User login

Double McStab's Stealth Fallout 4 Build

22 replies [Last post]
Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Hi Everyone!

Just because there's no AC news, doesn't mean we can't have a good time.

Jump to the final build post here.

I recently got Fallout 4 (Amazon Prime Day sale). After playing with it for about 4 hours and getting a grasp for some of the core concepts like leveling, perks and ranks in those perks and combat in general, I'm going to restart my character with some specific aims in place. Having put 60-80 hours into Skyrim, I instantly recognized some similarities in the interface and some of these concepts. I then did some research, looking into Perk trees, etc and have decided to build a character for what I want. [Also, since my mother-in-law is in the room this week where the console is, I can't play so I decided to do some research into the perks I'll want eventually.]

Usually, when playing these types of games, I go for a silent ranged build. Not this time. This time I'm going to focus a build on a close and personal assassin. Get in, get the job done, get out type of guy. Non-automatic weapons (why waste bullets), silenced weapons, and use of the VATS system to systematically dismantle enemies. Also, I've always preferred to play without companions in RPGs ("Damnit Lydia, I KNOW you're sworn to carry my burdens! You don't have to tell me every 3 minutes!") because they are not as stealthy as I would like and are in general pretty careless. Dogmeat will likely be the exception to that rule of mine. With that in mind, I think I have nearly finalized my first 30 levels, subject to change.

In Fallout, like most every RPG/D&D clone game, you have a set of core attributes and skills tied to those attributes. In the Fallout series, these attributes are Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck... put simply, the things that make you S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Huge fan of this acronym by the way). I will only mention what they do if it's important, since that's not the aim of this post. You get 28 points to dump into these stats to start the game (well, 21, because you have to have a level of 1 in each attribute). My build, like most stealth builds, will be heavy on Perception, Agility and Luck. With this build, I won't be hacking robots to do my bidding, running around like a tank to kill deathclaws head on or building a vast settlement full of technology... but I will be a silent killing machine... I hope. So let's get to my plan:

Starting SPECIAL:
S: 1
P: 8
E: 2
C: 2
I: 1
A: 7
L: 7

I say you get 21 free points, but you really get 22. Go to your house and pick up the You're Special book in the baby's room and you get another SPECIAL point. Most Stealth builds use Charisma as a dump stat to up their PAL, but I'll put this into Charisma - all because I don't like people. (Only kind of ironic). From here on out, this build will ignore SPECIAL boosting not in my plan (from bobbleheads, for instance), mainly because I haven't played enough to know where such things are.

But my level 1 character will actually be:
S: 1
P: 8
E: 2
C: 3
I: 1
A: 7
L: 7

The first 4 levels will be spent getting the base of my character down.
2. Gunslinger 1 (prereq: Agility 1 - character level 1): You're probably confused as to why I'm taking Gunslinger as my first perk in a stealth build... but it's for the damage increase from non-automatic pistols - which will be my weapon of choice.
3. Sneak 1 (A3-1): There it is.
4. Action Boy 1 (A5-1): Gives you more action points for use in VATS, which I plan to use a lot of in this build - will help with fighting since I don't have much in the way of HP.
5. Sneak 2 (A3-5): Sneak, sneak, sneak.

There's the basis of my character. One that's good with pistols, sneaks around and uses VATS for kills in pressure situations. As you can see, Agility is a key stat for me.

6. Idiot Savant 1 (L5-1): Gives extra XP with low Intelligence (1), so should help me level faster.
7. Lone Wanderer 1 (C3-1): Told you I hate people. This will give me some of the things I'm missing out on from not having a companion with me: larger carrying capacity and some damage resistance, since I don't have a meat shield.
8. Ninja 1 (A7-1): Sneak attacks do more damage. Yay!
9. - 10. Locksmith 1-2 (P4-1,7): Will let me pick locks a little easier.

So at level 10, I have added the ability to gain levels faster, function alone, pick harder locks and be more deadly while silent. I'm still basically building some core perks into my character without one thing really dominating. My SPECIAL is still sitting at 1-8-2-3-1-7-7.

11. Put a point into Endurance: gotta be able to survive in the wasteland. Brings E up to 3, which is needed for...
12. Lifegiver 1 (E3-1): Adds some desperately needed HP.
13. Mister Sandman 1 (A4-1): Makes me more deadly with silenced weapons. Hopefully at this point I'll be able to buy/find/craft one.
14. Sneak 3 (A3-12): Sneak, sneak, sneak.
15. Rifleman 1 (P2-1): Can't always rely on pistols. This makes non-automatic rifles do more damage (no reason to waste bullets).

At level 15, I've added to my silent but deadly archetype, but also started to diversify some for backup plans. SPECIAL sits at 1-8-3-3-1-7-7.

16. - 17. Pickpocket 1-2 (P1-1,6): Wanted to add this earlier, hopefully not too late to be useful. Pickpocket 2 will let my drop live grenades into enemy pockets if I can sneak close enough.
18. Gunslinger 2 (A1-7): Back to basics to increase pistol damage.
19. Lifegiver 2 (E3-8): More needed health.
20. Sniper 1 (P8-1): Part of my diversify strategy. Will let me hold my breath longer while sniping and make it easier to kill enemies from a distance.

Nothing terribly sexy in this set of levels. But it's all needed for my ideal character type.

21. Mysterious Stranger 1 (L4-1): Free kills in VATS, I think. Should be fun. My first gimmicky-fun perk.
22. Locksmith 3 (P4-18): Gotta unlock doors and safes!
23. Lifegiver 3 (E3-20): More health, that now regenerates!
24. Ninja 2 (A7-16): Even deadlier when sneaking!
25. Mister Sandman 2 (A4-17): Even deadlier when silenced.

This is where the build starts to take off. Perhaps Sneak 4 should be taken right when available at level 23 and delay some of these, but I'll postpone for now.

26. Put a point into Perception: Need P9 for the next gimmick/sexy pick. If I somehow get my P up to 9 before this point (finding the right collectibles), then I will definitely take Sneak 4 instead. Maybe even take it at 23 and shift 23-25 to 24-26.
27. Penetrator 1 (P9-1): Even walls won't stop me in VATS - shoot through obstacles.
28. Action Boy 2 (A5-18): Gotta increase those actions.
29. Gunslinger 3 (A1-15): More deadly with the pistols.
30. Lone Wanderer 2 (C3-17): Carry more things, take less damage... while alone.

[note: levels 16-30 of build have been replanned below - so that's why they are stricken. I've left them here for continued discussion/posterity and to see how the build changes with time]

Obviously, there is some wiggle room in those levels. I gotta take Sneak 4 somewhere after 23, so I'm hoping I can up P to 9 without wasting a level on it. From level 31 on up, the plan is to continue upping the skills I am finding most useful. When in doubt, I'll add an Endurance point, Luck point or play with some of the other Luck perks (Fortune Finder, Scrounger, Grim Reaper's Sprint/Four Leaf Clover would be fun, but I gotta up the Luck to get there).

