Best Skills in Outer Worlds 2

There are twelve Skills Outer Worlds 2 players can choose from in character creation, including Engineering, Explosives, Guns, Hack, Leadership, Lockpick, Melee, Medical, Observation, Science, Sneak, and Speech. Each Skill has specific benefits and RP potential, but some Skills are more broadly useful than others.

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By Erik Petrovich

For example, the Lockpick skill grants access to an enormous number of locked areas and secret locked caches, while Speech can help any build in Outer Worlds 2 successfully get what they want out of RP dialogue checks.

This guide lists the six best Skills Outer Worlds 2 players should consider picking up, alongside a list of Perks associated with each of the best Skills listed below.

Lockpick

The Lockpick skill allows you to unlock locked containers and doors.

Base Skill Bonus: Locks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be opened with a Mag-Pick.
Bonus Per Level: +1% Evasion Chance

All Perks Unlocked With Lockpick Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Lockpick skill allows you to select perks that grant the ability to pickpocket humans and preview the contents of locked containers.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Pickpocket	Gain the ability to pickpocket others. Pickpocketing can be activated by crouching up to an unaware human and having enough Lockpick skill.	Lockpick 1
Through the Keyhole	The contents of a locked container can be viewed before lockpicking. Also, you gain an increased range bonus with guns.	Lockpick 2
Bag Check	While crouching, you can see the contents of a person's inventory before pickpocketing them. You also gain a small bonus to Critical Chance.	Lockpick 4, Perk: Pickpocket
Sleight of Hands	Pickpocketing is significantly faster and you gain a bonus to sneak attack damage based on your Lockpick skill.	Lockpick 8, Perk: Pickpocket

Speech

The Speech skill allows you to better influence others in conversations.

Base Skill Bonus: Speech checks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be selected.
Bonus Per Level: +5% Damage to Humans

All Perks Unlocked With Speech Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Speech skill allows you to select perks that let you get discounts at vendors, intimidate others, and gain more reputation with factions.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Space Ranger	Your Speech skill also scales damage.	Speech 1
Palm-Greaser	Bribes now cost less and stolen items sell for more.	Speech 2
Wholesale Spender	Buying or selling items with a vendor accrues goodwill. After accruing enough, you gain a permanent discount and sell bonus with that vendor.	Speech 4
Intimidator	Dealing damage to Weak humans or creatures Frightens them a short duration. Has a cooldown between activations, which shortens with your Speech skill. Strong enemies cannot be Frightened until their health has been significantly reduced.	Speech 5
Charlatan	Many of your lies are more believable and will more likely be accepted as true. Additionally, the likelihood that enemies will target you is reduced.	Speech 6, must purchase 4 other Perks
Grim Visage	Scoring a kill will temporarily cause human and creature enemies near the target to be Frightened for a short duration. Strong enemies cannot be Frightened until their health has been significantly reduced.	Speech 9, must purchase 6 other Perks, including Perk: Intimidator
Tall Tale Teller	Only your most outlandish lies aren't believed, with you being able to lie about even more things. Additionally, you gain a bonus to damage when attacking enemies that aren't targeting you directly.	Speech 10, must purchase 7 other Perks, including Perk: Charlatan

Guns

The Guns skill increases damage dealt with all types of guns, including ballistic, shock, plasma, and bio guns.

Base Skill Bonus: N / A
Bonus Per Level: +10% Ranged Damage, +1% Armor Penetration

All Perks Unlocked With Guns Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Guns skill allows you to select perks that further improve your ability to use guns of various types.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Point Blank Artist	Damage with shotguns, SMGs, and pistols is increased against targets within 10m, but less above that distance. Those weapons also gain increased sneak attack damage.	Guns 1
Crabble Rancher	Marksman rifles, pistols, and shotguns deal increased damage. While the magazine of one of these weapons is half empty, also gain a bonus to critical hit chance.	Guns 2
Serendipitous Slayer	You gain an innate critical hit chance with pistols and SMGs. Additionally, critical hits with these weapons automatically reload a small portion of the weapon's magazine.	Guns 2
Deep Drums	Machine Guns, Special weapons, and Assault Rifles slowly reload automatically. Additionally, all weapons have an increased magazine size.	Guns 3
Eden Windage	Marksman rifles, pistols, and sniper rifles have increased range and weakspot damage.	Guns 3, Perk: Crabble Rancher
Gun Runner	You can now fire while sliding, mantling, and sprinting with assault rifles, shotguns, and SMGs. Additionally, the spread for these weapon types is reduced.	Guns 4
Hail of Lead	Guns with automatic or burst fire deal increasing damage the more you fire. This bonus resets after swapping weapons or not firing for a few seconds and has a cap of +100%.	Guns 5
Penetrating Shots	Your shotguns and SMGs ignore a portion of armor, making them more effective against armored enemies.	Guns 6, must purchase 8 other Perks, including Perk: Point Blank Artist
Multitasker	Your holstered weapons reload automatically when you manually reload your active weapon.	Guns 14, must purchase 7 other Perks, including Perk: Commando

Medical

The Medical skill increases maximum Toxicity, allowing more uses of the Medical Inhaler at a time and increased resistance to Zyranium poisoning.

