Level 1
ST 5 PE 5 EN 5 CH 1 IN 9 AG 7 LK 8
Speech, Sneak, and Small Guns
Bobblehead (Medicine)
Level 2
Sneak +5 (40), Small Guns +5 (40), Lockpick +9 (25)
Intense Training (EN)
Bobblehead (Intelligence)
Rad Regeneration
Level 3
Lockpick +15 (40), Speech +5 (28)
Lady Killer/Black Widow
Bobblehead (Lockpick)
Bobblehead (Science)
Level 4
Sneak +5 (45), Small Guns +5 (45), Speech +10 (38)
Educated
Bobblehead (Repair)
Bobblehead (Speech)
Barkskin
Level 5
Sneak +5 (50), Small Guns +5 (50), Speech +2 (50), Repair +4 (40), Science +4 (40), Medicine +3 (39)
Comprehension
Bobblehead (Small Guns)
Wired Reflexes
Level 6
Lockpick +10 (60), Speech +10 (60), Explosives +2 (18), Medicine +1 (40)
Toughness
Level 7
Lockpick +15 (75), Repair +1 (41), Explosives +7 (25)
Entomologist
Ant Sight
Bobblehead (Barter)
Bobblehead (Unarmed)
Level 8
Small Guns +10 (70), Explosives +13 (40)
Strong Back
Bobblehead (Sneak)
Bobblehead (Melee Weapons)
Bobblehead (Explosives)
Bobblehead (Big Guns)
Level 9
Sneak +5 (65), Small Guns +5 (75), Speech +4 (64), Repair +9 (50)
Bloody Mess
Power Armor Training
Covert Ops
Level 10
Sneak +5 (70), Small Guns +2 (80), Energy Weapons +8 (26), Speech +1 (65), Science +7 (50)
Finesse
Superior Defender
Ghoul Ecology
Level 11
Energy Weapons +13 (39), Repair +10 (60)
Commando
Level 12
Energy Weapons +21 (60), Unarmed +2 (30)
Silent Running
Pitt Fighter
Booster Shot
Auto Expert
Level 13
Sneak +5 (85), Small Guns +5 (85), Energy Weapons +5 (65), Medicine +8 (48)
Life Giver
Bobblehead (Energy Weapons)
Level 14
Unarmed +1 (31), Science +10 (60), Medicine +12 (60)
Cyborg
Level 15
Unarmed +1 (32), Speech +5 (70), Explosives +10 (60), Big Guns +7 (35)
Robotics Expert
Level 16
Repair +10 (70), Explosives +10 (70), Big Guns +3 (38)
Better Criticals
Level 17
Repair +5 (75), Explosives +5 (75), Big Guns +13 (51)
Action Boy/Girl
Level 18
Unarmed +3 (35), Science +5 (65), Medicine +15 (75)
Sniper
Level 19
Speech +3 (73), Repair +10 (85), Explosives +5 (80), Medicine +5 (80)
Lawbringer
Level 20
Speech +2 (75), Barter +2 (20), Science +10 (75), Big Guns +9 (60)
Grim Reaper's Sprint
Level 21
Sneak +5 (90), Small Guns +5 (90), Energy Weapons +5 (90), Lockpick +3 (83), Repair +5 (90)
Explorer
Level 22
Lockpick +2 (85), Explosives +10 (90), Science +11 (86)
Mysterious Stranger
Level 23
Lockpick +5 (90), Science +4 (90), Melee Weapons +4 (30), Medicine +10 (90)
Light Step
Level 24
Speech +5 (80), Big Guns +18 (78)
Adamantium Skeleton
Level 25
Unarmed +11 (46), Big Guns +12 (90)
Rad Resistance
Level 26
Unarmed +23 (69)
Nerves of Steel
Level 27
Unarmed +1 (70), Melee Weapons +22 (52)
Warmonger
Level 28
Melee Weapons +23 (75)
Paralyzing Palm
Level 29
Barter +18 (38), Melee Weapons +5 (80)
Ninja
Level 30
Barter +23 (78)
Almost Perfect
Bobblehead (Strength)
Bobblehead (Perception)
Bobblehead (Endurance)
Bobblehead (Charisma)
Bobblehead (Agility)
Bobblehead (Luck)
For companions I prefer Charon in Hellfire armor and wielding the Terrible Shotgun. Fawkes is great too but he tends to run off more, yells far too much and is ALWAYS...IN...THE...WAY during tunnel crawls.
If you pick up all the chems you find and sell them + the ammo you don't use it more than makes up for the lack of Barter. I only keep 10 grenades and 10 mines on me too. I sell the extra of those. I'm still able to get all the house additions quite early in the game.