Thread 6321401

War War Never Changes.
They finally fucking did it. The bombs fell not long ago. The world is over. No more people. Just shambling radioactive corpses. No more nations just glowing craters, dust, and shadows of people that once were. No more seasons just nuclear winter. Shopping? no such thing. Have fun struggling to find a drop of water or a crumb of food that won't kill you. The rads oh god the fucking RADS, inescapable and everpresent. Truly the end of the world. Rapture maybe happened and whatever is left...well most people are quickly giving up on God. Kinda hard to keep believing when the world ended and you were left behind. Except for the zealots anyway but those guys are crazy as the cannibalistic raiders.

That isn't even getting into all the weird shit that keeps happening and becoming. Makes you wish it was 'just' a nuclear winter. Walking corpses. Mutants. Inexplicable anomalies. Unnatural terrain. Strange whispers that you aren't the only one hearing. Honestly it just keeps getting worse...especially with everything you have to do just to 'survive'. Living...living is just a luxury that only the pre war world got to enjoy. You meanwhile are just another poor sucker caught up in this clusterfuck trying to survive.

(This quest will be ripping heavily from games like Fallout, Metro, Stalker, and Bioshock basically anything that fits within the setting just to keep things interesting)

>Character Creation
The younger you are, the more bonus SPECIAL points you will start with. However the older you are, the more bonus skill points you will start with. You may choose any trait from any game OR include a custom option that may be vetoed by me IF its too unbalanced. Custom traits MUST include both positive and negative effects otherwise it's an automatic veto.

The first character will be a male because this is about a dynasty over the generations. So long as you have a living family member the game will not end however, your characters can and WILL die over time. A male starter character will provide insurance. So if you are an elderly grandpa, the minimum is 21 SPECIAL points. Just keep in mind old age is a real bitch, especially in such a hazardous environment(debuffs for age are a thing).

>>6321401 (OP)
Bah meant not ANYTHING that fits in the setting it needs to belong and be a good fit. My bad.

>Name
>Age
>Tagged Skills(3)
Now how many years has it been since the bombs dropped?
>50(super easy)
>40(easy)
>30(Average)
>20(Hard)
>10(Very Hard)
>5(Nightmare)
>1(Hell)
>6 Months(Dante Must Die)
>1 Month(DOOM)

Skills are based off New Vegas. Additional skills may be added if I or anyone else points something out that doesn't fit into preexisting skills. Suggested traits may be provided at any time. Black box options will be a thing based on certain choices including origin and how much time its been(obviously I'm gonna give you something if your crazy enough to choose a harder difficulty or something).

Origin?
>Vault
>Subway
>Bunker
>Deep wilderness
>RANDOM

>>6321404
Name
>Cletus Wessen-Smith
Age
>26

Tagged skills
>Survival
>Guns
>Stealth

>20/hard

>Deep Wilderness

>>6321404
>Cletus, Male
>45
>Guns
>Repair
>Survival
>>1 Month(DOOM)
>Deep wilderness
What makes this survivable (familially, at least) is that we're hillbillies with 50 extended family members. However, we MAY be a little inbred.

Guess we're doing Specials later but when we do, I call for 3 INT tops.

>>6321407
YOOO, SAME BRAINCELL

>>6321410
Hell yeah brother!

>>6321404
Depending on your choices, you will be a Pure, Mutant, or Wastelander human. All have their benefits and penalties. Pure Humans enjoy the highest compatibility with pre war tech and goodies BUT it is both easily lost and makes you especially vulnerable to the hazards of the wasteland. Wastelanders are the norm and average but hey while your compatibility with pre war goodies isn't good at least you won't die too easily to wasteland hazards and have the most 'stable' condition. Mutants are even more extreme than Pure you have the highest resistance to wasteland hazards(the fuckers are really goddamn tough), lowest compatibility to pre war goodies(like cybernetics and prewar genemods), and have to worry about gene stability thanks to your mutations. Making them very high risk and greatly disliked by everyone else truthfully mutants themselves aren't exactly known for being fond of each other either. Otherwise you wouldn't see them killing each other all the time.

>Can you play as a nonhuman?
Yes, but it must be unlocked first. For example surviving FEV exposure, brain implanted into a robobrain(cyborg conversion) or taking the Ghoulish perk.

>What kind of factions will there be?
Not limited to the typical Fallout ones. In other words other military, think tank, and government remnants will exist. So no you won't be limited to shit like BOS or Enclave. Your welcome. You can also expect shit like Metro and Stalker groups to also be a thing. Watch out for the crazies though. Those fuckers can easily be more twisted than raiders.

No, there are no inherent restrictions to what factions you can join or improve rep with. Just be aware of the consequences and safety(like trying to befriend Feral ghouls when your human...that kind of stupidity).

You may also suggest your own lore. Including factions if accepted, you will receive a reward.

This includes homemade stuff like traits even if it is not used for the MC I WILL use it in another SPECIAL character that you will encounter in the future. Yes, this means the MC isn't the only SPECIAL character around so beware. SPECIAL characters, on average are the most dangerous characters you will find in the wasteland with certain exceptions like Frank Horrigan for obvious reasons.

>>6321409
SPECIAL is later because age determines how many bonus skill points and SPECIAL points you get. Keep in mind SPECIAL points are much harder to earn skill points because you have to sacrifice Perk points to boost them. Downside is it sucks to have shit skills until you level up enough.

Which reminds me. At 100 Skill you can Prestige that skill netting you a PERMANENT bonus to rolls with that skill exchange for resetting it. Other characters can do this to and expect to see this in specialists. For example its REALLY going to suck if you fight a high level sniper, because the bonuses are no fucking joke to point of making normal critical failures impossible and crits far more likely. So yeah...

>>6321409
+1 for Cletus

But I think we should go for 6 months

I'll add to the consensus:
>Cletus WESSON-Smith
>Age 30
>Guns
>Repair
>Survival
>20 Years (let's leave enough time for mutant-born humanoids to start appearing, beyond mutates like ghouls)

Trait:
>Alcoholic
Alcohol withdrawal lasts twice as long, & it takes double the amount of booze to get you drunk as it would normally. While you have any level of blood-alcohol content, you expel rads proportional to that level. Additionally, alcohol increases your Strength, Charisma, & Luck slightly more than usual.

>>6321409
I'm afraid I'm gonna have to veto the whole starting with a large family bit. As that is too unbalanced for early game(really ruins the challenge) and you won't benefit from being able to tinker with progeny modifiers.

(Que Crusader Kings noises)

Basically if you had a family they are no longer among the living(most people are dead...hopefully or worst off).

>>6321417
Inspired by the stories of Chernobyl firefighters surviving by being so drunk beforehand that the radiation was flushed from their system.

>>6321417
FEV exposure and leaks happen early due to containment failures and breaches. Not to mention Mutagenic weaponry and Rad exposure. Mutants WILL show up very early on. However super early there will be a period of lack of food(nuclearly winter) and whole need to root out the bad mutations that will temporarily suppress them. This is why you won't have deathclaws chewing your face off too early on. Later on as wildlife restores itself which is why the difficulty lowers(you are not the only source of food).

Just watch out for all the ghouls...so many ghouls. Shit is gonna be full flown zombie apocalypse early on until attrition really kicks in.

>>6321417
Im ashamed to have misspelled Wesson in my post

>>6321418
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Honestly the idea was that "sure we have a giant family however by the time we hit the end of the year we'll be down to like, 5 people tops" which is fair enough to veto.
>>6321417
Support for this guy then

>>6321417
Yeah I'll switch to this. Like the finer details snd what's 4 more years? Repair js probably a better pick than stealth for our founder anyways

How else can we be expected to have a functioning distillery? Gotta make moonshine.

>>6321417
You forgot Origin.

I need

>Name
>Age(SPECIAL points vs Skill Points based on young vs old)
>Tagged Skills(3)
>Date since bombs fell(higher difficulty comes with special rewards)
>Origin(random or custom may have special 'prizes')

Honestly at this point I might as well throw in a custom origin because forgetting it is BS.

SO
Origin?
>Vault
>Subway
>Bunker
>Deep wilderness
>Custom
>RANDOM

What is currently most popular in by vote(still open to change)
Name Cletus
Tagged Skills
>Guns
>Repair
>????

For every 1 year you are younger you gain 1 SPECIAL point for every 1 year older you gain 5 skill points. Obviously you need to have at least hit puberty and be able to fuck otherwise I'll have to veto.

>>6321434
I'll composite the votes into something that I think satisfies everyone;
>Cletus Wesson-Smith
>Age 28
>Guns
>Repair
>Survival
>20 Years/Hard
>Deep wilderness

Trait (If that's allowed, if not then just ax it boss):
>Alcoholic
Alcohol withdrawal lasts twice as long, & it takes double the amount of booze to get you drunk as it would normally. While you have any level of blood-alcohol content, you expel rads proportional to that level. Additionally, alcohol increases your Strength, Charisma, & Luck slightly more than usual.

>>6321434
Cletus Wesson-Smith is the most popular name, not just cletus.

And survival is a skill in fallout, in multiple games, so the tagged skills should be
Guns
Repair
Survival

>>6321439
Fine with this as much as I am the 30 year old one. A couple of years wont make a huge difference

>>6321434
Forgot age requirements my bad. For every year you are under lets say....45. You get 1 additional special point. For every year above 15 you gain 5 Skill points.

Minimal SPECIAL 21. So you can be a old skilled fuck or a practically superhuman youth.

>>6321441
>>6321439
Yeah just realized survival won the most votes.

Trait is okay because it comes with 2 bonuses and penalties.

>>6321445
It also gives us a reason to make moonshine. Well, beyond medical, trade and engineering purposes

>>6321446
The thing about traits is it just needs to be balanced roughly equal bonus and penalty that can potentially have big effects on character design. Just don't expect to shoot very straight when sufficiently drunk however you will be a LOT more dangerous in melee. This isn't quite game logic.

That's why I don't want to lock in immediately. Let anons reconsider what kind of character to start with.

An example of custom traits

>Psyker
gain special power but take double sanity damage

>Chem Fiend
ALL effects of chems are doubled(including withdrawals/penalties) but addiction is incurable.

>Veteran
Bonus to combat rolls but take additional sanity damage.

Also keep in mind since the bombs didn't fall THAT long ago. You still have a TON of shit to loot(including accessing inaccessible areas with the right tools) and accurate(recent) records to go off with. So a brainiac character who does his homework for example is potentially a very strong pick as you can easily salvage, locate loot, and repair all kinds of shit including robots that are in great condition still(see not stuck running with no maintenance for fucking centuries).

>>6321448
Yeah, but making moonshine would solve a lot of problems and being a liquor hound would give us an IC reason to pursue production even if we end up not being so bright to realize the other uses for alcohol

And so far most Anons, including me, have supported being alcoholic. That could change, of course but so far everyone seems to want to play a hillbilly. And every hillbilly need his shine, imo

>>6321439
>Cletus Wesson-Smith
>30
>Guns
>Repair
>Survival
>20 Years/Hard
>Deep wilderness

>+75 Skills Points
>+15 to SPECIAL.
>Total SPECIAL points 3

Skills point total will be revealed once anons are done allocating skill points and SPECIAL.

Trait that is locked
>Alcoholic
Alcohol withdrawal lasts twice as long, & it takes double the amount of booze to get you drunk as it would normally. While you have any level of blood-alcohol content, you expel rads proportional to that level. Additionally, alcohol increases your Strength, Charisma, & Luck slightly more than usual.

Still room for additional traits.

Personally I wouldn't have gone for deep wilderness because oh man that is gonna be an utter bitch in terms of travel and resource access. Good news is no ghoul hordes for you! Yay. Also fuck all for women to fuck...so shit. Damn I didn't realize how hard that was gonna be now that I'm thinking about it. Oh well if you die we'll just make another character.

>>6321449
I'm probably gonna have to include some kind of perk to nullify booze effects on aim but that's fine. I was thinking of adding a Blind Fu and Drunken Fist perks anyway. I haven't brought up custom perks anyway since they won't be a thing until you level up enough and reach the prereqs.

Would be funny if you end up a drunken genius of a hillbilly though that would be hilarious. Too drunk, so everyone thinks he's retarded. Nope just wasted as fuck.

>>6321452
Nah, it isnt just that we're liquored up. We also have one of those thick as hell and nearly incomprehensible regional dialecs/ accents

Rolled 47, 89, 42, 32, 35, 99, 49 = 393 (7d100)

>>6321452
Oh forgot to give an Extra SPECIAL for my fuck up. Oh well I'll just give you a bonus to add onto the Hard reward challenge.

Hard Challenge Bonus

Ancestral Moonshine Distillery+(alcohol produced from this distillery yield is doubled and twice as potent)

Been passed down for generations and all the more effective for it.

Dice rolls are 1d100. Higher is better.

Rolls are for the following

Resources(large bonus to natural resources, penalty to otherwise)
REDACTED
Bandit(large penalty)
Abominations(large bonus)
Ghouls(large penalty)
Wildlife(large bonus)
Population(penalty)

>>6321452
And for special. Seeing as we have 36 points to allocate...

My vote is

Strength 6
Perception 4
Endurance 7
Charisma 4
Intelligence 6
Agility 6
Luck 3

And skills

Repair +15
Guns +15
Melee +10
Survival + 15
Explosives +5
Science +5
Medicine + 5
Barter + 5

>>6321458
Resources 47 Average. Bonus Natural. Penalty Other.
REDACTED 89 VERY High bordering extreme
Bandit 42 Penalty. Low.
Abominations 32 bonus. Average.
Ghouls 35 penalty. Very Low.
Wildlife 99 bonus. CRIT
Population 49 penalty. Low.

