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Choose the command for the result you want
| Need | Command | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Increase or decrease a skill from its current value | player.modav <skillname> <amount> |
Applies a relative change. A positive amount adds points; a negative amount subtracts them. |
| Set a skill to a specific value | player.forceav <skillname> <target> |
Sets the skill to the target value. |
For example, if Guns is currently 30, player.modav guns 10 adds 10, while player.forceav guns 40 sets it to 40. The normal skill range documented by the Fallout: New Vegas console commands reference is 1–100.
Enter a skill command on PC
- Open the in-game console on the PC version. The console is a debugging tool available in that version, as described in the Gamebryo console commands reference.
- Type a command with the skill’s actor-value name and a number, such as
player.modav energyweapons 25to add 25 to Energy Weapons. - Submit the command. To set a skill to a precise amount instead, enter
player.forceav medicine 50to set Medicine to 50.
Use the correct skill name and number
Skill names in commands use actor-value names, without spaces. Examples documented in the command reference include energyweapons and medicine. Check the actor-value list in that reference for the exact name rather than guessing.
Keep the two number types straight: with modav, the number is how much to change the current value; with forceav, it is the value you want the skill to become. A separate setav reference also describes setting actor values, but the dedicated New Vegas command list identifies forceav for setting a skill precisely, so that is the fixed-value command used here.
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- Not even nuclear fallout could slow the hustle of Sin City. Explore the vast expanses of the desert wastelands
- Feuding Factions, Colorful Characters and a Host of Hostiles
- Enjoy new additions to Fallout: Special melee combat moves have been added to bring new meaning to the phrase "up close and personal"
- With double the amount of weapons found in Fallout 3
- In a huge, open world with unlimited options you can see the sights, choose sides, or go it alone
Other ways to raise skills
Without console commands, skills increase when you allocate skill points during level-ups. Skill magazines provide a temporary +10 bonus, or +20 with the Comprehension perk, according to the Fallout: New Vegas skills reference. Those bonuses differ from a console command, which directly changes the actor value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platform and achievement caveats
These instructions are for the PC version. The cited references do not establish a universal console-command method for console editions, nor do they establish how commands affect achievements across all current platforms, editions, or modded installations. Do not assume the same behavior for every setup.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Gamestop Exclusive that includes additional content on disc.
Rank #4
- Ultimate Edition
- If you've played Fallout 3, you won't miss a step when transitioning over to New Vegas since it's largely the same in terms of gameplay.
- RPG
- Play in first-person or third-person perspective
Rank #2
- Beyond the Wasteland: The world of New Vegas is more expansive than ever. Each new distinct area presents a fresh set of branching-quests, remarkable personalities and more chances to play the Savior or the Pariah to the natives of New Vegas.
- Dead Money: Lured into a trap masquerading as the Sierra Madre Casino, you are thrown into a high stakes game where you'll have to work with three other lost souls if you want to survive.
- Honest Hearts: An expedition into Utah's Zion National Park goes horribly wrong and you become embroiled in a war between tribes and put into a conflict between a New Canaanite missionary and the mysterious Burning Man.
- Old World Blues: Transported to the Big MT research crater, you are enlisted by the Think Tank to save them from their own science experiments that have gone horribly out of control.
- Lonesome Road: Ulysses, the original Courier Six, contacts you and promises to answer why he refused to deliver the Platinum Chip at the start of Fallout: New Vegas, but only if you make one last journey into the treacherous canyons of the Divide.
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