Level 20 is required.
  • Rank 4. When overencumbered, you can use fast travel. Level 30 is required.
  • Rank 5. When overencumbered, running costs 50% fewer Action Points. Level 40 and Far Harbor are required.

STR 7

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Steady Aim

  • Rank 1. Hip-fire accuracy is improved when you fire any gun.
  • Rank 2. Hip-fire accuracy with any gun is improved even further. Level 28 is required.
  • Rank 3. Hip-fire damage with any gun is improved. Level 49 and Nuka-World DLC are required.

STR 8

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Basher

  • Rank 1. Gun bashing does 25% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Gun bashing now does 50% more damage and can cripple opponents. Level 5 is required. 
  • Rank 3. Gun bashing does 75% more damage, and you have a greater chance of crippling opponents. Level 14 is required.
  • Rank 4. Gun bashing does double damage, can be critical hits, and has an even bigger chance of crippling opponents. Level 26 is required.

STR 9

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Rooted

  • Rank 1. You gain +25 damage resistance, and your melee and unarmed attacks do +25% damage while standing still.
  • Rank 2. While standing still, you gain +50 damage resistance, and your melee and unarmed attacks do +50% damage. Level 22 is required.
  • Rank 3. While standing still, you sometimes automatically disarm melee attackers. Level 43 is required. 

STR 10

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Pain Train

  • Rank 1. Sprinting into enemies while wearing Power Armor will damage and stagger them.
  • Rank 2. Sprinting into enemies while wearing Power Armor will deal more damage and a more powerful stagger. Level 24 is required. 
  • Rank 3. Sprinting into enemies while wearing Power Armor will knock them down and deal massive damage. Power Armor impact landings will also deal more damage. Level 50 is required.

Perception Perks

PER 1

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Pickpocket

  • Rank 1. Pickpocketing is 25% easier. 
  • Rank 2. Picking pockets is 50% easier, and you can place live grenades in people’s inventories. Level 6 is required. 
  • Rank 3. Picking pockets is 75% easier, and you can steal equipped weapons. Level 17 is required.
  • Rank 4. Picking pockets is twice as easy, and you can steal equipped items. Level 30 is required.

PER 2

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Rifleman

  • Rank 1. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 20% more damage. 
  • Rank 2. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 40% more damage and ignore 15% of the enemy’s armor. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. Non-automatic rifles do 60% more damage and ignore 20% of the enemy’s armor. Level 18 is required.
  • Rank 4. Attacks with non-automatic rifles do 80% more damage and ignore 25% of the enemy’s armor. Level 31 is required.
  • Rank 5. Non-automatic rifles deal double damage, ignore 30% of the enemy’s armor, and have higher chances of crippling limbs. Level 46 is required.

PER 3

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Awareness

  • Rank 1. You can target your enemies’ specific damage resistances in VATS.
  • Rank 2. 5% increased hit chance and damage when attacking enemies in VATS. Level 14 and Nuka-World DLC are required.

PER 4

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Locksmith

  • Rank 1. You can pick Advanced locks.
  • Rank 2. You can pick Expert locks. Level 7 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can pick Master locks. Level 18 is required. 
  • Rank 4. Your bobby pins never break when you attempt to pick locks.

PER 5

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Demolition Expert

  • Rank 1. Explosives do 25% more damage, and you can craft explosives at chemical stations.
  • Rank 2. Your explosives do 50% more damage, and grenades have a throwing arc when you toss them. Level 10 is required.
  • Rank 3. Your explosives do 75% more damage and have a greater area of effect. Level 22 is required. 
  • Rank 4. Your explosives do double damage, and mines and grenades shot in VATS deal double damage, too. 

PER 6

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Night Person

  • Rank 1. Gain + 2 Intelligence and Perception between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M.
  • Rank 2. Gain +3 Intelligence and Perception between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. You also gain innate night vision while sneaking. Level 25 is required.
  • Rank 3. Between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M., you have 30 extra HP. Level 37 and Far Harbor are required.