Anyway, that's what I'm thinking will be the most fun way for me to play Fallout 4. A close quarter stealth assassin that uses silenced pistols and VATS to line up his/her shots. Any recommendations for other perks to look at or reordering are welcome. Or general discussion on the importance of certain perks to a silent assassin build in general.

Happy gaming everyone!

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Another thing to note about this game that I've learned in my research: there are no level caps and enemies scale with your level. So taking a one-off perk for fun won't screw up the final build, it will just slow it down. I suppose you could get to level 275 and take every single perk in the game and max out all your SPECIAL... and if you wait to get all the bobbleheads, I suppose you could get them all to 11. You could keep leveling up to level 65,535 until the game crashes (2^16 in programming of the game).

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

161803398874989's picture
161803398874989
Offline
male
Joined: 12/13/2010

They store the level using only 16 bits?

_________________

"Betraying the Assassins is never good for one's health."
"Well, neither is drinking liquor, but I'm drawn to its dangers all the same."

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012
161803398874989 wrote:
They store the level using only 16 bits?

I've just read that the leveling craps out at that level. Maybe someone on PC set their level up to it to see what would happen, and that's where it crapped out. I can't confirm anything, but I did see that number in multiple discussions online.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Alright. No thoughts on it. Well, I guess I'll just venture into the Wasteland today with this plan and post my thoughts of it as I go along. With comments on the build or things I wish I had done differently as I go along. Being that this is a first (probably only) playthrough, I'll also be learning the game and mechanics as I go along. So things will definitely change, I'm sure.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

First two comments on my playthrough of this game (I will try to keep spoilers, if needed, in spoiler tags in this thread):

1 - The Perception Bobblehead (increased Perception by 1 point) is one of the first ones you run into and you can't miss in in the main quest-line. These leads to two possibilities: first, unlocking Sneak 4 as mentioned in my original post; second, putting a point somewhere else in the original build like Luck or Agility to get those perks going.

2 - You level up quickly enough that it doesn't much matter what your plan is: that is, taking an extra perk here or there wouldn't much slow you down. I'm at the first city where there are merchants you can buy things from having only done a couple side quests and am level 8 already. I fear I won't be able to buy/find/craft that suppressor before level 13 like hoped.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Welp. Up to level 10 now in this build. I had a few things go very very very right for me yesterday.

1 - I leveled up my lockpicking right before the first time actually needing it in a mission to go around some enemies.
2 - I did a side quest that rewarded me with an awesome silenced pistol. If you've played the game, you probably know which one it is. It has VATS improvements (higher hit rate and lower action points) that will play well into my plan as well as anything I could imagine.
3 - I killed some low level Lengendary creatures that rewarded me with some fantastic items. When you kill a Legendary enemy, they drop a Legendary piece of equipment or weapon. These items have randomly generated (I think) enhancements to them. Both items that were dropped were firstly different body parts (both legs for armor), and secondly work well into my plan. The first one is a further VATS enhancement that will allow me to do more things with the time slowdown. The second is a Chameleon effect that functions the same as Evie's in AC:Syndicate. I don't have to tell you why that will be useful for a stealth build.

Again, some great strokes of luck that should make things easier for me. If only I could get Dogmeat (the pet dog) to stop rushing enemies when I'm being stealthy! I love having him around to carry things and fight in tough situations, but he more often than not blows my cover...

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Finally got back to this yesterday after a week hiatus. It's coming along nicely.

Sometimes the NPC behavior shows a great disconnect to your own. I was running a mission yesterday to rescue someone. During the exfiltration of the location we happen upon some enemies that are unaware of our presence and he asks "how do you want to play this." I sneak in, kill everyone with my silenced weapon. I think one person was alerted to our presence before being killed. Because of this one person, the NPC I'm with states "Loud and proud, okay." or something like that. So then, every group we run into after that he runs in to start the fights. I suppose it's my fault for not perfectly killing everyone silently, but it was an interesting little quirk.

I'm up to level 12 now following the above pretty well. I'm FINALLY sneaky enough and do enough damage that I can kill 2-3 enemies before they know what's coming. I'm finally learning my way through the VATS system. I still don't fully understand some parts of it, but am enjoying it. My character doesn't feel overpowered (yet). Enemies are smart about using cover and leaning out from walls to shoot. I know that if I rushed in to a group of 4+, I could probably win (through use of cover and health boosts), but it would be a challenge. As such, I'm still enjoying trying to be stealthy.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

JoeyFogey's picture
JoeyFogey
Offline
Administrator
male
Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 02/16/2010

I can understand Skyrim being used for a stealth build, but not Fallout. So much respect.

PSN: JoeyFogey

Steam: JoeyFogey

Instagram: thatsketchyhero

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

It's extremely rewarding to go around a corner with enemies in the other room, have them suspect you are there but not detect you ([CAUTION] not [DANGER]), go into VATS and get clean headshots on all of them with all the stealth multipliers and they all go down before they know what's up. Add in long range sniping with a silenced rifle (tinker tom special) and I couldn't be happier so far. Still only at level 13 and haven't ventured too far into the wasteland to be attacked by creatures, but from what I've done it's been fun and rewarding.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Update!

I've decided that although I'm going for a sneaky player, I haven't found myself pickpocketing much at all. It would be fun to drop grenades into enemy's pockets, but until I can sneak up to them completely unnoticed I wouldn't use the skills. As such, I'm going to forgo Pickpocket 1/2 until later. Updated plan below (1-15 unchanged). I've only included descriptions for new perks. Keep in mind that since I found the Perception Bobblehead, I no longer need to add a skill point at level 26.

16. Gunslinger 2 (A1-7).
17. Lifegiver 2 (E3-8).
18. Critical Banker (L7-1): Will allow me to select to use my Critical Hits in VATS. Normally, you have to hit the Critical outside of VATS while the VATS shots are being fired. I'd love to use it when I want and predesignate it in VATS. I didn't know how good Criticals would be for this build so I'm adding in this and another perk at 28.
19. Sniper 1 (P8-1).
20. Mysterious Stranger 1 (L4-1).

21. Locksmith 3 (P4-18).
22. Lifegiver 3 (E3-20).
23. Sneak 4 (A3-23): Getting Sneak 4 as soon as it's available.
24. Ninja 2 (A7-16).
25. Mister Sandman 2 (A4-17).

26. Action Boy 2 (A5-18). (moved up)
27. Penetrator 1 (P9-1).
28. Better Criticals (L6-1): Criticals do 50% more damage.
29. Gunslinger 3 (A1-15).
30. Lone Wanderer 2 (C3-17).

Obviously, there is still some wiggle room in those levels. From level 31 on up, the plan is to continue upping the skills I am finding most useful. When in doubt, I'll add an Endurance point, Luck point or play with some of the other Luck perks (Fortune Finder, Scrounger, Grim Reaper's Sprint/Four Leaf Clover would be fun, but I gotta up the Luck to get there).


