Small Arms

Small Guns is a Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and Fallout Tactics skill.

In Fallout: New Vegas, it was merged into a more general Guns skill with Big Guns, similar to the canceled Van Buren, which would have merged the skills into the Firearms skill.

Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics
Initial Level:
 * Fallout: 35% + (1% x Agility). Average characters will have a 40%.
 * Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics: 5% + (4% x Agility). Average characters will have a 25%.

Small Guns are the staple weapons choice of the post apocalyptic nuclear war survivor. Namely, you. Although small guns lack the wide devastation possible with big guns (rocket launcher) and energy weapons (P94 plasma rifle) they are more than capable of holding their own in a fight. Small guns, unlike big guns or energy weapons, can be quickly trained with books and is naturally high to begin with. Ammunition is also plentiful and can usually be bought or looted when you run low which is seldom.

The small guns character can easily exploit these advantages by building a gunfighter or sniper character. There are several perks available that directly increase this skill, the most powerful being "Sniper" at level 21 (F1) or 24 (F2).

Also, some of the most unique and powerful weapons (read: Red Ryder LE BB gun) are available for those who specialize in small guns.

The Bottom line
At the end of Fallout 2, a character who carefully developed this skill with books and perks can do almost 200 damage with the Red Ryder against power armor. While Energy Weapons is often hailed as the supreme weapon type for its unparalleled damage potential, a well-built Small Guns character can easily outpace late game enemies and will generally have no more trouble dispatching them than an Energy Weapons character would. While there is certainly some debate about the subject, Small Guns is probably the "best" overall weapon type because of its adaptability - A Small Guns character can at least match the damage potential of other weapon types and has far more weaponry options available.

Fallout's small guns
See Fallout weapons.

Fallout 2's small guns
See Fallout 2 weapons.

Fallout Tactics' small guns
See Fallout Tactics weapons.

Fallout 3
Initial Level: Starting Small Guns skill is equal to 2 + (2 x Agility) + Luck/2 (rounded up). Average starting characters (AG 5, LK 5) will have a Small Guns skill of 15.

In general, Small Guns skill raises your accuracy/damage with any weapon that isn't affected by the other skills. On average, increasing Small Guns by 5 points will increase Small Gun weapon damage by ~3.5%. There is also a diminishing margin of return. In general, increasing Small Guns from 5 to 10 will increase weapon damage more than increasing it from 95 to 100.

Small Guns-based Perks
Perks that improve V.A.T.S. accuracy:
 * Gunslinger improves V.A.T.S. accuracy for pistols (or similar one-handed weapons).
 * Commando improves V.A.T.S. accuracy for rifles (or similar two-handed weapons).
 * Sniper improves V.A.T.S. accuracy when targeting the head.
 * Wired Reflexes improves V.A.T.S. accuracy for all weapons by 10%.
 * Concentrated Fire increases V.A.T.S. accuracy against a body part by +5% each time it is targeted.

Perks that improve damage:
 * Black Widow improves damage by 10% vs. male humans/ghouls.
 * Lady Killer improves damage by 10% vs. female humans/ghouls.
 * Entomologist improves damage by 50% vs. insects.
 * Robotics Expert improves damage by 25% vs. robots.
 * Bloody Mess improves damage by 5% against all targets.
 * Finesse increases the chance of getting a critical hit by the equivalent of 5 points in Luck.
 * Better Criticals increases the damage of critical hits by 50%.
 * Survival Expert increases the chance of a critical hit by 1, 2 or 3%.
 * Ghoul Ecology improves damage by +5 against ghouls (bugged and effects all targets).
 * Superior Defender improves damage by +5 when standing still.

Consumables that improve damage:
 * Yao guai meat improves damage by 10%.
 * Psycho improves damage by 25%.

Ways to increase Small Guns
Note: Only items adding +5 or more are included.
 * Bobblehead - Small Guns (permanent +10)
 * Guns and Bullets (permanent +1 or +2 with Comprehension)
 * Gun Nut (permanent +5 with each rank)
 * Covert Ops (permanent +3, requires Operation: Anchorage)
 * Fire ant nectar (temporary +2-8 depending on Agility, a perfect Agility of 10 will see no benefit.)
 * Armored Vault jumpsuit (temporary +5)
 * Security uniform (temporary +5, includes Rivet City and Tenpenny Tower)
 * Ranger battle armor (temporary +10)
 * Wanderer's leather armor (temporary +10)
 * Colonel Autumn's uniform (temporary +5)
 * Dirty Chinese jumpsuit (temporary +5)
 * Red's jumpsuit (temporary +5)
 * Regulator duster (temporary +5)
 * Sheriff's duster (temporary +5)
 * Vance's longcoat outfit (temporary +10)
 * Hat of the People (temporary +5, requires The Pitt)
 * General Chase's overcoat (temporary +10, requires Mothership Zeta)
 * Paulson's outfit (temporary +10, requires Mothership Zeta)
 * Desmond's eyeglasses (temporary +5, requires Point Lookout)
 * Grifter's Fit (temporary +5, requires Point Lookout)

Fallout 3 ' s small guns
See Fallout 3 weapons.

Ręczna broń palna Лёгкое оружие 小型枪械