Wherever the fuck your living is positively crawling with wildlife despite the bombs just dropped....which is likely due to REDACTED. Oh boy. Shit is gonna get weird and not in the good way. Average abominations not bad until you consider REDACTED and plentiful food sources. Bandits and population is low. Don't expect many neighbors. Ghouls are very low, no surprise given how rural the starting zone is. So no hordes for you to deal with. REDACTED is likely where they would gather.

Resources are good for natural stuff but for the more unnatural its gonna be low unless you count REDACTED. The biggest threat is the insane amount of wildlife and the abominations feasting upon it. Not to mention whatever horrors REDACTED is gonna unleash. Bandits probably gonna be too busy trying to not get eaten by wildlife and abominations to be a huge concern. Not to mention travel difference too bad that is also true for populace.

Overall NOT good Starter Zone. At least you don't have to worry about starving or natural resources. Fucking paradise for Survival focus so that is gonna pay out BIG time as a Tag skill. Biggest dangers come from wildlife, abominations, and Redacted.

>>6321458
>High tier Mystery Box
>Garden of Eden tier wildlife proliferation
>Only real threat is the occasional abominable wildlife and, of course, the regular wildlife
Truly, we are blessed...

>>6321461
The bayou provides, brother. The bayou provides

Also, QM. You may wanna drop a link to the quest in the /QTG/, with a short blurbs about it

>>6321461
Garden of Eden with a major drawback.

If the REDACTED was lower it would have absolutely have been truly Garden of Eden tier.

Honestly it's the REDACTED stat that fucked your starting zone the most. Having such a high wildlife score is SO good at high difficulty and so early on, so the mutation proliferation isn't that bad yet. Abominations would have been the biggest problem because of just how bountiful the food supply would be for them. Too bad REDACTED happened.

Starvation and water will not be a problem, though. Safety is. Water is trickier but the character is a drunk so...he wouldn't honestly care.

>>6321452
Presuming anon is right and it's 36...

Strength 5
Perception 4
Endurance 6
Charisma 4
Intelligence 8
Agility 6
Luck 3

GENIUS HILLBILLY IS A GO

And skills.
>>6321459
Sorry for stealing your skill distribution Anon, it's perfect.

Repair +15
Guns +15
Melee +10
Survival + 15
Explosives +5
Science +5
Medicine + 5
Barter + 5


>>6321467
That's what making grog is for. Just have enough liquor to spike everyone's drink whenever they're thirsty so they don't get super-malaria or something. Worked for sailors, it'll work for us!

No idea what REDACTED is, probably some government blacksite full of experiments that, of course, will break out and make life painful for us eventually.

>>6321469
Actually grog was used to stop sailors from getting absolutely shit faced on their rum ration immediately, watering it down and stretching it out. And when they remembered citrus cured scurvy (Cause this was learned and forgotten a few times by dominant naval powers), they'd add some lime so their sailors wouldn't fall apart at the seams rather literally

>>6321473
I am entirely, 2000% certain that the reason they grogged their water was to prevent local water from giving them the runs whenever they topped up. Whether that's what they used it for or not, it'll work for us.

>>6321475
Double checked, cause I was more certain I was right. Straight from Wikipedia

"
In 1740, to minimise the subsequent illness, drunkenness, and disciplinary problems, British Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon ordered that the daily rum issue of one-half imperial pint (284 ml) of rum be mixed with one imperial quart (1,100 ml) of water, a water-to-rum ratio of 4:1, with half issued before noon and the remainder after the end of the working day. This both diluted its effects and accelerated its spoilage, preventing hoarding of the allowance. The mixture of rum and water became known as a "grog"."

Also pretty sure we should also boil water as well as mix it with our shine to really make it drinkable. Which will be easy.

What are our options for starting gear?

>>6321477
I imagine that'll be a vote later on or be based on our skills. QM hasn't brought it up yet, unless you count the still as equipment

>>6321477
Its based on richness of related resources and Tag skills. In this case you get a varmint rifle, double barreled shotgun, and a couple boxes of ammo. A makeshift toolkit(cause repair tag). As well survival healing meds(doesn't work as fast as chems but does last longer), food, and grog/moonshine. As well as the makeshift cloths on your back(think typical redneck apparel).

For drinking the MC mainly gets by on grog and simply doesn't drink water. Grog his mix of moonshine and boiled/crudely filtered water. In addition to the small stockpile of moonshine. Food is largely cured meats and fungus. Plants aren't that common yet due to nuclear winter. However compared to other places vegetation is very much a thing there even if most of it is mushrooms at the moment.

Due to stat penalty and twenty years refined resources are exceedingly scarce in the starter zone. This includes guns, chems, and ammo. So you don't get to start with much.

TLDR
Tag determines what starting equipment
Resource stat determines quality.

>>6321404

>Norman Smith (aka. Cuz or Norm)
>23
>Stealth, Survival, Small Guns
>Time??? Same as Cletus
>Origin: Wilderness. If Cletus is down in the hollow with the still, Norm is up the mountain, hid in a cave when the bombs fell.

Special (41)
Strength - 4
Perception - 7
Endurance - 4
Charisma - 4
Intelligence - 8
Agility - 7
Luck - 9

Trait: Slow and Steady - Norm has increased accuracy, but spends more AP per hex of movement (ie he walks/runs slow). [If you don't like this one, Bloody Mess is a good old classic]

>>6321490
Pretty sure we only get one character

>>6321493
>>6321490
I'll just reuse them as other SPECIAL characters you can encounter. Similar to whatever lores anons throw out as well as homemade traits or perks.

>>6321494
Replace tree with mushroom and you have a pretty good idea just how fucking huge those mushrooms are becoming. They are the reason why the radiation shouldn't be as low as it is. The nuclear winter protects them from the sun and they slurp up the rads. Not to mention all the dead debris dying from rads, cold, or lack of sun.

Just don't get your hopes up for fruit, fish, or veggies. The survivors where the MC lives get by on mushrooms and meat.

Right now there are two main groups of 'people'. You have the 'folk'(mutants) who got unlucky with exposure and 'changed'. Nowhere near as bad as the abominations, but there are...rumors of cannibalism and every local knows just how hostile they are to outsiders. Not to mention how unstable they are, because you are a local they will not outright attack you on sight(in fact the MC knew many of them...even if most of them changed so much he can no longer recognize who they once were). In game terms think Swampfolk from Point Lookout in Fallout 3.

The rest are pure humans thanks to the protection of the wilds(mainly the mushrooms to be honest that rapidly decompose all the shit that should have turned all the pure humans on the surface into wastelanders at best by now). That is however is largely temporary due to REDACTED. Things are already leaking out from there and there is a reason why all the ghouls mysteriously vanished elsewhere and gathered there.

>>6321497
In that case, I might throw in one of my own as well for an NPC
>Oliver Bassett
>44
>Stealth, Survival, Science
>Time/Origin shared with Cletus, obviously
STR: 2
PER: 3
END: 2
CHA: 2
INT: 7
AGI: 3
LCK: 2
//damn, middle-aged characters really get a raw deal on the SPECIAL

Science: +35
Survival: +25
Sneak: +25
Melee: +20
Medicine: +15
Repair: +15
Lockpick: +5
Barter: +5

Trait: Plant Preferrer - Gains a bonus to skills when examining or using plants with an equal penalty when handling animals or meat

University PhD student in the area studying the local plant ecosystem and stranded when the bombs dropped. The last two decades haven't been kind to him but he's become something of a survivalist scientist since, dodging murderous mutants and wildlife while still working to understand the bizarre mutant neoflora.

>>6321490
Bear in mind we're 20 years postwar so Norman would have had to have been 3 years old at the time of the Great War. Speaking of, Cletus has to have had a now-deceased family as well since he would have been a preschooler (Huh? What's a "school"?) when the bombs fell.

>>6321518
Middle aged characters are the worst of both yeah. Young characters your skills suck(so basically typical game character) but your SPECIAL is amazing at no cost of levels and perks. Old, you are skilled motherfucker even if your SPECIAL sucks. Basically being a jack of trades is NOT good. Better to specialize because the benefits you get for mastering a skill makes a HUGE difference(this is why specialist and high level characters are such a dire threat). This is why middle aged master of none with mediocre stats...is not good.

Speaking of Cletus's history. His family were stubborn holdouts. So they got picked off over time. Cletus is the last man standing. His only other surviving relatives sought refuge at a settlement or left. He is the sole survivor of the last big attack by wildlife and abominations when they were hit really hard(hence his exhausted supplies and gear). Unlike the other holdouts his family was lucky in that they didn't mutate, unlike many of his fellow holdout neighbors and they managed to hold out for a few decades.

Most local survivors are held up in fortified settlements as they slowly technologically regress(future tribals). Those who aren't...change. Not in a good way either. Cletus is unusual in that compared to other survivors gets along unusually 'well' with the Folk. In no small part due to the stubbornness of his family and his superb moonshine. He knows from the settlements the Folk are not nearly so...reasonable. Not outright hostile like they are with outsiders or bandits(aka shoot on sight) but not about to harass him or anything either.

As far as Cletus knows he only has a few surviving family members left. He once had an uncle who raised a lot of family orphans due to old war injuries that made him still especially after the Bombs just dropped. He on many occasions, risked his life to travel to and from the old urban ruins for supplies fighting through entire hordes of ghouls. The man in his day was a local legend. One day he claimed he got a message on his old radio and just left claiming a friend was looking for him. People thought he finally lost it like his brother who became obsessed with certain...suspicious restricted areas to investigate and was never heard from again. It didn't exactly help he was...already changing. Too much rads you see from his trips. People thought he was slipping away like others who got hit too hard by the rads and started changing.

His surviving relatives are located in a couple of settlements but with how intense the wildlife is and how dangerous the trips are to them. He doesn't get to visit them very often. Cletus's biggest problem besides giving up his family's land and property(or at least what's left of it) is actually his still. As transporting something so big, bulky, and heavy is...problematic.

>>6321532
*sterile

He had a sterile uncle, a veteran of the war who adopted a bunch of orphans and lost his humanity making trips to the city due to the extremely high rads. He became a legend even before his sudden disappearance as he was...changing and insisted he got a message from his broken radio from an old friend. Most think he knew he wasn't gonna make it and wanted to end things on his own terms. As even before that he was seen talking into that broken radio and was...ever so hungry.

Now his sterile uncle's brother was the crazy conspiracy theorist who actually did VERY well for himself due to his paranoia. However he upped and disappeared due to restricted areas to investigate and was never heard from again. His particular cabin is still around but secretly has a hidden homemade bunker underneath.

The majority of his family is dead. Only other survivors are trapped in the fortified settlements struggling to survive. Even they are few in number. He has an aunt who runs a bar. A big brother who's a gunsmith about to give up on his trade from a lack of supply(not demand). A cousin who's a whore. The only surviving uncle who was a cop. When the bombs fell he stole a suit of riot armor and went full vigilante justice. Rumors are that he is still alive and kicking ass a ranger. He had a surviving aunt who was a nurse...but after heavy rad exposure due to makeshift medical treatment she also changed and left. At least she did so while still seemingly sane. Haven't been seen since. Most died from hazards or wildlife. His previous generation passed away struggling to acquire or running out of supplies. A lot of people died coming up with new meds from new mutated materials. Desperation is a hell of a thing and the old/sick volunteered to trial it themselves and paid the price. Old people really aren't a thing anymore because of it.

The few old people who are still alive are called the Deadmen. They take the most dangerous missions like trips into the ruins to scavenge supplies while fighting through hordes of radioactive regenerating ghouls and other suicidal jobs. It's been twenty years and there are very few of them left today. His uncle used to be one of them. Back when there were more of them they also handled experimental testing but nowadays that is reserved for the sickly.

>>6321518
I thought it was in the realm of 6 months from some of the early votes. If it's 20 years then I guess the kid grew up in the mushroom republic or whatever they call whatever semblence of a polity exists.

Are you aware that mushrooms are not plants?

Damn still no more votes? I thought it would be confirmed by now.

>>6321813
MC is 30. He was 10 years old when the bombs dropped and everything went to hell.

Polity wise the area the MC lives in is technologically regressing. In Fallout game terms it is future tribal lands and in a small community like that a LOT of people still died(especially back before the major mushrooms growths happened that slurped up most of the rads and such). Currently overrun by mushrooms thanks to the lack of sun and cold. In a few more decades that will gradually shift again and plants will become more common.

You still have a few more decades of nuclear winter to go and tech is regressing here. Currently not full blown tribal yet but give it a few more decades and the locals will be.

It was a Mushroom Kingdom joke.

>>6321830
Still a reasonable question and something the mc would know.

Anyway

2 votes for same skill spread
1 vote for genius hill billy
1 vote for tough hill billy

>>6321822
desu it's kind of a mess of votes and discussion and is thus hard to tell what's going on. It's a good problem to have, though!

Worst case scenario, just roll a die about it.

>>6321813
I know Fungi =/= Plantae but just go along with it, ok?

>>6321822
I thought it already had been confirmed, there's been a lot of discussion so I was unsure where exactly we were at. I'll vote for >>6321469. You should put on a name so we can pick your posts out of the chatter, by the way.

Where are we, anyway? Are we in the swamps of the Deep South? The forests of the Appalachians? The mountains of the Rockies? Even somewhere in the True North?

>>6321837
Lower Appalachia. The forests where you lived have been taken over by mushrooms, mutants, and abominations thanks to REDACTED. The swamps and coast aren't THAT far away. Especially if you take a river or creek. Compared to other places you are very fortunate in that food and water aren't a big concern(so long as you don't mind booze, meat, and mushrooms anyway). The rads are also much lower than they should be thanks to afore mentioned mushrooms slurping most of them up. Downside is, besides all the new wildlife trying to kill you, the fog the mushrooms create from their spores. A new...local specialty shall we say. It DOES do wonders at blocking out the rads and other outside hazards though. Too bad it isn't exactly harmless either again thanks to REDACTED.

