Fallout 4 build guide: Best starting stats to level

The most crucial aspect of Fallout 4, or any RPG, is character progression. As such, stats are vital in the game as they determine how your character grows. Knowing which stats to level up first is essential.

All SPECIAL stats in Fallout 4

Stat types in Fallout 4 are different from other RPGs. Players who have played the older Fallout games would be familiar with the stat system in F4 since it follows the same SPECIAL system introduced in the earlier games in the series. SPECIAL is an acronym comprising seven different stats you can choose from in the game.

• S: Strength
• P: Perception
• E: Endurance
• C: Charisma
• I: Intelligence
• A: Agility
• L: Luck

However, the previous Fallout entries allowed you to choose your desired SPECIAL stats at the beginning of the game, which were then locked for the entire game (with a few rare exceptions). This time around, you increase your SPECIAL stats as you level up, which also opens doors to new perks. This simplifies the gameplay and, depending on what playstyle you’re aiming for, makes the early choices crucial.

Each has its benefits, and leveling them up as per your choice will determine how your character progresses throughout your playthrough of Fallout 4. Maxing out one stat early on will ensure smoother progression in your chosen playstyle and make it easier to clear through the vast open world in the game’s early stages.

Optimal stats for Fallout 4 gameplay

Each of the seven stats in Fallout 4 affects a particular key trait of your character. We will be breaking it down so you can make a more informed choice about what stat is ideal for you to focus on and how quickly you can max it out without affecting your early gameplay progression. Once you invest enough points, every stat grants you access to their respective perk trees.

Last but not least, there is no level cap in Fallout 4. So if you’re ever unsure on which stat to increase, don’t panic. Just pick one that’s more useful to you at the moment and enhance the other next time around when you level up. There are no real trade-offs since you can always focus on other stats in the future.

Strength

If you’re a fan of running toward your enemies and smashing them with your bare fists, a hammer, or any other close combat weapon, then Strength will be a pivotal stat in your gameplay. The more Strength you have, the more melee damage you will deal. And, to get the obvious out of the way, even if you try to talk your way out of every fight, you’ll still come across hundreds if not thousands of enemies.

But there’s more to Strength than just dealing damage in melee fights. It’s also crucial in another aspect of exploring—carry capacity. Each point of Strength increases it by 10, and the further you travel in The Commonwealth, the more valuable items you’ll come across. On top of that, fast travel is impossible while you’re encumbered. So being able to carry just enough will always come in handy.

Perks you’ll unlock in the Strength tree are quite straightforward. They increase your melee damage, give you unique skills in terms of using melee weapons, and open doors for advanced armor modification later on.

• In what areas is Strength pivotal: Melee damage, carry capacity
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Strength: Melee fighters, loot hoarders

Perception

Fighting melee is cool, but I personally always preferred taking down my Fallout enemies with either an assault or a laser rifle. There is no shortage of them in F4, and that’s where Perception comes in. If you don’t want to fall behind as you level up in the game and explore more demanding areas, this stat is key. It increases your damage from all kinds of ranged weapons.

On top of that, Perception helps you deal more damage and have better accuracy in V.A.T.S, a unique system that can often save us when fighting tougher opposition.

It’s also important in my two favorite areas of the Fallout franchise—sneaking and lockpicking. I love taking down my foes when they’re unaware and then stealing their goodies from locked safes and so on. That’s why Perception is often my go-to option early on.

• In what areas is Perception pivotal: Assault and laser weapons damage, V.A.T.S weapon accuracy, Lockpicking, Stealing
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Perception: Riflers, Rogue-like builds

Endurance

Endurance is arguably the most “passive” stat in F4, though it doesn’t mean it’s useless. This one increases your health per level while decreasing the usage of your Action Points while sprinting. Its perks often offer specific damage resistances, so you can prepare for certain adventures by boosting the stat.

On the other hand, Endurance will rarely come in handy early on. You’ll come across plenty of drugs and Stimpaks to enhance and patch your health during combat, respectively. Although if you’re not a fan of taking cover or are going for a melee playstyle, it’s bound to be mandatory at one point in your gameplay.

