Fallout 3 + Excel = Awesome

UPDATE 11-29: Over 400 downloads! Thanks everyone!

So, instead of blogging about videogames, or blogging about writing papers about videogames, I’ve been playing videogames. A novel concept, really. What have I been playing? Well, the usual Rock Band 2 with friends and family, as well as the new Left 4 Dead demo, but the real time-sink is that gem of the capital wasteland, Fallout 3.

While playing Fallout 3, and leveling up my character, I can’t help but let my mind wander to all the different possibilities of what I can do with my character. I’ve decided I want to start a new game with a guy geared toward being a Ninja. Since nearly every enemy in the game has a gun, this would make for some interesting gameplay. With all these ideas, I wanted some kind of chart where I could plot out my skills and perks and get an outline of my character. Such things exist for Diablo II and Too Human, but I could not find such a thing for Fallout 3. The obvious solution was to make my own.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…

fallout3char copy


> > > DOWNLOAD v1.2 HERE < < <
Requires: Microsoft Excel ‘97-07 or Open Office 2

f3c-screen12

You plug in some info, and get an idea of how to level your character up. Breakdown of what each section is:

  • Section A: Character information. This is where you enter your name and level. The level is used to calculate the amount of skill points available. Below the level lists your derived stats, all of them dynamically updated based on values from your S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats and perks.
    New in v1.2: Gender selection! Not a big difference, but it’s there.
  • Section B: S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes. You set the values in the “Lvl.” row to the values you chose at the beginning of the game. Additional bonuses from bobbleheads and perks will automatically be added, and represented by the green number in the column to the right.
  • Section C: Skills. Select your tag skills in the “Tag” column. Number of Tagged skills available shown at the bottom of the column. The “Mod” column contains any modifications from bobbleheads and perks. In the “Lvl. Up” column, you fill in the value for the amount of points you will put into that skill. Total points available shown at the bottom of the column. The “Final” column totals up the previous three columns for your total skill. (Note: Since there are 2 books for each skill in the game, as well as equipment that affects stats, it is not recommended to have the final value for any skill higher than 80, according to many sources)
    New in v1.2: Skill books section has been added.
  • Section D: Bobbleheads. Select “Yes” from the drop down list next to the attribute/skill to denote if you have that bobblehead, and you will gain the corresponding bonus.
    New in v1.2: Bobblehead total now displays in the title tab for the section.
  • Section E: Perks. Select the rank from the drop down list next to the perk name (or input the desired rank by hand), and any necessary values in skills/attributes will be reflected immediately. If a skill does not have a stat bonus, a brief description of the bonus will appear in the “Additional Bonuses” box (H) at the bottom.
    New in v1.2: Perks that you do not meet the requirements for are slashed out.
  • Item F: This is just an example of the arrow for the drop-down lists used in the sheet, as well as the information box that will pop up for skills, perks, attributes, etc. The box can be moved around the page as you see fit.
    New in v1.2: Requirements for the perks now display in the pop-up box. More detail available for quest-related perks.
  • Section G: Quest related perks. These are the quest-related perks in the game, and the info box tells you what quest you acquire the perk in.
    New in v1.2: More detail available in the pop-up box for for quest-related perks.
  • Section H: Additional bonuses box. See section E.

It’s all as simple as putting numbers into the appropriate places and watching the sheet calculate the rest.

It is currently formatted so it prints on one landscape-oriented sheet with all data visible, so you can print it out and have it by your side while playing.

Note: The sheet is password protected, so report any changes that need to be made in the comments here.

Version History

  • 11/13/08 - 1.0 – Private tests
  • 11/15/08 - 1.1 – Online launch! Tell your friends!
  • 11/29/09 – 1.2
    • See above for specific section changes in v1.2.
    • All text that can be edited by the player is now in blue.
    • Here and Now perk was calculating wrong, see issues below.
    • Various aesthetic tweaks, as well as condensing the size so it prints better.

Known Issues:

  • The Survivor perks from the Wasteland Survival Guide have a lot of different sub-options based on how you respond throughout the quest, and I just don't feel like working that in right now.
  • Large amounts of bonuses in the “Additional Bonuses” box may not display until the sheet is saved and re-loaded. Just an issue with Excel pulling data from too many different cells at once.
  • The Here and Now perk is stupid and you shouldn't select it in the first place, but I can't get it to automatically add 1 to your level*, so if you pick this perk, just add 1 to your level and kick yourself for wasting a perk. Leveling in this game is not that hard where you should need this. Use the Big Town glitch or Difficulty trick if you want a level quickly.
  • This was created in Excel 2007 and saved in “Compatibility Mode” for Excel 97-03. The error reporter came back with comments mostly related to formatting, but if anything does not calculate properly or just seems generally out of whack, please leave a comment.

> > > DOWNLOAD v1.2 HERE < < <

Requires: Microsoft Excel ‘97-07 or Open Office 2

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