>>6321835
I just need a tiebreaker for the SPECIAL build. Nobody opposes the skill spread so far. Personally I would suggest specializing the free skill points because mastery and high skill is just SO good at to have but hey if the MC dies there is always next time.

>>6321469

+1

Proceed

>>6321839
Where do you mean by Lower? The southern Appalachians? Or just somewhere in the foothills, which could be anywhere?
The southern Appalachians are still a long way from the sea and there's a lot of dams along the way so I don't think we'll be going there any time soon. Though this early on after the War we should be able to find intact transportation like a car or motorboat or even jack a train or something.

>>6321841
I'll be honest, I'm struggling with the stats. It might be easier to do this in a video game UI but I can't keep track of the numbers and calculations.

>>6321847
Southern Appalachia. Don't forget nuclear winter and nukes in the ocean flooding the ENTIRE goddamn coast in radioactive tsunamis. A LOT of dikes and dams got utterly wrecked because of it. Especially in the south which was already very prone to wetlands. Your people were high enough in the foothills and mountains that they got to avoid the worst of it. The terrain changes are otherwise not small.

>>6321469
Genius Hill Billy wins...at least went you aren't too drunk anyway.

>Cletus Wesson-Smith
>30
>Guns
>Repair
>Survival
>20 Years/Hard
>Deep wilderness

Ancestral Moonshine Distillery+(alcohol produced from this distillery yield is doubled and twice as potent)

Been passed down for generations and all the more effective for it.


Strength 5
Perception 4
Endurance 6
Charisma 4
Intelligence 8
Agility 6
Luck 3

Barter 17
Energy Weapons 12
Explosives 17
Guns(tagged) 46
Lockpick 12
Medicine 25
Melee 24
Repair(tagged) 50
Science 25
Sneak 16
Speach 12
Survival(tagged) 46
Unarmed 16

>Alcoholic
Alcohol withdrawal lasts twice as long, & it takes double the amount of booze to get you drunk as it would normally. While you have any level of blood-alcohol content, you expel rads proportional to that level. Additionally, alcohol increases your Strength, Charisma, & Luck slightly more than usual.

>>6321869
I guess? I'm not familiar with the early postwar period so I'll take your word for it, though I know the Fallout series does visit locations on the East Coast that haven't seen major coastline change aside from a minor rise in sea level.

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>6321869
You are Cletus Wesson Smith. The last attack wiped out the rest of your family except for yourself. It was bad one. Wrecked the entire homestead except for a single cabin and a few pieces of gear you were able to salvage. You just got done burying what remained of your family in the bitter cold snow and shrouded fog. Oh how you miss the trees and sun. Instead you get giant mushrooms and radioactive snow, ash, and that fucking fog. Hard to believe it's been twenty years since the bombs dropped. You were just a boy then. Forced to watch the initial wave of die off from the rads and desperation. Wasn't much food back then. All the water was frozen, radioactive, and encased in ash. Probably why you ended up a drunk, to be honest. Not much else to drink back then. A miracle you still have the brains you got.

Later it all changed. Mushrooms started sprouting everywhere and they just kept on getting bigger and bigger. The few wildlife too...at first there were plenty of bad mutations that helped keep them down but those mutations were swiftly bred out and than the abominations showed up. Those zombie things...not enough rads or population here to be much of a concern. Too bad those abominations didn't care and they had more than enough food. The wildlife while plentiful just keep on getting ever more dangerous and mutated. Your family tried to hold out. Like many others...but how many are even left still alive?

How many still kept their humanity? Those questions have been haunting you every night for years. Your family was one of the 'luckier' ones. Not many...changed. They were more prone to dying instead.

Now though, in this ruined homestead you're the only one left with nothing but a sack of supplies, a few boxes of ammo, your trusted double barrel shotgun, and a varmint rifle(.38). You know of few settlements that are fortified enough to hold out. You could also visit those who DID change...and haven't gone full abomination yet. At least they don't shoot you on sight and love your moonshine. There is also that former national guard armory or prison that got overrun by bandits. Odd thing that I rarely ever see a fucking raider around. No doubt too busy trying not to get eaten by the wildlife like everyone else. There is also that old bunker your crazy uncle set up before he up and vanished. He may have been crazier than a madhatter with a coot but he WAS right after all, but you haven't been that way in a LONG time...and he was far too interested and close to those restricted areas that the Feds set up.

What do?
>Try to fix the homestead
>Head to a settlement
>Visit the raider camps
>Say high to your 'neighbors'
>Head to your uncles secret bunker
>Other?

>>6321878
>Meet the neighbors
Want to suggest we bring some moonshine to trade for supplies, and possibly hire one of the mutants to help us out for a while. A second pair of hands would be a game changer. Construction and crafting is time and attention intensiv, kind of loud at times. Would be nice to have someone watching the treeline while we work so we aren't surprised.

>>6321876
One of the things that bugged me about Fallout it was their complete disregard to how devastating nukes would be detonating off the coast and creating radioactive tsunamis to flood the entire coastline and than some. So that was one of the things that I did change to make more sense. You also had more nukes target specific infrastructure vulnerabilities like dams. As they would be considered strategic targets.

It is worth noting that Fallout nukes adopted a very different approach to their nuke design than real world counterparts. By our standards, they used high yield dirty nukes as their mainline standard nukes and mininukes as well were so standardized/common they became standard issue equipment for even infantry. Much less whatever they had packed inside vehicles or robots. Not to mention how extremely widespread reactors are even mini ones.

Your homeland was unlucky in that thanks to REDACTED the Reds actually did bother to send a couple nukes your way but the whole area was highly isolated for a reason. Plus the nukes they used were the deep strike bunker buster variety not your widespread rad spread carpet bomb variety that they would have used normally. After all they needed to at least try to penetrate those defenses. Hence the distinct lack of BOOM and widespread rads. Plus those weird mushrooms showed up that just LOVE rads. So it wasn't nearly as bad as it should have been...at least until it became clear the mushrooms weren't normal and abominations started showing up in mass.

The locals were already suspicious as fuck before that happened but after? Everyone knew REDACTED was behind it. Somehow. Problem is how are gonna deal with all those rads and defenses?

>>6321881
+1 support this, including bringing the shine with us and seeing about hiring a mutant

>>6321886
Hard to forget how fast, tough, and deadly the swamp people in FO3 were. I know that's a different mix of things like inbreeding and maybe even a bit of lovecraftian magic, but still, I bet our neighbors are pretty handy in a scrap.

>>6321896
Fuckers made me feel like I was in nam even with the winterized power armor and Gauss rifle back in the day

>>6321881
>>6321886
>>6321896
Visiting the mutants it is.

Now most people nowadays deeply distrust if not kill on sight whatever is clearly abnormal and changed. For good reasons, though. You personally knew those people since even before they changed and thanks to your...mutual hobbies you did so after too. Sure some of them became too aggressive, unstable, or went outright abominable but not all of them. Plus they were as stubborn as your family. Refusing to leave their homes to the bitter end and always willing to offer a helping hand back in the day.

So you made sure to grab a whole bunch of moonshine(goddamn could those guys drink). Only people you ever met that could in fact compete with you in a drinking contest come to think of it...still they might look strange and are...definitely a bit TOO aggressive and 'interested' in their kinfolk. Not to say you don't understand fooling around with your cousins(especially when there are literally no other women available) but they really take it to another level. Luckily you know exactly where they live. Like your own family they haven't left their homesteads either. In fact if anything you would swear they have expanded. After all their kids seem...different. Not as fragile or weak assuming they don't have a bad mutation but those offspring...never make it passed childhood anyway. Its why you really gonna watch out for those young grown up mutants. Those are the REALLY dangerous ones.

Older mutants...still remember being human and carry their own share of bad mutations. Something the young ones do not. With those ones even YOU have to careful about. Luckily their elders are still alive but boy do you shudder at the day when the last of them pass on. At that point there really won't be anything holding them back anymore.

Still you remember the way there even if you have a hell of a time now recognizing them. Honestly if it wasn't for sweet Rose the only woman you thought of marrying back in the day...before she changed. She is only one you still recognize due to how...frisky you uh both were. The only woman you had fun with that wasn't fucking cousin. She can still get REAL friendly and there were times you might have....uh drank too much and ended up in the same damn bed every time with a certain Rose beside you.

God you hope that doesn't happen again. I mean, you think it was bad when they are dressed and 'decent' looking. Oh boy you don't ever wanna see what they look like naked and messy. Alas you might have to make some sacrifices besides moonshine...and try not to get too wasted. That never ends well there.


>>6321896
They are not THAT strong. Given it a few more decades and yeah they are gonna be fucking terrorifying. Especially in a century. Right now they haven't reached the critical mass of inbreeding, REDACTED, and still too many negative mutations to weed out. Yet.

>>6321878
>Say high to your 'neighbors'
see if we can get some help to fix the damn house with the promise of some moonshine

>>6321885
The tsunami bomb was a conceptual dead end that was shown to be a very inefficient use of nukes for limited actual effect during the Cold War and doubt their ability to cause permanent major change to the regional geography far inland with just a tsunami but then again this is Fallout and Falloutverse nukes are magic and everybody had far too many of them. So I'll just MST3K it and not question it too much because this is fiction after all.

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>6321908
The trip was surprisingly safe. At least if you ignore the many many warning signs and totems your neighbors leave up. You even caught a glimpse of you think it was Henry...hard to tell. Could have just as easily been George. Probably went up ahead to give the family a heads up. Maybe this time you won't be greeted by shotgun barrels pointed at your face.

Alas fate wasn't with you. At least this time it wasn't in your direction. You heard gunfire, hollars, and screams of men in the distance. You pause thinking of heading over and checking things out...problem is this isn't YOUR land and your neighbors can get mighty touchy and are quite the unstable bunch nowadays. You really don't want to accidentally get mistaken for whatever it is they're busy fighting. Could be other mutants, unlucky travelers, and some particularly stupid raiders.

What do?
>Continue your journey
>Investigate the fighting
>Shout out to your neighbors
>Go back now doesn't seem to be a good time...
>Other?


>>6321909
The biggest source of radioactive tsunami wasn't on purpose but instead the result of semi successful defense systems accidentally knocking them into the sea where they then detonated also Fallout nukes have fucking atrocious safety measures. I wouldn't be surprised if there were entire subs crammed fuel of nukes exploding.

>>6321901
That is why I didn't wait too long to do that DLC. Wait too long and it becomes the hardest end game content.

Rolled 54 (1d100)

You are Bo. Today was supposed to be a good day. Turned out your still normal neighbors managed to survive the assault AND were bringing over moonshine. It was gonna be a great night but alas. Of course some jackass had to ruin it. No matter how hard your family tries somehow they miss EVERY fucking sign stating that this is private property and your family firmly believes in castle doctrine and handling their own business. The trespassers just HAD to show up right when you were about to celebrate with the boys.

At least they were nearby and heard the hollers... then the fucking abominations showed up midfight because of course they did. Goddamn it, today REALLY isn't your day. You really should have listened to that damned witch about today bad luck day and stayed indoors.

>>6321916
>Investigate the fighting

"You ugly cousin fuckers aren't dying yet! I got shine with me

Help the inbred fuckers fend off the monsters

>>6321920
It would help if there were at least 2 votes. That way it doesn't feel like alternatives are being ignored instead of simply outvoted.

>>6321916
>>Investigate the fighting
>>Shout out to your neighbors
"IT'S CLETUS, I BROUGHT SHINE AND I'M COMIN' TO HELP FELLAS!"

>>6322022
I'd, again, recommend shilling your quest in the /QTG/.

>>6308657

>>6322022
You may also want to update slower/wait longer to count votes. QST is an infamously slow board, and you're lucky if you get more then 2 votes in an hour. Only time you'll see a swarm of votes upon updating or soon thereafter is longrunning quests that have a strongly established playerbase; think Sworn to Valor, Seven Against Thebes, and several other quests that I don't follow.

As of now you've got a pretty good audience going for a new quest, just give 'em time to trickle in.

>>6321920
Investigate the fighting, back up the mutants. We are playing hardmode. Let's play like a hard ass.

Rolled 62, 27, 23 = 112 (3d100)

>>6321924
>>6322025
>>6322036
Your neighbors are in trouble and they have offered a helping hand many times. Far more than those damned 'towns' anyway. Even the mutated Folk are far more helpful than them. Far closer too. Knowing they are in trouble and fighting from their hollering. So you hollered right back in response-

"IT'S CLETUS, I BROUGHT SHINE AND I'M COMIN' TO HELP FELLAS!"

That should hopefully keep them from shooting you. If only not to ruin the moonshine. As you charge in you immediately realize just how much of a clusterfuck it's turned into. You that at most they ran into a few abominations, maybe some tough wildlife, or unlucky travelers. Instead its a three brawl between some of the most dangerous abominations you can encounter(see RUN the fuck away), a troop of guys in combat or power armor, and the mutated Folk. Honestly you cannot recall the last time you saw fucking power armor. Not since you were a kid anyway and combat armor? Who the fuck can afford that? Much less find it. Whoever they are definitely not local.

While those abominations...you got a tentacle ball. Extremely tough, strong, and agile. Worst of all is its high speed regeneration. EVERYONE avoids those things. They are faster than you think because of how they can climb and slingshot themselves around. You also see a few Shroom men and some of those grotesque abominations made of what once have been a man or what would happen if you somehow stitched a bunch of different animals together and kept it alive.

