In Fallout 4, your starting SPECIAL stats and perk choices significantly impact your gameplay experience. Here’s a well-rounded suggestion on how to allocate your first 21 points for a balanced and effective character build:
- Strength (S) – 4 points
- Reason: Strength affects your melee damage and carrying capacity. Starting at 4 allows you to access useful perks like “Armorer” and “Blacksmith” early on.
- Perception (P) – 4 points
- Reason: Perception impacts your V.A.T.S. accuracy and lockpicking ability. Starting at 4 allows access to the “Locksmith” perk for picking locks and “Rifleman” for non-automatic rifle bonuses.
- Endurance (E) – 3 points
- Reason: Endurance determines your health and resistance to radiation and poison. Starting at 3 provides a good balance of survivability without sacrificing too many points.
- Charisma (C) – 6 points
- Reason: Charisma affects your ability to persuade others in dialogue, the prices you get from merchants, and settlement management. A starting value of 6 lets you unlock “Local Leader,” which is essential for building and managing settlements effectively.
- Intelligence (I) – 4 points
- Reason: Intelligence affects your experience gain rate and access to advanced technology perks. Starting at 4 allows access to perks like “Hacker” and “Scrapper,” both useful for crafting and resource management.
- Agility (A) – 4 points
- Reason: Agility influences your number of Action Points (AP) in V.A.T.S. and your ability to sneak. A starting value of 4 provides a good balance for early game sneak attacks and V.A.T.S. usage.
- Luck (L) – 3 points
- Reason: Luck affects the recharge rate of critical hits and the quality of loot found. Starting at 3 provides access to the “Bloody Mess” perk, which increases damage and makes combat more visually exciting.
Summary of Starting SPECIAL Allocation:
- Strength: 4
- Perception: 4
- Endurance: 3
- Charisma: 6
- Intelligence: 4
- Agility: 4
- Luck: 3
Early Game Perks to Consider:
- Charisma:
- Local Leader (Rank 1): Essential for building supply lines between settlements.
- Cap Collector: Better buying and selling prices from merchants.
- Intelligence:
- Hacker: Unlocks advanced terminals.
- Scrapper: Extracts useful components from weapons and armor.
- Strength:
- Armorer: Access to armor mods.
- Blacksmith: Useful for melee-focused builds.
- Perception:
- Locksmith: Unlock advanced locks.
- Rifleman: Increased damage for non-automatic rifles.
- Agility:
- Sneak: Harder to detect while sneaking.
- Action Boy/Girl: Faster AP regeneration.
By focusing your initial points in these areas, you will create a versatile character capable of handling various challenges in Fallout 4’s early stages while leaving room for specialization as you progress. This balanced approach provides a solid foundation for both combat and non-combat activities, enhancing your overall gaming experience.