Modifications: Action Points in V.A.T.S., bonus to SneakBuffs: Agility Bobblehead, U.S. Covert Operations Manual 10 Magazine, Clothing, Armor, and effects from armor, Chems (Calmex, X-Cell), Rum
Agility is a measure of your overall finesse and reflexes. If affects the number of Action Points (AP) in V.A.T.S. and your ability to sneak. It is an important attribute to those who use stealth to maneuver around while crouching and remaining unseen. As you need the largest number of AP as possible (if you favor V.A.T.S. combat), this is another reason to never overlook this attribute.
Value Max Action Points Sneak Rating Bonus
1
105
5
2
115
10
3
125
15
4
135
20
5
145
25
6
155
30
7
165
35
8
175
40
9
185
45
10
195
50
11
205
55
12
215
60
13
225
65
14
235
70
15
245
75
Agility Perks (31)
The following table shows all 31 Agility Perk Cards, listed by the earliest level you can obtain them.
Perk Name C U R Level Ranks Description
Action Boy/Girl
x
2
1, 2, 3
AP regenerates 15/30/45% faster.
Born Survivor
x
3
1, 2, 3
Falling below 20/30/40% health will automatically use a Stimpak.
Thru Hiker
x
3
1, 2, 3
Food and drink weights are reduced by 30/60/90%.
Gun Runner
x
4
1, 2
Your running speed is increased by 10/20% when you have a pistol equipped.
Moving Target
x
5
1, 2, 3
Gain +15/30/45 Damage and Energy Resistance while sprinting. (No Power Armor ).
Gunslinger
x
6
1, 2, 3
Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Dead Man Sprinting
x
8
1, 2
Sprint 10/20% faster at an increased AP cost when your health is below 40/50%.
Packin’ Light
x
9
1, 2, 3
Your pistols weigh 25/50/75% less.
Guerrilla
x
10
1, 2, 3
Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Marathoner
x
13
1, 2, 3
Sprinting consumes 20/30/40% fewer AP.
Ninja
x
15
1, 2, 3
Sneak attacks with melee weapons do 2.3x/2.6x/3x normal damage.
Evasive
x
17
1, 2, 3
Each point of Agility adds +1/2/3 Damage and Energy Resist (max 15/30/45). (No Power Armor ).
Modern Renegade
x
18
1, 2, 3, 4
Gain some/more/even more/excellent Pistol hip fire accuracy and a +1/2/3/4% chance to cripple a limb.
Sneak
x
20
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
You are 20/30/40/50/60% harder to detect while sneaking.
Home Defense
x
22
1, 2, 3
You can craft and disarm better/advanced/expert traps and craft better/advanced/expert turrets (Plans required).
Gunslinger (Expert)
x
24
1, 2, 3
Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Guerrilla (Expert)
x
25
1, 2, 3
Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Covert Operative
x
27
1, 2, 3
Your ranged sneak attacks deal 2.15x/2.3x/2.5x normal damage.
Light Footed
x
29
1
While sneaking, you never trigger mines or floor-based traps.
Enforcer Card
x
30
1, 2, 3, 4
Your shotguns gain a 5/10/15/20% stagger chance and a 3/6/9/12% chance to cripple a limb.
Goat Legs
x
32
1, 2
Take 40/80% less damage from falling.
Ammosmith
x
34
1, 2, 3
Produce 30/60/100% more rounds when crafting ammunition.
Escape Artist
x
35
1
Sneak to lose enemies, and running no longer affects stealth.
Mister Sandman
x
37
1, 2
At night your silenced weapons do additional 25/50% sneak attack damage.
White Knight
x
39
1, 2, 3
Your armor breaks 30/60/90% more slowly and is cheaper to repair.
Gunslinger (Master)
x
41
1, 2, 3
Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Guerrilla (Master)
x
43
1, 2, 3
Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Dodgy
x
45
1, 2, 3
Avoid 10/20/30% of incoming damage at the cost of 30 APs per hit.
Secret Agent
x
47
1, 2, 3
Stealth Boys last twice/three times/four times as long!
