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Skills are learned abilities of a character. The skill level shows how good the character is at that skill. Skill levels can be increased by allocating skill points earned from gaining levels. Skills can also be improved by reading specific books or completing quests within the games.
List of skills[]
Combat skills[]
Active skills[]
| Skill | Fallout | Fallout 2 | Fallout Tactics | Fallout 3 | Fallout: New Vegas | Fallout: The Roleplaying Game |
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| Athletics | 
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| Doctor |
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| First Aid |
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| Medicine |
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| Lockpick |
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| Repair |
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| Science |
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| Sneak |
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| Steal |
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| Survival |
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| Traps |
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Passive skills[]
| Skill | Fallout | Fallout 2 | Fallout Tactics | Fallout 3 | Fallout: New Vegas | Fallout: The Roleplaying Game |
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| Barter |
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| Gambling |
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| Outdoorsman |
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| Pilot |
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| Speech |
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Weapons use[]
Each weapon class has a different skill that governs its use.
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Heavy Weapons / Big Guns |
Very large and/or heavy weapons (miniguns) |
| Energy Weapons | Directed-energy weapons (laser rifles) |
| Explosives | Thrown or placed explosives (land mines) |
| Firearms / Guns |
All gunpowder firearm class weapons |
| Melee / Melee Weapons |
Stand-off hand held striking weapons (clubs) |
| Pistols / Small Guns |
Small firearms (plasma pistols) |
| Rifles / Small Guns |
Small firearms (assault rifles) |
| Throwing | All thrown weapons (spears) |
| Traps | Placed explosives (plastic explosives) |
| Melee / Unarmed |
Striking weapons on the hand or arm (gauntlets) |
Mechanics[]
The success of an action can be determined by a skill check or a skill roll.
Skill check[]
A skill check is when the game checks if the character's skill meets a minimum skill value. For example, the Chosen One can download combat implant schematics with at least 51% in the Science skill and at least 75% in the Doctor skill, and the Courier can acquire the schematics for hand-loaded .44 Magnum rounds from Jules with both a 50 Guns and 60 Survival skill level at least.
Skill roll[]
A skill roll emulates the way skill rolls are done in traditional pen-and-paper RPGs. A skill roll is successful if a character's skill value is higher than a random generated number (1-100). In this simplified situation, a character's skill value is effectively a chance of success.
However, a skill roll typically has a modifier that adjusts the character's skill value for the purpose of the skill roll. A positive modifier makes an action easier (such as using a tool in a Repair skill roll) while a negative modifier makes an action harder (such as using Small guns in darkness). Some skill rolls use a predesignated system of modifiers (combat) while other skill rolls use modifiers specific that situation (a specific line of dialogue that requires a Speech skill roll).
Rolls are commonly used instead of skill checks for intrinsically random actions like combat, Lockpick, Steal, and avoiding random encounters.
Some skill rolls limit the success rate to a maximum of 95%. A few skill rolls can also generate critical successes and critical failures. For combat skills, the effect is determined by critical hit tables.
Notes[]
- In Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, skills work like perks in other Fallout games.
- In Fallout 4, skills were replaced entirely by perks.
