Unarmed

Unarmed is a Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, and Fallout 3 skill.

The combination of martial arts, boxing and other hand-to-hand martial arts. Combat with your hands and feet.

Fallout 2
Initial Level: Starting Unarmed skill is equal to 40% + (1% x (Agility + Strength) / 2). Average characters will have a 45% in Unarmed combat.

In Fallout 2, you can learn unarmed skills from the following persons:


 * Lucas in Arroyo, near the big stone head;
 * John L. Sullivan in Klamath, retired boxer-veteran, spending his days in the Golden Gecko bar, on the west side of town.
 * Lo Pan and The Dragon in San Francisco Chinatown, both arch-rivals of each other, but both are equally skilled in unarmed attacks and they have a lot of knowledge to pass.
 * You can get a 10% increase for using the punching bags on the first level of the Sierra Army Base.

The HtH Evade Perk gives your character some extra AC, but only if both slots are unequipped. (Unarmed-class weapons such as Spiked Knuckles or Power Fists are allowed)

The attacks are divided into two groups: primary and secondary. At any one time you will have up to four attacks available: the strongest primary punch/kick you meet the requirements for (a plain punch/kick if none), and the strongest secondary punch/kick you qualify for, if any. The secondary attacks have a higher AP cost and cause more devastating effects.

Primary Punch Attacks
Strong Punch
 * Requirements: Unarmed 55%, Agility 6
 * Damage: +3
 * AP: 3

Hammer Punch
 * Requirements: Unarmed 75%, Agility 6, Strength 5, level 6
 * Damage: +5
 * AP: 3
 * Critical Chance: +5%

Haymaker
 * Requirements: Unarmed 100%, Agility 7, Strength 5, level 9
 * Damage: +7
 * AP: 3
 * Critical Chance: +15%

Secondary Punch Attacks
Jab
 * Requirements: Unarmed 75%, Agility 7, Strength 5, level 5
 * Damage: +5
 * AP: 3
 * Critical: +5%

Palm Strike
 * Requirements: Unarmed 115%, Agility 7, Strength 5, level 12
 * Damage: +7, armor piercing
 * AP: 6
 * Critical: +15%

Piercing Strike
 * Requirements: Unarmed 130%, Agility 7, Strength 5, Level 16
 * Damage: +10, armor piercing
 * AP: 8
 * Critical: +40%

Primary Kick Attacks
Strong Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 40%, Agility 6
 * Damage: +5
 * AP: 4

Snap Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 60%, Agility 6, Level 6
 * Damage: +7
 * AP: 4

Power Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 80%, Agility 6, Strength 6, Level 9
 * Damage: +9
 * AP: 4
 * Critical Chance: +5%

Secondary Kick Attacks
Hip Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 60%, Agility 7, Strength 6, Level 6
 * Damage: +7
 * AP: 7

Hook Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 100%, Agility 7, Strength 6, Level 12
 * Damage: +9, armor piercing
 * AP: 7
 * Critical Chance: +10%

Piercing Kick
 * Requirements: Unarmed 125%, Agility 8, Strength 6, Level 15
 * Damage: +12, armor piercing
 * AP: 9
 * Critical Chance: +50%

Fallout 3
In Fallout 3, the unarmed skill is tied to the Endurance SPECIAL stat. The player character will receive a boost of +2 points in Unarmed per level of Endurance, for a maximum boost of +20 points at 10 Endurance. Luck further raises Unarmed effectiveness by +1 points per every 2 levels (+5 Unarmed at 9 Luck).

The PC can read issues of Pugilism Illustrated to increase the Unarmed skill by 1 point each (or 2 each with the Comprehension perk).

The Unarmed Vault Boy Bobblehead can be found in Rockopolis near the body of Argyle. It will raise the PC's Unarmed skill by 10 points permanently.

In Fallout 3, it is not possible to target individual body parts in V.A.T.S. while unarmed, but the chance of head strikes increases with skill. Targeting with the crosshair outside of V.A.T.S enables the player to select body locations in an attempt to cripple and/or disarm. This makes it rather easy to kill even the more tough opponents without losing any health at all - even a low-level character can just punch a Super Mutant Brute to death, first aiming for the weapon so he drops it, and then just whacking him to death with normal attacks. Another benefit for choosing the path of a complete Unarmed character is that weapons are virtually unneeded (excluding Unarmed weapons, like Brass Knuckles or Power Fist), the player character will become rather wealthy in no time. A player should still be careful, because there is no point in saving caps if all those caps will have to be spent on buying Stimpaks, due to the harshness of hand-to-hand combat.

It's possible to knock-out an opponent even with non-critical head strikes; this should not be confused with the effects of the Paralyzing Palm perk, as it can be done without the perk, it can be done outside of V.A.T.S. and with any unarmed weapon, though the chances are greatly improved with bare hand attacks.

Entering V.A.T.S. can close some several yards of distance to a target, getting the player character past a few seconds of opponent fire. While stealth attacks are much more difficult, the tight range is a surprisingly good defensive position, even without the benefit of V.A.T.S., and many Unarmed attacks will reduce an opponent's ability to fight and defend.

It is possible to kick enemies if the player character is above them during V.A.T.S. while unarmed and attacking. If the enemy is crouched, the player character may also deliver a kick in V.A.T.S.

