Fallout 4 is an RPG. That can, of course, mean a multitude of things. Often, it means that progression and character evolution are directly linked to the experience points gained. Major actions always earn XP, like unlocking doors, killing enemies, and finishing quests. As fate would have it, that's precisely what we're dealing with in Fallout 4.

Related: The Best Builds For Survival In Fallout 4, Ranked

The problem with Fallout 4 is that the game can be very grind-oriented. It can take quite a bit of time to level up. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to circumvent that tedium to some degree, including all 15 we're about to highlight.

Updated on July 13, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: Fallout 4, like any big Bethesda Game Studios title, enjoys the sort of 'evergreen' popularity that few single-player RPGs can claim to achieve. But it's been seven years and counting since the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth was first introduced to us, so you may want to get to the good stuff in the game with greater haste than in its heyday. Here's how!

14 Use The Idiot Savant Perk

Fallout 4 Dialogue With Preston

This perk is mandatory for fast early leveling because it offers three and five times experience for actions performed. It is a Luck Perk, which means that it is random. You might get it, or you might not, and is not vital for the smaller actions that will reward low XP amounts. It is handy for quest completion bonuses.

A trick you can use is to Quick Save the game before you turn in a quest. When you get the bonus, you continue playing. When you do not get the bonus from the Idiot Savant Perk, you Quick Load and try again.

13 Farm Side Quests

Fallout 4 Elder Maxson During Quest

Numerous side quests exist in Fallout 4. If you want to level up your character as fast as possible, you need to do as many as you can. Those that can be repeated should be a priority.

Most players are drawn in by the main quests in the storyline. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you just follow the main storyline, you end up with less experience than you could if you were to farm the side quests.

12 Join The Brotherhood Of Steel

A Brotherhood of Steel follower in full power armor in Boston in Fallout 4

Speaking of side quests, a beneficial move if you want to level up as fast as possible is to join the Brotherhood of Steel as early as you can. Out of all the factions in the game, this one allows you to level up the fastest. This allows you to go to Scribe Haylen and eventually Knight Rhys for extra quests worth a good deal of XP.

One of the quest givers sends you to scout areas and the other one sends you to kill. The quests overlap and are very simple. You thus receive XP rewards for scouting, completing tasks, and killing at the same time. As an extra related tip, make sure to also do the same with Preston’s Minute Men as with the Brotherhood Of Steel.

11 Maximize Your Intelligence Stat

SPECIAL stat Intelligence in Fallout 4

This is vital to level up fast in Fallout 4 because higher intelligence offers more XP for everything you do. Unlock different intelligence ranks as soon as possible. You can do this after taking full advantage of the above-mentioned Idiot Savant stat or even before it.

Related: Tips For Fallout 4 Survival Mode

Most players want really cool perks and neglect the intelligence stat. In reality, if you have higher Intelligence, you get the perks you want faster because you get more XP for the actions you do in the game. Jump Intelligence ranks in a single go by saving up Skill Points when leveling up.

10 Use Mentats Before Acquiring XP

Mentats in Fallout 4

There are several hacks that one can employ in Fallout 4 to increase their intelligence. Using Mentats is one such hack that will serve the player well in their travels.

Basically, players need to ingest some Mentats before turning in a quest, completing objectives, or doing anything that enables the patented Fallout 4 fast leveling hack. Just try not to abuse these Mentats too much, since the last thing a player wants is to have the Sole Survivor develop a crippling addiction.

9 Wear Equipment That Boosts Intelligence

A character cosplaying as a baseball player in Fallout 4

Another great way to boost a player's intelligence — in a bid to unlock the fastest ways to level up — is to wear equipment that adds bonuses to their intelligence. There are several pieces of equipment in the game that help players accomplish the same.

However, the idea of having to equip and unequip pieces of armor to get XP bonuses might sound somewhat... tedious. For a more permanent boost to a player's intelligence...

