Strength-Related Perks

Strength Training

Strength is a measure of your raw physical power. It affects how much you can carry and the damage of all melee attacks.

Since every item you scavenge has a weight associated with it, the stronger you are, the more you can carry without becoming overburdened (which doesn’t allow you to run).

Melee damage is inflicted by weapons you brandish with your hands, like a baseball bat. The higher your Strength, the more damage you inflict with such attacks.

Build those muscles! Spend a Perk Point and instantly gain 1 point of Strength to a maximum of 10.

There are no requirements for the training in this attribute.

Level 01: Iron Fist

Channel your chi to unleash devastating fury! If you’re the pugilistic sort and favor unarmed weaponry to inflict pain and suffering to an ever-more impressive degree, this is the perk for you! Let’s not dwell on the slight shortfall of the difficulty in fighting multiple opponents at once; this focuses all your muscle on one hapless fool. Consult the Weapons chapter for the variety of punching weapons available.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 1	Punching attacks do 20 percent more damage to your opponent.
2	Level 9, STR 1	Punching attacks now do 40 percent more damage and can disarm your opponent.
3	Level 18, STR 1	Punching attacks now do 60 percent more damage. Unarmed Power Attacks have a chance to cripple one of your opponent’s limbs.
4	Level 31, STR 1	Punching attacks now do 80 percent more damage. Unarmed Power Attacks have an increased chance to cripple one of your opponent’s limbs.
5	Level 46, STR 1	Punching attacks now do double damage. Criticals in V.A.T.S. will paralyze your opponent.

Level 02: Big Leagues

Swing for the fences! If you design a bludgeoning or bladed method of bringing an end to your foes, this is the perk to take. Though difficult to battle against multiple enemies in the same space, close combat is much more impressive when your damage is increased. Check the Weapons chapter for more information on available melee weapons.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 2	Does 20 percent more melee weapon damage.
2	Level 7, STR 2	You now do 40 percent more melee weapon damage and gain a chance to disarm your opponent.
3	Level 15, STR 2	You now do 60 percent more melee weapon damage and gain an increased chance to disarm your opponent.
4	Level 27, STR 2	You now do 80 percent more melee weapon damage and hit all targets in front of you.
5	Level 42, STR 2	You now do double damage with a melee weapon and gain a chance to cripple your opponent, or grand slam their head clean off!

Level 03: Armorer

Protect yourself from the dangers of the Wasteland. If you’re the sort to tinkerer at an armor workbench and want to craft some impressively protective gear for yourself or your companions, choose this perk.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 3	You gain access to base level and Rank 1 armor mods.
2	Level 13, STR 3	You gain access to Rank 2 armor mods.
3	Level 25, STR 3	You gain access to Rank 3 armor mods.
4	Level 39, STR 3	You gain access to Rank 4 armor mods.

This perk enhances your workshop settlements. This allows you to create the Power Armor station (Rank 1, with Local Leader Rank 2).

Level 04: Blacksmith

Fire up the forge! If you enjoy swinging a melee weapon into the skulls of your adversaries, it pays to craft modified variants at a weapons workbench, using these perks to make such implements with the very best bonuses.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 4	You gain access to base level and Rank 1 melee weapon mods.
2	Level 16, STR 4	You gain access to Rank 2 melee weapon mods.
3	Level 29, STR 4	You gain access to Rank 3 melee weapon mods.

Level 05: Heavy Gunner

Thanks to practice and conditioning, you’re able to utilize the weightiest of weapons with an extra degree of precision. Check the Weapons chapter for the different types of heavy guns so you know which ones this perk affects. Combine with other weapon perks so you receive a bonus no matter which weapon you wield.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 5	Heavy guns do 20 percent more damage.
2	Level 11, STR 5	Heavy guns now do 40 percent more damage and have improved hip-fire accuracy.
3	Level 21, STR 5	Heavy guns now do 60 percent more damage. Hip-fire accuracy is increased even more.
4	Level 35, STR 5	Heavy guns now do 80 percent more damage and have a chance to stagger your opponent.
5	Level 47, STR 5	Heavy guns now do double damage.

Level 06: Strong Back

What are you, part pack mule? Though those favoring heavier weapons and armor are likely to take this perk on general principle, it’s also hugely beneficial to scavengers; spend more time in the wilderness gathering loot to sell or trade! Carry a greater complement of killing equipment! And at higher levels, have some way of easily maneuvering back to safety without dropping your ill-gotten gains.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 6	Gain +25 to carry weight.
2	Level 10, STR 6	You now have +50 to carry weight.
3	Level 20, STR 6	When overburdened, you can use Action Points to run.
4	Level 30, STR 6	When overburdened, you can Fast-Travel.
5	Level 40, STR 6	When over encumbered, running costs 50% less action points. * Expanded perk made available with Far Harbor DLC

Level 07: Steady Aim

Stay on target! If you enjoy the benefits of gunplay without entering V.A.T.S. to accomplish your violent goals, then increase the accuracy of any projectile weapon with this perk. This allows you just a little more leeway when manually firing at foes, and also without aiming down ironsights or scopes.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 7	Hip-fire accuracy is improved when firing any gun.
2	Level 28, STR 7	Hip-fire accuracy is improved even more when firing any gun.

Level 08: Basher

Get up close and personal! The amount of time you use the butt of your gun to inflict a bloody nose (or worse) at close quarters reflects how important you deem this perk to be. But it does increase the flexibility of more complex combat situations where you may not wish to switch between a favored firearm and a different weapon type (like a punching weapon).

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 8	Gun bashing does 25 percent more damage.
2	Level 5, STR 8	Gun bashing now does 50 percent more damage and possibly cripples your opponent.
3	Level 14, STR 8	Gun bashing now does 75 percent more damage and has an increased chance to cripple your opponent.
4	Level 26, STR 8	Gun bashing does double damage and has an increased chance to cripple your opponent. It may also inflict a critical hit.

Level 09: Rooted

You’re part tree! Though ostensibly used when you’re standing there trading melee blows with a hapless idiot who’s regretting challenging you to a close-quarter fight, this can also be employed if you’re sneaking behind a foe, stopping, and delivering a killing blow.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 9	While standing still, you gain +25 Damage Resistance and your melee and unarmed attacks deal 25 percent more damage.
2	Level 22, STR 9	While standing still, you now gain +50 Damage Resistance and your melee and unarmed attacks deal 50 percent more damage.
3	Level 43, STR 9	While standing still, you may automatically disarm enemies that use melee weapons against you.

Level 10: Pain Train

Choo-choo! All aboard! Turning Power Armor into an offensive weapon? What an exceptional idea: As long as you have the Action Points to complete a sprint before switching to your favored weapon and you’re focusing on Power Armor as a main source of protection, this can prove an excellent deterrent, at any time during combat.

rank	Requirements	description
1	STR 10	While wearing Power Armor, sprinting into enemies hurts and staggers them. (Robots and oversized enemies are immune to the stagger.)
2	Level 24, STR 10	Sprinting into enemies while wearing Power Armor now causes severe damage and a more powerful stagger. (Robots and oversized enemies are immune to the stagger.)
3	Level 50, STR 10	Sprinting into enemies while wearing Power Armor now causes massive damage and knocks them down. Impact landing near enemies inflicts even more damage.