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About this mod
Shuffles around several key perks to balance out the various trees and adds unique effects to select perks. (Current and working as of Oct 2021)
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
Version 2.4
Fixed a lot of issues with 2.3, everything now works appropriately. Disease immunity perks now reduce them to 5 minute durations on the first rank, and immunity on the next (Medic rank 2 and 3= Infection/Parasites, Awareness rank 1 and 2= Insomnia/weakness, Action "Gender" rank 1 and 2= Lethargy/Fatigue). Toughness rank 2 reduces immunodeficiency to 5 minutes, rank 3 grants immunity. Also, fixed and adjusted Robotics Expert to add +30% damage at rank 2 and + 50% damage at rank 3 against robots.
Version 2.321
Withdrew the movement bonus from Action Boy/Girl, movement effects never seem to work properly in Fallout 4 so I'm entirely scrapping the idea to add movement bonuses completely. Adjusted the application mechanics of the Survival effects on Awareness, Medic, and Action Boy/Girl; these perks now make you completely immune to disease in Fallout 4 via a counter condition added directly to the disease magic effects themselves (may cause conflicts but unlikely). Also fixed some apparent missing abilities from medic rank 1. Also added an Immunoefficiency to Chem Resistant which negates Immunodeficiency.
Version 2.31
Changes made to Medic, Rad Away gives a short Rad Res buff after use with Medic Rank 2, and on Survival it no longer has detrimental effects. Also added a new consumable to the game called "Lock Boy" which gives a +100% sweetspot increase for 30 seconds, craftable with Science! rank 3 at the Chem Station under Utility.
Version 2.2
Changes made to Action Boy/Girl, added crafting of Fusion Cores (Nuclear Physicist 3), Nuka Grenades, Mini-Nukes (Nuclear Physicist 3 & Demolitions Expert 4), and Missiles (Demolitions Expert 4). Also randomly added crafting of Milk Bottles for various reasons.
Version 2.1
Minor change with this version, removed the "don't trigger mines" effect from Sneak rank 2 and added it to Demolitions Expert rank 4. Reason being, I like taking the sneak perk and it's vital to stealth gameplay but I like the challenge and thrill of actually looking for traps. Besides that, Sneak only requires 3 points into Agility and you get trap and mine nullification with just 3 ranks, which is bananas; Demolitions Expert is at least 5 points into Perception and the effect is walled behind 4 ranks.
Future Plans: I plan to eventually move the trap trip effect from Sneak rank 2 to Ninja. Again, sneak is too easy to get and rank 2 is a "gimmie" way to cheese the game. Basically any clumsy 10 STR/END oaf can get Sneak ranks 2 and 3 and then cheese mechanics; these are extremely powerful effects that should have been walled behind high end perks.
Future Plans: I plan to eventually move the trap trip effect from Sneak rank 2 to Ninja. Again, sneak is too easy to get and rank 2 is a "gimmie" way to cheese the game. Basically any clumsy 10 STR/END oaf can get Sneak ranks 2 and 3 and then cheese mechanics; these are extremely powerful effects that should have been walled behind high end perks.
Version 2.0
After being away for several years, I've reinstalled the game and updated this mod. Version 2.0 updates the mod for all existing DLC and takes a new stance in this mod's focus.
Two major changes are being made:
1) I will no longer support a leveled version of this mod, don't want a perk? Don't take it.
2) For now, I've made this mod 100% dependent on VAFS Redux because it does what Bullet Time doesn't and does everything I've ever wished I could do to overhaul the stupid VATS system. Go endorse their mod, it's amazing.
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Balanced Perk Overhaul (BPO) is an attempt to balance out what I personally feel FO4 needs in order to make each SPECIAL more special. Some of the perks I changed are classics, but I changed them because they simply weren't very practical, didn't make sense with where they were, or just sucked as is. BPO requires VAFS Redux and all DLC (I'm too lazy to make versions for each possible DLC combination and you should have them all in 2021 anyways, GOTY go get it). BPO adjusts the levels of all SPECIAL Perks to the bare minimum.
Requirement: VAFS Redux, hard requirement.
Compatibility: Any mod that alters a perk should be loaded after BPO, doing so will however set the level requirement of that specific perk to whatever they have it set as. I will not make patches for any mods, learn to use FO4Edit and adjust the levels yourself in your own esps.
Here's a list of the perk changes and a short description for each...
Iron Fist & Big Leagues -> Wasteland Workout
Wasteland Workout combines and distributes the damage bonuses for melee and unarmed weapons from Iron Fist and Big Leagues into one perk. Melee/unarmed weapon types never get enough attention in the fallout games to validate independent weapon perks like in TES. Instead of separating the weapon types, I separated the secondary effects.
