Buffout (Fallout)

Buffout is a consumable item in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, and Van Buren.

Background
Buffout is a highly advanced steroid that was popularized before the Great War by professional athletes and their clandestine use of the drug.

Characteristics
A favorite of melee players, Buffout is designed specifically to increase a person's deadliness in hand-to-hand combat. Consequently, any combat style whose effectiveness is influenced by the Strength SPECIAL stat reaps a significant benefit from the use of Buffout.

Although most players avoid going through Fallout without any weapons whatsoever, those players that do, along with those who prefer melee weapons with hard-hitting attacks (such as the sledgehammer or super sledge) can drastically increase the effectiveness of their assaults with careful use of Buffout. In Fallout 2, non-player characters that follow the Chosen One can often be supplied with Buffout and be directed to use it, making already dangerous companions like Marcus all the more fearsome in combat. In those situations where unarmed combat is the law, such as the sparring ring in San Francisco or the Boxing circuit in New Reno, a quick dose or two of Buffout prior to the commencement of hostilities can drastically shift the odds.

Unfortunately, the drawback of Buffout is its high addiction rate. Anyone taking more than a single dose at a time is running a severe risk of addiction and its attendant penalties. A person going through Buffout withdrawal is in no condition to fight hand-to-hand.