Outdoorsman

Outdoorsman is a Fallout, Fallout 2, Van Buren, J.E. Sawyer's Fallout Role-Playing Game and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel skill. Fallout: New Vegas adds a skill called Survival which is very similar.

Fallout
$$\text{Initial level}\%=$$ $$5+(.5\times\text{Endurance})+(.5\times\text{Intelligence})$$

Example: A starting Endurance of 5 and Intelligence of 5. $$5+(.5\times5)+(.5\times5)=10\%$$

Fallout 2
$$\text{Initial level}\%=$$ $$(2\times\text{Endurance})+(2\times\text{Intelligence})$$

Example: A starting Endurance of 5 and Intelligence of 5.

$$(2\times5)+(2\times5)=20\%$$

Description
In Fallout 2, the Outdoorsman skill's job is to decrease the effects of bad random encounters with the possibility of increasing the odds of special encounters. A successful Outdoorsman check will give the choice of whether or not to have an encounter at all. This does not apply for special encounters however, as they force entering the scene.

In Fallout, Outdoorsman is used in random encounters that involve dehydration and rockfalls, to see how many hours it takes (dehydration only) and how much damage is given, if any (dehydration and rockfalls).

Though it is possible to raise Outdoorsman to 200%, or 300% for Fallout 2, the real cap would be around 100%. Raising it to ridiculous levels has limited effect.

Ways to increase

 * Read a Scout Handbook. They increase Outdoorsman skill depending on current skill level, ranging from 6-7 points at low skill levels (20-30%) to 1-2 points at high skill levels (70-90%). Double the amount if the skill is tagged. A maximum skill of 91% can be reached this way.
 * (Fallout 2) Talk with Slim Picket. Depending on Barter skill, 5% worth of Outdoorsman can be bought for $100 or $50.
 * (Fallout 2) Save Smiley the trapper. Once he is returned to Klammath, he can give a 1% to 6% increase in Outdoorsman skills.
 * (Fallout) Talk to Tycho about his life.

Behind the scenes
The icon is most probably a reference to the Looney Tunes, as the Vault Boy is dressed as Elmer Fudd and is hunting a mutated version of Bugs Bunny.

Cut content
The Fallout scripts contain two other uses for Outdoorsman, however neither are used in the game. The first is a message displayed when discovering a mutated fruit. The other is for generating messages about where the Radscorpions came from in random encounters. (Assumedly related to being able to find the Radscorpion cave for the Stop the Radscorpions quest.)

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