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For a cross-game overview of this skill, see Energy Weapons. |
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Energy Weapons is a skill in Fallout: New Vegas whose initial level is governed by the primary statistic SPECIAL attribute Perception.
This skill determines the player's combat effectiveness with energy-based weapons.
Initial level[]
Example: A starting Perception of 5 and Luck of 5.
Description[]
In Fallout: New Vegas, energy weapons are more distinct. Lasers tend to have fast firing, accurate beams and lower damage, while plasma has a slow moving yet powerful projectile. The level of the Energy Weapons skill determines the player character's accuracy and damage with every kind of energy weapon, from pistols and rifles to heavy weapons. As this skill increases, so does the damage inflicted with all of these weapons, both in and out of VATS mode. At the highest level of 100, a weapon's sway is heavily reduced and its damage is twice that of the lowest level of 0.
Perks that require Energy Weapons skill[]
| Perk | Energy Weapons | Level | Additional Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run 'n Gun | 45 | 4 | — |
| Plasma Spaz | 70 | 10 | — |
| Meltdown | 90 | 16 | — |
| Concentrated Fire | 60 | 18 | Guns 60 |
| Laser Commander | 90 | 22 | — |
There are many other perks that do not require the energy weapons skill to take the perk, but do affect things such as drained energy ammunition recovered, damage or criticals done by energy-based weapons, and perks that affect perception and weapons or combat in general.
Ways to increase Energy Weapons[]
- Permanent
- Leveling up (up to +15 depending on Intelligence, up to +17 with Educated perk)
- Nikola Tesla and You book (+3, or +4 with Comprehension perk)
- Intense Training in Perception (+2)
Lonesome Road completion any SPECIAL +1 in Perception (+2)- Optics Enhancer implant (+2)
- Tag! (+15)
- Skilled (+5)
- Temporary
- Future Weapons Today magazine (+10, or +20 with Comprehension)
- Absinthe (up to +6 with 100 Survival, unless Perception is 10 which will see no benefit, 8-9 will see reduced benefit)
- Mentats (+4, unless Perception is 9 which will see +2 benefit, 10 will see no benefit)
- Party Time Mentats (+4, unless Perception is 9 which will see +2 benefit, 10 will see no benefit, can be stacked with Mentats)
- Coyote tobacco chew (+2, unless Perception is 10 which will see no benefit)
Nightstalker squeezin's (+2 with Mile in Their Shoes, unless Perception is 10 which will see no benefit)- Gannon family Tesla armor (+10)
- Enclave officer uniform (+5)
- Enclave officer hat (+5)
Marked beast helmet (+2)- Marked patrol armor (+2 and another +2 if Perception is under 10)
- Stealth suit Mk II (+2 with stealth test upgrade Firmware version 1.2, unless Perception is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Many hats & helmets (+2 to +4, unless Perception is 10 which will see no benefit)
Interactions that require Energy Weapons skill[]
The XP earned for a skill check is equal to the Energy Weapons skill required to pass the check.
- 50 Energy Weapons to convince Doctor Klein to give additional energy cells along with the sonic emitter during Welcome to the Big Empty.
- 75 Energy Weapons to convince Courier's brain to return to its body and fight the Think Tank during Old World Blues.
Affected weapons[]
Notable Energy Weapons skilled non-player characters[]
- Arcade Gannon (50→100), Follower of the Apocalypse and possible companion of the Courier.
- Christine Royce (53→100), former scribe of the Brotherhood of Steel and a companion of the Courier (Dead Money add-on).
- Father Elijah (37→100), former elder of the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel (Dead Money add-on).
- Jean-Baptiste Cutting (117), second-in-command of the Mojave branch of the Van Graffs.
- Veronica Santangelo (46→100), active Brotherhood of Steel member and possible companion of the Courier.
- Orion Moreno (100), a retired Enclave soldier living in the outskirts of New Vegas.
Notes[]
- As with all weapons, the player character can use and fire any weapon regardless of skill level. The "skill requirement" indicated by the number next to the energy symbol in the Pip-Boy menus, and the STR requirement, are simply recommendations to ensure the weapon has minimum sway and decent damage.
- Tremble can be applied to any unarmed or melee weapon (including thrown weapons) to negatively affect non-player character's use of energy weapons against the Courier.
- Atomic cocktail increases the Courier's resistance to fire and energy weapon damage.
