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Wasteland Diaries: Capstones

Edward Marshall
Updated ·6 min read

Capstones in Fallen Earth are powerful abilities that can be learned at level 45. In the literal sense. a capstone is the final stone placed in the top of a wall. In the figurative sense, it is an important achievement. Either way, it is a final step; something that will be realized at the end. Well, now that the level cap is 50, capstones aren't max level abilities anymore. If our level progression continues to 150 (as was the original plan), eventually we will be able to achieve about half of the capstone abilities without even trying. So, let's enjoy them while they aren't a dime-a-dozen, shall we?

After the cut I'll give a brief summary of each capstone and its requirements. It's important to know what each capstone does before building a character, as some builds will benefit greatly from certain capstones. In many cases, Fallen Earth's capstones are goals for certain builds, and the theme of the build works hand-in-hand with its capstone.


All capstones have a requirement of 80,000 faction reputation with the pertinent faction to be used. This will limit even level 150 characters from using more than approximately half of them. While it is theoretically possible to acquire all of the capstones, you will only be able to use about half of them at any given time. Fun fact: It used to be possible to buff your skills to the 164 requirement to get the capstones, and you could use them regardless of faction affiliation. Luckily, common sense prevailed and the developers fixed that.

Traveler capstones

  • On Wires -- This stance improves your movement speed by 10% and increases your ranged and melee defense by 17 while active. This capstone was a source of great consternation when the speed boost was 20%, but it was dropped to 10% to control some of the rampant speed-stacking the game was allowing. This capstone requires 164 Pistol and Athletics.

  • Skullcrusher -- This is a single-target direct-damage and damage-over-time attack. So, I guess it's a DDDoT. It does 79 initial sonic damage and then 17 psionic damage per second for 15 seconds. This capstone requires 164 Sonic and Telepathy.

  • Shotgun Wedding -- This ability is triggered on your next pistol shot (and it must hit). It causes 15 sonic damage per second for 15 seconds and causes a knockdown for two seconds on a failed body save. This capstone requires 164 Sonic and Pistol.

  • Scoundrel's Strike -- Just kidding. This capstone is gone. At one point this melee capstone was a six second stun. Yes, six seconds. They should have named it I Win Button.


CHOTA capstones

  • Feral Mind -- This primary mutation improves your psionic resistance by 775 and all of your saves by 12. It reserves 19% of your gamma while it is active. This capstone requires 164 Athletics and Primal.

  • Vile Strike -- This ability is delivered with a melee strike, if it hits. It causes 17 disease damage per second for 15 seconds. The casting cost is split between stamina and gamma and it can be resisted with a body save. This capstone requires 164 Melee and Patho-transmission.

  • Armor Melting -- This ability causes 14 fire damage per second and reduces primary resistances by 1150 for 15 seconds. It can be resisted by a reflex save. This capstone requires 164 Armor Use and Thermal Control.

Vista capstones

  • Pack Mentality -- This aura gives all allies within 20 meters +17 to both ranged and melee defense and gives a bonus of +14 to dexterity and strength. This capstone requires 164 Group Tactics and Primal.

  • Thundershot -- This ability is delivered with a rifle shot (it must hit, of course). It stuns the target and any others within five meters if they fail a body save. The stun lasts two seconds. This capstone requires 164 Sonic and Rifle.

  • Pale Horse -- This Primary Mutation increases the ability-users health and stamina regeneration by 19 and gives a 10% increase in movement speed. It devotes 19% of the gamma pool while active. This capstone requires 164 Primal and First Aid.

  • Horse With No Name -- Again I jest, this one is gone. A capstone to buff your horse? I think this one got laughed right out of the game. It should have been a Vista-only skill, not a capstone.


Lightbearer capstones

  • Storm of Steel -- This ability causes 50 fire damage per second and reduces primary resistances by 1130 for 7 seconds to all targets within five meters of the person struck. This capstone requires 164 Melee and Telekenesis.

  • Sharing the Light -- This ability revives all dead and allied clones within 20 meters to 135 health. It increases their health regeneration by 41 and their primary resistances by 775 for 15 seconds. This capstone requires 164 First Aid and Empathic.

  • Foresight -- This primary mutation improves the user's ballistic resistance by 775 and ranged defense by 17 while it is active. It devotes 19% of the gamma pool while on. This capstone requires 164 Dodge and Telepathy.


Enforcer capstones

  • Fatal Setup -- This ability is delivered with a rifle shot. It lowers the target's ranged defense to zero for 10 seconds. This capstone is the only one that gets more powerful as the target's level increases. This capstone requires 164 Dodge and Rifle, so there is no excuse for any rifleman not to have it (excepting Vista riflemen, of course).

  • Last Ditch Effort -- This ability revives all dead and allied clones within 20 meters to 115 health. It increases their health regeneration by 25 and their ranged and melee defenses by 24 for 15 seconds. This capstone requires 164 First Aid and Group Tactics.

  • Nullification -- This ability drops all of the target's regeneration rates (stamina, health and gamma) to zero for 15 seconds. This capstone requires 164 Rifle and Suppression.

Tech capstones

  • Short Fuse -- This direct-damage ability causes 104 fire damage to a single target and reduces its secondary resistances by 565 for 30 seconds. This capstone requires 164 Thermal Control and Enhancement.

  • Seal the Gap -- This primary mutation improves your secondary and tertiary resistances by 565 while it is active. It devotes 19% of your gamma pool while it is up. This capstone requires 164 Armor Use and Nano-manipulation.

  • Shock Blast -- This direct-damage ability is delivered with a pistol shot. If it hits, it does 79 electrical damage to the target and anyone within five meters. It is resistable with a successful reflex save. This capstone requires 164 Thermal Control and Pistol.

  • Tune-Up Kit -- Another capstone that was removed from the game, and deservedly so, as it was a buff for vehicles. It would have made a decent Tech-only skill, but it made for a terrible capstone ability.


That sums up the capstone abilities in Fallen Earth. Finding out about these abilities too late in the game can prevent you from getting them. Knowing about them beforehand will allow you to work them into your build. Hence, the point of this post. See you next week, unless I see you in my crosshairs before that.