Like the classic Western-influenced and zany RPGs before it, such as Fallout and Wasteland, there are many unique perks waiting to be bargained for, bought, or earned through hard experience in West Of Loathing.
These perks are typically hilarious — from becoming a Minesplainer by interrupting a woman and explaining how mines work to her (even though you have no idea what you are talking about, to earning the Mostly Scabs perk by repeatedly walking into pointy cacti across the desert.
Besides offering joke material, these perks can be absolutely critical to your success, and are also a viable way to end up with just about any character build you can imagine. With the Nex Mex perks for instance, even a muscle-focused Cow Puncher character (the West Of Loathing equivalent of a melee fighter) can have some serious spell power at their disposal, although there are some skill penalty offsets.
Below we cover every single perk that’s been discovered in the game so far. Need help with any specific puzzles or quests? Check out our full set of West Of Loathing guides for more tips.
West Of Loathing Perks
| Perk | Bonus / Penalty | How To Earn |
|---|---|---|
| Glutton For Punishment | Gain EXP even when losing battles | Lose 5 total battles |
| Stupid Walking | Walk in bizarre and stupid ways | Read 6 books in your room before leaving the ranch |
| White Hair | -3 Moxie | Read 2 Necromancer Nex Mex Instruction Manuals |
| Emaciated | -3 Muscle | Read 3 Necromancer Nex Mex Instruction Manuals |
| Thin Blood | -10 Max HP | Read 4 Necromancer Nex Mex Instruction Manuals |
| Withered Muscles | -25 Melee Attack Damage | Read 5 Necromancer Nex Mex Instruction Manuals |
| Clouded Eyes | -25 Pistol Attack Damage | Read 6 Necromancer Nex Mex Instruction Manuals |
| Brawny | +20 Max HP | Available Option When Reading a Tome Of Cow Punching |
| Ever Vigilant | +2 Max AP | Available Option When Reading a Tome Of Cow Punching |
| Big Spleen | +3 Spleen Capacity | Available Option When Reading a Snake Oiling Magazine |
| Expert Poisoner | Triple Poison Damage | Available Option When Reading a Snake Oiling Magazine |
| Ruthless | Offers special dialog options when dealing with bandits or other characters | Kill the sleeping bandit guard |
| Honorable | Offers special dialog options when dealing with bandits or other characters | Choose not to kill the sleeping bandit guard |
| Mostly Scabs | +5 Max HP | Bump into every cactus you see until the perk unlocks (usually around Dirtwater) |
| Minesplainer | XP bonus for mining meat veins | At the Snakepit Mine, explain how mining works to your companion |
| Green Thumb | Gain EXP from Foragin’ | Forage 10 plants |
| Spittoon Hand | 20% Hot, Cold, Sleaze Resistance | Thoroughly (and disgustingly) search four different spittoons |
| Goblintongue | Speak to Goblins in certain combat, dialog, and world map situations | Read the three books found on the shelf in Doc Alice’s house in the first town |
| Appalachian Skull Whisperin’ | Speak a very specific language of the dead | Listen to the whispering stone in the Old Mission catacombs |
| Anatomical Learnin’ | +3 Melee Attack Damage | Examine the mechanical woman in the circus freak show |
| Anatomical Workin’ | +3 Melee Attack Damage | Investigate Janet’s parts at the Circus or fix the anatomy chart at Kellogg Ranch |
| Expert Silversmithin’ | Craft extra silver bullets | Explore the Alexandria Ranch basement |
| Heavy Trigger Finger | +3 Pistol Damage | Build A Cheeky Gesture at the West Pole (requires 20 moxie) |
| Song Of The Spheres | +5 Spell Damage | Build an elaborate orrery at The West Pole (requires 20 mysticality) |
| Heart Of Stone | +10 Max HP | Build the impregnable tower at the West Pole (requires 20 muscle) |
| Kellog Brand Purity | +30 Max HP | Perform the Kellog Brand purity ritual by sleeping in the Chastity Pants found on Kellogg Ranch |
| Kurtzian Physique | +10 Muscle | Join the exercise in a tent ion the Fort of Darkness while wearing the Kurtzfitz Pants and Headband |
| Master Of Flushing | +3 Muscle | Flush every toilet you come across |
| Kurtzian Philospher | +10 Mystique | Talk to Kurt repeatedly in the Fort of Darkness |
| Silver Tongue | +3 Moxie | Choose the option to sliver plate your tongue when you find the Silver Plater location |
| Passin’ Fair Mycologist | Identify various mushrooms | Read the book Mycology, Yourcology which can be found in Alexandria’s Bookstore or in plot 420 at the Military Cemetery |
| Percussive Maintenance | Fix various objects | Read the books in the Alexandria Ranch basement |
| Vein Glorious | Get bonus meat while mining | Read the books in the Alexandria Ranch basement |
| Raise Skeletal Buddy | Enchant bones to summon skeletons | Search plot 666 at the Military Cemetery |
| Unlimited Bones | Gain access to the Buffalo Piles bones | Kill the cultists in Buffalo Pile |
| Unlimited Grain | Gain access to the Kellog Ranch grain | Unlock the barn in Kellogg Ranch |
Have you come across any other perks, or found any other routes to earn these perks listed above? Let us know in the comments section and we’ll get ’em added, pardner!
