Skills
Every
level you will get points that you can invest into your skills. These
skills let you improve the damage you do with a variety of weapons or
can be used to help you in the desert itself. These, as mentioned
earlier are determined by your character's Intelligence. You can also
take a perk which will increase the amount of skill points received each
level.
Barter
Used to lower the prices you buy at and raise
the price you sell at. This can also applies to some conversations where
you will get some options.
Energy Weapons
As you increase
this skill, your accuracy and damage will increase. You will also gain
access to perks that make it easier to use your Energy Weapons or make
it so you do more damage with them. They can also be used to reduce the
AP use in VATS.
Explosives
This is used to both determine the
effectiveness of your explosives and your ability to to disarm
explosives that you stumble upon (with luck not literally!). It will
also give access to perks that increase the damage you can do with your
explosives and with expand the area effected.
Guns
Now
combined into a single stat, every conventional weapon can be found in
this category. You will also need to meet the occasional strength
requirement for particular weapons in order to use them effectively.
Again, having particular amounts will give you access to perks that
augment damage and do a number of things.
Lockpick
A Thief's
best friend. With high enough level, you will find different
difficulties of locks that can be picked. The higher the skill, the
easier it will be with the different levels of locks as the "sweet spot"
will be larger. It will also increase the number of times you can
fumble before the pick breaks.
Medicine
With this skill, you
gain access to a few perks but what you will enjoy more is that it
increases the amount healed and the effectiveness of Stimpaks and the
Doctor's Bag (in Hardcore mode, this is incredibly useful).
Melee Weapons
You
will find a number of weapons in this category have a strength
requirement as well. This skill, like the others, will increase the
effectiveness of your melee weapons. It will also increase the amount of
damage you absorb when you block an attack. This can also give you
access to a number of special attacks when you find the right people and
do the right things for them.
Repair
This is a very handy
skill. With it you can build new weapons or you can build your own
ammunition of many different varieties. You will likely want the perk
Jury Rigging, which requires a high Repair.
Science
With this
skill, it represents a large body of knowledge both around computers and
the sciences themselves. It can be used to recycle the batteries used
for energy weapons. An amazing number of perks are attached to this
skill. You will also find a large number of dialogue choices liked to it
as well.
Sneak
This skill is what part of what it is to be a
thief. This is what is used, in addition to your own skill, to sneak up
on people. It will also give you access to a few perks. Using this, it
will make it easier to sneak up behind people and pick their pockets.
Speech
This
skill represents your ability to talk with people. This is, of course,
augmented by your Charisma. When you are talking with people, you will
occasionally see options that have speech listed next to them. If you
meet or exceed it, you will be able to ask and get results. Even without
the skill, you can still get some good dialogue out of it, but it will
still be there if you retrace the dialogue choices. Again, some fun
perks are attached to this.
Survival
Using this you can make a
number of tasty dishes at the camp fire. It also increases the benefits
of the food and water that you have with you. It will make it more
profitable to do particular things too, like tan Gecko Hide or make
other trade goods. It gives access to a few useful perks.
Unarmed
This
skill is used for straight up brawling. This affects your ability to
fight hand to hand, but it will also unlock special fighting moves over
time as you invest more time into it. You will unlock three moves by
leveling this skill up and the rest will be found by talking with people
and learning them.
