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MODIPHIUS ENTERTAINMENT
Chief Creative Officer Lead Graphic Designer Lead Production Operative
Chris Birch Michal E. Cross Anthony Morris

Chief Operations Officer Graphic Designers Senior Production Operative

Rita Birch Christopher Webb, Mark Whittington, Warwick Voyzey
Stephanie Toro Gurumendi
Managing Director Production Operative
Cameron Dicks Audio and Video Producer Jake Pink, Louis Paul Hartle
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Head of Product Tool Makers
Sam Webb Development Coordinator Alex Taylor, David Hextall, Luke Gill
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Head of Creative Services Customer Service and
Jon Webb Developers Accounts Manager
Ethan Heywood, Jono Green Lloyd Gyan
Creative Coordinator
Kieran Street 2d20 Developer Events Manager
Nathan Dowdell Gregoire Boisbelaud
Financial Controller
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Logistics and Production Manager
Samantha Laydon Gary Moore
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Senior Project Manager Marketing Coordinator
Art Directors
Gavin Dady Shaun Hocking
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Rocío Martín Pérez Project Managers Customer Support Representative
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Studio Coordinator
James Barry
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Lead 3D Designer
John Wilson
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Colin Grayson, Christopher Peacey,
fans and playtesters
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3D Designers
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Ben de Bosdari, Joana Abbott,
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Sean Bullough
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 CONTENTS
 Chapter One   Chapter Two   Chapter Three 
WELCOME TO THE CHARACTERS CORE RULES
WASTELAND S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Skill Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Action Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
19
Introduction to Tabletop Roleplaying Games . . . 4 Derived Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
What Kind of Quests Can I Have? . . . . . . . . . . 9 Non-Player Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

 Chapter Four   Chapter Five 

COMBAT REFERENCE LISTS
Rounds and Turns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Perks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Damage and Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Zones and Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
 Chapter One

WELCOME TO THE
WASTELAND
This booklet contains all the information you need to roleplaying games, this booklet will take you through
begin playing a tabletop roleplaying game set in the the rules of the game and even includes a quest to get
Fallout universe. Regardless of your experience with you started!

AN INTRODUCTION TO TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAMES

Tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs) have been enjoyed Throughout this chapter, we’ll discuss how to find a
as a popular hobby for over half a century. If you are group of people to play with, how to be a good player,
reading this book and have never played an RPG before, and how to be a good gamemaster.
then this introductory chapter is especially for you.

PLAYING YOUR FIRST GAME

Players of an RPG assume the roles of characters in a
fictional setting, whereas board games involve using a
set of rules to move or place pieces on a pre-marked
To play your first game of Fallout, one of the first things
surface known as a “board”. Tabletop roleplaying
you must do is find a group of people to play with and
shares things in common with both board games and
decide who will be the GM that runs the game. You can
video game RPGs, just like the Fallout series. However,
convince friends or family to play with you, but there
there are many things that make playing a tabletop
are other options for finding a group too.
RPG a totally unique and unforgettable experience.

They are typically run by a gamemaster (GM) who GATHERING A GROUP

acts as narrator and rules moderator, in which the A simple search on the internet should reveal the
participants describe their player characters’ (PCs) nearest friendly local game store, where local gaming
actions. The PCs’ actions succeed or fail according communities gather and play. These stores often have
to a set of rules (in the case of Fallout, rolling dice message boards to help find local players and the store
to determine an action’s outcome). Within the rules, managers can direct you on the best way to find a
both the players and the GM have the freedom to group to play with.
improvise, or to act out their character as if they were
in a movie. Their choices shape the direction and Another great place to find many people interested in
outcome of a game’s story. The spirit of an RPG is hav- playing is to attend conventions. Thousands of players
ing fun with a group of people through collaborative gather at many tabletop conventions across the world,
storytelling, exciting choices, and fun gameplay. looking for a few days of fun and games.

4 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

It is also easier than ever to find groups to play online.
To play online, you generally need to make use of a Pre-Generated
virtual tabletop (VTT) or a similar system to manage the
gameplay, and there are plenty of great options out there. Player Characters
The pre-generated characters provided in this starter

SETTING EXPECTATIONS set are to get your players into the game quickly, while
showing how the setting of Fallout can feature a diverse
As you gather your group to play, it is important to set
cast of widely varying viewpoints. Some players may
the expectations for the game. Everyone should know
find the detailed backgrounds helpful to jump into the
that Fallout is a roleplaying game that requires a few
post-apocalyptic setting of the Commonwealth. Other
hours of play each session. Players take on the roles
players may find the character detail creatively restrictive
of characters trying to survive and make their way in
and be inspired to repurpose their stats and abilities to
a post-atomic America filled with cut-throat raiders,
their own stories.
mutated monsters, and unforgiving environs. Hope is
scarce, whether it be for a better tomorrow or personal
As the GM, if you decide to use the pre-generated charac-
gain, but people still cling on anyway.
ters in this section, consider whether you plan to continue
playing a full campaign of Fallout and discuss that with
Fallout is often a violent game that puts the PCs in
your group before they settle on which characters they will
combat situations. Despite that violence, the players
play. Be sure to encourage your players to keep, change, or
are meant to cooperate to tell an unforgettable story
ignore pre-generated backgrounds as much or as little as
about their characters and the world. The campaign
they would like.
Once Upon a Time in the Commonwealth teaches you
about the setting and rules slowly over multiple ses-
sions of gameplay.
core mechanic that determines if a character’s action
is successful. It is best if players read the rules before
PREPARE TO PLAY playing Fallout, but the rules can also be taught by
While playing for the first time can be intimidating the GM by playing through Once Upon a Time in the
to some, RPGs are easy to learn. Every game has a Commonwealth.

Chapter One  WELCOME TO THE WASTELAND 5

 HOW TO BE A PLAYER
Experienced players and the GM should work
together to help players learn to play, without speak-
ing over them or making them feel bad for being new
Being a good RPG player simply requires you to have
to the game. One way to help new players learn about
fun, be kind to the people you play with, embrace the
RPGs is to share with them an actual-play video of the
game’s story, play to find out what happens next, and
game they will be playing. Forums are another great
interact collaboratively. The best players give their full
place to ask questions and get clarification between
attention to others while they are speaking and make
game sessions.
exciting choices that build upon the actions of the
other people at the table.
If playing in person, you need a pencil, at least two
20-sided dice, the specialized 6-sided included in the
As a player, you could speak in your character’s voice,
Fallout starter set, and a character sheet. Character
as though you were playing them in a movie. Some
sheets record your characters game statistics, back-
players are more comfortable simply describing what
ground information, inventory, and other important
their character does or says without attempting to act
information you need. This starter set includes sample
as their character. RPGs don’t require you to be actors,
character sheets that you are encouraged to use.
only that you have fun telling a story together with
the rest of the group.
Finally, if playing online, everyone should have access
to the virtual tabletop app for the game, containing
Finally, do not be afraid to ask questions if you get
their character sheet, necessary play materials, and a
confused about the rules, or what is happening in the
means to chat or interact with other players, including
game’s story.
the GM.

6 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

THE FLOW OF PLAYING AN RPG HOW TO BE A GAMEMASTER
Understanding the flow of an RPG will help you
understand how to play and interact with others. If you are the GM, you set the stage for the story,
Games typically begin with the GM describing manage the flow of the game, narrate the outcomes
where your character is and what is happening of players’ actions, and act as a rules’ moderator for
around them. From there, you can ask questions and the game. Being a GM can be more challenging than
describe what your character does in the story. The being a player but can also be tremendously rewarding
GM narrates what happens next and asks you to roll and fun. The most important job of the GM is to make
dice as necessary to determine the outcomes of your sure everyone (including yourself ) is having fun.
character’s actions.
A great GM is asked to present opposition to the
This process repeats, flowing between the GM’s nar- players’ characters while still being a cheerleader for
ration and the players’ questions and actions, with the players and the story they are telling. This requires
additional rules and scenarios changing the given you show all players respect, no matter their familiar-
circumstances of the cycle. The story progresses until ity with RPGs or who they are.
the GM announces a break or that the gaming session
is over, sometimes leaving the players with a cliff- PREPARING TO RUN A GAME
hanger ending!
Before running an entirely original game or story, we
recommend you run the campaign presented in this
starter set, which teaches you the rules as your group
plays along. While you should familiarize yourself

Chapter One  WELCOME TO THE WASTELAND 7

with the rules before playing your first session, you You should not be afraid to move a scene ahead to
should not expect to understand them perfectly. At the next notable event in the game if the pace of the
the least, GMs should be able to help players under- game is too slow. If the players do not seem to be
stand their character sheets, how dice rolls work, and having fun, you can focus on the story’s most dra-
other basic rules. matic moments and ask the players how their char-
acters react. Additionally, if the players seem stuck or
It is perfectly normal for GMs to have to reference uncertain what to do next, you could give the players
rule books during the game, but if you are unable to hints—being stuck is not fun for anybody at the table.
find or understand a rule, you can make a decision
you believe makes the most sense for the situation. If RUNNING A SAFE GAME
there is a rules dispute at the table, you should listen
It is always encouraged that you talk to your players
respectfully, and then make a final decision.
about safety at the table. Players should be given the
opportunity to inform the group of any subject matter
Because RPGs are largely improvised, even GMs with
they wish to avoid during the game. Let them know
amazing memories struggle to remember key details
they can opt-out of a scene if it makes them uncom-
between game sessions. Throughout a gaming session
fortable for any reason. Games are meant to be fun
and at the end of it, you could take notes, containing
and everyone at the table is responsible for making
key details about what happened in the story, what
everyone else feel welcome and safe.
major actions the PCs took, and any ideas that sprang
to mind in the middle of the game. Alternatively, the
If a player is disrupting the experience of the game or
GM may ask the players to take notes for the group
making other people feel uncomfortable, you should
instead, and it is a good idea to offer a recap of the
approach them directly without attacking them
previous session’s major events before beginning a
personally: describe the problem and ask them to
new session.
adjust their behavior. This is best done privately, but
if circumstances do not allow for a private conversa-
MANAGING THE FLOW tion, should be handled respectfully at the table. If
The GM manages the flow of the game. They describe the player continues to be a problem or crosses an
to the players what is happening in the story by telling unforgivable line, you should calmly and firmly tell
them what their characters can see, hear, and smell. the player to leave the table. After asking a player to
The GM also assumes the role of any characters not leave, check in on the well-being of the other players
controlled by the players, known as non-player charac- and ask if they wish to continue playing or resume the
ters (NPCs) and acts as those NPCs based on their goals game another time.
and drives. The players then react to the situations
presented to them and the GM describes what happens For more information on safety tools, you can
next. When a dice roll is required, the GM interprets search online or see p.318 of the Fallout: The Tabletop
the results and continues advancing the story forward. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.

While the campaign presented in this book is detailed, ADVICE FOR RUNNING THE
you should remember that it is only a guide. Players STARTER SET CAMPAIGN
frequently do unexpected things not accounted for in
The GM should read Once Upon a Time in the
Once Upon a Time in the Commonwealth. You can respond
Commonwealth through at least once before running
to these unexpected deviations from the campaign by
the game for others. The players do not need to be
using your knowledge of the story and rules to keep the
familiar with the setting to enjoy this campaign, but
game moving until the players get back on track with
the story will be the most fun when it captures the
the story presented. You should always remember that
voice of Fallout’s 1940s – 1960s American pop culture
the plot in your head is less important than the story
influence. To that end, the Fallout video games, par-
being improvised at the table and focus on driving
ticularly Fallout 4, are highly recommended to anyone
that story onward in collaboration with the players.
wanting to run this campaign.

8 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

Trust is hard to come by in post-atomic America and The number of players will vary for different groups.
the story of this campaign is meant to make players The encounters in this campaign are generally bal-
paranoid that anyone they come across could dou- anced for groups of four-to-five. For smaller or larger
ble-cross them. It is likely that a group of new PCs groups, consider slight adjustments to the number of
will not even trust each other at various points during enemies in encounters with multiple enemies.
the campaign, due to opposing beliefs and goals.
Because of this, the GM must find opportunities to
encourage the group to work together. After all, there
is safety and survival in numbers.

WHAT KIND OF QUESTS CAN I HAVE?

The list of possible quests you can go on with the With the options to play both vault dwellers and
Fallout is endless. You could explore the puzzling wastelanders, as well as ghouls, super mutants, and
experiments of Vault-Tec; become mercenaries even the beloved robotic Mister Handy, the Fallout
protecting trade caravans and settlements; find tabletop roleplaying game allows you to explore any
yourself up against Institute synth replicas while aspect of the Wasteland you like.
hiding beneath the ruins; or meet with the mighty
Brotherhood of Steel and their advanced technology.

