Most important Fallout skills to level up?

[orangeban]

If we're talking New Vegas, then speech, science and unarmed. Unarmed for the ballistic fist, which will win you every single fight when you get it. Before then, just get two followers (I went for ED-E and Boone) who will win every fight for you, especially since a science/speech combo will basically allow you to skip a bunch of combat sections by talking people into stuff.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

It depends a lot on which Fallout.

I'm going to assume you mean Fallout: New Vegas since it's the most recent. In that case...

I usually tag Speech, Science, and Lockpicking. That allows me get through most early-game conversations, access most early-game computers, and bypass most early-game locks.

I'd say there's a good argument to making Repair a tag skill, since it'll let you successfully complete the Repair skill checks and give you access to the Light Touch perk (gives you +5% crit chance and makes you practically immune to being hit by crits when wearing light armor) at level 2... but I don't generally do it because having Science usually gives you an opportunity to lower the Repair skill needed to pass a Repair skill check, and the early-game combat is easy enough that Light Touch (along with a tag skill for a weapon class) isn't really necessary.

For the other Fallout games, these would have been my choices...

Fallout: Small Guns, Speech, Lockpicking
Fallout 2: Small Guns, Speech, Stealing
Fallout Tactics: Small Guns, Energy Weapons, First Aid (I would have other squadmates take care of things like Lockpicking, Repair, Doctor, etc.)
Fallout Brotherhood of Steel: Bwahahaha... "skills"
Fallout 3: Small Guns, Lockpicking, Science

You could probably drop the weapon skills (well, except for with Tactics) and take something else instead. I just like having the early-game edge. And even then, you could probably make due with just about any weapon type (well, except maybe Throwing...), I just like Small Guns.

 

[JediMB]

Depends on how I want to roleplay. Since I'm into that.

Although I usually start off with some sort of Tech-and-Talk-savvy Mary Sue type, and save other builds for later playthroughs.

 

[regalphantom]

I generally like to tag the skills that give me more options early on, and then later build up the combat skills. I will usually start off with Science, Speech, and either Lockpick, Sneak, or a weapons skill, depending on the game. After developing those skills to a reasonable level, I will start focusing on a weapons skill (if I don't already have one), Repair, and put a few points into medicine.

Additionally, whenever I start a character, I tend to put full points into intelligence, to give me the most points on each level up.

 

[elvor0]

I'd say Speech, Medicine and guns are the most important skills to level up.

With a high speech you can bypass most things easily, skip some bits, and get out of tight situations.

Medicine lets stimpaks and stuff do more, always handy.

And guns let you shoot stuff better.

First time I've ever been ninja'd by the OP, well played Hollyman, well played.

If I had to pick 3 apart from the ones you mentioned I would say

Unarmed - Ballistic Fist owns in New Vegas, plus you do not know how fun it is to choose bloody mess as a trait, name your character Kenshiro and only use the leather jacket as armour in Fallout 2. That shit is cash

Lockpick - Because, hey Im a kleptomaniac, sue me

Science - Without a decent science skill, FISTO will never be activated and sent to work the corners of Freeside

Y'know if you get Big Empty for New Vegas there's a ballistic fist called Fist of the North Star

Technically its called Fist of the North Rawr and it is only available with the Wild Wasteland Perk. Without the perk you get the Fist of Rawr instead.

That's the one, it's been a while since I've played it, plus who doesn't play without Wild Wasteland on ? Holy Hand grenades for the win.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

The big 3 skills are Guns, Lock-picking and Speech.

Speech is just vital for a shit ton of plot related things and can even skip combat, while Lock-picking is need to maximize loot gain.

As for Guns/Small Guns, normal firearms are the most common and cost effective weapon in the game. The ammo and weapons are everywhere, and if your a good shot or have a decent amount of action points you wont need to worry about using stimpacks as much like if you were using a melee weapon.

After those 3 it's Repair, Science and Sneaking.

(Medicine is not as important as people think, save for a few plot points you don't really need it if your careful and have a good amount of bottle caps. Plus I can think of several Int boosting and Medicine boosting Apparel)

Spoiler: Also if anyone wants it, my thief build for Fallout 3

100 Sneak, 100 Small Guns, 100 Lock-picking and 100 Speech. Rest is up to you, though 9 or 8int really helps maximizing skills.

Silent Running perk, and the Ninja Perk are also vital.

This way with the Chinese Stealth Suit and 100 Sneak you can be 100 percent invisible for about 95% of all enemies. Combined with the Perforater in the Pit and a Silenced Pistol you can not be stopped.

Also when sneaking up on enemies they actually have a lot of dialog, Super Mutants are pretty lulzy to listen to.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

I'd say Speech, Medicine and guns are the most important skills to level up.

With a high speech you can bypass most things easily, skip some bits, and get out of tight situations.

Medicine lets stimpaks and stuff do more, always handy.

And guns let you shoot stuff better.

First time I've ever been ninja'd by the OP, well played Hollyman, well played.

If I had to pick 3 apart from the ones you mentioned I would say

Unarmed - Ballistic Fist owns in New Vegas, plus you do not know how fun it is to choose bloody mess as a trait, name your character Kenshiro and only use the leather jacket as armour in Fallout 2. That shit is cash

Lockpick - Because, hey Im a kleptomaniac, sue me

Science - Without a decent science skill, FISTO will never be activated and sent to work the corners of Freeside

Y'know if you get Big Empty for New Vegas there's a ballistic fist called Fist of the North Star

Scuse me, just going off to give Obsidian all of my money

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Speech, Science, Repair and Lockpicking. Sneak is a close second to these for me.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I'd say Speech, Medicine and guns are the most important skills to level up.