Adrenaline
x
49
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Gain +6/7/8/9/10% (max 36/42/48/54/60%) damage for 30s per kill. Duration refreshes with kills.
Gun Fu
x
50
1, 2, 3
V.A.T.S. swaps targets on kill with +10% damage/10%, then 20% damage/10%, 20%, then 30% damage to your next target/two targets/three targets.
Agility-Related Perks: Overview
As you’d expect, AP improvements, bonuses while sprinting, stealth maneuvering, and reduced damage from falling are a number of bonuses you can take while Sneaking, at night, and with the use of the Stealth Boy (which also has its longevity improved). Central to this attribute are pistols; you can specialize and improve both nonautomatic and automatic variants, and add other augmentations too. There are also some unique perks (increased Well Fed and Hydrated bonuses, shotgun improvements, disarming turrets and traps, and the gaining of damage after kills).
Action Boy/Girl
Rarity: CommonLevel: 2Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: AP regenerates 15%/30%/45% faster.
Advice: This is arguably the most important perk to pick as you first emerge from Vault 76 , and one that’s tough to beat as you progress through Appalachia: You constantly need AP—for combat and for sprinting. The ability to move quickly or fight with a smaller resting time is a lifesaving advantage. It’s worth considering bolstering this perk by adding more Agility Points (as these increase your AP) and by adding perks related to AP, like the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage, the Agility perks Dead Man Sprinting and Marathoner, and the Luck perk Grim Reaper’s Sprint. The only time to possibly shelve this perk is when you’re not exploring, when you’re crafting or building, and when you have other Agility perks that are more beneficial during those times.
Adrenaline
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 49Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Description: Gain +6%/7%/8%/9%/10% (max 36%/42%/48%/54%/60%) damage for 30s per kill. Duration refreshes with kills.
Advice: This is a high-level perk, so by the time you obtain it, you’ll be finessing your devastating killing techniques based on your preferred play style. But this perk’s flexibility (use it in both normal and V.A.T.S. combat), the relatively unique bonuses it grants you (up to 60% extra damage for 30 seconds at Rank 5), and the fact that you can continuously “juggle” this combo by killing additional foes and refreshing the duration back to another 30 seconds makes this a perfect perk for crowd-control situations. It is slightly less potent when engaging fewer or “boss” foes with massive health reserves. Bring all your stacked damage-modifying perks with you, like the Agility perk Evasive, and the weapon-enhancing perks (like the Agility perk Guerrilla for pistols or the Strength perk Shotgunner for shotguns), to further the carnage.
Ammosmith
Rarity: CommonLevel: 34Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Produce 30%/60%/100% more rounds when crafting ammunition.
Advice: You should start crafting your own (ballistic) ammo , energy ammo , explosive ammo , grenades, mines, and traps at a Tinker’s Workbench sooner rather than later, so you can utilize the junk in the landscape to provide ammo to use and sell, instead of buying it from vendors and scrabbling around for a few extra rounds in containers. After climbing the levels, it’s worth taking this perk when you continue to provide ammunition for you (to use and sell) and your team for the obvious reasons: more killing potential and less time sifting through junk . Think about partnering this with the Strength perks Bandolier and Batteries Included if you need to carry this ammo , while the Strength perk Pack Rat allows you to grab many more components specific to your ammunition needs so you can create one massive ammo dump in one Tinker’s Workbench session. Once you become a master at crafting, there’s always the Luck perk Super Duper, which gives a 40% chance (Rank 4) at upping your crafting ammo count even more!
Born Survivor
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 3Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Falling below 20%/30%/40% health will automatically use a Stimpak.
Advice: For those taking their first steps outside the Vault and are unsure of when to use a Stimpak and why, this can be an automatic lifesaver, as it allows you to concentrate on defeating that group of Ghouls mauling you rather than scrambling for a Stimpak at the Favorites menu. Unlike most other perks, it isn’t that necessary to add ranks in Born Survivor, though these keep you away from the “danger zone” of low health. However, there are downsides to automatically taking Stimpaks; you need to have some in your inventory , you can’t take other forms of healing, you might want to free up the Agility points for another perk, you’re competent enough to manually stab yourself with a Stimpak syringe, and most importantly, you could be utilizing a perk that grants you bonuses at low Health! It’s important not to use Born Survivor with the following “non-partner” perks, as their benefits clash with this perk : the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage, the Agility perk Dead Man Sprinting, and the Luck perk Serendipity.