Benchmarks/notes for me to remember for later since I'm using this post as the character sheet to build my character:
Gunslinger 4: 27
Penetrator 2: 28
Mister Sandman 3: 30
Rifleman 4: 31 (still need 2/3)
Ninja 3: 33
Idiot Savant 3: 34 (still need 2)
Sneak 5: 38
Lone Wanderer 3: 40
Better Criticals 3: 40 (still need 2)
Locksmith 4: 41; indestructible bobby pins
Gunslinger 5: 42
Critical Banker 3: 43 (still need 2)
Rifleman 5: 46

Don't forget Bloody Mess for more damage; Luck 3
Don't forget Grim Reaper's Sprint/Four Leaf Clover; Luck skills (need to increase Luck from 7 though)
Pickpocket 2: lets me drop live explosives in enemies pockets
Quick Hands: could be useful for reloading in VATS; Agility 8
Sniper 2 is a fool's pick: can knock enemies down, would rather they stay standing... but Sniper 3 would be useful

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

My stealth is coming together. I was able to take out two deathclaws (not at the same time) last night under vastly different scenarios.

The first one I tried to save a video. If it worked, I'll edit and post it this weekend. It was an Alpha Deathclaw in the open world with a skull by its name (meaning it's a higher level than your character). It took me 3 attempts, but I got it. I managed to drop down to it and stay stealthy enough that it never saw me! (This was at level 13 I believe. So I don't think I had Sneak 3 yet, maybe I did). I managed to take some buffjet (I think) to slow down time and use VATS and a sniper rifle to drop much of its health. I tried to throw grenades at it, but I don't think it worked. The interesting thing is that when I stopped doing things, the Deathclaw never moved. I now wonder if it couldn't see me, or if the game glitched. I still had my chameleon armor, and only moved once (when it moved toward me). Eventually I got it though. So I was happy. The other one I had to be creative with the use of stealth, buffjet, and fragmentation mines. It was a regular Deathclaw in a spot I couldn't just run away (indoors). I definitely had Sneak 3 at this time. (level 14).

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Alright. I was wrong.

Alpha Deathclaw High profile trigger <-- makeshift skull to show higher level than I
No chems.
No damage taken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSxPSj8skUY

I started with the silenced pistol. Then tried a grenade (which did take health down some) while the AP reloaded. I realized that the health of the Deathclaw wasn't going down very quick with the 10mm pistol rounds I had, so I switched to the sniper rifle I had (also silenced). Because all my weapons were silenced, I got damage bonuses and the Deathclaw never found me. I don't think it was a glitch at all, but just T-Rex syndrome. He couldn't see/detect me while I was standing still.

So there you go, Joey. Effective and viable combat with a stealth build. It was a pain in the ass though, as this was the 3rd (maybe 4th) time I dropped in. Throwing grenades on the location doesn't spawn the Deathclaw either. You have to get on the roof before it climbs up. I don't think the full stealth build is fully feasible (yet). Once I start to get those Luck based critical perks going and finish up some of my current ideas I think it will be fine. Challenging at times, but fine. Smile

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Leo K's picture
Leo K
Offline
male
Toronto, Canada
Joined: 12/30/2009

Holy hell, that was tense and awesome.

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012
DarkAlphabetZoup wrote:
Holy hell, that was tense and awesome.

It could have gone a lot better. I'm still getting the hang of combat. Smile

EDIT: After some research, it seems that this Deathclaw will spawn leveled with the character. Even though my character was level 13 (maybe 14), a normal Deathclaw (level 22) was not spawned for me. Alpha Deathclaws are level 31. No wonder this guy was a pain in the rear to kill.

Build update: Up to level 17 now (I think). Now that I'm getting the hang of the VATS system, I can't wait until 18 to get the ability to bank my criticals for later.. build them up with ghouls and radroaches, then use them on deathclaws and legendaries.

If the above information and my memory is correct, that puts me at S:1 P:9 E:3 C:3 I:1 A:7 L:7 with all perks up through Lifegiver 2. I have about 5000 caps. I haven't been collecting much. I haven't built up any settlement or area outside of the Sanctuary mission. I tend to pare down to about 120 lbs and can carry 260 (200 base + 10 for S:1 + 50 for Lone Wanderer). Dogmeat carries my legendary gear I don't want to, and my larger weapons that I don't want to sell yet (mini-nuke and missile launchers). I try not to collect any junk/gear/weapons from the fallen unless it has a caps/wight ratio of 15+. Sometimes this causes me to need to collect junk at times to build things for missions which is annoying. I normally collect animal meat, and that's it, then roast it and sell it. I only keep it if it has a special effect other than HP. With Lifegiver 3 coming in about 5 levels and Stimpaks having no weight, it doesn't make sense to carry around weighted HP boosts with a weak character. I have loads of chems, mostly because I don't know which ones I like to use and which ones to sell yet. I have one Addictol just in case I get addicted to something. I no longer pick up beverages because I'll just use chems to alter my CHR for trading/conversing.

That's about the state of the character right now.

Oh, and I'm also slowly progressing through the story and doing side quests too. For those that have played, to keep it spoiler free, I just confronted Kellogg.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

JoeyFogey's picture
JoeyFogey
Offline
Administrator
male
Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 02/16/2010
Double McStab with Cheese wrote:
Oh, and I'm also slowly progressing through the story and doing side quests too. For those that have played, to keep it spoiler free, I just confronted Kellogg.

*SPOILERS in link for Kellogg mission*

I bet your experience with Kellogg's mission went differently than mine.

PSN: JoeyFogey

Steam: JoeyFogey

Instagram: thatsketchyhero

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012
JoeyFogey wrote:
Double McStab with Cheese wrote:
Oh, and I'm also slowly progressing through the story and doing side quests too. For those that have played, to keep it spoiler free, I just confronted Kellogg.

*SPOILERS in link for Kellogg mission*

I bet your experience with Kellogg's mission went differently than mine.

That was great. Mine:

Spoiler: Highlight to view
Like you, I got sick of the conversation then losing... so I set a maze of fragmentation mines in that hallway and into the doorway of the previous room. Then sniped one of the synths and ran back into the room. I got Kellogg down to 20% health or so with that (the sequential fragmentation mines), then a clip of the silenced pistol did him in.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

Sep 14 update:

I got back to playing this week after a month absence. Here's what I've added this week:
31. Critical Banker 2 (L7-17): I have found the need for critical shots on some enemies if they don't go down immediately, so this skill is needed for high level (usually Legendary) enemies and creatures.
32. Mister Sandman 3 (A4-30): A core combat skill for me. Since I'm so invested in sneak, my first attack is usually a sneak attack, and my two primary weapons have silencers. Mister Sandman is now complete. Your silenced weapons now do 50% more sneak attack damage.
33. Ninja 3 (A7-33): Another core combat skill for me, so I got it as soon as available. Ninja is now complete. Your ranged sneak attacks do 3.5x normal damage and your melee sneak attacks do 10x normal damage.

