Information on this page is accurate for version v.735 and can differ from the current info in v.802.
Details
Perks give various advantages while looting, fighting, farming and so on. They are given to you by leveling up the narrator.
Each time the narrator levels up starting at level 10 you'll be able to choose 1 perk out of 3 options (or 1 out of 5 options if you have premium).
The narrator can have a maximum of 91 perks out of the 188 possible (including perk levels). You can choose to return a perk (reducing it by one level if it has multiple levels) and choose a new one at the cost of 30 caps, as well as re-roll the selection while choosing
Perks can also give bonuses on fighting terrain, allowing the narrator to perform counter-attacks, free-attacks, having a lesser chance of missing an attack, etc.
Perks are given to you according to the narrator's level, meaning that it is impossible for the level 10 narrator to get the headhunter perk for example, as there are no human enemies at the beginning of the game.
If the narrator dies and goes back a level, he does not lose any perks; but at the next level up, back to the level the narrator had been before he died, he will not get a new perk for that same level.
Important perks
Some of the perks are considered important and will therefore always appear when reaching a certain level.
These perks will always appear in the perks selection until you pick them.
You can use this opportunity to select other perks that only appear randomly.
In other words, if one of these perks appears alongside another desirable perk, you can pick the random perk, and the important perk will reappear at the next level up.
The two perks in this category are Tactic and Strategy. This applies to all levels of these perks.
Perk categories
Perks are divided into three different categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Gold perks are the hardest to obtain but they offer the best benefits without having to sacrifice any other attributes.
Silver perks offer decent benefits but sometimes require the narrator to sacrifice other attributes.
Bronze perks offer smaller benefits without having to sacrifice any attributes. These are better if stacked up to level 3 and above.
Info
Narrator Level required is the level at which that tier of the perk is first available. Some perks have multiple levels with stronger effects. The values are noted by slashes in the table below. For example, for Thirsty for Fuel II, the amount of fuel found would be +10%, and this perk can appear from narrator level 40 onwards.
Icon
Name
Effect
Character Level Required
Thirsty for Fuel
Amount of fuel found: +5/10/15/20/25%
30/40/50/60/70
Butcher
Amount of resources when butchering a carcass: +25/50/100%
15/30/55
Farmer
Amount of crops harvested: +25/50/100%
75/80/85
Lumberjack
Amount of wood found: +50/100/150%
10/25/50
Angler
Amount of fish found: +50/100/150%
10/25/40
Herbalist
Amount of herbs, mushrooms, and berries collected: +50/100/150%
10/25/45
Scavenger
Amount of components found: +25/50%
10/50
Saving on Armor Costs
Armor durability loss: -10/20/30/40/50%
10/20/30/40/50
Saving on Motor Costs
Vehicle durability loss: -10/20/30/40/50%
30/40/50/60/70
Saving on Filter Costs
Gas mask durability loss: -10/20/30/40/50%
15/30/40/50/60
Saving on Weapon Costs
Weapon durability loss: -10/20/30/40/50%
10/20/30/40/50
Strong Immune System
Duration of illness and injuries: -10/20/30%
10/40/60
Lasting Effect
Duration of positive effects: +10/20/30/40/50%
10/30/40/50/60
Lead Skin
Radiation resistance: +1/2/3/4/5
30/40/50/60/70
Mule
Carry capacity: +15/30/50 kg
10/20/30
Marathon Runner
Walking speed: +3/5/7 km/h
10/20/30
Need for Speed
Vehicle speed: +10/20/30%
10/30/50
Night Vision
Minimum light: +50%
30
Magic Touch
Crafting speed: +25/50/75/100/150%
10/20/30/40/50
Veteran Looter
Looting speed: +10/20/30%
10/30/50
Raw Diet
