SPECIAL is a character creation

Character creation

Character creation is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a largely fictional setting may include traits such as race and class...

 and statistics system developed specifically for the Fallout

Fallout series

Fallout is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing games published by Interplay Entertainment and later by Bethesda Softworks. Although the series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, its retrofuturistic story and artwork are influenced by the post-war culture of 1950s America, and its...

 franchise of computer role-playing games. SPECIAL is an acronym, representing the seven attribute

Attribute (role-playing games)

An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice...

s used to define Fallout characters

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck.

SPECIAL is heavily based on GURPS

GURPS

The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...

, which was originally intended to be the character system used in the game.

Design

The SPECIAL system involves the following sets of key features:

• Attribute
  Attribute (role-playing games)
  An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice...
  
  s (listed above) represent a character's core, inborn abilities. Attributes stay largely constant throughout the game, though they can be temporarily affected by drugs
  Medication
  A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
  
  , altered indefinitely by conditions such as the wearing of Power Armor, the presence of certain NPCs or eye damage received in a critical hit, or permanently changed at certain points in the game, through use of certain items.
• Skills represent a character's chance of successfully performing a group of specific tasks (such as firing a gun, or picking a lock). They are represented as percentage
  Percentage
  In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 . It is often denoted using the percent sign, “%”, or the abbreviation “pct”. For example, 45% is equal to 45/100, or 0.45.Percentages are used to express how large/small one quantity is, relative to another quantity...
  
  s, though these percentages can extend well beyond the expected maximum of 100%, at increased cost for skills over 100%. The SPECIAL stats continually add bonuses to skills. This is done passively, i.e. if the SPECIAL stats change, the bonuses are automatically and instantly adjusted. Skill Points that are earned each time the character levels up
  Level Up
  Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
  
   can be used to raise skill percentage. At character creation
  Character creation
  Character creation is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a largely fictional setting may include traits such as race and class...
  
  , the player also selects three Tag Skills — Skills which can be increased at multiples of the normal rate, starting at one skill point per 2% skill at under 101% skill.

The SPECIAL system has thus far been used in the games Fallout

Fallout (computer game)

Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain, developed and published by Interplay in 1997. The game has a post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic setting in the mid-22nd century, featuring an alternate history which deviates some time after World War II, where technology, politics...

, Fallout 2

Fallout 2

Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...

 and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, better known as simply Fallout Tactics, is a turn-based/real-time tactical role-playing game based in the post-apocalyptic Fallout universe. Developed by Micro Forté and published by 14 Degrees East, Fallout Tactics was released on 14 March 2001 for PC...

. A heavily modified version of the system was used for Fallout 3

Fallout 3

Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...

, Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...

, and Fallout: Warfare

Fallout: Warfare

Fallout: Warfare, also known as FO:W, F:W or simply Warfare, is a science fiction tabletop miniature wargame developed by Christopher Taylor. Based in the Fallout series universe, Fallout: Warfare simulates group combat and uses cut-out models based upon the art of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of...

, a tabletop battle game available on the Fallout Tactics bonus CD.

Aside from Fallout games, modified versions of SPECIAL were also used in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader

Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader

Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader is an action role-playing game, developed for the PC by Reflexive Entertainment, and released on August 13, 2003. The game is viewed from a 3/4 isometric camera angle...

 (also referred to as Fallout Fantasy early in production), a fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game that involved spirits and magic in addition to the traditional SPECIAL features, as well as the cancelled project Black Isle's Torn

Black Isle's Torn

Black Isle's Torn was a role-playing video game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios, announced on March 22, 2001 and cancelled in July of that year. The game was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system, which had been implemented in the Fallout series...

.

External links

• SPECIAL article at The Vault, the Fallout wiki