PER 7

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Refractor

  • Rank 1. Gain +10 Energy Resistance.
  • Rank 2. Gain +20 Energy Resistance. Level 11 is required.
  • Rank 3. Gain +30 Energy Resistance. Level 21 is required.
  • Rank 4. Gain +40 Energy Resistance. Level 35 is required.
  • Rank 5. Gain +50 Energy Resistance. Level 42 is required.

PER 8

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Sniper

  • Rank 1. You have improved control while aiming and can hold your breath longer using scopes. 
  • Rank 2. Non-automatic, scoped rifles have a chance of knocking down your enemies. Level 13 is required.
  • Rank 3. Non-automatic, scoped rifles gain a +25 accuracy increase to headshots in VATS. Level 26 is required.

PER 9

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Penetrator

  • Rank 1. In VATS, you can target enemy body parts blocked by cover at the cost of accuracy. 
  • Rank 2. You no longer suffer an accuracy decrease when targeting enemy body parts blocked by cover in VATS. Level 28 is required.

PER 10

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Concentrated Fire

  • Rank 1. Every attack on the same body part gives +10% accuracy in VATS.
  • Rank 2. Every attack on the same body part grants +15% accuracy in VATS. Level 26 is required.
  • Rank 3. Every attack on the same body part grants +20% accuracy in VATS and does 20% more damage. Level 50 is required.

Endurance Perks

END 1

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Toughness

  • Rank 1. Gain +10 Damage Resistance
  • Rank 2. Gain +20 Damage Resistance. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. Gain +30 Damage Resistance. Level 18 is required.
  • Rank 4. Gain +40 Damage Resistance. Level 31 is required.
  • Rank 5. Gain +50 Damage Resistance. Level 46 is required.

END 2

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Lead Belly

  • Rank 1. You take less radiation from eating or drinking.
  • Rank 2. You take even less radiation from eating or drinking. Level 6 is required. 
  • Rank 3. You take no radiation from eating or drinking. Level 17 is required.

END 3

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Lifegiver

  • Rank 1. You gain +20 maximum health.
  • Rank 2. You gain another +20 maximum health. Level 8 is required. 
  • Rank 3. You gain another +20 maximum health and slowly regenerate HP. Level 20 is required.

END 4

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Chem Resistant

  • Rank 1. You’re 50% less likely to become addicted to chems. 
  • Rank 2. You are immune to chem addiction. Level 22 is required.

END 5

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Aquaboy/Aquagirl

  • Rank 1. You no longer take radiation damage from swimming and can breathe underwater. 
  • Rank 2. You become totally undetectable while underwater. Level 21 is required.

END 6

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Rad Resistant

  • Rank 1. You gain +10 radiation resistance. 
  • Rank 2. You gain +20 radiation resistance. Level 13 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain +30 radiation resistance. Level 26 is required.
  • Rank 4. You gain + 40 radiation resistance. Level 35 and Far Harbor are required.

END 7

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Adamantium Skeleton

  • Rank 1. Limb damage is reduced by 30%.
  • Rank 2. Limb damage is reduced by 60%. Level 13 is required. 
  • Rank 3. You no longer suffer limb damage. Level 26 is required. 

END 8

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Cannibal

  • Rank 1. Eating human corpses restores your health.
  • Rank 2. Eating super mutant or ghoul corpses restores your health. Level 19 is required.
  • Rank 3. Eating human, super mutant, or ghoul corpses restores a significant amount of health. Level 38 is required.

END 9

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Ghoulish

  • Rank 1. Radiation regenerates lost health.
  • Rank 2. Radiation regenerates even more of your lost health. Level 24 is required.
  • Rank 3. Radiation regenerates even more lost health, and some feral ghouls will appear friendly. 
  • Rank 4. Radiation damage will slowly heal you. Level 50 and Nuka-World are required.

END 10

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Solar Powered

  • Rank 1. Gain +2 Strength and Endurance between 6 A.M. and 6 P.M.
  • Rank 2. Sunlight slowly heals radiation damage. Level 27 is required.
  • Rank 3. Sunlight slowly restores your lost health. Level 50 is required.

Charisma Perks

CHR 1

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Cap Collector 

  • Rank 1. Buying and selling prices at vendors are better.
  • Rank 2. Buying and selling prices at vendors are much better now. Level 20 is required. 
  • Rank 3. You can invest 500 caps into a vendor to increase their store’s buying capacity. Level 41 is required.