Covert Operative
Rarity: RareLevel: 27Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your ranged sneak attacks deal 2.15x/2.3x/2.5x normal damage.
Advice: If you’re planning on taking advantage of the points you’re pouring into Agility (to increase your Sneak bonuses) and want to start shooting at foes, then this is a perk you’ll want to utilize on an almost-permanent basis. You can scout ahead, take up a defensive posture near (and usually above) a group of foes, and either tag them before they know what’s happening or soften them up before revealing yourself. Imagine if there were four of you with this perk! Remember this works in and out of V.A.T.S., so the damage modifiers you get from V.A.T.S., from your weapon, and those you are using generally all can combine to inflict instant-kill level damage! However, if you’re seeking to remain stealthy, partner this with other stealth-related bonuses, from the Perception perk Night Eyes and the Agility perks Escape Artist, Light Footed, Mister Sandman, Ninja, and Sneak.
Dead Man Sprinting
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 8Ranks: Points: 1, 2Description: Sprint 10%/20% faster at a increased AP cost when your health is below 40%/50%.
Advice: Don’t let the name of this perk put you off; this can save your life, especially at lower levels, where you’re less likely to know what you’re doing and exactly how many foes there are in an area you haven’t explored. Use the extra speed to seek defensive positions or to simply flee, as the increased AP cost it takes to dash at faster rates means you have less AP left for combat. It’s worth taking perks that increase your AP to make full use of the enhanced Sprinting, such as the Agility perk Action Boy/Girl. Otherwise, look at the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage and the Agility perk Marathoner. Note that some adventurers keep their Health at 50% (Rank 2) so they can sprint and explore more quickly, in which case you need to be wary of perks that clash with this one, and raise your health, such as the Agility perk Born Survivor: However, the two can be used together; if you use Born Survivor at Rank 1 (Stimpaks are used at 20%) and Dead Man Sprinting at Rank 2 (Sprint faster at below 50%), there’s a “sweet spot” of 20–50% health, when Dead Man Sprinting works but before Stimpaks automatically stop you from dying.
Dodgy
Rarity: RareLevel: 45Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Avoid 10%/20%/30% of incoming damage at the cost of 30 AP per hit.
Advice: This is a cool trick, and one you’ll need to level up a few dozen times to access, but it does allow you to shrug off incoming damage at the expense of your AP. If you’ve cultivated your AP and have enough to spare, or if you’ve used it to shrug off damage in the place of or in addition to armor, then Dodgy is a great perk to take. Basically, Dodgy makes you even more difficult to wound. Worry about enemies that strike you more often, such as Super Mutants with miniguns, as your AP depletion is per hit. If you haven’t managed your AP properly, then using this perk can be a problem, as you can reduce your AP too quickly, limiting your combat and sprinting capabilities. Ensure your AP won’t be the bottleneck by partnering Dodgy with the Agility perk Action Boy/Girl. Also look at the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage and the Agility perk Marathoner (sprinting consumes fewer APs). Then check the Bestiary and see the damage an enemy inflicts and remove (up to) 30% of it—your Dodgy bonus.
Enforcer
Rarity: RareLevel: 30Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3, 4Description: Your shotguns gain a 5%/10%/15%/20% stagger chance and a 3%/6%/9%/12% chance to cripple a limb.
Advice: First, ensure you’re the sort of sadist who enjoys playing with your foes, waylaying them while you’re killing them so they’re off-balance and can’t return fire (staggered), and they’re slower to run or attack (crippled). Second, if you want to stack this perk with others that also offer stagger and/or cripple chance potential with a shotgun, there aren’t any. Not to worry, though: increase the potency of your shotguns by utilizing the Strength perks Scattershot and Shotgunner,and the Perception perk Skeet Shooter. Enforcer is a perk you want to use when shotguns are your bread and butter. Note this is a similar perk to the Strength perk Basher, the Agility perk Modern Renegade, and the Luck perk One Gun Army.
