In many ways, Fallout 76 is what you’d expect after playing the last Bethesda games in the series. However, both SPECIAL and perks have changed quite a bit. There are now perk card packs and card ranks which can even be shared with other players in the game. Our Fallout 76 perk cards guide will run down all of the info you need to know.

How do perk cards and SPECIAL work?

Unlike in Fallout 4 your SPECIAL rank isn’t defined when you create your character. All of the values start at 1 and you’ll be able to assign points until you hit level 50.

These points give you standard stat increases, but the number of skill points also influence the perks you can equip. These have also changed dramatically as they’re now tied to specific cards with point requirements.

For example, a leveled up Professional Drinker card requires three points in Endurance. If you only have two points in the category, you’ll need to increase it.

How do I get perk cards?

In Fallout 76, perk cards are rewarded at varying rates. You get a perk card pack, each containing four random perks, every two levels until level 10. After that, you gain an additional pack every five levels. With each level you also get to select any one perk card you want. However most have level requirements that keep you from choosing late-game bonuses too early.

Perk card packs are not available for purchase. You can only earn them by leveling up.

What if I’m level 50?

After level 50 you can still level up to get perk cards, but you’ll no longer gain SPECIAL points.

How do I level up perk cards?

You can level up perk cards by combining duplicates. Each can be promoted up to rank 3, with each rank boosting the bonuses it provides. This will, of course, make cards cost more SPECIAL points to equip. So you’ll need to weigh whether arming yourself with a completely new perk is better or worse than upgrading another.

Can I level down perk cards?

You can not. You’ll need to combine lower cards if you want to have stopgaps between the highest and lowest ranks.

You’ll need at least three points in Charisma before you can share your perks. This scales with the rank of the card. A level 1 perk requires three Charisma whereas you need nine Charisma for a level 3 perk. If group play is your thing Charisma is important in Fallout 76.

Fallout 76 Perk Cards List

As per usual, each of these Fallout 76 perk cards falls into the various SPECIAL attributes: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Most of these remain relatively unchanged from past games; except for Charisma, which has received an overhaul due to the multiplayer nature of Fallout 76.

Strength Perk Cards

These perks will help you do more damage with weapons that logically require a lot of strength and allow you to carry more by reducing the weight of items.

Iron Fist (2) – Punching attacks do +20/40/60/80/100% damage with a 5/10/15/20/25% chance to stagger your opponent.
Traveling Pharmacy (3) – Weights of all Chems (including Stimpaks) are reduced by 30/60/90%.
Bandolier (4) – Ballistic weapon ammo weighs 30/60/90% less.
Gladiator (5) – Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/20/30% damage.
Pack Rat (6) – The weight of all junk items is reduced by 25/50/75%.
Slugger (7) – Your two-handed melee weapons deal 10/20/30% more damage.
Shotgunner (10) – Your shotguns now deal +10/20/30% damage.
Basher (11) – Gun bashing does +25/50% damage with a 5/10% chance to cripple your opponent.
Sturdy Frame (13) – Armor weighs 25/50% less.
Barbarian (14) – Every point of Strength adds +2/3/4 damage resistance (maximum of 40) (not compatible with power armor).
Martial Artist (16) – Your melee weapons weigh 20/40/60% less and you swing them 10/20/30% faster.
Scattershot (18) – Shotguns now weigh 30% less and you reload them 10% faster.
Expert Gladiator (20) – Your one-handed melee weapons do +10/20/30% more damage.
Blocker (21) – Take 15/30/45% less damage from your opponent’s melee attacks.
Expert Shotgunner (23) – Your shotguns now deal +10/20/30% more damage.
Expert Slugger (24) – Your two-handed melee weapons deal 10/20/30% more damage.
Strong Back (26) – +10/20/30/40/50 carry weight.
Heavy Gunner (30) – Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Ordinance Express (31) – Explosives weigh 30/60/90% less.
Incisor (34) – Your melee attacks ignore 20/40/60% of your target’s armor.
Bear Arms (35) – Heavy guns weigh 20/40/60/80% less
Lock and Load (37) – Heavy guns reload 10/20/30% faster.
Bullet Shield (39) – Gain 10/20/30/40 damage resistance while firing a heavy gun.
Expert Heavy Gunner (40) – Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Pain Train (41) – Damage enemies by sprinting into them with Power Armor.
Master Gladiator (43) – Your one-handed melee weapons now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Master Heavy Gunner (50) – Your non-explosive heavy guns now do +10/20/30% more damage.