CHR 2

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Black Widow/Lady Killer

  • Rank 1. You deal +5% damage to men/women in combat, and they are easier to persuade in dialogue. 
  • Rank 2. You deal +10% damage to men/women in combat, and they are even easier to persuade in dialogue. Men/women are also easier to pacify with the Intimidation perk. Level 7 is required.
  • Rank 3. You deal +15% damage to men/women in combat, and they are much easier to persuade in dialogue. They are also even easier to pacify with the Intimidation perk. Level 22 is required.

CHR 3

Lone Wanderer 

  • Rank 1. You take 15% less damage and have +50 carry weight when adventuring without a companion.
  • Rank 2. You take 30% less damage and get +100 carry weight when adventuring without a companion. Level 17 is required.
  • Rank 3. You deal 25% more damage when adventuring without a companion. Level 40 is required.
  • Rank 4. You gain 25 Action Points when adventuring without a companion. Level 50 and Far Harbor are required.

CHR 4

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Attack Dog

  • Rank 1. Dogmeat can hold onto enemies, giving you a greater chance of hitting them in VATS.
  • Rank 2. Dogmeat has a chance of crippling the limb he’s biting. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. Dogmeat has a chance of causing enemies he’s holding to bleed. Level 25 is required.
  • Rank 4. When traveling with Dogmeat, you take 10% less damage. Level 31 and Nuka-World are required.

CHR 5

Animal Friend

  • Rank 1. Aiming your gun at any animal that’s lower level than you gives you a chance to pacify it. 
  • Rank 2. Animals you successfully pacify can be incited to attack. Level 12 is required.
  • Rank 3. Animals you successfully pacify can be given specific commands. Level 28 is required. 

CHR 6

Local Leader

  • Rank 1. You can establish supply lines between your owned settlements.
  • Rank 2. You can build stores and workstations at your workshop settlements. Level 14 is required.

CHR 7

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Party Girl/Party Boy

  • Rank 1. You no longer can get addicted to alcohol.
  • Rank 2. You receive double the effects when consuming alcohol. Level 15 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain +3 Luck after consuming alcohol. Level 37 is required.

CHR 8

Inspirational

  • Rank 1. Your companions do more damage in combat and cannot hurt you.
  • Rank 2. Your companions do even more damage in combat and no longer suffer damage from your attacks. Level 19 is required.
  • Rank 3. Your companion can carry more items.

CHR 9

Wasteland Whisperer

  • Rank 1. Pointing your gun at a wasteland creature that’s lower level than you gives you a chance to pacify it. 
  • Rank 2. You can incite wasteland creatures you pacify to attack. Level 21 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can give wasteland creatures you pacify specific commands. Level 49 is required.

CHR 10

Intimidation

  • Rank 1. Pointing your gun at any human enemy lower level than you gives you a chance to pacify them.
  • Rank 2. You can incite humans you pacify to attack. Level 23 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can give specific commands to human enemies that you pacify. Level 50 is required.

Intelligence Perks

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INT 1

V.A.N.S. 

  • Rank 1. The path closest to your target shows up in VATS.
  • Rank 2. Gain +2 Perception. Level 36 and Nuka-World are required.

INT 2

Medic

  • Rank 1. Stimpaks restore 40% of health, and RadAway removes 40% of radiation.
  • Rank 2. Stimpaks restore 60% of health, and RadAway removes 60% of radiation. Level 18 is required.
  • Rank 3. Stimpaks restore 80% of health, and RadAway removes 80% of radiation. Level 30 is required.
  • Rank 4. Stimpaks and RadAway completely restore health, remove radiation, and work much faster. Level 49 is required.

INT 3

Gun Nut

  • Rank 1. You gain access to base level and Rank 1 gun mods.
  • Rank 2. You gain access to Rank 2 gun mods. Level 13 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain access to Rank 3 gun mods. Level 25 is required.
  • Rank 4. You gain access to Rank 4 gun mods. Level 39 is required.

