Fallout 3 SPECIAL

This article describes the features of the Fallout 3 version of the SPECIAL character system, as well as its differences from SPECIAL's implementation in previous games.

Character creation
Main character creation occurs as the player experiences the character's childhood. The character's mother dies in labor in the Vault 101 hospital, immediately after which the player decides the character's general appearance through a DNA analysis conducted by the father. Afterwards, the father removes his surgeon's mask to reveal a face similar to the one chosen by the player for the character. As a child in the Vault, the character receives a book titled "You're SPECIAL," whereupon the player can set the character's seven primary aptitudes. The character receives training weapons and a PIP-Boy 3000 later on during childhood, and the player's performance in various tests determines the rest of the attributes. Additionally, several quests inside the Vault will be able to influence the player character's relationship with his or her father.

While the character's statistics are determined during the in-Vault tutorial, you can change any of them, including your appearance, the moment you leave the Vault.

Main statistics
The main statistics are the same, since otherwise it couldn't be named SPECIAL (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck). You have 40 character points to divide among your stats (all 7 stats start at 5 and you have 5 more points to distribute). They can't be lower than 1 nor higher than 10.

The 40 standard character points are allocated during character creation early in the game. However, upon escaping from Vault 101 (the end of the first stage of the game), the player will have one opportunity to change his or her mind and reallocate character points.

Statistics can be improved temporarily by using chems or wearing equipment, and can be improved permanently through perks and the collection of bobbleheads.

Skills
As in the previous games, the player chooses three Tag Skills out of 13 to be the character's specialties. Five skills have been cut out from the game (Fallout and Fallout 2 had 18 skills).

The available skills are: Gambling and Outdoorsman skills were completely removed.
 * Barter
 * Big Guns
 * Energy Weapons
 * Explosives (replacing Traps and Throwing)
 * Lockpick
 * Medicine (replacing Doctor and First Aid)
 * Melee Weapons
 * Repair
 * Science
 * Small Guns
 * Sneak (incorporating the Steal skill of previous games)
 * Speech
 * Unarmed

Experience and Level
The maximum level the player can achieve is level 20.

Perks
The exact list of Fallout 3 perks is not yet known. The Player Character will gain perks every level, as opposed to every three levels like in previous games.

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 were changed into perks.