Honestly, the fucking tendril orb alone is a huge problem. The damned thing has already managed to successfully got the drop of everyone slamming itself in the middle of the brawl and is dragging people into its mass never to be seen again. That isn't even getting into the power armor. Only good news is the Folk had the foresight to bring explosives and a flamer. You can see one desperate guy with a bucket of dynamite desperately tossing it around wildly. Another with a flamer desperately trying to use the flames to block the assault of the orb towards the mutants.

Maybe if they used all the dynamite and the flamer you MIGHT be able to kill the fucking orb....too bad there are also those fuckers in power armor. One guy in combat armor has a grenade launcher. Everyone else is using laser rifles except for the guys in power armor who have plasma rifles, except for two. One with a missile launcher(currently targeting the orb) and another with a minigun suppressing the Folk.

...This...this is bad. Like REALLY bad. The only good news is you aren't the only reinforcements coming in and it shouldn't be too long before the really big guys or the Chained show up. Honestly though the hard part is going to be surviving that long. Shroom men are tanky sons of bitches but slow. The centaur are big globs of oozing flesh and tearing limbs. The grotesque are so extremely mutated that they cannot even be considered mutants anymore. Strong, fast, and tough but no regen.

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>6322073
Not to mention much smaller than that goddamn mountain of tentacles that are those fucking tendril orbs. With no weak spots, no idea how they see, and they regenerate very fast. Goddamn that thing alone would tear through everyone here. Luckily it's distracted but food and right in the middle of the brawl. Who knows how long that will last though.

The guys in combat armor and power armor. Organized. Already in cover and appear to be trying to do a fighting retreat. At least they understand how bad the abominations are and how all this noise is just gonna draw more of them over. The abominations are caught up in the brawl for a now. The troopers trying to extract their guys from the brawl and run. The Folk for their part are pretty fucking pissed. Trying to prevent their escape and buy time with the abominations for the heavies to show up to deal with it. Probably gonna see the big boys and likely even the chained. Otherwise you don't see how they are gonna be able to solve the problem.

The problem is your 'normal'. The bigger guys...tend to be even more far gone than usual. Well, at least you brought the moonshine as a bribe. That should work.

What do?
>Attack the troops
>Attack the abominations
>Pull out the Folk
>...hm booze and fire....molotov time?
>Other?

>>6322081
Forgot to mention dice rolls are 1d100.

>>6322081
>>Pull out the Folk
>See if we can nab a soldier for interrogation if possible. If not possible, don't risk it.

>>6322081
>...hm booze and fire....molotov time?

>>6322090
+1 to pull out the folk, the odds are way too jacked. If we are super lucky later we might salvage some bits of power armor and jury rig something. For now, save the homies.

>>6322090
>>6322132
Give me some rolls 1d100.

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>6322142
let's try that again

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>6322142

Rollang

>>6322223

B^)

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>6322142
Aight

Rolled 43, 90, 65 = 198 (3d100)

>>6322223
Sorry for the late response. I've had a killer migraine all day. Still I try to force out at least one post.

>94

Lucky the soldiers rolled like shit and your allies had a good roll too.

----
You look down at yourself. Nothing more than some overalls, a leather coat, and shoddy charcoal infused mask to block the bad air. Your biggest gun is your trusty double barrel shotgun...against very tough abominations and what looks like military. Yeah you ain't too fond of your odds you'll admit and briefly thought about sacrificing your moonshine for the cause but that doing that would ruin the point of this trip anyway...

Instead you focus on the fallen. Figuring you knew enough about medicine and had enough healing supplies that you could probably not accidentally kill anyone.

Medicine Skill Check
>25
Pass
Fail
Fail

Gear check(only survival skill meds)
Fail
Pass

Meds are now exhausted and need replenishing. You still have the chem variants though.

Roll 94.

Crawling over you started patching up whoever you could find that wasn't dead yet. You obviously cannot claim to be a proper doc...or have the right meds or first aid kit for that matter but your understanding of homebrewed Survival medicine while slow is still effective. Just not enough to save everyone sadly. Too many dying too fast for it to work in time on them. Alas they could have been saved with the right meds. Meanwhile the others...well you ain't no surgeon. No sir Cletus might be a smart hill billy but he ain't ever went to no medical school...mainly because it was all nuked when you were still a kid but still. So those guys were fucked too. Maybe if you had the proper skills and gear you could have saved them too.

Unexpectedly when you were crawling in the mud, ice, snow, and blood to avoid getting shot. You stumbled upon a fallen soldier that the enemy hadn't had the chance to grab or rescue(fucking power armor troops took to using their dead as meatshields on the way out). It turned out the guy wasn't even dead(yet). At least not beyond saving with what you had anyway. So you patched him up enough for answers...hopefully they don't just kill him or eat him anyway.

Whoever the military types was they pulled out. Even taking their dead with them. Except for the few who got directly munched by the abominations. They just kept on coming and for obvious reasons your allies couldn't afford to keep them pinned there or follow them despite their best efforts. As the abominations kept on coming in and they were always of the kind you REALLY don't wanna run into. At this event, you are doubtful that the Big Bois and chained could handle a mess this big. Even the locals are thinking the same. As they also start inching away and trying to drag off their fallen. Luckily you had already marked out the ones who could still be saved...the rest.

Well at least these abominations aren't known for their cruelty.

Rolled 72, 83 = 155 (2d100)

>>6322540
Sure enough the big bois and even the rattling of chains from the crazed chained showed up, but even their babysitters took one look at the ongoing clusterfuck with steady stream of ever worsening abominations showing up and realized shit was fucked. Even so the big bois with what little wits and humanity left them ignored the dangers and charged in to rescue their family. While the chained insane gibbering twisted wrecks that they are were also set loose in order to buy time and serve as a distraction.

Everyone else(yourself included). Decided it was a great time to run away. Whoever that military group was had the same idea but they were much cleaner and faster about than you all were, despite their unfamiliarity with the terrain and wildlife. Even the guys in power armor ran away damned fast. You never knew they could move that fast. For your part you made sure not to leave behind the soldier you saved...only problem is going to be how to convince your neighbors NOT to kill right away. You know they really aren't going to be in a good mood now. Normally they enjoy a good brawl but a proper ass-kicking and being forced to leave so many behind to get eaten alive by abominations? Not so much.

At least you brought moonshine for the wake...

So unsurprisingly the mood on the way back wasn't good. The looks you were getting for 'saving' an intruder and enemy weren't so great either. Luckily you saw other Folk beat them over the head reminding them who it was that patched up the wounded otherwise there would be even more dead. That shut them up at least. Hopefully the good will lasts but you never know with the Folk these days. Their mental stability...really isn't good. Like much worse than your normal survivor even. Many would even compare them to bandit scum personally you never knew enough bandits actually to know for sure.

Eventually, the wranglers also caught back up with the few charges that somehow managed to stay alive, but you couldn't help but notice how many Big Bois and Chained didn't make it back...

Eventually you saw their homestead. Decorated with far too many bones, totems, and what you really hope isn't leftovers. Walled in with slabs of stone and mostly mushroom lumber at this point. Procession gets welcomed through the gates and this time you didn't even have a gun pointed at you! Immediately the wounded were taken elsewhere and everyone spontaneously prepared for the wake. You meanwhile have a prisoner you somehow have to keep them from murdering in cold blood and STILL need to ask for some help at your own homestead. You handed over the booze over for the wake instead of the party you were hoping for. Oh well far too common an occurrence these days and honestly you cannot remember the last time a funeral or wake was held for just a single person anymore.

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>6322547
Not to mention the prisoner you took...you finally realized that despite the armor plates, trying to stay alive, patching the soldier up, and unusual softness...that wasn't a man baby. Really just your luck but come to think of it it DOES provide you a potentially usuable excuse with the Folk...they might even find it hilarious and take it seriously.

The wake was the usual. You would have enjoyed it a LOT more if you weren't having to babysit the prisoners to keep anything from going wrong but they still brought you a serving of grub and booze. Ones these days you are gonna figure out what kind of spice blend they use on that barbeque so help you god. The booze meanwhile the best unsurprisingly came from the stock you brought with you. At least you got a share. Now though you got to answer some questions from them about the prisoner you took AND somehow get some help with your ruined homestead.

Make sure to choose one from each selection please.

What do?
>Use the favor you got from helping them to work on your homestead
>Exchange booze for labor
>Rely upon familial and neighborly relations to get help
>Offer help for help
>Other?

----
What about the prisoner?
What do?
>Hand over the prisoner(gain a favor)
>Convince them it's for interrogation purposes
>Admit you were looking for a wife...
>See if the prisoner has a good excuse to stay alive
>Other?

>>6322552
>Exchange booze for labor

>Admit you were looking for a wife...

And sell the idea to her by convincing the soldier girl that the inbreds would give her treatment similar to what the Reavers from firefly do to people to her

>>6322552
>Offer help for help
>Convince them it's for interrogation purposes

>>6322552
>Exchange booze for labor
After saving some of their lives, and offering them shine as respect at the wake, if you follow that up by offering MORE shine in return for help, I think we can easily get assistance. Ideally a day of work from the group to build back the homestead, and then one or two guards/buddies/assistants to stick around in return for an ongoing supply of shine to their compound.

>Convince them it's for interrogation
Take the armor, and once we've learned what we can from her, I don't see why we don't just hand her over for more brownie points. We need friends bad. We don't need another mouth to feed.

>>6322552
>Exchange booze for labor
It is our key asset
>Convince them it's for interrogation purposes
Her fate will depend on the answers she gives us

I'm not sure whether to be pleased or concerned at that 97.

>>6322552
>>Exchange booze for labor
>Offer help for help
Help for help with the promise of some 'shine after both the job they do for us, and the one we do for them. I want to keep our relations with the Folk at TIP-TOP shape!

>Convince them it's for interrogation purposes
>Admit you were looking for a wife...
We tell them it's for interrogation, but then 'fold' and 'admit' that we're looking for a wife.

>>6322552
>Favor + Booze
>Interrogation + Wife

Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>6322553
>>6322630
>>6322660
>>6322678
>>6322700
>>6322736
Looks like booze it is(there goes your remaining stash at home).

Looks like Cletus is gonna look forward to sobriety for a while until he can gather enough materials to make more moonshine. Poor Cletus.

Interrogation+wife

Barter Check
17 FAIL(increased cost)

Speech Check
12 FAIL(to be fair this was a high difficulty check)

97+ variables VIPP prisoner no crit so not SPECIAL but damn close
Critical Success

It wasn't hard to convince them to help rebuild your homestead. Sadly you weren't able to bargain down the amount of booze it was gonna cost you though. They were more than willing to help sadly. Things didn't go nearly so well when it came to the prisoner. You tried and failed miserably to convince them to spare the prisoner for interrogation purposes. They wanted blood and out of desperation, you had to blurt out your emergency backup plan about getting(kidnapping) a wife.

There was stunned silence at first...before they all erupted in boisterous roaring laughter. Many of them giving you thumbs up and hard slap(slam) on the back that was gonna be leaving some bruises later...however you cannot fucking believe they actually bought it. Good lord you didn't even realize it was a woman at first under all that armor and gas mask...plus everyone in the neighborhood knew Cletus had far more misgivings about incest and mutant fucking than most. There was a good reason why Cletus was still single at 30 instead of impregnanting some cousins or knocking up a mutant. It honestly worked wonders to convince your case so hard you didn't even HAVE to try. It was considered so convincing by default. The shame. The sheer and utter SHAME. So embarrassing. Good god those fuckers were never going to let you live this down from now on...

Now all you had to do was convince the prisoner to go along with it...

Roll 1d100.

Method of interrogation
>Intelligence
>Perception
>Charisma
>Intimidation
>Diplomatic
>Flirt
>Other?

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>6322844
Intelligence

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>6322844
>Intelligence
Vizzini style battle of wits to learn her secrets

>>6322848
>>6322856
76 VS 85
Intelligence check 8 pass.

Time to take a serious look at the prisoner and see what you can find out. You just saved her life in exchange for embarrassing act that is gonna never be forgotten until you die. Taking a look at her she appeared to be a grunt at first...but her hands and skin gave it away. Along with that glint of intelligence in her icy blue grey eyes. Her hands though weren't rough enough and neither was her skin. However thanks entirely to the gear she was wearing it was impossible to realize there was anything special about her. Even her sex.

>Disguise Check Failed

Taking a look at her belongings. Standard issue laser rifle, combat armor, military gas mask, and combat knife. Her pack wasn't as large as it should have been. Looking inside you can see why. Neatly arranged and packed items that isn't something that belongs in the rump of a soldier's pack. You recognize a number of scientific instruments and tools neatly packed in. Including a pipboy just like the one your crazy uncle had. Standard military issue pipboy...

Intelligence Checked Passed
Repair Check passed.
Science check Failed.

...Actually at another look. This one is different from your uncle's or those Vault advertisements. The modules don't add up and despite the makeover to make it APPEAR like it was standard military pipboy this thing sure as hell isn't. Too bad its locked and encrypted with biometric data but the fact that she didn't dare to carry it on her arm is telling. You cannot decipher what kind it is but you definitely know what it isn't.

Digging deeper in pack you find the motherload. ID and credentials. No dogtag. Pre War ID and Credentials AND some Post War ID and Credentials to some group you never heard of. Claiming classified details, encrypted keys and cards. Taking another look at her...twenties at the latest but her ID...she is a LOT older than she looks and given the conditions, that must mean her modifications are no joke. Not the basic bitch stuff you got as a kid.

Science Check Failed
Repair Check Passed
Intelligence check Passed.

