As you progress through Fallout 4, you’ll earn points to spend on Perks as you level up. There are tons of Perks available, though some are more helpful than others as you venture out into the unforgiving Wasteland.
The Perks you will find the most beneficial all depend on the kind of player you are, but some are useful for anyone and everyone. These all-rounder Perks are what we are going to be looking at in this list so you know the most efficient and effective way to invest your Perk points.
The 10 best Perks in Fallout 4
10) Hacker
- Rank one- Requires Intelligence level four: You can hack advanced terminals.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level nine: You can hack expert terminals.
- Rank three- Unlocks at level 21: You can hack master terminals.
- Rank four- You can’t get locked out of a terminal if you fail to guess the password.
If you are a completionist who wants to find every single piece of treasure, unlock hard-to-reach areas, or even just read all the terminal information, you will want this Perk so you can get into any and every terminal you come across.
9) Locksmith
- Rank one- Requires Perception level four: You can pick advanced locks.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level 7: You can pick expert locks.
- Rank three-Unlocks at level 18: You can pick master locks.
- Rank four- Unlocks at level 41: Lockpicks never break when lockpicking.
The Lockpicking Perk is similar to the Hacker Perk except it allows you to pick every kind of lockable object. The final rank is also one that will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Broken bobby pins are the bane of every Fallout player’s existence.
8) Local Leader
- Rank one- Requires Charisma level one: Selling and buying prices are better.
- Rank two- Unlocked at level 20: Even better selling and buying prices.
- Rank three- You can invest 500 caps to raise the buying capacity of a store.
Next is a Perk that doesn’t seem entirely necessary at first, but it can make a huge difference when you start making use of the Settlements system in Fallout 4. If you want to start collecting resources effectively, the Settlements system is the way to do it, and you’ll have a much easier time of it when you can buy and sell at better prices with this Perk.
7) Scrounger
- Rank one- Requires Luck level two: Find more ammunition when looking in containers.
- Rank two- Requires Luck level seven: Find even more ammunition when looking in containers.
- Rank three- Requires Luck level 24: Find even more ammunition when looking in containers.
- Rank four- Requires Luck level 37: Find significantly more ammunition when looking in containers.
Ammunition isn’t always easy to come by in the post-apocalyptic wastes, so this Perk increases your chances of stumbling across it while scavenging. I’ve found this one particularly helpful, as I often find myself running out of ammo at the worst possible time.
6) Rifleman
- Rank one- Requires Perception level two: Non-automatic rifles do 20 percent more damage.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level nine: Non-automatic rifles do 40 percent more damage while ignoring 15 percent of your target’s armor.
- Rank three- Unlocks at level 18: Non-automatic rifles do 60 percent more damage while ignoring 20 percent of your target’s armor.
- Rank four- Unlocks at level 31: Non-automatic rifles do 80 pecent more damage while ignoring 25 percent of your target’s armor. You will also have a small chance of crippling the limb of your target limb.
- Rank five- Unlocks at level 46: Non-automatic rifles do double damage while ignoring 15 percent of your target’s armor.
The great thing about the Rifleman perk is that it relates to all weapons that aren’t automatic, which can include anything from heavy weapons, laser muskets, and rifles to shotguns and sniper rifles. This Perk is a must for those who want to be able to take down enemies from up close and far away (it’s particularly handy for sniper rifle users) quickly and easily.
5) Action Boy/Girl
- Rank one- Requires Agility level five: Regenerate your Action Points 25 percent faster.
- Rank two- Unlocked at level 18: Regenerate your Action Points 50 percent faster.
Action Points are basically your stamina/energy meter in Fallout 4, so being able to regenerate your AP faster can make things a lot easier in the long run, especially if you are a frequent user of V.A.T.S. You’ll reap the benefits of this Perk the sooner you obtain it.
4) Medic
- Rank one- Requires Endurance level three: Immediately gain +20 to your maximum HP.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level eight: Immediately gain an additional +20 to your maximum HP
- Rank three- Unlocks at level 20. Immediately gain another +20 to your maximum HP and also slowly regenerate health.
Your health is always going to be an important factor to consider in Fallout 4, and this Perk helps you out by increasing your max HP and eventually allowing your health to begin to regenerate. Regenerative health is a blessing in this game, as otherwise, you’re going to be constantly stabbing yourself with Stimpaks and eating copious amounts of irradiated food at a time just to keep yourself from dying mid-fight.
3) Gun Nut
- Rank one- Requires level three Intelligence: Access to base level and rank one mods for your guns.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level 13: Access to rank two mods for your guns.
- Rank three: Unlocks at level 25: Access to rank three mods for your guns.
- Rank four-Unlocks at level 39: Access to rank four mods for your guns.
This Perk is a must for those who want to customize their weapons without having to rely on scraps found while scavenging. You’ll be able to create your mods on a workbench, with the best mods that you will find in the game are the ones you make yourself.
2) Chem Resistant
- Rank one- Requires level four Endurance: You are 50 percent less likely to become addicted to Chems when consuming them
- Rank two- Unlocks at level 22: You become completely immune to Chem addiction.
Even if you want to play the game as a non-Chem user (drugs are bad, m’kay), it can become almost impossible to do so when you come face to face with the horrors of the Wasteland, be they mutated animals or humans out for your blood.
Chems can make fights a lot easier to navigate, though you risk becoming addicted and dealing with debuffs if you take too many. This Perk can eventually negate that problem altogether, allowing you to take all the Chems you want without the fear of becoming an addict.
1) Strong Back
- Rank one- Requires level six Strength: +25 added to your carrying weight.
- Rank two- Unlocks at level ten. +50 added to your carrying weight.
- Rank three- Unlocks at level 20: Action Points can be used to run when you are over-encumbered.
- Rank four- Unlocks at level 30: You can still fast-travel when over-encumbered.
You’ll find pretty quickly that if you want to start building settlements or crafting, you’ll need to have a fair amount of space in your inventory. Even if you don’t want to get into the building aspect of Fallout 4, you’re still going to need to be able to carry a great deal due to the number of weapons, food, health items, and Chems you’ll need to have on hand.
This is where the Strong Back Perk comes in, and it’s one you want to invest in as soon as possible. I find this perk to be an absolute necessity unless you want to keep using your companions to hold your gear.
