Best Starting SPECIAL Stats and SPECIAL Explained

SPECIAL in Fallout New Vegas (FNV) refers to the unique characteristics of the Courier. Read on for a list of all SPECIAL effects and skills, the best starting SPECIALs, how to increase SPECIALs, and what SPECIAL is!

SPECIAL Effects and Skills

SPECIAL	Effects
Strength	Stats: ・Carry Weight ・Weapon Handling	Skills: ・Melee ・Unarmed
	Perks: ・Weapon Handling ・Unstoppable Force ・Super Slam ・Strong Back ・Stonewall ・Heave, Ho!
Perception	Stats: ・Enemy Detection Range	Skills: ・Energy Weapons ・Lockpick ・Explosives
	Perks: ・Infiltrator ・Better Criticals ・Light Step ・Sniper ・Friend of the Night
Endurance	Stats: ・Health ・Poison Resistance ・Radiation Resistance	Skills: ・Survival ・Unarmed
	Perks: ・Rad Absorption ・Solar Powered ・Long Haul ・Life Giver ・Strong Back ・Stonewall ・Rad Resistance ・Toughness ・Lead Belly
Charisma	Stats: ・Companion Armor ・Companion Damage	Skills: ・Barter ・Speech
	Perks: ・Animal Friend ・Ferocious Loyalty
Intelligence	Stats: ・Addiitional Skill Points ・Conversation Capability	Skills: ・Medicine ・Speech ・Repair
	Perks: ・Computer Whiz ・Nerd Rage! ・Pack Rat ・Entomologist ・Educated ・Comprehension ・Swift Learner ・Retention
Agility	Stats: ・Speed ・AP ・AP Regen	Skills: ・Guns ・Sneak
	Perks: ・Nerves of Steel ・Slayer ・Action Girl ・Action Boy ・Light Step ・Sniper ・Silent Running ・Quick Draw ・Rapid Reload
Luck	Stats: ・Critical Chance ・Gambling ・Enemy Mishaps	Skills: ・All
	Perks: ・Better Criticals ・Mysterious Stranger ・Miss Fortune ・Scrounger ・Fortune Finder

Best Starting SPECIAL Stats

Best Starting SPECIAL Stats
5	5	6	1	8	8	7

Note: The red numbers mean that they are interchangeable.

The best starting SPECIAL stat allocation revolves around having high intelligence and luck but low charisma. This stat set-up allows you to get perks from most aside from perks that rely on charisma.

High Intelligence and Luck

High intelligence means you have significantly more skill points to allot while increasing the essential Repair skill. Substantial luck then rewards you with a higher critical chance and better luck at gambling, leading to easier money gain.

Low Charisma

Charisma, at least in Fallout New Vegas, is undeniably weak and only takes unnecessary points. The two perks that require charisma are niche at best. Furthermore, its two skills, Barter and Speech, can be invested in later in the game.

Interchangeable Stats

Depending on the type of weapon you want to use, you can interchange the points of strength, perception, and agility.

• Strength = Melee and Unarmed Weapons
• Perception = Energy and Explosive Weapons
• Agility = Guns and Melee

How to Increase SPECIAL

Get the Intense Training Perk

As soon as you reach level 2, you can choose to grab the Intense Training Perk. The Intense Training perk lets you allot one more point to any SPECIAL stat.

Do keep in mind that the amount of perks you get is limited. Only slot in the Intense Training perk if you have already completed your build and only need to round out particulars such as weapon handling through strength!

Install Neural Implants

Locations
Map	Overworld

To increase a SPECIAL stat permanently by one point, you can choose to install neural implants. You can install these implants by paying Dr. Usanagi 4000 caps for each implant.

However, you can only install one implant per stat, and the amount of unique implants you can install depends on the amount of Endurance you have. To get all the SPECIAL implants, you must have 7 Endurance!

There are no Bobbleheads in Fallout New Vegas

Unlike other Fallout titles, there are no Bobbleheads to collect that permanently increase your SPECIAL stats!

What is SPECIAL?

Characteristics of the Courier

SPECIAL is an anagram for all the characteristics that make your Courier unique and aligned to your play style. Each letter has a corresponding word that increases the stats of your Courier.

Furthermore, SPECIAL dictates which perks you gain as some are locked behind a set number of points in a SPECIAL. For example, Rapid Reload is reserved only for Couriers that have Agility 6 and higher.

Fallout New Vegas Related Guides

Fallout: New Vegas
Walkthrough and Guides Wiki

Fallout: New Vegas Wiki
Story Walkthrough	Side Quests
Weapons	Companions
Tips and Tricks	Interactive Map
SPECIAL	Perks
Skills	Traits
Armor	Power Armor
IDs and Item Codes	Trophies