My next core skill is Sneak 4 (at level 38). That gives me 4 levels to play with. I think I will focus more on damage output than utility skills. That means, I'm likely to take Gunslinger 4 (up damage with pistols), Penetrator 2 (shoot through walls), Rifleman 2/3 (up damage with rifles). Alternative to rifles would be going all in on the Luck 6/7/8/9 skills and upping those instead. Since I use rifles on occasion though, I think I'll take at least one rank of Rifleman in the next 4 skills. Probably going to go:
34. Gunslinger 4 (updated 9/22)
35. Rifleman 2 (updated 9/22)
36. Penetrator 2 (updated 9/26) : Penetrator now complete. In V.A.T.S when you target an enemy's body parts that are blocked by cover, there is no decrease in accuracy.
37. Better Criticals 2 (updated 9/26)
38. Sneak 5
39. ??? Bloody Mess? Luck point? Endurance point (to get to Aquaboy for end game exploration needs)? Agility point (Quick Hands)?
40. Lone Wanderer 3
41. Locksmith 4
42. Gunslinger 5
43. Critical Banker 3
44. Better Criticals 3


Benchmarks/notes for me to remember for later since I'm using this post as the character sheet to build my character:
Gunslinger 4: 27
Penetrator 2: 28
Mister Sandman 3: 30
Rifleman 4: 31 (still need 3)
Ninja 3: 33
Sneak 5: 38
Lone Wanderer 3: 40
Better Criticals 3: 40
Locksmith 4: 41; indestructible bobby pins
Gunslinger 5: 42
Critical Banker 3: 43
Rifleman 5: 46

Don't forget Bloody Mess for more damage; Luck 3
Don't Forget Concentrated Fire for better VATS accuracy; Perception 10
Don't forget Grim Reaper's Sprint/Four Leaf Clover; Luck skills (need to increase Luck from 7 though)
Pickpocket 2: lets me drop live explosives in enemies pockets
Quick Hands: could be useful for reloading in VATS; Agility 8
Sniper 2 is a fool's pick: can knock enemies down, would rather they stay standing... but Sniper 3 would be useful
Attack Dog might be fun if I have the spare points; Charisma 4
Idiot Savant: not terribly useful because I'm taking my time enjoying the game and slow character progression; in no rush to level up; it was useful at first, and if I find myself leveling too slowly, this is an option


(9/26) Leaning towards a Luck Point at level 39 to increase to 8 and unlock the Grim Reaper's Sprint ability. Could also save the point until later when there's something I actually want more. But I think to keep this build viable I need to now start maxing out my Luck-based VATS/Critical Stats - Better Criticals (will be maxed out at level 44), Critical Banker (43), Grim Reaper's Sprint (3 Levels) and Four Leaf Clover (4 Levels). Then I can go back to get Bloody Mess, Pickpocket, etc


Current Character Status

SPECIAL
S: 1
P: 8 = 7 + Bobblehead
E: 3 = 2 + 1 (level 11)
C: 3 = 2 + 1 (You're Special book)
I: 1
A: 7
L: 7

Weapons
I have apparently chosen ballistic weapons as my primary source of damage. I don't use melee weapons at all. I have energy weapons at the ready, but they don't do near the damage as my ballistic weapons at this point (with current perks).

Primary
Deliverer (Unique Weapon) - Gained through Railroad questline
Legendary Effect: Improved VATS hit chance AND a 25% less Action Point cost
Mods
Calibrated Powerful Receiver: increases damage; also increases Critical damage/accuracy (stacks with my perks)
Extended Barrel: increases range/accuracy (actually came standard)
Sharpshooter's Grip: better recoil and hip-fire accuracy
Large Quick Eject Mag: superior ammo capacity (16/clip); improved reload speed
Glow Sights: improves focus (decreases action point usage per shot); better sighted accuracy
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
Base damage in menu (unsure if this includes perk modifiers, I think it does):
I didn't know it at the time, but apparently, this is the gun this player was built around.

Secondary
Tinker Tom Special (Unique Weapon) - Purchased from Tinker Tom, Railroad HQ
Legendary Effect: If you are not yet in combat, increases VATS accuracy but costs more AP.
Mods
.50 Caliber Receiver: changes ammo type to .50 Caliber which causes more damage; improves rate of fire
Long Barrel: increases range and sighted accuracy; better recoil
Marksman's Stock: improves recoil and aim with scopes
Medium Quick Eject Mag: better ammo capacity (7/mag) and reload speed
Long Scope: increases magnification/range and sighted accuracy
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
I won't be keeping this guy long term, but it's a stop gap until I find a suppressor for the next gun. Since it's based on a hunting rifle and the next one is a combat rifle, the suppressors aren't interchangeable. I don't like the increase in VATS cost, even if it increases the accuracy. My Perception is high enough that most shots are already near the 95% range anyway. I won't be putting more resources into this gun unless I find a Hunting Rifle with characteristics that increase value.

Tertiary
Overseer's Guardian (Unique Weapon) - Purchased from Vault 81 Vendor
Legendary Effect: Shoots an additional projectile (without using up extra ammo)
Mods
.308 Receiver: changes ammo type to .308 Caliber leading to increased damage and a more sensitive trigger leading to better rate of fire
Long Light Barrel: increases range/sighted accuracy and recoil
Recoil Compensating Stock: exceptional recoil
Large Quick Eject Mag: increases ammo capacity and reload speed
Short Night Vision Scope: does what you would expect
No muzzle: Sad
I found a combat rifle with all these mods and added them to Overseer's Guardian. Once I find a Suppressed Combat Rifle, this will be my secondary weapon/ranged weapon of choice. I would like to find a recon scope as well. Other things that may help would be a Marksman's Stock for better scoped accuracy, and a Long Ported Barrel to get that recoil advantage from the stock back. This would add weight to the gun though. Top priorities here are the scope and silencer.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

One thing this has taught me is that, like an any tabletop or other RPG, research is your friend. I don't know if I've wasted any skill/perk points, and that's key to a viable character in a game where enemies level up with your character.

Idiot Savant and Mysterious Stranger would be the only candidates to this point for wasted points. But I used Idiot Savant to advance quicker and specialize my character more at earlier points in the game. However, I usually have enough points in VATS to kill my target so the Stranger doesn't show up much. It could be useful if I get to a point where enemies are too strong for my pistol though.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012
Double McStab with Cheese wrote:
However, I usually have enough points in VATS to kill my target so the Stranger doesn't show up much. It could be useful if I get to a point where enemies are too strong for my pistol though.

