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Radiation resistance
Radiation Resistance
Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: New Vegas
ModifiesReduction of radiation exposure
Governed ByEndurance, armor, Rad-X
Initial ValueEndurance * 2
Related PerksRad Resistance, Vault City Inoculations
Related TraitsFast Metabolism
Fallout 3, Fallout 4
ModifiesReduction of radiation exposure
Governed ByEndurance, armor, Rad-X
Initial Value(Endurance - 1) * 2
Related PerksCyborg, Rad Resistance, Survival Expert, Booster Shot, Pitt Fighter
Fallout 76
ModifiesAmount of radiation your character is exposed to is reduced by this amount.
Initial Value0
 ... 
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Gametitle-FO1Gametitle-FO2Gametitle-FO3Gametitle-FNVGametitle-FO4Gametitle-F76Gametitle-FOTGametitle-VB

The amount of radiation you are exposed to is reduced by this percentage. Radiation Resistance can be modified by the type of armor worn, and anti-radiation chems.

— Fallout In-game description

Radiation resistance is a derived statistic in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76.

It reduces radiation damage by a percentage.

Rad-X temporarily increases Radiation Resistance.

Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: New Vegas[]

Notes:

  • Average characters will have a 10% radiation resistance.
  • The Fast Metabolism trait sets initial radiation resistance to 0.
  • The Rad Resistance perk increases radiation resistance by 15% per rank. (10% per rank in FO1)
  • The Vault City Inoculations perk increases radiation resistance by 10%.
  • Rad-X temporarily increases radiation resistance by 50%. Half of it is lost after 24 hours, with resistance returning to its original value after another 24 hours.
  • In Fallout, rad resistance can go as high as 100% (Which is needed to survive The Glow). In Fallout 2, it is capped at 95%, in Fallout: New Vegas, however, it is capped at 85%.

Fallout 3[]

Example: A starting Endurance of 5.

Permanently increasing Radiation Resistance[]

Temporarily increasing Radiation Resistance[]

Notes:

  • In Fallout 3 rad resistance is capped at 85%.

Fallout 4 and Fallout 76[]

Damage resistance in both of the Creation Engine games is essentially the same and uses three separate armor types for the three available damage types:

  • DamageResist, used to determine resistance against ballistic or normal weapons - most conventional firearms, melee, and unarmed weapons, as well as creature attacks,
  • EnergyResist, used against weapons dealing energy damage,
  • RadiationResist, used against - what else? - radiation-based weapons.

To determine the damage reduction, the game first checks the following:

  • If target has 0 Armor = 0% DamageReduction
  • If Armor < 15% AttackDamage = 1% Damage Reduction
  • If Armor > 550x Attack Damage = 95% Damage Reduction

Otherwise, it performs the following calculation: [1]

DamageReduction = 1-0.5*(AttackDamage / DamageResist)^0.3653

At extreme values, Energy damage can be nullified, but Ballistic or Normal damage will only be reduced by a max of 95%.

Gallery[]

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