The Mojave is a liar. It tells you that you’re a hero, or a villain, or a savior. But honestly? You’re just a delivery driver with a very bad headache. If you’re looking for a Fallout New Vegas guide, you’ve likely realized that this game doesn't hold your hand like Fallout 3 or Fallout 4 did. It’s meaner. It’s crunchier.
One minute you’re walking toward those bright lights in the distance, and the next, a giant radscorpion is turning your ribs into confetti because you took the "shortcut" north of Goodsprings. Don't do that. Seriously.
New Vegas isn't just a shooter. It’s a math problem wrapped in a cowboy hat. If you don't understand how the systems under the hood actually work, you'll find yourself struggling through the DLCs like Dead Money or Old World Blues wondering why your bullets feel like they're made of wet paper.
Your SPECIAL Stats are Permanent (Mostly)
Most players treat the character creator like a suggestion. It’s not. In Fallout 4, you can eventually max everything out. In New Vegas? You get what you get.
Intelligence used to be the "god stat" because it determined skill points. In the current 2026 meta of the game, it's still vital, but people overrate it. You don't need a 10. You need a 9, or even an 8, because you can buy an Intelligence Implant at the New Vegas Medical Clinic later.
Then there’s Charisma. Let’s be real: Charisma is a dump stat.
Unless you are doing a very specific "Nervous Character" build where you want your companions to do 100% of the work, leave it at 1. You can still have a Speech skill of 100 with a Charisma of 1. It’s a weird quirk of the engine, but it works. Use those extra points for Luck. Luck is the secret sauce. A Luck of 9 or 10 basically turns the casinos into your personal ATM and makes your critical hit rate skyrocket.
The Skills That Actually Save Your Life
Everyone rushes to 100 in Guns or Energy Weapons. That’s fine. You need to kill things. But a real Fallout New Vegas guide needs to emphasize the utility skills that prevent you from getting stuck in a narrative corner.
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Speech and Science
Speech is the most powerful weapon in the game. It allows you to bypass the final boss fight entirely if you’re smart enough. Science is its nerdy cousin. You need Science to hack terminals, sure, but you also need it to craft high-level chems and energy weapon ammunition at workbenches.
Survival vs. Medicine
If you’re playing on Hardcore Mode—which you should, because it’s how the game was meant to be played—Survival becomes more important than Medicine. Being able to cook a Steak that heals you for 10 points over 20 seconds is often better than a Stimpack that only heals a flat amount. Plus, it keeps your hunger meter down.
Jury Rigging: The God Perk
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: Get your Repair skill to 90 by level 14.
Why? The Jury Rigging perk. It allows you to repair rare items with common garbage. You can repair a high-end Anti-Materiel Rifle with a cheap hunting rifle. You can fix your expensive Power Armor with a suit of basic metal armor you looted off a dead raider. Without this perk, you will go broke paying NPCs like Major Knight to fix your gear.
Navigating the Political Minefield
The NCR, Caesar’s Legion, Mr. House, or Yes Man. Those are your choices.
The New California Republic (NCR) is the "safe" choice, but they’re spread thin and bogged down by bureaucracy. If you go with them, expect a lot of fetch quests. Caesar’s Legion is for the players who want to see the world burn—or at least see it governed by a guy who thinks he’s a Roman god.
Mr. House is the libertarian dream, provided you don't mind a frozen billionaire telling you what to do. Then there's Yes Man. Choosing Yes Man is basically saying, "I'm the captain now."
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Pro Tip: You can play all sides for a long time. Don't feel pressured to commit until you reach the "Don't Tread on the Bear!" or "Beware the Wrath of Caesar!" warnings. Use that time to finish every faction's side quests and reap the rewards.
Where to Find the Best Gear Early
You don't need to wait 30 hours to feel powerful.
- Chance’s Knife: Just north of Goodsprings, near the Tribal Village. It’s in a grave. You’ll need a shovel. It’s one of the best melee weapons in the game and you can get it within 5 minutes of starting.
- That Gun: Buy it (or steal it) from the Dino Bite gift shop in Novac. It uses 5.56mm ammo, which is everywhere, and it has a high crit chance.
- Combat Armor: Head to the Durable Dunn's Sacked Caravan. There are usually two dead Van Graff thugs there wearing black combat armor. It’s free, it’s high-tier, and they don't need it anymore.
Understanding Damage Threshold (DT)
New Vegas doesn't use Damage Resistance (DR) like the other games. It uses Damage Threshold.
If an enemy has a DT of 15 and your gun does 14 damage, you are basically tickling them. This is why submachine guns are useless against heavily armored targets like Brotherhood of Steel Paladins. You need high-damage-per-shot weapons (like the Brush Gun or Hunting Revolver) or armor-piercing (AP) rounds.
Always carry a mix of ammo types. Hollow points (HP) are for naked raiders and mutants. AP rounds are for anything wearing metal.
Survival Tactics for the DLCs
The DLCs are where this Fallout New Vegas guide gets serious. They are significantly harder than the base game.
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- Dead Money: It’s a survival horror game. Don't go in until you have high Melee or Unarmed skills, because your guns will be taken away. Also, the "Light Step" perk is mandatory unless you enjoy blowing up on floor traps.
- Honest Hearts: It’s a vacation compared to the others. Just bring a good rifle and plenty of water.
- Old World Blues: Bring Energy Weapons or anything that does extra damage to robots. The enemies here are bullet sponges.
- Lonesome Road: This is the end-game. Don't even think about it until you’re level 30+. It’s a linear gauntlet of the toughest enemies in the Mojave.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Courier
Stop restarting your save file every time you feel like you messed up. Instead, follow this checklist to optimize your current run:
- Visit the New Vegas Medical Clinic: Save up 4,000 caps immediately. Buy the Intelligence and Strength implants. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.
- Head to the Atomic Wrangler: If your Luck is 7 or higher, play Blackjack. Stay on 17, hit on anything lower. You will be kicked out for winning too much, which is exactly the goal.
- Kill the Van Graffs or the Crimson Caravan: If you’re playing a "moral" character, ignore this. But if you want the best loot and aren't afraid of some blood, these two factions have incredible gear sitting right on their shelves.
- Unlock the 'Abba Dabba Honeymoon' quest: Head to Red Rock Canyon and talk to the Great Khans. It’s the easiest way to get access to the Khan Armory, which sells the cheapest bulk ammunition in the entire game.
- Check your 'Efficiencies': Ensure your primary weapon skill matches your weapon's "Strength Requirement." If you have a Strength of 4 and you're trying to use a Minigun that requires 8, your accuracy will be garbage. Check the weapon stats in your Pip-Boy.