Escape Artist
Rarity: RareLevel: 35Ranks: Points: 1Description: Sneak to lose enemies, and running no longer affects stealth.
Advice: This can be a real game-changer, as it enhances a stealth practitioner’s maneuvering in almost every circumstance: First, this grants you two helpful methods of upping your stealth techniques. Primary used when facing non-humans, you can crouch, retreat into cover, and stop enemies from investigating when they spot something suspicious; this gives you much more effective (and safe) scouting capabilities. Then you can run (not sprint!), effectively giving you extra speed to move between cover opportunities or behind enemies before attacking or dropping a grenade in their pocket (a classic!). Second, these enhancements cost you only a single perk point! Third, become a real silent assassin and professional reconnoiterer by partnering this with other stealth-related bonuses, from the Perception perk Night Eyes to all the stealth-related Agility perks, such as Covert Operative, Light Footed, Mister Sandman, Ninja, and Sneak.
Evasive
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 17Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Each point of Agility adds +1/2/3 Damage and Energy Resist (max 15/30/45). (No Power Armor ).
Advice: This perk’s effectiveness is purely centered around how many points of Agility you have. An Agility of 15, for example, gives you the maximum Damage (+45) and Energy Resistance (+45) at Rank 3, and there’s no one wandering the Appalachian wilderness who doesn’t like extra damage modifiers and defense against robotic weaponry! Conversely, if you’ve ignored Agility by the time this becomes available and allocated only 3 points to it (for example), your Rank 3 Evasive perk is only worth +9 Damage and Energy Resistance; at this point, you should scan for other perks that offer a better Perk-to-Attribute Point ratio. This is similar to the Strength perk Barbarian. Having both gives you resistance against most normal damage types. Finally, don’t forget to stack this with the numerous perks that increase the damage you inflict. Also stack this with the Endurance perk Ironclad, the Charisma perk Bodyguards, the Agility perk Moving Target, and the Luck perk Junk Shield.
Goat Legs
Rarity: CommonLevel: 32Ranks: Points: 1, 2Description: Take 40%/80% less damage from falling.
Advice: If you’re at a higher level but don’t need to utilize Power Armor for its cushioning effect on falling, or you want extra protection when you take a misstep along a high rooftop or cliff, then consider Goat Legs. It offers very specialized bonuses; for instance, if you’re wandering around the flatter areas of Appalachia, you may need this perk infrequently. However, it’s great to use as an insurance policy when clambering up cliffs or searching the skyscrapers of Watoga . It’s also helpful to further augment the bonuses you receive from Mutation. However, if you’re careful where you step, you might swap this perk out for something more helpful in a wider range of situations.
Guerrilla
Rarity: RareLevel: 10Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: As you’re becoming familiar with the more complex combat capabilities available to you, and exploration has taken you away from the initial Flatwoods area, this perk should come calling: Your scavenging (and possibly crafting and modding) should have unearthed a variety of auto-pistols. Note the damage bonuses are for pistols that fire constantly when you hold down the trigger and include ballistic and energy weapons —important distinctions when stacking other partner perks with this one. The Gunslinger perk offers similar effects, but for nonautomatic pistols, and becomes available a little earlier. This weapon specialization allows you to take down enemies much more efficiently, while expending fewer bullets. It can also help when dropping foes in V.A.T.S. and during stealthy encounters. Partner this with the Strength perk Packin’ Light, the Perception perk Crack Shot, and the Agility perk Modern Renegade to turn what was initially seen as a regular weapon into something much more lethal (and cheap to repair and modify to boot).
