Nearly everyone has played an RPG (role-playing game) where they needed to add points to attributes; certain play styles require points in different areas. For example, Melee fighters need to put points in strength whilst stealth players may place points in agility. Fallout 76 isn't any different, however, the game takes it a step further by allowing players to choose perks.

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Perks are passive improvements or attributes to a player that can assist in their gameplay. This can range from taking less damage, quicker regeneration, or boosting your experience points. Depending on how you want to play the game will depend on which perks you select. However, there will habitually be a select few perks that are always handy to have.

So pack the stimpacks and grab your shotguns as you exit the vault — get ready to explore some of the best perks available in Fallout 76.

Updated on September 8, 2021, by Jeff Drake: Picking the right perks in the main Fallout games is crucial, and in this regard Fallout 76 is no different. Choosing the wrong perks for your character's build can make the game more unnecessarily difficult than it needs to be - which will diminish the fun factor of the game. There are a ton of perks in Fallout 76. Some are broadly useful. Some are very "niche", and have limited uses outside a set number of situations. This update has added additional perks that are useful regardless of a character's build. You might notice this list doesn't include any of the legendary perks. That's because those would obviously dominate this list, and are best left for separated.

15 Aquaboy/Aquagirl

The Aquaboy/Aquagirl perk in Fallout 76 lets you explore underwater

In the Fallout games - at least since Fallout 3 - exploring the depths of a body of water can be both useful and profitable. The Aquaboy/Aquagirl perk negates the damage from radiation while swimming. More importantly, your character can breathe underwater. This allows you to take your time and explore every nook and cranny below the surface. Sure, you could just look up the underwater locations online, but where's the fun in that?

Being able to go underwater and stay there indefinitely is also a tremendous strategic advantage - especially if your enemy can't. At the very least you can retreat to a body of water and use it to escape, or move along the shore and resurface away from an enemy for a second chance at an encounter.

14 Bloody Mess

The Bloody Mess perk in Fallout 76 makes you deadlier and makes kills more messy

The Fallout games have always been about exploration; though when exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland you should be prepared to have to defend yourself. One key to surviving is the ability to deal a lot of damage to your enemies. The Bloody Mess perk increases the overall damage you do. At the first rank, you do 5 percent more damage, at the second rank 10 percent, and at rank three you do 15 percent more damage.

Most perks that increase damage do so for a set group of weapons; like the Master Guerrilla perk for automatic pistols. Bloody Mess affects all your attacks regardless of what weapon you are using - except thrown weapons and bashing with your weapon (for some reason). Plus, this perk can make non-robotic enemies explode when you kill them.

13 Adrenaline

The Adrenaline perk in Fallout 76 makes you do more damage with each kill

This is a great perk on its own, but when combined with perks like Bloody Mess it can be borderline overpowered. At the first rank, this perk increases damage by 6 percent for 30 seconds after killing an enemy. This effect is cumulative and has a maximum bonus of 36 percent. It gets even better - each kill resets the 30 second time limit.

This perk has five ranks; at rank five the bonus damage is increased to 10 percent (60 percent maximum). When combined with a few other perks you can quickly have your character doing double damage. This makes fights much easier and quicker affairs, which helps you conserve your stimpacks.

12 Pack Rat

The inventory view in Fallout 76

There are so many shiny objects in the wasteland that you cannot help but pick them all up. You can scan everything from junk items to weapons for components. After ransacking a location, you select 'fast travel' to warp back to camp. It's then that you see the word that every vault dweller hates: “over-encumbered.” This is where the pack rat perk comes into play.

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A Strength perk unlocked at level seven with three tiers of upgrade, it will reduce the weight of your junk by 25 percent, 50 percent, then 75 percent. As you progress through the higher levels of gameplay, and the demand for parts grows, this perk is great for squeezing in that extra bit.

Please note that this is only for junk on your person — NOT in your stash.

11 Action Boy-Action Girl

Attacking a robot with a rifle in Fallout 76

Action points (or AP) in Fallout 76 is an important bar to keep in mind when venturing through the desolation. Strategic moves cost AP: from entering VATS (even if there are no enemies around) to jumping, and most importantly, legging it from a charging Deathclaw.

Action Boy-Action Girl is a level two-tiered Agility perk and allows the recipient to generate AP faster. Each tier will increase the refresh rate of AP from 15 percent up to 45 percent. A nice tactic to use when outrunning mobs is to leg it. Using the obstacles like cars and high ground, resting for a few seconds, and then continuing to run for your life is your best bet.

10 Shotgunner

Using a pump-action shotgun in Fallout 76 is made better with the Shotgunner perk

If you’re not rocking a shotgun in the wasteland, you're setting yourself up for failure. A lot of enemies in Fallout 76 have a tendency to close the gap and engage in close-quarters combat. Low in range but packing a lot of punch, shotguns coupled with VATS is a sure way to make your enemies explode into a fine pink mist of blood and sinew.

Shotgunner is a tiered Strength perk attained at level three, which increases the damage output of your shotguns by 10 percent, 15 percent, and 20 percent, respectively. Later in the game, you will also have the chance to obtain the expert shotgunner perk which increases the damage even further. When the enemy is close enough to engage with shotguns; you want every single bit of damage to count!