Welp, it was useful when I ran into a Legendary Alpha Deathclaw High profile trigger in the Glowing Sea wearing only a Hazmat Suit (no armor rating outside radiation) and my first volley didn't do much to it, but I thought it would. I forgot that once you get Legendary Enemies below 1/2 their health, the mutate and regenerate all their health, so I got it below half and then it ultimately ended at like 60% health... until the Mysterious Stranger showed up and killed it for me... phew. Tired

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

September 29 Update
You can see many of these changes in the edits above. I mostly use these updates to organize my thoughts as I go. I'll start to use spoiler takes to not take up as much space (plus some things could be considered spoilers).

October 3 Update
In the last few days I've only leveled up 1 level, but in that one level I found both the Strength and Charisma Bobbleheads. I also found some of the weapon mods I was looking for for my combat rifle. I've crossed out any outdated information from just 4 days ago.

October 7 Update
Formatting and minor things. Changed some current gear in the armor slots thanks to a few Legendary enemies dropping exactly what I wanted. Innocent

Current Character Status

  • Sneaky McSneakface is now at level 39.
  • In the main quest line, the next mission to start is titled Hunter/Hunted. I'm pretty sure there are some twists to come, as I am approaching The Institute for the first time.
  • S: 2 = 1 + Bobblehead
    P: 8 = 7 + Bobblehead
    E: 3 = 2 + 1 perk point used (level 11)
    C: 4 = 2 + 1 (You're Special book) + Bobblehead
    I: 1
    A: 7
    L: 8 = 7 + 1 perk point used (level 39)
  • Difficulty Level: I have been playing on Normal difficulty. Once I reach Level 40, I will increase to Hard difficulty.

Perks Taken
To summarize my playstyle, ballistic single shot weapons are my primary mode of combat (see below). These perks allow me to be stealthy most of the time. I can confront enemies in a room with VATS before they know what's coming, or I can go around them with lockpicking into another room. I am rarely in open combat. Rarely. My character is not good in open combat. I never use melee attacks, and don't like to be close enough to make that a concern. When I'm worried about some enemies, I may throw a grenade or mine something at them. Sure, this alerts them to my presence, but with Penetrator, even if they hide behind cover, I can hit them in VATS. I don't like to do this though, and my character is good at sneaking around and shooting first, and last. This is only a real problem traversing the Glowing Sea, but with high sneak I can usually keep my distance from enemies and not need cover.

Spoiler: Highlight to view

2. Gunslinger 1 (prereq: Agility 1 - character level 1)
3. Sneak 1 (A3-1)
4. Action Boy 1 (A5-1)
5. Sneak 2 (A3-5)
6. Idiot Savant 1 (L5-1)
7. Lone Wanderer 1 (C3-1)
8. Ninja 1 (A7-1)
9. Locksmith 1 (P4-1)
10. Locksmith 1-2 (P4-7)
11. +1 Endurance
12. Lifegiver 1 (E3-1)
13. Mister Sandman 1 (A4-1)
14. Sneak 3 (A3-12)
15. Rifleman 1 (P2-1)
16. Gunslinger 2 (A1-7)
17. Lifegiver 2 (E3-8)
18. Critical Banker (L7-1)
19. Sniper 1 (P8-1)
20. Mysterious Stranger 1 (L4-1)
21. Locksmith 3 (P4-18)
22. Lifegiver 3 (E3-20)
23. Sneak 4 (A3-23)
24. Ninja 2 (A7-16)
25. Mister Sandman 2 (A4-17)
26. Action Boy 2 (A5-18)
27. Penetrator 1 (P9-1)
28. Better Criticals (L6-1)
29. Gunslinger 3 (A1-15)
30. Lone Wanderer 2 (C3-17)
31. Critical Banker 2 (L7-17)
32. Mister Sandman 3 (A4-30)
33. Ninja 3 (A7-33)
34. Gunslinger 4 (A1-27)
35. Rifleman 2 (P2-18)
36. Penetrator 2 (P9-28)
37. Better Criticals 2 (L6-15)
38. Sneak 5 (A3-38)
39. +1 Luck

To find out what these do, go here: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_4_perks

Weapons
I have apparently chosen ballistic weapons as my primary source of damage. I don't use melee weapons at all. I have energy weapons/gamma weapons at the ready, but they don't do near the damage as my ballistic weapons at this point (with current perks), so I may ditch them if weight becomes a concern. Dogmeat carries my missile launcher and fat man in case I foresee needing it. Thanks to my perks, I have high damage, and range on these weapons... and that's not including Ninja/Mister Sandman damage stacks.

Spoiler: Highlight to view
Primary
Deliverer (Unique Weapon) - Gained through Railroad questline
Legendary Effect: Improved VATS hit chance AND a 25% less Action Point cost
Mods
Calibrated Powerful Receiver: increases damage; also increases Critical damage/accuracy (stacks with my perks)
Extended Barrel: increases range/accuracy (actually came standard)
Sharpshooter's Grip: better recoil and hip-fire accuracy
Large Quick Eject Mag: superior ammo capacity (16/clip); improved reload speed
Glow Sights: improves focus (decreases action point usage per shot); better sighted accuracy
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
Weapon Stats
Damage: 66
Fire Rate: 66
Range: 134
Accuracy: 73
Weight: 6.6
I didn't know it at the time, but apparently, this is the gun this player was built around.

Secondary
Overseer's Guardian (Unique Weapon) - Purchased from Vault 81 Vendor
Legendary Effect: Shoots an additional projectile (without using up extra ammo)
Mods
.308 Receiver: changes ammo type to .308 Caliber leading to increased damage and a more sensitive trigger leading to better rate of fire
Long Light Barrel: increases range/sighted accuracy and recoil
Marksman's Stock: superior recoil (but not as good as the recoil compensating stock); but better aim with scopes, which is what I want in a primary sniper rifle
Large Quick Eject Mag: increases ammo capacity (40/mag) and reload speed
Medium Scope: does what you would expect
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
Weapon Stats
Damage: 126 (for the first projectile - not sure if the second one includes Rifleman perk stacks or mod adjustments)
Fire Rate: 49
Range: 173
Accuracy: 96
Weight: 19.9
I found a combat rifle with a lot of these mods and added them to Overseer's Guardian. I then purchased combat rifles with other mods I wanted to get the suppressor, for example. I would like to find a recon scope as well. The other thing that would help would be the Long Ported Barrel to get that recoil advantage from the stock back. This would add weight to the gun though. Top priority here is upgrading the scope. I haven't invested in any crafting perks, so I need to find the mods on weapons/armor and strip them to add to my own.

