Tag skill

 

Tag skills are the player character's specializations. At the start of every Fallout game, the player chooses three Tag skills which will be their specialties throughout the game. The Tag! perk allows you to pick an additional, fourth tag skill later in the game.

In Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, tagged skills increase at double the rate of an untagged skill (i.e. One skill point translates to a 2% increase in the skill). In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas however, a tagged skill only gives an initial 15 point boost.

Tag skills are a vital part of the Fallout universe because they essentially dictate what type of character you will play. A fighter will tag combat skills whereas a diplomat may choose speech, barter and science. A well-rounded character usually includes at least one diplomatic and one combat skill.

Tag skill bonuses

Tagging skills also provides an immediate benefit to your starting equipment in Fallout, Fallout Tactics, and Fallout: New Vegas.

Fallout starting equipment

• 1x Colt 6520 10mm pistol
• 48x 10mm JHP
• 1x knife
• 2x flares
• 4x stimpaks

Tag Bonuses
Doctor: +1 doctor's bag First Aid: +2 stimpaks Outdoorsman: +3 water flasks Repair: +1 tool Science: +2 Buffouts +2 Mentats Small Guns: +24 10mm JHP Steal or Lockpick: +1 lock pick set Unarmed: +1 brass knuckles Throwing: +2 throwing knives

Fallout Tactics starting equipment

• 1x MP5 H&K
• 48x 9mm ball
• 1x Happy pie
• 1x Classic Nuka-Cola
• 1x stimpak
• 1x Midwest Brotherhood leather armor

Tag Bonuses

Barter: +1 Cat's Paw +50 rp Big Guns: +1 happy pie +2 booze Doctor: +1 doctor's bag +3 fruit +1 scalpel Energy Weapons: +3 pre-War donuts +1 booze First Aid: +1 antidote +2 poison +1 First aid kit Gambling: +$500 Lockpick: +1 stinky meat platter +25rp Melee Weapons: +1 broken bottle +1 knife Outdoorsman: +1 Rad-X +1 healing powder Pilot: +1 Cat's Paw +2 XXXXXBeer +6 beer Repair: +1 tool kit +1 crowbar Science: +1 clipboard +1 Mentats +4 classic Nuka-Cola Small Guns: +24 9mm ball +1 booze Sneak: +1 axe handle Steal: +$30 +100rp Throwing: +3 Spears +1 frag grenade +10 Rocks Traps: +1 explosive trap +3 T13 antipersonnel mines Unarmed: +1 brass knuckles +1 Buffout +3 rot gut

Fallout: New Vegas starting equipment

• 1x Vault 21 jumpsuit
• 1x 9mm pistol
• 30x 9mm rounds
• 4x stimpaks
• 18x caps
• 6x bobby pins

Tag Bonuses
Explosives: Eight sticks of dynamite instead of the 9mm pistol Energy weapons: Laser pistol and 25 energy cells instead of the 9mm pistol Guns: Up to 30 extra 9mm rounds Lockpick: Six addition bobby pins Melee Weapons: Straight razor Unarmed: Boxing gloves

Behind the scenes

• Interestingly, early builds of Fallout 3 retained the 2-for-1 advancement feature of Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics, but it seems that it was scrapped later on.