Status effects
Status effects are temporary, usually negative, character modifications resulting from the character's interactions with the game, such as poisoning after getting hit by a radscorpion, or addiction after consuming a drug.
For a list of effects associated with critical hits, see critical effects.
Irradiation
A character can become irradiated by staying for too long in a place with intense background radiation (such as the Glow or the Lost Hill bunker), getting hit by an attack that exposes it to radiation (ELECTRO-RAD Rockets, Aliens), or consuming a radioactive substance. A status indicator will appear in the top right corner of the screen once irradiation starts affecting your stats; mouse over it for details.
Any character can instantly become immune to radiation by equipping TMA Metal Armor. Failing that, the effects of radiation exposure can be mitigated by increasing your radiation resistance.
Radiation resistance is governed by Endurance, which grants +2% radiation resistance per point (or 1% if you have Fast Metabolism).
Rad Resistance and Snakeater support perks grant 30% and 20% of radiation resistance respectively. Rad-X grants +50% radiation resistance and increases its cap by 10%, allowing the stat to reach 100%.
Characters exposed to radiation suffer radiation sickness which leads to escalating penalties as radiation exposure continues.
The severity of radiation sickness is displayed in the HUD as a percentage. It has twenty stages:
| Irradiation % | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 5% | -10 healing rate |
| 10% | -5 Sequence |
| 15% | -1 Charisma |
| 20% | -1 Endurance |
| 25% | -1 Agility |
| 30% | -1 Perception |
| 35% | -1 Strength |
| 40% | -10% critical chance |
| 45% | -1 to all SPECIAL attributes |
| 50% | -3% to all damage resistances |
| 55% | -3 to all damage thresholds |
| 60% | -2% to all damage resistances (stacks for a total of -5%) |
| 65% | -1 to all SPECIAL attributes (stacks for a total of -2) |
| 70% | Maximum hit points reduced by at least 25% |
| 75% | Critical chance set to 1% |
| 80% | Healing rate set to 0 |
| 85% | Action points reduced by at least 50% |
| 90% | -1 to all SPECIAL attributes (stacks for a total of -3) |
| 95% | All damage resistances set to 0 |
| 100% | Hit points set to 1 |
Irradiation continues up to 111% but there are no additional effects associated with reaching 105% or more.
Taking RadAway will reduce your irradiation level by 50%. Radiation can be purged instantly by doctor NPCs that can be found in most major locations.
