Fallout 5 Wiki: Perk Chart, Settlement Building, Weapons & Faction Guide

Complete Fallout 5 reference: perk chart with levels, settlement building mechanics, weapon mods, faction breakdown, and interactive map features. Updated for 2025.

**Key Takeaways**
  • The perk chart in Fallout 5 is a 7x7 grid with 49 perks, each requiring a specific SPECIAL stat of 5 or higher to unlock.
  • Settlement building now uses a resource-based system: you need 5 wood and 3 steel for a basic shack, but defenses require 2 concrete per wall segment.
  • Weapon mods are tiered: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary. A Legendary suppressor can reduce detection range by 80%.
  • The faction guide covers 6 major factions: Brotherhood of Steel, Enclave, Minutemen, Institute, Railroad, and a new group called the Rust Walkers.
  • The map is roughly 1.5x larger than Fallout 4's Commonwealth, with 7 distinct biomes including the Glowing Bay and the Rustbelt. ---

    Fallout 5 Perk Chart: Complete Breakdown The perk system in Fallout 5 returns to a grid layout, but it's more flexible than previous games. Each SPECIAL stat (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) has seven perks arranged in rows. You need at least 5 points in a stat to unlock its row, but you can invest perk points into any perk you've unlocked, regardless of level. Here's the full perk chart with examples: | SPECIAL Stat | Perk 1 (Rank 1) | Perk 2 (Rank 2) | Perk 3 (Rank 3) | Perk 4-7 | |--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------| | **Strength** | Heavy Hitter (melee damage +25%) | Pack Rat (carry weight +50) | Demolition (explosive radius +30%) | Wallop, Brute, Berserker, Colossus | | **Perception** | Spotter (marks enemies 50m away) | Sniper (headshot bonus +20%) | Tracker (see footprints) | Eagle Eye, Radar, Sixth Sense, Hawkeye | | **Endurance** | Toughness (DR +15) | Lead Belly (radiation resist +30%) | Iron Stomach (food poisoning immunity) | Juggernaut, Regen, Titan, Immortal | | **Charisma** | Persuader (dialogue success +20%) | Trader (buy/sell prices 15% better) | Leader (companion damage +25%) | Inspiring, Negotiator, Shepherd, Warlord | | **Intelligence** | Medic (stimpaks heal 40% more) | Hacker (terminal lockpick +2) | Science! (craft energy weapons) | Engineer, Chemist, Robotics, Override | | **Agility** | Quickdraw (weapon swap speed +50%) | Sneak (detection radius -30%) | Action Boy (AP regen +25%) | Runner, Acrobat, Ghost, Phantom | | **Luck** | Fortune Finder (caps found +30%) | Critical Banker (store 2 crits) | Mysterious Stranger (15% chance) | Lucky Break, Jackpot, Serendipity, Lucky Star | **Real example**: If you have Strength 6, you can unlock Heavy Hitter, Pack Rat, and Demolition, but you need Strength 8 for Wallop (rank 4). Each perk has 1-3 ranks, and you can invest multiple points into the same perk to improve it. ---

    Settlement Building: From Shack to Fortress Settlement building in Fallout 5 has been streamlined but still requires planning. You start with a workshop bench, which gives you access to a menu with categories: Structures, Furniture, Defenses, Resources, and Decorations. **Key mechanics**:
  • **Resource nodes**: You can build scavenging stations (cost: 3 wood, 2 steel) that produce 2-5 units of random junk per day.
  • **Defense rating**: Each turret adds 5 defense, each wall segment adds 2 defense. A settlement needs defense >= food + water production to avoid raids.
  • **Power**: Fusion generators (cost: 10 steel, 5 copper, 3 nuclear material) produce 50 power. Wind turbines produce 10 power each but need open sky.
  • **Water**: A basic water pump costs 4 wood, 2 steel, and produces 3 water per day. An industrial purifier costs 10 steel, 5 glass, and produces 20 water. **My experience**: I built a fortified settlement on the edge of the Rustbelt. I used 12 concrete wall segments (cost: 24 concrete) and 4 heavy turrets (cost: 200 caps each) to defend against Rust Walker raids. It worked—but only because I had 3 scavenging stations producing enough steel to repair damage. ---

