Fallout 3 Perks

In Fallout 3, you will gain perks every level, as opposed to every three levels like in previous games. Also, unlike previous games, traits that gave you both bonuses and penalties at the same time are no longer in the game. Instead, some of them (like Bloody Mess) were changed into perks.

In Fallout 3 a Perk's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. requirements will not be met by equipping items, or using drugs.

Regular perks
(Note: These perks are gained by leveling, some quest give you perks as well.) Important Note: Codes can be used by opening the console in the PC version and using the following commands: player.removeperk [perk code] player.addperk [perk code] Replace [perk code] with the code listed for the desired perk. For ranked perks, repeat the process until the desired rank is reached. codes in parenthesis "" are for girls, if the character already has the perk, adding the code will show nothing on the console.

Quest perks
You can get these perks as a reward for quests.

Important note about quest perk codes: Trying to add them before doing the quest required may cause game to crash or corrupt.

Hints and Tips
Note: Many of the following tips are strategic recommendations for building the most efficient type of character. Remember that your character in Fallout 3 is your character and you should develop him or her the way that you think is appropriate!

For a subjective view on some perks, see the Discussion Page.
 * Consider what kind of character you want to build and develop. Think ahead.
 * Some perks work great when combined, others have requisites that need to be met before they can become available for selection.
 * In the context of Fallout 3's game design, maximum proficiency in any Skill is 100% and maximum score in SPECIAL is a 10 in any one attribute; it is strongly advised that the player be mindful of that limit when choosing perks.
 * Without much experience in the game some perks are tempting to get, but keep in mind that the level limit is 20 and thus the number of perks you can get through level up is limited. Perks like Here and Now or Swift Learner give the player a decent amount of exp (depending on when they are taken) but with these you can waste a total of 4 perks for a handful of exp. Experienced players refrain from taking these quick-win perks and instead choose unique perks that give abilities that cannot be obtained otherwise in the game.
 * Remember the Bobbleheads! Whenever you're leveling up, consider what effect the Bobbleheads are going to have. These trinkets can raise all your attributes by 1 point and all skill points by 10! This means that when you're distributing points after leveling up, you should not raise a skill above 90 unless you already have its bobblehead or unless you plan to NEVER get it.
 * It is best to create a list of all perks desired at each level from 2 to 20. The player should note the requirements for the perk (such as "60% in Science") and make sure the requirements are met before reaching the level to get the perk.
 * Players from the classic fallout games often tend to choose the Intense Training perk for the reason that in past games the SPECIAL stats were the most important factor in deriving character attributes. However, in Fallout 3, SPECIAL's role is less-critical. For example, even players with a Charisma value of "1" can pass speech tests by either saving and re-loading very often or by putting skill points into Speech via leveling up or reading Lying, Congressional Style books. Another example to illustrate this is the Survivor perk. When the player wants to get the guru level of this perk (see link), she is required to have a 7 Endurance to give the appropriate answers in dialogue. But even if the player only has 4 Endurance, she can take a Buffout just before the dialogue to raise it to 7 temporarily to give the right answer. Thus, think carefully before choosing the Intense Training perk.
 * It is recommended that the player save all Skill Books until they get the Comprehension perk. The usefulness of the perk depends on how many books are read after gaining the perk. It is also recommended that the player get this perk early on. See the perk for more details about why this makes sense.
 * Animal Friend can be a useful perk if both ranks are taken. That yao guai don't attack the player when wandering the wasteland can be a life-saver for lower level players, but from a strategic standpoint, so is save and load. At higher levels yao guai,molerats and dogs are hardly a threat worth spending a perk to avoid. Finally, a point can be made that higher level players who do not want to be annoyed by the meager experience granted and the common occurrence of the fights may find this a relieving perk that skips out on many pointless and useless fights.
 * Chem Resistant is one of the less useful perks in the game. Because of the various ways to detoxify yourself, it is not recommended.
 * If you choose the ninja perk, there are two perks that really complement this: the first is Better Criticals, which makes all those extra criticals in melee far more powerful, and stack even more damage on to your sneak attacks; the second is Pyromaniac, as this makes the most poweful melee weapon (the Shishkebab) do one and a half the damage, making it more damaging than any weapon save explosives, missiles (even the dart gun, after all poison is dealt). Alternatively, one can use 3 levels of Iron Fist and one of the unique power fists and/or Deathclaw Gauntlet, but this will take four perks instead of one, and does not do as much damage (though power fists attack very quickly).