9 Picklock

Picking a lock in Fallout 76

You see it: a metal cage with a workshop around it kitted out with all sorts of valuable junk components. You continue to survey it and see a full suit of shiny T-60 power armor racked up at the power armor station. All that’s stopping you is that door and a requirement of one lockpicking skill that you don’t have.

Picklock is a perception skill attained at level five, which gives the player one skill in lockpicking. When this happens, your levels fly by, and you will get the option to specialize in expert (or master) lockpicking, raising your abilities to gain even more shiny objects.

8 Hacker/Expert Hacker/Master Hacker

Hacking a terminal in Fallout 76

The scenario given in the above Picklock entry about needing to get through a barrier to get to some loot is just as relevant to this entry. Why? Sometimes that door, or safe, isn't opened via lock-picking but must be opened via a terminal. Hacking in Fallout 76 works a little differently than in other Fallout games; terminals have a skill level that ranges from 0 to 3.

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This perk allows you to hack terminals with a skill level of 1 and negates the lockout penalty for a failed hacking attempt. When combined with the Expert Hacker and Master Hacker perks you can hack terminals with a skill level of 2 and 3.

7 Lead Belly

Lead Belly perk makes eating tainted wasteland food less risky in Fallout 76

Fallout 76 is a survival game where you have to pay attention to your food and water consumption. You're parched with thirst and that dirty water looks mighty refreshing. You take a sip and instantly turn green due to radiation. That’s because 95 percent of things that give you sustenance have been touched by radiation.

Enter the Lead Belly perk: This Endurance perk is attained at level two with three tiers to acquire. It allows the player to take 30 percent less radiation when eating and drinking, rising to 60 percent, then no radiation with the final tier. This reduces the care you need to take when thinking about food. More importantly, this is a reminder not to drink the river water. You'll most likely catch a disease.

6 Lone Wanderer

Wandering the wasteland alone in Fallout 76

Although Fallout 76 gears itself to team play with your friends or other random wastelanders, sometimes you just want to explore the nuclear outdoors on your own.

Lone Wanderer is a Charisma perk that you can get at level four. A tiered perk, it allows the player to take 10 percent less damage and gain 10 percent faster AP regeneration. This eventually scales to 15 percent and 20 percent, to 20 percent and 30 percent. This will increase your survivability in the wilds when traveling on that dusty road alone - just remember to replace it with the Inspirational Perk when you party up.

5 Fix It Good

Using a workstation in Fallout 76

Armor is there to take a battering; to protect you from ghouls feasting on your face or rounds finding their mark on your persons. Equipped items in Fallout 76 have a durability scale, which plays a big part in equipment as once broken it stops functioning.

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Fix it Good is a tiered Intelligence Perk attained at level 27 which over repairs your armor - including power armor. At the start, it will allow you to repair your armor to 130 percent of the normal maximum condition, scaling up to 160 percent, then 200 percent. This perk will allow you to focus more on exploring the wastelands rather than spending your sweet caps on expensive components to repair items.

4 Covert Operative

Sneaking-up on the enemy in Fallout 76

If the sneak game is your gaming playstyle, then Covert Operative is your perk. There is nothing more satisfying than crouching behind cover, waiting for that opportunity to strike with a devastating headshot with that sweet critical sneak damage.

Covert Operative is a tiered Agility perk open to players at level 27, allowing your sneak attacks to deal 2.15 percent normal damage. Scaling to 2.3 percent and finally 2.5 percent, it is an easy way to dispatch stationary or sentry-type enemies. For those harder higher-level enemies, the best way to employ this perk is by using a heavy-hitting weapon, such as a decked-out hunting rifle or revolver for that critical strike, then finishing them off with a high DPS (damage per sec) weapon.

3 First Aid

The First Aid perk helps make healing items and supplies work better in Fallout 76

It is a given that you will get hurt out there in the harsh nuclear wilderness. Bites and bullets hurt a lot and you need to make sure you don’t succumb to death. Stimpacks aren’t common in the wasteland so players have to exercise some discretion when using multiple at once.

The First Aid perk is a tiered Intelligence perk available at level two, which gives stimpacks (normal and diluted) a bit more juice when used (15 percent to be exact). Scaling up to 30 percent to 45 percent, the First Aid perk is a must for those heavy firefights where the hurt comes naturally.

2 Bodyguards

The Bodyguard perk is useful for teams in Fallout 76

As mentioned previously, Fallout 76 heavily emphasizes company during your adventures in the nuclear landscape and rewards it quite well as teamwork makes the dream work.

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Bodyguards is a four-tier Charisma perk available at level five, which allows the player to gain six damage and energy resist per player (excluding yourself). Scaling to eight, 10, then 12 resist, this perk takes the sting off big blows that your party may face, increasing survivability to take down the enemy. Just make sure you're prepared when engaging scorchbeasts.

1 Inspirational

The Inspiration perk grant bonus experience

Every enemy you kill, every quest you complete, and every item you craft grants you experience points (XP). XP runs the game, granting you higher levels and opening additional perks and abilities for you to use. However, the grind to level up is a long and tough one. If you have partied up with a friend or a bunch of mates, the Inspiration perk is a must-have.

Inspiration is a tiered Charisma perk available at level two where it will grant the player 5 percent more XP than normal (as long as they are partied). Scaling to 10 percent and finally 15 percent, this perk is sure to cut some time out of attaining those high levels.

NEXT: Fallout 76: The Best CAMP Locations