The Outer Worlds Attributes, Skills and Perks guide

The Outer Worlds is out today, and to help you get around like a good Halcyon employee, we’ve made this handy guide on in-game Attributes, Skills, Perks and what that all means.

Attributes | Skills | Perks

Attributes

There are six different attribute types within the game, with two attributes forming Body, Mind and Personality. Each attribute affects Skills, which will detail next.

Body | Mind | Personality

Body attributes

• Strength: Affects melee weapon damage and the amount you can carry.
  • Affected Skills: 1-Handed Melee, 2-Handed Melee, Heavy Weapons, Block, Inspiration, Intimidate
• Dexterity: Affects melee attack speed and ranged weapon reload speed.
  • Affected Skills: 1-Handed Melee, Handguns, Dodge, Block, Sneak, Lockpick

Mind attributes

• Intelligence: Affects critical hit bonus damage.
  • Affected Skills: Long Guns, Persuade, Hack, Medical, Science, Determination
• Perception: Affects headshot and weakspot damage bonuses.
  • Affected Skills: Handguns, Long Guns, Heavy Weapons, Dodge, Lockpick, Engineering

Personality attributes

• Charm: Affects faction reputation and companion ability cooldowns.
  • Affected Skills: Persuade, Lie, Intimidate, Hack, Science, Inspiration
• Temperament: Improves your natural health regeneration.
  • Skills: 2-Handed Melee, Lie, Sneak, Medical, Engineering, Determination

Skills

You’ll start off levelling skills and their its sub-skills all at once, up to level 50; from level 51 onwards, points are applied specifically to sub-skills. Different items can also impact skill levels — armour like the Elite Troop Armor Gold will bring Lockpick down by -5, as an example, and you can also gain Perk points through negotiation that will also bring your skill levels down as well.

Melee | Ranged | Defense | Dialog | Stealth | Tech | Leadership

Melee skills

Melee skills improve critical hit chance with handheld weapons.

• 1-Handed Melee
  • 20 points: Unlock Power and Sweep attacks
  • 40 points: Unlock TTD Location Hit Effects
  • 60 points: 1-Handed Melee Weapon Reach +30%
  • 80 points: 1-Handed Melee Weapon TTD Drain -50%
  • 100 points: Power and Sweep Attack Chance to Stun +25%
• 2-Handed Melee
  • 20 points: Unlock Power and Sweep attacks
  • 40 points: Unlock TTD Location Hit Effects
  • 60 points: 2-Handed Melee Weapon attacks are unblockable
  • 80 points: 2-Handed Melee Weapon TTD Drain -50%
  • 100 points: Power and Sweep Attack Chance to Knockdown +25%

Ranged skills

Ranged skills improve your weapon sway and critical hit chance with ranged weapons.

• Handguns
  • 20 points: Unlock TTD Location Hit Effects
  • 40 points: Handgun Critical Damage +50%
  • 60 points: Minimum Armor Penetration Damage +10%
  • 80 points: Debuffed Enemy Critical Chance +20%
  • 100 points: Handgun Critical Hits ignore 100% Armour
• Long Guns
  • 20 points: Unlock TTD Location Hit Effects
  • 40 points: Long Guns Critical Damage +50%
  • 60 points: Long Guns Headshot / Weakspot Damage +20%
  • 80 points: Deadly Focus: No Weapon Sway for 5s after each kill
  • 100 points: Long Gun Critical Hits ignore 100% Armour
• Heavy Weapons
  • 20 points: Unlock TTD Location Hit Effects
  • 40 points: Heavy Weapons Critical Damage +50%
  • 60 points: Heavy Weapons Reload Speed +30%
  • 80 points: Heavy Weapon Frenzy: Critical Hits increase Rate of Fire +30% for 3s
  • 100 points: Heavy Weapon Critical Hits ignore 100% Armour

Defense skills

Defense skills improve your ability to avoid damage.