Chapter One  WELCOME TO THE WASTELAND 9

 Chapter Two

CHARACTERS
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. ATTRIBUTES
Each character in Fallout is defined by seven attrib- ƒ ENDURANCE describes your tough-
utes: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, ness and resilience, influences how
Intelligence, Agility and Luck. Each attribute has a many health points you have, how
rank, from 4 to 10, or more. Whenever you try to attempt easy you find it to shrug off the physi-
a skill test, your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes form one part of cal dangers of the wasteland, and your
your target number, when you roll your pool of d20s. ability to wield heavy weapons.

ƒ STRENGTH measures your charac- ƒ CHARISMA influences how effec-

ter’s physical prowess. It is used to tively you can convince people of
make melee attacks, increases melee your opinions, change their minds,
damage, and influences how much barter with people, and find safety;
stuff you can carry. among others.

ƒ PERCEPTION influences how easily ƒ INTELLIGENCE measures your

you notice danger and how aware smarts, how you apply your mind
you are of your environment, affects to an obstacle, and how much you
your turn in the initiative order in remember and know from studying
combat, and is used to make attacks the world around you.
with energy weapons.

10 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

 ƒ AGILITY measures how fit and agile ƒ Luck describes just how much
you are, your balance, athletic sup- fortune smiles down on you, turning
pleness, and how precisely you can fickle forces in your favor, and gen-
control your body. It is used to make erally coming out on top when you
ranged attacks with small guns. should be at the bottom. Luck gives
you points to spend to add story
details; use your Luck attribute when
you make skill tests, and re-roll dice.

SKILLS
You are trained in several skills, which encompass the TAG SKILLS
various activities and proficiencies that you’ve picked
up surviving in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Each A few of your skills are Tag skills, marking them as
skill is ranked from 0 to 6, with each rank represent- your areas of expertise. Tag skills represent a focused
ing a differing degree of training. training in those skills, a special affinity or talent with
that discipline.
You add your skill rank together with your
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attribute to get your target number when Tag skills increase your chances of a critical success.
you make a skill test. When you use a tagged skill, each d20 that rolls
equal or under the skill rank is a critical success,
scoring 2 successes instead of 1.

Skills Summary
DEFAULT
SKILL DETAIL
ATTRIBUTE

Athletics STR Lifting, pushing, pulling, jumping, running, and swimming

Barter CHA Buying and selling

Big Guns END Using heavy weapons such as miniguns, Fat Mans, gatling lasers, and gauss weapons

Energy Weapons PER Using energy weapons such as laser guns, plasma guns, and gauss weapons

Explosives PER Blowing things up, or stopping them from doing that

Lockpick PER Opening locks without the key

Medicine INT Healing people and stabilizing the dying

Melee Weapons STR Fighting people with bats, clubs, knives, boards, wrenches, and sledges

Pilot PER Flying and driving

Repair INT Fixing stuff, crafting things, and building machines

Science INT Hacking, programming, and brewing chems

Small Guns AGI Shooting people with pistols, rifles, and shotguns

Sneak AGI Moving quietly and staying hidden

Speech CHA Making friends, influencing people, and lying to them if you have to

Survival END Foraging, hunting, cooking, and enduring the wastes

Throwing AGI Launching weapons from your hands, like spears or knives

Unarmed STR Fighting without a weapon by making unarmed attacks

Chapter Two  CHARACTERS 11

DERIVED STATISTICS
As well as your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes and skills, you with an Initiative of 11 or lower, and after anyone with
also have a number of derived statistics. an Initiative of 13 or higher. The higher your initiative
compared to those of other characters in the scene,
the sooner you can act each round.

CARRY WEIGHT
You can carry a base of 150 pounds of equipment, plus DEFENSE
your Strength attribute multiplied by 10. You can carry
more by using perks, increasing your Strength attrib- Your Defense statistic is the basic difficulty of any
ute, and using equipment with extra carrying space. attacks made against you. It is based on your Agility
attribute:

Over-encumbered ƒ AGI 1-8: your Defense is 1.

ƒ AGI 9+: your Defense is 2.
If you carry more gear than your carry weight allows, you
will suffer a number of penalties.

ƒ If the total weight of your gear exceeds your carry

DAMAGE RESISTANCE
weight, all tests using your Strength or Agility increase in
Your resistance to different types of damage is deter-
difficulty by +1, you cannot take the Sprint action, and
mined by your equipment and your perks. Damage
your Initiative is reduced by 1.
Resistance (DR) is subtracted from damage inflicted of
ƒ If you carry 50 lbs. or more than your carry weight, the same type before it reduces your health—Physical
then the difficulty of those tests increases by a further 1, Damage Resistance reduces Physical damage, Radiation
and your initiative is reduced by another 1. Each addi- Damage Resistance reduces radiation damage, etc.
tional 50 lbs. over your carry weight increases those
penalties by 1. ƒ Physical Damage Resistance is how much
Physical damage you can shrug off from an attack.
ƒ If you’re carrying twice your carry weight, you cannot
Clothing and armor are the main sources of
move, you will automatically fail any Strength or Agility-
Physical DR, depending on how they’re made, but
based skill tests, and your Initiative is 0.
mutations can also provide some natural resistance
to incoming attacks. Physical DR normally varies
by hit location, depending on clothing or armor.

ƒ Energy Damage Resistance is how resistant you

INITIATIVE are to Energy damage, and it normally comes from
clothing or armor that has been made in a par-
Your initiative determines how quickly you act in
ticular way. Energy Damage Resistance normally
combat. It is equal to your PER + AGI (minus any
varies by hit location, depending on the clothing or
penalties for being over-encumbered). This is a static
armor worn.
number, which determines your place in the turn
order during a combat encounter—it isn’t a target ƒ Poison Damage Resistance is how much Poison
number for a skill test. It can be modified by perks damage you ignore from toxins. Perks and muta-
and the effects of encumbrance. tions provide poison DR, as can certain chems and
consumables. You have a single Poison DR value for
For example, if your Perception is 5, and your Agility your entire body—it doesn’t vary by location.
is 7, your Initiative is 12. You will act before people

12 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

ƒ Radiation Damage Resistance is rare but often MELEE DAMAGE
vital, as it reduces how much Radiation damage you
receive from attacks and hazards, and it normally Your melee damage statistic lists any bonus damage
comes from protective clothing or armor, from you do with melee weapons or unarmed attacks,
chems like Rad-X, or from other consumables. due to having a high Strength attribute. You add the
Some creatures, like super mutants and ghouls, number of bonus Combat Dice listed to your melee
are entirely immune to Radiation damage, as are damage rolls.
machines such as robots. Radiation DR normally
varies by hit location, depending on the clothing or STRENGTH ATTRIBUTE ADDITIONAL COMBAT DICE
armor you wear. 7–8 +1 C
D 
9–10 +2 C
D 
11+ +3 C
D 
HEALTH POINTS
PERKS
Your starting maximum health points (HP) are
determined by adding together your Endurance and
your Luck scores. Your health points deplete as you
Perks are special bonuses that you can obtain to boost
suffer damage, and generally show how far you are
your character’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes, skills, give
from death, as explained in the Combat section. As you
them a unique edge, or even a brand-new ability.
increase in level, you increase your maximum health
Perks are often tied to S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes or skills,
points, and you can use perks to increase them further.
enhancing them, or providing you with a totally new
ability in a specific circumstance.

Chapter Two  CHARACTERS 13

 Chapter Three

CORE RULES
SKILL TESTS
A skill test is a method of resolving an action you 4. CHECK FOR SUCCESSES: Each d20 that rolls
want your character to attempt. You roll some dice, equal to or less than your target number scores one
and the results tell you whether you succeeded, failed, success. Any d20 that rolls a 1 is a critical success,
or complicated the situation. which is worth two successes.

ƒ If the skill you’re using is a Tag Skill (see p.47),

When the gamemaster asks you to attempt a test,
then you score a critical success for each die
they’re asking you to check your character’s attributes,
which rolls equal to or less than your skill rating.
roll a pool of 2–5 twenty-sided dice (d20s), and get
more successes than the gamemaster needs for you to ƒ Each d20 that rolls a 20 generates a complica-
pass the test. tion (see p.15)

5. CHECK SUCCESSES AGAINST THE DIFFICULTY:

ROLLING THE DICE If the number of successes you scored equals

or beats the difficulty of the test, then you have
passed. If the number of successes scored is less
1. CHOOSE ATTRIBUTE + SKILL: The gamemaster
than the difficulty, you have failed.
chooses which attribute and skill from your charac-
ter sheet are appropriate for your test. Add together ƒ Each success above the difficulty becomes an
the attribute and the skill chosen: this is your target Action Point, (see p.18).
number for each d20. You can suggest which attrib-
ute + skill might apply, but the GM has the final say. 6. GET THE RESULT: The gamemaster describes the
outcome, and if the test was successful you can
ƒ Your target number is the number each d20 must
spend Action Points to improve the result further.
roll equal to or under to generate one success.
After that, the GM introduces any complications.

2. SET THE DIFFICULTY: The gamemaster sets the

difficulty for the test, normally between 1 and 5. Example: Nate needs to find out if Codsworth is okay,
The difficulty is the number of successes you must as he’s been on his own for 200 years. His test is dif-
generate with your d20s to pass. ficulty 1, and he must use CHA + Speech (7 + 2 = 9).
Nate’s player rolls 2d20, checking the results separately,
3. ROLL THE DICE POOL: Assemble your dice pool.
and rolls a 5 and a 19—because the 5 is equal or below
You start with two d20s, but you can buy up to 3
Nate’s target number, he scores 1 success, and passes the
more d20s by spending Action Points (see p.18).
test. Codsworth describes how hard it’s been to try and
After you’ve added any extra dice from spending
keep the house clean for two centuries…
Action Points, roll the entire dice pool.

14 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

 Test Difficulty Examples
Skill Test Summary
DIFFICULTY EXAMPLE
Add up your Attribute + Skill combination Gathering rumors around a settlement,
0 searching a room in an abandoned
Check the difficulty building

Shooting a target at close range,

1
Want to buy d20s using Action Points? picking a simple lock

Breaking down a reinforced door,

Roll the dice 2
treating an injury

Identifying an unknown poison,

Count your successes. 3
deactivating a robot from behind
Did you get enough compared to the difficulty?
Hacking a complex computer,
4
disarming a landmine
Any extra successes become
Convincing an enemy to stand down,
Action Points to spend or save
5 shooting a target at long range on a
stormy night

TARGET NUMBER CRITICAL SUCCESSES

Whenever you attempt a test, any d20 that rolls a 1 is a
When your gamemaster asks for a skill test, you agree
critical success. Each critical success you roll generates
to an attribute + skill combination from your charac-
two successes.
ter sheet that best applies to the action you’re trying
to achieve. That target number, made by adding your
If the skill you’re using is one of
chosen attribute and skill, gives you the number each
your Tag Skills, then you score
d20 must roll equal to, or under; if it does then you
a critical success for any d20
generate one success.
that rolls equal to or less
than your rating in that
skill. For example, if your
SUCCESSES AND DIFFICULTY Sneak skill is 3, and it’s
a Tag Skill, any d20 that
The number of successes you need to generate with rolls a 3 or lower will be
your d20s to pass a skill test is called the difficulty. a critical success.
Only needing 1 success describes a routine task, while
needing 5 successes reflects a difficult task that can
only be completed with guts and determination.

Total up the number of successes you roll and compare

them against the difficulty—if you equal or beat the
difficulty you pass the test. Any extra successes over
and above the difficulty become Action Points
(see p.19).

Chapter Three  CORE RULES 15

Default Attribute + Skill DIFFICULTY ZERO TESTS
The skill list on your character sheet lists a default attrib- Some tests may be difficulty 0, or your character’s
ute associated with each skill. Some tests may prescribe a perks or gear may reduce a test’s difficulty to 0. If a
default attribute + skill combination to work out your target test is difficulty 0, you don’t need to roll—your action
number, but at the GM’s discretion you can suggest a differ- is automatically successful. At your GM’s discretion,
ent combination. you can still choose to roll the dice against a difficulty
of 0. Because zero successes are required, every success
becomes an Action Point, but you can still suffer com-
plications by rolling a 20, as normal.

COMPLICATIONS
When attempting a test, each d20 that rolls a 20 causes OPPOSED TESTS
a complication—a new detail in the scene that makes
things more difficult that comes into effect once the Sometimes you’ll face situations that are not difficult
test has been resolved. A complication could introduce because of the task itself, but because of an opposing
a new problem—like a gun jamming or breaking a force trying to prevent your success. In these cases, you,
lock pick—or it could make specific skill tests more and the opposing player (normally the GM) will both
difficult in future, like insulting a merchant so CHA roll a dice pool and compare results to see who wins.
+ Barter tests with him in future are increased in
difficulty by 1. Complications do not prevent you from When another character opposes you in a test, their
succeeding, but they do introduce something new to player rolls their d20 dice pool and the number of
the story that makes things more difficult. successes they generate becomes the difficulty of your
test. If you equal or beat your opponent’s number of
If you and the gamemaster cannot come up with a successes, you win the opposed test, and any extra suc-
complication for you, in the scene you’re in, the GM cesses become Action Points. If you do not generate
can instead gain 1 Action Point to use for their non- enough successes to meet the difficulty, you fail, and
player characters and creatures later. your opponent could generate AP.