8 Find As Many Intelligence Bobbleheads As Possible

Bobbleheads in Fallout 4

The world of Fallout 4 is littered with bobbleheads that increase a player's stats permanently when discovered. No SPECIAL stat is an exception to this... including intelligence.

Related: The Most Powerful Builds In Fallout 4, Ranked

So, the best way to permanently increase a player's intelligence is to find these bobbleheads. Players need to be extra vigilant when seeking out these bobbleheads since some of them are extremely well-hidden.

7 Repeat The 'Learning Curve' Quest

Learning Curve in Fallout 4

Once again, the Brotherhood of Steel can help you level up faster. After joining and killing Kellogg, you need to go with Brother Danse to Prydwen. There, you meet Proctor Quinlan. When you agree to help him, you start the Learning Curve Quest. This is repeatable if you use a trick.

The quest asks you to protect a Brotherhood member. Use a sniper rifle equipped with a scope to kill him. Do this from quite a distance so that the patrol guards do not see you. If you report to Quinlan and say the target died, you get experience and you can repeat the quest.

6 Build Settlements

Diamond City's entrance in Fallout 4

If something you build is resource-intensive, you receive much more XP than initially imagined. Also, how much XP you get can be increased by putting points in intelligence. Gear with INT bonuses help you speed up the process.

Related: Best Settlements In Fallout 4, Ranked

A great strategy to use is to buy Copper shipments. Then, build as many statues as possible, as long as they offer a lot of experience when they are placed in the settlement.

5 Modify Your Equipment

The Old Gullet Sinkhole in Fallout 4

In Fallout 4, you can customize most of the tools you use for destruction purposes. Modifying weaponry and armor or crafting weapons and armor gives you experience points. Basically, every time you change the items you use or have, some XP is gained.

While you cannot make much with equipment modifications, the extras that you get are worth it because it does not take long to change something. You will also find it easier to deal with trickier enemies and bosses.

4 Lockpick And Hack Everything You Can

Lockpicking a container in Fallout 4

As you go through the wasteland, you explore countless locations and buildings. This offers many opportunities to use hacking and lockpicking skills. No matter what the skill level is, every single hack or pick will offer some XP.

To make gains faster, put points into the Hacker and Locksmith perks. This allows you to pick difficult locks and hack complicated terminals. When the puzzle is of a higher difficulty, you get more experience. Combine this with high Intelligence and you get XP chunks with every successful hack and lockpick.

3 Fight The Tough Guys

Combat Rifle in Fallout 4

Many enemies wait for you in the wasteland. They want to kill you, and you should want to kill them too. Whenever the fight you are faced with is seemingly an unfair one (for instance, the enemy is a much higher level, or you do not have enough ammo), you should take it.

Every single kill will give you XP. Since you will be moving from one location to the next, and you will meet enemies anyway, there is no reason to avoid them. You might meet trickier enemies with higher XP rewards in the process.

2 Max Out Piper's Affinity To Get The Gift Of Gab Perk

Piper sitting on a couch in Fallout 4

There are various companions — 12, to be exact — scattered across Fallout 4. All these companions end up providing their fair share of benefits after their affinity is maxed out.

In Piper's case, maxing out one's affinity with her allows players to get the Gift of Gab perk. This affinity bonus allows players to gain double XP upon discovering a new location or netting a successful speech check.

1 Make The Most Of The Well-Rested And Lover's Embrace Perks

Cait And Hancock, Fallout 4

Of course, maxing out one's affinity with Piper — or any other romanceable companion in the game — also allows players to attain the Lover's Embrace perk when they sleep beside their partner. This provides a whopping 15 percent increase in experience gain for around eight in-game hours.

However, if the player doesn't have a romantic partner yet, then there's another less effective replacement for this perk. The Well-Rested perk activates once players have spent some time in a safe and comfortable bed, allowing them to benefit from a ten percent experience gain instead.

Next: Fallout 4: Things To Do After You Beat The Game