Buffout

Buffout is a highly advanced steroids, popularized before the war by professional athletes and their clandestine use of the drug. While in effect, they increase strength and reflexes but it's very addictive.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
A favorite of melee players, Buffout is designed specifically to increase a person's deadliness in hand-to-hand combat. Consequently, any combat style whose effectiveness is influenced by the Strength SPECIAL stat reaps a significant benefit from the use of Buffout.

Although most players avoid going through Fallout without any weapons whatsoever, those players that do, along with those who prefer melee weapons with hard-hitting attacks (such as the Sledgehammer or Super Sledge) can drastically increase the effectiveness of their assaults with careful use of Buffout. In Fallout 2, NPCs that follow the Chosen One can often be supplied with Buffout and be directed to use it, making already dangerous companions like Marcus all the more fearsome in combat. In those situations where unarmed combat is the law, such as the sparring ring in San Francisco or the Boxing circuit in New Reno, a quick dose or two of Buffout prior to the commencement of hostilities can drastically shift the odds. Make sure to take them at night time though, as the fights shift the time to roughly 10:00 PM (unconfimred)

Unfortunately, the drawback of Buffout is its high addiction rate. Anyone taking more than a single dose at a time is running a severe risk of addiction and its attendant penalties. A person going through Buffout withdrawal is in no condition to fight hand-to-hand.

Fallout 3
Buffout can be very useful, as it gives you some nice Strength and Endurance buffs, in addition to a boost of 60 HP. You shouldn't rely on it too much, however, as it is very addictive, (taking it one to three times in succession will get you hooked) and addiction involves dealing with the precise reverse of the benefits. If you avoid addiction, the use of Buffout still has a major caveat: after about ten minutes, the chem will wear off, and you will lose 60 HP. If you take Buffout, you should avoid a big firefight as much as possible. If it wears off in the middle of a fight, you might find yourself very dead, very quickly when you take the HP loss. It can be traded for cave fungus to Lucy, Little Lamplight's only doctor.

One of the main advantages to using Buffout is the fact that it improves your strength by +2. If you are looting settlements or various other areas, 20 extra available pounds can help you carry extra lootable items, like weapons or the heavier misc. items, possibly saving extra trips to the area. Make sure you unload the extra weight at one of your safehouses before the effects wear off. As stated above, Buffout can be very addictive if taken in succession.

If you, for example, have 190 basic HP and use a Buffout, your max HP will be increased to 250, however, if you use the status tab to heal yourself, you cant gain 250 HP. However, if you use Stimpacks or other healing items, your health will be increased to 250.(PS3)

If you look carefully at bottles of Buffout in the Capital Wasteland, you'll see that the icon for Buffout in Fallout 1 and 2 is integrated into the labeling of the item in Fallout 3. Printed on theses bottles are lengthy usage instructions and an expiration date of 10/13.

Buffout is sold by:
 * Doc Hoff
 * Cindy Cantelli
 * Ahzrukhal
 * Leo Stahl
 * Most Doctors

Bugs
Taking Stimpaks while the Buffout health bonus is active will use your Stimpaks even if you are at full health.

Appearances
Buffout appears in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and Fallout Tactics.