Probably Stolen Best Perks: Starting Picks and Ones to Skip

Starting perks are chosen during new game setup, after the scenario. The panel has two limits: perk points and perk slots. A community guide reports that you start with 3 points and 4 slots, but the release-build data we checked does not publish the numbers, so read the counter on your own screen.

Positive perks cost points. Negative perks give you points to spend on positive ones, which is exactly what the in-game hint says. Some perks are mutually exclusive, and the game will not let you combine them.

Both community references we checked agree that starting perks are unavailable on a first playthrough. That is deliberate pacing rather than a bug. Your first run teaches trading, appraisal and rent without extra modifiers.

Use that run to note what hurt you most. If night robberies drained your stock, Vigilant is an obvious answer. If rent was the constant worry, a cash perk will help more than a reputation perk.

A version-tagged community list for release build 26284217 counts 48 starting perks. An earlier guide listed 36, so many perks are new with the full game. New positive options include Handy, Lucky, Short Sleeper, Sycophant, Tinkerer, Vending Machine, Wild's Favorite and Working Pipes.

The developer's 1.0 preview also promised new starting perks and a vending machine that sells overnight. If you learned perks from a summer video, recheck every tooltip. Older lists do not include these options.

One community guide lists six perks at 2 points each: Vigilant, Diplomatic, Intimidating, Vending Machine, Well Connected and Working Pipes. Most other positive perks are listed at 1 point. Treat these costs as reported values and confirm them on your screen.

For a safe second run, take Savings with Vigilant. You start with more cash and you stop losing stock at night. That covers the two problems that end most early runs.

For a water start, Working Pipes is worth a look. Unlimited Rustwater still needs testing and treatment, so pair it with our water guide. For a reputation-heavy run, Diplomatic or Well Connected speeds up faction perks; see the station factions guide.

Some perks are neither clearly good nor bad. Prime Real Estate brings one more normal customer each day but raises your starting rent. Careful Scavenger gives fewer Dumping Grounds actions but stops injuries while searching.

Aug Menace unlocks augmented content and pays more for dealing with augs. The catch is serious: letting too many escape ends the game. Read the Augs guide before you take it.

The easiest negatives are the ones that do not touch your plan. Bad Lease raises starting rent, which you can budget for. Banned from the Commissary removes the Commissary and food stamps, which some runs barely use.

Avoid Illiterate on an early run. Guides are how you learn what genuine items look like, and appraisal is the core skill. Skip Degenerative Osteoarthritis if you rely on scavenging, since your attempts shrink every week.

Sentinel Collapse Disorder is incurable and needs a weekly Immunivax injection. It is a challenge perk, not a free point. Our Immunivax guide explains why that dependency is costly.

Update 049 raised the trading penalty for addiction perks from 5% to 8%. Players with those perks now start with one related item, and withdrawal begins immediately. The same patch buffed Model Citizen's reward for reporting criminal customers from 20% to 50%.

Alcohol, Narcotic and Nicotine Addiction can be cured, so they look cheap. In practice, a constant trade penalty eats into every sale until you fix it. Take one only if you plan to keep the matching item in stock.

Starting perks are not the only perks in the game. Each faction grants its own reputation perks as your standing rises or falls. The release-build list groups them under Lower Levels, Upper Levels, Security, Black Market, Revolution and the Sector 13 Cartel.

High standing brings perks such as Security Protection or Rave Reviews. Low standing brings penalties such as Watchlist or Blacklisted. You earn these through play, not on the setup screen.

Usually not. A release-build community reference says the Mind Reprogrammer can remove and add certain perks during a run. It is sold by the Hypertech Smuggler once Joe Wild unlocks it, charges with Electronic Parts and needs time to reset.

Without it, you change starting perks by beginning a new game. Note your perk set and scenario before you start, so you can compare runs fairly.

What are the best perks in Probably Stolen? For most players, Savings and Vigilant: more starting cash and no night robberies.

Why can't I pick perks? Starting perks are locked on your first run and unlock from the second.

How do I get more perk points? Take negative perks. Each one adds points to spend on positive perks.

How many perks can I take? A community guide reports four slots. Colorful Character adds more.

Perk values in this guide come from community references, not official documentation. Effects are paraphrased, and the release-build list hides exact numbers. Hover each perk in your own build before you confirm the run.

If a value differs in your game, send us the build number through the contact page. For choosing the scenario itself, see the tier list.