It should also be noted that unarmed damage will continue to rise well past the 100 skill limit. While this is not displayed on the Pip-Boy, the game will continue to (internally) keep track of any skills that are past 100, be it through the use of skill books, bobbleheads or other items.

Strategies

 * Unarmed builds should probably focus primarily on raising their Endurance, Agility and Luck stats early. NOTE: Neither Strength nor Endurance give a raw damage boost, Endurance just gives Unarmed skill points, while Strength has no impact at all. A Strength of 4 is also required for the Iron Fist perk. Invest in light, but effective armor to maximize running speed and maneuverability. The Toughness, Iron Fist, Paralyzing Palm and Ninja perks are extremely useful for unarmed fighting. The Sneak skill and its associated perks are also a very handy way to minimize received damage by simply avoiding it!


 * You may want to consider not completely neglecting ranged skills, such as Small Guns, Energy Weapons, Big Guns, or Explosives. Considering you need 25 in Explosives to do the nuke in Megaton anyway, a well placed grenade will more than needed to do the trick anyway. if you forgo all of these; it would be wise to look into supplementing your unarmed skill with either sneak or a good supply of chems. A completely Unarmed character is possible to play, although will generally require more skill and pre-battle planning


 * Unarmed fighting requires much more finesse and strategy than does ranged fighting. Being hasty and running in fists blazing is not usually suggested. Instead, consider luring foes to you by rounding corners or entering alcoves, etc. If [Danger] turns back to [Caution] or [Hidden], simply pop back into the line of sight to "re-interest" your prey.


 * Take advantage of the "teleporting" effect of unarmed attacks in V.A.T.S. mode. You only need to be around 7-10 feet from your target to initiate an attack. This comes in rather handy, especially when sneaking. An unarmed attack using V.A.T.S. can even teleport you through a fence without opening the gate.


 * Dogmeat, and any followers for that matter, can be extremely useful for tanking enemies as you flank them (optimally, while remaining hidden). Dogmeat's extremely high perception will also allow you to raise your other SPECIAL's at your own Perception's expense. If you manage to get your Sneak skill up to a respectable level you may find wandering solo to allow to to pick & choose your fights, and engage your enemies in a more strategic fashion when you opt for violence.


 * Close-quarters combat tends to be more demanding on a machine's graphics card than ranged combat, since the machine must render several objects moving at relatively high speeds. This lag should be factored into a decision of whether or not to take the Unarmed or Melee Weapons route.


 * Many players forget that Unarmed and Melee Weapons can block. This is usually futile against an enemy with a gun, but can make duels with other melee attackers easier. Unarmed weapons will assume a defensive position in front of the Lone Wanderer's face, that will reduce damage taken. Holding down the block button will slow all movement to a walking speed, so a player should try to decide if he or she wants to block or outright dodge something, or be struck trying to dodge and block at the same time.


 * Some blocking positions can be extremely view-obscuring, especially with large weapons such as the Deathclaw Gauntlet so a player should be aware of his or her situation before going on the defensive, or offensive for that matter.


 * Since blocking slows movement to a walking speed, and attacking has no such restraints, an effective strategy can be worked out against melee attackers. First, turn on auto-run. While attacking an enemy, hold block and hover just outside their range. When see an opening is spotted, the player should rush forward and press the attack button. Since the attack animation is lengthy and has no speed constraints, the player should be able to reach the enemy, strike, return immediately to a blocking stance and back away. Weapons with long attack animations are best for this, such as the Deathclaw Gauntlet or Fisto!, as the Lone Wanderer has time to reach the enemy as the first hitboxes open up.


 * Just like in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Unarmed and Melee Weapons can do power attacks that do twice the damage by holding down the attack command for about one second. The resulting attack is slower and stronger than a regular strike, and may also be accompanied by a grunt or battle cry. The player should judge his or her situation and learn when to use a power attack. Probably the most useful power attack is performed by running forward and holding the attack command. The character will sprint briefly, then put all his or her speed into a single punch, and stop. Players of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion may recall this as a Forward Power Attack; Fallout 3 has no name for the attack.


 * It is possible to survive a jump off of Tenpenny Tower by using unarmed VATS while in range of a guard shooting at the targets (Note: Only possible pre-update).

Bugs

 * For those of you who have bought and completed Operation: Anchorage and have the Chinese Stealth Armor, there is a bug allowing you to easily get 100 unarmed skill, without investing any skill points into it. Get two Hockey Masks (Or any other Unarmed Increasing Skill Hat...I don't think there is one) and equip the CSA.  After equipping the first hockey mask, continually click the second one until you get to 100 skill (You can check your skill in the Skill tab on your Pip-Boy 3000). If you keep on clicking, your unarmed skill goes above 100, even though it seems to cap at 100. Under the Status EFF it shows how much unarmed you have really added, and DMG for unarmed weapons continuously goes up.


 * A very easy way to get two Hockey Masks is to the complete the unmarked quest Just for the Taste of It and kill every member of Sudden-Death Overtime (Don't worry they are technically evil, leader drops finger for Lawbringer Perk). This gives you Ledoux's Hockey Mask and two Hockey Masks, and with the CSA you can equip both Hockey Masks and still do the above bug. Another way to get hockey masks is to search trash cans.

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