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Fate. Karma. An extremely high or low Luck will affect the character - somehow. Events and situations will be changed by how lucky (or unlucky) your character is.Fallout in-game description

Luck is one of the seven primary statistics in the SPECIAL system.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics[]

In Fallout, Luck primarily affects the chances with the virtual dice of the game: a high Luck increases the likelihood to succeed a roll, while the opposite is also true. Luck also affects the chance to score a critical hit on a target, with the standard being that the Critical Chance is equal to the subject's Luck (keep in mind, standard means without perks, traits, or aimed shots). It also determines the initial level of the Gambling skill.

Ways to increase Luck in Fallout[]

  • Chuck in the Boneyard's Adytum can increase Luck permanently by one point via the mysteries of the Tarot. Due to a bug, acquiring a second point is possible.

Ways to increase Luck in Fallout 2[]

  • The Hubologists can be visited to gain a Luck bonus. Only one bonus can be gained, though they have two bases, one in the NCR and one in San Francisco. The NCR bonus can either boost Luck by 2 or reduce it by one, and the San Francisco base can either boost Luck and Intelligence by 1, or reduce Luck by 1.
  • Taking the Gain Luck perk for an increase of 1 Luck.
  • The Hubologists' zeta scans stop the decrease in Luck from the pariah dog's company, subsequently killing the dog will restore the player character's Luck as if it had remained decreased, resulting in a net gain in Luck.

Ways to increase Luck in Fallout Tactics[]

  • Taking the Gain Luck perk for a permanent increase of 1 Luck.
  • Consuming Voodoo will increase Luck by 3 points for 20 minutes.

Perks[]

Luck-based Perks
Name Luck required Level Additional requirements Games
Toughness 6 3 Endurance 6 Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
Bonus Ranged Damage 6 6 Agility 6 Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
Fortune Finder 8 6 - Fallout, Fallout 2
More Criticals 6 6 - Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
Mysterious Stranger 7 / 4 6 / 9 - Fallout, Fallout 2
Better Criticals 6 9 Perception 6, Agility 4 Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
Light Step 5 9 Agility 5 Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics
Scrounger 8 9 - Fallout
Bend the Rules 6 16 - Fallout Tactics
Break the Rules 6 20 - Fallout Tactics
Alcohol Lowered Hit Points 2 - Consume 100 bottles of Alcohol-Z Fallout 2
Alcohol Lowered Hit Points II 1 - Consume 100 bottles of Alcohol-Z Fallout 2
Alcohol Raised Hit Points 9 - Consume 100 bottles of Alcohol-Z Fallout 2
Alcohol Raised Hit Points II 10 - Consume 100 bottles of Alcohol-Z Fallout 2
Autodoc Lowered Hit Points 2 - Intelligence <4, Ride the Autodoc Rodeo Fallout 2
Autodoc Lowered Hit Points II 1 - Intelligence <4, Ride the Autodoc Rodeo Fallout 2
Autodoc Raised Hit Points 9 - Intelligence <4, Ride the Autodoc Rodeo Fallout 2
Autodoc Raised Hit Points II 10 - Intelligence <4, Ride the Autodoc Rodeo Fallout 2

Fallout 3[]

Modifies: All skills and Critical Chance. Unlike other S.P.E.C.I.A.L. scores, Luck has no specific skills associated with it. Instead, every two points of Luck adds one point to all skills. Having a high Luck will also improve the Critical Chance with all weapons.

Value +Critical Chance Skill Modifiers
1 1% All Skills +1
2 2% All Skills +1
3 3% All Skills +2
4 4% All Skills +2
5 5% All Skills +3
6 6% All Skills +3
7 7% All Skills +4
8 8% All Skills +4
9 9% All Skills +5
10 10% All Skills +5

Perks[]

Luck-based Perks
Name Luck required Level Additional requirements
Fortune Finder 5 6
Scrounger 5 8
Mysterious Stranger 6 10
Better Criticals 6 16 Perception 6

Ways to increase Luck[]

Permanent
Temporary

Fallout: New Vegas[]

Luck functions in the same manner as Fallout 3. It raises the value of every skill (see chart at bottom of page) and affects Critical Chance. It also improves the odds of winning at any casino game; the higher the Luck, the more likely favorable outcomes on bets will be. If having won a casino bet through the influence of Luck, the "You feel lucky" message is displayed. A Luck of 6 will begin to influence Roulette and Slot machines, though rarely. A Luck of 7 is required to win with any regularity or to begin to influence Blackjack outcomes.

