Flaws are a gameplay mechanic in The Outer Worlds. They are permanent negative attributes applied to the player character; they cannot be removed. There are about two dozen different flaws available. The number of flaws one can have in one play through though is limited to three on normal difficulty, four on hard, and five on supernova. Each flaw obtained will cause negative effects to afflict the Stranger, however it also grants a perk point.
Cause
The player character is given the choice to take on a flaw after fighting a certain type of enemy many times.
The player chooses to take them in lieu of the immediate consequences of something terrible happening, like being fatally wounded by an animal.
Effect
Flaws negatively impact the player or their companion's stats, but they're granted one Perk point immediately to balance it out. There is no negative consequence to rejecting a flaw.
Flaws
| Name | Cause | Effects | Game description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrophobia | Repeatedly taking fall damage | Dexterity -1 Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
After repeatedly falling from great heights, you no longer function well when the ground is far beaneath you. |
| Corrosive Weakness | Suffering too much corrosive damage | Corrosive Damage Received +25% | Suffering too many corrosive burns has made you weak against Corrosive damage. |
| Cynophobia | Being attacked by Canids | Perception -1 Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
Mauled too many times by Canids, you get the jitters every time one's attacking, making you less effective. |
| Drug Addiction | Repeatedly consuming drugs | Dexterity -1
Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
Taking as many drugs as you have has turned to an addiction. |
| Farsighted | Repeatedly blinded while holding melee weapons | Melee Weapon Skills -10 | Repeated eye injuries have made it harder for you to notice things close to you. |
| Nearsighted | Repeatedly blinded while holding ranged weapons | Ranged Weapon Skills -10 | ??? (I got this flaw when farming for Farsighted, pls confirm & add details) |
| Food Addiction | Eating a lot | Dexterity -1 Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
You can't seem to stop yourself from eating, even food that's bland or horribly flavored. Not eating often will cause withdrawals. |
| Herpetophobia | Repeated encounters with Mantisaurs. | Dexterity -1 Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
After too many encounters with Mantipillars and Mantisaurs, you're not quite yourself when any of the Manti-family of creatures are attacking your party. |
| Paranoid | Repeatedly getting caught by guards in Restricted Areas | Personality Attributes -1 | Repeatedly getting caught by guards in Restricted Areas has made you jittery, doubly so when roaming around Restricted Areas or sneaking. |
| Permanent Concussion | Repeatedly getting hit or shot in the head | Mind Attributes -1 | Having been hit in the head one too many times, your mental faculties have been permanently affected. |
| Permanently Crippled | Suffering fall damage too many times | Movement speed -30% Unable to dodge |
Your legs have been damaged too many times, and your movement speed has now been permanently lowered. |
| Permanently Maimed | unknown | Offense Skills -20% | Your arms have taken way too much damage, and you're no longer as good with weapons as you used to be. |
| Physical Damage Weakness | Suffering too much physical damage | Physical Damage Received +25% | Taking too much Physical Damage has made you soft and vulnerable to more Physical damage. |
| Pithecophobia | Repeated encounters with Primals | Dexterity -1 Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
After getting repeatedly beaten up by Primals, you no longer function when they attack you and your companions. |
| Plasma Weakness | Getting burned too many times | Plasma Damage Received +25% | Getting burned too many times has made you susceptible to Plasma damage. |
| Raptiphobia | Repeated encounters with Raptidons | Endurance -1 Willpower -1 Temperament -1 |
Repeated encounters with Raptidons has lessened your effectiveness when they're attacking you or your Companions. |
| Robophobia | Repeated encounters with Automechanicals | Dexterity -1.0 Perception -1.0 Temperament -1.0 |
Automechanicals now give you the willies, and when they're attacking your party you're not as effective as you should be. |
| Shock Weakness | Suffering too much Shock damage | Shock Damage Received +25% | Having been shocked too many times, you have become sensitive to Shock damage. |
| Smoke Addiction | Using Nicotine Consumables | Dexterity -1
Perception -1 Temperament -1 |
You don't know what they put in with the tobacco, but you can't go long between smokes without suffering withdrawal symptoms. |
Related achievements-trophies
| Icon | Name | Description | Gamer Score | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Flawed Hero | Acquired 3 flaws. | 15 | Bronze |
Notes
- Being in the vicinity of SAM will also trigger the effects of Robophobia, even though the flaw itself states that the effects are only in place during combat with robots.
Template:Navbox character mechanics