Perception-Related Perks

Perception Training

Perception is your environmental awareness and “sixth sense,” and it affects weapon accuracy in V.A.T.S. If you employ this combat technique, the higher your Perception, the greater your chance of hitting a foe. A higher Perception also reveals detected threats (red dots on your compass) at a greater distance.

Become more aware! Spend a Perk Point and instantly gain 1 point of Perception to a maximum of 10.

There are no requirements for the training in this attribute.

Level 01: Pickpocket

You have quick hands and sticky fingers, and for those favoring a stealthy method of foe disposal (or gathering items such as keys from folks without resorting to gunplay or fast-talking), this is a fine perk to take. Remember Rank 2 is the only way you’re able to drop in a live grenade as a special present, and only if your adversaries haven’t seen you.

Level 02: Rifleman

Keep your distance long and your kill count high. Though this only requires a Perception of 2, increasing this to a much greater degree allows you to spot and remove foes at a greater range, which is what these weapons are designed to do. Be certain you know which weapons nonautomatic rifles are; the Weapons chapter lists them all.

Level 03: Awareness

If additional information is what you crave, then this is a most helpful augmentation to your V.A.T.S. combat interface, as it allows you to see what a foe’s resistances are and use weapons they are susceptible to.

The following information is now imparted:

• Level: Your enemy’s level.
• Shield: Your enemy’s resistance to ballistic, explosive, or impact-related damage.
• Lightning: Your enemy’s resistance to energy weapons.
• Radiation: Your enemy’s resistance to weapons that inflict radiation damage.
• Poison Drop: Your enemy’s resistance to weapons that inflict poison damage.

Level 04: Locksmith

You have impressively nimble fingers. As there is a large number of doors that are locked, it is worth considering this perk if you must know what’s behind every closet door, storage door, or secret door. Remember that sometimes a locked door can be opened via other means (a terminal, requiring the Hacker perk) or a key. The Map chapter shows every door’s difficulty rating and the important items behind there, so figure out how important this is. It’s usually better to focus on either Locksmith or Hacker.

Level 05: Demolition Expert

The bigger the boom, the better! At the highest ranks, a proficient expert can craft a potent bomb or ten and lob them all at even the most dangerous of marauding foes, dropping the enemy before engaging in closer combat. Are you a fan of mines? Do you enjoy using V.A.T.S. to shoot grenades or mines close to or carried on an enemy? Then think about this perk.

Level 06: Night Person

You are a creature of the night! Though this doesn’t allow you to spend Perk Points on perks you don’t have the Intelligence or Perception to unlock, you do receive the impressive enhancements that a higher INT and PER allow you. For example, you have a greater distance to spot enemies and V.A.T.S. enhancements for Perception and the increase in XP that an Intelligence boost gives you.

Level 07: Refractor

You must be part mirror! For enemies that favor weapons inflicting this type of damage (such as Institute synths, foes armed with cryo or energy weaponry, and tesla arc traps), this proves to be an impressive defense. To a Raider attempting to hit you with a baseball bat, this offers no protection. Further complement this resistance by taking the Moving Target, Robot Sympathy, and Shield Harmonics perks. The Toughness perk offers all-around protection and might be a better fit.

Level 08: Sniper

It’s all about focus. Like Gunslinger and Commando (for your other weapon types), this allows further flexibility when utilizing any nonauto scoped rifle. A list of this weapon type is provided in the Weapons chapter. If you favor these type of guns, this is your first perk choice.

Level 09: Penetrator

There’s no place to hide! This doesn’t allow shooting through impenetrable walls but does allow you to target partially obscured foes (like those behind trees, through windows, or behind barricades) if parts of them are visible. This is another good option to further enhance V.A.T.S. combat.

Level 10: Concentrated Fire

Stay focused! This focus only stops when you run out of Action Points, so bolster APs to further enhance this perk. As you’ll know how many APs it takes to fire off the bullets from your weapon, you should surmise that a heavier weapon, or one that fires slower and more damaging projectiles, is more likely to use up your Action Points more quickly and lessen the effectiveness of this perk. So play around with your favorite weapons to see which ones are most effective.