Perks[]

Luck-based Perks
Name Luck required Level Additional requirements
Junk Rounds Dead Money 6 2 Repair 45
Fortune Finder 5 6
Scrounger 5 8
Miss Fortune 6 10
Mysterious Stranger 6 10
Better Criticals 6 16 Perception 6

Interactions that require Luck stat[]

Notes[]

  • If the Courier's Luck stat is the most extreme (highest or lowest), Doc Mitchell will either say he is surprised their bullets did not "turn right around and climb back into the gun." (for highest) or that they seem to be "the luckiest son-of-a-gun in New Vegas." (For lowest)
    • When Doc Mitchell refers to the bullets "climbing back into the gun" this is a nod to Fallout 1 and Fallout 2, referring to critical failures.
  • When playing at casinos, a Luck of at least 7 is required to get favorable odds. Blackjack is the most affected by Luck; at 10, it will produce fairly constant patterns in what cards are dealt to based on the current total. Slots will turn out losses on most spins, but at higher Luck will produce an occasional jackpot. Roulette, like Slots, will produce a loss on most spins and requires prudent betting to gain much benefit from Luck.

Ways to increase Luck[]

Permanent
Temporary

Level names and statistics[]

Value Name Critical Chance Skill Modifiers
1 13 Pitch-black Cats +1% All Skills +1
2 Broken Gypsy Mirror +2% All Skills +1
3 Sickly Albatross +3% All Skills +2
4 Spilled Salt +4% All Skills +2
5 Coin Flip +5% All Skills +3
6 Stacked Deck +6% All Skills +3
7 Lucky 7 +7% All Skills +4
8 Leprechaun's Foot +8% All Skills +4
9 21-Leaf Clover +9% All Skills +5
10 Two-headed Coin Flip +10% All Skills +5

Fallout 4[]

Luck is a measure of your general good fortune, and affects the recharge rates of critical hits.

Luck determines the recharge rate of the Critical Hit meter. It can indirectly improve how much caps and ammo one finds through one of two associated Luck perks (see below).[verification needed] It can also give the player a chance to not catch a disease from a molerat bite in Vault 81. Luck can affect the chances of quickly receiving a perfectly preserved pie from a Port-A-Diner (the lower the Luck stat, the longer it can take).

Here is a table that shows how many hits one needs to refill the critical meter for different luck values. This does not include the effects of perks or legendary prefixes.

Luck hits required
1 14
2 12
3 10
4 9
5 8
6-7 7
8-9 6
10-12 5
13-18 4
19-29 3
30-62 2
63+ 1

Using a Lucky weapon with the Isodoped companion perk active (250 rads), at 21 Luck the critical meter will be filled in two shots. Without a Lucky weapon, the meter will be filled in two shots at 24 Luck.

Perks[]

Luck-based Perks
Name Luck required
Fortune Finder 1
Scrounger 2
Bloody Mess 3
Mysterious Stranger 4
Idiot Savant 5
Better Criticals 6
Critical Banker 7
Grim Reaper's Sprint 8
Four Leaf Clover 9
Ricochet 10

Ways to increase Luck[]

Permanent
Temporary

Ways to decrease Luck[]

Temporary

Fallout 76[]

Luck is a measure of general good fortune, and affects the recharge rate of Critical Hits as well as the condition and durability of items that the player loots.

Modifies: Looted item condition, recharge rate of critical hits

As with other Fallout 76 SPECIAL attributes, Luck has a maximum of 15 but there are only 49 points split between the 7 attributes.

