Fallout 1 Character Stats
Now, let's talk about Fallout 1 character stats, shall we? Stats are SPECIAL. Yes, they are!
Character Stats in Fallout 1
Character stats, or attributes if you like, are the starting point for your character's strengths & weaknesses, as they affect a lot of things, about which we will talk about in the next pages. At the beginning of the game, you get to set each of the seven SPECIAL attributes on a scale of 1 to 10. Giving the fact that each stat can be raised by at least 1 during gameplay, there's really no reason to start with any of them at 10. Or 9, I would strongly argue.
Fallout 1 SPECIAL
Remember when I told you that Fallout stats are SPECIAL? I wasn't joking. If you take the first letters from Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck, and put them together, what do you get? Any Fallout fan knows this! Assigning these stats differently allows for a wide range of character customization in Fallout, not restricting you to any specific playstyle. Let's see how we can do that...
Fallout 1 Strength
You'll want to invest in this if you're planning to carry a lot of stuff or you're going for a melee character. However, keep in mind that you can raise Strength by 4 points during gameplay, so I would recommend starting with 6, which is enough to handle most weapons (expect big guns and energy weapons). Just make sure you don't go less than 5! Power Armor, when you find it, will give you 3 ST bonus points. That means you don't really need a Strength that's higher than 7. You can also get 1 ST from an implant at the Brotherhood's bunker. This stat also affects starting Hit Points. Strength in Fallout 1 grants you an extra 25 lbs. of Carry Weight per point. High Strength can sometimes be used to intimidate others. A high ST will allow your character to carry more, deal more damage in close combat using melee weapons, and inflict more damage in unarmed combat, punching or kicking. Buffout temporarily increases Strength by 2.
Note: It's good to know that different weapons have different recommended Strength values. If your character's ST is under those values, you'll get an approximately 20% accuracy penalty.
Fallout 1 Perception
Not extremely important, but you'll want to have at least 5 Perception, so you can get the Awareness perk, which should actually be the first perk to choose in Fallout 1 btw, since it gives you detailed information about everything (when you perform an 'Examine' action).
Perception in Fallout 1 is most useful for ranged weapons; it affects shooting range and accuracy. This stat has some use in quests/dialogues, because your character may notice some things, and it also affects Sequence . What's that? Well, let's say that if your PE is below 5, most enemies will have a double turn at the beginning of the fight against you, which will suck. A LOT. This stat will also affect your Lockpick skill (learn more about skills). An improved awareness will also help you detect hidden objects, traps, and enemies, allowing you to avoid dangerous situations and find valuable items in the game. Characters with high Perception may be able to detect lies and deception in dialogue, leading to better negotiation outcomes.
Fallout 1 Endurance
You should get at least 5 Endurance, so you won't get knocked off your feet too much. And quit the game. Yes, I did that a few times. Get more if you're going for a melee character. Determines how many Hit Points (HP) your character starts with. Characters with high EN have more health and are able to withstand more damage before becoming incapacitated.
It's important having a good HP pool, since, occasionally, an enemy will score a ridiculous critical hit, a blow that will overwhelm even a character with a lot of HP, unfortunatelly. That's life in Fallout 1... can't be helped. You better have a recent Save! For maximum safety, you should take 8 from the beginning, or 9, if you want to be the ultimate survivor in this game. Endurance in Fallout 1 also affects your healing rate, your poison and rad resistances.
Here's how many Hit Points you'll get per new level: (EN/2)+2, rounded down.
eg. For EN 4, you'll get (4/2)+2=4 HP per level. But you'll also get 4 HP for EN 5!
You can perform an operation to permanently increase Endurance by 1 at the Brotherhood's bunker. Good to know: EN can also be temporarily raised by 3 by using Buffout.
Fallout 1 Charisma
Sadly, Charisma doesn't have much use in this game... Like in so many RPG games of the time, it's a dump stat. At least in Fallout 2 it determines the number of followers you can recruit. Not in Fallout 1. It affects bartering tho, so I recommend setting it to 2. Charisma in Fallout 1 does have some dialogue checks, making it easier for the pacifist build, but the cases when you need this stat can probably be counted by the fingers of one hand. I wouldn't bother.
Fallout 1 Intelligence
The most important stat in the game, no doubt about it! If you love a good story, take at least 7, since Intelligence in Fallout 1 affects conversations with NPCs. It also controls how many skill points your character will get when leveling up. Intelligence also affects your Science and Repair skills. Characters with high IN can often find unique solutions to problems or access additional information that may not be available to less intelligent characters. Personally, I like to make this stat a 9 from the start, and raise it to 10 with the Gifted trait, which I take every run. We'll talk about traits later. Intelligence also affects a character's proficiency with advanced technology, such as hacking computers, and repairing complex machinery.
Fun Fact: If you take IN lower than 4 (low intelligence build), your character will only grunt during gameplay, which, while hilarious, will affect your capacity to take on and solve quests!
Fallout 1 Agility
Gotta go fast! If you care about how much you can do, and how far you can go (per combat round that is), this is a stat you shouldn't ignore. Some players would argue that Agility is the best stat in Fallout, since it dictates how much we can do on our turn. AG determines your character's Action Points (AP), so choose anything between 6 and 9. Again, don't choose 10, because all stats can be increased by at least 1 point during gameplay!
Agility in Fallout 1 will modify ALL your combat skills, and the Armor Class bonus you get from it is also great. If you enjoy doing bad things to bad people, as much as possible, you should probably max out this stat. You can increase your Action Points through these 2 perks: Action Boy (or girl; has 3 ranks), and Bonus Move (adds 2 AP per rank that can only be used for movement, has 3 ranks). This is why AG is probably the most important thing to put points into. You can compensate for everything else, but not Agility.
Agility affects a character's proficiency with small firearms, such as pistols. AG also affects a character's ability to move quietly and remain undetected, making it easier to avoid combat and surprise enemies. Overall, Agility is an important attribute for players who plan to rely on speed and dexterity to succeed in the Wasteland.
Fallout 1 Luck
"Do you feel lucky, punk?" Well, do ya? If you do, go up to 9 with this stat, but no less than 5, or else you won't be able to take Sniper and Better Criticals (best combat perk in the game), and you'll miss out on special encounters, which can be a lot of fun! Luck in Fallout 1 affects the Gambling skill, but there aren't many places where you can gamble in the game. And it's not as fun as in New Vegas. I mostly take it for critical hits (a character's chance of making critical hits in combat, which deal extra damage to enemies). Luck affects the frequency and outcome of random events, such as finding valuable loot or stumbling across dangerous traps.
Wells, that's all I've got about Fallout 1 character stats. Next, we are going to discuss traits.
Read next: Character Traits