Beginner’s Guide#
Controls Basics#
Default PC Key Bindings#
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| W/A/S/D | Move |
| Left mouse button | Fire / attack |
| Right mouse button | Aim |
| R | Reload |
| Space | Jump |
| Left Shift | Sprint |
| Ctrl | Sneak |
| E | Use / interact |
| TAB | Pip-Boy (inventory) |
| M | Map |
| V | Toggle camera view |
| F | Melee / grenade |
| Z | Swap weapon |
| F5 | Quick save |
| F9 | Quick load |
The SPECIAL System#
You get 28 points to allocate at the start — every attribute begins at 1, with a cap of 10.
| Attribute | Effect | Key perk | Suggested |
|---|---|---|---|
| S Strength | Melee damage + carry weight | Armorer | 3 (for Armorer) |
| P Perception | VATS accuracy + lockpicking | Locksmith | 4 (for Locksmith) |
| E Endurance | Hit points + radiation resistance | Life Giver | 3-5 |
| C Charisma | Trade prices + persuasion odds | Local Leader | 3-6 |
| I Intelligence | XP gain rate + hacking | Gun Nut | 6+ (leveling speed) |
| A Agility | AP pool + sneaking | Sneak | 3-5 |
| L Luck | Critical fill rate + random bonuses | Critical Banker | 3+ |
Recommended starting spread: S3 P4 E3 C3 I6 A3 L3 (25 points total — spend the remaining 3 on Charisma or Luck to taste)
Pip-Boy Explained#
| Tab | Function |
|---|---|
| STAT | Attributes, perks, quest log |
| INV | Weapons, apparel, aid items, misc, mods |
| DATA | Quests, radio, holotapes |
| MAP | Fast travel (unavailable in Survival mode) |
Key Early Locations#
Sanctuary#
Your first settlement — and your first home.
| Facility | Location | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop | Next to the garage | Scrap structures for building materials |
| Chemistry station | In the basement | Brew chems |
| Cooking station | Inside a house | Cook food |
| Armor workbench | Inside one of the houses | Mod armor |
Red Rocket Truck Stop#
Right next door to Sanctuary — and it has a weapons workbench.
| Key point | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dogmeat is here | The Fallout series’ most loyal companion — not much of a fighter, but he can fetch items endlessly |
| Workshop | Build your first outpost here |
Concord#
| Key point | Notes |
|---|---|
| Museum of Freedom | Grab the T-45 power armor on the top floor — the strongest early-game gear in the Commonwealth |
| The Deathclaw | After you clear out the raiders, a Deathclaw climbs out of the sewers — put on the power armor and gun it down with the Minigun |
Diamond City#
| Key point | Notes |
|---|---|
| Valentine Detective Agency | Find Nick Valentine — a key NPC in the main quest |
| The Market | Weapons vendors, armor vendors, and chem dealers — merchants selling weapons, apparel, and chemicals |
| Public events notice board | At the newspaper office — hands out extra side quests |
Survival Mode Basics#
| Need | Effect | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hunger | -1 Strength | Eat cooked food — never raw (radiation + disease) |
| Thirst | -1 Perception | Drink purified water — build water pumps to make bottled water |
| Fatigue | -1 AP | Sleep in a bed — every hour of sleep restores fatigue |
| Drowsiness | Reduced max AP | Going more than 24 hours without sleep makes you progressively drowsier |
| Illness | Various debuffs | Use antibiotics or see a doctor |
Key Survival mode tips:
- Sleeping is saving — always sleep before leaving your base
- Settlement supply lines — pool resources to cover the whole map
- Caps weigh nothing — caps are the wasteland’s universal currency and add zero carry weight, so collect them freely
- Carry a bedroll — so you can always find somewhere to sleep
Combat Basics#
The VATS System#
VATS is Fallout’s signature combat system — it pauses real-time combat so you can target weak points.