(Expert) Guerrilla
Rarity: RareLevel: 25Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: Fifteen levels down the (country) road, you can further augment your automatic pistol potency with the second set of Guerrilla perks. If you’re committed to fully automatic foe fighting and have the necessary Agility Points to allocate (at the expense of other active Agility perks), then start your damage stacking! As a quick calculation, if you want your automatic pistols to inflict +40% more damage, utilize the Guerrilla perk (Rank 3 for 3 points) and the Expert Guerrilla perk (Rank 3 for another 3 points). Also note that as you’re using Agility Points for Guerrilla perks, it becomes increasingly difficult to utilize other Agility perks that benefit pistols, like Gun Runner or Modern Renegade. If you want Guerrilla (Rank 3), Expert Guerrilla (Rank 3), Gun Runner (Rank 2), and Modern Renegade (Rank 4) to be active at once, your Agility needs to be 12! Therefore, more frequent perk-switching becomes necessary, so pick and choose based on what is most potent and effective to your immediate needs.
(Master) Guerrilla
Rarity: RareLevel: 43Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: If you’ve committed to using automatic pistols to the exception of everything else, and you’ve found that stacking Guerrilla perks is more beneficial than partnering lower-level Guerrilla perks with other pistol-related Agility perks, then add a final layer of mayhem with Master Guerrilla! It takes nine Agility Points to get +60% additional damage (Guerrilla Rank 3, Expert Guerrilla Rank 3, and Master Guerrilla Rank 3). With so many Agility Points allocated, search the other attributes for partner perks you can use with Guerrilla. Focus on perks allowing even more proficient use of weapons related to that ability, like rifles in Perception , or shotguns in Strength . A final word of warning: you’ll be negating the effects of the classic Agility perk Action Boy/Girl, as you don’t have enough Agility Points to run all three Guerrilla perks and Action Boy/Girl at maximum rank. Something’s gotta give!
Gun Fu
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 50Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: V.A.T.S. swaps targets on kill with +10% damage/10%, then 20% damage/10%, 20%, then 30% damage to your next target, two targets, three targets.
Advice: Do you know Gun Fu? You won’t until you reach the last level at which it’s is possible to obtain Attribute Points (Level 50). This offers a substantial augmentation to your V.A.T.S. combat. Depending on the rank, once you inflict your first kill, Gun Fu automatically targets the next threat(s) for you and gives you a damage bonus to that target(s). Essentially this means a fight gets easier the longer it progresses, as long as there are enemies available to cull. If you’re at Rank 3 of Gun Fu, and you’re only attacking one or two foes in the vicinity at once, the third rank won’t affect combat. But if you’re battling a horde (and if this is V.A.T.S., you may be employing stealth tactics!), the additional, stackable damage is impressive, especially when partnered with other V.A.T.S. and damage-increasing perks, which are too numerous to mention. Naturally, this is a perk to use along with high-damage, perk-enhanced weapons from other attributes (e.g., rifles from Perception ), rather than those requiring Agility Points (e.g., pistols) because you can’t use fully ranked Guerrilla and Gunslinger perks, as the cost takes you over the maximum of 15 Agility Points.
Gun Runner
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 4Ranks: Points: 1, 2Description: Your running speed is increased by 10%/20% when you have a pistol equipped.
Advice: This starter perk is designed to keep you from getting bogged down in the Flatwoods area of the Forest, but you can use it at any time, even if you don’t intend to specialize in pistols. The advantages are obvious—you’re able to escape, cover distances, and maneuver more quickly than normal without extra depletion of AP—so it’s worth keeping your lightest pistol in both your inventory and your Favorites menu, even if you’ve moved on to other weapon types; you can equip it as a running companion rather than a firearm for offense! Then simply swap it out for your more potent weapon as necessary. Remember this is your running, rather than your sprinting speed, so compare the quickness of your running with and without a pistol to see if the extra speed is worth it.