INT 4

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Hacker

  • Rank 1. You can hack Advanced terminals. 
  • Rank 2. You can hack Expert terminals. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can hack Master terminals. Level 21 is required. 
  • Rank 4. You never get locked out of a terminal when your hacking attempts fail. Level 33 is required.

INT 5

Scrapper

  • Rank 1. You salvage uncommon components like aluminum and screws when scrapping weapons and armor.
  • Rank 2. You salvage rare components like nuclear material and circuitry from scrapping weapons and armor. Items that contain your favorite components will show up highlighted. Level 23 is required.
  • Rank 3. You obtain twice the amount of uncommon components from scrapping weapons and armor. Level 40 and Far Harbor are required.

INT 6

Science! 

  • Rank 1. You gain access to base level and Rank 1 high-tech mods.
  • Rank 2. You gain access to Rank 2 high-tech mods. Level 17 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain access to Rank 3 high-tech mods. Level 28 is required.
  • Rank 4. You gain access to Rank 4 high-tech mods. Level 41 is required. 

INT 7

Chemist

  • Rank 1. Any chems you take last 50% longer. You also gain the ability to craft various chems at chemistry stations.
  • Rank 2. Chems last twice as long. Level 16 is required. 
  • Rank 3. Chems now last an additional 150% longer. Level 32 is required. 
  • Rank 4. Chems now last an additional 200% longer. Level 45 is required.

INT 8

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Robotics Expert

  • Rank 1. You can hack robots and have a chance to power them on or off or initiate a self-destruct sequence. 
  • Rank 2. You can incite robots you have successfully hacked to attack. Level 19 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can give specific commands to robots you have successfully hacked. Level 44 is required.

INT 9

Nuclear Physicist

  • Rank 1. Radiation weapons do 50% more damage, and fusion cores last 25% longer.
  • Rank 2. Radiation weapons do double damage, and fusion cores last 50% longer.
  • Rank 3. You can eject fusion cores from Power Armor to act as nuclear grenades, and fusion cores last twice as long.

INT 10

Nerd Rage!

  • Rank 1. When below 20% HP, time slows down and gain +20 damage resistance and do 20% more damage. 
  • Rank 2. When Nerd Rage is in effect, gain +30 damage resistance and do 30% more damage. Level 31 is required. 
  • Rank 3. When Nerd Rage is in effect, gain +40 damage resistance and do 40% more damage. Level 50 is required. While enraged, any kills you make restores some health. 

Agility Perks

AGI 1

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Gunslinger

  • Rank 1. Non-automatic pistols do 20% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Non-automatic pistols do 40% more damage and have increased range. Level 7 is required.
  • Rank 3. Non-automatic pistols do 60% more damage and have even more range. Level 15 is required.
  • Rank 4. Non-automatic pistols do 80% more damage and can disarm enemies. Level 27 is required.
  • Rank 5. Non-automatic pistols do double damage, have a greater chance of disarming enemies, and have a chance to cripple limbs. Level 42 is required.

AGI 2

Commando

  • Rank 1. Automatic weapons do 20% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Automatic weapons do 40% more damage and have improved hip-fire accuracy. Level 11 is required.
  • Rank 3. Automatic weapons do 60% more damage and have even better hip-fire accuracy. Level 21 is required.
  • Rank 4. Automatic weapons do 80% more damage and have a chance to stagger enemies. Level 35 is required.
  • Rank 5. Automatic weapons do double damage and have a greater stagger chance. Level 49 is required.

AGI 3

Sneak

  • Rank 1. You are 20% harder to detect while sneaking.
  • Rank 2. You are 30% harder to detect while sneaking and no longer trigger floor-based traps set by enemies. Level 12 is required.
  • Rank 3. You are 40% harder to detect while sneaking and no longer trigger enemy-set mines. Level 23 is required.
  • Rank 4. You are 50% harder to detect while sneaking, and running doesn’t negatively affect your stealth. Level 38 is required.

AGI 4

Mister Sandman

  • Rank 1. You can instantly kill sleeping enemies, and your silenced weapons do an additional 15% sneak attack damage. 
  • Rank 2. Your silenced weapons do an additional 30% sneak attack damage. Level 17 is required.
  • Rank 3. Your silenced weapons do an additional 50% damage. Level 30 is required.