You cannot crack the encryptions or understand the SCIENCE! behind it but you know enough about tinkering and engineering to identify the quirks. A lot of it similar to the stuff you saw with your crazy uncle and what you've seen connected to that REDACTED installation and the military base used to guard it. Considering the location where you found them and the direction they were headed...well no wonder the locals didn't bother chasing them. Everyone who goes there never comes out again. Doesn't matter how well geared or their numbers. That place is the single greatest deathtrap around here.

The rest of her kit was standard. Backup gas mask with spare filters. Rations. Purified water. Medkit. Doctor's bag(cannot be used in combat). Repair kit. Armor maintenance kit. The only thing that stood out was a neatly packaged pristine plasma pistol, still in its box and wrapped.

>>6322906
Well whoever she is, she isn't a fucking nobody or a grunt. Someone important and with the right credentials and skills. Probably part of a remnant of some kind but still has high clearance ID before the bombs. Still usable too considering how clean her biometrics must be. Like she just came out of a fucking bunker or vault or something.

ID
>Name Dr. Kristina Wilhelm
>Age 45

Very pale. Platinum blond hair and icy grey blue eyes. Doesn't even look half her age and that is by pre war standards.

You can feel her glare as he dig through her belongings and notice that she didn't carry any personal items with her. Not even a photo.

"Done rifling through my belongings redneck?" She drawled out in such a well done southern aristocratic accent you couldn't help but be taken back.

Speech check Failed

It became painfully clear VERY quickly between the two of you was better with words. When you were left stumbling or desperately trying to get a word in. She would neatly dissect and destroy any argument you tried to make. Clearly this wasn't working...

Intelligence check passed.

You were just going about it the wrong way. If she can outtalk you so what? The only ever person you ever knew who could outsmart you was that crazy uncle of yours. Rest in peace that crazy but brilliant son of a bitch.

"You know your only still alive thanks to me twice at this considering how badly the locals wanted to kill you," you finally point out.

"Oh yes because getting raped and chained up in the basement like some horror flick involving rednecks and chainsaws is so much better," she admits. "At least though with you...are at least human looking, but I am sure you know very well that I am a very valuable person and they will come looking for me. So how about a trade?"

"With your troop?" You couldn't help erupting in laughter. "They are all dead men going to that place and with how much of a suicide mission it is and how isolated its very obvious even to a 'stupid' redneck like me that you bunch were never meant to return."

"..."

"I'm sure you noticed haven't you? Nobody bothered to leave forming a posse and chase them down. Why is that?" You couldn't help rubbing in.

"Elaborate," she requests.

"You obviously didn't know but all us locals know. Nobody goes into that place and gets out. Doesn't matter how much guys they bring, their gear, or power armor. NOBODY comes out," you state. "There is frankly no other reason why you would be here. We are far too isolated for it to be anything else and you aren't the first bunch to be sent into that deathtrap or going to be the last."

She...was starting to be convinced. She was smart enough to notice the oddity of nobody bothering to chase after them despite their losses.

"That doesn't mean nobody will come for me which I assure you is going to happen," she attempts to intimidate. Too bad for her you got enough brains to see through the bluff. You must admit though she is EXTREMELY convincing.

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>6322914
Alas she might even believe it but you know better. Over the years many have tried to break into that place while some succeeded not one ever made it out. Including your crazy uncle who had been studying that place for so long. Enough time has passed that word would have gotten out and given just how...well prepared this team was they had to have known what they were getting into and yet they came anyway. It was an obvious setup. Somebody didn't want them to know the real situation. So you knew help wasn't going to come and they were all meant to die there like everyone else.

So you explained it. Neatly in such a way that with the shock in eyes even with her concealed emotions on her face. You knew you succeeded and she clearly wasn't expecting someone like 'you' to have the brains to figure out. All too common really...especially when you were sobered up. God you hate being sober. Makes living so much and always being surrounded by a bunch of goddamn idiots is just...

Intelligence Check passed.
Speech check failed.

"If...what you say is true than I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement," she insists. "I do not want myself to...well you know and I would rather like it if my comrades don't end up dead."

"What would I gain from it huh? You intruders are former Feds at best and you trespassed. Killed people. The folks around here really hold a grudge and they hated your kind long before the Bombs ever dropped."

"So this really wasn't due to being that starved for sex? Unbelievable," she grumbled.

"Ahem, as I was saying given your dire circumstances and if you don't want your people to end up dead what do you have to offer?"

"For one thing my failsafe won't go off and you'll get to live," she bluntly stated in all too...chilling manner. "Secondly as I am sure you are aware I have the credentials to gain special access and there is a reason why we DID have to use the overland route...but that isn't the only way in or out of here. While it is true much of the facility is locked down not all of it is."

"Your failsafe?" You couldn't help but inquire.

"Even if there are those who want us dead we aren't without allies you know, besides it's obviously not like we weren't willing to come out here for no reason either. A man of your intelligence is frankly wasted in this shit hole. This state of living you're in...is strictly temporary. The lockdown and countermeasures will only hold for so long, than things are going to get much worse for any of you still alive," she bluntly stated.

"Your only leverage is nothing but hollow threats," you logically pointed out.

"Hollow for now but you know what goodies I am offering are ALL too real. You have seen for yourself what is already leaking out of that place. Even if you wanted to stay here you would still have to take care of the issue eventually or you simply escape. I'll admit you are certainly much more...intelligent than I would have expected, so make the smart choice."

>>6322933
What do?
>Let her go
>Keep her
>Escape with her
>Make contact with her group
>Other?

>>6322936
>Keep her
Explain that you intend to rebuild and fortify the homestead seeing as you already spent all your moonshine on the labor. You're interested in the facility, but you won't go in after her group half cocked, and you have a plan to become an regional power through economic and military might - which begins with moonshine and mutant rednecks.

You are Hillbilly House

If she wants what's in REDACTED she should work with you to do it. Her friends are already dead. Her employers might be a useful player in your design. For now you have to work with what you've got.

Meanwhile among a marching troop.

"Hey uh Sarge we missed one," says a combat engineer checking his pipboy after counting and stripping the bodies.

"What do you mean we missed one? Everyone left behind got eaten by those fucking abominations," responds the Sarge in power armor.

"Apparently not. Someone survived," corrected the engineer.

"So what we go all the way back fighting through those fucking abominations just to rescue some dumbass who got kidnapped by the no doubt cannibalistic, mutated hillbillies?" Asks the Sarge.

"Uh it's the VIP, sir." Reminds the engineer.

"Oh goddamn it...the backup guy will work right? Still has all the clearances." Checked the Sarge.

"Not all of them sir...that guy was the backup for a reason. More like the assistant to the VIP. Not nearly enough to get everything that we need," stated the engineer checking his pipboy records.

"Oh motherfucker...should be some bunkers near the site right? Any reports on their condition?" Inquired the Sarge.

"No, Sir. They all went dark shortly after the entire site went into full lockdown. The deserters that were interrogated reported that the bunkers and the site itself wasn't fully manned and those who remained tried to...contain the situation sir."

"Any nearby? We were supposed to rendezvous at Bunker Delta before entering. We need somewhere closer before we can go in so we can try to find that fucking VIP before she gets eaten."

"Maybe. Might be a few that are closer but all the bunkers were concentrated around the site. Any further away would likely be civilian and unmarked."

"Do we at least have the location of the VIP for extraction?"

"The spores mixed in with the ash and snow have additional interference qualities. We have enough to confirm proof of life but location is...iffy at this range," says the engineering fiddling with his pipboy.

"Argh. Goddamn cannibalistic mutants and eggheads creating all kinds of abominations. Why can't they ever work on something nice and innocent like flowers. Who doesn't like flowers?" mutters the Sarge.

"AAAHH-" screams a soldier getting eaten alive by a mobile man eating flower.

"...God I hate this place. I regret so much not grabbing the flamer instead of the damned minigun," bitterly complains the sarge after realizing he just had to jinx himself.

"We all do sir...we all do," agrees a nearby soldier as they nodded and fought to free the guy currently getting eaten by oversized flower.

>>6322936
>Make contact with her group
Fine, we'll go after them, if only to stop them from getting themselves killed. But if we're too late, we sure ain't going in there after them.

She does have a point though, shit's only going to get worse here in the coming years. We'll have to do something about it if we want to stay here, but what can we even do?
But still, just who are these guys? The Appalachian Enclave self-destructed years ago and the factions further north are all either dead or on their last legs by now. An OC group?

>>6323115
Eh she'll tell you so I'll include an info dump. Keep mind it's obviously biased.

Dr. Kristina Wilhelm was directly recruited from a 'vault'(MC knows the vault part isn't true she is hiding something as her pipboy isn't vault tech standard). As they were in desperate need of eggheads. The remnant in question is in disputes with other remnants over legitimacy and who is actually superior to whom(according to her there are 'several' US presidents and congresses supposedly in operation at the same and obviously none of them agree on who is actually in charge). The dissolved US military command is even more of a clusterfuck. You had several groups who outright degenerated into being raiders and mercs assuming they didn't go completely AWOL and deserted. The better ones killed themselves trying to contain various threats from leaking. According to her this is why you don't have roaming ghoul hordes and how they are still trapped in the cities and another example was the military base in charge of the restricted zones around here. As to what happened to the rest. This was why the military was so rarely seen during emergency relief efforts according to her. It wasn't that they weren't interested but they were powergrabbing or desperately trying to contain threat spread(like ghoul hordes and whatever is leaking out of certain facilities). Those who didn't desert apparently disappeared into the site to try and contain things. Which is why a full lockdown was initiated and maintained to this day. As they tried to contain whatever it is from coming out.

Her group belongs to the Kraken and Dragon. A joint remnant duopoly formed by a Navy Admiral 'The Kraken' and Army General 'The Dragon'. when shit hit the fan. Pieced together from whatever remnants they could gather after the devastating floods in the south. You actually heard of those two and are surprised they are still alive. As in the news they were off fighting in the Pacific with the Dragon being involved in the Gobi Campaign. Thanks to Admiral Kraken he was able to pull out many of the stranded USA military forces using what was left of the Kraken's fleet and returned to the USA...at least what was left of it. However when what was left of the former invasion fleet and army returned...they weren't exactly welcomed. Remnants all insisted that they followed 'them' in particular and join their ranks or considered them traitors. Instead they told them to fuck off and established the two companies.

However they were left in quite the pickle. For very obvious reasons their forces were left in tatters and they had practically no logistics or support personnel left. Not to mention everyone who deserted upon returning home. So the first they did when they left was track down whatever logistics and research facilities they could find to recruit whoever they could. As a result of those actions, they are known not to be as phobic to civilians or controlling as other remnants.

>>6323124
However they absolutely developed a reputation for...'looting' during their supply acquisitions which is something she admits is true. The reason why the Kraken and Dragon ended up in the South was apparently due to issues they encountered with other remnants on both the West and East Coast. The south getting raped by radioactive tsunamies and having all their dykes and dams blown up provided the most fertile ground for them to move in, so that was where they established themselves but not without grabbing whoever wanted to join them(apparently they had stripped and modified cargoships into housing for refugees, which they took with them) and whatever supplies they could loot as well. This resulted in them establishing a few different settlements along the southern coast and even a few Caribbean islands.

As for why they ended up sending troops into the mountains and to your home. According to her they had reports of a massive unclaimed research complex that they were VERY interested in acquiring. At a minimum they were supposed to loot all the data and extract. If possible they were to reinforce and reclaim it. So despite it being deeper inland than they would normally preferred, they sent out a company to investigate.

You have heard of a few rumors from the few passing travelers or deadmen who left for the ruins to scavenge. Kraken and Dragon isn't a group you've heard much of but you remember hearing of them recently from a couple of travelers. According to them a big ass fleet armed to the teeth but looking like they were about to sink at any moment rammed many of their ships aground and setup some fortified bases. Some of those ships were civilian models full of refugees they had apparently picked up along the way.

They were known however being particularly belligerent, especially towards sources of 'authority'(they REALLY hold a grudge apparently over being stranded in enemy territory and left for dead) but weren't known for bullying civilians as much other remnants either. In fact many of their settlements welcomed both outsiders and new refugees...well so long as you didn't belong to certain other remnants. Apparently they deeply despise most of their counterparts. However that wasn't to say they are as 'good' as other groups sacrificing themselves(but didn't ignore refugee ships either) and had been reported to have looted and attacked other groups as well.

As far as you know Dragon and Kraken are newcomers but considering their journey just to return home that isn't a surprise.

>>6323127
According to her as you already noted there are severe internal disputes within the remnant. So far thanks to both the Kraken and Dragon being alive they are able to keep a lid on things so far. She admits that she is a newer recruit of theirs. She wasn't a part of their journey to return home but she had...stories and rumors about it. Deeply stranded surrounded by enemies with no supplies. Forced to fight their way out. Only reason they were able to escape was thanks to the Kraken somehow gathering a remnant fleet together to evacuate as many as they could with whatever...supplies and ships they could 'acquire'. Even than they weren't homefree. You had seas that were covered in radioactive storms and snow. That they had to pass through. In addition they had to resupply and repair somehow...no matter the cost. Yet at the same time they couldn't really bring themselves to ignore civilians and refugees left to just die.

This created a severe crippling internal complex within their ranks. One that sadly only worsened upon their return. As what they got wasn't what they hoped or dreamed for but scorn, despise, and attempted takeovers. The Dragon and Kraken weren't willing to bow down upon their return and beg for resupply. Despite having so many of their men desert them upon returning home, they personally didn't hold it against them. So...they simply 'took' what they needed loaded up on even more refugees and left.

