Build Advice: Traits

Build Advice
Forget the builds you used in Fallout 2. The builds in this game are different.
Season	{{{season}}}
Status	wip
Completion	5%
Authors	Henry
This Chapter	Optional TRAITS
More Chapters	Build Advice: Title Page Build Advice: SPECIAL Build Advice: Traits Build Advice: Perks Build Advice: Strong Explorer Build Advice: Universal Soldier Build Advice: True Sniper Build Advice: A Miner Build Advice: Crit Boxer
Notes	{{{notes}}}

Fast Metabolism

Fast Metabolism is not popular. It cuts your drug duration in half to 15 minutes. Since most all serious characters use some drugs, this is highly inconvenient.

• PLUS: Speeds up Healing Rate
• MINUS: Cuts drug duration in half

Bruiser

Very few people use this Trait anymore because it slows you down too much. Half of the +4 to ST can be obtained by using Buffout, and 1 more ST from using Psycho. Yet, this Trait is still chosen by a few experienced people who like specialized pugilists.

• PLUS: Bonus to HtH damage, and +4 to ST
• MINUS: -2 AP! Ouch!

Small Frame

Almost every single hard-core PvP fighter in this game has Small Frame.

• PLUS: +1 to Agility, thus you get one extra SPECIAL point for something else, like Luck maybe.
• MINUS: Lowered Carry Weight, which simply doesn't matter much at all in most PvP fights.

One Hander

Very few people use One Hander because the benefit is so minor considering a character only needs a higher gun skill to get more Hit Chance, and NOT Having this Trait means no restriction on what gun you use.

• PLUS: 20% boost to Hit Chance when using a one-handed weapon. Big deal.
• MINUS: 40% penalty to Hit Chance when using two-handed weapons. Forget this one!

Finesse

This is a tricky one. If you want to cause a lot of crits, and don't need to do as much damage, then Finesse might be for you. If you're running with a team of friends who do serious damage, then okay. But if you're running solo, it's tougher to actually kill an opponent; you'll do more crits sometimes but you'll do less damage almost every time.

• PLUS: 10% bonus to Critical Chance but see Finesse page for details.
• MINUS: 30% bonus to target's DR but see Finesse page for details.

Kamikaze

Very few veterans use Kamikaze except on highly unusual characters. Armor Class only works when a character is running, and goes back down once he stops or walks. And these days most opponents have higher gun skills - many have 300, so an AC character is often not as successful as hoped. Then there's the painful penalty of a reduced DR.

• PLUS: 40 point bonus to Armor Class
• MINUS: 10 point penalty to Damage Resistance Ouch!

Heavy Handed

Heavy Handed is an awesome Trait for a pugilist. When combined with ST 10 and a Mega Power Fist, a fist-fighter will have amazing successes knocking down enemies. Opponents have to spend AP to stand up. Meanwhile, you knock them down again. Not the best choice for doing crits, but then again a knockdown is a crit. This Trait works the same even on a low Luck character.

• PLUS: +2 to Unarmed damage, and you have a high chance to knock down your your opponents.
• MINUS: -20 to Critical Hit tables

Fast Shot

• PLUS: +5 damage to your attacks, and 1 less AP to single-shot guns and use Throwing.
• MINUS: Unable to do any targeted attacks. So you cannot "aim eyes" or "aim head" etc

Bloody Mess

More violent death animations, and that is all.

Jinxed

Jinxed is a weird one. You cause more crit fails, but some of them are yours! Who wants a character prone to critical failures? Still, with a unique plan, you could run him through an enemy Town Control and maybe cause them some trouble. A Jinxed Sneak scout? Maybe...

Good Natured

Even with Charisma 1, Good Natured is perfect for anyone who wants 3 or 4 companion followers, instead of only 1 or 2.

• PLUS: +50 Party Points
• MINUS: Cannot have slaves.

Chem Reliant

At first you'd think this is bad. But the truth is, many characters have this Trait because it doubles the length of time your drugs work. Drugs are cheap, but it's far more convenient to have a whole hour on a round of drugs and not have to worry about carrying another round with you into combat. The addictions are permanent, but so what? That doesn't matter when you're logged out, and you're not going to play your Chem Reliant character without using another round of drugs anyway. And if your Chem Reliant character does want to clear his addictions, he can use a Drug Antidote.

• PLUS: Drug durations are doubled. Usually that means 60 minutes instead of only 30.
• MINUS: Drug addictions are semi-permanent, corrected by continued drug use, or with Drug Antidote.

Chem Resistant

Very few people use Chem Resistant for a few reasons. Drugs no longer cause addictions, unless you have Chem Reliant. Next is the painful penalty; we all need maximum healing benefits from using stims. This is basically a leftover Trait from 2238, from back when addictions meant more. Nowadays though, a character can use Drug Antidote to fix addictions, or just keep using the drugs their builds are meant to use.

• PLUS: Immunity to drug addictions
• MINUS: It cuts in half the Hit Points you get from using Healing drugs like Stimpaks.

Bonehead

Bonehead gives you better crit hit resistance. It does not reduce the chance your enemy has to do a crit on you, but it reduces that crit hit's affect on you. This benefit stacks with the Man of Steel perk. A lot of PvP fighters have this Trait.

• PLUS: 10% boost to cri hit resistance (stacks with Man of Steel).
• MINUS: -1 Intelligence so you lose a SPECIAL point, which is balanced with more levels.

Skilled

Skilled looked good in Fallout 2, but it's not good in this game, mainly since Perks are so important and nearly everyone else will have 8 of them. You cannot afford to have 25% less perks than your enemies in a game this brutal, and expect to remain combat-competitive. Plus, there is no leveling cap so more Skill Points are always available.

• PLUS: 2 more Skill Points per level - big deal - seriously do not get this Trait
• MINUS: You only get 6 perks instead of 8!

Loner

Loner is one of the important elements of a leveling build, leading to a Reroll.

• PLUS: +10% XP whenever XP is earned
• MINUS: Cannot have followers