DICE POOL Action Points in Opposed Tests

In an Opposed Test, the opposing characters spends AP first
Normally, you roll 2 d20s and check their results
and then rolls. The active character then may spend AP to
individually against your target number and count the
add dice to their pool (if they wish) and then rolls.
number of successes you generate, but you can buy
more dice to roll! With Action Points you can buy up
If two player characters are making an opposed test, then
to 3 more d20s to roll on a test. This means you can
both players must generate AP for the GM to buy additional
roll a total pool of 5d20 at any one time. Action Points
d20s (see p.19). The group pool is for team players!
are covered on page 19.

When you succeed in an opposed test, you generate Action

Points by comparing your result to your opponent’s. When
you are rolling against an established difficulty, any excess
successes generate AP as normal. When you are the one
to roll first, establishing a difficulty for your opponent, each
success of theirs less than your number of successes gener-
ates you 1 AP.

16 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

ASSISTANCE
To assist a fellow player, describe how you are help-
ing and decide with the GM which attribute + skill
combination you’re using; it doesn’t have to be the
same combination as the person you’re helping. Then,
roll 1d20 and add any successes you generate to theirs,
providing they score at least 1 success of their own. If
they didn’t generate any successes, then you cannot
add your success to the total.

You cannot buy additional d20s if you are assisting—

you can only roll 1d20—but your d20 doesn’t count
towards the limit of 5 that the player attempting the
test can roll in their dice pool.

While assisting, you can score critical successes or

complications as normal.

GROUP TESTS
When your whole group is attempting a single large
activity, like sneaking through an area together,
or travelling through a hazardous area, you make a
special kind of assisted test. Once the GM has set the
difficulty, you must decide who is going to lead the
test, while the rest of the group assists.

The leader of the group test rolls a normal dice

pool—2d20 plus up to 3d20s they buy through Action
Points. Everyone else rolls 1d20, using their own
attribute + skill. So long as the test leader achieved
1 success, everyone assisting adds any successes they
generated to the leader’s score. If those accumulated
successes equal or beat the difficulty, the group has
passed the group test.

Any complications generated by anyone in the group

rolling a 20 can be applied by the GM after resolving
the test and its consequences.

Chapter Three  CORE RULES 17

COMPLICATION RANGE
When tests are riskier, the GM can increase the com-
Success at a Cost
At times, the GM may allow you to succeed at a cost
plication range of the test, so you generate complica-
when you fail a test. In these situations, you achieve
tions on more results than just a 20.
whatever it was you were trying to accomplish with
your skill test, but you may not spend Action Points to
Complication Range Table
improve the outcome… in exchange, the GM causes you
COMPLICATION COMPLICATIONS to suffer one or more Complications, as well. The GM
DESCRIPTION
RANGE GENERATED ON A….
should tell you how many Complications you’ll suffer
1 20 Normal
(normally only 1), and you can choose to simply fail if
2 19–20 Risky the cost is too high.
3 18–20 Perilous

4 17–20 Precarious

5 16–20 Treacherous

18 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

ACTION POINTS
Bonus d20 Costs
When you check your successes against the task dif-
ficulty, each success you generate above the difficulty DICE POOL BONUS D20S AP COST
becomes an Action Point (AP). For example, if the 2d20 – 0
task’s difficulty is 2, and you generate 3 successes, the
3d20 +1d20 1
extra success becomes 1 Action Point.
4d20 +2d20 3

Action Points can be used to take additional actions, 5d20 +3d20 6

improve the outcome of a test, reduce the time it
takes, learn more about a situation, or buy more d20s You spend Action Points either before or after you
in future tests. roll dice, and each option describes when you can
spend Action Points to take advantage of its effect.
You can spend Action Points to do the following: You buy extra d20s for a test before you roll, while you
spend Action Points after a test to obtain information,
ƒ Buy d20s (1–6 AP): Buy bonus d20s for a test, reduce the time, improve the quality of the success, or
before the dice pool is rolled, but after the GM take an additional action.
sets the difficulty. The cost increases for each die
purchased: the first d20 costs 1 AP, the second costs

SAVING ACTION POINTS

2, and the third costs 3. No more than three bonus
d20s may be rolled for a single test, including any
d20s from perks or traits.
If you don’t want to spend the Action Points you gener-
ƒ Obtain Information (1 AP): Ask the gamemaster ate immediately, you can save them for the group to use
a single question about the current situation, based later. You can save up to a total of 6 AP as a group, and
on your test. The GM will answer truthfully, but anyone can use the Action Points in the group pool.
the answer might not be complete.

ƒ Reduce Time (2 AP): AP from a successful test

can allow the test to take less time to complete, THE GAMEMASTER’S
ACTION POINT POOL
when time is important. Spending 2 AP halves the
amount of time a test takes to attempt.

Just like you, the GM has a pool of their own Action

In combat, you can spend Action Points to do
Points to spend on their NPC’s actions. They start each
the following:
quest with 1 AP per player. There is no maximum to
how many Action Points the GM can have in their pool.
ƒ Take Additional Minor Action (1 AP): Take 1
additional minor action in your turn. You can only
take a total of 2 minor actions in a single round.

ƒ Take Additional Major Action (2 AP): Take one Buying Dice Without
additional major action on your turn. Any skill test
you must attempt is increased in difficulty by +1.
Action Points
If you don’t have any Action Points to buy d20s, you may
You can only take a total of two major actions in a
instead generate AP for the gamemaster. For each AP you
single round.
want to spend in this way, the GM adds 1 AP to their pool,
ƒ Add Extra Damage (1-3 AP): On a successful melee which they can use later on their NPC’s actions and tests.
attack or thrown weapon attack you can spend AP You may only give the GM Action Points to buy d20s;
to add 1  C
D
  per AP spent, up to a maximum of you can’t do this for other uses of AP.
+3  C
D
  for 3 AP.

Chapter Three  CORE RULES 19

LUCK
In addition to being one of your attributes, your Luck STACKED DECK
also provides Luck points that you can spend to shift You may spend 1 point of Luck, before you attempt a
the odds in your favor in a number of different ways. skill test, to use LCK instead of the default attribute
When you start each quest with a number of Luck used for that test to determine your target number.
points equal to your Luck attribute. You can spend Obviously, this only really has a benefit if your Luck is
Luck points to do one of the following options, both higher than the attribute it’s replacing.
during freeform play or on your turn in combat.
LUCKY TIMING
LUCK OF THE DRAW In a combat encounter, at the start of any round, or
You may spend a Luck point to introduce a helpful immediately after any other character or creature has
fact or detail about the situation you’re in, something acted, you may spend 1 Luck to interrupt the normal
that you’d have to be lucky to encounter. You could initiative order and take your turn for this round
find just the right items or the right kind of ammo immediately. This counts as your normal turn—it sim-
while you’re scavenging, find a key to a locked door, or ply allows you to act earlier—and you cannot do it if
a clue to a computer password. The gamemaster may you have already taken a turn this round.
prompt you with an opportunity to do this, or you
may suggest when it could happen, but they can veto
your suggestions, or ask you to spend multiple Luck
points to make it happen.

20 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

MISS FORTUNE Luck Options Summary
You may spend one or more Luck points to re-roll dice LUCK SPEND DESCRIPTION
in a dice pool you roll. You may re-roll one d20, or up Luck of the Draw Add a detail to a scene
to three  C
D
  , by spending one Luck point, and you can
Use your LCK attribute for a
spend multiple Luck points on a roll. Each die may only Stacked Deck
skill test
be re-rolled once—you cannot re-roll a die that has
Interrupt the normal turn order
already been re-rolled. You must accept the re-rolled Lucky Timing
to take your turn now
result, even if it is worse than the original roll.
Re-roll 1d20 or 3 C
D
  per Luck
Miss Fortune
point spent
Example: Nick Valentine is hacking a computer and his
player hasn’t generated enough successes to pass the skill

REGAINING LUCK
test. They need 2 successes, and have rolled a 9 and a 19,
generating only 1 success. Nick’s player decides to spend
a point of his Luck, and re-roll the d20 that rolled a 19.
You start your quest with a number of Luck points
Rolling it again, Nick’s player gets a 6, generating the
equal to your Luck attribute. Once you’ve spent a
second success they need to pass the test.
point, it can’t be used again until the gamemaster
refreshes them when you reach a milestone in your

Trinkets quest, or when you start a new quest. When they are
refreshed, you get all your Luck points back, no matter
Personal trinkets also allow your character to regain Luck how many you’ve spent. You can’t have any more Luck
points. Once per quest, outside of combat, your character points than your Luck attribute.
can spend a few moments looking at the trinket, thinking
about what it means to them. When you do, you regain 1
Luck point. See Personal Trinkets, p.80 for more details.

Chapter Three  CORE RULES 21

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
A non-player character—normally abbreviated to Enemy NPCs are overcome if the threat they pose is
NPC—is any character controlled by you, the game- conclusively avoided, such as sneaking past a group
master. You decide on an NPC’s motives, their nature, of foes to get at what they’re guarding (and getting
and the actions they take. There are two main catego- back out again) or persuading them not to fight.
ries of NPC: creatures and characters. Enemies are not overcome if the PCs only avoid
them for a short time—sneaking past a Mister Gutsy
A creature is a simpler kind of NPC, normally used to on guard duty doesn’t earn any XP if it catches the
represent mutated animals, feral creatures, and similar PCs later.
bestial foes. Everything from mole rats and radroaches
to feral ghouls and deathclaws are creatures. Creatures When an Enemy NPC is defeated or overcome, each
use a simplified set of statistics. PC receives the total XP for the scene based on the
combined XP values of the NPCs present. 
A character is an intelligent being, little differ-
ent from a player character. They have a full set of
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes and derived statistics.
Creatures Don’t Use
ƒ Like player characters, all NPCs have a level, indi-
cating how dangerous a creature is or how chal-
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
While NPCs use the same S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes as player
lenging a character is.
characters, creatures use Body and Mind. These statistics
ƒ NPCs often have a keyword that notes something are usually a number between 4 and 12, used in place of
specific about them. Rules may refer to these any S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes for skill tests. Body is used for
keywords, and they describe an NPC’s underlying skill tests that require STR, END, or AGI, while Mind is
nature or allegiance. used in place of any SPECIAL attributes for mental skill tests:
typically, those using PER, CHA, or INT. 
ƒ Types of NPCs describe how powerful and impor-
tant they are. Normal NPCs are the most common
while Mighty creatures are more potent, and
Legendary creatures are more even more power-
ful. Notable characters are significant individuals,
while Major characters are some of the most influ-
ential people in the wasteland.

ƒ Special Abilities listed in the NPCs entry describe

unique abilities they have, much like perks for
player characters.

DEFEATING OR OVERCOMING NPCS

Enemy NPCs reduced to 0 health points are dead
unless the attacker chooses otherwise. Major
Characters start dying in the same way as PCs, and you
must start making END + Survival tests as described
on page 29.

22 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

 Chapter Four

COMBAT
ROUNDS AND TURNS
Combat encounters are broken down into rounds, and
during each round, each character takes a single turn. Spending Luck to Act Faster
You can also spend Luck points (p.20) to take your turn
earlier in the round. You must do this at the end of another
INITIATIVE character’s turn but before your turn. Once you have taken
your turn, you do not take another until the next round.
When combat begins, the player who initiated the
combat takes a turn immediately. Once this is done,
the first round begins and the character with the
highest initiative goes first, and then each character
takes a turn in order of highest to lowest. If there is a ACTIONS
tie, the GM decides which character or creature goes
first. Once the last character has completed their turn, You can attempt one minor action on your turn
the round ends, and the character with the highest in combat. You can take one additional minor action
initiative takes the first turn of the next round. Repeat by spending 1 Action Point, and you can take one
this sequence until the conflict ends. additional major action by spending 2 Action Points,
but the difficulty of any test attempted on that second
major action is increased by 1. You may take your

Sequence of Play actions in any order you wish during your turn.

1. INITIATE COMBAT: The character who initiated the You cannot take more than two minor actions
combat takes a single turn before the first round. and two major actions on your turn by any
means. You cannot take more than one move-
2. INITIATIVE: List all characters in order of their Initiative
ment action per turn.
statistic, from highest to lowest.

3. TAKE TURNS: Each character, in order from highest MINOR ACTIONS

initiative to lowest, takes a turn.
ƒ Aim: Re-roll 1d20 on the first attack roll you make
4. BEGIN NEW ROUND: Once every character has this turn.
taken a turn, the round is over; begin a new round,
ƒ Draw Item: Draw one item carried on your person
repeating step 3 and step 4 as many times as needed to
or pick up an object or item within your reach. You
resolve the conflict.
may put an item away as part of this action.