Rank 1: +20% damage to all unarmed and melee attacks
Rank 2: +40% damage to all unarmed and melee attacks
Rank 3: +60% damage to all unarmed and melee attacks
Rank 4: +80% damage to all unarmed and melee attacks
Rank 5: +100% damage to all unarmed and melee attacks, VAFS Redux paralyze crit mechanic
Big Leagues -> Grand Slam
Combines secondary effects of Iron Fist and Big Leagues into one perk (except paralyzing palm) for both melee and unarmed weapon types, and adds a new knockback proc.
Rank 1: 20% chance to disarm/knockback opponent
Rank 2: 25% chance to disarm/knockback opponent
Rank 3: 30% chance to disarm/knockback opponent
Rank 4: Attacks strike in a frontal cone
Rank 5: Vanilla perk effect from Big League to decapitate/cripple opponents
Pain Train
Perk is generally the same, though I felt that strength and power armor were not entirely synonymous as crafting power armor mods requires focus in Science! and Nuclear Physicist for optimal battery usage. I changed Pain Train to focus on a tackle like concept. (See Nerd Rage for the power armor perk version). Yes, Pain Train works outside of Power Armor, now go download Atomic Muscle male bodies and hug it out.
Rank 1: 15 base damage, vanilla knockback/stagger effectiveness. Sprint AP cost decreased by 10%
Rank 2: 30 base damage, vanilla knockback/stagger effectiveness. Sprint AP cost decreased by 20%
Rank 3: 50 base damage, vanilla knockback/stagger effectiveness. Sprint AP cost decreased by 30%
Pickpocketing -> Detective
Pickpocketing was moved to agility and replaced with the Detective perk, see agility entry for details on pickpocketing. The Detective perk grants a lesser bonus to charisma challenge checks than some of the charisma perks, but functions regardless of gender.
Rank 1: 10% bonus to charisma challenge checks in conversations.
Rank 2: 20% bonus to charisma challenge checks in conversations.
Rank 3: 30% bonus to charisma challenge checks in conversations.
Rank 4: 40% bonus to charisma challenge checks in conversations.
Awareness
Rank 1 now reduces Insomnia and Weakness duration to 5 minutes, rank 2 grants immunity, in addition to everything added from VAFS Redux. Simply taking the perk will forever cancel out either of these diseases should you contract them or already have them.
RefractorWelcome to the energy version of Ricochet. This perk keeps its resistance bonuses and gains a more flexible version of the vanilla Ricochet perk. Both Ricochet and Refractor now share the same design; all ricochets from both perks do 200% damage (down from the 9,999% of the vanilla amount) and proc more often. (Uncertain whether this will work with VAFS Redux, likely not but will not break anything).
Rank 1: +10 Energy Resistance. 5% for energy weapons to proc Ricochet.
Rank 2: +20 Energy Resistance. 10% for energy weapons to proc Ricochet.
Rank 3: +30 Energy Resistance. 15% for energy weapons to proc Ricochet.
Rank 4: +40 Energy Resistance.
Rank 5: +50 Energy Resistance.
Demolitions Expert
Demolitions Expert Rank 4 now also prevents you from triggering enemy mines. Can craft Missiles at the Chem Station under "Utility", as well as Mini-Nukes and Nuka Grenades (with Nuclear Physicist 4).
Toughness
This was another one of those perks that gives a very one dimensional and unimaginative stat for character building. Toughness now steadily decreases falling damage and grants stagger immunity at rank 5.
Rank 1: +10 Damage Resistance and -20% falling damage.
Rank 2: +20 Damage Resistance and -40% falling damage. Reduces Immunodeficiency duration to 5 minutes.
Rank 3: +30 Damage Resistance and -60% falling damage. Grants immunity to Immunodeficiency.
Rank 4: +40 Damage Resistance and -80% falling damage.
Rank 5: +50 Damage Resistance, fall damage immunity, and stagger immunity.
Life Giver -> No Pain, No Gain
Life Giver is another one of those single purpose perks that works well overall with the tree it's in, but offers little on its own. Life Giver is now No Pain, No Gain and focuses largely on being injured to gain scaling bonuses. All the bonuses work off your health percentage ( 0% > <= 30%, 30% > <= 70%, and 70% > <= 99% ); the lower your health, the stronger the bonuses.
Rank 1: +20 Health, plus (5%,15%, 25%) critical chance based on injuries. (Uncertain this will work with VAFS Redux)
Rank 2: +20 Health, plus (15%, 30%, 50%) critical damage based on injuries.
Rank 3: +20 Health, plus (50%, 100%, 150%) kill experience based on injuries, +50% health regen while under 50% health.
Adamantium Skeleton & Nerd Rage -> Indomitable
This perk combines Adamantium Skeleton and Nerd Rage. While this may be a bit overpowered, especially for a tier 7 perk, Endurance offers next to nothing for offensive playstyles and I've always been at odds with the way Nerd Rage was designed. Nerd Rage seemed like a proper fit for Endurance and actually offers synergy with the other endurance perks (which Nerd Rage did not do for the Intelligence tree).