Perception Perk Cards

Perception perks help with things like VATS and detecting things. With the ability to swap perks in and out at any time, perks like Percepti-Bobble are really useful when you need them and don’t commit your points long-term.

Concentrated Fire (2) – VATS now targets limbs. Focus fire to gain accuracy and damage per shot.
Butcher’s Bounty (3) – 40/60/80% Chance to find extra meat when you search an animal corpse.
Green Thumb (4) – Reap twice as much when harvesting flora.
Picklock (5) – Gain +1 lockpicking skill, and the lockpicking sweet spot is 10% larger.
Crack Shot (7) – All pistols now have 10/15/20 more range and accuracy when sighted.
Rifleman (8) – Your non-automatic rifles now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Skeet Shooter (10) – Your shotguns have improved accuracy and spread.
Pannapictagraphist (12) – You hear directional audio when in range of a Magazine.
Exterminator (14) – Your attacks ignore 25/50/75% armor of any insect.
Commando (15) – Automatic rifles do +10/20/30% more damage.
PerceptiBobble (16) – You hear directional audio when in range of a Bobblehead.
Ground Pounder (16) – Automatic rifles now reload 10/20/30/40% faster and have excellent hip fire accuracy.
Expert Picklock (19) – Gain +1 lockpicking skill, and the lockpicking sweet spot is 10% larger.
Expert Rifleman (20) – Your non-automatic rifles no do +10/20/30% more damage.
Fortune Finder (22) – You hear directional audio when in range of a Cap Stash.
Night Person (24) – Gaing +1 INT and +1 PER between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am.
Expert Commando (25) – Automatic rifles do +10/20/30% more damage.
Awareness (27) – You can view a target’s specific damage resistances in VATS.
Sniper (28) – Gain improved control and hold your breath 20/50/75% longer while aiming down scopes. Improved focus and better sighted accuracy.
Tank Killer (30) – Your rifles ignore 10/20/30/40% armor and have a 2/4/6/8% chance to stagger.
Refractor (32) – Gain +5/10/15/20 Energy Resistance.
Glow Sight (33) – Deal +20/40/60% to glowing enemies.
Grenadier (35) – Explosives have a 50/100% larger radius.
Longshot (37) – Your rifles have 5/10/15/20% more range and accuracy while sighted.
Fire in the Hold (38) – See a throwing arc when tossing grenades. Grenades fly 15/30/50% further.
Master Picklock (40) – Gain +1 lockpicking skill, and the lockpicking sweet spot is 10% larger.
Master Rifleman (42) – Your non-automatic rifles now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Master Commando (45) – Automatic rifles now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Night Eyes (47) – Gain night vision while sneaking between 6:00pm and 6:00am.
Penetrator (50) – VATS can hit enemy body parts that are covered with reduced accuracy.

Endurance Perk Cards

Dying is bad and Endurance perks help you not do that. You can reduce your chance of disease, taking rad damage, and more while gaining greater benefits from the drinks and food you consume.

Lead Belly (2) – Take 30/60/90% less radiation from eating or drinking.
Dromedary (3) – All drinks quench thirst by an additional 25/50/75%.
Iron Stomach (4) – Your chance to catch a disease from food is reduced by 30/60/90%.
Slow Metabolizer (5) – All food satisfies hunger by an additional 25/50/75%.
Thirst Quencher (6) – Drinking any liquid has a 30/60/90% reduced chance to cause disease.
Good Doggy (8) – Eating dog food is now three times as beneficial.
Natural Resistance (10) – You are 30/60-90% less likely to catch a disease from the environment.
Hydro Fix (11) – Chems generate 50/100% less thirst.
Rejuvenated (12) – You gain/much increased benefit from being “Well Fed” or “Well Hydrated.”
Cola Nut (14) – Nuka-Cola products are now twice/three times as beneficial.
Vaccinated (16) – Chances of catching a disease from creatures is reduced by 30/60/90%.
Munchy Resistance (17) – Chems generate 50/100% less hunger.
Homebody (19) – Gain gradual/improved health regeneration while in your camp or a captured workshop.
Adamantium Skeleton (21) – Your limb damage is now reduced by 20/40/60/80/100%.
Solar Powered (22) – Gain +1 STR and +1 END between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm.
Chem Fiend (23) – Any chems you take last 30/60/90% longer.
Cannibal (25) – Eating human, ghoul, super mutant, scorched, or mole miner corpses restores more/even more health and hunger.
Aquagirl/Aquaboy (26) – You no longer take Rad damage from swimming and can breathe underwater.
Fireproof (27) – Immediately gain +20/40/60 Fire Resistance.
Nocturnal Fortitude (29) – Gain +20/40 maximum health between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am.
Ironclad (30) – Gain 10/20/30/40/50 damage and energy resistance while not wearing Power Armor.
Revenant (32) – Gain +25/50% damage bonus for two minutes when a player revives you.
Rad Resistant (34) – Immediately gain +10/20/30/40 Rad Resistance.
Ghoulish (36) – Radiation now regenerates some/more/even more of your lost health.
Professional Drinker (39) – There’s no chance you’ll get addicted to alcohol.
All Night Long (41) – You suffer 20/40/60% less from hunger and thirst at night.
Chem Resistant (43) – You’re 50/100% as likely to get addicted when consuming Chems.
Sun-Kissed (45) – Slowly/quickly regen radiation damage between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm.
Photosynthetic (47) – Gain/gain improved health regen between the hours of 6:00am and 6:00pm.
Lifegiver (50) – Gain a total of +10/30/45% to your max health.

