[Answered] S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat limits?

[greyseer1076]

I searched the forums and couldn't find any information to answer my query, so I'm sorry if this question has already been asked and answered somewhere else.

I know that the SPECIAL scores can't be raised above 10 during character creation, but during gameplay can the scores be permanently boosted above that 10 max by collecting bobbleheads or from other sources like the "You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L." book?

And I'm referring to an unmodded version game.

Any claification on this would be most appreciated.

[Tenshin51]

Yes!
You can even lvl them up.
I suggest at the beggining of the game only put 9 due you will have bobbleheads but you will sacrifice some special.

[Stacker55]

special has no cap that i've seen. i've had my charisma at 20-21. useful for moving tons of settlers to sanctuary because they'll stay even after u lose the buffs and the cap goes back down. the only permanent increases are +1 random from book and +1 to each from bobbleheads. other than that its from gear and temporary buffs

[a meme-based name]

This is actually important--you can't boost them over 10 by using the 'advanced training' perks. Meaning if you have 9 CHA you can train to 10 and no more...the thing is that stats above 10 still help you proportionate to the regular bumps (a STR of 11 gives you more carry and melee damage compared to STR of 10).

If you get a stat to 9 and pick up a bobble head for that stat, you can no longer train it (you've reached 10 already, according to the game). If you reach 10 and THEN pick up a bobble, you can hit a 'natural' (that is, non temp buff) 11. I don't remember how You're Special works as I read that book in hour 1 of this game and I finished my first playthrough at 130 hours...but potentially you could have a natural 12 in a given stat assuming you find the bobblehead and use you're special after reaching 10.

[Hawk Firestorm]

Special is capped in the perk screen at 10, though you can have higher in your pipboy, there's a mismatch between the 2 as if you use the console to inflate it its not shown in perks so no idea if it works or not.

But they can go higher than 10.

[Tolwrath]

In character creation, and with levelup-perks, they are limited to 10. Grabbing a bobblehead when the stat is already 10 will boost it to a permenant 11. The "you're special" book cannot bring a stat to 11 though.

[Sarda]

Originally posted by Tenshin51:

Yes!
You can even lvl them up.
I suggest at the beggining of the game only put 9 due you will have bobbleheads but you will sacrifice some special.

You can have 11 to a stat if you already have 10 then pickup the bobblehead, so this exactly what you don't want to do.

[greyseer1076]

Just ran a test toon character, the 'You're SPECIAL" book will NOT boost a stat already at 10

Thank you to all who reply to this query, all you responses are most appreciated

[Horus-fr]

didnt know you would get 11 if you pick up the bobblehead with already 10...
still getting all perks/stats to 10 seems more useful than having a default 11 so I'll continue taking no more than 9 in them

[Vardis]

The SPECIAL book checks your modified stats to determine whether it will allow you to increase a stat. So if you have a base CHR of 8, and are at 10 with items, it won't let you increase it.

That does, however, allow you to use it to increase a stat to above 10... You just have to decrease your base stat first through some negative modifier. For INT, that's trivially easy - go drink a beer.

[Vardis]

If you want to use the SPECIAL book to get a stat besides INT past 10, you can use the effects of withdrawl to help you with that. Get your desired stat to 10, get addicted to one of the following, let the drug wear off, then use the book and get yourself cured.

Mentats - CHR
Buffout - END, STR
MedX - AGI
Jet - AGI

I suspect booze addiction would also reduce CHR, but I haven't been able to manage getting addicted to that yet. I don't know if there's anything that negatively modifies luck, but I think you can decrease PER by getting your head crippled, so that would cover 6 of the 7 stats.

Doing this plus then using the bobblehead should get you to a max base of 12, assuming there aren't other ways to increase stats out there in the game somewhere.