Fallout: New Vegas is a large role-playing game set in post-apocalyptic Nevada. The game arrived in 2010 from Obsidian and Bethesda and places you in the Mojave Wasteland, a rough region filled with factions, strange technology, and quests that shift based on your decisions.

The freedom the game offers can feel heavy at first, so this guide focuses on the main systems, early steps that smooth out the opening hours, and habits that help you stay prepared as you explore.

TL;DR

Fallout: New Vegas Beginner Guide — Quick Summary

This beginner guide covers the core systems, early-game decisions, combat basics, exploration tips, faction choices, and the best survival habits to help new players progress through Fallout: New Vegas smoothly.

  • Core systems explained: SPECIAL stats, skills, weapon types, armor, and how damage and repair mechanics shape early-game survival.
  • Beginner SPECIAL build: A reliable setup (STR 6, PER 5, END 9, CHA 1, INT 9, AGI 7, LCK 3) gives strong health, many skill points, and helpful VATS performance.
  • Early-game path: Goodsprings → Primm → Nipton → Novac is the safest route, avoiding cazadores and deathclaws in the north.
  • Strong early weapons: Varmint Rifle, Chance’s Knife, Chopper, and Lucky — all accessible early with some exploration and skill investment.
  • Major factions overview: NCR rewards balanced characters, Legion fits melee-focused builds, Mr. House supports tech builds, and Yes Man works for any playstyle.
  • Best companions early: Boone for sniping and enemy detection, Veronica for melee support, ED-E for long-range targeting and utility.
  • Useful early perks: Educated, Comprehension, Toughness, Life Giver, Finesse, Jury Rigging, and Commando provide immediate progression benefits.
  • Economy and survival tips: Loot chems and valuables, cook food at campfires, use crafting benches, and manage hunger/thirst in Hardcore mode.
  • Combat advice: Use VATS for precision, aim for heads or limbs, bring plasma for armored enemies, and rely on stealth for melee builds.
  • Endgame preparation: Unlock implants, finish companion quests for perks, stock up on supplies, and repair top gear before the Hoover Dam finale.

Beginners Guide: Understanding the Core Gameplay

SPECIAL and Skills

The SPECIAL system shapes your character and influences how you handle different challenges. Strength affects carry weight and melee damage. Perception helps you notice enemies and supports explosives and lock picking.

SPECIAL Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

Endurance improves your health and the number of implants you can install. Charisma influences a few companion-related dialogue checks. Intelligence determines how many skill points you gain when you level up. Agility affects action points and reload speed. Luck influences critical hits and how well you perform at casino tables.

You can raise SPECIAL with implants, the Intense Training perk, or certain quest rewards. Skill points earned each level determine how effective you are at tasks like shooting, hacking, repairing, or persuading others. Many players focus early on two or three main skills, then improve others as they progress.

Combat, Damage, and Repair

Weapons in New Vegas deal ballistic, energy, or explosive damage. Armor reduces physical damage based on Damage Threshold which makes weaker guns struggle against heavy protection. Plasma tends to perform well against armored enemies, while some laser weapons drop off.

Combat Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

All weapons and armor lose condition with use. Lower condition lowers damage or defense. You can repair gear using duplicates or similar items if you have the Jury Rigging perk. Vendors and crafting benches help if your skills are not high enough.

Starting the Game

SPECIAL Build for Beginners

A simple and reliable starter layout is Strength 6, Perception 5, Endurance 9, Charisma 1, Intelligence 9, Agility 7, Luck 3. This setup offers strong health, plenty of skill points, steady carry weight, and enough Action Points to make VATS helpful.

Traits like Small Frame or Good Natured offer useful bonuses early on.

Goodsprings Walkthrough

You wake up in Doc Mitchells house. Look through the rooms and take what helps you begin. Pick up the Varmint Rifle and speak with Sunny Smiles at the Prospector Saloon. She teaches basic combat, gecko hunting, and simple crafting at a campfire.

Goodsprings Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

Explore the town. The schoolhouse has a locked safe. The general store sells early supplies. Several residents offer tips or small tasks. Soon you choose whether to defend Goodsprings from the Powder Gangers or help the raiders. Most new players benefit more from defending the town.

