Introduction
Fallout 4 offers a vast selection of perks tied to your SPECIAL stats, allowing for countless character builds. Whether you’re new to the series or a returning player looking for a strong foundation, this guide highlights the most universally beneficial perks for any playstyle—covering combat, crafting, survival, and exploration.

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Strength Perks

Strength increases carry weight and melee damage. More importantly, it unlocks valuable utility perks:

• Armorer (Strength 3):
  Craft and upgrade armor to improve defenses and unlock special mods. Max this out to access the best gear enhancements.
• Strong Back (Strength 6):
  Increases carry weight significantly. At higher ranks, it allows fast travel while encumbered and lets you run while overloaded—great for looters.
• Other Notables:
  • Heavy Gunner: Boosts damage with heavy weapons like miniguns and missile launchers.
  • Big Leagues: Enhances melee weapon damage.
  • Rooted: Grants bonus damage resistance and melee power when standing still.

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Perception Perks

Perception improves V.A.T.S. accuracy and awareness:

• Awareness (Perception 3):
  Shows enemy resistances in V.A.T.S.—ideal for tactical targeting.
• Locksmith (Perception 4):
  Unlocks access to higher-tier containers and doors. A must-have for exploration and loot hunting.
• Concentrated Fire (Perception 10):
  Increases accuracy and damage for repeated V.A.T.S. attacks on the same body part—extremely powerful for late-game V.A.T.S. users.
• Other Notables:
  • Rifleman: Increases non-automatic rifle damage.
  • Sniper: Improves headshot accuracy and introduces knockdown effects.

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Endurance Perks

Endurance boosts health and resistance to physical hardships:

• Lead Belly (Endurance 2):
  Reduces or removes radiation from food and water—very helpful in Survival Mode.
• Lifegiver (Endurance 3):
  Grants extra HP and passive health regeneration at Rank 3—one of the best general-purpose perks.
• Late-Game Picks:
  • Ghoulish: Turns radiation into health.
  • Solar Powered: Regenerates HP during daylight; also increases Strength and Endurance when in the sun.

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Charisma Perks

Charisma governs social skills, trading, and settlement management:

• Cap Collector (Charisma 1):
  Improves buying and selling prices—essential for economy-focused builds.
• Local Leader (Charisma 6):
  Unlocks supply lines and crafting stations across settlements. Required for base-building and large-scale crafting operations.
• Companion Boosters:
  • Lone Wanderer: Boosts carry weight and damage resistance when traveling solo or with Dogmeat.
  • Inspirational: Improves companion combat performance and survivability.

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Intelligence Perks

Intelligence controls XP gain and all crafting systems:

• Medic (Intelligence 2):
  Boosts Stimpak and RadAway effectiveness—especially valuable in Survival Mode.
• Gun Nut (Intelligence 3):
  Core perk for customizing and upgrading firearms.
• Hacker (Intelligence 4):
  Grants access to locked terminals. Pairs well with Locksmith for full access.
• Scrapper (Intelligence 5):
  Retrieves rare materials when scrapping gear.
• Chemist (Intelligence 7):
  Extends chem duration. Combine with Chem Resistant (Endurance 4) to avoid addiction.

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Agility Perks

Agility affects Action Points, sprinting, and stealth:

• Action Boy/Girl (Agility 5):
  Speeds up AP regeneration, great for both V.A.T.S. and exploration.
• Quick Hands (Agility 8):
  Speeds up reload times—vital in combat-heavy builds.
• Stealth Focus:
  • Sneak, Ninja, and Mr. Sandman: Improve sneak damage and movement invisibility.
  • Commando: Increases damage with automatic weapons.
  • Gun-Fu: Adds damage bonuses and target swapping effects in V.A.T.S.

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Luck Perks

Luck governs critical hits, loot quality, and random bonuses:

• Fortune Finder (Luck 1):
  Earn more caps from containers—great early-game economy perk.
• Scrounger (Luck 2):
  Increases ammo finds. Especially useful for Survival Mode or heavy gun builds.
• Bloody Mess (Luck 3):
  Flat damage bonus across the board with fun visual flair.
• Idiot Savant (Luck 5):
  Random XP bursts, especially powerful with low Intelligence builds.
• Critical Perks:
  • Better Criticals: Boosts critical hit damage.
  • Grim Reaper’s Sprint: Restores AP after V.A.T.S. kills.
  • Mysterious Stranger: Occasional random V.A.T.S. assistance.

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Conclusion

These perks provide a powerful and flexible base for any Fallout 4 character, whether you’re building a stealth sniper, melee juggernaut, or survivalist scavenger. By focusing on core perks that enhance exploration, crafting, and combat, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success in the Commonwealth.