Gunslinger
Rarity: RareLevel: 6Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: Early into your exploration, there’s a slim chance you’ll uncover your first Gunslinger card. This is likely to be the initial “weapon specialization” card, and one that turns previously unimpressive firearms into weapons you can’t live without. By this time, you should have at least one nonautomatic pistol in your inventor; having additional damage for each shot becomes exceptionally useful, reducing the need for constant ammunition foraging or crafting and enabling more proficient foe takedowns. It can also help when dropping foes in V.A.T.S. and during stealthy encounters. Don’t forget that “nonautomatic” means the pistol fires only a single shot until you pull the trigger a second time. The .44 pistol is a great weapon to use with this perk. The Guerrilla perk offers similar effects, but for automatic pistols, and is available a little later. Partner this with the Strength perk Packin’ Light, the Perception perk Crack Shot, and the Agility perk Modern Renegade to turn a regular weapon into something much more potent (and cheap to repair and modify to boot).
(Expert) Gunslinger
Rarity: RareLevel: 24Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: Eighteen levels later, you’re able to utilize three more levels of potency for your nonautomatic pistols. Think about committing yourself to crafting the best damn revolver or hand cannon you can, with both mods and these cards (at the expense of other active Agility perks). With a quick calculation, if you want your nonautomatic pistols to inflict +40% more damage, utilize the Gunslinger perk (Rank 3 for 3 points) and the Expert Gunslinger perk (Rank 3 for another 3 points). Also note that as you’re using Agility Points for Gunslinger perks, it becomes increasingly difficult to utilize other Agility perks that benefit pistols, like Gun Runner or Modern Renegade. If you want Gunslinger (Rank 3), Expert Gunslinger (Rank 3), Gun Runner (Rank 2), and Modern Renegade (Rank 4) to be active at once, your Agility needs to be 12! With all this in mind, perfect your access of the perk menu to switch perks, basing your choice on your immediate needs.
(Master) Gunslinger
Rarity: RareLevel: 41Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% damage.
Advice: If you’ve come this far with a six-shooter (or other nonautomatic pistol) and you’ve found that stacking Gunslinger perks is more beneficial than partnering lower-level Gunslinger perks with other pistol-related Agility perks, then add a final layer of perfection with Master Gunslinger! It takes nine Agility Points to get +60% additional damage (Gunslinger Rank 3, Expert Gunslinger Rank 3, and Master Gunslinger Rank 3). With so many Agility Points allocated, search the other attributes for partner perks you can use with Gunslinger. Focus on perks that allow even more proficient use of weapons related to that ability, like rifles in Perception or shotguns in Strength . A final word of warning: you’ll be negating the effects of perks like the classic Agility perk Action Boy/Girl (APs regenerate faster), as you don’t have enough Agility Points to run all three Gunslinger perks and Action Boy/Girl at maximum rank. But nothing gets in the way of your revolver slaying, right, cowboy?
Home Defense
Rarity: CommonLevel: 22Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: You can craft and disarm better/advanced/expert traps and craft better/advanced/expert turrets (Plans required).
Advice: Available in both the C.A.M.P. and workshop building menus, this is a highly situational but very important and helpful perk to obtain, for the specific purpose of augmenting your C.A.M.P. and to a much more potent extent, you or your team’s public workshop. It gets much more helpful once you accrue the necessary plans: With plans, this brings a much larger variety of traps and turrets into the mix. Note that some of the traps and turrets require other perks to become available, as well as the usual components to construct and power to operate. Remember these can be switched on or off (automatically or manually) and cause a variety of different headaches and hurting for enemies who try to intrude on your territory.
Trap or Turret Home Defense Rank Needed
Heavy Machine Gun Turret
2
Laser Turret
3*
Heavy Laser Turret
3**
Shotgun Turret
1
Missile Turret
3
Spotlight (Turret)
1
Spotlight (Wall)
1
Spike Board Trap (four variants)
1
Spring Trap
1
Powered Spring Trap
2
Sawblade Trap
2
Tesla Arc
2*
Flamethrower Trap
2***
Radiation Emitter
3**
* Intelligence perk Science Rank 1 also needed.
** Intelligence perk Science Rank 2 also needed.
*** Endurance perk Fireproof Rank 1 also needed.
Light Footed
Rarity: CommonLevel: 29Ranks: Points: 1Description: While sneaking, you never trigger mines or floor-based traps.
