Strength

Strength is one of the seven primary statistics in the SPECIAL system.

Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics
Modifies: Hit Points, Melee Damage, and Carry Weight

Strength is primarily relevant to two in-game mechanics: Carry Weight and satisfying the minimum Strength requirements on weapons. Each point of it grants 25 lbs. of Carry Weight (with the Small Frame trait, it is 15 instead). Not meeting a weapon's minimum Strength requirement penalizes aim accuracy with that weapon by -20% for each missing point in Strength.

Ways to increase Strength

 * T-51b power armor increases Strength by 3.
 * Advanced power armor increases Strength by 4.
 * The Brotherhood of Steel can perform an operation to increase Strength by 1, assuming it can be afforded (Fallout) or finding the appropriate module chip (Fallout 2).
 * Buffout temporarily increases Strength by 2.
 * Several perks increase Strength. Adrenaline Rush raises Strength by 1 when the Chosen One has less than 50% health. Gain perk can be used to boost Strength by 1. Some Perks raise ST when checking for modifiers. Heave Ho! raises Strength by 2 for purposes of throwing weapons. Weapon Handling raises ST by 3 for purposes of checking the minimum requirement to use a weapon.
 * The Bruiser trait raises Strength by 2, but lowers Action Points by the same amount.

Fallout 3
Modifies: Melee Weapons skill, Carry Weight, Melee damage bonus

Strength slightly increases melee damage and carrying capacity. Melee damage is at 1 damage for every 2 Strength (+5 damage at 10) and carrying capacity is an added 10 lbs for every point (+100 lbs at 10 strength). Strength does not affect unarmed damage, even though Iron Fist requires 4 Strength. Unlike previous Fallout games, none of the weapons have a minimum Strength requirement, and a character with 1 Strength can use a minigun without penalties.

High Strength can sometimes be used to intimidate others when in a conversation.

Note that while at first glance the damage bonus seems minor at best, the damage bonus is applied after a weapon's base damage has been adjusted by the Melee Weapons skill and weapon condition. So, the damage bonus can be a very significant increase for much of the game. Moreover, even with maximum Melee Weapons skill and weapon condition, high Strength can still amount to a 10% or better increase in the weapon's damage (see specific weapon pages for specifics). This is basically equivalent to, or better than, a free perk. Moreover, multipliers on damage (from perks like Entomologist) also affect the bonus damage, in case there was any confusion.

Note:* Does NOT affect unarmed damage in any way (see discussion page).

Ways to increase Strength

 * Permanent
 * Bobblehead - Strength (+1)
 * Ant Might quest perk (+1)
 * Intense Training perk (+1)
 * No Weaknesses perk (will raise base to 5 if below 5)
 * Almost Perfect perk (will raise base to 9 if below 9)


 * Temporary
 * Alcohol (effects do not stack)
 * Beer, scotch, vodka, whiskey, wine (+1)
 * Moonshine (+2)
 * Armor and clothing
 * Enclave power armor, Linden's Outcast power armor (+1)
 * Ashur's power armor, tribal power armor, laborer outfit (+1)
 * Enclave Hellfire armor (+1)
 * Brotherhood power armor, Lyons' Pride power armor, Outcast power armor, power armor (+2)
 * Chems
 * Buffout (+2)
 * Ant nectar (+4)
 * Perks
 * Nerd Rage! (raised to 10 when Hit Points are below 20%)
 * Solar Powered (+2 between 6 AM and 6 PM)
 * Mississippi Quantum pie (+1)

Fallout: New Vegas
Modifies: Melee Weapons skill, Melee Damage, Carry Weight and which weapons the Courier is strong enough to use.

Not meeting the Strength requirement of a weapon will decrease accuracy (for ranged weapons), or slower swings (for melee/unarmed weapons). The Strength requirement of weapons can be lowered by taking the Weapon Handling perk.

Ways to increase Strength

 * Permanent
 * Strength Implant available at the New Vegas medical clinic (+1)
 * Intense Training perk (+1)
 * Completing the quest The Apocalypse or The End will allow raising any one primary statistic by 1.
 * Can switch between these two perks after completing the Old World Blues quest:
 * Spineless perk (+1)
 * Reinforced Spine perk (+2)
 * Temporary
 * Alcohol (effects do not stack)
 * Beer, Dixon's whiskey, Jake Juice, Rum & Nuka, scotch, vodka, whiskey, wine (+1 - +3 depending on Survival skill)
 * Irradiated beer, irradiated scotch, irradiated whiskey (+1 - +3 depending on Survival skill)
 * Moonshine (+2)
 * Sierra Madre martini (+2)
 * Wasteland tequila (+2 - +6 depending on Survival skill)
 * Battle brew (+2 for 20 seconds, then +1)
 * Large wasteland tequila (+3 - +9 depending on Survival skill)
 * Armor and clothing
 * Brotherhood T-51b power armor, Remnants power armor, T-51b power armor (+1)
 * Lobotomite jumpsuit (+1)
 * Courier duster, marked tribal armor, Scorched Sierra power armor (+1)
 * Brotherhood T-45d power armor, T-45d power armor (+2)
 * Chems
 * Buffout (+2)
 * Ant nectar (+4)
 * Food
 * Bighorner steak, brahmin steak, Cook-Cook's Fiend stew, mole rat stew (+1 - +3 depending on Survival skill)
 * Perks
 * Meat of Champions (+1 for 60 seconds after eating a corpse)
 * Nerd Rage! (raised to 10 when Hit Points are below 20%)
 * Solar Powered (+2 between 6 AM and 6 PM when outdoors)
 * Traits
 * Claustrophobia (+1 while outdoors, but -1 indoors)
 * Early Bird (+2 between 6am and 12pm, but -1 between 6pm and 6am)

Level names and statistics
Similar to Fallout 3, while at first glance the damage bonus seems minor at best, the damage bonus is applied after a weapon's base damage has been adjusted by the Melee Weapons skill and weapon condition. So, the damage bonus can be a very significant increase for much of the game.

In addition, with the changed use of Damage Threshold instead of Damage Resistance as an armor mechanic, the bonus damage from Strength can significantly increase the DPS of low-damage, high-attack-rate weapons against unarmored targets (such as the Katana).