AGI 5

Action Boy/Action Girl

  • Rank 1. Your Action Points regenerate 25% faster.
  • Rank 2. Your Action Points regenerate 50% faster. Level 18 is required.
  • Rank 3. Your Action Points regenerate 75% faster. Level 38 and Far Harbor are required.

AGI 6

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Moving Target

  • Rank 1. You get +25 Damage and Energy Resistance while you are sprinting.
  • Rank 2. You get +50 Damage and Energy Resistance while you are sprinting. Level 24 is required.
  • Rank 3. Sprinting costs 50% fewer Action Points. Level 44 is required.

AGI 7

Ninja 

  • Rank 1. Your ranged sneak attacks do 2.5X normal damage, and melee sneak attacks do 4X normal damage. 
  • Rank 2. Your ranged sneak attacks do 3X normal damage, and melee sneak attacks do 5X normal damage. Level 16 is required.
  • Rank 3. Your ranged sneak attacks do 4.5X normal damage, and melee sneak attacks do 10X normal damage. Level 33 is required. 

AGI 8

Quick Hands

  • Rank 1. You can reload all guns faster.
  • Rank 2. Reloading guns no longer costs Action Points in VATS. Level 28 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain 10 Action Points. Level 40 and Nuka-World are required.

AGI 9

Blitz

  • Rank 1. The distance you can initiate a melee attack in VATS is significantly increased.
  • Rank 2. VATS melee distance is increased even further, and you do more damage the farther you are from the enemy. Level 29 is required.

AGI 10

Gun Fu

  • Rank 1. Do 25% more damage in VATS on your second target.
  • Rank 2. Do 50% more damage in VATS to your third target and every target after. Level 26 is required.
  • Rank 3. You deal critical hits to your fourth target and beyond in VATS. Level 50 is required.

Luck Perks

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LCK 1

Fortune Finder

  • Rank 1. You will find more bottle caps in searched containers.
  • Rank 2. You will find even more bottle caps in containers. Level 5 is required.
  • Rank 3. You will find even more bottle caps in containers. Level 25 is required.
  • Rank 4. You will find even more bottle caps in containers, and defeated enemies will sometimes explode into a show of caps. Level 40 is required.

LCK 2

Scrounger 

  • Rank 1. You now find more ammunition in containers.
  • Rank 2. You find even more ammunition in containers. Level 7 is required.
  • Rank 3. You find even more ammunition in containers. Level 24 is required. 
  • Rank 4. You have a chance of gaining ammo after firing the last round in your magazine. Level 37 is required.

LCK 3

Bloody Mess

  • Rank 1. You gain +5 damage, and enemies sometimes explode upon death. 
  • Rank 2. You gain +10% damage. Level 9 is required.
  • Rank 3. You gain +15% damage. Level 31 is required. 
  • Rank 4. Sometimes when an enemy explodes, nearby enemies will do the same. Level 47 is required.

LCK 4

Mysterious Stranger

  • Rank 1. The Mysterious Stranger will sometimes appear in VATS as your ally.
  • Rank 2. The Mysterious Stranger appears more frequently in VATS. Level 22 is required. 
  • Rank 3. The Mysterious Stranger appears more frequently in VATS. You have a chance of filling your Critical bar when he kills an enemy. Level 41 is required.
  • Rank 4. The Mysterious Stranger appears more frequently. You have a higher chance of filling your Critical bar when he kills an enemy. Level 49 and Nuka-World are required. 

LCK 5

Idiot Savant

  • Rank 1. You randomly receive 3X the experience for any action. The lower your Intelligence, the greater the chance this happens.
  • Rank 2. You randomly receive 5X the experience for any action. Level 11 is required.
  • Rank 3. Randomly receiving bonus experience from any actions grants a chance to get 3X experience for every kill for a short while. Level 34 is required.

LCK 6

Better Criticals 

  • Rank 1. Criticals do 50% more damage.
  • Rank 2. Criticals do twice as much damage. Level 15 is required.
  • Rank 3. Criticals do 2.5X damage. Level 40 is required. 