Every time a V.A.T.S. attack is successful, the critical bar increases by an amount dependent on Luck. Once the critical bar fills completely (when the value of the bar equals 100), a critical attack may be executed in V.A.T.S. At a Luck of 1, the critical gain per successful attack (also known as the recharge rate) is 6.5; this translates to a critical attack being available every 16 successful attacks. Each additional level of Luck increases the critical gain by 1.5. At the maximum Luck of 15, the critical gain per successful attack is 27.5, translating to a critical attack being available after every 4 successful attacks (i.e. every 5th attack).

With the Unyielding legendary effect, as well as the Luck legendary perk (among many other buffs), a player's luck stat can go even higher. If a player's Luck is 33 or higher, the critical bar will fill every two shots.

Effects on looted item condition[]

Luck Looted Item Min Condition Looted Item Max Condition Attacks to fill crit meter
1 15 65 16
2 18.3 68.3 13
3 21.7 71.7 11
4 25 75 10
5 37.5 87.5 8
6 50 100 8
7 52.5 102.5 7
8 55 105 6
9 57.5 107.5 6
10 60 110 5
11 67.5 117.5 5
12 75 125 5
13 80 130 5
14 85 135 4
15 90 140 4

Perks[]

Luck-based Perks
Name Level Rank Description
Better Criticals 47 1 V.A.T.S. criticals now do +20% damage.
2 V.A.T.S. criticals now do +30% damage.
3 V.A.T.S. criticals now do +40% damage.
Bloody Mess 42 1 5% bonus damage means enemies may explode into a gory red paste.
2 10% bonus damage means enemies may explode into a gory red paste.
3 15% bonus damage means enemies may explode into a gory red paste.
Can Do! 7 1 40% chance to find an extra canned food when you "Search" a food container.
2 60% chance to find an extra canned food when you "Search" a food container
3 80% chance to find an extra canned food when you "Search" a food container
Cap Collector 16 1 You have a chance to find more bottle caps when opening a caps stash.
2 You have a better chance to find more caps when opening a caps stash.
3 You always find more bottle caps when opening a caps stash.
Class Freak 46 1 The negative effects of your mutations are reduced by 25%.
2 The negative effects of your mutations are reduced by 50%.
3 The negative effects of your mutations are reduced by 75%.
Critical Savvy 44 1 Critical Hits now only consume 85% of your critical meter.
2 Critical Hits now only consume 70% of your critical meter.
3 Critical Hits now only consume 55% of your critical meter.
Curator 19 1 The benefits of bobbleheads and magazines last twice as long.
Dry Nurse 23 1 You have a 50% chance to keep your Stimpak when you revive another player.
Four Leaf Clover 29 1 Each hit in V.A.T.S. has a chance to fill your Critical meter.
2 Each hit in V.A.T.S. has a better chance to fill your Critical meter.
3 Each hit in V.A.T.S. has an excellent chance to fill your Critical meter.
Good with Salt 9 1 Food in your inventory will spoil 30% more slowly.
2 Food in your inventory will spoil 60% more slowly.
3 Food in your inventory will spoil 90% more slowly.
Grim Reaper's Sprint 33 1 Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 15% chance to restore all Action Points.
2 Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 25% chance to restore all Action Points.
3 Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 35% chance to restore all Action Points.
Junk Shield 10 1 Carry junk to gain up to 10 Damage and Energy Resistance. (No Power Armor)
2 Carry junk to gain up to 20 Damage and Energy Resistance. (No Power Armor)
3 Carry junk to gain up to 30 Damage and Energy Resistance. (No Power Armor)
Last Laugh 27 1 You drop a live grenade from your inventory when you die.
Luck of the Draw 14 1 Slight chance your weapon will repair itself when hitting an enemy.
2 Chance your weapon will repair itself even more when hitting an enemy.
3 Chance your weapon will greatly repair itself when hitting an enemy.
Lucky Break 24 1 Slight chance your equipped armor will repair itself when struck.
2 Chance your equipped armor will repair itself even more when struck.
3 Chance your equipped armor will greatly repair itself when struck.
Mysterious Savior 49 1 A Mysterious Savior will occasionally appear to revive you when downed.
