Duck and Cover

I'm playing through Fallout 2 for the third time, this time with a character proficient in doctor, small guns, and speech. Well, I'm level 3 now, but I haven't spent my skill points left. I've resolved myself on picking the comprehension perk and then choosing awareness later, but the problem of how to distribute my skill points is perplexing me. Mainly, I'm not sure about the difference between the First Aid skill and the Doctor skill. Is there any real difference? Is there a reason to put my valuable skill points into both skills?

The only real difference that I can discern is that Doctor seems to be able to heal serious injuries (crippled limbs, damaged eye, etc.), while First Aid seems to be limited to healing hit points only.

Thanks in advance.

Doctor heals more HP and crippled limbs/serious injuries. First Aid heals realitively small amounts of HP. That's essnetially the only difference, unless I'm missing something (which I wouldn't put past me).

That's what I'm thinking, too, but I'm not sure. Perhaps someone could verify this?

Maybe not incredibly important, but Doctor gives 50 exp while first aid gives only 25. Hey, more than once i put myself up a level by healing my unfortunate wounds!

Hm. Is there anything that can be said in defense of the First Aid skill over the Doctor skill? Anything at all? I want to spend my skill points wisely. I don't want to waste a single point on anything that I'm not going to need.

There's a lot f quests finishable only with a decent doctor's skill (think 80ish) where first aid you can raise with books.

My recommendation is thus never invest a single point into First Aid, but don't hesitate using both skills when hurt and save yourself a stimpack in exchange for a little time and some XP :). Try to always have a doctor's bag (MkII) and first aid kit (mkii too...) when possible to help out too, and save before healing so you don't spend the bag.

Finally Dr. Skill can fix broken limbs/bones, something you usually end up loading when it happens anyway.

Thanks, Red. I guess that purchasing the comprehension perk was a pretty good idea, then, huh?

Now I will gain 50% more skill points when I read those First Aid books.

One last question: When do you stop learning anything from the First Aid books?

I don't remember, somewhere between 80 and 90. Also depends on the the diffculty setting.

Comprehension isn't that great an investment. Perks are special... Getting perks to "gain skill points" is redundant since you'll get more skill points by passing levels.

Yes, I know, but my selection was rather sparse. It was the best perk that I could purchase at that level. Anyways, I'm sure that it will help me a little bit, even if it could've been spent on better perks.

Choose awareness now... Or keep the perk for later (greater level or raised stats...)

Although it's a bit annoying to have that damn window every time you look at you character sheet.

If you have stimpacks, then First aid skill is completely useless. Doctor skill is useful at a couple occasions and I sometimes tag it. Like helping the cow in Modoc and, most importantly, learning about combat implants from Vault city vault medical database. As Red said, in case of crippled limbs, you'd better load the game. That's the best treatment there is. :wink:

Yup. The magical Save & Load-combo is handy everytime, anytime, everywhere and anywhere ;-)

Red wrote:Choose awareness now... Or keep the perk for later (greater level or raised stats...)

Although it's a bit annoying to have that damn window every time you look at you character sheet.

If I choose awareness, it will complement my doctor skill, right? As in, I will be able to tell if an npc has a crippled limb or a damaged eye...things like that. Or can you just use the doctor skill to diagnose their problems? I remember in Fallout 1 my character used the doctor skill on Seth's brother in Shady Sands and I got a message saying that he was poisoned. Of course, it may only tell you this if an item is required to treat the affliction, but I'm not too sure of that.

I've noticed that you can have there are three ranks of Awareness. Could anybody please tell me what the benefits are of having two or three ranks of the perk?

Red wrote:I don't remember, somewhere between 80 and 90. Also depends on the the diffculty setting.

Comprehension isn't that great an investment. Perks are special... Getting perks to "gain skill points" is redundant since you'll get more skill points by passing levels.

Actually, a perk that gives you +5 extra skill points, for instance, will in the long run end up giving you about 85 extra skill points by the game's end. I'm not sure if there is actually a perk that gives you 5 extra skill points, but there a perks similar to that. In the long run, they can help you a lot.

I'm of the belief that the worthless perk is a myth. It is nonexistent. Every perk can help in some way.

You can tell if someone has crippled limbs without Awareness, but Awareness will give you detailed information including the number of hitpoints, specific weapon, and type and amount of ammo in the weapon. As far as I know, it's not possible to have more than one level of Awareness.

Doyle wrote:You can tell if someone has crippled limbs without Awareness, but Awareness will give you detailed information including the number of hitpoints, specific weapon, and type and amount of ammo in the weapon. As far as I know, it's not possible to have more than one level of Awareness.

Well, in the perks list, it says that you can purchase up to three ranks of the Awareness perk. Now that I think about it, though, that does sound wrong.

Um no.

A skill giving you 5 points will give you five points. As mentioned "a one time bonus".

There are no perks which attributes extra skill points as you mentioned.

There is only one level of Awareness.

Red wrote:Um no.

A skill giving you 5 points will give you five points. As mentioned "a one time bonus".

There are no perks which attributes extra skill points as you mentioned.

There is only one level of Awareness.

Well, I know for a fact that there is a perk, Swift Learner, that will give you a +5% bonus to your xp points. Just imagine for a moment how many extra xp points you would have gotten with that perk by the end of the game.

Um... that's +5% on everything you do rrgarding XP, but not on skillpoints. Of course that's more worth it since you'll pass levels fater. I was specifically referring to skillpoints though.

Personally though I don't find that quite that interesting since you can just as well use some other good perk and spend some time killing random events in the wasteland to increase your XP.

Then again doing just that to get an extra level because you want an extra perk as you invested it instead in Switft learner also works...