5e: Hacking the Game, Fallout Part IX

Fifth Edition Fallout

Since this series was completed, the reskins and rules discussed have been compiled into a single sourcebook I've called Fifth Edition Fallout, which also includes new additions conceived after the conclusion of the series, as well as a bestiary of wasteland creatures! You can find Fifth Edition Fallout, a starter adventure called A Date With the Queen, and several resources including a tailor-made character sheet over at the Fifth Edition Fallout hub page.

Today's article continues the series hacking D&D 5e for games played in the wasteland setting of Fallout hack series. We're going to be discussing Skills and other Proficiencies. This is followed by a brief discussion of changes to make to existing feats, as well as a list of new feats.

If you're new to the series, check out the earlier articles here.

Lockpicking (Screenshot from Fallout 4 © Bethesda Softworks)

Skills and Tools

First, let's list out the skills that are available in a standard game of 5e D&D, organised by the ability score they're most frequently combined with.

For the purposes of this discussion, I have grouped Tool Proficiencies in with Skills as they are essentially the same thing other than the fact they require the presence of a tool to be used.

Strength

• Athletics

Dexterity

• Acrobatics
• Sleight of Hand
• Stealth

Intelligence

• Arcana
• History
• Investigation
• Nature
• Religion

Wisdom

• Animal Handling
• Insight
• Medicine
• Perception
• Survival

Charisma

• Deception
• Intimidation
• Performance
• Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies

• Alchemist's Supplies
• Brewer's Supplies
• Calligrapher's Supplies
• Carpenter's Tools
• Cartographer's Tools
• Cobbler's Tools
• Carpenter's Tools
• Cook's Utensils
• Glassblower's Tools
• Jeweler's Tools
• Leatherworker's Tools
• Mason's Tools
• Navigator's Tools
• Painter's Tools
• Potter's Tools
• Smith's Tools
• Tinker's Tools
• Thieves' Tools
• Weaver's Tools
• Woodcarver's Tools
• Gaming Set: Dice Set, Playing Card Set
• Musical Instrument: Bagpipe, Drum, Dulcimer, Flute, Lute, Lyre, Horn, Pan Flute, Shawm, Viol
• Vehicles and Mounts: Land, Water
• 
  

Skills to Exclude

What we find is that almost all of the skills are equally as useful in our post-apocalyptic Fallout game as they would be in a typical high fantasy. But a couple of the Intelligence-based skills are less appropriate.

The obvious stand-out is Arcana. Without magic, our game clearly doesn't need a skill themed around magical knowledge. Oh sure, there are a few supernatural oddities in the Fallout world, but nowhere near enough and certainly not well enough understood to justify the presence of a knowledge skill in the system. We can safely strike this one from the skill list.

The second I think we can get rid of is Religion. Certainly, pre-War religious beliefs are still upheld by some citizens of the wastes, and a few peculiar cults have also sprung up such as the Church of Atom and the Hubologists. Yet these faiths have a less direct bearing on events in the wastes than the religions of D&D have on its myriad worlds where gods are real and present powers. There are going to be few religion-themed puzzles, and no undead creatures for which it might act as a knowledge skill. The final nail in the coffin, to my mind, is that knowledge of all history is going to be somewhat spotty and even a successful knowledge roll made about pre-nuke America is not going to result in detailed specifics. Pre-war religions belong to that same vague and oft-misremembered history, so why not roll them into the History skill itself?

Skills to Introduce

Then what about skills that we need to add?

Characters in the Fallout universe need to be able to pick locks, but that's covered by Thieves' Tools proficiency. Thieves' Tools proficiency should also grants proficiency with bobby pins. Actual lockpicks is a very rare find in the post-nuclear world, so a typical set of thieves' tools includes a supply of bobby pins instead.

We can also add a Hacking skill for dealing with electronic security measures and reprogramming machines.

There is also room for a broad Science skill that would help characters decipher the purpose of machines, vault experiments, and other pre- and post-war technologies. Science might also impart knowledge about who developed a certain piece of technology - for instance, the character would know the difference between a RobCo component and one manufactured by General Atomics International. Similarly, methods of construction or clues in appearance might suggest a device was put together by an organisation such as the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, or the Institute.

Tool Proficiencies

Tool Proficiences can mostly be left as is, though some could do with renaming. Instead of Alchemist's Tools, characters might be proficient in Chem Cook's Tools. Instead of Tinker's Tools, a character might become proficient in Mechanics' Tools.

A few other gaming sets might be available, such as chess or draughts.