However that doesn't mean their men agreed or had the same thoughts. Apparently this was how she got into trouble. One of the internal factions withheld critical information and that led her into the deathtrap. She admits the internal conflicts are crippling and honestly the only thing still keeping them together is the common 'enemy' and the charisma of the two leaders.

>Captcha says
PWNRX
Uh...guess an ex is to be pwned or something? I'll think on including it somehow its amusing.

>Keep Her
>Lock up all the Weaponry
>Make Radio Contact with her Team (with her help)
>Refit/Modify some Combat Armor to give us a unique look (so as not to get shot at by our neighbors)
>Continue Fixing Up/Fortifying our Homestead

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>6322986
>>6323115
>>6323323
2 votes for keep
2 votes for make contact

Arguably you know this ain't exactly the wisest thing and probably your dick talking to be honest. You decide to keep her and make contact with her group. As you know that REDACTED does need dealt with because year after year more and worst shit keeps on leaking out of that place. You remember a time when mushroom men or those fucking tendril orbs weren't a thing yet. Until one day out of the blue they showed up.

The tricky part was doing so in a decent manner...despite the circumstance without alerting your neighbors to what's up. Turned out she had a very...blunt solution. So before you had a chance to bed down separately from the 'single' bed provided and some totally not suspicious chains and shackles given to you as a 'newlywed gift'. Well...she certainly had an answer and honestly handled it FAR too well.

Non player
>Speech check passed
>Charisma check passed
>Disguise check passed

Player
>Disguise check passed
>Intelligence check passed
>Endurance check passed. Failed.


Stripped down naked(great doll like body despite the healing wounds) and made it very clear that the two of you were about to perform a show. Now you ain't no virgin thank the lord as her idea was certainly traumatizing to any virgin. Honestly it wasn't something you had done either but according to her and you understood it needed to be convincing. Thus you were had...consensual nonconsensual sex with her directing you to make it look far more convincing. Honestly her acting skills were out of this world. If she wasn't actively giving you instructions the ENTIRE time to make it look even more convincing, you yourself would have been utterly convinced.

It did work though. After that your neighbors were 'kind' enough to give you the chains and shackles along with instructions on how to properly use them. You meanwhile tried to ignore the newly inflicted injuries and bruises on her for the sake of the act(which she didn't seem to mind) on top of finally getting your dick wet...just not in the manner you would have at all preferred but you'll admit. At least it wasn't your fucking cousin(at best) or a mutant. She even complimented you saying you were at least good at following directions! Just...hopefully it wouldn't require that sort of shit again. Admitedly definitely learned some new torture and intimidation techniques because damn talk about multipurpose.

You'll admit deep down she is definitely starting to scare you a bit. Just a bit.

>>6323358
No doubt thanks to thinking with your dick after getting a taste of that body(albeit not under better circumstances) you did something mighty stupid thanks to dick think. Agreeing on helping her to make contact with her group. Luckily people still had radios that worked too bad the range sucked ass because of all the nukes and spore fog. Nobody had the gear or tools to make signal boosters. Except for yours, that was broken but your crazy uncle's cabin and bunker still had a working radio that you will need to retrieve at some point. You don't have the parts to fix the one at home(or juryrigging perk).

Player
>Repair checked passed
>Intelligence check passed
>Science check failed

NPC
>Repair checked failed
>Intelligence check passed
>Science check passed

However who would have thought that her pipboy had a signal booster built in? With both your expertise it wasn't hard to modify it to link with your neighbor's radio to send out a signal that according to her should hopefully alert any nearby 'friendlies'. Except you couldn't lead them here but your place instead. Hopefully she was sincere about them not shooting you. Honestly...it was so incredibly refreshing to talk to and work with someone with actual brains. Especially with tits and ass that was hot. Probably just your dick thinking again but...damn man you cannot wait to see what she truly looks like without the injuries ruining the picture.

With the signal sent out. Your neighbors are agreeing to pitch in(and the last of booze about to be exhausted as a direct result). You headed out with your new 'wife' to return home.

NEW COMPANION
Dr. Kristina Wilhelm your 'wife' after taking her as a warbride. She was surprisingly okay with the situation to a frankly disturbing and frightening degree. Has a mysterious past and strong connections to a post war military remnant with mixed reputation.
Tagged skills
>Science
>Speech
>Energy Weapons

Not yet qualified as a SPECIAL character but does qualify to be a companion character making her much stronger and more dangerous than most.

Temporary companion perk(only applicable when in the same party)
Big Stick or No Stick
When diplomacy fails gain a temporary buff in fighting; when fighting fails, gain a temporary buff to diplomacy both cannot apply at the same time

Temporary Buff
Sexy Times(special) Gain +5% Exp and +1 to Intelligence checks for 4 hours(duration increases with improved relations)

>>6323367
This time your trip back was normal. Especially with your neighbors following while carrying tools and raw materials to help out. Upon returning home some went to start chopping trees for more lumber while the rest started to work on repairs. Your homestead frankly was originally meant to hold a much larger group of people but with just you and your new 'wife'...well you had backup plan originally. You were planning to modify the cellars and basements into new living quarters even set up a mushroom farm and surface garden for the goodies you find out there. As trips to gather are honestly quite dangerous. Luckily with just two people its still viable but it won't be long before you start to run out of food too and you already exhausted your supply of survival meds which with the new injuries your 'wife' acquired to put up an amazing act is not good. You woud very much rather avoid using her small stock of prewar meds if possible as that stuff actually works fast unlike the new stuff.

>Intelligence check passed
>Survival check passed
>Repair checked passed

However, with the lack of personnel and the inability to properly monitor the walls, you needed to make some serious modifications. Make it look like it was abandoned so no critters come sniffing around. Yet tough enough to discourage any trouble. You intend to adopt your crazy uncle's approach. Despite being solo, it wasn't the wilds that killed him but his own curiosity. Guy was crazy like that but it wasn't like he was ever proven wrong now was he? God you miss the crazy fuck. The only one in the entire family besides you with an actual brain.

Companions check
Science Passed.
Strength Passed.
Endurance Passed.

Kristina interestingly had much to say about your crude generator at home. Not just how to fix it but rather improve the performance. According to her it would be better to find a large battery or fission battery preferably a building reactor but where? In addition to that she had info about automated defense systems and lighting. Including those that didn't need their own power supply. Even how to set up some hydroponics instead of just a few mushroom beds. Your neighbors meanwhile demolished and made fresh lumber with nothing but their bare hands and a few hand tools. Holy fuck are those guys and tough as hell. They never once stopped swinging those big axes of theirs the entire time cleaving through trees(mushrooms) with ease or moving large rubble around.

You would have liked to set up a few of those new fangled defenses when she surprisingly managed to piece together how to make a few crude ones with junk and broken weapons you had laying around. According to her the power cables could be removed if you ever find a fission battery to hook up to them, reducing power consumption. Luckily you had the skills to actually build the damn things. Over the days while you worked her people have yet to show up.

>>6323373

This is going pretty good so far! Solid base, friendly relations with a strong local faction, companion that compliments our skills and needs.

We gotta figure out how to get some more underlings. We simply lack the stats needed to make it on our own out here. But maybe before that, we dial in food and defenses a bit.

Do we know of anywhere to get a couple of fission batteries, and ideally, a couple of terminals? That and some other scrap ought to be plenty to set up auto-defenses and a good hydroponic system, which we can use to focus on food first, then later, manufacturing better meds.

Do any caravans of any kind come through our area? Becoming a trading hub seems like a good first step towards accumulating both the gear and personnel we would need to visit REDACTED and just generally survive out here...

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>6323373
Which is good, as that meant they hadn't gotten into a fight with your hired help. Even though she was a bit worried now that they already entered REDACTED and couldn't escape or otherwise missed the message that was sent out. You don't know either. With so many years going by and with so few people left, nobody really bothers keeping an active eye on the REDACTED anymore not since your crazy uncle disappeared. So even if you wanted to, you can't ask around to find out.

You meanwhile are stuck. Entirely sober(hell). You desperately need to gather fresh materials from the wilderness but at the same you still could do some work on your homestead. A LOT remains to be done but you can only keep the Folk here as hired help so long as your booze supply held out or you called in a favor. Plus you yourself are desperate for a drink and need the materials and supplies urgently. Not to mention needing to investigate whether or not her people are even still alive.

If they aren't you could get some real goodies from whatever remained...

What do?
>Gathering in the wilderness(survival)
>Keep working on the homestead(repair)
>Investigate her missing team
>Other?

You got lucky those first random encounter rolls while terrible happened in friendly turf so you were guaranteed backup(hence while a clusterfuck the MC got out of it just fine so long as you didn't do anything too stupid). Also the prisoner only had a 20% chance of being female and got an extremely high roll on value. You lucky bastards only way it could be better was a full blown nat crit for a SPECIAL character.

Meanwhile among a certain troop...

"Yo boss we got an encrypted message. Confirmation that the VIP is alive and rescued by a friendly," reports the engineer.

"No shit? How the hell did she get out of there alive?" Asks the Sarge.

"Message was brief due to limited bandwidth and poor connection," admits the engineer. "Good news is it gave us a better direction of coordinates to search around at least."

"Any idea how long?"

"No sir, we just have it zoned out to a specific area but even with the range booster it's gonna take time. The real issue is her rescue was apparently a 'local'."

"A local? No shit? Why the fuck would one of them..."

"No idea we would have to ask when we find them. Does mean we cannot afford to shoot on sight. As apparently, we do have friendlies in the area."

"Strange. I don't recall hearing of anyone friendly towards us this far north..."

>Have her Help Expand the Still
>Ask what we would need for it/increased booze production/speeding up her recovery
>Go out & gather what we need
>Send a Radio Message, with her help, to the Settlements of the Area to setup trade for our booze

>>6323387
>Gather in the wilderness WHILE looking for signs of her group nearby

We are an alcoholic, we will go into withdrawal if we don't stay on top of it

>>6323380
The Folk are strong and will only grow Stronger in time as they increase in number and weed out the bad mutations. Downside is they are gonna grow increasingly hostile and difficult to deal with(countered by the NPC being a local himself to an extent). The only local normal humans though belong to fortified settlements that are becoming tribal due to tech regression and inbreeding.

Only place that might have them(unlikely) are the settlement unless you get really lucky in a scavenging trip in the few ruins around(unless you dare close to REDACTED). As right now the tech regression isn't due to lack of knowledge but lack of materials.

Your homeland is extremely isolated. With very few caravans. There was an initial wave of refugees in the real early days but most of them were driven off by the Folk(the few who stayed settled in the fortified settlements regressing and temporarily staving off the inbreeding problem briefly). A few caravans DO show up and that is because of the peculiar wildlife here. You can even find natural antirad substitutes here, hence why a few bother coming at all but its very dangerous thanks to the wildlife and hostile locals(Folk). Not to mention it's a LONG trip.

What few caravans do dare make the trip only go to the settlements along very specific routes to avoid antagonizing the Folk too much. With many of them are led by former locals themselves who left(which is why the Folk don't treat them TOO badly).

>>6323391
Support!

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>6323391
>>6323418
Your NEED for booze ended up winning.

Roll 1d100 skill check due to no mastery bonus you get a dice pool or rerolls.

My roll is for random encounter.

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>6323443

LMFAO

>>6323446
Dice don't seem to like you guys when it comes to random encounters. At least you rolled good and its a survival roll when is gonna help a lot despite the bad luck as Survival also includes stuff like traps.

-------
First you've been sober for too damned long.
Second you ended up with an icy warbride with a 'past' that isn't the fun kind whom the locals will NOT let you forget.
Third when you finally scrounged the time to gather materials to replenish supplies of course you just HAD to encounter a very angry mutant bear and an abomination of all things that decided to take nests in your favorite gathering spots. At least there was enough traps left around that delayed them long enough for you to run away...but honestly. That just means even MORE work because now you gotta go back and fix all those damned traps too. If it weren't for those traps you would have been really deep shit. Now because you were blocked from your best gathering spots you had to do it the long and hard way. Meaning this trip just got a whole lot longer...

Survival checked passed
Survival check passed
Roll 76.

At least you ended up finding some good stuff. Even a few rarer goodies that can really pack a punch in shine or boost the potency. Hunted, trapped, and gathered food. Some herbs even a few plants. Mostly mushrooms though as usual. You thought everything was finally turning around until you-

>Perception check failed
>Stealth check failed

Suddenly had a gun shoved in your face by a guy in ranger armor.

"What's this? You ain't a mutie are you?" Spoke a loud raspy drawl behind the concealing helmet.

"...This day has been such a shit day," you couldn't help mutter as you raised your arms in the air. "Don't fucking shoot man I'm normal okay? NORMAL!"

"Claims the guy trolloping around in this waste without any kind of proper protection crawling with abominations and mutants?" Points out the ranger.

"...In my defense I haven't changed like the rest of the locals here okay?"

"Right and let me guess just as friendly too?"

"Look I got someone in the nearby settlements who can vouch for me! Hell my Great Uncle Ernie is one of you! The guy who punched out the local sheriff, freed a bunch of innocent people from jail and than broke into the prison to go on a killing spree that guy is a my great uncle I swear! Ask around at any settlement they all know about Cletus and his magical moonshine."

"Who says I'm that kind of ranger moron. I ain't no swamp or mountain ranger," chuckles the raspy drawling voice.

>Intelligence check passed
Looking at his armor...ah fuck that's desert ranger armor. Wait what the fuck is desert ranger doing all the way out here?

"Now since I FINALLY found a fucking local who can actually talk, I have some questions you are gonna answer for me and maybe I won't put a bullet in you."

"Real persuasive ain'tcha?"

"What can I say, there is a reason I ended up in the military and not law enforcement."

Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>6323462
>Speech check failed.