ƒ Interact: Interact with your equipment or envi-

ronment in a simple way, like opening a door, or
pushing a button.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 23

ƒ Move: Movement action. Move up to one zone, to ƒ Defend: You focus on protecting yourself. Make an
any position within Medium range. Alternatively, AGI + Athletics test with a difficulty equal to your
stand up from a prone position. current Defense. If you succeed, add +1 to your
Defense. For 2 AP, add an extra +1 to your Defense.
ƒ Take Chem: Administer a dose of a chem that you
ƒ First Aid: You try to quickly patch the wounds of
are holding, targeting yourself or a willing character
yourself or an ally. Make an INT + Medicine test,
within your reach. If you’re not holding the chem,
with a difficulty equal to the number of injuries the
then you need to draw it first.
patient has, and increase the difficulty by 1 if you
are trying to perform first aid on yourself. If you
succeed, you can either:
Prone ƒ Heal HP equal to your Medicine rating,
You may be knocked prone by attacks, hazards, or com-
plications. You may also drop prone willingly, at the end ƒ Treat one injury the patient is suffering from, or
of any movement action you perform. Being prone has the
ƒ Stabilize a dying patient
following effects:

ƒ Pass: You choose not to do anything.

ƒ When you’re prone, you crawl. The Move action
becomes a major action, rather than a minor action, ƒ Rally: You grit your teeth, catch your breath, and
and you cannot take the Sprint action. prepare yourself. Make an END + Survival test
with a difficulty of 0, and save any Action Points
ƒ While you’re prone, enemies at Medium range or further
you generate. The GM may allow you to use a
add +1 to the difficulty of any attacks against you.
different ATT + skill for this action depending
ƒ While you’re prone, enemies at Close range reduce the on how you describe it, such as CHA + Speech to
difficulty of attacks (including melee attacks) by 1, to a inspire your allies.
minimum of 0.
ƒ Ready: Describe a situation you expect to occur,
ƒ While you’re prone, you can re-roll any cover  C
D  and choose a major action you will perform when
you have. it does. If that action occurs before the start of
your next turn, you may perform that major action
immediately, interrupting other characters’ actions
as necessary. If more than one character has read-
MAJOR ACTIONS ied an action for the same situation, their readied
ƒ Assist: You assist another character with their next actions occur in initiative order.
test. When the character you are assisting takes
ƒ Sprint: Movement action. You move up to two
their turn and attempts their task, you provide
zones, to anywhere within Long range.
assistance (p.17). If you have not yet acted this
round, you may give up your turn later in the round
ƒ Test: Perform a skill test for an action not cov-
to assist an ally when they attempt a skill test.
ered by the other actions, with the gamemaster’s
ƒ Attack: Make a melee or ranged attack, as permission.
described in Making an Attack.

ƒ Command an NPC: If you have an allied NPC

under your command, choose a single major
action for them to take. If the action requires a
test, then you automatically assist using your CHA
+ Speech (if the NPC is a person), CHA + Survival
(if the NPC is an animal), or INT + Science (if the
NPC is a robot).

24 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

MAKING AN ATTACK 3. DETERMINE HIT LOCATION: If you passed your
test, roll 1d20 or a hit location die to determine the
part of the target you hit. If you choose a specific hit
1. CHOOSE WEAPON AND TARGET: Select one
location already, you hit the chosen location instead.
weapon you are currently wielding. Then, select a
single character, creature, or object as the target. 4. INFLICT DAMAGE: Roll a number of Combat Dice
If you’re using a melee weapon, the target must be ( C
D
  ) listed by the weapon’s damage rating, plus
visible to you and within your reach. If you’re using any bonuses from derived statistics, or from AP or
a ranged weapon, the target must be visible to you. ammo spent. Reduce the target’s health points by
the total rolled.
ƒ Choose Hit Location: You may choose to target
a specific part of a target creature or character. ƒ Resistances: The target reduces the total damage
This increases the difficulty of the attack by 1. inflicted by their Damage Resistance against
the attack’s damage type, on the location hit.
2. ATTEMPT A TEST: The test is determined by the Characters and creatures have different DRs for
type of weapon used. different types of damage: physical, energy, radia-
tion, and poison.
ƒ Melee Weapon: Roll a STR + Melee Weapons
test, with a difficulty equal to your target’s Defense.
5. REDUCE AMMUNITION: If you made a ranged
ƒ Ranged Weapon: Roll an AGI + Small Guns, attack, remove one shot of ammunition, plus any
END + Big Guns, or PER + Energy Weapons additional shots of ammunition spent on the attack.
test (based on the ranged weapon you’re using), If you made a thrown weapon attack, remove the
with a difficulty equal to your target’s Defense. thrown weapon from your inventory.
This is modified by the range to the target (see
Range, p.28)

ƒ Thrown Weapon: Roll a PER + Explosives or HIT LOCATIONS

AGI + Throwing test, with a difficulty equal to
the target’s Defense, modified by range. There are 6 body parts that you can target as hit loca-
tions: head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, and right
ƒ Unarmed: Roll a STR + Unarmed test, with a
leg. When you successfully hit an opponent with an
difficulty equal to your target’s Defense.
attack, you either randomly determine which body part
you hit, or hit the body part you chose before you made
the test. Use the Hit Locations table for reference.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 25

 Weapon Range Difficulty
CREATURES WITH OTHER
HIT LOCATIONS RANGE TO WEAPON RANGE
TARGET Close Medium Long Extreme
Some creatures in the wasteland may have other body
Close
parts—wings, claws, and tails—that do not appear on 0 +1 +2 +3
(same zone)
the hit location table. These locations will be listed in
the creature’s statistics, replacing the Hit Locations Medium
+1 0 +1 +2
table with its own. (adjacent zone)

Long
+2 +1 0 +1
Hit Locations (2 zones)

D20 ROLL HIT LOCATION Extreme

+3 +2 +1 0
(3+ zones)
1–2 Head

3–8 Torso

9–11

12–14
Left arm

Right arm
Ranged Attacks Within Reach
Being in reach of an enemy is disruptive to ranged attacks
15–17 Left Leg
and tests, adding +2 to the difficulty of any test that isn’t a
18–20 Right Leg
melee attack.

RANGE
Ranged weapons can be used to attack any target you
COMBAT DICE
can see, but they vary in effectiveness depending on
When your attack hits its target, you inflict damage
how far away the target is from you. Ranged weapons
based on the weapon’s damage rating. This damage
have an ideal range noted in their profile (just listed
rating is described as Combat Dice, abbreviated by the
as Range), which is based on the relative distance
C
D
  symbol.
between the attacker and the target, using the zones of
the combat environment. A weapon’s ideal range will
Combat Dice are specially designed six-sided dice,
be one of the following:
with four different results as shown on the Combat
Dice Results table.
ƒ Close (C): The weapon is most effective against
targets within the same zone.
Combat Dice Results
ƒ Medium (M): The weapon is most effective against COMBAT DICE
D6 ROLL DAMAGE AND EFFECTS
targets in an adjacent zone. RESULT

ƒ Long (L): The weapon is most effective against 1  D  1 damage

targets 2 zones away.
2 D 2 damage

ƒ Extreme (X): The weapon is most effective against 3 Blank Nothing

targets 3 or more zones away.
4 Blank Nothing

1 damage +
The difficulty of a ranged attack increases by one for 5  C
D 
damage effects trigger
each range band outside of the weapon’s ideal range,
whether closer or further away; a long sniper’s rifle is  C
D  1 damage +
6
damage effects trigger
deadly at long ranges, but awkward and unwieldy in
close quarters, while a pistol is great at close range but
less useful at longer distances.

26 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

When you hit, roll all the  C
D
DAMAGE TYPES
  for the attack together
as a single dice pool, and total up the result. This total
is the amount of damage you inflict on your target. In
There are four damage types in Fallout: Physical,
addition, any effect symbols (the face showing the  C
D 
Energy, Radiation, and Poison damage.
symbol) activates special abilities—called damage
effects—listed for the weapon.
Each weapon lists the type of damage it inflicts:

Sneak Attacks ƒ Physical: Unarmed attacks, blunt force, slashing

and stabbing, ballistics.
If the enemy is unaware of you before you attack, the
difficulty to attack them is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0), ƒ Energy: Laser, plasma, and flame weapons.
and your attack gains the Vicious damage effect if it did not
ƒ Radiation: Exposure to RADs, or nuclear weaponry.
have it already, or the damage is increased by +2 C
D
  if it
already has the Vicious damage effect. ƒ Poison: Toxins, chemicals, and creatures’ stings
and barbs.
If the difficulty to hit your opponent is 0, you do not need to
roll to hit them, but you may still decide to do so, generating Each target has a Damage Resistance (DR) for each of
Action Points and complications as normal. these types, based on their clothing, armor, or natu-
rally tough hides and chitin. While most forms of pro-
tection provide Physical DR, Energy DR is rarer, while
INCREASING DAMAGE Radiation or Poison protection are particularly rare.

You can increase the number of Combat Dice you roll

to inflict damage with an attack by spending Action
Points or ammunition, depending on the type of DAMAGE EFFECTS
weapon you are using. 
Damage effects augment how the damage you inflict
For melee weapons (including unarmed attacks) and to a target is applied. When you roll one or more C
D 
thrown weapons, each Action Point (AP) you spend symbols in your Combat Dice pool, all your weapon’s
adds +1 C
D
  to roll in your damage dice pool. You can damage effects are triggered. Some damage effects are
spend up to 3 AP to increase your dice pool by up to also based on the number of C
D
  symbols appearing in
+3 C
D
  . You can only spend AP you have saved in the your result, as described in each entry.
group pool or generated with your attack. You cannot
generate AP for the gamemaster to use this AP option. Each weapon lists its damage effects immediately after
its damage rating.
For ranged weapons, each unit of ammunition you
spend adds +1 C
D
  to roll in your damage dice pool. ƒ Burst: The attack hits one additional target within
You can spend ammunition up to the gun’s fire rate. Close range of the primary target for each Effect
rolled. Each additional target spends 1 additional
unit of ammunition from the weapon.

ƒ Breaking: For each Effect rolled, reduce the num-

ber of C
D
  a target’s cover provides by 1, perma-
nently. If the target is not in cover, instead reduce
the DR of the location struck by 1, according to the
damage type of the weapon—Physical damage only
reduces Physical DR, for example.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 27

ƒ Persistent: If one or more effects are rolled, the In all cases, where a character would suffer Radiation
target suffers the weapon’s damage again at the damage and another type of damage at the same
end of their next and subsequent turns, for a time, resolve the Radiation damage after any other
number of rounds equal to the number of Effects types of damage.
rolled. The target can spend a major action to
make a test to stop persistent damage early, with
the difficulty equal to the number of Effects
rolled, and the attribute + skill chosen by the GM.
Breaking Things
Inanimate objects can be damaged just like characters and
Some Persistent weapons may inflict a different
creatures. Damaging an object works just the same as dam-
type of damage to the weapon, and where this is
aging a character: roll to hit, roll the weapon’s  C
D
  damage
the case, it will be noted in brackets, for example:
rating, subtract the object’s damage resistance, and reduce
Persistent (Poison).
its health.
ƒ Piercing X: Ignore X points of the target’s DR for
each Effect rolled, where X is the rating of this The GM provides damage resistance and health for the
damage effect. object you’re trying to break. If you inflict a critical hit
on an object—by inflicting 5 or more damage at once—
ƒ Radioactive: For every Effect rolled, the target
you’ve broken it. Especially large objects, like vehicles,
also suffers 1 point of Radiation damage. This
may have multiple locations which can be hit and bro-
Radiation damage is totaled and applied sepa-
ken, and they will be destroyed when all their locations
rately, after a character has suffered the normal
are broken.
damage from the attack.

ƒ Spread: For each Effect rolled, your attack inflicts

one additional hit on the target. Each additional hit
inflicts half the rolled damage (rounded down) and
hits a random location even if a specific location
was targeted for the initial attack.

ƒ Stun: If one or more effects are rolled, the target

cannot take their normal actions on their next
turn. A stunned character or creature can still
spend AP to take additional actions as normal.

ƒ Vicious: The attack inflicts +1 damage for each

Effect rolled.

RADIATION DAMAGE
Radiation damage is applied differently than other
damage types. Each point of Radiation damage
reduces a character’s maximum health points, rather
than their current health points. If a character’s health
point maximum is reduced below their current health
point total, then their current HP is reduced as well.

Radiation damage is only reduced by a target’s

Radiation Damage Resistance, according to the loca-
tion hit. If the radiation would affect the whole body,
like an environmental effect, then use the character or
creature’s lowest locational radiation DR.

28 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

DAMAGE AND INJURY
A character that has lost health points (HP) isn’t seri- ƒ Head: You are momentarily dazed and lose your
ously hurt; they may have suffered scratches, scrapes, normal actions in your next turn (though you may
cuts, and bruises, but nothing that would hinder them. spend AP for extra actions as normal). Further, you
However, once a character’s health points are reduced cannot see clearly, and increase the difficulty of all
to 0, they are defeated, and begin dying. In addition, tests which rely on vision by +2.
characters may suffer from serious injuries after being
reduced to 0 HP, or because of critical hits. These effects last until the injury has received medical
attention (see p.31).

