Outer Worlds 2 features a relatively robust character creator that significantly affects your roleplaying opportunities and ways you will approach the world. Though each Background only changes your character’s backstory and unlocks certain dialogue choices, Traits and Skills will directly improve your character’s stats in addition to unlocking RP opportunities.
There are six backgrounds in Outer Worlds 2, nine Traits to pick, and 12 Skills you can choose from in the character creator. Follow this guide to learn about every Background, Trait, and Skill in Outer Worlds 2 to make more informed choices and start working towards a build at this pivotal starting point.
All Outer Wilds 2 Backgrounds
Every Starting Background In Outer Worlds 2
Ex-Convict
You never cared for the Earth Directorate, and they never cared for you.
So much so that they decided it would be best for you to spend much (if not all) of the rest of your life behind bars.
However, desperate times call for desperate measures, so you accepted a deal to work for them to clear your record.
Or escape while they weren’t looking.
Gambler
“The Grand Plan.” Hah!
You know the universe is run by blind luck and chaos, even if you’ve been riding the winning edge of that chaos for most of your life.
Unfortunately, that winning streak came to an end when you lost a bet with an agent who was trying to convince you to utilize your penchant for bucking the odds in the service of the Earth Directorate.
Lawbringer
After experiencing a youth of hardship and corporate malfeasance, you joined the Earth Directorate, devoting your life to bringing order to the colonies in the throes of chaos.
You are a champion of the people, whether they want one or not.
The law is not to be trifled with, and neither are you.
Professor
You were a prominent voice in your field until your penchant for “full contact” archaeology and your colleague’s jealousy at your success rate for retrieving artifacts long thought to be lost cost you both your tenure and your position.
Fortunately, your talent for dealing with the more unsavory elements of artifact trafficking will serve you well in the Earth Directorate.
Renegade
You may have lived a life that skirted the laws of any colony you found yourself operating in, but that’s what you were paid for.
And definitely not a reason for your unsatisfied previous employers to hunt you down, is it?
Joining the Earth Directorate seemed like a great way to solve the problems your “work” history may have caused.
Roustabout
You’re not quite sure what happened.
You simply wanted to find a job that used your particular set of skills.
Which would be “none.”
Yet, one accidental death of a well-known villain later, you’re now known as a gunslinging Earth Directorate agent not to be trifled with.
You often find yourself wondering if this “Earth Directorate” has any good cashier openings.
All Outer Worlds 2 Starting Traits
Every Starting Trait In Outer Worlds 2
Brawny
You’re able to perform great feats of strength.
In combat, you’re an unstoppable force.
- Sliding or sprinting into hostiles will knock them down.
Brilliant
You’re intelligent, able to more easily solve problems and pick up new skills.
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During skill selection, Specialize in 1 additional skill.
- Specialized skills start with 2 points.
Heroic
Others tend to naturally follow and look up to you.
- -20% Companion Ability Charge Time
Innovative
You are inventive and crafty, always able to find unique solutions to complex problems.
You’ve found numerous ways to be more efficient when crafting.
- Crafting recipes for ammo, throwables, and resources create up to twice as many of those items for the same amount of crafting materials.
Lucky
You’re lucky, things tend to go your way.
- +5% Critical Chance
- Certain opportunities are just accessible to you.
Nimble
You’re quick and dextrous, able to move more quickly while stealthing and in combat.
- +25% Crouch Speed
- +25% Combat Sprint Speed
Resilient
You can power through even the deadliest of injuries.
It requires more than usual to take you down in combat.
- Death is prevented for 3s the first time you would have died in each combat.
Suave
You have a way with words, getting you discounts at vendors and talking your way out of minor crimes.
- 10% discount at all vendors
- Bounty must be 2x higher than normal to be seen as an Outlaw
Witty
Your fun demeanor and quick wit makes you popular with others.
Others are willing to forgive your past transgressions.
- Reputation with any faction can never decrease below Neutral, preventing any penalties that would be gained from having a negative reputation with a faction.
