Unarmed has always been my favorite stat for this game and honestly, I can't enjoy the game to the same degree with any other type of character. I've maxed out at least 3 unarmed characters and have created countless others. These are the factors that I have determined yield the best possible unarmed character. Feel free to offer suggestions and also correct my math at the end, because I know that I left a few factors out.
Starting SPECIAL:
Strength - 9 Perception - 1 Endurance - 9 Charisma - 1 Intelligence - 9 Agility - 6 Luck - 5
This is set up so that you can boost Agility to 7, allowing the Slayer perk. Other than that the rest should be self-explanatory. Note that I'm making the assumption that you plan on buying implants.
Mandatory Traits: (1/2)
- Heavy Handed
Other Traits To Consider: (0/2)
Pick anything else you want. Originally when I started making unarmed characters, I would have considered the Skilled trait to be mandatory, or at least highly recommended, but after doing some math (which I will put up at the end) I've realized it's quite useless, and ultimately screws you over in the higher levels. On my next file I'm going to be testing the Good Natured trait, due to the short term benefits that it brings.
Mandatory Perks: (6/25)
- Super Slam - Unstoppable Force - Slayer - Piercing Strike - Stonewall - Pyromaniac
First of all, Paralyzing Palm isn't listed because I find VATS to be completely unnecessary with an unarmed character. In fact, I've found that all it does for an unarmed character is put you in an inescapable animation in which you cannot maximize your character's damage output and minimize your damage taken. Sometimes he will literally just stand there when he could have thrown out a punch, he will often miss, and he will not attempt to dodge attacks that you could have very easily avoided had you not been in VATS. If you plan on using VATS, maybe Paralyzing Palm is something to consider. The second and final thing I need to clarify is that Pyromaniac is on the list due to damage boost that it offers for the Saturnite Fist Super-Heated. I find it to be the best unarmed weapon in the game, but if you do not intend to use it for whatever reason, don't get Pyromaniac. I think the other perks are pretty self-explanatory. If not, tell me and I will clarify why they're on there.
Highly Recommended Perks: (8/25)
- Implant GRX (both ranks) - Adamantium Skeleton - Ninja - Silent Running - Them's Good Eatin' - Thought You Died, Just Lucky I'm Alive, or Ain't Like That Now - Finesse
First of all, I have mostly done good karma characters, so I haven't got to use Ain't Like That Now, but I believe that the 20% attack boost is far more worthwhile than the boosts offered from Thought You Died or Just Lucky I'm Alive. You may want to consider stealing things, killing people (particularly Mr. House, which gives a large karma loss), etc. before locking yourself in and being unable to get Ain't Like That Now. Still, the other two are pretty decent. Implant GRX is borderline mandatory, and I personally find it to be the most versatile perk in the game, as in it is extremely useful for all types of characters. Considering that you're using an unarmed character, you're probably not going to have more than a few weapons hotkeyed. Thus, it would be wise to go with Them's Good Eatin' and hotkey Blood Sausage and Thin Red Paste each to a button. If you know something hard is coming up you can eat two of each, making your opponent's attacks almost completely useless. With an unarmed character you're never really going to need more than 2 weapons - Your unarmed weapon, and possibly a sniper rifle or anti-materiel rifle. I like to take the CZ57 Avenger with me as well, although it's not really necessary.
Other Damage Based Perks: (5/25)
- Bloody Mess - Certified Tech - Purifier - Robotics Expert - Lady Killer, or Confirmed Bachelor
These ones are somewhat negligible. It may be worth sacrificing the small amounts of damage that these perks offer an unarmed character, for a convenience of some sort, I.E. Jury Rigging, Strong Back, etc.
Other Non-Damage, Convenience Based Perks: (6/25)
- Burden to Bear - Comprehension - Educated - Jury Rigging - Strong Back - Spray and Pray
All of the perks that offered better damage output for an unarmed character can be obtained, and have been accounted for at this point, which is why I'm making this section to begin with. I know I could have listed more than 25 perks, but the reason I did it this way is because these are the EXACT 25 perks that I would recommend, and what I found to be the most useful set up in relevance to damage output prioritized, then convenience. Like I said, feel free to list any other perks you would recommend or anything I have overlooked so that I may take it into consideration when I update this.
This is also set up so that you can eventually max out every single stat. In fact, there is really no excuse for not doing so in my opinion. Now, here is why I find the Skilled trait to be a waste of time. To max out a character, you are going to need 1,300 skill points total. These skill points are going to come from:
- Leveling Up - Skill Books - Points that you start the game with - The "Skilled" Perk - Tagged Skills
Leveling up with the Educated perk and max intelligence before level 2 yields a total of 842 skill points of the 1,300 that you need, while max intelligence WITHOUT Educated only yields 750.
There are 65 total skill books in the game, offering 4 points each WITH the Comprehension perk, and 3 WITHOUT the Comprehension perk. Thus, 260 of your 1,300 skill points will come from skill books WITH Comprehension, while you will only get 195 from skill books WITHOUT Comprehension.
Upon starting the game over and creating random characters, I have found that you will usually wind up with 217 skill points randomly distributed throughout your stats at the start of the game.
The Skilled trait offers 65 skill points total, but reduces the amount of experience you get any time experience is gained by 10%.
You get to tag 3 skills, each for 15 points. Thus, 45 skill points from tagged skills.
Now, to determine which of these factors is negligible, we add each possible scenario together and if the result is that the total is over 1,300, you will be able to max your character out. If it is under 1,300, you will not be able to max your character out. Upon doing this you will see that:
- Educated provides 92 skill points total if used to maximum efficiency. - Comprehension provides 65 skill points total if used to maximum efficiency. - Skilled provides 65 skills points total.
Let's consider not getting the Educated perk.
750 + 260 + 217 + 65 + 45 = 1,337
This means that you WILL have to get every skill book in the game, Comprehension, and use the Skilled trait. So this is pretty much out of the question. In the long run, yes, you will be able to max out your character doing this, but there are much more convenient ways of doing this that don't involve slowing your leveling progress down by 10%.
Now let's consider not getting the Comprehension perk.
842 + 195 + 217 + 65 + 45 = 1,364
You're still going to wind up with more than enough points. You will be able to skip 24 skill books, in fact, but this is assuming that you got the Skilled trait, which is exactly what these numbers are ultimately going to argue against.
Now let's consider not getting the Skilled trait.
842 + 260 + 217 + 45 = 1,364
So ultimately, the question is would you rather have a doubled skill magazine bonus, or would you rather your leveling be slowed down by 10%? Would you rather have the advantage that Comprehension brings, or would you rather have the disadvantage that Skilled brings? While it may seem that Skilled is a long term benefit, because there is a maximum number of skill points that you are going to need to max out your character which is obviously far from impossible, all it really does in the long run is slow you down a bit. It is in fact a very short term decision.
It is also worth noting that you can max out your character without Skilled, AND without Comprehension.
842 + 195 + 217 + 45 = 1,299
It seems to come up one point short, but you can get an extra skill book by reloading at the Honest Hearts workbench crates. That being said, only attempt this if you know what you're doing. Every single factor has to be in place. If you do one thing wrong, you will wind up a few points short of a maxed out character.
I feel that I should add that the easiest way to get the intelligence implant before level 2 is to get the snowglobe from Goodsprings cemetery, then the one from the Lucky 38. Give them to Jane. Two snowglobes = 4,000 caps, so go get your implant ASAP.
Duckypwns 09:05, January 8, 2012 (UTC)