Charisma Perk Cards

As we mentioned, Bethesda has overhauled Charisma to focus on the multiplayer aspects of Fallout 76. Some Charisma perks will cause you to earn more EXP when playing with friends, while others will boost your party’s stats.

Inspirational (2) – When you are on a team, gain 5/10/15% more EXP.
Happy Camper (3) – Hunger and thirst grow 40/80% more slowly when in camp or in a team workshop.
Lone Wanderer (4) – When adventuring alone, take 10/20/30% less damage and gain 10/20/30% AP regen.
Bodyguards (5) – Gain 6/8/10/12 damage & energy resist (max 18/24/30/36) for each teammate excluding you.
Hard Bargain (7) – Buying and selling prices at vendors are better.
E.M.T. (9) – Players you revive come back with health regen for 15/30/60 seconds.
Bloodsucker (11) – Stimpaks now satisfy thirst, no longer irradiate, and heal 50/100/150% more.
Magnetic Personality (13) – Give 1/2 Charisma for each teammate excluding yourself.
Field Surgeon (15) – Stimpaks and RadAway will now work much more quickly.
Happy-Go-Lucky (17) – Your Luck is increased by 2/4 while under the influence of alcohol.
Injector (19) – Players revived by you have +6/12/18 AP regen for 10 minutes.
Team Medic (20) – Your Stimpaks now also heal nearby teammates for half/three quarters/their total health.
Quack Surgeon (22) – Revive other players with liquor.
Party Girl/Party Boy (24) – The effects of alcohol are doubled/tripled.
Travel Agent (26) – Pay 30% fewer caps when fast travelling.
Healing Hands (28) – Players revived are cured of their Rads.
Animal Friend (30) – Aim your gun at any animal below your level for a 25/50/75% chance to pacify it.
Overly Generous (32) – Rads increase your chance to inflict 25/50 Rads with melee attacks.
Anti-Epidemic (34) – Disease cures have a 50/100% chance to cure nearby teammates of disease.
Spiritual Healer (36) – You regenerate health for 5/10/15 seconds after reviving another player.
Squad Maneuvers (37) – Run 10/20% faster when part of a team.
Philanthropist (39) – Restore some/more of/much more of your team’s hunger and thirst when you eat or drink,
Suppressor (40) – Reduce target’s damage output by 10/20/30% for 2 seconds after you attack.
Strange in Numbers (42) – Positive mutation effects are +25% stronger if teammates are mutated too.
Rad Sponge (44) – When affected by Rads, periodically heal 15/30/50 Rads on nearby teammates.
Tenderizer (46) – Your target receives 5/6/7% more damage for 5/7/10 seconds after you attack.
Friendly Fire (48) – Teammates hit by your flame weapons regen health/more health/even more health briefly (not the Molotov cocktail)
Wasteland Whisperer (50) – 25/50/75% pacify chance while aiming your gun at a creature below your level.

Intelligence Perk Cards

Intelligence increases your efficiency at various tasks. Stimpaks restore more health, weapons break less, and you craft more items with fewer materials.