2 A Mysterious Savior will more frequently appear to revive you when downed.
3 The Mysterious Savior will regularly appear to revive you when downed.
Mysterious Stranger 26 1 The Mysterious Stranger will appear occasionally in V.A.T.S. to lend a hand.
2 The Mysterious Stranger appears more often when using V.A.T.S.
3 The Mysterious Stranger appears so much in V.A.T.S., he knows you by name.
Mystery Meat 12 1 Stimpaks may generate edible meat tissue. Higher Rads improve the chance.
2 Stimpaks generate edible meat. Higher Rads improve the chance.
3 Stimpaks generate excessive edible meat. Higher Rads improve the chance.
One Gun Army 31 1 Heavy guns gain a 4% stagger chance and a 4% chance to cripple a limb.
2 Heavy guns gain a 8% stagger chance and a 8% chance to cripple a limb.
3 Heavy guns gain a 12% stagger chance and a 12% chance to cripple a limb.
Pharma Farma 2 1 40% chance to find extra first aid Chems when you "Search" a chem container.
2 60% chance to find extra first aid Chems when you "Search" a chem container.
3 80% chance to find extra first aid Chems when you "Search" a chem container.
Psychopath 21 1 Any kill in V.A.T.S has a 5% chance to refill your Critical Meter.
2 Any kill in V.A.T.S has a 10% chance to refill your Critical Meter.
3 Any kill in V.A.T.S has a 15% chance to refill your Critical Meter.
Quick Hands 40 1 Gain a 6% chance to instantly reload when your clip is empty.
2 Gain a 12% chance to instantly reload when your clip is empty.
3 Gain a 18% chance to instantly reload when your clip is empty.
Ricochet 38 1 Gain a 6% chance to deflect back some of enemies' ranged damage. (No PvP)
2 Gain a 12% chance to deflect back some of enemies' ranged damage. (No PvP)
3 Gain a 18% chance to deflect back some of enemies' ranged damage. (No PvP)
Scrounger 3 1 40% chance to find extra ammo when you "Search" an ammo container.
2 60% chance to find extra ammo when you "Search" an ammo container.
3 80% chance to find extra ammo when you "Search" an ammo container.
Serendipity 5 1 While below 35% health, gain a 15% chance to avoid damage.
2 While below 35% health, gain a 30% chance to avoid damage.
3 While below 35% health, gain a 45% chance to avoid damage.
Starched Genes 30 1 Less chance for you to mutate from rads or for Radaway to cure mutations.
2 You will never mutate from Rads and Radaway will never cure mutations.
Storm Chaser 35 1 Gain health regeneration while outside during rain or Rad Storms.
2 Gain high health regeneration while outside during rain or Rad Storms.
Super Duper 50 1 When you craft anything, there is a 10% chance you'll get double results!
2 When you craft anything, there is a 20% chance you'll get double results!
3 When you craft anything, there is a 30% chance you'll get double results!
Tormentor 37 1 Your rifle attacks have a 5% chance of crippling a limb.
2 Your rifle attacks have a 10% chance of crippling a limb.
3 Your rifle attacks have a 15% chance of crippling a limb.
Woodchucker 17 1 Collect twice as much when harvesting wood

Ways to increase Luck[]

Note that all stat boosts in Fallout 76 are temporary.

Fallout Shelter[]

Modifies: Increases the chance of a Rush being successful, the amount of power/food/water obtained from rooms, the chance of finding items when exploring and the chance of getting caps when harvesting power/food/water from a room.

Ways to increase Luck[]

Permanent

By training Luck in game room.

Temporary

By equipping outfits that raises Luck.

Fallout: The Board Game[]

Unlike other games, Luck is not treated as a variable ranging from 1 to 10, but instead as a token that can be obtained at the start or when leveling up. A player character with the Luck token gets free rerolls during certain tests, as well as during fights if equipped with a Luck-based weapon.

The Vault Dweller player character always begins the game with Luck. Any player character wearing the singed duster gains one hit during a Luck test. During any Luck test or fight, Day Tripper can be used to gain one free hit. While not a Luck-based weapon, if a player character goes into a fight with the Fat Man, they must succeed at a Luck test or be unable to perform any rerolls during the fight.

Perks[]

Weapons[]

Gallery[]

Video[]

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