Fallout New Vegas

Intelligence Explained and Console Command

Intelligence is one of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes in Fallout New Vegas (FNV). Read on to see how to increase and decrease Intelligence using console command, what it does, how to increase Intelligence, all Intelligence levels and their effects, as well as all Intelligence-based skills and perks.

What Does Intelligence Do?

What Does Intelligence Do?


Affects the Medicine, Repair, and Science Skills

Intelligence dabbles in the realm of humanity's progress, so you will have more skill points for medicine, repair, and science as you increase your Intelligence. A great mind is an exceptional boon in the Wasteland!

Gives More Skill Points to Spend

Since you are more gifted than others, you learn skills much faster. With each point in Intelligence, you will gain a 0.5 increase to the available skill points you may spend. When it lands on a decimal numeral, it will round up. For example, 10.5 becomes 11!

Changes Dialogue Prompts

Depending on where your Intelligence ends on the side of the spectrum, your speech and dialect will ultimately change. If you have high Intelligence, sometimes Wastelanders will not understand you. On the lesser hand of the spectrum, your ability to speak will revert akin to a Neanderthal.

How to Increase Intelligence

How to Increase Intelligence

Buy Implants to Permanently Increase Intelligence

You can permanently increase your Intelligence by buying the Logic Co-Processor implants from Dr. Usanagi at the New Vegas Medical Center.

It costs around 3,000 - 4,000 caps, so make sure you have enough before you employ her help.

Money Farming Guide
How to Get Caps Fast

Gain Perks to Temporarily Increase Intelligence

Aside from the one-time permanent increase in Intelligence that the Intense Training perk can give, there are other perks that you can get to temporarily increase your Intelligence.

Perk How to Get Effect
Meat of Champions Cannibalize The King, Mr. House, Caesar, and President Kimball 1 point to Luck, Strength, Charisma and Intelligence for 60 seconds each time a corpse is consumed.
Night Person Lv. Req.: Lv. 10 +2 on Intelligence and Perception From 6 PM to 6 AM

Best Perks and List of Perks

Intelligence Console Command

Increase Intelligence Command

Format player.modav Intelligence [value you want to add to your Intelligence]
Example player.modav Intelligence 3

You can use the command above to permanently increase your Intelligence in the game.

Simply hit the tilde (~) button on your keyboard to open the console. Then, type the command above and the value you want to add to your Intelligence.

Decrease Intelligence Command

Format player.modav Intelligence -[value you want to subtract to your Intelligence]
Example player.modav Intelligence -1

Likewise, you can decrease your Intelligence using the same command. Just make sure that the value you add at the end is negative.

Intelligence Levels

Levels and Skill Modifiers

Lv. Name Skill Points Skill Modifiers
1 Sub-brick 10.5 Medicine +2, Repair +2, Science +2
2 Vegetable 11 Medicine +4, Repair +4, Science +4
3 Cretin 11.5 Medicine +6, Repair +6, Science +6
4 Knucklehead 12 Medicine +8, Repair +8, Science +8
5 Knowledgeable 12.5 Medicine +10, Repair +10, Science +10
6 Gifted 13 Medicine +12, Repair +12, Science +12
7 Smartypants 13.5 Medicine +14, Repair +14, Science +14
8 Know-it-all 14 Medicine +16, Repair +16, Science +16
9 Genius 14.5 Medicine +18, Repair +18, Science +18
10 Omniscient 15 Medicine +20, Repair +20, Science +20

Intelligence-Based Skills and Perks

All Intelligence-Based Perks

Perk SPECIAL Req. Lv. Req. Effect
Retention Intelligence 5 Lv. 2 Skill Magazines Last For 3 Minutes
Swift Learner Intelligence 4 Lv. 2 +10% EXP
Comprehension Intelligence 4 Lv. 4 More Skill Points When Reading Books and Magazines
Educated Intelligence 4 Lv. 4 +2 Skill Points When Leveling Up
Entomologist Intelligence 4 Lv. 4 +50% Damage Against Mutated Insects
Pack Rat Intelligence 5 Lv. 8 Items That Weigh Two Pounds or Less Now Weigh Half As Much
Nerd Rage! Intelligence 5 Lv. 10 +15 DT and +10 STR When Health is at 20% or Lower
Computer Whiz Intelligence 7 Lv. 18 Extra Attempt to Hack a Locked-Down Terminal

All Intelligence-Based Skills

Skill Benefits
Fallout New Vegas Medicine ImageMedicine Recovery from Stimpaks and Radaway
Fallout New Vegas Repair ImageRepair Effectiveness of repairing equipment + Ammunition Recipes
Fallout New Vegas Science ImageScience Hack difficult terminals
Fallout New Vegas Speech ImageSpeech Influence NPCs through dialogue

Best Starting Skills and List of Skills

Fallout New Vegas Related Guides

Fallout New Vegas - SPECIAL

Best Starting SPECIAL Stats and
SPECIAL Explained

All SPECIAL Attributes

All SPECIAL Attributes
Fallout New Vegas - StrengthStrength Fallout New Vegas - PerceptionPerception Fallout New Vegas - EnduranceEndurance
Fallout New Vegas - CharismaCharisma Fallout New Vegas - IntelligenceIntelligence Fallout New Vegas - AgilityAgility
Fallout New Vegas - LuckLuck - -

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