Skills represent your character's proficiency in various areas. You gain skill points each time you level up, which you can then distribute among your skills. There are 18 skills in total, divided into Combat, Active, and Passive categories.
Key Skills to Consider:
- Small Guns: Essential for most combat builds, as small guns are plentiful and effective early on.
- Energy Weapons: Becomes crucial later in the game for powerful late-game weaponry.
- Speech: Opens up many dialogue options, allowing you to resolve quests peacefully or gain valuable information.
- Lockpick/Science: Useful for bypassing obstacles, gaining access to restricted areas, and finding loot.
- Doctor/First Aid: Important for healing yourself and companions, especially in the early game.
At character creation, you choose three 'Tag Skills'. These skills receive a significant bonus to their starting value and gain skill points at double the rate when you invest in them. For a combat-oriented character, tagging Small Guns, Lockpick, and Speech is a strong choice. For a more intellectual approach, consider Speech, Science, and Doctor.