• Dodge
  • 20 points: Unlock the ability to Leap (dodge forward)
  • 40 points: Dodge Recovery Speed +100%
  • 60 points: Dodge Protection: +30% Armor Rating for 5s after every Dodge
  • 80 points: Dodge Force: After Dodging, your next Melee Attack gains Damage +50%
  • 100 points: Dodge Penetration: After Dodging, your next Weak Spot hit within 5s has a 50% chance to Ignore Armor
• Block
  • 20 points: Perfect Block: Block just before you get hit to Stagger your attacker
  • 40 points: Weapon Durability Loss from Blocking -25%
  • 60 points: Walk Speed while Blocking +100%
  • 80 points: No Weapon Durability Loss on a Perfect Block
  • 100 points: Perfect Blocks weaken opponents, increasing the damage they take by +100% for 5s

Dialog skills

Dialog skills improve your ability to talk with NPCs, both in and out of combat.

• Persuade
  • 20 points: Cower: Humans have a 20% to cower in fear for 10.6s after the first time you hit them
  • 40 points: Cower Duration +7s
  • 60 points: Cowered Target’s Armor -50%
  • 80 points: Human Cower Chance +10%
  • 100 points: When a Human Cowers, you gain +25% Armor for 10s

• Lie
  • 20 points: Scramble: 15% chance Automechanicals will slowly attack other enemies instead of you for 19s
  • 40 points: Scramble Duration +7s
  • 60 points: Scrambled Automechanicals attack at their normal speed
  • 80 points: Automechanical Scramble Chance +10%
  • 100 points: Scrambled Automechanical Weakspot Damage +30%

• Intimidate
  • 20 points: Terrify: 20% chance Creatures will become Terrified and flee for 12s after you kill one
  • 40 points: Terrify’s Area of Effect +100%
  • 60 points: Terrified Creatures Movement Speed -30%
  • 80 points: Creature Terrify Chance +10%
  • 100 points: Terrifying a Creature gives 10s Crit Chance +5% and Critical Damage +25%

Stealth skills

Stealth skills improve your ability to get thrugh and around security.

• Sneak
  • 20 points: Sneak Attack: Attack unaware enemies while crouched to deal bonus damage
  • 40 points: Pickpocket: Steal from humans while sneaking
  • 60 points: Crouch Move Speed +25%
  • 80 points: Sneak Attack Weakspot Damage +20%
  • 100 points: Sneak Attacks ignore +50% of the target’s Armor

• Hack
  • 20 points: Unlock the ability to sell goods to Vending Machines
  • 40 points: Unlock access to Restricted Items in Vending Machines
  • 60 points: Hack Automechanicals: Turn them off for 10.6s
  • 80 points: Automechanical Detection Range -30%
  • 100 points: Hack Automechanical Distance +2.5m (5m)

• Lockpick
  • 20 points: Doors and Containers requiring 1 Mag-Pick to unlock are free to open
  • 40 points: Find +25% more Bits in containers
  • 60 points: Lockpick Preview: See what is inside locked containers
  • 80 points: Lockpicking speed is increase to be nearly instant
  • 100 points: Find Pristine Item Chance +100%

Tech skills

Tech skills improve your knowledge of bodies, tools, and the universe.

• Medical
  • 20 points: Unlock the 2nd Drug Mixing Slot for the Inhaler
  • 40 points: Unlock the 3rd Drug Mixing Slot for the Inhaler
  • 60 points: Hostile Effect Duration on Targets +50%
  • 80 points: Unlock the 4th Drug Mixing Slot for the Inhaler
  • 100 points: Damage Bonus vs Humans +20%

• Science
  • 20 points: Tinker: Improve your weapons and armor in the Workbench
  • 40 points: Tinkering Cost -50%
  • 60 points: Corrosion Damage +25%, N-ray Damage +25%
  • 80 points: Tinkering cost for Science Weapons is capped
  • 100 points: Further Reduce Tinkering Cost to -90%

• Engineering
  • 20 points: Field Repair: Repair Weapons and Armor in the inventory
  • 40 points: Break Down weapons and armor for a 20% Chance to extract a Basic Mod
  • 60 points: 20% Chance items you Repair will become Pristine, increasing Value and Durability
  • 80 points: Break Down weapons and armor for a 10% Chance to extract a Rare Mod
  • 100 points: Damage vs Automechanicals +20%

Leadership skills

Leadership skills improve companion health and their abilities in combat.

