Fallout 2 skill books

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This page lists all skill books in Fallout 2.

• The content is not described in full detail on this page. For details, please see the respective articles.
• For skill books in other Fallout games, please see "Skill book".
• For an overview of Fallout 2 content, please refer to "Portal:Fallout 2."

Upscaled sprites of Fallout 1 & 2 skill books

Skill books can be used to permanently increase the Chosen One's skill in Small Guns, First Aid, Science, Repair and Outdoorsman.

General information

This section is transcluded from Fallout skill books. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

The amount of skill points gained from reading a skill book is equal to $RoundDown((100-CurrentSkillLevel)/10)$. Therefore, a skill can not be raised above 91% with skill books.

Reading books takes time and its duration is based on intelligence. Specifically, it takes $11-INT$ hours to read a book. Therefore, it takes 1 hour to read a book at INT 10 and 10 hours to read a book at INT 1. If a book is used inside the inventory screen, rather than used in weapon slots, time will not pass until the inventory screen is exited.

Using a book removes it from inventory.

Maximizing skill point gain

Passive skills are lowered by 10 (%) when the difficulty is changed from Normal to Hard. SPECIAL stats (Strength, Perception, etc) modify skills with a considerable bonus. The game keeps track of this bonus throughout the game, in real time. Any changes to stats, (e.g. chem effects) during the game add to or subtract from this modifier. It is thus possible to reduce any combination of stats to zero, significantly lowering skill values.

It is possible to raise Small Guns, First Aid and Science to 127%, Repair to 118% and Outdoorsman to 115%, in the case of a player whose Perception, Intelligence and Agility are at 10 (possibly more if the player's stats are lower), Endurance is above three, with the listed skills at 91%. To lose Agility and/or Endurance, use Buffout or Monument Chunks, then wait. To lose intelligence, use Mentats and wait, or Psycho. To lose Perception, drink beer, booze, rotgut, etc. If books are used from inventory (by left clicking and dragging) rather than from a weapon slot, any amount of books can be read while under the influence. Time still passes, as can be seen by the day/night cycle playing out, but drug-altered stats will not change, nor will anything of consequence happen in the game, until after the inventory is closed.

Big Book of Science

The Big Book of Science can permanently increase Science.

This section is transcluded from Big Book of Science (Fallout). To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

World location	Closest map marker	Location description	Image
Vault City	Information office	Chief Librarian Kohl (given if the player professes a love of books)
	Amenities office	Merchant: Randal (75% chance to restock 1-2 books after 14 days)
	Vault 8	Locker in the southeastern room of Level Two
Gecko	Manager's office	Bookshelves in the bedroom
	Gecko's nuclear power plant	Shelves in the supply cabinet
Broken Hills	Liz's general store	Merchant: Liz (10% chance to restock 1 book after 7-14 days)
Stables	Stables underground	Bookshelves in Myron's workroom
Sierra Army Depot	Level 3, robotics	Desk in the Commanding Officer's quarters (Quantity: 2 books)
	Level 4, bio storage and research	Skeleton in the westmost medical subject holding cell
New California Republic	NCR Bazaar	Bookshelf in the Guard captain's guard post
	New California Republic power plant	Quest reward from Dorothy if the Chosen One successfully talked officer Jack out of blowing up the power plant
San Francisco	Flying Dragon 8	Merchant: Lao Chou (40% chance to restock 1-2 books after 2-4 days)
	Jenna's general store	Merchant: Jenna (40% chance to restock 1-2 books after 2-4 days)
Navarro	Navarro underground	Bookshelves in Navarro base commander's office
	Navarro Main Base	Workbench next to Quincy in the maintenance building
Enclave Oil Rig	Barracks	Crates in a storage room with kitchen supplies
	Reactor level	Enclave scientist in the mainframe room

Dean's Electronics

Dean's Electronics can permanently increase Repair.

