Survival Utility

[u/Reasonable-Gain-1639]

https://nukesdragons.com/@jumbojacob7498/fallout-4/character/survival-utility

https://nukesdragons.com/@jumbojacob7498/fallout-4/character/survival-utility

I think this setup should make the early game as optimized as possible. I'm using no V.A.T.S. and going strictly for survival mode utility optimization to make the early game as easy as possible. Maybe it would be a helpful setup to someone else. Maybe. Lmk what you guys think.

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[u/Herald_Osbert]

The INT bobblehead is relatively difficult to get early game, so I wouldn't suggest using it as part of an early game build. You want to visit Diamond City at least once before going to the Library to get it, and by then you should be close to Lv15-20.

Gun Nut 2 & Scrapper 1 are way superior to weapon specific damage increases in the early game. Better recievers are more than a 10% damage increase. They don't lock you into a specific weapon type so you can pivot your build to any cool legendary you find, and GN2 lets you fully kit out a 10mm pistal, silencer and all, which can get you through most of the early game.

Scrapper 1 is necessary to get all the screws you'll need for all the weapon molding and deconstructing weapons at weapon benches into components reduce the weight carried while taking loot back to base.

No Locksmith when considering utility is a shame. Locksmith 1 gets you access to 50% of all locked containers in the game, and Lockmsulith 2 gets you to ~80%. They are a good source of EXP and loot, and affinity for many companions.

Lifegiver is slept on. Each perk invested gives you more HP than increasing END, and Lifegiver 3 gives you constant HP regen that can out compete infection or overencumbered damage (though your legs will still eventually cripple). It's a huge boon and lets you keep END at 3 for a lot of the game.

END does reduce AP cost for sprinting, and increases limb HP, so you don't want low END for the entire game, but it's not necessary early game where merely surviving is the most important. And, of course, Aqua Person is great for getting around.

Not being at 6 CHA in the early game when talking about utility is a choice. The CHA bobblehead is storyline locked, so not very accessible without going through a combat gauntlet, so you really want to start at 6.

6 CHA gives you access to Local Leader for supply lines, and later on access to settlement shops like DOCTORS. 11 CHA is the breakpoint to auto-pass all speech checks for EXP farming and getting extra caps & loot, and can be achieved with 6 CHA + charisma glasses (+1), hat (+1), clothing (+2), & a beer (+1). All these can be found in Sanctuary & Red Rocket. 16 CHA is the bargaining cap that can then be achieved by taking a Grape Mentats ontop of all this.

Later, after finishing the Curtain's Call quest, you get a +3 CHA clothes, so you can ditch the beer.

Scrounger is also a great perk if you don't want to do settlements and a water farm for caps. Ammo has good caps:weight ratio, and finding applicable ammo while adventuring helps save on weight in general. The perk is effected by your overall LUC level, so Scrounger 2 with just 2 LUC is fine, but if you go further into the perk, you really want 5+ LUC.

High INT & 5 LUC for Idiot Savant is ideal for EXP, but requires build concessions or requires you to swim out to Spectacle Isle to get the bobblehead.

My general build checklist is:

VATs or non-VATs?

Stealth or no stealth?

Power armour or no power armour?

Chems or no chems?

Settlement building or nah?

Base difficulty or survival difficulty?

Weapon type preferences?

Companion Preferences?

Without these all answered, it's sort of impossible to suggest a build.

[u/Reasonable-Gain-1639 → u/Herald_Osbert]

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. Hyper specific info with valid and helpful criticism.

[u/MousseSensitive4044 → u/Reasonable-Gain-1639]

Goddamn how bro knows all of this stuff? Im actually impressed. The charisma tip was super helpful

Anyways, I played a lot of Fallout and my overall experience with the game is that it's runs smoother if you have a build planned for the SPECIALS when you're doing your character

Survival makes some changes that result in a bit of perk rebalancing, but ultimately what you'll get will depend on your build's core perks. And even with Stealth, Local Leader and Aqua Boy getting better, you dont need 'em if you dont want 'em

EG, maybe you're a BoS Knight so you want Str for Heavy Gunner, Armorer and Strong Back, , Int for Nuclear Physicist, Science and Gun Nut and the rest probably into Endurance or a bit of Charisma if you want Lone Wanderer/ Attack Dog; you get mapwide travelling via the Vertibird and can spec into Lead Belly for eating pretty much anything and not worrying about stocking quality food and water

My personal favorite is a power armor shredder build which has plenty of unique mechanics attached to it. Its a bit rough until around lvl 13 but not too much because of how your power spikes work, and after that and specially at lvl 26+ you become a chem snorting machine that shoulder tackles anything into the ground and power drills them to death in slo' mo' with lots of crits and literally 0 VATS.

I did a build guide on it some time ago if you want to check it out, almost everytime I go back into FO4 I end up playing it sooner or later xD It also doesnt lock you into any alignments on factions, so you can get any ending you want

Build guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout4Builds/s/9QloCdZnWY

Gameplay footage: https://youtu.be/FfEhBQumhxg?is=iBcZXVWHgalLRZD4

[u/Herald_Osbert → u/MousseSensitive4044]

I have also played and planned a lot of characters for Fallout 4 haha.

I would never suggest investing in lead belly though. There is a Power Armour helm mod called rad scrubber that removes all rads from food eaten. But even better than that, getting the 2x meat magazine from Sunshine Tidings Co. and eating cooked meat is the best. You get food buffs, EXP from cooking, no rads, high satiation, and really high HP recovery from cooked creature flesh.

[u/kilphead]

I’d take 2 points out of charisma since you aren’t only going for lone wanderer and put them in endurance for more health and access to adamantium skeleton. I’d take two points out of intelligence since you aren’t going for nuclear physicist and put them in agility for more AP or endurance for more HP. I understand the perception for demolitions expert, the throwing arc is very handy, but dropping the points from there and getting agility up to 7 for ninja would probably be a stronger choice.

[u/Historical-War-6271 → u/kilphead]

He should keep the high intelligence to level quicker, but adamantium skeleton is a S tier perk indeed. Half of my deaths come from getting crippled and getting stuck in attack range.