First Aid (2) – Stimpacks restore 10/20/30/40% more health.
Makeshift Warrior (3) – Your melee weapons break 30/60/90% more slowly and are cheaper to repair.
Hacker (4) – Gain +1 Hacking skill, and terminal lock-out time is reduced.
Licensed Plumber (5) – Your pipe weapons break 30/60/90% more slowly and are cheaper to repair.
Pharmacist (6) – RadAway removes 30/60/90% more radiation.
Exotic Weapons (8) – You can now craft/modify crossbows, black powder guns, and more (plans required).
Demolition Expert (10) – Your explosives deal +20/40/60/80/100% more damage.
Scrapper (13) – Obtain more components when you scrap weapons and armor.
Armorer (15) – You can now craft advanced armor mods (Requires plans) / Crafting armor costs fewer materials / Crafted armor has improved durability.
Expert Exotic Weapons (16) – You can now craft Rank 2 weapons (plans are required. / Crafting exotic weapons costs fewer materials.
Contractor (18) – Crafting workshop items now costs 25/50% fewer materials.
Science (20) – You can now craft energy guns (plans are required) / You can craft Rank 1 energy gun mods (plans are required).
Expert Hacker (22) – Gain +1 Hacking skill, and terminal lock-out is reduced.
Gunsmith (23) – Guns break 25/50/75% more slowly and the repair cost is reduced.
Master Exotic Weapons (25) – You can now craft Rank 3 weapons (plans are required) / Your exotic weapons have improved durability.
Fix it Good (27) – You can repair armor and Power Armor to 130/160/200% of normal maximum condition.
Batteries Included (28) – Energy weapon ammo weighs 30/60/90% less.
Wrecking Ball (29) – +40/80/120% damage to workshop objects.
Expert Science (31) – You can craft Rank 2 energy gun mods (plans are required) / Crafting energy guns now costs fewer materials.
Grease Monkey (33) – Workshop items are 30/60% cheaper to repair.
Chemist (34) – You get double/triple the quantity for crafting chems.
Stabilized (36) – While wearing Power Armor, heavy guns gain more/even more/much better/excellent accuracy and ignore 10/30/30/40% armor.
Master Hacker (38) – Gain +1 Hacking skill, and terminal lock-out is reduced.
Weapon Artisan (40) – Repair any weapon to 130/160/200% its max condition.
Power Smith (41) – You can now craft advanced Power Armor suits (plans are required) / Crafting Power Armor costs fewer materials / Crafted Power Armor has improved durability.
Science Master (43) – You can craft Rank 3 energy gun mods (plans are required) / Your crafted energy guns have increased durability.
Power Patcher (44) – You Power Armor breaks 20/40/60% more slowly and is cheaper to repair.
Nerd Rage (46) – While below 20% health, gain 20/30/40 damage resistance, 10/15/20% damage dealt to enemies, and 15% AP regen.
Robotics Expert (48) – Hack an enemy robot for a 25/50/75% chance to pacify it.
Portable Power (49) – All Power Armor parts and chassis weights are reduced by 25/50/75%.
Power User (50) – Fusion cores last 20/40/60/80/100% longer.

Agility Perk Cards

Agility perks increase the efficiency of your Action Points, causing them to regenerate faster and reducing the AP cost of each action you take.

Action Boy/Girl (2) – Action Points regenerate 15/30/40% faster.
Born Survivor (3) – Falling below 20/30/40% health will automatically use a Stimpak.
Thru-Hiker (3) – Food and drink weights are reduced by 30/60/90%.
Gun Runner (4) – Your running speed is increased by 10/20% when you have a pistol equipped.
Moving Target (5) – +15/30/45 damage and energy resistance while sprinting (Excluding Power Armor)
Gunslinger (6) – Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/20/30% damage.
Dead Man Sprinting (8) – Sprint 10% faster at an increased AP cost when your health is below 40%.
Packin’ Light (9) – Your pistols weigh 25/50/75% less.
Guerrilla (10) – Your automatic pistols do +10/15/20% more damage.
Marathoner (13) – Sprinting consumes 20/40/60% fewer Action Points.
Ninja (15) – Your melee sneak attacks do 2.3/2.6/3.0x normal damage.
Evasive (17) – Each Agility point adds +1/2/3 damage and energy resistance (Maximum of 15/30/45) (Can’t be used with Power Armor)
Modern Renegade (18) – Gain some/more/even more/excellent pistol hip fire accuracy and a 1/2/3/4% chance to cripple a limb.
Sneak (20) – You are 20/40/60/80% harder to detect while sneaking.
Home Defense (22) – You can craft and disarm better traps/advanced traps/expert traps and craft better/advanced/expert turrets (Plans required)
Expert Gunslinger (24) – Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/15/20% more damage.
Expert Guerrilla (25) – Your automatic pistols do +10/15/20% more damage.
Covert Operative (27) – Your ranged sneak attacks deal 2.15/2.3/2.5x normal damage.
Light Footed (29) – While sneaking, never trigger mines of floor-based traps.
Enforcer Card (30) – Your shotguns gain a 5/10/15/20% stagger chance and a 3/6/9/12% chance to cripple a limb.
Goat Legs (32) – Take 40/80% less damage from falling.
Ammosmith (34) – Produce 30/60/100% more rounds when crafting ammo.
Escape Artist (35) – Sneak to lose enemies. Running no longer affects stealth.
Mister Sandman (37) – At night, your silenced weapons do an addditional 25/50% sneak damage.
White Knight (39) – Your armor breaks 30/60/90% more slowly and is cheaper to repair.
Master Gunslinger (41) – Your non-automatic pistols now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Master Guerrilla (43) – Your auotmatic pistols now do +10/20/30% more damage.
Dodgy (45) – Spend 30 Action Points to avoid 10/20/30% fo each enemy attack.
Secret Agent (47) – Stealth Boys last twice/three/four times as long.
Adrenaline (49) – Gain +6/7/8/9/10% (max 36/42/48/54/60%) damage per 30 seconds per kill. Duration refreshes with subsequent kills.
Gun Fu (50) – VATS swaps targets on kill with +10% damage / VATS swaps targets on kill with +10% damage, then 20% damage to a second target / VATS swaps targets on kill with +10%, 20%, and then 30% damage to three targets respectively.