• Inspiration
  • 20 points: Companion Abilities: You can order Companions to do special attacks
  • 40 points: Companions gain +20% Armor Rating
  • 60 points: Companion Skill Bonus to Player Skills +100%
  • 80 points: Inspired Precision: When Companions kill an enemy, the party gains Critical Hit Chance +20% for 5s
  • 100 points: When Companions kill an enemy, All Companion Ability Cooldowns -20%

• Determination
  • 20 points: The Inhaler heals you and your companions, but they get 30% of the healing effect
  • 40 points: Companion Critical Damage +20%
  • 60 points: Companions get an additional 20% of the Inhaler’s healing effect
  • 80 points: Resolve: If a Companion is downed, party gains +50% Armor Rating and Damage +50% for 10s
  • 100 points: When Companions kill an enemy, they gain 50% Health

Perks

Just like your Companions, you have the ablility to assign Perk points to tailor your character. Each Perk costs a single Perk point and you’ll need to assign a certain amount of points to Tier 1 to gain access to Tier 2, and so on.

Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3

Tier 1 Perks

• Toughness: +50% Base Health
• Slow the World: +25% Tactical Time Dilation Meter Max
• Lone Wolf: +25% Damage when alone in party
• Strider: +25% Walk Speed
• Cheetah: +20% Sprint Speed
• High Maintenance: -25% Weapon / Armor Durability Loss
• Precision: +15% Companion Crit Chance
• The Negotiator: -20% Vendor Prices
• Deadly Demonstrations: +50% XP from Companion kills
• Traveler: Unlock the ability to Fast Travel when Encumbered
• Quick and the Dead: +50% Tactical Time Dilation Recharge Rate
• Pack Mule: +50kg Carrying Capacity
• A Few Bits More: +100% Additional Ammo stock on Vendors, +100% Additional Consumable and General stock on Vendors
• Resilient: +5 Base Armor Rating

Tier 2 Perks

• Run and Gun: -65% Movement Penalty to Accuracy
• The Reaper: +25% TTD Restored per Kill
• Weird Science: +50% Science Weapon Damage
• Speed Demon: +25% Movement Speed during TTD
• Scanner: +20% Bonus to Extra Headshot / Weakspot Damage
• The Collector: +5m Interactable Highlight Range
• Snake Oil Salesman: +20% Vendor Buying Price
• We Band of Brothers: +25% Chance to reset a Companion Ability cooldown on each Critical Hit
• Tag Team: +25% Chance to reset a Companion Ability when using the other Companion’s Ability
• Rolling Thunder: -20% Companion Ability Cooldowns for each of your kills
• Harvester: +15% Health Restored per kill
• Hoarder: -50% Consumable Weight
• Pack of Pack Mules: +40kg Carrying Capacity Bonus from Companions
• Soliloquy: +10 Dialog Skills

Tier 3 Perks

• Wild Science: +50% Science Weapon Damage
• Steady Hand: -110% Ranged Weapon Sway, -100% Movement Penalty to Accuracy
• Confidence: Your next attack after killing an enemy is a guaranteed Critical Hit
• Armor Master: +10% Armor Rating Bonus, +100% Skill Bonus
• Super Pack Mule: +100kg Carrying Capacity
• Tactical Master: +70% Movement Speed during TTD for 5s
• Revenge: +20% Damage
• Last Stand: +30% Damage while under 25% Health
• Boom, Headshot!: Headshot kills deal 25% of their damage to enemies within 2.5m
• Don’t Go Dyin’ On Me!: Revive Companions to 25% Health (Cooldown: 15m)
• Penetrating Shots: +Ranged Attacks inflict -1 Armor Rating for 10s, and can stack up to -10
• Thick Skin: -15% Area of Effect Damage Received, -15% Plasma Damage Received
• Tit for Tat: +15% Melee Damage returned as Health
• Solo Sneaker: -33% Detection Radius of Enemies

The Outer Worlds heads to Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4 on 25 October.