This Is How We Will Use Those Fallout 4 SPECIAL Stats

Fallout 4

A new video for Fallout 4 has been released to show us how we will handle our characters in Fallout 4 as well as the perks that go along with the SPECIAL stats

Hopefully by now you have seen the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. video series for Fallout 4, or at least the three videos out so far. They have been kind of showing us all how our character stats will be usable in Fallout 4 and they have been more informative than you would think. Well at least I would think as we are not even over halfway through there and Bethesda has released a new video showing off how these stats will work in Fallout 4 as well as the perks you will be able to purchase to take things above and beyond just a score of one to ten. Now you will be even more prepared for Fallout 4 when it launches on November 10th for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

While not all of the perks have been outlined just yet in Fallout 4 each category of the SPECIAL chart will have ten different perks. Each of those perks will have different perk ranks that can be leveled up and may even bring back some of your favorite perks from past Fallout titles. How many more times can I say perks? Hopefully not as many times as there are perks in Fallout 4 as right now there are stated as having 257 different perks once all is said and done. Mathematically that doesn't add up as the examples given have 5 different perks per perk but I am guessing not all of them are leveled the same. I guess we'll see when Fallout 4 launches or another video is released.

Speaking of the video, here is the short little look at how these perks will all play out in Fallout 4 as well as how the Pip-Boy will let you manage them all. Also, as they have not all been named and outlined for us yet, that does not mean we don't have a nice long look at all of the base perks in Fallout 4 to look at. You can see that just a bit further down the page here.

Fallout 4 — Character System

Fallout 4 — Perk Chart

It was our goal that all the Perks be balanced amongst each other, regardless of if they required a 1 or a 10. The higher the SPECIAL requirement, the more focused or exotic the Perk was for that playstyle. Take for example the Agility 1 Perk Gunslinger (20% more damage with pistols), and the Agility 10 Perk Gun Fu (your 2nd target in V.A.T.S. takes 25% more damage regardless of weapon).

What’s important is that each of these Perks is actually a mini Perk tree*, with multiple ranks that also do new things. Gun Fu above allows even more damage the more targets you select, increasing to instant Critical Shots. Gunslinger has ranks that up the range of pistols, add a chance to disarm enemies, and even instant limb crippling shots.

These additional ranks do require your character to be a higher level. This allows us to make some powerful Perk ranks that reward your investment in a certain SPECIAL as well as that individual Perk. It also allows us to fold Perks we liked from previous games into Perk ranks in this new system. For example, the Fallout 3 perk Paralyzing Palm (paralyze enemies through hand-to-hand), now becomes the Rank 5 Perk for Iron Fist. But you need to have chosen the previous 4 ranks of Iron Fist and be level 46. We also pushed old Perks to do new things at higher ranks. Strong Back doesn’t just up the amount you can carry; higher ranks of it allow you to fast-travel while encumbered or even run while encumbered at the cost of Action Points.

Isn't it staggering on the amount of perks we will have to select from in Fallout 4? What do you think about the ones that Bethesda has detailed out for us already? What perks from past titles would you want to see make it back into the franchise here in Fallout 4 even though they may require higher levels to unlock and extra perks before that? Let us know and fill in the blanks in the comments below. I doubt we will get a full list before Fallout 4 launches but at least we know we will have more looks at everything and you can be certain we will have that all right here for your viewing pleasure. Consider it a perk of reading through my mindless drivel every day. Maybe then you can get the achievement/trophy…

Fallout 4