Secondary - outdated weapon at this point
Tinker Tom Special (Unique Weapon) - Purchased from Tinker Tom, Railroad HQ
Legendary Effect: If you are not yet in combat, increases VATS accuracy but costs more AP.
Mods
.50 Caliber Receiver: changes ammo type to .50 Caliber which causes more damage; improves rate of fire
Long Barrel: increases range and sighted accuracy; better recoil
Marksman's Stock: improves recoil and aim with scopes
Medium Quick Eject Mag: better ammo capacity (7/mag) and reload speed
Long Scope: increases magnification/range and sighted accuracy
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
I won't be keeping this guy long term, but it's a stop gap until I find a suppressor for the next gun. Since it's based on a hunting rifle and the next one is a combat rifle, the suppressors aren't interchangeable. I don't like the increase in VATS cost, even if it increases the accuracy. My Perception is high enough that most shots are already near the 95% range anyway. I won't be putting more resources into this gun unless I find a Hunting Rifle with characteristics that increase value.

Note: I found some crucial weapon mods on Overseer's Guardian, so the Tinker Tom Special has been shelved for now.

Armor/Outfit
I have a few outfits that I carry with me for specialized situations. One is the Hazmat Suit, that I rarely use these days because of something else I have, and the other is some charisma modifying clothing/glasses/hat that I change into for speech checks or bartering. Otherwise, what is listed below is what I use.

Spoiler: Highlight to view

Slot: item (damage resistance: ballistic/energy/radiation); notable modifications (if applicable); effects
Clothing: Armored Army Fatigues (30/30/0);* Ballistic Weave rank 1; +1 S, +1 A
Head: Military Cap (0/0/0); +1 P (note: some headwear takes up Head, Eyes and Face slots; like full helmets)
Eyes: Patrolman Sunglasses (0/0/0); +1 P
Face: nothing right now (all cosmetic bandanas/masks anyway)
Left Arm: Safecracker's Synth (14/17/0); increases size of sweet-spot while picking locks
Right Arm: Chameleon Laminated Synth (10/13/0); lighter build, I think; +2 AP; Enemies have a harder time detecting you while sneaking and not moving - Same as Evie's Chameleon Outfit in Syndicate
Chest: Chameleon Combat Armor (17/17/0); same Chameleon effect above - it stacks
Left Leg: VATS Enhanced Tempered Raider (6/6/0); 10% reduction in AP cost in VATS
Right Leg: Sentinel's Shadowed Leather (7/11/10); reduces damage while standing and not moving by 15%
Ultimate Goals: full set of shadowed combat armor (or maybe leather armor), lighter or ultra-light build, muffled legs; legendary effects desired: some combination of chameleon, powered/VATS enhanced, sentinel's - VATS enhanced more important than powered, I think. I've heard/read that there are freefall legs in the game that negate falling damage. they are also combat armor, but i have to find a way to the top of a largely inaccessible building to get them; maybe the acrobat's effect is the same?
*Note: only certain clothing is both upgradable and can be worn underneath armor, this is one of them; the other two I'm considering are the Minuteman Outfit (+1 P, +1 A) and the Military Fatigues (+2 A).

Plans for Immediate Future
39. Luck Point to increase to 8 and unlock the Grim Reaper's Sprint ability. *
40. Lone Wanderer 3 (C3-40): When adventuring without a companion, you do 25% more damage.
41. Grim Reaper's Sprint 1 (L8-1): Any kill in V.A.T.S. has a 15% chance to restore all Action Points.
42. Gunslinger 5 (A1-42): Non-automatic pistols now do 60% more damage and range is increased even further.
43. Critical Banker 3 (L7-43): You can now save 3 Critical Hits, to be used in V.A.T.S. when you need them the most. Banking a Critical has a chance to save an additional Critical.
44. Better Criticals 3 (L6-40): Your criticals now do 2.5x as much extra damage.
45. Locksmith 4 (P4-41): Your bobby pins never break during lockpicking.**
45. +1 Strength**

* I could have also saved the point until later when there's something I actually wanted more. But I think to keep this build viable I need to now start maxing out my Luck-based VATS/Critical Stats - Better Criticals (will be maxed out at level 44), Critical Banker (43), Grim Reaper's Sprint (3 Levels) and Four Leaf Clover (4 Levels). Then I can go back to get Bloody Mess, Pickpocket, etc. Also, since the Luck Bobblehead is out there somewhere, I won't invest in the 9th point myself (since I don't forsee wanting the Level 10 perk any time soon).
** Does not make sense. Bobby pins don't weigh anything and I will never run out since I have like 300 of them. If I do take Locksmith 4, then Bobby Pins become another lightweight "money" for trading, along with extra ammo. Currently, leaning toward taking a Strength point for two reasons: 1 - with increased armor weight I'll need increased carry weight; 2 - Strength 3 will unlock the Armorer perk to gain access to armor/clothing mods, which I can take ranks in alongside Grim Reaper's Sprint, Bloody Mess and Rifleman up to level 55 or so.

Spoiler: Highlight to view
Other perks/ideas for me to remember:
Rifleman 3: 18 - 60% bonus damage; ignore 20% of a target's armor
Rifleman 4: 31 - 80% bonus damage; ignore 25% of a target's armor; slight chance of crippling a limb
Rifleman 5: 46 - double damage with non-auto rifles; ignore 30% of a target's armor; slightly higher chance of crippling a limb

Bloody Mess (Luck 3) to increase damage overall
Grim Reaper's Sprint (Luck 8) increases Action Points with VATS kills
Four Leaf Clover (Luck 9) fills Critical Meter with VATS hits (wait to find bobblehead, don't invest point on own)
Concentrated Fire (Perception 10) increase accuracy/damage in vats on consecutive hits (would need to invest an additional point)
Quick Hands (Agility 8) could be useful for reloading in VATS since I'll be refilling action points with the Grim Reaper (wait to find bobblehead, don't invest point on own)
Attack Dog (Charisma 4) might be fun if I have the spare points
Local Leader (Charisma 6) will be useful if I ever want to actually build a settlement, but I'm 4 Charisma away and it would require some perk point investment
Armorer (Strength 3) would allow me to craft armor upgrades (like, Ballistic Weave higher ranks)
Gun Nut (Intelligence 3) would allow me to craft gun mods
Gun Fu (Agility 10) higher damage against targets in VATS when targeting multiple at a time

Pickpocket 2: lets me drop live explosives in enemies pockets

Sniper 2 is a fool's pick: can knock enemies down, would rather they stay standing... but Sniper 3 would be useful

Idiot Savant: not terribly useful because I'm taking my time enjoying the game and slow character progression; in no rush to level up; it was useful at first, and if I find myself leveling too slowly, this is an option

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

One more comment on the viability of the build...