CRITICAL HITS AND INJURIES

DYING
A critical hit occurs whenever a character suffers five
or more damage in one hit (after reductions from When your character is reduced to 0 HP, they suffer
Damage Resistance). A critical hit imposes an injury an injury to the location struck, and then fall prone
on the character, which confers a penalty depending and start dying. If they suffer a critical hit (above) and
on the location hit. are reduced to 0 HP, they suffer two injuries—one for
the critical hit, and one for being reduced to 0 HP.
ƒ Arm: You drop any object held in that hand, and
the arm is broken or otherwise unable to move. While they are dying, they are unconscious, cannot
You cannot perform any actions using that arm—by recover HP from the First Aid action, and cannot take
itself or alongside your other arm. any actions. Furthermore, at the start of each of your
turns while they’re dying, you must attempt an END +
ƒ Leg: You immediately fall prone as your leg gives
Survival test, with a difficulty equal to the number of
out under your weight. You can no longer take the
injuries they have, and a complication range of 19-20.
Sprint action, and the Move action is now a major
If you pass this test, they remain alive, but are still
action for you.
dying. If you fail, they die.
ƒ Torso: You begin bleeding heavily. At the end of
each of your subsequent turns, you suffer 2 D
C  If they suffer any damage while dying, they imme-
physical damage, ignoring all your Damage diately gain one additional injury, in addition to any
Resistances. injury caused by another critical hit.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 29

HEALING
When you’ve taken damage, there are a number of ƒ First Aid: You try to quickly patch the wounds of
ways you can recover. During combat, Stimpaks and yourself or an ally. Attempt an INT + Medicine
first aid are the only ways to heal, but outside of com- test, with a difficulty equal to the number of inju-
bat you have several options. ries the patient has, increasing the difficulty by +1
if you are trying to perform first aid on yourself. If
you succeed, you can do one of the following:

HEALING ACTIONS IN COMBAT ƒ Stabilize a dying patient

During a combat encounter, you can use the following ƒ Heal Health Points equal to your Medicine rating
methods to restore health and treat injuries.
ƒ Treat one injury the patient is suffering from
ƒ Take Chem: A number of chems, most commonly
stimpaks, can be used in a hurry in combat to
restore health points. Taking the minor action
allows you to administer the chem to yourself, or to
a willing creature within your reach.

30 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

STABILIZING THE DYING
Using the First Aid action, you can attempt to stabilize
Using Stimpaks
Stimpaks are incredibly useful pieces of medical technology,
a dying character. This requires an INT + Medicine
described in more detail on p.169. You can use a stimpak or
test with a difficulty equal to the number of injuries
similar forms of medication in one of two ways.
the patient has. Passing the test restores the character
to 1 HP and they are no longer dying. Their player no
ƒ With the Take Chem minor action, you inject the
longer has to attempt END + Survival tests to avoid
stimpak and receive an instant result. Your character (or
death. The character remains unconscious and unable
a willing patient) immediately recovers 4 HP or treats
to take actions.
one injury. If the person injected was dying, then they
stabilize immediately.
If radiation damage has reduced their maximum
health points to 0, they cannot be stabilized until ƒ With the First Aid major action, you may administer a
their maximum health points are above 0, by healing stimpak as part of the action. The patient regains 4 HP
the radiation damage. immediately in addition to any other effects, and any AP
spent to heal additional health points heal twice as much:
If you stabilize the patient, you can spend AP to heal 2 HP per AP spent, rather than 1.
additional health points. You can heal 1 HP for every
AP spent. You may also spend 1 AP after stabilizing a Robots cannot be healed by Stimpaks, but you can use robot
character to wake them from unconsciousness, allow- repair kits for the same benefits outlined here.
ing them to continue to act.

REGAINING HEALTH
You can use the First Aid action to heal a character’s
health. Passing an INT + Medicine test will heal a
number of HP equal to your rank in the Medicine
Healing Robots
Robots and other machines cannot recover from injuries
skill, and an additional 1 HP for every AP you spend.
naturally, and they require maintenance to restore damage.
You can only heal the HP of a stable character.

Attempting the First Aid action on a robot, a suit of power

TREATING AN INJURY armor, or other large machine (like a vehicle) requires an
You can attempt an INT + Medicine test to treat an INT + Repair test, with a difficulty of 2. This increases by
injury sustained from a critical hit. Passing the test +1 for each injury the machine has suffered. Passing the
allows a patient to ignore the penalties of their injury. test restores health points equal to your Repair rating, treats
An injury treated using First Aid is not fully healed— an injury, or stabilizes a dying machine. Machines cannot
it’s merely been patched up so that it no longer use chems, though a repair kit functions for machines as
imposes a penalty. Stimpaks do for living characters.

Whenever a character suffers any damage to a location Machines cannot heal through eating, drinking, rest, or
which has a treated injury, roll 1 C
D
  . If you roll an medical attention. Outside of combat, an hour’s work on a
effect, the damage has re-opened that wound and the damaged machine restores HP equal to twice the repairer’s
character is injured again. Completely recovering from Repair skill rating.
an injury takes time, outside combat.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 31

LONG-TERM RECOVERY FOOD & DRINK
While proper nutrition isn’t common in the waste-
Outside of combat, there are three ways a character land, a decent snack, a hearty meal, or a refreshing
can heal: rest, food & drink, and medical attention. beverage is still a vital part of life, and a valuable way
to recover health.
REST
Food and drink restores the HP listed in their
Rest is the easiest way to recover from damage, though
description (see p.149). Food and drink cannot be con-
it is slow. If you can find somewhere to sleep, for at
sumed during combat. Some forms of food and drink
least six hours, you regain all lost HP.If you’re able to
are irradiated, especially if consumed raw: roll 1 C
D 
get eight hours of sleep somewhere safe and comfort-
when consuming irradiated food or drink, and if you
able—your own bed in a settlement you belong to,
roll an Effect, you suffer 1 Radiation damage, ignoring
for example—then you are considered Well Rested as
any DR from equipment or armour.
well, and your maximum HP is increased by +2 until
you next sleep.
MEDICAL ATTENTION
When you sleep, if you have any injuries (treated or Characters may require long-term medical care if
otherwise), make an END + Survival test with a diffi- they’ve been injured, poisoned, or are suffering from
culty of 1. The complication range on this test increases a disease. A single character can provide medical
by +1 for each injury that has not been treated. If you attention for a number of patients equal to their
succeed, you may recover from one of those injuries, Medicine rating.
plus an additional injury for every 2 AP spent.
For injuries, each day of rest and medical attention
The difficulty of this test varies based on how active a patient receives allows you to assist their END +
you were during the preceding day: Survival test at the end of the day to heal their inju-
ries, using your own INT + Medicine target number.
Injury Recovery Difficulty
ACTIVITY DIFFICULTY For poisons and diseases, you may assist the patient’s
END + Survival tests to help them recover. If the
Restful (no strenuous activity all day) 1
patient spent the entire day resting, they reduce the
Light (only a small amount of travel
2 difficulty of this test by 1 allowing them to recover
or similar)
more quickly. This is covered in more detail on p.194.
Moderate (travel, but no combat) 3

Heavy (travel and combat) 4

You may only sleep once in any 24-hour period. Going Recovering from Rads
without sleep for long periods can also be harmful Because radiation damage reduces maximum health points,
(see Survival, p.190). it doesn’t heal in the same way that most damage does—
the effects of radiation damage don’t heal naturally at all.

Radiation damage can only be removed by administering

RadAway, or other chems or consumables that remove
radiation damage. When you heal HP and remove radiation
damage at the same time, remove the radiation damage
first, and then resolve the HP recovery.

32 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

ZONES AND DISTANCES
Each combat encounter happens in a single location. reach. Being in reach of an enemy is disruptive to
This may be a ruined building, a city street, an area ranged attacks and tests, adding +2 to the difficulty
of wilderness, or the floor of a vault. The location is of any test that isn’t a melee attack.
divided into several zones based on the terrain fea-
ƒ Close range represents any distance within the
tures or natural divisions present in the area.
zone you’re in—a distance of 0 zones.

Movement and ranged attacks use descriptive terms ƒ Medium range is any distance to something in the
to measure their distance in combat, relative to the zone adjacent to your current zone. Medium range
objects’ placement within zones.  is a distance of 1 zone.

ƒ Long range represents objects 2 zones away from your

Range is measured in the following five categories:
current zone. Long range is a distance of 2 zones.

ƒ Reach is when an object or character is within ƒ Extreme range represents any objects beyond
arm’s length of your character. You can interact long range. Extreme range is a distance of 3 or
with objects and make melee attacks within your more zones.

Chapter Four  COMBAT 33

 If you do not have sufficient Action Points available,
then you need to find some way to generate them.
The simplest way to do this is to take the Rally major
action, generating Action Points with a Difficulty 0
STR + Athletics test; any successes become AP, which
can be spent on moving through the terrain.

Difficult Terrain and Obstacle Examples

TERRAIN AP COST

Thick mud, loose sand, up stairs 1

Swamp, unstable rubble 2

Steep slope, fast-flowing water 3

OBSTACLE AP COST

Up to waist-height/short jump 1

Up to chest-height/short jump with run-up 2

MOVEMENT IN ZONES Taller than you/long jump 3

When you move into a zone as part of a movement

COVER
action, you can move your character within reach of
any object within that zone. So, when using the Move
minor action to move into an adjacent zone, you can
Cover provides additional Damage Resistance against
move to any point in that zone. Equally, when using
Physical and Energy-based attacks. Objects in the
the Sprint action, you can move to any point within
environment will provide a certain amount of DR, as
a zone that is 2 zones away. This could put you into
a number of Combat Dice (  C
D
  ), depending on what
Reach with an enemy, or an object you need to get to.
they’re made from and how resilient they are.

DIFFICULT TERRAIN AND OBSTACLES When you are attacked by a Physical or Energy-based
Difficult terrain describes any ground that requires attack while behind cover, roll the number of  C
D 
more effort to cross, either because it hinders you or listed in the Cover Values table and add that result to
because you need to be careful where you step. A zone your DR for that attack.
may be filled with difficult terrain, slowing anyone
attempting to cross it. To benefit from cover, it needs to obscure the location
hit, whether that’s from a melee or ranged attack. You
Obstacles are similar in that they hinder your cannot be targeted by an attack if the cover obscures
movement, but they exist between zones—attempts your character’s entire body, as you can only be
to move from one zone to another where an obstacle attacked by something that can see you.
is present may slow your progress. Obstacles may be
barriers you need to climb up or over, or they might Cover Values
be gaps that you need to jump past. COVER TYPE COMBAT DICE

Foliage, Wood 1 C

D 
When you attempt to move from an area of difficult
Rubble, Ruined Brick Walls,
terrain, or cross an obstacle, you must spend one or 2 C
D 
Metal Fencing
more extra Action Points to do so, depending on how
difficult the terrain or obstacle is. Concrete Walls, Steel Barricades 3 C
D 

34 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

 Chapter Five

REFERENCE LISTS
PERKS LIST
ACTION BOY/GIRL At rank 2, you can attempt a CHA + Survival test with
Ranks: 1 a difficulty of 2 as a major action. If you succeed, the
Requirements: None animal treats you as friendly and will attack anyone
who attacks you. Mighty and Legendary animals are
When you spend AP to take an unaffected by this perk. Each time you take this perk,
additional major action, you do not the level requirement increases by 5.
suffer the increased skill test diffi-
culty during your second action. AQUABOY/AQUAGIRL
Ranks: 2
ADRENALINE RUSH Requirements: END 5, Level 1+
Ranks: 1
Requirements: STR 7 Water is your ally. At rank 1, you no longer take
Radiation damage from swimming in irradiated
When your health is below water, and you can hold your breath for twice as long
its maximum value, you as normal.
count your STR score as
10 for all purposes when At rank 2, enemies add +2 to the difficulty to tests
attempting a STR-based to detect you while you are submerged underwater.
skill test or melee attack. Each time you take this perk, the level requirement
increases by 3.
ANIMAL FRIEND
Ranks: 2
Requirements: CHA 6, Level 1+

At rank 1, whenever a creature

NPC with the Mammal, Lizard,
or Insect keyword would attack
you, roll 1  C
D
  ; on any result
other than an Effect, the crea-
ture chooses not to attack you,
although it may still attack
another character it can target.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 35

AWARENESS BLACK WIDOW/LADY KILLER
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 1
Requirements: PER 7 Requirements: CHA 6

When you take the The Black Widow perk affects

Aim minor action at a men and masculine characters,
target within Close range, you spot their while the Lady Killer perk
weaknesses and can attack more efficiently. The next affects women and feminine
attack you make against that target gains the Piercing characters—they are otherwise
1 damage effect or improves the rating of any existing identical. When you attempt a
Piercing X damage effect by 1. CHA-based skill test to influ-
ence a character of the chosen gender,
BASHER you may re-roll 1d20. In addition, your attacks
inflict +1 C
D
  additional damage against characters
Ranks: 1
of the chosen gender.
Requirements: STR 6

When you make a melee attack BLOODY MESS

by bashing with your gun, Ranks: 1
your attack gains the Vicious Requirements: LCK 6
damage effect.
When you inflict a critical hit,
BETTER CRITICALS roll 1 C
D
  ; if you roll an Effect,
you inflict one additional injury
Ranks: 1
to a random location.
Requirements: LCK 9

When you inflict one or

more points of damage to
an enemy, you may spend 1
Luck point to automatically CAN DO!
inflict a critical hit, causing Ranks: 1
an injury. Requirements: LCK 5

BIG LEAGUES When you are scav-

enging a location
Ranks: 1
that contains food,
Requirements: STR 8
you gain 1 additional
random food item,
When you make a melee
without spending AP.
attack with a two-handed
melee weapon, the weapon
gains the Vicious damage CAP COLLECTOR
effect. Ranks: 1
Requirements: CHA 5

When you buy or sell items,

you may increase or decrease
the price of the goods being
traded by 10%.

