Fallout New Vegas Traits Best Traits [Ranked]

Traits are an essential aspect of the game that can affect your gameplay. These can be equipped during the character build, thus allowing players to choose their exemplary character.

Fallout New Vegas Traits

Fallout: New Vegas features ten initial traits that modify gameplay. Once chosen, they’re permanent. If you have the Old World Blues expansion, you can select two traits from six unique options. These traits have both benefits and downsides, making character-building complex, especially in Hardcore mode.

Trigger Discipline

Best for Entry-Level Players

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+20% accuracy with Guns and Energy Weapons
Penalties	-20% fire rate with guns and energy weapons +20% AP required per shot
Form ID	00135EC8

Trigger Discipline is one of the best and entry-level traits for beginners in Fallout New Vegas, which helps with long-range combat. This trait improves weapon accuracy by teaching players to control their shots.

Entry-level players can benefit from Trigger Discipline, which provides a 20% accuracy bonus and a 20% slower fire rate for ranged and energy weapons, allowing for more accurate headshots. However, it comes at the cost of 20% more Action Points when using V.A.T.S. This trait is ideal for Sniper or Gunslinger builds focused on long-range combat but not necessary for melee or close-range battles. Choose wisely, as traits cannot be changed without resetting your character.

Kamikaze

Best for Extra Action Points.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+10 Action Points
Penalties	-2 Damage Threshold, -15% Damage Resistance
Form ID	00135F05

If none of the 10 traits fit, Kamikaze is a good option. It offers +10 Action Points, which can benefit a character focused on critical hits and V.A.T.S for more damage.

Kamikaze completely ignores the -2 Damage Threshold, making it a risky choice for hardcore mode. However, it provides a fun option for extra Action Points, especially when combined with Agility and perks to gain an additional +10 Action Points. This can eliminate the need to select the trait.

You can read our Best Fallout New Vegas Armor article here.

Claustrophobia

Best Trait for S.P.E.C.I.A.L Stats.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+1 to all SPECIAL stats when outside
Penalties	-1 to all SPECIAL stats when indoors
Form ID	xx0133AE

One of the traits a player can consider is Claustrophobia, which you can obtain from the Old World Blues DLC in the Ultimate Edition of the game. It adds +1 to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats outdoors but reduces one S.P.E.C.I.A.L stat point when indoors.

Claustrophobia provides mediocre stat points. It complements character builds needing extra S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats for enhanced abilities. The penalty only applies to indoor locations with loading screens. Other sites offer a +1 to your S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats.

Logan’s Loophole

Most Influential Trait.

Attribute	Value
Requirements	Level less than 30
Benefits	Chems last twice as long Addiction rates are set to 0%
Penalties	Level cap locks at Level 30
Form ID	xx01276E

Logan’s Loophole is an influential trait, part of the Old World Blues DLC, extending the duration of Chems and preventing addiction. This trait helps avoid issues with drugs and hallucinatory effects. It’s obtained during the expansion’s questline.

On the contrary, this perk will be capping your level at 30 instead of 50. This is a big drawback, as most Fallout New Vegas perks and weapons unlock beyond level 30. For that instance, Logan’s Loophole will limit your character’s abilities to unlock maximum stuff and acquire all the bonuses available to the character.

Loose Cannon

Best for Thrown Weapons.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	Thrown weapons' throw rate (rate of fire) is +30% faster
Penalties	Thrown weapons have -25% range (velocity)
Form ID	00164ED1

Fallout New Vegas introduces unique traits, setting it apart from other series. The trait “Loose Cannon” elevates your Courier character by enabling 30% faster thrown weapon attacks, delivering more damage with speed.

The Loose Cannon trait in Fallout New Vegas can help you with melee builds that use thrown spears and knives as secondary weapons. However, it comes with a downside – your thrown weapons will have 25% less range due to the 30% faster speed. Despite this penalty, it can be a valuable addition for close-range fights with a melee build.

Hot Blooded

Best for Close-Range Melee Combat.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+15% damage when your health is below 50%
Penalties	-2 to Perception and Agility when your health is below 50%
Form ID	+15% damage when your health is below 50%

Hot Blooded provides a 15% damage boost for close-range melee combat when your health falls below 50%, making your character more effective in combat.

When your HP drops below 50%, you deal significantly more damage. This effect is gained when starting the Old World Blues expansion. While it’s a top priority for gun-focused builds, it comes with a -2 penalty to Agility and Perception, which has a lesser impact on ranged weapon builds but hinders melee weapon users.

Heavy Handed

Best for Melee Weapons.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+20% damage (Melee and Unarmed only)
Penalties	-60% Critical damage. (Melee and Unarmed only)
Form ID	00135EC5

You can now deal 20% extra damage with melee weapons, thanks to the Heavy Handed trait. Use this bonus for more effective melee combat against various enemies.

The Heavy Handed trait is useful for players who prefer melee weapons in Fallout New Vegas. It negates 60% of critical damage for melee weapons, which isn’t significant because melee weapons have difficulty registering critical hits. Instead, players receive a 20% extra damage effect on all melee weapon attacks.

Small Frame

Best for Normal Difficulty.

Attribute	Value
Requirements	Agility less than 10
Benefits	+1 Agility
Penalties	+25% Damage to limbs
Form ID	00135EC6

Character builds rely on S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats and perks. Your character build affects your gameplay and the ending you get. To maximize your abilities and experience, consider Small Frame, which grants +1 Agility but increases limb damage by 25%. While the extra Agility point is useful for Agility tree perks, be cautious as limb damage can hinder your gameplay, especially against formidable foes like DeathClaws or Feral Ghouls.

