The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system has been around since the original Fallout. The character's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes are always defaulted to 5 points per attribute. When starting you have 5 points to share out between the skills; these are distributed for a total of 40 points. These skills can be changed either up or down but will always add up to 40 points: you can have neither more or less than 40 on your character when you start.
Throughout Fallout: New Vegas you can increase some of your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes using:
- New Vegas medical clinic implants
- Intense Training (This is a unlockable perk)
- Completing Lonesome Road (This a add-on)
- Taking Four Eyes (trait), which gives you a permanent -1 to Perception while giving you a temporary +2 to Perception when wearing glasses, or +3 with Lucky Shades
- Taking Small Frame (trait)
- Completing Old World Blues for +2 Strength
S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stands for your character’s seven primary attributes, which are, Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck.
Strength
Strength affects your Melee Weapon Skill, Unarmed Skill, Inventory Carrying Weight, Melee Combat Damage and Weapon Effectiveness.
Perception
Perception affects your Explosive Skill, Lockpick Skill, Energy Weapon Skill, Overall Accuracy and Compass Range.
Endurance
Endurance affects your Unarmed Skill, Survival Skill, Hit Points, and Resistance.
Charisma
Charisma affects your Barter Skill, Speech Skill and Companion nerve.
Intelligence
Intelligence affects your Science Skill, Repair Skill, Medicine Skill, and the number of skill points you will gain on leveling up.
Agility
Agility affects your Guns Skill, Sneak Skill, Walking Speed and Action Point Regeneration.
Luck
Luck affects all of your skills and your critical hit success rate.