LCK 7

Critical Banker

  • Rank 1. You can save a Critical Hit in VATS to use it whenever you want. 
  • Rank 2. You can save 2 Critical Hits in VATS to use them whenever you want. Level 17 is required.
  • Rank 3. You can save 3 Critical Hits in VATS to use them whenever you want. Banking a Critical Hit has a chance to save another Critical Hit. Level 43 is required.
  • Rank 4. You can save 4 Critical Hits in VATS to use them whenever you want. Level 50 and Far Harbor are required.

LCK 8

Grim Reaper’s Sprint

  • Rank 1. Any kill in VATS has a 15% chance to restore your Action Points.
  • Rank 2. Any kill in VATS has a 25% chance to restore your Action Points. Level 19 is required.
  • Rank 3. Any kill in VATS has a 35% chance to restore your Action Points and refill your Critical meter. Level 46 is required. 

LCK 9

Four Leaf Clover

  • Rank 1. Every hit in VATS has a chance to fill your Critical meter.
  • Rank 2. Each hit in VATS has a greater chance of filling your Critical meter. Level 13 is required. 
  • Rank 3. Each hit in VATS has a very good chance of filling your Critical meter. Level 32 is required.
  • Rank 4. Each hit in VATS has an excellent chance of filling your Critical meter. Level 48 is required. 

LCK 10

Ricochet

  • Rank 1. Any ranged attacks from enemies have a chance of ricocheting back to them and killing them. The lower your HP is, the greater the chance this happens. 
  • Rank 2. Enemy ricochets have a greater chance of happening. Level 29 is required. 
  • Rank 3. When any enemy is killed by a ricochet attack, there is a chance it fills your Critical Meter. Level 50 is required. 

Bobblehead Perks

Bobblehead Perk

SPECIAL attribute bobbleheads increase the respective stat by 1. The previous skill bobbleheads now provide permanent perks when you find them.

  • Barter bobblehead: +5% better prices while buying
  • Big Guns bobblehead: Increases heavy weapon critical damage by 25%
  • Energy Weapons bobblehead: Increases critical damage of energy weapons by 25%
  • Explosives bobblehead: Increases explosive damage by 15%
  • Lockpicking bobblehead: Makes lockpicking easier
  • Medicine bobblehead: Increases stimpak healing effects by 10%
  • Melee bobblehead: Increases critical damage of melee weapons by 25%
  • Repair bobblehead: Increases fusion core duration by 10%
  • Science bobblehead: Gives an extra attempt while hacking terminals
  • Small Guns bobblehead: Increases critical damage of ballistic weapons by 25%
  • Sneak bobblehead: Makes you 10% harder to detect while sneaking
  • Speech bobblehead: Gives all vendors +100 caps to barter with
  • Unarmed bobblehead: Increases critical damage of unarmed attacks by 25%

Magazine Perks

Perk Magazine

Skill magazines have been replaced with perk magazines. Most perk magazines have one effect that increases in rank with each issue you find. Some magazines have varying (And generally weaker) effects.

  • Grognak the Barbarian: Critical Hits with melee or unarmed attacks do +5% damage
  • Guns and Bullets: Ballistic weapons do +5% more damage
  • Massachusetts Surgical Journal: Inflict +2% limb damage
  • Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor: Get better prices when buying from vendors
  • Tesla Science Magazine: Energy weapons do +5% more critical damage
  • Tumblers Today: Get a bonus to lockpicking
  • U.S. Covert Operations Manual: You are more difficult to detect while sneaking
  • Unstoppables: Gain a +1% chance of avoiding all damage from an attack
  • Astoundingly Awesome Tales: Provides various minor bonuses like damage mitigation, resistances, and increased damage
  • Live & Love: Provides various minor bonuses that mostly benefit companions
  • Wasteland Survival Guide: Provides various minor bonuses, including damage mitigation, increased healing, and extra meat from animal kills

Companion Perks

Companion Perk

Every companion except Dogmeat has a companion perk. You can obtain these perks by doing things your companions like and maxing out their affinity.

