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, some quest give you perks as well.) Important Note: Codes can be used by opening the console in the PC version and using the following commands: player.removeperk [perk code] player.addperk [perk code] Replace [perk code] with the code listed for the desired perk. For ranked perks, repeat the process until the desired rank is reached. codes in parenthesis "" are for girls, if the character already has the perk, adding the code will show nothing on the console.

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
These perks will be added through downloadable content packs. it is not yet known whether they will be gained on level-up or through quests.

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!


 * Consider what kind of character you want to build and develop. Think ahead.
 * Some perks work great when combined, 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.
 * You CAN NOT raise skills above 100% NOR can you raise your SPECIAL scores above 10, even with 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.
 * 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 (like 60% in Science for example) and make sure the requirements are met before reaching the level to get the perk.
 * Players from the classic fallout games often tend to chose Intense Training perk because in past games the SPECIAL stats were the most important factor in deriving character attributes. However, in Fallout 3 SPECIAL's role in this is less-critical. For example, even players with a Charisma value of "1" can pass speech tests by either saving and re-loading very often or by putting skill points into Speech via leveling up or reading Lying, Congressional Style books. Another example to illustrate this is the Survivor perk. When the player wants to get the guru level of this perk (see link), she is required to have a 7 Endurance to give the appropriate answers in dialogue. But even if the player only has 4 Endurance, she 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. The usefulness of the perk depends on how many books are read after gaining the perk. It is also recommended that the player get this perk early on. See the perk for more details about why this makes sense.
 * Adamantium skeleton might be less helpfull then expected, since no real degradation of use is seen until the limbs actually break, and even then it is minor. For a limb to be crippled, the player is generally in a state to be taking enought stimpacks for hp that there will simply be no problem. Only the damage reduction if a player is hit in the limbs can be accounted as somehow usefull - a limited Damage resistance.
 * Here and Now should never be taken, as it wastes a perk!
 * Animal Friend can be a useful perk if both ranks are taken. That Yao Guai don't attack the player when wandering the wasteland is useful, but from a strategic standpoint, so is save and load. In the beginning, it can be fun to watch a Yao Guai kill raiders for the player, but look at it this way: experience is lost, and at a later levels Yao Guai are hardly a threat worth spending a perk to avoid. Ditto for Molerats, Dogs and other animals. On the other hand, higher level players who do not want to be annoyed by the meager experience granted and the common occurrence of the fights may find this a relieving perk that skips out on many pointless and useless fights.
 * Chem Resistant is not recommended, as time doesn't play a role. If the player is addicted, she can just go to Crater Supply in Megaton, purchase a chemistry lab for 1400 Caps (and then free unlimited Detox), or simply re-load a saved game before the addiction and try again. It also seems to help if the player lets some days pass before trying to take the drug again. The fact that even with the perk the player can get addicted makes it one of the more useless perks.

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