Summary
Fallout 4may have been released in 2015, but some players are still enjoying it to this day, no matter what other games Bethesda has released since then, such asStarfield. Although many players are sure to already have countless hours in the title, others may still be new toFallout 4even after eight years of the game being available on a variety of platforms.
At the start of the game, players are free to select their S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. This defines what perks they can unlock later once they can finallyexplore the nuclear wasteland. Each Attribute tree has ten possible perks for the player to unlock. These are the skills a player should consider unlocking earlier than the rest.
Updated June 18, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:Fans of Bethesda games who have just played through the Shattered Space expansion of Starfield might want to play something more “down to Earth,” and Fallout 4 can take players there quite literally. Although no longer in the space western setup of Starfield, the atompunk post-apocalypse of Fallout 4 is always a refreshing place to enter for fans who just want an open world to explore and a lot of bizarre adventures to encounter.
And for players who want to start a fresh playthrough of the game, perhaps getting into Fallout 4 with the right Perks should be the way to go. Among must-have beginner-friendly Perks include being able to breathe underwater, being able to get more out of their eventual Settlement, and even being able to level up more efficiently.
1Idiot Savant
Perfect For Silly Builds
The concept of a gag build isn’t new in Bethesda games, especially inFallout 4where crazy stories can also intersect riveting storylines. In the case ofIdiot Savant, players can try going all out on their experimental builds - which in this case depends on them getting Luck 5 and lowering their Intelligence as much as possible.
While doing this can result in some hilarious interactions, this detriment can transform into a potential way for characters to become a powerhouse. When they do any action, Idiot Savant can cause characters to earn 3x (or 5x) XP from that action. At max rank, doing so will even trigger an event that lets players earn 3x XP from killing foes for a short while. Players who need a level-up boost can certainly benefit from this skill.
1
Randomly receive 3x XP from any action. The lower the Intelligence, the higher the chance.
2
11
Randomly receive 5x XP from any action. The lower the Intelligence, the higher the chance.
3
34
Randomly receiving Bonus XP from any action may trigger 3x XP for all kills within a period. The lower the Intelligence, the higher the chance.
2Aquaboy/Aquagirl
Breathe Underwater For Extra Exploration
The implication of characters receivingmutations in theFalloutseriesis nothing new. However, players who want something more bizarre as a character upgrade might want to considerAquaboy/Aquagirl.
This Perk gives players the ability to completely bypass the Radiation Damage one ordinarily gets when trying to traverse water. Not only that, their first rank allows them to breathe underwater without any repercussions. At maximum rank, being underwater makes players undetectable, making for easy escapes. Players who are into exploration builds should consider getting Aquaboy/Aquagirl for the ease of touring around the game.
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21
3Lone Wanderer
Traveling Alone Means Being Stronger
While the idea of having Companions can certainly make one’sFallout 4journey more enjoyable, the game also allows players to travel solo - andLone Wanderergives them a worthwhile advantage to consider doing so. Players who want to focus on busting some heads and killing some monsters should get this Perk for its many benefits.
As long as they don’t have Companions with them, this Perk gives them -15% Damage taken from all sources and even +50 Carrying Weight, easily allowing them to get more items during exploration and fight with less risk. The higher the Perk level, the less damage players receive and the more Carrying Weight to use. The 3rd and 4th ranks of the Perk even allow players to deal more Damage and use more Action Points, giving them more flexibility in combat.
17
40
+25% More Damage without a Companion
4
50
+25 Action Points without a Companion
4Big Leagues – More Melee Damage
Hitting Harder Sooner Is Vital For Any Melee Build
Out of all the attributes players use, strength is just as forgotten as luck is. However, with such an assortment of melee weapons for players to equip, some players may be intrigued about trying out a melee build inFallout 4.
When focusing on a melee build, taking skills like Big Leagues is one of many ways early into the player’s exploration of the commonwealth that they can be sure using baseball bats and police batons will outmatch those that are wielding guns. Being able to hit harder early through an increased buff of damage will mean the player is less likely to be downed by a rifle.
7
Players now do 40% more damage with melee weapons and have the chance to disarm an opponent.
15
Melee weapons now do 60% more damage and gain an increased chance of disarming an opponent.
27
Melee weapons do 80% more damage and the weapon hits all opponents ahead of the player.
5
42
Players do double the amount of damage of the melee weapon, and have the chance of either crippling an opponent or crushing an opponent’s head.