Cait

  • Trigger Rush: Action Points regenerate 25% faster when below 25% HP

Related: Complete Cait Guide

Codsworth

  • Robot Sympathy: +10 Damage Resistance against robots’ energy attacks

Curie

  • Combat Medic: Heal 100 HP if health is below 10%

Related: Complete Curie Guide

Danse

  • Know Your Enemy: Deal 20% more damage against ghouls, super mutants, and synths.

Related: Complete Danse Guide

Deacon

  • Cloak & Dagger: +20% sneak attack damage and +40% Stealth Boy duration

Related: Complete Deacon Guide

Porter Gage

  • Lessons in Blood: +5% more experience per kill and +10 Damage Resistance

Hancock

  • Isodoped: Critical Hit value increases 25% faster if you have at least 250 Rads

Related: Complete Hancock Guide

MacCready

  • Killshot: +20% headshot accuracy in VATS

Related: Complete MacCready Fallout 4 Guide

Nick Valentine

  • Close to Metal: 1 additional hacking attempt at terminals. 50% faster terminal cooldown at hacking

Old Longfellow

  • Hunter’s Wisdom: 25% decreased Damage and Energy Resistance for animals and sea creatures

Piper

Related: Complete Piper Guide

Preston Garvey

  • United We Stand: +20 Damage Resistance and +20% Damage if outnumbered

Strong

  • Berserk: +20% melee damage when below 25% HP

X6-88

  • Shield Harmonics: +20 Energy Resistance

Temporary Perks

Temporary Perk

Temporary perks last for 8-12 hours and provide you with a slight boost to experience gains. These perks cannot stack.

  • Well Rested: Sleep in any bed not owned by an NPC. Gain +10% Experience for 12 hours.
  • Lover’s Embrace: Sleep in any bed with a romanced companion nearby. Gain +15% Experience for 12 hours.
  • Quiet Reflection: Sit on the pew at All Faiths Chapel in Diamond City. Gain +5% Experience for 8 hours.

What About Nuka-World and Far Harbor?

Alongside companion perks for Nuka-World’s Porter Gage and Far Harbor’s Old Longfellow, each DLC has its’ own perk magazine as well as a couple of quest reward perks.

However, I cannot go into details on said quest reward perks without spoiling the storylines, so we’ll save that for another time. It’s very easy to miss most of these perks on your first run through Nuka-World and Far Harbor if you resolve the quests incorrectly.

FAQs

Question: Are the varied bonuses perk magazine worth hunting?

Answer: Honestly? I would say no for most of them. Wasteland Survival 9, which gives extra meat from animal kills, is great (Especially on Survival Mode). Everything else is kind of whatever. The same goes for Astounding Awesome Tales and Live & Love. Pick them up when you find them, of course, but don’t go out of your way looking for them.

Question: What are the best and worst SPECIAL perk trees?

Answer: Luck is arguably the best since Luck builds are the most broken thing in this game at high levels. And also because Luck has Idiot Savant, arguably the best perk in the game. The worst is easily Endurance. Most Endurance perks are niche, unnecessary, or useless.

Question: What’s the best way to optimize my perk build?

Answer: Absolutely, do not let perk points burn a hole in your pocket. Many great perks come relatively early, but you’re not capable of fully utilizing them until later in the game. You can get by just fine with a skeleton crew build for a while. Once the difficulty sees a significant spike, that’s the time to start to deck out your perk build.

Conclusion

There you have it, folks. That’s everything you need to know about perks in Fallout 4. The decision to remove skills will always be a controversial one. However, I think Bethesda did a pretty good job with the perk system in Fallout 4.

The perk system has a lot of room for entertaining and unorthodox builds. You can’t do a pacifist run like you can in Fallout: New Vegas, but you can do a pacifier run when you turn nearly everything to your side.

Chems have never been better in a Fallout game, and there are some crazy chem builds that prove junkies are the most powerful people in the Wasteland. Once you get comfortable with being below 20-25% HP, there are a lot of different high-risk, high reward builds you can experiment with, as well.

So yes, if you’re looking for an RPG with a glorious 45-minute long, in-depth character creation process, Fallout 4 is not the RPG you’re looking for, stormtrooper. 

But

Fallout 4 really opens up once you start solidifying your build and can be a blast to play. So, get out there and see for yourself what the Commonwealth has to offer. 

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