The Outer Worlds 2: Complete Guide to Increasing Your Max Health and Survivability

Let’s be real: nothing feels worse than getting absolutely destroyed by a random enemy when you’re just trying to explore the Arcadian system. Your trusty Medical Inhaler can only do so much when tougher enemies are deleting half your health bar in a single hit. The solution? You need more maximum health, plain and simple.

After getting wrecked by enemies more times than I’d like to admit, I’ve figured out every method to bulk up your health pool in The Outer Worlds 2. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a walking tank.

Why Max Health Actually Matters More Than You Think

Before we dive into the methods, let’s talk about why you should care about max health in the first place. Sure, you’ve got an inhaler for healing, but here’s the problem: inhaler charges are limited and don’t regenerate on their own. If you’re stuck in a prolonged firefight with limited healing resources, a bigger health pool can be the difference between surviving and reloading your last save.

Plus, as you venture deeper into The Outer Worlds 2, enemy damage scales significantly. What seemed like manageable hits early game become life-threatening later on. More max health gives you:

• More room for mistakes during tough boss fights
• Better survivability when outnumbered
• Less reliance on scarce inhaler charges
• Confidence to explore dangerous areas earlier

Now let’s get into how to actually boost that health bar.

Method 1: The Obvious One—Just Level Up

Yeah, I know, groundbreaking advice, right? But hear me out: leveling up is your most consistent and reliable way to increase max health. Every single level gives you a decent health boost, and unlike other methods, you don’t need to hunt down specific gear or spend perk points.

What you need to know:

• Health gains vary slightly from level to level
• It’s automatic—no choices required
• Stacks with all other health-boosting methods
• Can’t be temporarily lost by unequipping gear

The catch? Leveling takes time. If you’re getting demolished right now, you need faster solutions. That’s where the next two methods come in.

Method 2: Health-Boosting Perks That Turn You Into a Tank

The Outer Worlds 2’s perk system is where you can really optimize your survivability. While choosing your background sets your character’s foundation, perks let you specialize further. For health specifically, there are two standout options that you absolutely need to know about.

Bulletshield: Your Defensive Foundation

Was es bewirkt: +10% to base health and +10% damage resistance

This is your bread-and-butter defensive perk. The 10% health boost is solid on its own, but the real value is in the combination—you’re both harder to damage AND have more health to work with. It’s like getting two perks in one.

When to grab it: As soon as it becomes available if you’re struggling with survivability. This should be a priority perk for anyone not running a pure glass cannon build.

Serial Killer: The Controversial Powerhouse

Was es bewirkt: +2 max health for every human kill where you collect their heart (100% drop rate from non-hostile humans you kill)

Anforderungen: Must have the Psychopath perk first

Okay, so this one’s a bit… dark. But from a pure gameplay perspective, it’s arguably the single best way to massively increase your max health beyond leveling. Here’s why it’s so powerful:

The math that makes it insane:

• Each human enemy killed = +2 max health permanently
• These gains stack indefinitely
• Over a full playthrough, you’ll kill hundreds of human enemies
• That’s potentially hundreds of extra health points

Der Haken: You need to be killing human enemies specifically, and you need the Psychopath perk first (which might not fit your build or roleplaying choices). Also, you know, you’re literally collecting hearts. It’s not exactly the heroic path.

Profi-Tipp: If you’re going for a combat-heavy build, this perk can turn you into an unkillable monster by mid-game. The health gains compound ridiculously fast if you’re actively engaging in combat.

Method 3: Armor and Headgear—Stats Beyond Just “Armor Rating”

Here’s something a lot of players miss: armor and helmets in The Outer Worlds 2 do way more than just provide damage reduction. Many pieces come with special buffs, and max health increases are some of the most valuable ones you’ll find.

What to Look For

When you’re looting or shopping for gear, don’t just auto-equip the item with the highest armor number. Check the description for these bonuses:

Common health-boosting stats:

• Base health increase (typically 5-15%)
• Damage resistance (which indirectly preserves your health)
• Health regeneration (rare but powerful)
• Elemental resistance (prevents chip damage over time)

Real Examples I’ve Found

During my playthrough, I discovered a helmet that granted +15% base health AND additional damage resistance. That one piece of gear alone made me noticeably tankier than a helmet with slightly better armor rating but no special effects.

Smart gearing strategy:

1. Always read gear descriptions before auto-equipping
2. Compare total survivability, not just armor numbers
3. Mix and match pieces for optimal buffs
4. Don’t be afraid to keep lower-armor gear if the buffs are better

The beauty of The Outer Worlds series has always been build variety, and that extends to gear choices. Sometimes the “best” equipment is the stuff that keeps you alive, not the stuff with the biggest numbers.

Combining Methods: How to Build an Unkillable Character

The real magic happens when you stack all three methods together. Here’s a practical example of how this works:

Level 20 character with optimization:

• Base health from leveling: Let’s say 200 HP (example)
• Bulletshield perk: +10% = 220 HP total
• Serial Killer after 50 human kills: +100 HP = 320 HP total
• Helmet with +15% base health: Additional 48 HP = 368 HP total

You’re looking at nearly doubling your effective health through smart perk choices and gear selection, on top of natural level progression.

Additional Survivability Tips Beyond Max Health

While we’re talking about staying alive, here are some related tips that work hand-in-hand with high max health:

Defense multipliers:

• Shield generators reduce direct health damage (grab the one south of Westport early)
• Damage resistance from perks and armor makes your health pool last longer
• Companion abilities like VAL’s healing can save inhaler charges
• Cover usage prevents damage in the first place

Ressourcenmanagement:

• Stock up on food and drugs for out-of-combat healing
• Save inhaler charges for emergencies
• Use Auto Doc stations whenever you find them
• Break down unnecessary gear for crafting materials

When to Prioritize Health vs. Other Stats

Not every build needs to maximize health. Here’s when you should prioritize it:

Max health priority builds:

• Melee/close-range combat characters
• Tank roles in companion-heavy playthroughs
• Players who struggle with combat mechanics
• Builds with limited healing options

When to skip it:

• Stealth-focused characters who avoid combat
• Long-range builds that rarely take hits
• Dialogue-heavy playthroughs with minimal fighting
• Players comfortable with perfect dodging/positioning

If you’re playing on higher difficulties or just want a more forgiving experience, though? Stack that health. There’s no shame in being tanky.

The Bottom Line: More Health = More Fun

The Outer Worlds 2 is at its best when you’re exploring strange new worlds and making wild decisions without constantly worrying about dying. A beefy health pool gives you the freedom to experiment, take risks, and engage with combat on your terms rather than tiptoeing around every enemy.

Whether you’re going the Serial Killer route and becoming a combat monster, mixing Bulletshield with great armor finds, or just playing the long game and letting level-ups do the work, you’ve got options. The key is understanding how these systems work together and making intentional choices that match your playstyle.

So gear up, grab those perks, and go show those corporate goons what a properly-tanked spacefarer can do. Your inhaler will thank you.

For more help optimizing your character, check out our guides on choosing the right background and our Kompletter Leitfaden für Anfänger for new players.