"Now you are going to tell me all you know about a certain restricted area, a troop of soldiers that passed through here recently, and finally a missing person who got kidnapped by your people."

"Uh look man all you need to do is visit a nearby settlement to ask around. Travelers are rarity here and this is the wasteland people go missing all the time."

"Right, you think I hadn't already done that? Sure, people know about a troop but nothing about a kidnapped victim who got freed by a local and most of your 'kind' here aren't exactly chatty. Been hell trying to find them. Figured since those settlements were 'friendly' they were the ones who would have done the rescuing. Turned out nope and these 'Folk' really hate outsiders, so just imagine my frustration trying to find them."

"Uh...you wouldn't happen to be with Dragon and Kraken would you?" You foolishly asked.

*Click*

Ah fuck.

"Sounds like you do know something. I traced the fight to near this area but for obvious reasons, the Folk won't talk and just shoot. Not many of you 'normal' people are left outside the settlements. Now you are gonna tell me exactly who kidnapped, raped, and then rescued the victim. Got it?"

Ah fuck, of course the story already reached town and they heard about it.

What do?
>Tell the whole truth
>Try to explain it was her idea...
>Admit to knowing where she is
>Lie as if your life depends on it
>Other?

>>6323466
>Tell the whole truth

>>6323466
>Be honest(:

I smell a new companion
"No anon he is going to try and shoot you"
Most of my friends were trying to shoot me before they got to know me

Rolled 59, 71 = 130 (2d100)

>>6323468
>>6323497
Your lucky as fuck the random dice roll saved your ass. Consider carefully what your Skills and SPECIAL is like when making choices. Unless you have high lucky in which case relying heavily on Luck becomes disturbing plausible.

----
You spill the whole truth.

>Speech check failed
>Charisma check failed
>Barter check failed

"Well well rapist, kidnapper, and 'rescuer' all in one. Thought you could just make one of ours your baby factory huh?" Mutters the desert ranger as he prepares to shoot you.

"No wait I could show you where she is and can proo-"

"Don't fucking care you inbred kidnapping rapist hillbilly," he interrupts when suddenly ANOTHER gun appears out the bush this time pointed at HIM. In immediate response he quickdraws another to point it at another ranger step out this time dressed in swampy ranger armor attire.

"Now now we still need proof on the victim and killing him will delay our efforts for a rescue, besides she could indeed testify," this time it was a southern drawl instead of Texan one that came out and one that wasn't as raspy but still deep.

"Goddamn swampers don't get involved in our military operations ESPECIALLY when we aren't even in the fucking swamps! For fucks sake the Law isn't even a thing anymore you in denial fools."

"The same could be said of a 'military' or government, regardless Wasteland Justice remains and as its Judge and Executioner I cannot allow you to kill an unarmed man without verifying his crimes then go ahead and blow his brains out but only AFTER we find the victim and her testimony you dare kill him in cold blood without saving the victim and I will blow your brains out as well. Our ' mutual cooperation' be damned," calmly threatens the swamp ranger.

"GODDAMN IT, fucking FINE we will have it your way. THIS time only, swamper. I won't have you getting in the way of our operations AGAIN got it?" Also threatens the desert ranger.

"I did nothing to threaten or inhibit your operation or our cooperation. Keep that in mind 'soldier'," reminds the Swamp Ranger as both lower their guns. After that the Swamper turns towards you. Except this time also raising his gun at you.

"Now lets see how true what you said is and we better get custody of the victim, otherwise he won't be the only one shooting you. Got it?"

...welp so much for a rescue. At least your hired help is gone on the account of the no more booze thing. So with two guns pointed directly at your back you led two rangers all the way back to your homestead. Thank fuck she was still there and alive. Otherwise they absolutely would have executed.

"That her?" Asks the swamp ranger upon seeing her.

"Well I'll be damned Dr. Kristina Wilhelm a sight for your sores," admits the Desert Ranger who still refuses to lower his gun unlike the swamper. "Doc tell me do want me to put a bullet in him?" He asks her. Which makes you panic. Oh please despite everything let her not hate or despise you enough as a hillbilly see you dead.

>>6323535
Is there a way for us to gradually increase some of these skills/attributes? I def agree we aren't impressive in a conversation, honest or otherwise, but sometimes we don't have a way of working Repair or Survival stuff into an exchange yaknow?

Also, QM, I do wanna say I think you're doing great. You are pretty quick to update, and have done good thinking on your feet with these crazy ass dice rolls swinging the pendulum to either end constantly.

Also also, fuck the desert ranger, we gotta onboard this Swamp Ranger.... Have this clear mental image of a helmet that says 'FORGIVE ME MAUXMAUX' with a little two headed gator next to it LMFAO

>>6323535
>Intelligence check passed

"No. Unlike the rest of these inbred mutated idiots he has an actual brain," she admits. Thanks solely to her words that desert ranger finally lowers his gun.

"Really? Him? Seriously? I cannot believe it. The boy back at base are never gonna believe this," he guffawed. "To think all it took to win your cold icy heart was a kidnapping, rescue, and rape session all rolled up in one. Fucking unbelievable."

"Unlike some, I have adjusted to wasteland sensibilities. Besides, have you really forgotten about my family? What would they think hm? I did not lose my honor nor was disgraced. It is only proper that I repay his favor," she icily responds.

"...Damn, you are actually serious, well fuck me," grumbles the desert ranger.

"Well now that your VIP has been recovered, I believe that's it," says the mysterious swamp ranger who turns towards you. "By the way, your Great Uncle Ernie told me to send you his regards if we ever met."

"Wait you KNOW my great uncle? He's even still ALIVE despite being so old," you couldn't help ask slack-jawed and in shock.

"Yeah he's still kicking, last I heard, but he joined up with the Eastern Mountain Rangers of Appalachia. We had a few cases together. Great guy," confirms the swamp ranger nodding.

"Really, where is he then? Nobody has seen him around here in decades," you inquired.

"Unlike this stretch of land which is very...peaceful compared to other places of the wastes. No real need for Rangers and much Wasteland Justice here, so he left for somewhere he WAS needed. Has been doing good work ever since. Saved a lot of people. Planted a lot of scum in the ground."

"I'll be damned...I thought he never returned because of all those people he killed or freed and his crude court at the Prison with that bloodbath. Assuming he was still alive anyway."

"Naw he's fine...different. Changed but stronger than ever."

"Ah...so that is why his old age didn't catch up with them."

"Yeah, no way you would recognize him now," admitted the swamp ranger shaking his head. "Ended up as one of those new fangled 'ghouls'. Kept his wits and mind, though. If you want to find him I would suggest heading north deeper into the mountains. Here...is a weird spot. Not enough 'injustice' for our kind to be needed. If you head further South you'll just run into us swamp rangers instead."

"So wait WHY are you here then," suddenly interrupted Kristina with a question.

>>6323536
>Other
That is what it is for. I might not think of a way but that doesn't mean an anon won't.

>>6323546
"Heh look around you little lady, these 'mushrooms' kept spreading. Started moving right into the swamps and oh boy did they ever go crazy with all that water and rot," bitter mutters the swamp ranger. "At first we didn't take it seriously but...the speed it spread. What it brought with it. That spore laden fog it emits...it became a big problem. So some of us had to investigate and see if we could stop it."

>intelligence check passed
"Wait about the antiradition effects?" You point out.

"Heh. Our rads is largely trapped in the water you see. Mushrooms can't handle that, so we don't get the 'benefits' you guys get," the swamp ranger answers. "Of course we ran into the same problem as every other group that came here. That goddamned deathtrap of its origin point."

"Hm so that is why you agreed to cooperate with Dragon and Kraken," mentioned Kristina.

"Aye, compared to other groups I could mention, at least you people don't go around massacring civilians and did an alright job setting up safe zones. Cannot say I like your kind all that much but honestly the ones we liked most have mostly driven themselves into extinction at this point, doing their duty. So concessions have to be made."

The Desert Ranger meanwhile finished fiddling with his radio as he finally interceded. "Ready to go Doc? We still have the mission ahead of us."

"Change of plans I'm afraid...we didn't get the full intel package that we are supposed to. Tell me you wouldn't happen to have inquired very deeply on our target, did you?"

"Not really. We were in a rush to find you," admits the desert ranger.

"Go back and ask around in the towns. You will soon notice the problem."

"That bad?"

She nods in response.

"Ugh, more walking through all this damn fog and dealing with those backwards locals, figures," sighs the desert ranger as he takes a closer look at your homestead. "I don't think you should be staying here, Doc. Not secure enough. We managed to find and regroup at a bunker. Farther away from the target than planned but it's looking like that is a good thing."

"I believe it's not just bad intel that we are compromised with," she warns.

"...Hm," that makes the desert ranger perk up and alert. "Fucking traitors? How bad?"

"Bad enough to take out an entire company and a VIP as connected as myself," she points out.

"Damn, lucky we had a few 'ghosts' loaned to us to help us infiltrate the facility...but they aren't the internal kind," reminds the desert ranger.

"Normally, I would agree,e but tell me who didn't rendezvous with us?"

"Wait... you're saying that they," began the desert ranger.

"Yes, of course. They knew it was a deathtrap. All they had to do was play dead and then return, blaming us for it. Not just the account of myself, family, or even father would you be such a dear and see it through?" She politely requests in a cold yet gentle tone.

>Speech Check Passed

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>6323561
"Yeah, I'll go with the boys and settle it with them. I don't trust those damned ghosts anyway," agrees the desert ranger barely hesitating long enough to think it through. "Any chance we still got any rats on board?"

"No, except for any robotics or gear. We will have to check them for bugs."

"Alright Doc, your assistant good enough to scrub them clean or no?"

"Ask a ghost. They'll make sure do a better job of it than I can."

"Shit you actually just those fuckers? Plus I didn't know they had a technician."

"Of course, they secretly brought along a technician; otherwise, how would they maintain all their gear?" She points out. "Just tell one of them and they'll make sure. Plus, you should trust them more. They got betrayed and burnt just like all of you did. Until I hear back from a ghost I don't dare show my face lest the traitors find out."

>Charisma check passed
>Speech check passed
>Intelligence check passed
>Science check passed
>Stealth check failed

"Hm...that is problematic for us Doctor Wilhelm. We need to keep you safe and this...place isn't safe," points out the Desert Ranger. "But fine. I'll pass the word on. Grab some boys and claim it's because I've found a solid lead to chase you down on. I'll deal with those fucking traitors alright. Need any survivors for interrogation?"

"Of course, you know the answer to that already. Just make sure they're intact enough to answer questions, don't just leave them half dead. I don't want to waste the meds on them," she kindly reminds him in all too gentle yet somehow chilly tone.

"Fine Doctor Kristina but we need to make sure you're SAFE first. The most I can do is have a team of the first squad with a clean kit come. Otherwise there is just no way. We still NEED access to that facility after all," this time the desert ranger put his foot down

What do?
>Say you have a lead from your crazy uncle who disappeared
>Mention you going to a nearby settlement
>Say there is another much 'safer' stronghold you two could stay at
>Go with him to the bunker
>Other?

>>6323566
>Mention having a lead on your uncle
Do this by recalling some kind of habit or quirk of his regarding equipment repair that they would recognize, to help sell the lie using our Repair, to make it sound convincing. "My uncle always double stitched his leather with a 45 degree cant for durability, he left a message stitched in a bit of armor I had that was eaten by some of the wildlife, you could track them down and cut that armor out of its stomach, waxed leather would take a while to digest." If they knew him, they'll remember the double stitching, and maybe be more inclined to believe? Spitballing!

Rolled 87, 88 = 175 (2d100)

20 years ago...

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

WARNING
2ND REACTOR DESTROYED
WARNING

WARNING
3ND REACTOR MELTDOWN DETECTED
WARNING

WARNING
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO 1ST REACTOR DETECTED
WARNING

WARNING
EXPERIMENTAL REACTOR INSTABILITY DETECTED
WARNING

WARNING
CONTAINMENT BREACH IN BIOLOGICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL DETECTED
WARNING

WARNING
PERIMETER BREACH DETECTED
WARNING

ALERT
IMMEDIATE EVACUATION ADVISED
ALERT

WARNING
CONTAINMENT FAILURE IMMINENT IN SECTOR REDACTED
WARNING

WARNING
MULTIPLE NUCLEAR DETONATIONS DETECTED IN SURFACE MILITARY FACILITY
WARNING

WARNING
UNABLE TO RECONNECT TO NETWORK
WARNING

My God, Captain Henrik, what the fuck is going on in your sector? Why the fuck do we have 3 reactors down?" Screamed Garrison Commander Williams through the radio.

"PSSHT tactical deep strike nuke directly hit the the 2nd reactor and detonated right in the midst of the energy generation sector. Too much damage to 3rd reactor couldn't brick it in time so it went into full meltdown. The engineers are trying to repair the 1st reactor and experimental reactor, but something is wrong. People are losing their fucking minds and rotting than attacking people like insane zombie lunatics but they just don't fucking stay dead unless we blow them into pieces or disintegrate them as they regenerate so goddamn fast. Keep getting back up and meanwhile, we are all dying of radiation sickness. I already activated the security and containment overrides with the chief egghead here but there is a direct leak to the surface and too many breach failures. It's leaking throughout the facility at this rate and my God I don't know how we can block the radiation from escaping from that big ass glowing hole. Is there anyone left on the perimeter or surface who can physically block it?"

"No, they just ate a nuke to the face directly. Entire surface military installation is FUBAR. I'm trying to reach out to the bunkers; they haven't been fully garrisoned yet. That isn't the only breach of the facility. We aren't the only place hit by nukes. The last message received stated many detonations were detected. God knows when we will get reinforcements and a lot of people are trying to desert," muttered the Garrison Commander.

