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. To see the quest perks, go to Quest perks.) Important Note: Codes can be used by opening the console in the PC version and using the following commands Replace [perk code] with the code listed for the desired perk. For ranked perks, repeat the process until the desired rank is reached.

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.

DLC perks
Perks available through downloadable content packs.

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!


 * Pay special attention to perks that raise your skill levels per "rank." A rank means each time you take that perk, not every level. You are only receiving 10 skill points in those skills for that perk.
 * Consider what kind of character you want to build and develop. Think ahead.
 * Some perks work great when combined like Toughness and Life Giver, or Iron fist and Ninja, 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 coming from the classic Fallout games often tend to choose the Intense Training perk because in past games the SPECIAL stats were the most important factor in deriving character attributes. In Fallout 3, however, SPECIAL's role is less critical. For example, even players with 1 Charisma can pass speech tests by either saving and re-loading very often or by putting skill points into Speech via leveling up or reading books. Another example is the Survival Expert perk. When the player wants to get the Guru level of this perk, they are required to have 7 Endurance to give the appropriate answers in dialogue. Even if the player only has 4 Endurance, they 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, which should be acquired as early as possible. The usefulness of the perk depends entirely on how many books are read after acquiring it.
 * Animal Friend can be a useful perk if both ranks are taken. Lower level characters benefit much more than higher level ones do from not having to deal with Yao Guai, while at the same time higher level characters get to avoid getting into fights for small amounts of experience.
 * Chem Resistant is usually not a good choice, owing to the amount of ways provided to detox oneself.
 * If you choose the Ninja perk, there are two perks that really complement this: the first is Better Criticals, which further increases the effectiveness of your sneak attacks. The second is Pyromaniac, as this makes the most powerful melee weapon (the Shishkebab) do 150% of the damage it normally does, making it more damaging than any weapon save explosives. Alternatively, one can use 3 levels of Iron Fist, Paralyzing Palm and one of the unique power fists and/or Deathclaw Gauntlet, but this will take five perks instead of one, however they ignore defense and stun on a regular basis (and power fists attack very quickly).

For a subjective view on some perks, see the Discussion Page.