FNV Notes: How to Max SPECIAL with Alternate Start

[fireundubh]

Just thought I'd copy my notes here.

 

With Roleplayer's Alternate Start, you have access to the very cheaty Politician history, which makes maxing out your stats trivial and without exploiting Dead Money.

 

New character stats:

• Strength: 7
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: 9
• Charisma: 1
• Intelligence: 9
• Agility: 4
• Luck: 6

New character traits:

• Four Eyes (+1 Perception; mandatory)
• Small Frame (+1 Agility; optional)

New character tag skills:

• Barter
• Sneak
• Your choice! I went with Repair because I have Craft Master/Pack installed.

New character history:

 

As an up-and-coming politician (+3 CHR) from The Hub, you've traveled out to the Mojave to view the current events as they happen, and maybe to try to earn some favors (+10 Barter). Your cultured upbringing and training in the political sciences have left you a bit aloof to the workings of the world (-20 Survival, -10 all Combat Skills), though you're not too afraid of getting your hands dirty (+5 unarmed). Your skill at seeing through what others are saying (+2 PER) has served you well, though you luck might have a bit to do with it (+1 LCK).

 

Other Bonuses: None.

See, very cheaty, right? I'd prefer harsher penalties in exchange for +3 Charisma, +2 Perception, and +1 Luck, but whatever. It's not like balance was an important design goal anyway.

 

Here's how you get to 10s from there:

• Strength: 7 (Implant +1, Reinforced Spine Perk/OWB +2)
• Perception: 6 (Implant +1, Lucky Shades with Four Eyes +3)
• Endurance: 9 (Implant +1)
• Charisma: 4 (Implant +1, Intense Training +5)
• Intelligence: 9 (Implant +1)
• Agility: 4/5 (Implant +1, Intense Training +4/5)
• Luck: 7 (Implant +1, Dead Money +1, Lucky Shades +1)

With the Small Frame trait, you can buy one less implant or choose one less Intense Training perk (better option) to max out Agility.

 

To get the Lucky Shades, you need to gain access to Caesar's Legion's safehouse, southeast of Nipton. The key will be given to you about Lucius at The Fort, northeast of Boulder City, but you must be Liked by the Legion. If you're going for a Pacifist run (with STUN, for example), steal 50 NCR Dogtags and trade them in for rep at Cottonwood Cove.

 

You should also rush the Intelligence implant at Level 1 because of Politician's skill penalties. Getting to the clinic is trivial with JIP Fast Travel Anywhere; otherwise, take this route.

 

If you saved your Stealth Boy from the Goodsprings Schoolhouse, ignore that video's recommendation. There's nothing worth stealing at the Atomic Wrangler; go to the Van Graffs, wait for scene to end, then turn on the Stealth Boy and steal everything that's not nailed down. You'll have 4,000 caps in no time. Why people don't get suspicious when items disappear before their eyes is beyond me... and where exactly do you put a dozen plasma mines, a flamer, and a ton of laser pistols on your person without making a sound? Video game logic, I guess.

Edited December 31, 2014 by fireundubh

[EssArrBee]

Don't forget that there are bobbleheads for SPECIAL and Skills from New Steve Bison Hotel. They are in all the major places that you would think like vaults or some of the major quest buildings.

 

Lucky Shades are pretty good to have since you can wear them with almost anything, but don't forget that Mick or Ralph sells the Naughty Nightware that has +10 Speech and +1 Luck for about 400 caps. It's good to grab it on your way to gamble so you if you have 6 Luck, that +1 will put you over the top for some easy blackjack winnings.

 

With Alternative Start you can choose to start with like 2000 caps if you pick that million caps option in the setup monitor, so that will get you enough to go clean out the Wrangler and get on the strip to clean out those casinos. 

 

Good stuff, fire.

[FalloutAddict]

Good stuff, for TTW you can use the bobble head option in the, 'options' download also.

Edited December 31, 2014 by FalloutAddict

[fireundubh]

Don't forget that there are bobbleheads for SPECIAL and Skills from New Steve Bison Hotel. They are in all the major places that you would think like vaults or some of the major quest buildings.

There are no SPECIAL bobbleheads in New Vegas. Maybe TTW though?

 

Oh, and I forgot to add that to reach 4,000 caps for the first Implant, you can sell the Snowglobe found in Goodsprings to Jane in the Lucky 38 for 2,000 caps, but it is faster to clean out the Van Graffs with a single Stealth Boy. You can get two Stealth Boys in Goodsprings: one in the schoolhouse and one from Joe Cobb.

Edited December 31, 2014 by fireundubh

[EssArrBee]

Sorry, should have been clearer. The New Bison Steve Hotel is a mod that adds bobbleheads throughout New Vegas. It's a pretty good mod, lets you rebuild the hotel after the Primm quest.