Immunity to food poisoning and parasitic worm, but maximum health is reduced by 50
10
Strapping Lad
Maximum health: +10/25/45/70/100
10/15/25/35/45
Well Fed
Maximum food: +25/50
20/50
Camel
Maximum water: +25/50
20/50
Energetic
Maximum energy: +25/50
20/35
Chain Smoker
Cigarettes have no negative effects, but you are addicted to it forever
10
Raging Alcoholic
Alcohol has no negative effects, but you are addicted to it forever
10
Armadillo
Armor points: +5/10/15/20%
10/30/50/70
Training
Starting action points: +1/2/3
30/60/90
Strategy
Maximum action points: +1/2
40/80
Tactic
Restore action points: +1/2
18/68
Speed Walker
Battle movement speed: +1
50
Friendly Fire
Your blanket attacks deal no damage to allies
30
Lucky Devil
You get an additional chance to survive in battle (if you take a fatal hit, instead set health to 1 until the end of the turn)
30
Executioner
Killing an enemy restores 1 AP (max 2 per turn)
35
Sharp Eye
Hit chance: +5/10/15/20/25%
15/30/45/60/75
Jack be Nimble
Dodge chance: +5/10/15/20/25%
20/35/50/65/80
Melee Expert
Melee damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
10/20/30/40/50
Crossbow Expert
Crossbow damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
10/20/30/40/50
Pistol Expert
Pistol damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
10/20/30/40/50
Rifle Expert
Rifle damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
50/60/70/80/90
Assault Rifle Expert
Assault rifle damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
30/40/50/60/70
Machine Gun Expert
Machine gun damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
65/70/75/80/90
Explosives Expert
Explosion damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
30/40/50/60/70
Shotgun Expert
Shotgun damage: +5/10/15/20/25%
25/35/45/55/65
Grenadier
Grenade throw range: +1
25
Pistol Range
Pistol range: +1
20
Crossbow Range
Crossbow range: +1
10
Grenade Launcher Range
Grenade launcher range: +1
88
Avenger
Return fire with a pistol (once per turn)
25
Nobody Leaves
Rifle fire when opponents start moving in your range (once per turn) with miss chance: 40/25/10%
45/70/90
Sniper
Rifle requires 1 more AP but deals more damage: +30/40/50%
50/65/80
Point-Blank Range
Assault rifle range -1, damage +25%
40
Hail of Lead
Machine gun ammo consumption +100%, damage: +30/40/50%
50/70/90
Hunter
Damage vs animals: +10/20/30%
10/20/30
Monster Hunter
Damage vs mutants: +10/20/30%
25/45/65
Headhunter
Damage vs people: +10/20/30%
40/60/80
Trickster
After moving, until next turn gains dodge chance: +10/15/20%
40/55/80
Dual Wielding
Allow you to make and use dual pistols
25
Poisoner
Allow you to make and use poisoned crossbow
10
Moonshiner
Amount of alcohol obtained from barrels: +10/20/30%
75/80/85
Truck
Transport carry capacity: +5/10/15%
30/50/70
Notes
Nobody leaves can be combined with sharp eye to increase hit chance
Magic Touch affects almost anything that has a loading bar. This includes all crafting, forging, repairing, disassembling cars, boiling water, loading batteries, disassembling broken gas masks, draining fuel and many others. Some exceptions are: kindling a fire using any of the fire sources, reading dusty books and collecting wood by hand.
Assault Rifle Expert affects weapons classified as assault rifles. Note that this excludes RPK-74, as it is classified as a machine gun.
Saving on *x* costs: This perks does not work as it would sound like: it does not add the percentage to the durability. Instead, it makes the item lose durability slower; e.g. a vehicle with a base durability of 5,000 km would not have 7,500 KM (100% + 50%), but would instead have 10,000 KM (-50% wear, meaning it breaks down half as fast)
Increased Metabolism was removed. Increases food and water reduction rate, but also increases health regeneration.
Light Step was removed. Used to remove the 1 AP cost of moving. In recent versions moving costs no AP by default.