This section is transcluded from Dean's Electronics (Fallout). To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

World location	Closest map marker	Location description	Image
Ghost Farm	Main cavern of Ghost Farm	Skinless Slag in the bookshelves room
Vault City	Maintenance Center	Bookcase behind Valerie
	Information office	Chief Librarian Kohl (given if the player professes a love of books)
	Amenities office	Merchant: Randal (75% chance to restock 1 book after 14 days)
Gecko	Gecko junkyard	Bookcase inside the machine shop storage room (adjacent to Skeeter's room)
Broken Hills	Liz's general store	Merchant: Liz (10% chance to restock 1 book after 7-14 days)
New Reno	Salvatore's Bar	Bookshelves behind Louis Salvatore
	New Reno Arms	Workbench in the back room accessible from the street
Sierra Army Depot	Level 3, robotics	Desk in the Commanding Officer's quarters
		In the Robotics lab (near Assemble body for Skynet)
New California Republic	NCR Bazaar	Bookshelf in the Guard captain's guard post
	New California Republic power plant	Quest reward from Dorothy if the Chosen One successfully talked officer Jack out of blowing up the power plant
Mariposa Military Base	Surface of Mariposa Military Base	Footlocker in the northern tent On the ground (next to the bed) in the southern tent (Quantity: 2 books)
San Francisco	Flying Dragon 8	Merchant: Lao Chou (30% chance to restock 2-3 books after 2-4 days)
	Jenna's general store	Merchant: Jenna (30% chance to restock 2-3 books after 2-4 days)
Navarro	Navarro Main Base	Middle workbench in the vertibird hangar
Enclave Oil Rig	Barracks	Crates in the storage room connected to the Commanding Officer's living quarters (Quantity: 2 books)
	Detention and research level	Bookshelves in the Enclave scientist's office (Quantity: 2 books)
	Reactor level	Enclave scientist in the mainframe room

First Aid Book

The First Aid Book can permanently increase First Aid.

This section is transcluded from First Aid Book (Fallout). To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

World location	Closest map marker	Location description	Image
Modoc	Grisham's house	Bookshelf behind Grisham
Vault City	Sub-amenities office B	Merchant: Holden (25% chance to restock 1 book every 3-7 days)
	Parlor Room	Bookcase
	Amenities office	Merchant: Randal (75% chance to restock 1 book after 14 days)
	Vault 8	Locker in the store room on Level 3
Gecko	Gecko junkyard	Bookcase in a small building next to the exit grid
Redding	Painless Doc Johnson's	Bookcase
	Great wanamingo mine	Bookshelf on level 1 of the underground
Broken Hills	Liz's general store	Merchant: Liz (10% chance to restock 1 book after 7-14 days)
New Reno	Renesco's Pharmacy	Merchant: Renesco (25% chance to restock 1 book every 2-5 days)
Mercenaries' cave	Cave base	Locker
Sierra Army Depot	Level 1, personnel	Wall locker in the infirmary
	Level 3, robotics	Desk in the Commanding Officer's quarters
New California Republic	New California Republic Hospital	Bookcase
	New California Republic power plant	Quest reward from Dorothy if the Chosen One successfully talked officer Jack out of blowing up the power plant
Mariposa Military Base	Stronghold Level 2	Rusty wall locker in the medical section (Quantity: 2 books)
San Francisco	Flying Dragon 8	Merchant: Lao Chou (40% chance to restock 2-3 books after 2-4 days)
	Jenna's general store	Merchant: Jenna (40% chance to restock 2-3 books after 2-4 days)
Navarro	Navarro Main Base	Workbench next to Quincy in the maintenance building
Enclave Oil Rig	Barracks	Crates in the storage room connected to the Commanding Officer's living quarters (Quantity: 2 books)
	Detention and research level	Wall locker inside the experimentation lab
		Bookshelves in the Enclave scientist's office (Quantity: 2 books)
	Trap room	Locker in the "Survival Gear Locker" room (Quantity: 3 books)

Guns and Bullets

Guns and Bullets can permanently increase Small Guns.

This section is transcluded from the respective item articles. To change it, please edit the transcluded pages.