More modern instruments such as guitars, pianos/keyboards, and drum kits should be available instrument proficiencies, but that doesn't need to rule out the existing ones. Characters may not benefit much from choosing an exotic and/or archaic instrument such as a Lyre, but instrument proficiencies are ultimately more about flavour than usefulness in any case. If a player wants their character to have mastered an obscure instrument, that's perfectly fine and could be an interesting aspect of their character to explore.

In the world of Fallout, aerial vehicles such as vertibirds and zeppelins exist. Air Vehicle proficiency should be available, though ought to be adequately supported by a character's background. For instance, they should likely be a member or former member of a well-funded and supplied organisation such as the Brotherhood of Steel or the Enclave.

Class Profiencies

Almost no changes need to be made to the skill and tool proficiencies of the classes that are appropriate for use (as discussed in back in Part 3). Hacking should be added to the Rogue's choice of skill proficiencies. Science doesn't particularly map to any class, though it can be taken by the magic-free variant bard I proposed since a bard can take any 3 skills. It doesn't need to be added to any class' skill list, because scientific expertise is better expressed by a character's background anyway. When we explore backgrounds (next week), there just need to be a few that grant Science proficiency.

Feats

Many feats from the Player's Handbook will work just fine. Only the magical feats should be excluded: Elemental Adept, Mage Slayer, Magic Initiate, Ritual Caster, Spell Sniper, Weapon Master.
The damage reduction from Heavy Armor master only applies if a character is wearing a complete set of heavy armour. At the DM's option, they can allow a heavy chest piece to reduce bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage by 1, and two heavy arm/leg pieces to do the same. Coverage of the chest and all four limbs would therefore add up to the full reduction of 3 damage per incoming attack.
A selection of new feats inspired by perks from the Fallout games follows.

Bloody Mess

You excel at targeting vulnerable points and causing deadly and typically messy damage.

Several of this feat's features require a target to make a saving throw. The DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability bonus you used for the attack)

• When you score a critical hit, double your ability bonus to the damage roll.
• Whenever you attack a living creature and roll the maximum possible result on at least one of your weapon's damage dice, the target takes 1d4 damage at the beginning of each of its subsequent turns if it is not already suffering from this effect. The creature may make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this effect.
• Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points and the damage is lethal, you can choose to dismember them in gory fashion. All hostile creatures within line of sight of both you and the target must succeed at a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you. An affected creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its rounds. Once a creature has succeeded at its saving throw, it is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

Chem Resistant

Your constitution is naturally strong against the dangerous side-effects of chem abuse.

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You reduce by 5 the DC of saving throws against addiction.
• You are immune to the Recovering Addict condition, and never need to make rolls against temptation to take or use a substance to which you were once addicted.

Devastating Allure

You possess great physical beauty and potent animal magnetism. Characters who possess devastating allure and use it to manipulate members of the opposite sex are sometimes referred to as Lady Killers or Black Widows, though in fact their appeal could be useful against people with a wide variety of gender identities.

• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks made against anyone whom is attracted to members of your sex, and add +5 to the result of a Charisma (Performance) check against any member of the audience who is attracted to your sex.
• You add 1d4 bonus damage to attacks made against any target whom is attracted to members of your sex.

Note that when an NPC's preference has not been predetermined, the DM may choose to do so randomly. While a gross oversimplification of the demographics of sexuality, here is one possible method rolled on a d12:

1-3: attraction to the same sex (homosexual).
4-5: attraction to the male and female sexes (bisexual).
6: attraction to all genders (pansexual).
7: attraction to multiple genders, but not all (polysexual).
8: attraction to non-binary persons (skoliosexual).
9: not attracted to anyone (asexual).
10-12: attracted to the opposite sex (heterosexual).

Ghoulish

You have become partially mutated in a similar fashion to a ghoul, and are resistant to radiation.

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You have advantage on saving throws against radiation poisoning.
• You reduce damage that you take from a source of radiation by 3.

Gun Fu

In your hands guns are an extension of the body, and you wield them with the grace of a martial artist.

• You ignore the loading quality of pipe guns, ballistic firearms, and energy firearms with which you are proficient.
• When you miss a creature with a ranged weapon attack roll but the difference between your attack roll and their AC is 5 or less, you may move that creature to a free space withhin 5 feet of their current location.
• Whenever you make ranged weapon attack rolls against two or more targets during the same turn and at least two of those attacks hit, deal an additional d4 damage to one of those targets.

Inspirational Presence

You are a person whose very presence comforts and instils confidence in those around you.

• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You may spend your reaction to grant an ally within 30 feet of your location advantage on an attack roll or saving throw.

