the name given to the
character design system in the
Fallout game series (
Fallout,
Fallout 2, and
Fallout Tactics so far). Made specially by the designers after they lost a deal to use
GURPS (
Generic Universal Roleplaying System). It
consists of 10
primary traits which determine the characters'
aptitude in the various secondary
skills.
- Strength - Represents your raw physical power. Important for Melee characters, modifies hit points (+1 per point), melee damage (+1 if strength >6), carry weight (25 lbs per point), unarmed and melee skills (+2% per point). Important for weapons use. If you do not meet the strength requirement, you'll get 20% penalty bonus to your weapon skill.
- Perception - Your ability to notice things around you, on your target, and how fast you'll react in combat. Highly important for sniper characters, as well those who like having acute senses. Modifies sequence (+2 per point), first aid (+2% per point), doctor (+1% per point), lockpick and traps skills (+1% per point).
- Endurance - Stamina. Modifies hit points (+2 per point), poison (+5%) and radiation (+2%) resistance as well as outdoorsman skill (+2%).
- Charisma - Good-Looking-ness. The higher your charisma, the more other characters will like you. Your NPC party also depends on this stat. Maximum number of allies is charisma/2. Modifies barter skill (4% per point) and speech (5% per point).
- Intelligence - Your knowledge and learning ability. Affects dialogue choices and skill point gain per level. Modifies first aid (2%), doctor (1%), science (4%), repair (1%) and outdoorsman (2%) skills. It also gives you +2 skill points per point of intelligence when your character advances to next experience level.
- Agility - A general 'speed' stat. The more agile you are, the more actions you'll be able to perform in each combat turn. It also modifies armor class (1 per point), small guns (4%), energy and big guns (2%), unarmed and melee skills (2%), throwing (4%), sneak (3%), lockpick (1%), steal (3%) and traps (1%).
- Luck - Your general ability to get favorable outcomes from random events. The higher your luck is, the more chances you'll have to find special encounters. Your opponents will also have more critical failures in combat, with less for you. Modifies critical hit rate (+1% per point) and gambling skill (5%).
Secondary Skills include: Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Melee, Unarmed, Throwing, First Aid, Doctor, Sneak, Lockpick, Steal, Traps, Science, Repair, Speech*, Barter, Gambling and Outdoorsman.
*Note that in Fallout Tactics, Speech is replaced by Piloting, a skill that governs how well your character can drive the various vehicles in the game.
Overall, it seems like a very solid system for the Fallout games, and I'd like to see it (or something similar) in other RPGs, though that's probably unlikely being as it was made specially for the Fallout games by its designers. Still, it seems a good approach for game designers to take instead of simply implementing an already prominent system (*cough*AD&D*cough*).