In one mission you run into a Sentry Bot named Sarge. [Sentry Bots are hard to kill, just watch this free-for-all of every character type in the game, the Sentry Bot wins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQL0u5O6ZQ ]. Anyway, armed with just my pistol, and armor/weapon mods that enhance VATS attributes (fewer action points needed), I was able to kill Sarge with my first volley in VATS (including 3 Critical Strikes). I tried to save a video, give me a bit to find it if you're interested. So I think that as long as I go 1-on-1 with most any enemy in the game, if I'm properly prepared with Criticals and Action points, I'll be okay. Also, with Grim Reaper's Sprint and Four Leaf Clover, this should be easier to accomplish. Smile

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus

Double McStab with Cheese's picture
Double McStab w...
Offline
Citizen
male
San Diego, CA
Joined: 03/29/2012

This will be my final post. After level 40, "builds" become largely worthless; especially because of all the random things in the game that others can do. There's no reason for people to follow around your footsteps and perk leveling forever. That said, just because this is the final post does not mean that it won't be updated. I will continue to update this post whenever I see fit. There is no reason to bump it to the top after this though. I will keep a "changelog" of sorts every time I update it.

December 7
I was level 56 at the last update, so what have I done since then? I've finished maxing my Luck perks including Idiot Savant. Probably shouldn't have take level 3 based on my playstyle, but at this point by character is a bad ass and I'm just piling on anyway. I've also started to access some new perks through taking stat increases, namely Concentrated Fire. I am also starting to play more in power armor. Not because I need the defense, but just to change it up. I've also tried some sneaking and stabbing. As much as I hate first person (relative to third person), I always play first person in power armor. I will probably start to unlock other weapon damage perks to change my playstyle some if I get bored of sneaking. It does look silly to have power armor and the Deliverer... One final note, at level 60ish, I decided to go across the board to up stat increases alternating with perks. I plan to continue to do so. I'm at the point of the game now where I am considering building actual settlements, so I'll have to unlock Local Leader and some associated perks to build shops etc.

Previous Updates

Spoiler: Highlight to view

October 24
Just some general character progression this week. Got about 5 more levels; focused on damage output with the perks. I've also been hanging out with some companions to get get their perks. I know I said I would be a Lone Wanderer, and I was early on. But I discovered that once you get the companion perks, you keep them. They aren't tied to having the companion with you like I thought. So I can get the perks, then ignore them, or even kill them, and it will be fine.

November 7
Not a lot of playing in the last two weeks. I spent any time with the game running around exploring and doing side quests with companions to get a few companion perks. At this point, none of the available companion perks left are "must haves" for me and I have some more time to devote to the main quest. I've also spent the last couple weeks upgrading gear; you'll see current gear below.

Before I outline my current character:
Important perk note for a stealth character: Take Ninja 3 before Mister Sandman 3. There is a glitch that has not been fixed with how these perks (along with the Deacon companion perk) stack. If you do things in the order I did (Sandman>Ninja>Deacon) it will be the lowest stealth multiplier of 4.4×. If you go Ninja>Sandman>Deacon you get a 4.7× multiplier on sneak attacks. And I think if you get Deacon's perk earlier the multiplier goes to 4.7× or even 4.8× from what I've read.

Current Character Status

  • Sneaky McSneakface is now at level 66.
  • In the main quest line, the next mission to start is titled Mankind-Redefined. I'll have to pick a faction soon, probably in that mission. I am still in good standing with all major factions.
  • S: 3 = 1 + 1 perk point used (level 63) + (Bobblehead)
    P: 10 = 8 + 1 perk point used (level 61) +
    E: 4 = 2 + 1 perk point used (level 11) +
    C: 5 = 2 + 1 perk point used (level 64) + 1 (You're Special book) +
    I: 3 = 1 + 1 perk point used (level 66) +
    A: 8 = 7 +
    L: 11 = 7 + 3 perk points used (levels 39+46+56) +
  • Difficulty Level: Hard

Perks Taken
To summarize my playstyle, ballistic single shot weapons are my primary mode of combat (see below). These perks allow me to be stealthy most of the time. I can confront enemies in a room with VATS before they know what's coming, or I can go around them with lockpicking into another room. I am rarely in open combat. Rarely. My character is not good in open combat. I never use melee attacks, and don't like to be close enough to make that a concern. When I'm worried about some enemies, I may throw a grenade or mine something at them. Sure, this alerts them to my presence, but with Penetrator, even if they hide behind cover, I can hit them in VATS. I don't like to do this though, and my character is good at sneaking around and shooting first, and last. This is only a real problem traversing the Glowing Sea, but with high sneak I can usually keep my distance from enemies and not need cover.

Spoiler: Highlight to view

2. Gunslinger 1 (prereq: Agility 1 - character level 1)
3. Sneak 1 (A3-1)
4. Action Boy 1 (A5-1)
5. Sneak 2 (A3-5)
6. Idiot Savant 1 (L5-1)
7. Lone Wanderer 1 (C3-1)
8. Ninja 1 (A7-1)
9. Locksmith 1 (P4-1)
10. Locksmith 1-2 (P4-7)
11. +1 Endurance
12. Lifegiver 1 (E3-1)
13. Mister Sandman 1 (A4-1)
14. Sneak 3 (A3-12)
15. Rifleman 1 (P2-1)
16. Gunslinger 2 (A1-7)
17. Lifegiver 2 (E3-8)
18. Critical Banker (L7-1)
19. Sniper 1 (P8-1)
20. Mysterious Stranger 1 (L4-1)
21. Locksmith 3 (P4-18)
22. Lifegiver 3 (E3-20)
23. Sneak 4 (A3-23)
24. Ninja 2 (A7-16)
25. Mister Sandman 2 (A4-17)
26. Action Boy 2 (A5-18)
27. Penetrator 1 (P9-1)
28. Better Criticals (L6-1)
29. Gunslinger 3 (A1-15)
30. Lone Wanderer 2 (C3-17)
31. Critical Banker 2 (L7-17)
32. Mister Sandman 3 (A4-30)
33. Ninja 3 (A7-33)
34. Gunslinger 4 (A1-27)
35. Rifleman 2 (P2-9)
36. Penetrator 2 (P9-28)
37. Better Criticals 2 (L6-15)
38. Sneak 5 (A3-38)
39. +1 Luck
40. Lone Wanderer 3 (C3-40)
41. Grim Reaper's Sprint 1 (L8-1)
42. Gunslinger 5 (A1-42)
43. Critical Banker 3 (L7-43)
44. Better Criticals 3 (L6-40)
45. Rifleman 3 (P2-18)
46. +1 Luck
47. Four Leaf Clover 1 (L9-1)
48. Rifleman 4 (P2-31)
49. Bloody Mess 1 (L3-1)
50. Rifleman 5 (P2-46)
51. Bloody Mess 2 (L3-9)
52. Bloody Mess 3 (L3-31)
53. Four Leaf Clover 2 (L9-13)
54. Grim Reaper's Sprint 2 (L8-19)
55. Grim Reaper's Sprint 3 (L8-46)
56. +1 Luck
57. Four Leaf Clover 3 (L9-32)
58. Four Leaf Clover 4 (L9-48)
59. Idiot Savant 2 (L5-11)
60. Idiot Savant 3 (L5-34)
61. +1 Perception
62. Concentrated Fire 1 (P10-1)
63. +1 Strength
64. +1 Charisma
65. Concentrated Fire 1 (P10-1)
66. +1 Intelligence