Early Weapons and Armor

The Varmint Rifle works well early, and you can upgrade it with a scope, silencer, and larger magazine.

Other early weapons include Chance Knife in Chances Grave northwest of Goodsprings, Chopper inside Nipton Town Hall, and Lucky in the Bison Steve Hotel in Primm which requires a high Lockpick skill.

Light armor keeps you mobile at the start. Repair equipment often for best results.

Major Factions and Reputation

The Mojave features several major groups.

  • NCR aims to restore order but is stretched thin.
  • Caesars Legion uses harsh control and violence.
  • Mr House rules New Vegas with pre-war knowledge and long-term plans.
  • Yes Man allows you to take New Vegas for yourself.

Your actions raise or lower your reputation with each faction. Fame and Infamy are separate values, so you can be respected for some actions and disliked for others. Certain quests and disguises can hide or reset reputation temporarily.

Companions and Perks

You may travel with one human companion and one robotic companion.

  • Boone highlights enemies on your compass.
  • Cass increases resistance when alcohol is used.
  • Veronica offers portable crafting for workbench recipes.
  • Arcade improves healing during his quest line.
  • Raul slows gear decay.
  • ED E increases enemy detection range.
  • Rex gains different perks depending on the brain used during his quest.

Equip companions well and heal them as needed. Many become much stronger with only a few upgrades.

Early Perks to Consider

Perks that help early include Educated for more skill points, Comprehension for better skill book gains, Toughness for extra protection, Life Giver for more health, Finesse for a small critical bonus, Jury Rigging for cheaper repairs, and Commando for better VATS accuracy with rifles.

Economy and Survival

Caps come from many small sources such as looting, quests, and selling extra gear. Barter affects prices and lowers the cost of supplies.

Useful lightweight valuables include chems, compact weapons, pre war money, and crafting parts.

Campfires let you cook food and prepare simple healing items. Higher Survival makes cooked meals stronger and unlocks more recipes.

Campfires Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

Hardcore mode introduces hunger, thirst, sleep, and ammunition weight. Keeping clean water and cooked food in your inventory and resting in safe spots helps prevent penalties that build up over time.

Workbenches and reloading benches let you improve ammunition, put together explosives, and craft tools that support longer trips. Higher Repair and Survival skills give you more room to experiment with these options.

Exploration Tips

Take the southern path from Goodsprings toward Primm, Nipton, and Novac since that route stays manageable for new characters. Northern roads often lead straight into deathclaws and cazadores which can end a run quickly.

Look through abandoned buildings for safes or small containers, and keep any snow globes you find since they bring in good caps at the Lucky Thirty Eight.

Lucky Thirty Eight Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

Novac works well as an early home base. You can rent a room to store gear, and Boone is nearby if you want a strong companion early on.

Combat Tips

VATS slows down the fight and helps you place your shots with more control. Use it to target heads or cripple limbs. It does not keep you safe from incoming damage, so move between cover and watch your surroundings.

VATS Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

EMP based tools or well-placed explosives work well when you deal with robots since they break through their defenses faster than most small arms. Human opponents usually go down fast if you take your time and aim for the head. When you run into armored foes, it helps to bring weapons that hit hard, use ammunition that pierces armor, or rely on plasma gear.

Melee and unarmed setups become very effective once you raise Strength and Endurance. Moving up quietly and landing a sneak strike adds a noticeable jump in damage and often gives you control of the fight before the enemy reacts.

Endgame Prep

As you approach the final battle at Hoover Dam, earlier decisions decide which story paths remain open. Implants at the New Vegas Medical Clinic offer permanent improvements.

Hoover Dam Fallout New Vegas | Image credit: Bethesda

Carry enough chems, ammunition, repair kits, and food for long missions without shops. Many companion quests end with useful perks, so complete them before the final push. Choose the faction you want to support or take the independent option. Repair your best weapons and armor before starting the last missions.

Final Thoughts

New Vegas feels more engaging when explored at a steady pace. The game reacts to your decisions which means no single build fits every situation. With steady planning, well-kept gear, and attention to the world around you, even a fragile Courier can grow into someone ready to face nearly any challenge the Mojave brings.