Fallout 76 character builds will work unlike any other game in the post-nuclear RPG series, so you might want to get comfortable ahead of time. This slick, fan-made character builder tool lays out how the familiar set of SPECIAL stats underpins a new selection of swappable Perk Cards. Consider it a dry run on the character you're about to spend dozens of hours blasting mutants and foraging for adhesive with.
The builder lets you simulate building out a Vault Dweller's stats all the way from level 1 to 50 (when you stop gaining stat increases for multiplayer balance reasons). Derived statistics like carry weight and hit points are handy, but where the tool really shines is in its selection of Perk Cards and their associated point costs. Whether you want to be a lone sniper or a charismatic team medic, you can easily see where you should invest your stats to make the ideal hand of Perks.
Granted, you shouldn't get too invested in anything you can make with the tool right now, as it's based on incomplete, pre-release information. But the creator of the tool plans to quickly update with all new info that surfaces from the Fallout 76 beta - and that should be a lot, since Bethesda says the beta will be the full game (just with more bugs and server downtime). Until then, it's fun to see what kind of possibilities are out there.
As the beta begins, check out Bethesda's message to Fallout fans awaiting their first steps into the online world.
Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer knew the Fallout 3 comparisons were coming, but also knew that what made his RPG special were the things that you couldn’t find in one playthrough
Fallout: New Vegas director on the “blessing” of working on the RPG: “I never thought I’d get a chance to work on Fallout [again]”