| Element | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hit chance | Shows your hit percentage for each target — affected by distance, weapon, and perks |
| Critical meter | Fills with every hit — press Space once full to trigger a critical |
| AP cost | Every VATS shot drains AP — VATS ends when AP runs out |
| Body-part targeting | Head (high damage), torso (normal), legs (cripples movement), arms (disarms) |
VATS tips:
- Head and torso are the safest picks
- Shooting legs slows enemies down — great against melee rushers
- Shooting a weapon can disarm the enemy — great against RPG/missile users
Common Beginner Mistakes#
| # | Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skipping Intelligence | Intelligence drives leveling speed — 6+ is the optimal choice |
| 2 | Ignoring settlements | Settlements provide purified water (sell it) + XP + a safe house |
| 3 | Selling junk | Never sell junk — scrap all of it into building materials |
| 4 | Sticking with one companion | Max out each companion’s affinity — then swap to earn their perk |
| 5 | Leaving ammo behind | Ammo is plentiful in Fallout 4 — pick it up whenever you have room |
| 6 | Fighting overleveled enemies | Run into a Mythic Deathclaw or a Super Mutant Behemoth early on — run! |
Frequently Asked Questions#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How should I allocate SPECIAL at the start? | Go with S3 P4 E3 C3 I6 A3 L3 — Intelligence 6 speeds up leveling |
| Where should I go first? | Concord, for the power armor and the Minigun — the best starter kit in the game |
| What are settlements for? | A purified-water factory (sell the surplus) — an XP source — resource collection |
| Should I join the Minutemen? | Yes — the best early quest source and the safest home base |
| How do I approach Survival mode? | Stockpile water and food — push the main quest to Diamond City first — then build settlement supply lines |
Quick Reference#
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Level cap | None — you can level up indefinitely |
| Respec | Not possible — spend perk points carefully |
| Difficulty | Very Easy through Survival — switchable at any time |
| DLC | Far Harbor + Nuka-World + Automatron |
End of the Fallout 4 beginner’s guide
The Best Opening Route#
| Step | Location | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanctuary | Loot the houses — grab bobbleheads and skill magazines |
| 2 | Red Rocket Truck Stop | Clear out the Mole Rats — establish your first outpost |
| 3 | Concord | Rescue the Minutemen — claim the power armor and the Minigun |
| 4 | Concord backstreets | Run side content for XP — reach level 5+ |
| 5 | Tenpines Bluff | Your first Minutemen quest |
| 6 | Diamond City | Enter the main city — start the main quest |
Version History#
| Version | Changes | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Initial guide release | 2024-07 |
| 1.1 | Added Survival mode starter tips | 2024-09 |
End of the Fallout 4 beginner’s guide
Remember: the first rule of wasteland survival is to be well prepared. Save often, scavenge hard, and talk to everyone — your odds of staying alive will improve dramatically!
End of the Fallout 4 beginner’s guide
SPECIAL Starting Picks Explained#
| Attribute | Suggested | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 | Just enough for Armorer — the best value for armor modding |
| Perception | 4 | Unlocks Locksmith — the early game is full of locked boxes and safes |
| Endurance | 3 | Enough HP — save the points for your core attributes |
| Charisma | 3 | Enough for better trade prices; add Local Leader later |
| Intelligence | 6 | The single biggest driver of leveling speed, and it unlocks most mods |
| Agility | 3 | Keeps basic sneaking and AP covered |
| Luck | 3 | Grows the crit meter enough to make base crit returns worthwhile |
Don’t obsess over a perfect starting spread — building good scavenging and saving habits in your first twenty levels matters far more than a three-point attribute difference.
Opening Route Supplement#
| Stage | Goal | Key tips |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 0-5 | Around Sanctuary | Loot the houses first for magazines and bobbleheads, clear the Mole Rats for materials |
| Levels 5-10 | The Concord stretch | Once you have the power armor and Minigun, your momentum climbs fast |
| Levels 10-15 | Diamond City | Enter the main city, meet Nick, and start the main investigation |
| Levels 15-20 | Grow your settlements | Unlock Local Leader and establish supply lines to share resources |
Sanctuary Building Priorities#
Sanctuary is your first base — run it well and it becomes your late-game stronghold:
| Structure | Use | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Water pumps | Produce purified water | Sell surplus water early on — a steady source of income |
| Crops | Produce food | Keep settlers fed; sell whatever is left over |
| Workshop | Scrap junk | Break down all scavenged materials in one place and store them |
| Defenses | Ward off attacks | Keep the defense rating at or above food + water to avoid raids |
Early Weapon Recommendations#
| Weapon | Where to get it | Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Crowbar | Around Sanctuary | Free melee, dependable early on |
| Hunting rifle | Scavenge near Red Rocket | Accurate, with plentiful ammo |
| Laser rifle | Available after Concord | High crit rate, ideal for VATS |
| Minigun | Rooftop of the Museum of Freedom in Concord | The perfect partner for power armor |
End of the Fallout 4 beginner’s guide