Base Skill Bonus: N / A
Bonus Per Level: +7 Toxicity Crash Threshold and +5% Damage to Creatures

All Perks Unlocked With Medical Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Medical skill allows you to select perks that further improve your inhaler, temporarily tame creatures, and make better use of corrosive weapons.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Caustic Researcher	You now apply Vulnerable faster when dealing Corrosive damage. Additionally, your critical hit chance against Dissolved foes is increased.	Medical 1
Connoisseur	Consumed food and drinks heal for more. Additionally, drugs add additional inhaler charge.	Medical 1
Pharm-Thusiast	You unlock an additional primer slot, allowing you to use multiple primers at once. Additionally, toxicity gained from using the inhaler is decreased. Using the inhaler applies the effects of all primers on use, but combines the total toxicity of all primers when used.	Medical 2
Survivalist	Creatures always drop raw meat, which can be eaten as food.	Medical 2
Zyranium Absorption	You accumulate zyranium poisoning much slower and can no longer receive Light and Heavy Zyranium Poisoning. Additionally, if you crash from using the inhaler, a portion of your Zyranium Poisoning is removed when the crash ends.	Medical 3
Nature's Friend	You can temporarily tame hostile creatures, having them fight by your side for a moderate duration. You can tame unaware hostile creatures by sneaking up to them and having enough medical skill. Also gain a bonus to damage against all creatures.	Medical 4
Hungry Guns	Guns that use bio-mass as ammo can hold twice as much before needing to be reloaded. Additionally, you deal more corrosive damage.	Medical 4, Perk: Caustic Researcher
Inhaler Overload	Gain the ability to take a deeper breath when using the Medical Inhaler, using an extra inhaler charge, increasing toxicity, but also granting a large amount of bonuses for a moderate duration. Activate this overload by holding down Use Inhaler while in combat.	Medical 5, Perk: Pharm-thusiast
Crash Recovery	While crashing, you continuously regenerate a small amount of health.	Medical 8
Nature's Best Friend	Tamed creatures are now permanently tamed, rewarding XP, but can't be looted.	Medical 10, must purchase 7 other Perks, including Perk: Nature's Friend
Lasting High	You can now use your medical inhaler while crashing, but at reduced efficacy. Crashes now last longer.	Medical 12, Perk: Crash Recovery

Observation

The Observation skill reveals hidden objects in the world and subtle behaviors in conversations.

Base Skill Bonus: Hidden Objects with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be found
Bonus Per Level: +15% Weakspot Damage

All Perks Unlocked With Observation Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Observation skill allows you to select perks that let you find more loot, track enemies, and more effectively use enemy weakspots.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Treasure Hunter	Searching through containers can occasionally reward you with bonus bits or crafting materials.	Observation 1
Tracker	Hostiles on the mini-map are no longer hidden by the shroud and have their facing shown.	Observation 3
Face Reader	In conversations, options that reduce reputation with a Faction are highlighted before choosing them. Additionally, gain a bonus to damage against humans.	Observation 5
Keen Observer	You gain increased weakspot damage when crouched and not moving.	Observation 8, Perk: Trick Shot

Science!

The Science! Skill increases your maximum Gadget Energy, allowing you to use gadgets like Tactical Time Dilation for longer.

Base Skill Bonus: N / A
Bonus Per Level: +7 Gadget Energy Meter Max, +10% more stacks of non-Physical Damage Type side-effects

All Perks Unlocked With Science! Skill in Outer Worlds 2

Investing in the Science skill allows you to select perks that further improve your gadgets and potency with shock weapons.

Perk Name	Perk Description	Perk Requirements
Electro-Therapist	You now apply Electrocuted faster when dealing Shock damage. Weak Automechs become Scrambled rather than Paralyzed when reaching max stacks. Does not work against Strong enemies until their health has been sufficiently reduced.	Science 1
Rapid Recharge	After dropping to 10% or less gadget energy, energy recharges faster for a few seconds.	Science 1
Slow-more	While using the Tactical Time Dilation gadget, you gain an increased evasion chance, ignoring more incoming attacks. Anytime you evade an attack, you restore a small amount of gadget energy.	Science 3
Contingency Screen	When your health hits 25%, the Gas-Energy Deflection Apparatus gadget automatically activates without spending energy. Has a cooldown between automatic activations.	Science 3, Gadget: Gas-Energy Deflection Apparatus
Weakspot Scanner	Weakspots are highlighted and damage dealt to them is increased when using the N-Ray Scanner.	Science 6, Gadget: N-Ray Scanner, must purchase 4 other Perks
Cold Blooded	You can now apply Chilled faster when dealing Frost damage, and enemies killed while Frozen will shatter, dealing frost damage to hostiles in the area.	Science 9, must purchase 6 other Perks
Targeting Scanner	Focusing on a target with the N-Ray Scanner will mark them. Marking targets prioritizes them for companions and causes the party's attacks to regenerate your energy.	Science 5, Gadget: N-Ray Scanner, must purchase 6 other Perks
Zyranium Scanner	Your energy recharges faster based on the amount of zyranium poisoning you have accumulated.	Science 5, must purchase 7 other Perks, including Perk: Zyranium Absorption
Sprayer Prayer	Auntie's Acidic Dematerializer can be charged, allowing its projectile to travel further and deal more damage.	Science 6, Gadget: Auntie's Acidic Dematerializer, must purchase 10 other Perks
N-Radiator	Once every few seconds, when you deal damage, you will deal the damage again as N-Ray.	Science 20, must purchase 12 other Perks