How perks work
- 3 base points, 4 slots. Positive perks cost 1–2 points; some are free; negative perks give you 1–4 points.
- Colorful Character (1 point) adds +3 slots, which is what makes bigger builds possible.
- Check the second tab on the perk screen — the heavier negative perks are there.
- Not available on your very first run.
Per-perk numbers below come from allthings.how and a fan wiki that agree with each other ⚠️; the “players say” notes are from Steam threads.
Positive perks
| Perk | Cost | Effect | Players say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vigilant | 2 | Never robbed at night | “Hands down the best perk” |
| Diplomatic | 2 | +33% reputation from trades | — |
| Intimidating | 2 | Crimes leave 33% less evidence | — |
| Vending Machine | 2 | Start with a vending machine out front | — |
| Well Connected | 2 | +15 reputation with every faction | — |
| Working Pipes | 2 | Water lines connected; unlimited Rustwater | Good for a water start (water) |
| Sawyer’s Crew | 1 | Underground Exchange from the start; no/cheaper janitorial fee | Core of most builds |
| Colorful Character | 1 | +3 perk slots | Take it whenever you want 5+ perks |
| Aug Menace | 1 | Augs from day one; +25% credits per Aug kill. Too many missed Augs ends the run | Hard-mode money maker (Augs) |
| Model Citizen | 1 | +30 Security rep; +50% bounty rewards | Pairs with reporting (wanted list) |
| Proficient Scavenger | 1 | +2 searches per Dumping Grounds visit | — |
| Short Sleeper | 1 | No lost customers when you go out after hours | Weaker in 1.0 |
| Tinkerer | 1 | 20% chance an upgrade keeps its material | — |
| Secret Admirer | 1 | Random gifts some mornings | One player got an addiction-cure injector |
| Handy | 1 | Shabby toolbox and tools | — |
| Lucky | 1 | +5 luck | Weak |
| Makeshift Reactor | 1 | Off-grid power, immune to blackouts; needs repairs | Neglect it → Meltdown ending |
| Revolution Sympathizer | 1 | +25 Revolution rep, more requests | — |
| Savings | 1 | +150 starting credits | — |
| Sycophant | 1 | +15 Upper Levels rep | — |
| Tapehead | 1 | Every music cassette | — |
| Welfare Program | 1 | Commissary from the start | — |
| Wild’s Favorite | 1 | Wild’s Network upgrades −10% | — |
| Careful Scavenger | 0 | 2 fewer searches, but no injuries | Pair with Proficient Scavenger |
| Hoarder | 0 | 3 debris piles in your inventory | — |
| Prime Real Estate | 0 | +1 customer a day; starting rent +75 | — |
Negative perks (give points)
| Perk | Points | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ascetic | +4 | Much smaller inventory |
| Sentinel Collapse Disorder | +3 | Weekly Immunivax or game over — not on a first run |
| Awful Negotiator | +3 | No bargaining, trade penalty |
| Blackmail | +2 | Weekly fee or reputation loss |
| Blabbermouth | +2 | More evidence, smaller faction gains |
| Known Snitch | +2 | Wanted criminals stop visiting |
| Maimed | +2 | No scavenging — also locks you out of Serpico’s story |
| Minimalist | +2 | Smaller inventory |
| Public Enemy | +2 | Lower starting standing with factions |
| Agoraphobia | +1 | Rest 2 nights at the store after each outing |
| Alcohol / Narcotic / Nicotine Addiction | +1 each | 8% trade penalty unless you keep using |
| Bad Lease | +1 | Starting rent +40 |
| Banned from the Commissary | +1 | No Commissary, no food stamps |
| Convict | +1 | −30 Security rep, smaller bounties |
| Degenerative Osteoarthritis | +1 | Scavenging limit drops every week |
| Gambling Addiction | +1 | Auto-buys lottery tickets — costly in 1.0 |
| Illiterate | +1 | Can’t read any guide |
| On Wild’s Bad Side | +1 | Higher Network and insurance costs |
| Side Street | +1 | −1 customer a day |
| Unlucky | +1 | −5 luck |
Builds players win with
| Build | Perks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Safe first build | Vigilant + Sawyer’s Crew | No theft insurance, no janitorial fee, Exchange income early |
| Bigger safe build | Colorful Character + Vigilant + Sawyer’s Crew + Diplomatic, paid for with Blackmail / Public Enemy | The common “point sink” negatives are cheap to live with |
| Rock Bottom on Thin Margins (won on Day 112) | Aug Menace + Model Citizen + Short Sleeper | Scavenge at night, shoot Augs and report criminals for early cash |
| Injury-free scavenger | Proficient Scavenger + Careful Scavenger | +2 and −2 searches cancel out, but you never get hurt |