Advice: Though it takes a little time for this perk to become available, it only costs you a point to utilize and completely circumvents particular types of traps without the need to expend any AP or other valuable person assets. Most of the time, you won’t need this perk, but there are two main times when it’s incredibly helpful: (1) when you’re maneuvering through an unknown location where mines or traps have been spotted and (2) when you’re assaulting a rival team’s C.A.M.P. or workshop. It’s also helpful when you’re moving around and don’t want to walk on your own Punji Board, for example. Remember you need to be crouched for this to work, whether you’re building your own trap-filled base or assaulting an enemy stronghold. Further augment all sneaking perks (listed in the entry for the Agility perk Covert Operative) along with this one to become the ultimate silent assassin.
Marathoner
Rarity: CommonLevel: 13Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Sprinting consumes 20%/30%/40% fewer Action Points.
Advice: This simple, extremely helpful perk is designed to lengthen the time it takes between rests, freeing up AP for things like attacking or during V.A.T.S. combat after a more lengthy sprint. It also allows you to cover longer distances. Aside from the points cost, there’s not a single downside (unless your AP level is so impressive that you don’t need this perk; you never end up low on AP in most situations, even after a Sprint). To further complement this card, add more Agility Points, as well as the usual AP-modifying perks like the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage, the Agility perks Action Boy/Girl and Dead Man Sprinting, and the Luck perk Grim Reaper’s Sprint.
Mister Sandman
Rarity: RareLevel: 37Ranks: Points: 1, 2Description: At night your silenced weapons do additional 25%/50% sneak attack damage.
Advice: This is a highly situational but highly prized perk for those who must silently take down enemies. The bonus only applies when you make a (usually crouched) sneak attack with a gun. This also allows you to more easily swap between melee and ranged weapon sneak attacks, but only between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (spend the daytime crafting, modding, trading, and building). Take an avid interest in modding weapons , finding suppressor mods, and looking at Pipe, 10 mm, Combat, Assault, Hunting, Submachine, Gauss, and other rifle types as possible weapons . Aside from the additional sneak-based perks to partner with Mister Sandman, which are listed in the Covert Operative advice, also think about taking perks that help you during the night: the Perception perks Night Eyes and Night Person.
Modern Renegade
Rarity: RareLevel: 18Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3, 4Description: Gain some/more/even more/excellent Pistol hip fire accuracy and a +1/2/3/4% chance to cripple a limb.
Advice: If you want to make hip-firing much more accurate, along with a small chance to cripple each time, then use the Modern Renegade perk. There’s no AP expenditure, but there’s no damage bonus either, so if you feel you’re accurate enough already, you use sights predominantly, or you aren’t using pistols, then purchase a different perk. Note this is the only perk that allows a cripple chance for a pistol, so if you’re already augmenting your handgun with a silencer (Mister Sandman), obtain better damage ratings (Guerrilla or Gunslinger) by trying a variety of pistol, sneak, V.A.T.S., or nighttime perks to partner this with (usually giving your pistol additional buffs, rather than augmenting accuracy and crippling).
Moving Target
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 5Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Gain +15/30/45 Damage and Energy Resistance while sprinting. (No Power Armor ).
Advice: A classic perk for those pretending to be tanks, this allows you to shrug off all ballistic and energy damage to the amount listed, assuming you’re sprinting. As soon as combat starts or you spot an enemy, it’s worth charging at or around them, keeping the sprint (and therefore the damage) for as long as possible and hoping your Action Points don’t run out. They won’t if you’ve also played the Intelligence perk Nerd Rage, the Agility perks Action Boy/Girl, Dead Man Sprinting, and Marathoner. To a lesser extent, the Luck perk Grim Reaper’s Sprint can help, but you need to stop the sprinting, execute a V.A.T.S. kill, and start the sprint again. The Strength perk Pain Train is also a good perk to pair with this. Lastly, stack this with other Damage and Energy Resistance perks, such as those listed with the Agility perk Evasive.
Ninja
Rarity: RareLevel: 15Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Sneak attacks with melee weapons do 2.3x/2.6x/3x normal damage.