36 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

CAUTIOUS NATURE COMPREHENSION
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 1
Requirements: PER 7 Requirements: INT 6

Whenever you attempt a skill After you use the bonus gained
test, and you buy one or more from reading a magazine, roll 1  C
D
  .
d20s by spending Action Points, If you roll an Effect, you may use
you may re-roll 1d20 on that that bonus one additional time.
test. You may not purchase this
perk if you have Daring Nature. CONCENTRATED FIRE
Ranks: 1
CHEM RESISTANT Requirements: PER 8, AGI 6
Ranks: 2
Requirements: END 7, Level 1+ When you make a ranged attack and spend ammu-
nition to increase the damage, you may re-roll up to
At rank 1, roll one fewer  C
D  3 C
D
  for your damage roll.
when determining if you
become addicted to chems,
to a minimum of 0.

At rank 2, you cannot become addicted to chems.

Each time you take this perk, the level requirement
increases by 4.

CHEMIST
Ranks: 1
Requirements: INT 7 DARING NATURE
Ranks: 1
Chems you create last twice as Requirements: LCK 7
long as normal (see p.51).
Whenever you attempt a skill
COMMANDO test, and you buy one or more
d20s by giving the gamemaster
Ranks: 2
Action Points, you may re-roll
Requirements: AGI 8, Level 2+
one d20 on that test. You may not
purchase this perk if you have
When you make a ranged attack
Cautious Nature.
with any weapon with a Fire
Rate of 3 or higher (except
heavy weapons), you add +1  C
D  DEMOLITION EXPERT
per rank to the weapon’s dam- Ranks: 1
age. Each time you take this perk, the Requirements: PER 6, LCK 6
level requirement increases by 3.
When you make an
attack using a weapon
with the Blast quality,
the attack gains the
Vicious damage effect.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 37

FASTER HEALING HACKER
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 1
Requirements: END 6, not a robot Requirements: INT 8

When you make an END + Survival The difficulty of skill tests to hack computers is
test to heal your own injuries, the first decreased by 1, to a minimum of 0.
additional d20 you buy is free. The
normal maximum of 5d20 still applies.

FORTUNE FINDER
Ranks: 3
Requirements: LCK 5, Level 2+

Whenever you roll to determine how

much money you find, you find more.
At rank 1, you find +3 C
D
  addi-
tional caps. At rank 2, you find
+6 C
D
  additional caps. At rank
3, you find +10 C
D
  additional HEALER
caps. Each time you take this Ranks: 3
perk, the level requirement Requirements: INT 7, Level 1+
increases by 4.
When you heal a patient’s HP
GRIM REAPER’S SPRINT using the First Aid action,
increase the amount of HP
Ranks: 1
healed by +1 per rank in this
Requirements: LCK 8
perk. Each time you take this
perk, the level requirement
When you make an attack which
increases by 5.
kills one or more enemies, roll
1 C
D
  . If you roll an Effect, add 2
AP to the group’s pool. HUNTER
Ranks: 1
GUNSLINGER Requirements: END 6

Ranks: 2
When you make an attack
Requirements: AGI 7, Level 2+
against an NPC with one
of the Mammal, Lizard,
When you make an attack with a
or Insect keywords and
one-handed ranged weapon with a
the Mutated keyword,
Fire Rate of 2 or lower, you increase
your attack gains the
the weapon’s damage by +1 C
D
  per
Vicious damage effect, if
rank. In addition, you may re-roll
it did not already have
the hit location die. Each time you
that effect.
take this perk, the level require-
ment increases by 4.

38 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

INFILTRATOR JUNKTOWN JERKY VENDOR
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 1
Requirements: PER 8 Requirements: CHA 8

When you attempt a The difficulty of any CHA + Barter

Lockpick skill test to test you attempt to buy or sell
unlock a door or goods is reduced by 1, to a mini-
container, you may mum of 0.
re-roll 1d20.
LEAD BELLY
INSPIRATIONAL Ranks: 2
Ranks: 1 Requirements: END 6, Level 1+
Requirements: CHA 8
At rank 1, you may re-roll the  C
D
  to
Because you lead by example, the maximum number determine if you suffer Radiation
of AP the group may save is increased by 1. damage from irradiated food or
drink. At rank 2, you are immune to
Radiation damage from consuming
irradiated food or drink. Each time
you take this perk, the level require-
ment increases by 4.

LIFE GIVER
Ranks: 5
Requirements: Level 5+

INTENSE TRAINING Increase your maximum health

Ranks: 10 points by your Endurance rank.
Requirements: Level 2+ Each time you take this perk, the
Increase any one S.P.E.C.I.A.L level requirement increases by 5.
attribute by 1 rank. As usual,
your S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes LIGHT STEP
cannot be increased beyond 10
Ranks: 1
using this method. Each time
Requirements: None
you take this perk, the level
requirement increases by 2.
When you roll any complications
on an Agility-based skill test, you
IRON FIST may ignore one complication for
Ranks: 2 every 1 AP spent. In addition, you
Requirements: STR 6, Level 1+ may re-roll 1d20 on any AGI +
Athletics test to avoid traps trig-
At rank 1, your unarmed attacks gered by pressure plates or similar
inflict +1 C
D
  damage. At rank 2, mechanisms.
your unarmed attacks also gain
the Vicious damage effect. Each
time you take this perk, the level
requirement increases by 5.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 39

MEDIC The stranger has an AGI of 10, a Small Guns skill of
6, and counts Small Guns as a Tag Skill. They always
Ranks: 1
roll 3d20 for attacks, rather than 2d20, and their
Requirements: INT 8
attack—using a custom .44 Magnum revolver—inflicts
8 C
D
  Piercing 1, Vicious Physical damage. They always
When you use the First Aid
appear within their weapon’s ideal range. Any attempt
action to try and treat an
to find where the Stranger went after their attack fails.
injury, you can re-roll 1d20.

NERD RAGE!
MISTER SANDMAN
Ranks: 3
Ranks: 1
Requirements: INT 8, Level 2+
Requirements: AGI 9

While your health is reduced to

When you make a sneak
less than ¼ of your maximum,
attack with a silenced
you add +1 to your Physical DR, +1
or suppressed weapon,
to your Energy DR, and +1 C
D
  to
the damage is increased
the damage of all your attacks.
by +2 C
D
  . You cannot
gain this benefit while
At rank 2, this increases to +2 DR, and +2 C
D
  damage.
in Power Armor.
At rank 3, this increases to +3 DR and +3 C
D
  damage.

MOVING TARGET Each time you take this perk, the level requirement
Ranks: 1 increases by 5.
Requirements: AGI 6
NIGHT PERSON
When you take the
Ranks: 1
Sprint action, your
Requirements: PER 7
Defense increases
by +1 until the
You reduce any diffi-
start of your
culty increases due to
next turn.
darkness by 1.

MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
NINJA
Ranks: 1
Ranks: 1
Requirements: LCK 7
Requirements: AGI 8

From time to time, a mysterious

When you make a sneak attack with a melee weapon
stranger comes to your aid, with
or unarmed attack, the damage is increased by +2 C
D
  .
lethal results. At the start of a
You cannot gain this benefit while in Power Armor.
combat encounter, you may spend
1 Luck point. If you do so, then at
any point during the scene, the
GM may have the Mysterious Stranger
appear, make a single ranged attack against an
enemy you attacked, or who just attacked you,
and then vanish. If you spend a Luck point and the
Mysterious Stranger does not appear, the GM must
refund the Luck point you spent.

40 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

NUCLEAR PHYSICIST PICKPOCKET
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 3
Requirements: INT 9 Requirements: PER 8,
AGI 8, Level 1+
Whenever you use a weapon that
inflicts radiation damage, or has the At rank 1, you can ignore the first
Radioactive damage effect, each Effect complication you roll when you make
you roll inflicts one additional point of an AGI + Sneak test to steal an object
Radiation damage. from someone else’s person or to plant
something on them.
In addition, fusion cores you use have 3 additional
charges. At rank 2, you can re-roll 1d20 in your dice pool when
attempting to pick someone’s pocket.
PAIN TRAIN
At rank 3, you reduce the difficulty of attempts to pick
Ranks: 2
someone’s pocket by 1.
Requirements: STR 9, END 7, Level 1+

Each time you take this perk, the level requirement

You may
increases by 3.
Charge as a
major action if
you are wearing
Power Armor
or are a super
Pickin’ Pockets
Stealing an item carried by someone else, or secreting an
mutant. This is a movement action,
item upon their person, is a surprisingly valuable survival
and you may not Move or Sprint in the same turn.
trick in the wasteland, and it’s useful to have some sense of
When you take this action, you move into reach of
how easy or difficult a given theft is likely to be.
an enemy within Medium range (1 zone) and make a
STR + Athletics test with a difficulty of 2. If you suc-
Picking pockets is an AGI + Sneak test, with a base diffi-
ceed, the enemy suffers damage equal to your normal
culty of 1. Success allows you to take an item weighing 1lb.
unarmed damage and is knocked prone.
or less from another character’s pockets, belt pouches, etc.,
or to place an item of that size into a pocket, etc., without
At rank 2, you add +1 C
D
  and the Stun damage effect
being detected. Failure means your attempt was noticed.
to the damage inflicted. At the GM’s discretion,
especially large or sturdy creatures cannot be knocked
If the item you’re stealing/planting weighs more than 1lb.,
prone by this action. Each time you take this perk, the
then the difficulty increases by 1. If it weighs more than 10
level requirement increases by 5.
lbs., then the difficulty increases by 2 instead. Similarly,
especially talented pickpockets can remove small items a
PARTY BOY/PARTY GIRL person is wearing—such as stealing a wristwatch during a
Ranks: 1 handshake—this test is also at +1 difficulty.
Requirements: END 6, CHA 7
Picking pockets can become an opposed test if the target is
You cannot become wary or suspicious.
addicted to alcoholic
drinks, and when-
ever you drink an
alcoholic drink, you
heal +2 HP.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 41

QUICK HANDS SCOUNDREL
Ranks: 1 Ranks: 1
Requirements: AGI 8 Requirements: CHA 7

You can reload firearms faster. When you make a

When you make a ranged attack, CHA + Speech test to
you may spend 2 AP to double the convince someone of a
Fire Rate of your gun for that attack. lie, you may ignore the
first complication you roll.
RAD RESISTANCE
Ranks: 2 SCRAPPER
Requirements: END 8, Level 1+ Ranks: 2
Requirements: Level 3+
Your Radiation Damage Resistance,
to all hit locations, increases by When you scrap an item, you can
+1 per rank in this perk. Each salvage uncommon component
time you take this perk, the level materials as well as common
requirement increases by 4. ones (see p.52). At rank 2, you can
also salvage rare materials. Each
REFRACTOR time you take this perk, the level
requirement increases by 5.
Ranks: 2
Requirements:
PER 6, LCK 7, Level 1+ SCROUNGER
Ranks: 3
Your energy Damage Resistance to Requirements: LCK 6, Level 1+
all hit locations increases by +1 per
rank in this perk. Each time you Whenever you roll to determine how much ammuni-
take this perk, the level require- tion you find, you find more.
ment increases by 4.
At rank 1, you find +3 C
D
  additional shots. At rank 2,
RIFLEMAN you find +6 C
D
  additional shots. At rank 3, you find
+10 C
D
  additional shots. The additional ammo you
Ranks: 2
find is the same as initially found, for example, if you
Requirements: AGI 7, Level 2+
find 10mm ammunition, this perk increases how much
10mm ammo you find. If you find multiple types of
When you make a ranged attack
ammunition, Scrounger applies to the ammunition
with any two-handed weapon with
with the lowest rarity (GM’s choice if there is a tie).
a Fire Rate of 2 or lower (except
heavy weapons), you add +1 C
D
  to
Each time you take this perk, the level requirement
the weapon’s damage per rank.
increases by 5.

