Need a bit of help with a build, not sure of exactly the best way to go about it. I wanted a melee character, but not a sledge wielding grunt. I was thinking of using the Vampire Sword (Chinese officer's sword) and outcast recon armor (using the console). I'll need a gun at some point, I'm sure, but not sure which would fit the character. Silenced 10 MM svcks donkey, so that's out. Anybody played through with this type of character?

PS: Is there a good full-sleeved black duster mod available anywhere? I've searched but couldn't find anything.

Chinese Stealth Suit, Shishkebab and take the pyromaniac perk. along with 8-9 to STR

So if you want a assassin/ninja type instead of a bruiser I'd say set up your SPECIAL similar to this. You'll be sneaking and want to get mostly 1 hit sneak critical kills so crank up STR. Since you won't be doing too much brawling, leave END around the middle area, 6/7 or so; not too low as you will still alert the enemies companions and have to fight your way to victory or run through gunfire. END if especially important if you have Broken Steel. Perception is good for stategic planning and remaining undetected but you might not want to have it high right out of the vault, just raise it a bit with Intense Training. Agility is more for guns but it can help your sneak stat; I'd say keep it pretty high if you like VATS and want to see slow-mo deaths with it.

Also, you can remove some points for STR and put them into LCK to exchange raw power for a higher % of critical hits.

The Shishkebab is strong of course but it's a bit cookie cutter. There's a sword you can get called Jingwei's Shock Sword if you have O:A. It's pretty ninja-ish and nice and strong.

There's also Samurai's Sword which you can get if you have MZ. It's weaker than the Shock Sword but has crazy crit. damage and has a low AP cost so you can hack away in VAT's. It's the perfect looking stealth badass sword if you ask me.

For your gun use a Sniper Rifle or the variations Victory and Reservist's Rifle. Get the Perforator if you have The Pitt; it's a silenced assault rifle that's more uh...silent. Other good long range guns like the Lever-Action Rifle are fine too.

Chinese Stealth Armor is good. There's also your own preference you can experiment with to make your own assassin/ninja suit. I playing on the 360, personally like Raider Blastmaster Armor, Ghoul Mask, and Poplar's hood combined. Tons of good armor though, no need to stick with just one. I haven't made my own stealth/melee char yet but I have plenty of time to think about him while creating junk at my workbench in the Jury Street Metro tunnels with my hermit character. So hope you find my suggestions helpful and have fun with your character!

There is a perk called Ninja at level 20, I'm saving it up for my character. Also the Silenced 10 MM, I'm still using it....not that bad if you use it on lower level enemies and in V.A.T.s mode, but for one shot kill I can agree it does not give ya the results. Then again my character is more of a Hitman/Assassin type, so if I miss it doesn't bother me much. And yeah the Shishkebab is a goodish weapon for a Ninga type player. The mods will provide you more results though.

For melee, STR is helpful, but if you want crit hits put points into Luck. I'd make that choice based on what weapons you are going to use and what crit % mult they have. If it's pretty high I'd say put points into Luck or at least take Finesse at Level 10.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_weapons




I agree with most of this and second the recommendation on the Samurai Sword. It is a great weapon. However, I can't see why anyone would bother with VATS for melee. But the Shish is an excellent weapon. Good crit mult (2) and it's fabulous when you take Pyromaniac. Plus, it's so funny looking and clunky and you leave burning bodies in your wake. What's not to love? I guess it seems ridiculous that your character should be able to effectively sneak with the stupid thing, but other than that? I dunno, I just love it.

In VATS your character delivers power swings; the type you get from holding down RT except when using VATS you don't have to worry about taking damage or your enemy stepping out of the way. Besides, I live for the slow motion blood spurts and decapitations!

I actually hate the way the Shishkebab looks. The sword constantly on fire and it's clunky build as you stated is unsuitable for stealth users, and even the oven mitt gets on my nerves. I think it's a bruiser weapon, someone who clashes with enemies toe-to-toe not the guy who silently takes you out and creeps over to the next guy undetected. Still, it's a crazy fun weapon.

Ya, VATS has it's pluses, and I really prefer Unarmed to Melee most of the time, and although I still don't use VATS for that either (except for PP to Reavers) like you, I have to say, the VATS anims are hilariously fun to watch. Nothing like punching a Mutie twice as big as my character and watching him fly across the room or the slo-mo Raider body parts flying all over the room from one punch! Good times.

I agree about the Shish and sneak, and I have to confess, I never sneak much. I prefer to charge in swinging, which is why the Shish is so much fun for me. The Samurai Sword or Jing-wei is much more suited to a stealthy character. I really, really like that Samurai Sword, it's just really too bad it comes off of that blasted ship. And, ya, the oven mitt is a bit much. It's pretty tragic when Jericho carries it and the cigarette pokes through it.

I prefer Jingwei's Shock Sword over the Shishkebab, it's just more ninja-like. Also, with EVE, the critical effect is awesome.

Hey there sorry for bumping such an old thread. I'm super interested in this build. Sounds cool.

Was just wondering what main skills (how do I distribute them?) and perks I should use to make this build as effective as it sounds?

What? :blink:

I absolutely love melee in VATS...I LOVE it :toughninja:


Matter of fact I had one of my maxed luck characters do exactly this type of stealth ninja....with the stealth armor and samuri sword....constantly in VATS......I almost never took any damage or even got noticed at all, before bodies lay strewn all around me. I love slow motion shadow swordplay :ninja:

IMO going unarmend for the deathclaw gauntlet works better then using melee weapons. I get crits about 90% of the time with the right perks. The only hard part is getting the first gauntlet made.

Not too hard. Wonderglue can be found a lot of places, and so can Bottlecap mines. And I think you can find leather belts and medical braces in Minefield. There's just a fair amount of walking involved.

1. Go to Minefield. Get the belt and brace from the house with the easy-pick lock
2. Fast travel back, then go to the Jury St. Station if you don't have Wonderglue already, plenty of it there. And you can make yummy mole rattie wonder meat!
3. Go to the F. Scott Key campground (north of the Dunwich Building, or south of V112). Use a Bottlecap mine to cripple the deathclaw you find there, finish it off by blasting at it from a distance. Pick up the Deathclaw Gauntlet schematic there.
4. Return to a workbench and make the weapon. And yes, it's far cooler than any sword.