Immediate Plans (next 10-15 levels)
choose a faction and finish the game (I'm still on good terms with all 4 for now)
Concentrated Fire
Local Leader
Armorer

Companion Perks Achieved
Cloak and Dagger (Deacon)
Killshot (MacCready)
United We Stand (Preston)
Close to Metal (Valentine)
Know Your Enemy (Danse)

Next up: X6-88(?), Codsworth/Cait/Curie/Piper(?) - probably won't devote the time to get them all

To find out what these do, go here: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_4_perks

Other perks/ideas for me to remember:

will want to start to increase strength (carry) and endurance (HP)

Armorer (Strength 3) would allow me to craft armor upgrades (like, Ballistic Weave higher ranks)
Bloody Mess 4 (Luck 3): if I want nearby enemies to die too - seems gimmicky
Concentrated Fire (Perception 10): increase accuracy/damage in vats on consecutive hits
Local Leader (Charisma 6): will be useful if I ever want to actually build a settlement
Gun Nut (Intelligence 3): would allow me to craft gun mods
Cap Collector (Charisma 1): I don't need the caps, this is strictly to unlock building Emporiums instead of simple stores

Aquaboy (Endurance 5) so I can stop carrying around Mirelurk cakes and start exploring under water
Quick Hands (Agility Cool could be useful for reloading in VATS since I'll be refilling action points with the Grim Reaper
Gun Fu (Agility 10) higher damage against targets in VATS when targeting multiple at a time
Attack Dog (Charisma 4) might be fun if I have the spare points

Pickpocket 2: lets me drop live explosives in enemies pockets
Sniper 2 is a fool's pick: can knock enemies down, would rather they stay standing... but Sniper 3 would be useful

Weapons
I have apparently chosen ballistic weapons as my primary source of damage. I don't use melee weapons at all. I have energy weapons/gamma weapons at the ready, but they don't do near the damage as my ballistic weapons at this point (with current perks), so I may ditch them if weight becomes a concern. Dogmeat carries my missile launcher and fat man in case I foresee needing it. Thanks to my perks, I have high damage, and range on these weapons... and that's not including Ninja/Mister Sandman damage stacks.

Spoiler: Highlight to view
Primary
Deliverer (Unique Weapon) - Gained through Railroad questline
Legendary Effect: Improved VATS hit chance AND a 25% less Action Point cost
Mods
Calibrated Powerful Receiver: increases damage; also increases Critical damage/accuracy (stacks with my perks)
Extended Barrel: increases range/accuracy (actually came standard)
Sharpshooter's Grip: better recoil and hip-fire accuracy
Large Quick Eject Mag: superior ammo capacity (16/clip); improved reload speed
Glow Sights: improves focus (decreases action point usage per shot); better sighted accuracy
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
Weapon Stats
Damage: 85/111 (companion or not thanks to Lone Wanderer)
Fire Rate: 66
Range: 134
Accuracy: 73
Weight: 6.6
I didn't know it at the time, but apparently, this is the gun this player was built around.

Secondary
Overseer's Guardian (Unique Weapon) - Purchased from Vault 81 Vendor
Legendary Effect: Shoots an additional projectile (without using up extra ammo)
Mods
.308 Receiver: changes ammo type to .308 Caliber leading to increased damage and a more sensitive trigger leading to better rate of fire
Long Ported Barrel: increases range/sighted accuracy and recoil
Marksman's Stock: superior recoil (but not as good as the recoil compensating stock); but better aim with scopes, which is what I want in a primary sniper rifle
Large Quick Eject Mag: increases ammo capacity (40/mag) and reload speed
Long Recon Scope: does what you would expect; lets me tag enemies
Suppressor: silences weapon; better recoil; gets me Mister Sandman damage multipliers
Weapon Stats
Damage: 206/271 (for the first projectile - not sure if the second one includes Rifleman perk stacks or mod adjustments)
Fire Rate: 49
Range: 173
Accuracy: 109
Weight: 22.3
I found/purchased combat rifles with these mods and added them to Overseer's Guardian.

Tertiary
Pickman's Blade (Unique Weapon) - Complete Pickman's quest
Legendary Effect: Target bleeds for 25 points of additional damage
Mods
Going to have to look these up later, but it's the standard configuration after the quest. I've done nothing to it.
Weapon Stats
Damage: 50
Speed: FAST
Weight: 1

I'm also considering changing playstyle to use power armor and the Spray N Pray or Ashmaker just for fun. I'll need to get the perks so that it does the damage I need at high level. I'm also hoping a legendary enemy drops an Instigating Gauss Rifle to replace Overseer's Guardian as my secondary... time will tell.

Armor/Outfit
I have a few outfits that I carry with me for specialized situations, like charisma modifying clothing/glasses/hat that I change into for speech checks or bartering. Otherwise, what is listed below is what I use. Sometimes I carry a hazmat suit.

Spoiler: Highlight to view

Slot: item (damage resistance: ballistic/energy/radiation); notable modifications (if applicable); effects
Clothing: Armored Minuteman Outfit (30/30/0);* Ballistic Weave rank 1; +1 P, +1 A
Head: Commando Helmet (16/16/0); Polymer; 10% AP reduction in VATS
Eyes: Patrolman Sunglasses; +1 P
Face: Gunner's Green Bandana; goes with the look
Left Arm: Overseer's Left Armguard (20/20/0); shadowed, stabilized; 10% AP reduction in VATS - considering changing from Stabilized to lightweight for AP - stabilized removes all sniper rifle sway, making my Sniper 1 pick worthless
Right Arm: Overseer's Right Armguard (20/20/0); shadowed, ultra-light build; +5 AP; reduces damage while not moving - Sentinel effect
Chest: Commando Chest Piece (19/19/0); shadowed, lighter build; +2 AP; increases AP refresh speed
Left Leg: Freefall Armor (15/13/0); shadowed, muffled; prevents falling damage (50%)
Right Leg: Freefall Armor (15/13/10); shadowed, muffled; prevents falling damage (50%)
Ultimate Goals: full set of shadowed combat armor (or maybe shadowed leather armor) - just need to shadow the helmet and I'm there; lighter or ultra-light build, muffled legs; legendary effects desired: some combination of chameleon, powered/VATS enhanced, sentinel's - VATS enhanced more important than powered, I think. ... if I can get high damage resistance from ballistic weave, the shadowed leather armor may be more aesthetically pleasing. So I'm saving all my legendary armor drops to try to replace all these with leather.
*Note: only certain clothing is both upgradable and can be worn underneath armor, this is one of them; the ones I've considered are the Army Fatigues/Baseball Uniform (both +1S, +1A), Minuteman Outfit (+1 P, +1 A) and the Military Fatigues (+2 A). I also have a full set of Military X-01 Mk III power armor. That I wear for fun sometimes - even though power armor negates legendary armor effects.

“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus