Fallout 4 is just a few days away from release, although we know many fans of the series are confused as to how many S.P.E.C.I.A.L. points you’ll be able to assign when you first start the game. So we thought we’d take the time to clarify what you can expect when the game releases next week.
Unlike Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, which gave players a total of 40 points to start with, Fallout 4 will only offer a total of 28 S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat points to start. While long-time fans of the Fallout series may find this to be upsetting news, you’re given complete control as to what your character can accomplish when given a clean slate.
Your character will have 1 point in each available stat from the get go: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. When you speak to the Vault-Tec employee at your door, you’ll be presented with a Registration Form, which the company offers in order to learn more about its Vault Dwellers. The Registration Form offers 21 points that can be used to increase any of these S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. While this may cause players to experience a sense of panic to choose the right attribute for their play style, don’t think it’s the end of the world if you spend all of your points on being a charismatic strongman. You’ll be able to increase your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. points in a number of ways throughout the game.
The first way you’ll be able to improve your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. statistics is when your character earns enough experience points to level up. Sure - you could spend your points on one of the many perks available in Fallout 4, but for the first time in the series, you’ll be able to spend you points on your base S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. And with no level cap, this means players will be able to experience every perk the game offers, as long as you have the time.
Another way you can improve your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. is by discovering one of the many Vault Boy bobbleheads that will be scattered throughout the wasteland. While collecting a Vault Boy will offer players the ability to raise their base stats, what can be improved is completely based on the kind of bobblehead you discover. There are Vault Boy bobbleheads for each of the seven base stats, so if you find one for a stat you’re not particularly interested in, we still recommend you pick it up and hope you find another one that will directly impact your playstyle.
We hope this guide has cleared up not only how many S.P.E.C.I.A.L. points you'll receive when you first start playing Fallout 4 next week, but also ease your nerves a bit on making your perfect character from the start. You'll be given many opportunities to improve your base stats as you play the game, so if you're not happy with your initial choices, you can tweak them as make your way across the wasteland.