Name	Closest map marker	Location description
Guns and Bullets	Klamath	Klamath Downtown, in a bookcase in the building near the transfer grid to the Trapping grounds.
Guns and Bullets	Toxic caves	Desk inside the storage bunker.
Guns and Bullets	The Den	Merchant: Flick's in Den West Side (10% chance to restock 1 book after 7-14 days)
Guns and Bullets	The Den	Lara's gang hideout in Den West Side, in a bookcase.
Guns and Bullets	The Den	Slaver's Guild, bookshelf in Metzger's personal room
Guns and Bullets	Modoc	Grisham's house, on the ground of the outhouse.
Guns and Bullets	Ghost Farm	On one of the skinless Slags.
Guns and Bullets	Vault City	Spittoon, in a bookcase inside John Cassidy's room.
Guns and Bullets	Vault City	Corrections Center, inside a locked desk next to Stark. Become Captain of the Guard to get this book without violence.
Guns and Bullets	New Reno	Second floor of the Shark Club, in the lefthand room second from the bottom, on the upper righthand shelves. Use alcohol to lower the bald thug's perception by 9, then use Sneak to get the book.
Guns and Bullets	New Reno	First floor of Desperado, in a desk in a small room next to bathrooms.
Guns and Bullets	New Reno	New Reno Arms, in the collapsed shelves in Eldridge's quarters. The player needs to injure the dog enough to cause it to flee, or kill the dog, to get to it.
Guns and Bullets	New Reno	Merchant: Eldridge at New Reno Arms (25% chance to restock)
Guns and Bullets	Mercenaries' cave	In Angel-Eyes' safe.
Guns and Bullets	Redding	Ascorti's Ace and City Hall, in Ascorti's office. Either lockpick the door, or go down the outside well, then come up in the back room.
Guns and Bullets	Sierra Army Depot	In the locker in the barracks, level one.
Guns and Bullets	New California Republic	Merchant: Buster at Buster's Fine Emporium of Armament (30% chance to restock)
Guns and Bullets	San Francisco	Merchant: Lao Chou at Flying Dragon 8 (30% chance to restock)
Guns and Bullets	San Francisco	Merchant: Jenna at her general store on the PMV Valdez (30% chance to restock)
Guns and Bullets	Navarro Main Base	In the middle locker in the Vertibird hangar.
Guns and Bullets	Navarro underground	On the shelves in the Commander's office
Guns and Bullets	Enclave Oil Rig	In the desk at the security checkpoint, Detention level.
Guns and Bullets	Enclave Oil Rig	In the desk in the storage room, Barracks level.

Scout Handbook

The Scout Handbook can permanently increase Outdoorsman.

This section is transcluded from Scout Handbook (Fallout). To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

World location	Closest map marker	Location description	Image
Klamath	Trapper Town	Klamath child standing between a Deuce coupe and a Corvega Coupe
Vault City	Vault 8	Footlocker on Level Two
Redding	Malamute Saloon	Bookshelves in the middle room
	Redding mining camp	Bookshelves next to Marge LeBarge
	Great wanamingo mine	Bookshelves in the ruined building in the above-ground area
Broken Hills	Liz's general store	Merchant: Liz (10% chance to restock 1 book after 7-14 days)
New Reno	Salvatore's Bar	Bookshelves behind Louis Salvatore
New California Republic	New California Republic power plant	Quest reward from Dorothy if the Chosen One successfully talked officer Jack out of blowing up the power plant
Vault 15	Living quarters	Desk in the northwest room
Random encounter	World map (see images)	Merchant: "New California Republic caravan" (Quantity: 2-6 books)
San Francisco	Flying Dragon 8	Merchant: Lao Chou (40% chance to restock 2-4 books after 2-4 days)
	Jenna's general store	Merchant: Jenna (40% chance to restock 2-4 books after 2-4 days)
Enclave Oil Rig	Barracks	Crates in the storage room connected to the Commanding Officer's living quarters (Quantity: 2 books)
	Trap room	Locker in the "Survival Gear Locker" room (Quantity: 3 books)

Cat's Paw issue no.5

Cat's Paw issue no.5 can permanently increase Energy Weapons.

This section is transcluded from the respective item articles. To change it, please edit the transcluded pages.

Name	Closest map marker	Location description
Cat's Paw issue no.5	Cat's Paw brothel	From Miss Kitty after Deliver ten Cat's Paw magazines to Miss Kitty.

Fallout 2 Hintbook

The Fallout 2 Hintbook permanently increases all skills to 300%.

This section is transcluded from the respective item articles. To change it, please edit the transcluded pages.

Name	Closest map marker	Location description
Fallout 2 Hintbook	Drunk Cupid Chapel	Given by Father Tully after destroying the Enclave Oil Rig.

See also

• Fallout 2 merchants
• Fallout 2 items
• Skill book

References

Skill books in Fallout 2 Big Book of Science · Cat's Paw issue no.5 · Dean's Electronics · First Aid Book · Guns and Bullets · Scout Handbook · Fallout 2 Hintbook Skill books in italics are unique.