Small Frame is a good choice for first-time Fallout New Vegas players on normal difficulty. However, in Hardcore Mode, it can pose problems as Stimpaks won’t heal instantly, and enemies are tougher. Crippled limbs need doctors to heal. To offset this, complete the Tough Guy challenge, which reduces limb damage by 20% and allows you to max out Agility. This counters the limb damage drawback of the Small Frame trait.

Early Bird

Best for Maxing Out Builds.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+2 to SPECIAL stats from 6 AM to 12PM
Penalties	-1 to SPECIAL stats from 6 PM to 6 AM
Form ID	xx012767

Early Bird is a powerful entry-level trait for characters who rely on S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats and perks. It’s highly sought after for maxing out character builds.

The Early Bird trait provides a substantial two-point bonus to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L attributes from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., maxing out character abilities, skills, and perks during this time. However, starting at 6 p.m., the trait imposes a one-point penalty to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats as a drawback. The morning bonus makes Early Bird a valuable option for players.

Hoarder

Best for Hoarding.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+25 lbs. is added to your total Carry Weight
Penalties	-1 to SPECIAL stats while your total carrying weight is below 160 lbs.
Form ID	xx01276D

Success in Fallout New Vegas depends on more than just killing enemies; looting items is crucial. You can enhance your carry weight by 25 with the Hoarder trait, which is available in the Old World Blues DLC. To acquire this trait, enter the expansion’s quests. With Hoarder, you can carry valuable items for crafting weapons and armor.

However, Hoarder carries a significant penalty, affecting your character. When your carrying weight falls below 160 lbs, you’ll have a -1 value to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats. This means you’ll need to maintain a weight above 160 lbs throughout your journey in the New Vegas wasteland.

In Fallout New Vegas, you can tailor your character to your preferred playstyle. If you enjoy looting and stealing, Hoarder is the best trait, and it’s especially useful for Power Armor users and Lone Wanderers looking to carry more items.

Built To Destroy

Best for Critical Hits.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+3% Critical Chance
Penalties	+15% weapon wear
Form ID	00137B02

Build to Destroy is a trait that boosts critical hit chances, making it great for characters who want to deal heavy damage effortlessly. It offers a 3% extra critical hit chance, allowing you to kill enemies regardless of their level instantly. This trait can be extremely helpful in Fallout New Vegas, where getting critical hits can be challenging.

Your weapons will break 15% faster due to the trait effect. Weapon damage is a less critical concern in Fallout New Vegas.

With the Repair skill, you can counter the 3% faster weapon damage penalty. The Jury Rigging perk allows players to repair their weapons efficiently even when they deteriorate quickly.

Four Eyes

Best for Perception-Based Builds.

Attribute	Value
Requirements	Perception less than 10 AND higher than 1
Benefits	+2 Perception when wearing glasses
Penalties	-1 to Base Perception
Form ID	00135EC4

 

The Four Eyes trait in Fallout New Vegas requires eyewear or glasses for a +2 Perception boost, unlocking Perception tree perks. Removing eyewear results in a -1 Perception, which isn’t critical for Perception-based character builds. However, the +2 boost benefits characters with perks for explosives, lockpicking, and sneak attacks, especially in Hardcore mode for stealthy gameplay.

Fast Shot

Best for Gunslinger or Cowboy Characters.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	Fire Rate increases by 20%, AP costs are decreased by 20% for all firearms with Energy Weapons and Guns
Penalties	Weapon Spread increases by 20%, V.A.T.S Accuracy decreases by 20% for all with Energy Weapons and Guns
Form ID	00135EC7

Fast Shot is one of the best Fallout New Vegas traits, especially for Gunslinger or Cowboy characters. It boosts the weapon fire rate by 20% and reduces AP cost in VATS by 20%. However, it comes at the cost of a 20% reduction in accuracy. You can offset the accuracy penalty with weapon perks. Use a minigun or sniper rifle for devastating results to maximize its potential.

Good Natured

Best for Problem Solving.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	+5 to Barter, Medicine, Repair, Science, and Speech
Penalties	-5 to Energy Weapons, Explosives, Guns, Melee Weapons, and Unarmed
Form ID	00137AFE

Good Natured grants an extra five skill points to Speech, Medicine, Repair, Science, and Barter skills. However, it imposes a -5 skill point penalty on Energy Weapons, Explosives, Guns, Melee Weapons, and Unarmed skills. This encourages a less combat-oriented playstyle, emphasizing conversation and problem-solving in Fallout New Vegas, particularly in Hardcore mode.

Wild Wasteland

Most Wacky Content.

Attribute	Value
Benefits	Adds additional "wacky" content and modifies existing content and random encounters
Penalties	-
Form ID	000ED568

Wild Wasteland is a unique trait in Fallout New Vegas, adding random, intense, and fun content like quests, investigations, and encounters with crackheads and aliens, making the game more enjoyable and engaging. This trait removes some standard content, enhancing the game’s replayability with diverse experiences.

Skilled

Best for Skill Boost.

Skilled boosts all your skills by 5 points and is highly favored by players due to the significant and free skill point addition. However, you can only acquire this trait during the Old World Blues DLC. It comes with a minor drawback of a 10% reduction in Experience Points, which is negligible when leveling up quickly. Pairing it with Built to Destroy enhances your character’s Critical hits against enemies.

My Recommendation

This concludes our guide on the best traits in Fallout New Vegas. My personal favorite is Skilled, since it is much well-rounded and its penalty isn’t as damaging as the others. However, make sure you align your choice of a trait with your personal preferences and playstyle.