All Backgrounds, Traits, & Skills in Outer Worlds 2 (Character Creation)

In Outer Worlds 2, you can create a detailed character that impacts how you experience the game. While your chosen Background mainly shapes your character’s history and opens up unique conversation options, Traits and Skills directly boost your abilities and also influence how you roleplay.

In Outer Worlds 2, you can choose from six different backgrounds, nine traits, and twelve skills when creating your character. This guide details each option, helping you make the best choices and plan your character build right from the start.

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.

They believed the best course of action was to imprison you for a very long time, potentially for the rest of your life.

Things were tough, so you made a difficult choice and agreed to work for them in exchange for having your record cleared.

Or escape while they weren’t looking.

Gambler

“The Grand Plan.” Hah!

Life is ultimately random and unpredictable, even if things have generally gone your way up until now.

Your winning streak ended after you lost a bet to an agent who wanted you to use your risk-taking nature to work for the Earth Directorate.

Lawbringer

Growing up with difficult times and witnessing dishonesty in the corporate world, you dedicated your life to the Earth Directorate, working to restore order to the chaotic colonies.

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 once a leading expert in your field, but your aggressive, hands-on approach to archaeology – and a colleague’s envy of your success in finding lost artifacts – ultimately led to both of you losing your jobs.

Luckily, your skill at handling difficult people and situations in the world of stolen artifacts will be a valuable asset at the Earth Directorate.

Renegade

You might have often bent or broken the rules wherever you worked, but that was part of the job.

And definitely not a reason for your unsatisfied previous employers to hunt you down, is it?

It seemed like joining the Earth Directorate could be a fresh start, helping to fix any issues from your past employment.

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.”

But after a famous villain unexpectedly died, you’ve gained a reputation as a skilled and dangerous agent for the Earth Directorate – someone people don’t mess 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.
- Cooldown: 5s

Brilliant

You’re intelligent, able to more easily solve problems and pick up new skills.

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’re naturally persuasive, which helps you negotiate better deals and sometimes avoid trouble.

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 improves how well armor protects you, automatically reducing the damage you take.

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 boosts the damage from explosive items like grenades and mines, and also from weapons that hit multiple targets 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 boosts the damage you deal with any type of gun, like standard bullets, shock weapons, plasma rifles, 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 lets you gain access to things you’re not supposed to, like computer terminals, robots, and vending 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 boosts your maximum Toxicity level. This lets you use the Medical Inhaler more often and makes you less vulnerable 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

As a huge fan of gadgets, I’ve found that leveling up my Science skill is awesome! It basically gives you more energy to use them, meaning I can keep things like Tactical Time Dilation going for a longer time – which is a total game changer!

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.

2025-10-24 20:13