Advice: The relatively low level at which you can obtain this fantastic damage-multiplying perk, and the amazing damage you can do with it make this a must-have perk for those trying to perfect a stealthy explorer, despite it being relatively tricky to complete this attack on a human foe. “Sneak attack” indicates that the foe must not see you, and you should be crouched. You can use any melee weapon but you’d be wise to ensure it inflicts a single, massive damage strike to take advantage of the first, definite strike. Then you can slink back into the shadows and move to your next foe, or switch tactics if you’re discovered. As you’d expect, partner perks are those that augment sneaking and stealth maneuvers and are listed with the Agility perk Secret Agent.
Packin’ Light
Rarity: CommonLevel: 9Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your pistols weigh 25%/50%/75% less.
Advice: Consider this perk during the initial stages of your exploration, when pistols are the predominant weapon in Appalachia. If you have a wide variety of pistols or extra pistols to cannibalize for parts, and you don’t want to store many (or any) of them, then take this perk. Check the pistol weight against other weapon types, and you may find these aren’t adding a colossal amount to your Carry Weight. And if you have this perk activated, check the disassembled weight of the component parts of each pistol you find, compared to the new perk weight; it may cause you to keep normally heavier but now lighter pistols longer before breaking them down at a workbench.
Secret Agent
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 47Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Stealth Boys last twice/three times/four times as long!
Advice: Usually a Stealth Boy lasts around 30 seconds and merges your physical presence with the landscape, effectively making you invisible. Take this perk and increase that time to around 2 minutes (Rank 3)! This is a must-have for those who’ve found, crafted, or otherwise obtained a Stealth Boy and the related Phantom Unit. It’s a cornerstone of a stealth-based player and should be partnered with any perk that effectively adds to your stealthiness, such as the Perception perks Night Eyes and the Agility perks Covert Operative, Escape Artist, Light Footed, Mister Sandman, Ninja, and Sneak.
Sneak
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 20Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Description: You are 20%/30%/40%/50%/60% harder to detect while sneaking.
Advice: The act of sneaking involves crouching to avoid enemy detection, remaining “hidden” so you can launch sneak attacks, and focusing on Agility, as this is the primary attribute that sneak Perk Cards are played from. While this has little effect on another human player spotting you crouching in a dark corner (though you can still attack them if they have their back to you, as your location disappears from the map when you crouch), it is still a viable method of killing. The Secret Agent perk is a great partner perk with Sneak, along with all the stealth-related perks listed in the Secret Agent advice.
Thru-Hiker
Rarity: CommonLevel: 3Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Food and drink weights are reduced by 30%/60%/90%.
Advice: This is an early card to take, and one you should think about carefully: As freshly made food (made at cooking stations, rather than boxed or canned goods) is the one item that spoils with speed (employ the Luck perk Good With Salt to negate this), you won’t be able to carry some of the Hunger-related items for very long. But having the ability to gather and carry a multitude of food and water is always helpful, though it isn’t usually used as often as chems (e.g., Stimpaks and RadAway). Are you always near your Stash Box? Then ignore this perk. But if you’re utilizing related Endurance perks like Good Doggy, consider this before asking yourself, “Do I consume more dog food than chems?” Note that perks like Slow Metabolizer and Philanthropist actually negate the effectiveness of this perk! Also think about being the food and drink carrier for your team.
White Knight
Rarity: UncommonLevel: 39Ranks: Points: 1, 2, 3Description: Your armor breaks 30%/60%/90% more slowly and is cheaper to repair.
Advice: Granting you two additional benefits for wearing armor, this makes it almost twice as sturdy (Rank 3) and allows you to use fewer materials when repairing armor. The latter may not be of huge benefit, if the armor’s components are relatively easy to find, but it’s still helpful. With more durable armor, you can explore farther for longer and spend more time before visits to the Armor Workbench. Also be aware that playing multiple Damage Resistance perks (such as the ones listed in the Agility perk Evasive) also keep armor intact longer. The best partner perks for White Knight are the Intelligence perks Armorer and Fix It Good. There’s also the Luck perk Lucky Break and the Strength perk Sturdy Frame to think about, too.