At rank 2, you also add the Piercing 1 damage effect,

or add +1 to the rating of any Piercing X damage effect
the weapon already had. Each time you take this perk,
the level requirement increases by 4.

42 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

SKILLED STRONG BACK
Ranks: 10 Ranks: 3
Requirements: Level 3+ Requirements: STR 5, Level 1+

Add +1 rank to two skills or GUNS Your maximum carry weight

add +2 ranks to one skill. is increased by +25 lbs., per
No skill may have more rank. Each time you take this
than 6 ranks. Each time perk, the level requirement
you take this perk, the level increases by 2.
requirement increases by 3.
TAG!
SIZE MATTERS Ranks: 1
Ranks: 3 Requirements: Level 5+
Requirements:
END 7, AGI 6 You may select
one additional Tag
When you make a ranged skill. Increase the
attack with any heavy weapon, skill’s rank by 2, to a
you add +1 C
D
  to the weapon’s dam- maximum of 6, and
age, per rank. Each time you take this mark it as a Tag skill,
perk, the level requirement increases by 4. allowing you to roll a
critical success with a
SNIPER d20 result equal or under
the skill’s rank.
Ranks: 1
Requirements: PER 8, AGI 6
TOUGHNESS
When you take the Aim minor action, and then make Ranks: 2
a ranged attack with a two-handed weapon with the Requirements: END 6,
Accurate quality, you can specify a hit location to tar- LUC 6, Level 1+
get without increasing the difficulty of the attack.
Your Physical
Damage Resistance
to all hit locations
increases by +1 per rank in
this perk. Each time you
take this perk, the level
requirement increases by 4.
SOLAR POWERED
Ranks: 1
Requirements: END 7

For every hour you

spend in direct
sunlight,
you heal 1
Radiation
damage.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 43

EQUIPMENT
The gear you received in your equipment pack as a DAMAGE EFFECTS
starting character is enough to get going, but you’ll Damage effects are traits which affect how a weapon
need more than that to survive in the wasteland. inflicts damage. When you roll one or more Effects
Consult the following sections when you get more in a damage roll, all your weapon’s damage effects
equipment during your quests. are triggered. Some damage effects are based on the
number of  C
D
  symbols which appear in your result, as
described in the Damage Effects section (p.27).

CAPS FIRE RATE

The standard accepted currency across North America, All guns, and some explosive weapons, have a Fire
bottle caps are finite in supply and difficult to repro- Rate, which represents how quickly the weapon can
duce, which makes them ideal as a token of value for fire. Fire Rate is a number from 0 to 6.
merchants travelling the wastelands, in the absence of
the banking methods that supported pre-War curren- When you make an attack with a gun, you spend one
cies. All prices in this booklet are listed in caps. shot of ammunition simply to make the attack. You
may spend additional shots of ammunition to increase
the damage you inflict, adding +1 C
D
  to the weapon’s

WEAPONS damage rating (for that attack only) for each extra
shot you spend. A weapon’s Fire Rate is the maximum
number of additional shots you may spend to increase
Each weapon’s type corresponds to a single skill, which
damage in this way.
is the skill used to make attacks with the weapon:

ƒ Big Guns
ƒ Energy Weapons
ƒ Explosives
Wait, Fire Rate 0?
There are a few weapons with a Fire Rate of 0. All this
ƒ Melee Weapons
means is that the weapon fires so slowly, or requires reload-
ƒ Small Guns
ing so frequently, that it isn’t possible to spend additional
ƒ Throwing
shots to boost the weapon’s damage during an attack.
ƒ Unarmed

DAMAGE RATING
RANGE
Damage rating is the number of Combat Dice you
Ranged weapons have a listed ideal range. A weapon’s
roll to determine how much damage you inflict upon
ideal range is one of the following:
your target. Remember, melee weapons and unarmed
attacks add extra  C
D
  to their damage rating based on
ƒ Close (C): The weapon is most effective against
the wielder’s STR (see Melee Damage, p.27).
targets within the same zone.

A ranged weapon’s damage rating is based on the ƒ Medium (M): The weapon is most effective against
ammunition it uses; a weapon’s damage rating changes targets in an adjacent zone.
if the ammunition type changes.
ƒ Long (L): The weapon is most effective against
targets 2 zones away.

ƒ Extreme (X): The weapon is most effective against

targets 3 or more zones away.

44 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

A weapon’s range alters the difficulty of attacks against ƒ Inaccurate: When making an attack with an
a target, depending on how distant they are to their Inaccurate weapon, you gain no benefit from the
target, as described on p.26. Melee weapons and Aim minor action. A weapon may not be both
unarmed attacks do not have a listed range and can Accurate and Inaccurate.
only be used to attack enemies within Reach.
ƒ Mine: When a Mine is placed onto a surface and
primed, it becomes a dangerous object, inflicting its
QUALITIES damage upon anyone who comes within Reach of it
Qualities are rules which describe how a weapon oper- (and upon additional characters, if it has the Blast
ates, and how it differs from other weapons. quality).

ƒ Night Vision: The sights of a weapon with Night

ƒ Accurate: If you take the Aim minor action before
Vision have been made to allow you to see more
attacking with an Accurate weapon, you may spend
clearly in the dark. When you Aim with a Night
up to 3 AP to add +1 C
D
  per AP spent to the attack’s
Vision weapon, you ignore any increase in the diffi-
damage. If you gain damage in this way, you may
culty of an attack due to darkness.
not spend ammunition for extra damage. A weapon
cannot be both Accurate and Inaccurate. ƒ Parry: When an enemy attempts a melee attack
against you, and you are wielding a Parry weapon,
ƒ Blast: When you make an attack with a Blast
you may spend 1 AP to add +1 to your Defense
weapon, you do not target a single opponent.
against that attack.
Instead, select a single zone you can see, and make
the appropriate skill test to attack, with a basic ƒ Recon: When you Aim with a Recon weapon,
difficulty of 2 (adjusted for range as normal). If you may mark the target you aimed at. The next
you succeed, every creature (and other damageable ally to attack that target may re-roll one d20 on
target) in that zone suffers the weapon’s damage. their attack.
If you fail, your misplaced attack is less effective:
ƒ Reliable: During each combat encounter, a Reliable
roll only half the weapon’s  C
D
  to determine the
weapon ignores the first complication you roll on a
damage inflicted to creatures in the target zone and
test to use that weapon. A weapon may not be both
ignore the weapon’s normal damage effects.
Reliable and Unreliable.
ƒ Close Quarters: A Close Quarters weapon is easy to
ƒ Suppressed: If an enemy is not aware of you when
use up-close, and suffers no difficulty increase for
you attack with a Suppressed weapon, they do not
being used when within Reach of an enemy.
notice the attack unless they are the target or they
ƒ Concealed: A Concealed weapon is small, or other- pass a PER + Survival test with a difficulty of 2.
wise easy to hide on your person. Enemies do not
ƒ Thrown: A Thrown (C) weapon can be thrown,
spot a Concealed weapon unless you’re wielding it,
as a ranged attack with an ideal range of Close. A
or if they make a thorough search and succeed at a
Thrown (M) weapon can be thrown, as a ranged
PER + Survival test with a difficulty of 2.
attack with an ideal range of Medium. You make
ƒ Debilitating: The difficulty of any skill test to an AGI + Throwing test to attack with the weapon,
treat injuries inflicted by a Debilitating weapon depending on the type of weapon.
increase by +1.
ƒ Two-Handed: A Two-Handed weapon must be
ƒ Gatling: Ammunition is spent at ten times the nor- held in two hands to be used effectively; attempt-
mal rate by Gatling weapons: whenever you would ing to attack with a Two-Handed weapon in one
spend one shot of ammunition, a Gatling weapon hand increases the difficulty by +2.
instead spends a burst of 10 shots. Whenever you
ƒ Unreliable: When you make an attack with an
spend ammunition to increase this weapon’s dam-
Unreliable weapon, increase the complication
age, add +2 C
D
  per ten-shot burst (to a maximum
range of the attack by 1. A weapon may not be both
number of bursts equal to the weapon’s Fire Rate),
Reliable and Unreliable.
rather than +1 C
D
  per shot.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 45

WEIGHT
The weight of the weapon, in pounds (lbs.).

COST
The cost of the weapon, in caps.

RARITY
The rarity of the weapon. Some especially rare or
effective mods may increase this.

RANGED WEAPONS
WEAPON DAMAGE DAMAGE DAMAGE FIRE
NAME RANGE QUALITIES WEIGHT COST RARITY
TYPE RATING EFFECTS TYPE RATE

Small Close
.44 Pistol 6 C
D  Vicious Physical 1 C 4 99 2
Guns Quarters

Close
Small
10mm Pistol 4 C
D  – Physical 2 C Quarters, 4 50 1
Guns
Reliable

Small
Combat Rifle 5 C
D  – Physical 2 M Two-Handed 11 117 2
Guns

Small
Hunting Rifle 6 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical 0 M Two-Handed 10 55 2
Guns

Double-Barrel Small Spread, Inaccurate,

5 C
D  Physical 0 C 9 39 1
Shotgun Guns Vicious Two-Handed

Small
Pipe Bolt-Action 5 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical 0 C Unreliable 3 30 0
Guns

Close
Small
Pipe Gun 3 C
D  – Physical 2 C Quarters, 2 30 0
Guns
Unreliable

Close
Small
Pipe Revolver 4 C
D  – Physical 1 C Quarters, 4 25 0
Guns
Unreliable

Close
Energy
Institute Laser 3 C
D  Burst Energy 3 C Quarters, 4 50 2
Weapon
Inaccurate

Energy Close
Laser Gun 4 C
D  Piercing 1 Energy 2 C 4 69 2
Weapon Quarters

Gatling,
Big Burst,
Minigun 3 C
D  Physical 5 M Inaccurate, 27 382 2
Guns Spread
Two-Handed

46 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

MELEE AND THROWING WEAPONS
WEAPON DAMAGE DAMAGE DAMAGE
NAME QUALITIES WEIGHT COST RARITY
TYPE RATING EFFECTS TYPE

Unarmed Strike Unarmed 2 C

D  – Physical – – – –

Handy Rock Unarmed 2 C

D  Vicious Physical Thrown (C) 1 – –

Melee
Gun Bash (1H) 2 C
D  Stun Physical —————— As Gun ——————
Weapon

Melee
Gun Bash 3 C
D  Stun Physical ——— As Two-Handed Gun ———
Weapon

Melee
Combat Knife 3 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical – 1 25 1
Weapon

Melee
Machete 3 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical – 2 25 1
Weapon

Melee
Switchblade 2 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical Concealed 1 20 0
Weapon

Melee
Baseball Bat 4 C
D  – Physical Two-Handed 3 25 1
Weapon

Melee
Board 4 C
D  – Physical Two-Handed 3 20 0
Weapon

Melee
Lead Pipe 3 C
D  – Physical – 3 15 0
Weapon

Melee
Pipe Wrench 3 C
D  – Physical – 2 30 1
Weapon

Melee
Pool Cue 3 C
D  – Physical Two-Handed 1 10 0
Weapon

Melee
Rolling Pin 3 C
D  – Physical – 1 10 0
Weapon

Melee
Baton 3 C
D  – Physical – 2 15 1
Weapon

Melee
Sledgehammer 5 C
D  – Physical – 12 40 2
Weapon

Melee
Tire Iron 3 C
D  – Physical – 2 25 1
Weapon

Knuckles Unarmed 3 C

D  – Physical Concealed <1 10 1

Concealed,
Throwing Knives Throwing 3 C
D  Piercing 1 Physical <1 10 1
Thrown (C), Suppressed

Tomahawk Throwing 4 C

D  Piercing 1 Physical Thrown (C), Suppressed <1 15 2

Javelin Throwing 4 C

D  Piercing 1 Physical Thrown (M), Suppressed 4 10 1

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 47

EXPLOSIVES
WEAPON DAMAGE DAMAGE DAMAGE
EXPLOSIVE QUALITIES WEIGHT COST RARITY
TYPE RATING EFFECTS TYPE
Baseball Grenade Explosive 5 C
D  – Physical Blast, Thrown (M) 1 40 1
Frag Grenade Explosive 6 C
D  – Physical Blast, Thrown (M) <1 50 2
Molotov Cocktail Explosive 4 C
D  Persistent Energy Blast, Thrown (M) 1 20 1
Bottlecap Mine Explosive 6 C
D  – Physical Blast, Mine 1 75 2
Frag Mine Explosive 6 C
D  – Physical Blast, Mine 1 50 2

ARMOR AND CLOTHING

DAMAGE RESISTANCES
ITEM LOCATIONS COVERED WEIGHT COST RARITY
PHYSICAL ENERGY RADIATION
CLOTHING
Military Fatigues 0 1 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 3 12 1
Road Leathers 1 1 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 1 5 1
Tough Clothing 1 1 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 3 20 1
Vault Jumpsuit 0 1 2 Arms, Legs, Torso 1 20 2
OUTFIT
Brotherhood of
2 2 2 Arms, Legs, Torso 4 20 3
Steel Fatigues
Brotherhood
1 2 2 Arms, Legs, Torso 4 20 2
Scribe’s Armor
Drifter Outfit 1 2 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 10 35 1
Formal Clothing 0 0 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 2 30 2
Lab Coat 0 0 0 Arms, Legs, Torso 2 10 1
HEADGEAR
Army Helmet 2 0 0 Head 3 20 1
Brotherhood of
0 1 0 Head <1 12 2
Steel Hood
Brotherhood
0 2 0 Head <1 8 2
Scribe’s Hat
Casual Hat 0 0 0 Head <1 15 1
Formal Hat 0 0 0 Head <1 15 2

DAMAGE RESISTANCES
ARMOR COST WEIGHT RARITY
PHYSICAL ENERGY RADIATION
Raider 1 1 0 8 7 0
Leather 1 2 0 10 5 1
Metal 2 1 0 15 3 1
Combat 2 2 0 25 2 2

Note: Roll the hit location die for each piece of armor you find; the result indicates which part of the body the armor protects.

