Explosives (Fallout 3)

Explosives is a skill in Fallout 3, replacing the Traps and Throwing skills from previous games. Its governing primary statistic is Perception. It determines the damage done by Explosives, ability of handling explosive traps.

Initial level

 * $$\text{Initial level}=2+(2\times\text{Perception})+\left\lceil\frac{\text{Luck}}{2}\right\rceil$$

Example: A starting Perception of 5 and Luck of 5.


 * $$2+(2\times5)+\left\lceil\frac{5}{2}\right\rceil=15$$

Description
The Explosives skill governs the ability to use all mines, grenades and Explosives skill based weapons (excluding missiles and Mini Nukes - see Big Guns).

The higher your skill, the higher the damage you inflict. The Explosives skill also affects the distance and accuracy of a thrown bomb (e.g. frag grenade, pulse grenade etc.)

The player's Explosives skill determines how close you can get to a mine before it detects you, as well as how long the mine will take before it explodes. There does not appear to be a minimum Explosives skill necessary to disarm a mine, so long as you can run up and activate it fast enough.

Ways to increase Explosives

 * Permanent
 * Leveling up (10+INT (+3 with Educated perk))
 * Bobblehead - Explosives (+10)
 * Little Leaguer (+5 for each rank)
 * Duck and Cover! (+1 or 2 with Comprehension)
 * Tag! (+15)
 * Temporary
 * Mentats (+2-10 depending on current Perception, a perfect Perception of 10 will see no benefit)
 * Raider Blastmaster Helmet (+5)
 * Takoma Park Little Leaguer Cap (+5)
 * Torcher's mask (+5)
 * Bombshell Armor (+10)
 * Desmond's eyeglasses (+5)

Affected weapons
Fallout 3 Explosives skill weapons, 2

Interactions that require Explosives skill
Specific levels of Explosives are required to disarm certain explosive-based traps.
 * 25 is required to disarm or detonate Megaton's atom bomb.
 * 30 is required to disarm hanging grenade bouquets
 * 45 is required to disarm rigged computer terminals
 * 50 Explosives is required to train the residents of Big Town in placing a minefield during Big Trouble in Big Town.
 * 60 is required to disarm rigged baby carriages.
 * High explosives can cause Reilly to reveal that her rangers left mines to slow down the mutants during the Reilly's Rangers quest.
 * Note: The Repair skill is used to disarm any trip wires or pressure plates associated with traps.