Ranks 1 - 3 are the condensed stats of Adamantium Skeleton and Nerd Rage into one perk. Please refer to the vanilla perks for details.
Solar Powered -> Walkabout
Solar Powered felt more like a trait from FNV than a perk as it only functioned under very specific circumstances (which degrades its significance as a tier 10 perk). Solar Powered is now called Walkabout and grants bonuses based on day or night.
Rank 1: +2 Strength during the day and +2 Agility at night.
Rank 2: +50% AP regen during the day and sneak bonuses roughly equivalent to Sneak Rank 3 at night.
Rank 3: Constant 50% health regeneration bonus (Vanilla amount).
No features implemented.
Action Boy/Girl
One of those one-trick boring perks that don't do a lot, figured a second generally useful effect would spruce it up.
Rank 1: AP regens 25% faster, reduces Fatigue and Lethargy duration to 5 minutes.
Rank 2: AP regens 50% faster, grants immunity to Fatigue and Lethargy.
Rank 3: AP regens 75% faster.
Mister Sandman & Pickpocket -> Mischief
Pickpocketing really didn't have any synergy with perception, and while it was available to the agility tree for free, the perception tree suffered because of it. Pickpocketing was combined with with the Mister Sandman perk and renamed as Mischief. Mister Sandman remains the same, but I removed the ability to pickpocket equipped armor (you're not going to steal someone's pants without them noticing), and reduced the pickpocketing max chance to 95 instead of 100 in order to keep an element of error in pickpocketing attempts.
Rank 1: 35% pickpocketing chance, 15% silenced/sneak damage, can kill sleeping targets.
Rank 2: 65% pickpocketing chance, 30% silenced/sneak damage, can reverse pickpocket live grenades.
Rank 3: 95% pickpocketing chance, 50% silenced/sneak damage, can pickpocket equipped weapons.
Sneak
Sneak Rank 3 no longer lets you avoid enemy mines, watch your step. Effect added to Demolitions Expert Rank 4.
*Crafting*
Missiles, Mini Nukes, and Nuke Grenades added to chem crafting with various ranks of Science! and Demolitions Expert. Lock Boy crafting added to chem crafting with Science! rank 4.
Medic
This perk now mimics the FNV/FO3 Living Anatomy perk design. Having this perk will increase damage against human enemies along with all the vanilla bonuses. Rank 1 grants immunity to Infection and Parasites.
Rank 1: Stimpaks and RadAway increase effect to 40% and +5% damage against humans.
Rank 2: Stimpaks and RadAway increase effect to 60% and +10% damage against humans.
Rank 3: Stimpaks and RadAway increase effect to 80% and +15% damage against humans.
Rank 4: Stimpaks restore all lost Health, RadAway removes all radiation, and +20% damage against humans.
Robotics Expert
Rank 2: Vanilla properties and +30% damage against Robots. All properties now affect Synths and Turrets.Rank 3: Vanilla properties and +50% damage against Robots. All properties now affect Synths and Turrets.
Nerd Rage -> Think Tank
As stated above, Think Tank is the power armored version of Pain Train. It's been demonstrated that being strong isn't a strict requirement for operating power armor, if not a requirement at all (i.e. Ingram). Thus, I moved a power armor specific version of Pain Train to the Intelligence tree that exclusively handles the PA side of the perk. Think Tank is the standard version of the vanilla Pain Train perk that retains the inherently higher damage (Rank 1: 25, Rank 2: 40, Rank 3: 70). Additionally, Think Tank does not have the knockback/stagger restrictions that Pain Train does; while not 100% functional, Think Tank will knockback/stagger significantly more NPCs than Pain Train such as robots (does not work against certain NPCs without knockback animations such as Behemoths).
Ricochet
Ricochet and Refractor now share the same overall mechanics, except that Ricochet now only works for ballistics. I felt this gave the two perks a nice balance and divided the core concept. While Refractor has energy resistance, Ricochet has improved synergy with the entire luck tree design. I also felt that splitting the two damage types made the two perks more unique in terms of combat encounters (Ricochet vs Raiders, Refractor vs Robots). Ricochet damage is now set at a standard 200%. VAFS Redux mechanics blend into these perk changes and will work in a mish-mash manner based on both mods.
Rank 1: 5% for ballistic weapons to proc Ricochet.
Rank 2: 10% for ballistic weapons to proc Ricochet.
Rank 3: 15% for ballistic weapons to proc Ricochet and 15% chance for Ricochet to fill critical meter.
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Installation
Standard installation process. Download the mod and install it using a mod manager or by dropping the esp into the data folder. Install this mod and move its ESP to load after VAFS Redux.
Future Goals
Compatibility and bug fixes only, I'm done doing heavy modding and only updated/changed this mod to work with my new install as of 2021. This mod does what I want with the perk system, I don't like any other overhauls, so use this or don't... I'm only sharing it for those that want it.