Magazines & Books: Which are consumables and which are permanent?

[Jurassic Fart 1]

I played Fallout 4 first, and all books and magazines were permanent once picked up. Then I played Fallout 3, and I learned that I had to select each one as I picked it up, and they were all permanent. Now I have discovered in this game that some are consumable, having a limited benefit duration, and others are permanent.

How do I know which are which? Which ones are permanent, and which ones are finite resources to be used wisely?

[Vex Hilarius]

The ones that DON'T list an effect in the pip boy are the ones that give a permanent +3 to that skill (+4 with comprehension perk). The ones that say "*skill* +10" (+20 with comprehension) under their effects are the temporary skill boosts (1 minute or 3 with the retention perk).

[Vex Hilarius]

The ones that don't have an effect (skill books) are rare and shouldn't be used until you get the comprehension perk, unless you don't care for the extra point that perk gives. Theyre the ones that give permanent boosts. They are only found in certain areas or more rarely given as quest rewards. If I remember correctly there are only about 5 of each skill book in the base game.

Skill magazines are more abundant around the world and sold by numerous merchants. They are the temporary skill boosters.

[Valden21]

The effect of magazines are temporary, while the books give a permanent effect. A good way to tell whether you're looking at a book or a magazine is to look at the item's description in the item menu. If what you're looking at has a time limit to its effect, you're looking at a magazine; if there's no limit listed, and it's just a flat increase to a specific skill, you're looking at a book.

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Okay, thanks, guys. After reading this, I found a comprehensive page[fallout.fandom.com] detailing the books and magazines for all Fallout games. There are eleven different titles for skill books in the base game, and I'll refer to the list often, I'm sure, as I'm sill a little confused by what I see on the Pip-Boy screen. Perusing the eleven titles, I see I've picked up none of them (I've just started, am on the third training mission, having picked three Xander roots by the schoolhouse).

When I do find one, I'll compare the differences in the Pip-Boy between books and magazines, and I'm sure it will then be clear how to differentiate [without having yet memorized the titles of the permanently effective bonuses].

Since leveling is extremely limited—in contrast to Fallout 4, where leveling is effectively infinite—I'll have to choose wisely in distributing earned points; I learned the hard way in Fallout 3 that if you spend points on the "wrong" items, you won't be able to earn more points to get bonuses you really wanted.

[Dinger]

look at the cost .. 50 cap sell price is th books .

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Thank you, Dinger. That makes it more clear. I also noticed something else my second time in the saloon, a Fixin' Things magazine. It shows as a theft item, so I'm not going to lower my Karma by stealing something that has only a limited duration benefit. I'm guessing that in this game, like in Fallout 3, if you find something NOT marked with Steal in the HUD in an area where everything else is, then it's a book, not a magazine.

[Dinger]

actually a couple books are red ..

[Jurassic Fart 1]

I'll have to be careful about that, then, decide if they're valuable enough to shed some Karma.

[Makam]

There is a difference in their weight too, nothing for temporary, 2kg I think for the permanent ones.

[Vallence]

Originally posted by Jurassic Fart 1:

I'll have to be careful about that, then, decide if they're valuable enough to shed some Karma.

Karma is almost meaningless in New Vegas, it only affects the ending narration and whether or not a single companion will come with you.
You can get lots of positive karma by killing Fiends and feral ghouls if you're worried about it.

[wicked lester]

If you play a typical good guy, you'll get tons of good karma - I don't really worry about a couple of thefts of (relatively) unique items. And if you're not a good guy, you shouldn't care.

[psychotron666]

Karma is effectively useless in new Vegas, it's all about your reputations.

The only effect karma has is that a companion Cass won't join you if you're evil, and there's a level 50 perk for good evil or neutral karma. But karma is so easy to gain or lose, you can just kill 10 ghouls and jump from neutral to very good (unless you got mods like jsawyer that rebalances this).

Killing a ghoul or fiend raises your karma by 100, stealing an item reduces your karma by 5. That's how meaningless it is.

Reputations take over anything that karma does otherwise, to the point the Devs should have just removed karma

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Well, I'm not overly concerned with Karma, but I'm only doing it—avoiding stealing and such (unless the payoff is significant!)—to present myself with challenge. I'm playing on Very Hard, too, this first time in New Vegas, and I'm taking my time, trying to delay the main storyline and taking as many side missions as I can. See, in Fallout 4 I played a bloodthirsty psychopath, Karma being non-existent. Then I played Fallout 3 being about 30% evil and 70% good.

I've got to find out what junk can be used for making and repairing things. In Fallout 4, almost all junk had a useful purpose, but not Fallout 3—almost no crafting opportunities. I'm just taking it slow, learning the ropes.

[Jurassic Fart 1]

Originally posted by psychotron666:

The only effect karma has is that a companion Cass won't join you if you're evil, and there's a level 50 perk for good, evil, or neutral karma.

Level 50? Am I mistaken in having thought that the level cap was but 30?

Edit:

Oh. Found the explanation: Level cap for Fallout: New Vegas: 30–50; each of the four add-ons raises the level cap by 5 levels. So, players having purchased only the base game cap levels at thirty, while DLC owners have greater opportunity. That's good, a move up from Fallout 3.