Lead Belly

Your digestive tract has adjusted to the radiation present in the wasteland's food and water.

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You do not suffer radiation poisoning from consumption of food and liquids.
  

Lone Wanderer

You are cunning or tough enough to survive the wastes, even when you can't rely on comrades to watch your back.

• You gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution or Intelligence bonus (whichever is highest) at the beginning of any turn in which you have no allied creatures within 30 feet of your location.

Miss Fortune

When your need is great, you are sometimes aided by an enigmatic and dangerous woman, who appears as if from nowhere and disappears as quickly. Is it always the same woman, tied to you by fate? Or do multiple women of the wastes find themselves drawn to your aid by a mysterious power?

• Increase your Luck score by 1, to a maximum of 20. If the Luck ability score is not being used, you increase your Charisma score by 1 instead.
• When you have fewer than half of your hit points, at the end of any of your turns in which the last creature you attack still has more than 0 hit points, there is a 30% chance that Miss Fortune appears, increasing by a further 10% on each subsequent roll until she appears.

Miss Fortune deals 1 piercing damage for each character level you possess to that creature and any other creatures within 30 feet of it. All targets who take damage from Miss Fortune must also make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency + your Luck ability score bonus (or your Charisma ability score bonus if Luck is not being used). On a failed saving throw, their speed is halved and they cannot take bonus actions until the beginning of your next turn.

Once she appears, the Miss Fortune will not reappear again until after your next long rest. Miss Fortune and the Mysterious Stranger never appear at the same time: if you have both feats, you roll only once per turn to see if either of them will appear. Once your roll on the d100 is lower than the chance of an appearance, randomly determine which of the two appears. Afterwards, reset the probability of the second appearing to 30% for future rolls. 

Moving Target

You are always on the move, making it hard to target you.

• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you take the Dodge action and move on the same turn, you are treated as though you have half cover until the beginning of your next turn. If you move behind actual cover, the degree of cover it provides is increased by one step.

Mysterious Stranger (Screenshot from Fallout 4 © Bethesda Softworks)

Mysterious Stranger

When your need is great, you are sometimes aided by an enigmatic and dangerous man, who appears as if from nowhere and disappears as quickly. Is it always the same man, tied to you by fate? Or do multiple men of the wastes find themselves drawn to your aid by a mysterious power?

• Increase your Luck score by 1, to a maximum of 20. If the Luck ability score is not being used, you increase your Charisma score by 1 instead.
• When you have fewer than half of your hit points, at the end of any of your turns in which the last creature you attack still has more than 0 hit points, there is a 30% chance that the Mysterious Stranger appears, increasing by a further 10% on each subsequent roll until he appears.

The Mysterious Stranger deals 1d4 piercing damage for each character level you posses to that creature.

Once he appears, the Mysterious Stranger will not reappear again until after your next long rest. The Mysterious Stranger and Miss Fortune never appear at the same time: if you have both feats, you roll only once per turn to see if either of them will appear. Once your roll on the d100 is lower than the chance of an appearance, randomly determine which of the two appears. Afterwards, reset the probability of the second appearing to 30% for future rolls. 

Pack Alpha

You take advantage of the distractions caused by your allies, striking when your enemies are most vulnerable.

• Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• For every one of your allies that has already damaged a target since the end of your last turn, your own attacks against that target deal an additional point of damage.

Pyromaniac

You love fire, especially when you're the one lighting it.

• You are proficient with any weapon that deals fire damage.
• Whenever you hit with a weapon that deals fire damage, you deal 3 additional damage. Additionally, this bonus damage is unaffected by a target's fire resistance.

Scrounger

Through a combination of observation, experience, and sheer luck, you are adept at finding hidden stashes that others might miss.

• Increase your Luck score by 1, to a maximum of 20. If the Luck ability score is not being used, you increase your Wisdom score by 1 instead.
• Whenever you are present when your party discovers a supply of ammunition for any weapon type except for heavy weapons, you might find additional secret stashes. Roll 1d4-1 for every type of ammunition found for which you carry a compatible weapon. You gain that much ammo, which must be kept and used by you personally. The ammunition already in the stash can be divided between the party as normal.
• Whenever you are present when your party finds one or more meals, drinks, and snacks, you might find additional sustenance, which must be kept and used by you personally. The food and drink already in the stash can be divided between the party as normal. Roll 1d12:

1-6: you find no additional food or drink.
7-8: you find an additional solid snack.
9-10: you find an additional liquid snack.
11: you find an additional meal.
12: you find an additional drink.

Next Time

That's skills and feats covered, and we're reaching the end of this series too! Next week: Backgrounds.