48 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

Pip-Boy
A Personal Information Processor manufactured by RobCo Industries. Under partnership with Vault-Tec, they were issued to
many vault residents, though due to production constraints and ongoing development, different Vaults received shipments of
different versions of the Pip-Boy. Many models were designed with biometric locks, preventing them from being removed while
the wearer still lives.

Common functions include:

ƒ A personal status indicator showing current health and wellbeing.

ƒ An inbuilt holotape reader.
ƒ A compass, a radio, and a Geiger counter, and can generate light from its screen equivalent to a flashlight.

V.A.T.S.
All Pip-Boy units aid their wearer with the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. When a character equipped with a Pip-Boy
makes an attack, they can ignore the normal difficulty increase for targeting a specific hit location.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 49

FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Some items of food and drink are irradiated, contam- or drink, roll 1 C
D
  . If you roll an Effect, you suffer 1
inated with the radiation which is all-pervasive in Radiation damage, which ignores any resistance from
the wastelands. When you consume irradiated food equipment or armor.

Food Items
FOOD HP HEALED OTHER EFFECTS IRRADIATED? WEIGHT COST RARITY

BlamCo Brand Mac

4 – 1C
D  <1 10 1
and Cheese

Canned Dog Food 3 – 1C

D  <1 6 0

Cram 5 – 1C
D  <1 25 1

Crispy Squirrel Bits 6 – – <1 6 2

Dandy Boy Apples 3 – 1C

D  <1 7 0

Fancy Lads Snack Cakes 3 – 1C

D  <1 18 0

Gum Drops 3 – 1C
D  <1 5 0

Iguana Bits 4 – 1C
D  <1 8 1

InstaMash 4 – 1C
D  <1 20 0

Mirelurk Meat 6 – 1C
D  <1 18 1

Mongrel Dog Meat 4 – 1C

D  <1 8 0

Mutt Chops 6 – – <1 12 1

Noodle Cup 6 – – <1 20 2

Pork ‘n’ Beans 4 – 1C

D  <1 10 0

Potato Crisps 3 – 1C
D  <1 7 0

Roasted Mirelurk Meat 8 Gain +1 AP at start of next scene. – <1 40 2

Salisbury Steak 5 – 1C
D  <1 20 0

Squirrel Bits 4 – 1C
D  <1 4 1

Sugar Bombs 4 Gain +1 AP at start of next scene. 1C

D  <1 11 0

Yum-Yum Deviled Eggs 4 – 1C

D  <1 20 0

50 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

Many of the beverages listed in this section are number of alcoholic drinks you’ve consumed during
Alcoholic. All alcoholic drinks have the same effect: this session. If 2 or more Effects are rolled, you are
Until the end of the scene, you may re-roll 1d20 on addicted, and add +1 to the difficulty of CHA and AGI
STR and CHA tests, but increase the difficulty of INT tests while not under the effects of an alcoholic drink.
tests by +1. In addition, alcoholic drinks are addictive: The Party Boy/Party Girl perk (p.41) renders you
after drinking the beverage, roll a few  C
D
  equal to the immune to alcohol addiction.

Beverage Items
BEVERAGE HP HEALED OTHER EFFECTS IRRADIATED? WEIGHT COST RARITY

Beer 0 Alcoholic. – 1 5 1

Bourbon 0 Alcoholic. Reroll 1d20 on END tests. – 1 7 2

Brahmin Milk 1 Heals 2 Radiation damage. – <1 15 2

Dirty Water 2 – 1C
D  <1 5 0

Moonshine 0 Alcoholic. +2 Max HP. – <1 30 3

Nuka-Cola 2 Immediately gain +1 AP. 1C

D  1 20 2

Purified Water 3 – – <1 20 1

Rum 0 Alcoholic. Reroll 1d20 on AGI tests. – 1 8 2

CHEMS
Many chems are addictive. When you take an addic- addicted to that chem. Each chem lists the addiction
tive chem, roll a number of  C
D
  equal to the num- effects in their descriptions, below.
ber of doses you’ve taken this session. If you roll
a number of Effects that equals or exceeds that Chem duration lasts until the end of the current
Chems addiction number (noted after “Yes” in turn (Brief ) or until the end of the current scene
the “Addictive?” column below), you have become (Lasting).

Chem Items
CHEMS EFFECTS DURATION ADDICTIVE? WEIGHT COST RARITY

Re-roll 1d20 on all STR and END tests.

Buffout Lasting Yes 2 <1 45 2
+3 Max HP.

Reduce the difficulty of all PER and INT tests

Daddy-O Lasting Yes 1 <1 50 2
by 1 (minimum 0). +1 difficulty to CHA tests.

Jet Extra actions cost 1 less AP. Brief Yes 2 <1 50 2

Med-X +3 Physical damage resistance. Lasting Yes 2 <1 50 2

Mentats Re-roll 1d20 on PER and INT tests. Lasting Yes 3 <1 50 2

+2C
D
  damage to all attacks, +3 Physical
Psycho Lasting Yes 2 <1 50 2
damage resistance.

Rad-X +6 Radiation damage resistance. Lasting No <1 40 2

RadAway Heals 4 Radiation damage (see description). Instant No <1 80 2

Stimpak Heals 4 HP (see description). Instant No <1 50 2

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 51

JUNK
When you find junk while scavenging, roll 2d20. Common materials include wood, steel, plastic,
That is the quantity of junk items you scavenge. Junk rubber, cloth, concrete, bone, and ceramics; substances
items have a weight of 2 and are worth 2 caps each that are easy to find and easy to salvage. A single unit
in trade. You may spend 1 Luck point to increase the of common materials has a cost of 1 cap, and a weight
number of junk items scavenged by an amount equal of 1 lb.
to your LCK score.
Uncommon materials are rarer and harder to
You can salvage materials from junk items and from salvage, and include copper, aluminum, lead, silver,
other items you wish to dispose of to use them later for as well as cork, glass, fertilizer, fiberglass, and small
repairs and for crafting. Salvage requires that you have components such as gears, springs, and screws. A sin-
appropriate tools or facilities, such as a workbench. gle unit of uncommon materials has a cost of 3 caps,
and a weight of 1 lb.
Salvaging items takes around 10 minutes and requires
an INT + Repair test with a difficulty of 0. Roll 1 C
D  Rare materials are the rarest and most difficult to
for each junk item salvaged: you receive common salvage. Asbestos, ballistic fiber, circuitry, fiber-optics,
materials equal to the total rolled. You may roll +1 C
D  corrosive and antiseptic chemicals, and even nuclear
for every AP spent after succeeding on this test, as you material are found in many items, but are difficult to
salvage more efficiently and secure more materials. salvage. A single unit of rare materials has a cost of 5
caps and a weight of 1 lb.
If you have the Scrapper perk, you also receive one
uncommon material for each effect rolled. If you have
2 ranks in the Scrapper perk, you’ll also receive 1 rare
material for every 2 Effects rolled.

52 FALLOUT  Rules Booklet

MAGAZINES
When you read a magazine, it grants a tem­porary perk, use the benefit again. Once you used a temporary perk,
a bonus which applies once, on a single skill test, a you may choose to learn it permanently when you next
single attack, or other dis­tinct situation. If you have level up; otherwise, you forget it and must find another
the Comprehension perk (p.37) you have a chance to copy of that magazine to ‘remind’ yourself of the perk.

PUBLICATION EFFECT

Astoundingly Awesome Tales +2 to Radiation damage resistance.

Once, when you are affected by a Blast weapon, you may choose to fall
prone (p.24). If you do so, you add +3 to all damage resistances against
Duck and Cover!
the damage caused by that Blast. If you later learn this perk, you may use it
whenever you are affected by a Blast weapon by spending 1 AP.

Grognak the Barbarian One successful melee attack you make inflicts +2 C
D
  damage.
One attack with a Small Guns weapon gains the Vicious damage effect if it
Guns and Bullets
didn’t have it already.

Once, when you provide medical attention to another character and assist
Massachusetts Surgical Journal their END + Survival test to heal Injuries, you may treat your assistance die as
if it had rolled a 1. If you learn this perk, you may do this once per session.

Once, when you succeed or fail at a Barter test to haggle on the price of a
trade, you may spend 1 Luck point to shift the price 10% in your favor. If you
Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor learn this Perk, you may do this on any Barter test to haggle, though you must
spend one additional Luck point each extra time you use it during a session
(1 for the first time, 2 for the second, 3 for the third, etc.).

Tesla Science Magazine Once, when you inflict a Critical Hit, increase the total damage inflicted by +2.

Tumblers Today You may re-roll 1d20 on a single Lockpicking test.

Unstoppables Spend 3 Luck points to avoid all damage from a single attack or hazard.

U.S. Covert Operations Manual Enemies suffer +1 difficulty on tests to detect you.

Wasteland Survival Guide Consuming a food item heals twice as many HP.

MISCELLANY
UTILITY ITEMS EFFECTS WEIGHT COST RARITY

Reduces difficulty of Lockpick tests by 1 (minimum 1). One bobby

Bobby Pin <1 1 0
pin breaks per complication rolled.

First Aid Kit Heal +2 HP upon succeeding at the First Aid action. 4 200 2

Allows a PER + Survival test, difficulty 1, to determine if there is

Geiger Counter 8 325 3
radiation present in an area, and how much.

Multi-Tool Reduce the difficulty of Repair tests by 1 (minimum 0). 1 100 2

Generates bright light within Close range until the end of the
Torch current scene. Requires an INT + Survival test to light, difficulty 1, 1 10 1
+1 for each previous use.

Chapter Five  REFERENCE LISTS 53

 ®

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have imagined where fear is the mind killer so be sure to keep your wits about you. Expand your game, and the
power of your House with this collection of Dune: Adventures in the Imperium supplements and accessories.
S ta n da r d E d i t i o n CollECtor’S Edition P l ay E r ’ S J o u r n a l
CorE rulEbook CorE rulEbookS An elegantly designed 160 page
A beautiful 336 page hardback Show your allegiance to the most journal to record your character
full colour interior core rulebook, powerful Houses of the Imperium details, House and adventures
offering everything you need to or collect the set of these three everywhere from Caladan to Arrakis.
create your own character and noble stunning special edition covers for Contains lined, square and blank
House to adventure in the Imperium. the Core Rulebook. paper beautifully rendered in
Learn to harness the spice and battle matching graphics with character
your way to power. and House sheets.

GamEmaStEr’S toolkit
A four panel decorated screen with
32 page booklet offering all manner
of gamemaster support. The perfect
way to build your story and perhaps
even your legacy on the dunes of
Arrakis.
arrakiS diCE SEt
A beautiful set of custom dice, spot
wormsign on these sand coloured
dice and bring the power of the
Makers to your game.
arrakiS mElanGE
diCE SEt
A pre-order only set of custom dice,
blue as the Eyes of Ibad, see the far
future and navigate the murky world
of Dune with the clarity of the spice
Melange.

FIND OUT MORE AT

https://www.modiphius.net/pages/discover-dune-roleplaying-game
 ENTER THE WASTELAND!
• 2 Player+, Solo and Co-Op play.
• Narrative and battle modes.
• Build your settlement or just fight it out. AVAILABLE
• Organised play and tournament support.
NOW!
Major factions include:
• Survivors • Raiders
• Brotherhood of Steel • The Enclace
• Super Mutants • The Institute
modiphius.com/fallout

Get your store listed on the

Modiphius retail locator
modiphius.net/pages/store-locator
so we can send customers your way.
MADE TO ORDER ITEMS
Made to order only items available direct from Sole Survivor &

modiphiusretail.com includes Wasteland Scenics, T-60 Armor

shown actual scale.

Robots and Creature sets, along with individual

faction models.
®

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