With a high speech you can bypass most things easily, skip some bits, and get out of tight situations.

Medicine lets stimpaks and stuff do more, always handy.

And guns let you shoot stuff better.

First time I've ever been ninja'd by the OP, well played Hollyman, well played.

If I had to pick 3 apart from the ones you mentioned I would say

Unarmed - Ballistic Fist owns in New Vegas, plus you do not know how fun it is to choose bloody mess as a trait, name your character Kenshiro and only use the leather jacket as armour in Fallout 2. That shit is cash

Lockpick - Because, hey Im a kleptomaniac, sue me

Science - Without a decent science skill, FISTO will never be activated and sent to work the corners of Freeside

Y'know if you get Big Empty for New Vegas there's a ballistic fist called Fist of the North Star

Scuse me, just going off to give Obsidian all of my money

And if you have the wild wastelander perk and have Lonesome road, you can make a deathclaw gauntlet called Fist of the North Rawr!

 

[JaceArveduin]

Lockpick two 100 then repair to 50, after that put your points into whatever you desire. Being able to craft repair kits is nice, and being able to pick every lock makes the game much easier

 

[RobDaBank]

Guns, Sneak, and Explosives.

Snipe the shit out of a location, fire up a stealth boy and plant some explosives around the joint.

I can spend hours in one location just to learn patrol routes for the perfect ambush.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Lockpick two 100 then repair to 50, after that put your points into whatever you desire. Being able to craft repair kits is nice, and being able to pick every lock makes the game much easier

I say put your repair up higher than that. Jury Rigging is the most useful perk I ever got.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Lockpick two 100 then repair to 50, after that put your points into whatever you desire. Being able to craft repair kits is nice, and being able to pick every lock makes the game much easier

I say put your repair up higher than that. Jury Rigging is the most useful perk I ever got.

I never needed it, I kept around 5 (usually 10) repair kits on me and a handful of guns. It's worth noting, however, I don't play on hardcore, so I've got more space in my bags than some.

 

[FilipJPhry]

I'm a bit late to the party, but the ones I use the most are Sneak, Lockpick and Speech in the later console Fallout games. Lockpick and Speech in every game except Tactics, since you don't talk. I replace Speech with Traps. Damn mines everywhere.

The most important combat skill depends on the game:

Fallout 1: Energy Weapons - With a decent Luck you can run into the Alien Crash Site pretty early. One-shot kills almost everything. Also the Turbo Plasma Rifle is able to shoot up to 6 times in one turn!

Fallout 2: Small Guns - They got a huge upgrade thanks to guns like the Pancor and Gauss Rifle/Pistol.

Fallout Tactics: Big Guns - They become a necessity in the later missions.

Fallout 3: IMO, it's Small Guns - I know I might get bitched at about the Alien Blaster, but VATS is so much cooler with guns.

New Vegas - For me, it's Melee - I know Cazadores are a melee fighter's nightmare, but the killcams are fucking epic when it shows you decapitating a raider in slow-mo.

 

[Windcaler]

It depends on which fallout your talking about. In New vegas speech is king but is less useful in fallout 3.

Any of the combat abilities can be useful but guns/small guns is pretty much the default to fall back to, followed by explosives, and then energy weapons IMO.

I find lockpicking to be useful (especially in fallout 3) as well as barter (less useful in Fallout 3 though).

 

[IamLEAM1983]

In Fallout 3, I stuck to Small Guns, Repair and Speech. In New Vegas, the same progression applied, until one of my skills maxed. Then the replacement third or second skill would become Survival. The fourth one typically ends up being Lockpicking. I usually collect the few Big Books of Science and other Science-boosting implements in the Lucky 38 and try to make the occasional trip back "home", to stock up on stuff to make myself temporarily nerdy, as needed.

Never really used Mentats, since as I tend to pick Intelligence as one of my primary skills, even the case of very guns-oriented characters. High Intelligence means more skill points, and more skill points means faster leveling.

I've only managed to hundred-percent New Vegas, and that left me with maxed skills in Small Guns, Energy Weapons, Repair, Speech and Survival, with about 45 or 50 in Lockpicking.

I never saw much point to Big Guns, honestly. Pack a sniper rifle, some Jet, plenty of grub and some Stimpaks, and that freaking Deathclaw-infested quarry becomes a walk in the park.

 

[A-D.]

Y'know if you get Big Empty for New Vegas there's a ballistic fist called Fist of the North Star

No there isnt, there is a Deathclaw Gauntlet you can make, the only one of its kind in New Vegas that is named Fist of Rawr, which is made by getting the hand from Rawr in Lonesome Road, near the end. If you have Wild Wasteland as a trait, then its named Fist of the North Rawr instead, which is essentially the joke.

OT:

Depends on which game we're talking.

Fallout:

Energy Weapons or Small Guns
Science
Speech

Fallout 2:

Unarmed or Small Guns
Speech
Stealth

Fallout 3:

Weapon Skill, any works.
Lockpick
Science

Fallout NV:

Weapon Skill
Repair
Survival

Imho ;P

EDIT: Forgot the most important Skill you have to have..Toaster Repair! If you know what i mean, you get a Cookie.

 

[Eddie the head]

In NV I am just going to say energy weapons and speech and I guess survival or medicine depending on what game mode you pick.