• In what areas is Endurance pivotal: Health per level, Action Points
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Endurance: Melee damage, all-in builds

Charisma

If you prefer solving your problems with words instead of violence, Charisma is the way to go. Any persuasion or intimidation attempts you make will directly use your Charisma stat.

While you won’t be able to talk your way out of trouble if you come across random Bandits or Deathclaws during your travels, you will often be able to do so during quests. Besides, the higher Charisma you have, the better prices you’ll get in Trading and you’ll make your settlements happier (which helps your Companions like you more).

Speaking of Companions, if you have a regular one, other Charisma perks allow you to dictate their playstyle, which enables them to synergize with your playstyle.

• In what areas is Charisma pivotal: Speech, Barter, settlement population and happiness, ability to convince your companions
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Charisma: Peacemakers, traders, whenever you’re trying to talk your way out of any possible confrontation

Intelligence

Out of the seven SPECIAL stats in F4, Intelligence is the most important one. That’s because it directly impacts the experience you gain from quests and world encounters, which influences how quickly you level up and how often can you increase your other stats. With that in mind, skipping Intelligence early in the game isn’t recommended unless you’re going for a specific challenge.

But there’s more to Intelligence than just leveling up. The stat also allows you to hack more terminals, which often opens you rooms and quests that would otherwise be inaccessible. Additionally, Intelligence will sometimes come in handy when passing conversation checks, especially when you’re talking to a scientist. This is often helpful if you’re going for the Institute playstyle.

• In what areas is Intelligence pivotal: Earning experience and hacking terminals, in some cases it’s pivotal in Speech, especially when talking to scientists
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Intelligence: All playstyles

Agility

We’ve talked about taking a bullet or two when we discussed Endurance, but how about dodging bullets? Well, in that case, you need Agility.

This perk makes you harder to hit. But there’s more to it. The higher the Agility, the more V.A.T.S you can use, making it mandatory in practically every rifle-based build. Agility is also key in Sneaking itself, since it makes you quieter and, therefore, harder to detect.

• In what areas is Agility pivotal: Action points in V.A.T.S, Sneaking, dodging bullets and damage from enemies
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Agility: Useful for each playstyle due to how universal it is, but Sneaking especially

Luck

Luck is the most straightforward stat in F4. There are many ways in which this statistic is helpful, and as you probably figured out by now, there are too many of them to list.

Basically, Luck enhances your critical strike chance, your chances to pass conversation tests, the appearances of Mysterious Stranger, how many Caps you find, and so on. Luck’s perks enhance your chances at practically everything you do, so it’s always a good idea to invest in Luck perks when you can.

• In what areas is Luck pivotal: Critical Hits, Mysterious Stranger appearances
• In what builds and playstyles should you focus on Luck: The higher your Luck, the more probable things will go your way in combat, sneaking, and so on, so it’s universal

Best Fallout 4 starting stats for each playstyle

Fallout 4 is a highly replayable RPG, so if this build isn’t working the way you want it to, you can experiment with some of your own now that you know how the stats work. However, if you’re new to the game and enjoy a good starting build, you can go with one of the four basic playstyles we prepared.

These four playstyles are melee, ranged, stealth, and charisma-focused. Each of them relies on different stats, especially early on, and if you want to pick one of them but are unsure on how to distribute your stats, we’re here to give you a hand. At the beginning of each game, you’ll have 28 points of stats to use.

How to increase SPECIAL stats after you reached their maximum in Fallout 4

While there is no level cap in F4, there is a limit of 10 points you can adjust in each stat itself. Therefore, you can’t put more than 10 points in Perception, and so on. Especially since at 10 Perception, all perks from that tree will already be unlocked. However, there are a few tricks to pass this limit and give yourself a little extra boost.

Like each Fallout entry, the latest single-player installment in the series also includes numerous collectibles that influence your character. Many of them, like drugs, work temporarily. But there are a few that give a permanent boost. These are:

• You’re SPECIAL book, located in the ruins of Sole Survivor’s home in Sanctuary Hills
• Bobbleheads, there are 20 of them across the map, with seven increasing one of the stats
• Riding the Power Cycle 1000 in Vault 88 increases your Endurance permanently by one point
• Wearing specific armor that boosts your stats