Luck Perk Cards

As per usual, the Luck perk cards cover a pretty wide spread. They help you find more items and there are a bunch, like the infamous Mysterious Stranger perk, that cause pretty weird things to happen at random.

Pharma Farma (2) – 40/60/80% chance to find extra aid chems when you search a chem container.
Scrounger (3) – 40/60/80% chance to find extra ammo when you search an ammo container.
Serendipity (5) – While below 30% health, gain a 15/30/45% chance to avoid damage.
Can Do! (7) – 40/60/80% chance to find an extra canned good when you search a food container.
Good With Salt (9) – Food in your inventory will spoil 30/60/90% slower than normal.
Junk Shield (10) – Carry Junk to gain up to 10/20/30 damage and energy resistance (Doesn’t work with Power Armor)
Mystery Meat (12) – Stimpaks may generate edible meat tissue. Higher rads improve the chance.
Cap Collector (15) – You have a chance to find more bottle caps when opening a caps stash.
Woodchucker (17) – Collect twice as much when harvesting wood.
Curator (19) – The benefits of bobbleheads and magazines last twice as long.
Psychopath (21) – Every kill in VATS has a 10/20/30% chance to refill your critical meter.
Dry Nurse (23) – You have a 50% chance to keep your Stimpak when reviving another player.
Lucky Break (24) – Slight chance your armor will repair itself when struck / Chance your armor will repair itself when struck. / Chance your armor will greatly repair itself when struck.
Mysterious Stranger (26) – The mysterious stranger appears / appears often / appears more often when using V.A.T.S.
Last Laugh (27) – You drop a live grenade from your inventory when you die.
Four Leaf Clover (29) – Each hit in VATS has a chance / better chance / good chance to fill your Critical meter.
Starched Genes (30) – Reduced chance to mutate from rads and Radaway will never cure mutations / You will never mutate from rads and Radaway will never cure mutations.
One Gun Army (31) – Heavy guns gain a 2/4/6/8% stagger chance and a 2/4/6/8% chance to cripple a limb.
Grim Reaper’s Spring (33) – Any kill in VATS has a 15/25/35% chance to restore AP to full.
Storm Chaser (35) – Gain health/high health regeneration while outside during rain or Rad Storms.
Tormentor (37) – Your rifle attacks have a 3/6/9/12% chance to cripple a limb.
Ricochet (38) – Gain a 6/12/18% chance to deflect back some of an enemy’s ranged damage. Doesn’t apply in PVP.
Quick Hands (40) – Gain a 6/12/18% chance to instantly reload when your clip when empty.
Bloody Mess (42) – 5/10/15% bonus damage. Enemies may explode into “a gory red paste.”
Critical Savvy (44) – Critical Hits now only consume 85/70/55% of your critical meter.
Class Freak (46) – The negative effects of your mutations are reduced by 25/50/75%.
Better Criticals (47) – VATS criticals now do +20/30/40% damage.
Mysterious Savior (49) – A mysterious savior will occasionally/frequently/more frequently appear to revive you when you are downed.
Super Duper (50) – When crafting anything, there is a 10/20/30/40% chance you’ll double the results.

The ability to switch out these Fallout 76 perk cards at will opens up some really interesting possibilities for builds. Granted, you can only have so many SPECIAL points to work with. So you still need to experiment with different perk card combinations.

Out on a Limb Machine

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