5Blacksmith – Improved Melee Weapons
Weapon Mods Are Crucial For Damage
Alongside doing increased damage with any melee weapon, there are various skills players can unlock that allow them to use the junk they pick up to create upgrades for their weaponry, including melee weapons which can be upgraded with mods built using the Blacksmith skill.
Increasing this skill further in the strength category will see players be able to give their melee weapons all sorts of upgrades that can see them set opponents on fire, or an increased chance of crippling foes. These effects will only become better by putting even more points into Blacksmith and finding the resources needed to make them a reality.
N/A
Players gain access to base level and rank 1 melee weapon mods.
16
29
6Lady Killer / Black Widow – Buffs Against The Opposite Gender
Small Boosts Are Great For Early Game
Charisma is an attribute that players are likely to invest heavily in, mostly due to how it helps with various moments of dialogue inFallout 4. Investing three skill points in Lady Killer – or Black Widow depending on the gender of the character – can increase the players' chances of not only succeeding in dialogue vs the opposite gender but also deal more damage to them as well.
This perk also works nicely with others, such as by increasing the amount of perk points the player has in Lady Killer, they will also have an easier time intimidating people, which can cause them to back down from a fight.
Men/Women suffer 5% more damage in combat and are easier to persuade in dialogue.
Men/Women suffer 10% more damage in combat and are even easier to persuade in dialogue. They are also easier to pacify with the intimidation perk.
22
Men/Women suffer 15% more damage in combat and are much easier to persuade in dialogue. They are also even easier to pacify with the intimidation perk.
7Chem Resistant – No Longer Be Addicted To Chems
Never Be Afraid To Use Chems Even When Short On Caps
As the name of the perk suggests, players that have at least 4 points in Endurance will be able to start making themselves resistant to the addictive nature of Chems. In a wasteland of a world, players can find nefarious drugs for their character to take that can improve their prowess in combat.
The only issue with taking a lot of chems is becoming addicted to them, which not only reduces how effective they are but also makes the player feel worse without them. With Chem Resistant, players can make it, so they no longer become addicted to it once they have put two perk points into it by level 22.
The player is 50% less likely to become addicted to Chems.
8Awareness – Exploit The Weaknesses Of The Enemy
Do The Most Damage Even At The Start Of The Game
VATS is a skill inFallout 4that allows players to focus on the various parts of an enemy and shoot them. With the Awareness skill, players can now target an enemy’s various weaknesses and damage resistance to do the most amount of damage possible.
Awareness originally only had one perk point that could be added to it. However, with the introduction of theNuka-WorldDLC, players were able to improve this perception skill a point further at level 14, where they could now do an increased amount of damage and chance of hitting the limb the player had targeted.
14
Players have a 5% increase to hit chance and damage when using VATS.
9Cap Collector – There Are Deals To Be Found
Being Able To Sell For A Better Profit Means Money To Play With
Cap Collector only requires a single attribute point in theever-popular RPG mechanic: Charisma. A player inFallout 4will always have the potential to get better deals when talking to merchants. Caps are the vital currency used by all the folks that are currently surviving in Fallout 4 and therefore being able to sell items for more of these is always better.
Sometimes these merchants even have interesting modifications, weaponry, or armor that a player may wish to purchase. With the Cap Collector perk, these items can be cheaper. Investing more perk points in Cap Collector can improve these prices further.
Buying and selling at vendors is better
20
Buying and selling at vendors is even better
41
Players can invest 500 caps into a vendor to increase their buying capacity
10Strong Back – No More Encumbrance
Players Will Never Need To Leave Behind Loot
Like any RPG, especially Bethesda RPGs, there are countless bits of random junk for the player to collect. Those who enjoy hoarding bits and bobs will quickly run out of inventory space. Thankfully, the Strong Back perk can reduce some of that heavy lifting.
Unlike many of the other available perks inFallout 4, Strong Back usually has four levels to it. However, players that have one of thebestFalloutDLCs,Far Harbor,can even unlock a fifth level to the Strong Back perk that reduces the number of Action Points used when running while encumbered.
Gain 25% more carry weight
10
Gain 50% more carry weight
When encumbered the player can use Action Points to run
30
When encumbered the player can fast travel (Normal Mode) When encumbered the player won’t get injured (Survival Mode)
When encumbered, running costs 50% less Action Points