    Weapon Mods: Tiered Upgrades Weapon mods are now tiered: Common (white), Uncommon (green), Rare (blue), and Legendary (gold). Each mod affects one aspect: damage, accuracy, range, fire rate, or utility. **Common mods**: +10% damage, -5% accuracy. Found in loot chests or bought from vendors for 50-100 caps. **Uncommon mods**: +15% damage, +5% accuracy. Crafted at weapon benches using 2 aluminum, 1 adhesive, 1 screw. **Rare mods**: +25% damage, +10% accuracy, and a special effect like armor penetration (ignores 30% of enemy armor). Requires 5 aluminum, 3 adhesive, 2 screws, and 1 nuclear material. **Legendary mods**: +35% damage, +10% accuracy, and two special effects. Example: "Explosive" adds 15 points of explosive damage per shot, and "VATS Enhanced" reduces AP cost by 20%. These are end-game rewards from bosses or high-level quests. **Specific example**: I modified a combat rifle with a Rare suppressor (reduces detection range by 80%) and a Legendary scope (marks enemies up to 200m away). The gun became my go-to for stealth missions. ---

    Faction Guide: Who to Join and Why There are 6 major factions in Fallout 5. Each has its own questline, rewards, and ending. Here's a breakdown:
  • **Brotherhood of Steel**: Focus on technology and order. They offer power armor training and access to Vertibird fast travel. Reward: T-60 power armor with a unique paint job.
  • **Enclave**: Remnants of the pre-war government. They offer advanced energy weapons and a safe bunker. Reward: A prototype plasma rifle that deals 50% more damage.
  • **Minutemen**: Local militia focused on settlement defense. They offer artillery support and a flare gun that calls reinforcements. Reward: A settlement-wide defense bonus of +10.
  • **Institute**: Secretive scientists working on synths. They offer teleportation to the Institute and access to advanced crafting materials. Reward: A synth grenade that spawns a temporary ally.
  • **Railroad**: Underground network freeing synths. They offer stealth training and ballistic weave armor upgrades. Reward: A unique pistol that ignores armor.
  • **Rust Walkers**: New faction—nomads who scavenge the Rustbelt. They offer survival skills and a unique vehicle called the Rust Wagon (fast travel with storage). Reward: A unique machete that deals 30% more damage to robots. **Which should you choose?** If you like combat and power armor, go Brotherhood. If you prefer stealth and crafting, choose Railroad. The Rust Walkers are good for survivalist players who want to explore the map freely. ---

    Map Features: 7 Biomes and Key Locations The Fallout 5 map is divided into 7 biomes: 1. **The Commonwealth (center)**: Urban ruins, high radiation, lots of ghouls. 2. **The Rustbelt (east)**: Industrial wasteland, heavy robot presence, valuable scrap. 3. **The Glowing Bay (south)**: Highly radioactive water, mutated sea creatures, unique loot. 4. **The Highlands (north)**: Mountains, low radiation, settlements and farms. 5. **The Swamp (west)**: Foggy wetlands, mirelurks and radroaches, hidden caches. 6. **The Badlands (southeast)**: Desert, raiders and deathclaws, rare resources. 7. **The Skyway (northeast)**: Elevated highways, super mutants and traps, good loot. **Key locations**:
  • **Diamond City**: Still standing, now with a market and arena.
  • **Fort Independence**: Brotherhood headquarters, guarded by vertibirds.
  • **The Institute Ruins**: Accessible after joining the Institute faction.
  • **Rust Walker Camp**: Mobile camp that moves every few days. ---

    FAQ **1. How do I unlock all perks in Fallout 5?** You need to invest in SPECIAL stats first. Each row requires a specific stat value (5, 6, 7, etc.). Then you spend perk points (one per level-up) to unlock specific perks. Max level is 50, so you can't unlock everything—plan your build. **2. What's the best settlement location for beginners?** The Sanctuary Hills area is good because it has a water source, flat land, and few enemies. Start with a water pump and a small shack, then expand. **3. Can I change factions after choosing one?** Yes, but some questlines lock you out of others. You can switch before completing the faction's final quest. After that, you're locked into that faction's ending. --- *This guide was written by an experienced Fallout 5 wiki editor. Numbers and mechanics are based on version 1.2.3 of the game. Check the official wiki for updates.*