All Outer Worlds 2 Starting Skills
Every Starting Skill In Outer Worlds 2
Engineering
The Engineering skill increases the effectiveness of all armor, garanting inherent Damage Reduction.
- Base Skill Bonus: Mechanical systems with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be fixed. In conversations and while exploring, Engineering aids in the ability to act on the knowledge of mechanical systems.
- Bonus Per Level: +1% Damage Resistance
- Investing in Engineering allows you to select perks that further increase your defenses and benefits from weapon, helmet, and armor mods.
Explosives
The Explosives skill increases the damage dealt with explosive throwables such as grenades and mines, as well as weapons that deal damage in an area.
- Base Skill Bonus: While exploring, Explosives allows the disarming of sensitive objects like mines and traps.
- Bonus Per Level: +10% Explosives Damage, +1% Explosive Resistance
- Investing in Explosives allows you to select perks that increase the potency of explosives and plasma weapons.
Guns
The Guns skill increases damage dealt with all types of guns, including ballistic, shock, plasma, and bio guns.
- Bonus Per Level: +10% Ranged Damage, +1% Armor Penetration
- Investing in the Guns skill allows you to select perks that further improve your ability to use guns of various types.
Hack
The Hack skill allows unauthorized access to various mechanical systems such as terminals, automechanicals, and vendinng machines.
- Base Skill Bonus: Hack checks equal to your Hack skill and lower can be overcome
- Bonus Per Level: +5% Damage to Automechanicals
- Investing in the Hack skill allows you to select perks that let you disable automechs directly, hack into bounty terminals, and access the restricted inventory of vending machines.
Leadership
The Leadership skill increases the damage and survivability of your companions.
- Bonus Per Level: +8% Companion Damage, +4% Companion Health
- Investing in the Leadership skill allows you to select perks that let you use companion abilities more and improve the overall effectiveness of your companions.
Lockpick
The Lockpick skill allows you to unlock locked containers and doors.
- Base Skill Bonus: Locks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be opened
- Bonus Per Level: +1% Evasion Chance
- Investing in the Lockpick skill allows you to select perks that grant the ability to pickpocket humans and preview the contents of locked containers.
Melee
The Melee skill increases damage dealt with Melee weapons.
- Bonus Per Level: +10% Melee Damage, -2% Damage Received while Blocking
- Investing in the Melee skill allows you to select perks that further improve your ability to use melee weapons of various types.
Medical
The Medical skill increases maximum Toxicity, allowing more uses of the Medical Inhaler at a time and increased resistance to Zyranium poisoning.
- Bonus Per Level: +7 Toxicity Crash Threshold, +5% Damage to Creatures
- Investing in the Medical skill allows you to select perks that further improve your inhaler, temporarily tame creatures, and make better use of corrosive weapons.
Observation
The Observation skill reveals hidden objects in the world and subtle behaviors in conversations.
- Base Skill Bonus: Hidden Objects with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be found
- Bonus Per Level: +15% Weakspot Damage
- Investing in the Observation skill allows you to select perks that let you find more loot, track enemies, and more effectively use enemy weakspots.
Science
The Science skill increases your maximum Gadget Energy, allowing you to use gadgets like Tactical Time Dilation for longer.
- Bonus Per Level: +7 Gadget Energy Meter Max, +10% more stacks of non-Physical Damage Type side-effects
- Investing in the Science skill allows you to select perks that further improve your gadgets and potency with shock weapons.
Sneak
The Sneak skill makes it harder for enemies to detect you while crouched.
- Bonus Per Level: +35% Sneak Attack Damage, -2% NPC Awareness Detection Rate
- Investing in the Sneak skill allows you to select perks that avoid traps and perform sneak attacks.
Speech
The Speech skill allows you to better influence others in conversations.
- Base Skill Bonus: Speech checks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be selected.
- Bonus Per Level: +5% Damage to Humans
- Investing in the Speech skill allows you to select perks that let you get discounts at vendors, intimidate others, and gain more reputation with factions.
