Is it okay to level up SPECIAL stats for perks at level 17?

[POGGERS!]

Right now I'm at level 17 and I don't see many options for perks. Is it okay to level up SPECIAL stats a few times for a perk further down the perk chart or is it too early? And is leveling a single SPECIAL stat to 10 from like 4 worth it for a level 10 perk, for example like Gun-Fu?

[Mio Rin]

Your world, your stats, your perks.
If you think it's alright, then it is alright. ;)

Go for it, just save your game first. :D

[Danceofmasks]

I did the maths way back, and figured SPECIAL stats are better than almost any perk.
Basically, Armorer is overpowered, you probably want one damage boosting perk, some perks are just damn cool (such as Ninja), but apart from that, I always go for 10s in everything before grabbing the bobblehead for 11s.

Seriously, having >10 in every SPECIAL stat is just really good.

[Ottofyre]

I leveled all my SPECIAL to 10 before taking any other perks. Now I can just take whatever perks I want without having to worry about the stat or levle requirements. Was a little painful for a bit not having some perks but in the end I think it was worth it.

[Mio Rin]

Here's what I do: if I didn't have a plan for a level point and really don't know what perk to pick, I add it to a SPECIAL stat.

[Spocks Toupee]

What I did on my current playthrough, is since you get levels fairly quickly at the start of the game, so I used those points to bump up my SPECIAL points first, and once I have them where they need to be, then I'll start giving myself Perks

[Simpson3k]

Uhm..i once was told..bobbleheads dont raise specials above 10..if you raise a special to 10 and then find a bobblehead for it..its wasted..

[Spocks Toupee]

Originally posted by Simpson3k:

Uhm..i once was told..bobbleheads dont raise specials above 10..if you raise a special to 10 and then find a bobblehead for it..its wasted..

Exactly why I only level any of my Specials to 9
Did that in FO3 and FONV too

[Simpson3k]

Originally posted by Hiirazz:

I leveled all my SPECIAL to 10 before taking any other perks. Now I can just take whatever perks I want without having to worry about the stat or levle requirements. Was a little painful for a bit not having some perks but in the end I think it was worth it.

Well being unable to lockpick advanced locks or hack advanced terminals costs you opportunites for exp..so you may raise your specials slower than you probably would with at least put some points in lockpicking and hacking first..

[Mio Rin]

Bobbleheads do bring you over 10, while the "You're Special" book doesn't, IIRC.

{Edit} I was wrong, it seems. Just did a test in qasmoke. Bobbleheads can't get over 10, either. Not even if you pick it up when the stat is lowered by a temp. effect (I tried picking up the Int one while drunk). Only temp/item buffs go over 10, apparently. {/Edit}

[Simpson3k]

Originally posted by Zileene:

Bobbleheads do bring you over 10, while the "You're Special" book doesn't, IIRC.

Well i wont complain about this..coz i started my present play with int 10..and still have to pickup the int bobblehead :)

[ImHelping]

Level them up if you want the stats. Even if it's not to meet requirements for other perks.

Do keep in mind that levels come slower and slower with each level. They stop being super fast at around level 20ish. Even with my INT of 8 since like, level 12 (I thought robotics would help convorsations in the game about robots...oops).

Lockpicking is less for the "loot" (all master lock safes that are not predetetmined special loot, are horrible horrible horrible even at level 50, while the unlocked steamer chest next to them will have a silenced guass rifle and stacks of plasma grenades and ammo of all kinds. literally happened). And less about "experience".

Master lockpicking (and hacking) is for all those times it will let you in or out of a place far more easily. Instead of looking for the sewer pipe to eat a bunch of rads and enter a building surrounded by mirelurks. Or a rooftop entrance instead of walking into a room with assaultrons, sentry bots, etc all waiting to kill you, just to name a few examples.

THAT is when and why good lockpicks and hacking pays off.

[POGGERS!]

Well my current stats go as this at the moment: level 17.

4 Strength
5 Perception
5 Endurance
6 Charisma
5 Intelligence
4 Agility
2 Luck

Any problems with that?

[CrUsHeR]

If you find a perk to be essential (like Local Leader) then you definitely should level up the SPECIAL attributes for it. There is no level cap, and i found leveling up above 60 still felt as fast as around level 10-20. Reason is that later you can kill everything so quick (like a legendary Deathclaw in 2 sneak attacks), pick all locks, have "Idiot Savant" on top of 10 INT etc.

The game is absolutely not dependant on min-maxing, just started a game on Survival with 10 CHA + 10 LCK and you can still hold your ground without crafting or combat skills.
So just play whatever you like, if you invest 5 levelups into upgrading SPECIAL by running a couple of bonus quests, then you just postpone your "level cap" which is where you have finished the story and decide to abandon the playthrough. In the end you probably don't care about your perks anyway, same like Skyrim once you reach a certain gear/skill level then nothing in the game is posing a challenge.

[Danceofmasks]

Originally posted by Zileene:

Bobbleheads do bring you over 10, while the "You're Special" book doesn't, IIRC.

{Edit} I was wrong, it seems. Just did a test in qasmoke. Bobbleheads can't get over 10, either. Not even if you pick it up when the stat is lowered by a temp. effect (I tried picking up the Int one while drunk). Only temp/item buffs go over 10, apparently. {/Edit}

I don't know what's wrong with your tests, but stats > 10 works.
Heck, reducing your stat before picking up the SPECIAL book even works - heck, some people (read: cheats) have been using the item dupe exploit in conjunction with the harshest of stat reducing items to get stats way above 10.

[Confused Rock]

There are lots of different perks, In case you didnt know, if you mouse over the bottom part of the perk list it will show more.