"Any reinforcements at all sir? These things...they just don't die and I'm not sure how long we'll last before the rads kill us all."

"I'm already trying to redirect the garrisons that weren't hit as badly to reinforce the breached zones. The problem is that your area has such extremely high rads only rad hazard units can enter. They didn't exactly bother giving us a lot of suits of power armor," explained the commander.

>>6323660
"...Sir please activate full lockdown for our sector."

"What, no! We cannot afford to lose the entirety of energy generation sector and all inside."

"Too late sir. Just got a new report. Only two reactors are salvageable. They just had to brick the 1st reactor to prevent another meltdown. Only the 4th and experimental reactor are left. We made sure to already seal them. The rest of us...we ain't getting out of this, Commander. Even power armor isn't even to resist this level of radiation. I'm gonna lead the last of us to charge into the breach and set up as much barricades and buffers as we can. We can at least try to reduce the amount of radiation emitted and prevent...whatever these fucking things are from escaping this facility. For as long as we can, Captain Henrik signing off."

WARNING
ENERGY GENERATION SECTOR HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED
WARNING

OVERRIDE ACCEPTED.

FULL LOCKDOWN OF ENERGY GENERATION SECTOR ACCEPTED.

AUTOMATED SECURITY SYSTEMS INITIATED.

UNKNOWN INTRUDERS DETECTED. PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR IDENTIFICATION AND KEEP BIOMETRIC RECEPTION ACTIVE AT ALL TIMES.

AUTOMATIC CONTAINMENT PROCEDURE ACTIVATED.

"...god speed soldiers...god speed and may God have mercy on us all," prays and sighs the garrison commander as he moves onto the next urgent flashing light.

>Settlement Trip with the Wife
I'd rather not let this guy know about our Uncle's bunker, but ideally we can ditch him & go holdup there if need be.

>>6323786
>>6323587
Tiebreaker vote or am I gonna have to roll for it?

>>6323786
Nah I will change my vote (idk if the ID tag will stay the same) to +1 a settlement trip

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>6323786
>>6323935
To town it is. Let me just roll a 1d100 for random events along the way. Such paths are at least kept somewhat safer, as even the Folk need to go to town to resupply and trade.

>>6323936
Average roll. Higher than average safety. Nothing interesting.

>>6323786
There aren't many towns left to be honest. Back just after the bombs dropped even out here a LOT of people died and the uptick remained once the wildlife all mutated and those abominations kept on pouring out. No ghoul troubles though. Not enough rads for their kind thanks to the mushrooms. Even the few bandits around have to struggle against the wildlife too so honestly they don't do as much raiding as you would think.

Most towns ended up dying. With people congregating around a select few, which became heavily fortified. You decided to head to while not the closest one it is the safest because it was built into old fort that used to be a historical site until being refurbished into a settlement. Locals even managed to build a bunker underneath thanks to scavenging some nearby construction sites and the help of deserters who fled REDACTED. So its certainly the safest settlement in the area.

The trip was normal. A few abominations along the road but nothing too nasty so they easily dealt with. Plenty of wildlife but also nothing too dangerous. It helped that both rangers came along. Although they bickered constantly like an old married couple but with much more pointed guns at each other. Honestly reminds you sort of like home with their bickering. Which wifey didn't threaten a man with a shotgun? That's how you know she is a keeper!

Soon you made it to the old fort. Albeit with another set of walls and with the old fort walls being refortified. All heavily patrolled with the gatekeepers being watched by two old prewar vets in old worn out T45 power armor, one with a flamer and another with a minigun. Considering the smell of burnt flesh and the volume of spent cases piled up they have been busy as usual. They were caught by surprise at the two rangers though. Nobody seen their kind around here in a LONG time. Heard about them sure but Rangers simply don't bother with this area given the lack of 'crime'. So they certainly drew a lot of attention.

You didn't even have to get hassled over moonshine before being let in!(good thing too since it's still fermenting so you're out).

Up top you have the surface settlement where those who are less trusted and considered more dangerous stay. So outsiders and mutants mostly. Below in the bunker you will encounter the more normal folk. Being rangers and you being you were let directly into the bunker underneath. Here is arguably the safest place in the entire area which meant the two rangers soon departed. The desert ranger going to 'settle some matters' while the swamp ranger gave you a bottle of whiskey and headed closer towards the REDACTED to scout it out. He did say he'll be in touch while in the area and even provided radio to check in for him.

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>6323939
You nursed that bottle of whiskey and the desert ranger covered the tab at the hotel you were staying at saying you should expect some company at some point soon. Before leaving with a purposeful stride. Honestly you don't like that guy very much...very intense and clearly unstable. Still understands the concept of following orders and can be reasoned with still if your skilled enough, but he's different from the other surviving vets you ran into. Something is burning inside that man and it ain't nothing good. Unlike the good old swamp ranger you like him. Even with his strange fondness for alligator graffiti on his armor and far too justice minded. Honestly someone like that should be long dead by now but alas with his skills...there is a reason why the man is a Ranger. Good guy.

But seeing the hotel room your staying at...and there being only one bed. You couldn't help start to sweat a little and take extra swig of whiskey. Especially with that knowing but teasing smile of hers. For your first time in your life you don't feel so safe. With other girls its easy...but with her...what a difficult woman.

Too bad your fresh out of trade goods(booze). You still have some skins to trade, but that's about it. No way you're giving up on your food supplies with an extra mouth to feed and you need those raw materials to process into meds or booze. You even managed to find some rare good stuff for an extra potent batch. Of course you were in a rush and making it special takes longer, so you haven't used it yet. Eh maybe you could find a job. Always something that needs fixing or shooting. Probably stick with the fixing as your own personal armory is awfully depleted at the moment. You could even take another walk to gather some materials might be tough to find anything nearby though as many others do so too unlike near your home.

What do?
>Get a job
>Trade for supplies(convert into what?)
>Go on a walk(survival)
>Tag along with Dr. Kristina
>Other?

>>6323947
>Job
For a little while, anyways, let's do some repairs and have the wifey do some sciencing for a day or two to get some more supplies, food, and maybe a better gun, before heading back home. I'd say a fission battery, terminal(s), and a better firearm are top priorities.

>Repair Jobs
>Science Jobs
>Medical Jobs
>Ask around for info on other settlements, clans of the folk, bandit gangs, etc.
As for a gun, we should see about getting a .30-06 to punch through abominations & combat armor with steel/AP rounds. If a .300 WinMag is available, even better. At the least, a .308, preferably a battle rifle with a bayonet. A few examples that come to mind:
T48/L1A1/Imbel/SLR/FAL
AR10
G3/CETME
M14/M1A
Remington Woodsmaster

>>6323947
>Get a job

>>6323947
>Get a job
We'll see what we can get and what we can afford with it. Obviously things we're good at.
Should the nature of the Facility really still be withheld from the audience? Shouldn't it be local common knowledge, especially with former personnel kicking about? Does Cletus know?

-----

If we're supposed to have kids to continue the story into the next generation, I do question the wisdom of getting with a 45-year-old, unless she really is as biologically young as she looks. I assume there's timeskips on the cards later.

>>6323971
Maybe that's why she's so eager, ticking clock & all.

>>6323966
Weapon wise so long as it exists roughly within Fallout timeline its a safe bet that it exists. So yeah stuff like FAL, AR, and AKs are available. You also have other stranger weapons which is how you end up with energy weapons and other exotic stuff. It's worth noting that their Fallout military moved away from AR platform and adopted the heavy duty very rugged 10mm pistols/SMGs instead of .45 or 9mm. Combat armor and energy weapons were available to the public so that is a thing too. Really the only thing the public didn't have access to was power armor and even than they were already phasing it in for 'police actions'(via outdated frontline power armors being repurposed) and such. Not to mention exoframes which totally do not count as power armor.

>>6323971
Cletus and everyone else only knows about the surface facility and military base. Everyone knows though that isn't the whole truth but don't know what exactly was hidden underneath. The surface facility kind of got carpet bombed as it was the only obvious military installation while the tactical bunker busting nukes were explicitly targeted the facility underground and the bunkers that were set up around it weren't yet fully completed yet(hence why they were undermanned and construction materials were available).

The base in question was unnamed because it wasn't 'officially' completed yet but everyone went with the codename for it being Snapping Turtle Bastion. As it used to be housed in a valley with a lake.

Cletus can tell she VERY aggressively modded herself out to a frankly extreme degree even by prewar standards. Especially under current conditions, by all rights she shouldn't be in such 'amazing shape'. However he doesn't have the medicine and science skills high enough to figure out exactly what she did to herself. His repair is high enough to know that she did not go the cybernetic route. Its to the point that Cletus has doubts on how exactly 'human' she remains.

>>6323952
>>6323966
>>6323970
>>6323971
Get a job it is.

You are known for your skills with a wrench. You might be able to do the real fancy stuff but your warbride can and you might not be a doctor but you know how to keep someone alive...maybe(survival). Given your lack of firepower you decided to just go with repairs and mechanics. Stuff you're good at and no you WILL NOT be taking the job to work on the stills. Why would you EVER help out the competition and stop asking George. Your swill is shit.

So you spent the new few days helping with repairs and mechanical problems. If it was too fancy that was when Kristina involved. Suffice it to say the terminal network and turrets with automated security got a real nice tuning by the time you were finished. Filters...you need better parts for the air filters. The spore ridden fog here is just way too hard on them. Pipes got fixed. Rust got scraped off. All the while you asked around. Its been a while since you've been here at the biggest settlement in the area.

>Repair check passed
>Repair checked failed
>Science check passed
>Speech check failed
>Speech check passed
>Barter check failed

Biggest news is a trade caravan coming through recently along with sightings of certain remnants in the area and ranger activity has people talking. This has scared the local bandits into keeping a low profile which has boosted trade. The Folk meanwhile are angry about all the tresspassers and have been getting into more fights than usual. However it has distracted them from harassing traders so that also indirectly boosted trade. The traders as usual have come for basic supplies and bring more refined goods from outside. As for other settlements they are doing good if you ignore the inbreeding and tech regression. At least they aren't bringing up your whole 'warbride' thing as much that you may have...sort of kidnapped. Could be worse. Still get weird looks from people but uh...well at least you aren't the talk of the town.

>>6323996
In other words, if you want to knock her up expect some issues to come up with that isn't just age related(extreme augmentation will do that). Should have reconsidered the whole 'warbride' thing especially given her totally not suspicious past lol.

>>6324000
You really want a new gun. Preferably something bigger hopefully you make enough. These past days have been fun at...night. You weren't expecting her to be so okay with sex given the uh history. What you cannot get used to is now with her being healed up is how distinctly unnatural her entire body is. It's one thing to look at it. Easily mistaking it for her being young and getting lucky with some augments but her? Something REALLY ain't fucking right. Experiencing it, you can tell. First time you have seen what extreme augmentation can do to someone. Sure you heard rumors as a kid but seeing it in the flesh is a whole different experience. Honestly you doubt she even CAN have children.

Unfortunately she could tell you were a bit..spooked about it in bed.

"If I didn't know any better I would think you were a virgin what first time experiencing what high end wetware can do?" She calmly asked one night.

"Its uh...different," is all you would admit.

"You know for someone so desperate for children you certainly don't fuck like it," she points out this time pulling out a cigarette she must have traded for to smoke while offering you a bottle of swill(fucking George and his crap still).

"Really? You have any idea how strange that is coming from the woman who was uh...kidnapped and 'raped' to her kidnapper?" You couldn't help but bite back.

>Speech check failed
>Speech check succeeded(hers)

"Just can't wrap your head around it, can you? I can't say I blame you but this IS the wasteland now," she points out with a distinct classy southern drawl shrugging it off. "I could have easily been gangraped by a bunch of mutants and than eaten alive without you. I could easily just walk away...but you clearly don't know about us Wilhelms. The wilhelm family prides itself on its tradition, service, and power. Honor is a big deal among us. Now I may certainly leave but not without dishonoring myself without repaying you. You already made it VERY clear what you want in exchange."

"..."

"Truthfully if I had better prepared, this wouldn't be a problem at all...but alas. Of my sexual reproductive augmentations, I didn't bother investing heavily enough into shielding. Didn't think I would need it. BIG mistake obviously. Yet the others. Preservation. Safety. Filtration. Eugenical. So forth but not that. After the bombs fell...well trying to have children without being completely isolated in some bunker or vault...well let's just say I have no interest in birthing inferior offspring. Not to mention even AFTER I DO give birth how am I supposed to find them a set of augments to handle this new world? Old sets aren't sufficient and depleting rapidly. So somehow I would have to find somebody with the skills, resources, and whom bothered to create the next gen augments but alas...that isn't so easily found," she bitterly finishes. "So if it's just some sex that is easy enough for me to provide in return but children?"

>>6324000
I feel like we got rushed into it a little since we weren't really asked after the initial encounter. I'd rather it have been put to later votes after we'd rescued and interrogated her.

>>6324013
"If I was more coldhearted as they say I am I wouldn't mind obviously. Just consider it easy way to pay off off my gratitude for your services and accept birthing a reject but I...have standards. I will neither shame my family or my own personal lineage with such failures. Hell I was amazed that your genes were as good as they are given the conditions. Basic sure but that can be fixed easily enough."

>Intelligence check passed
Clearly she sneaked a gene sample from you somehow and tested it out. Yet you are still curious about something and cannot help but ask.

"...Just how extreme is your augmentation truly?"

"Oh baby...I did something very naughty when I was but a little girl," she chuckles coldly yet innocently. "I was a child genius with a strong body. I wasn't at all happy how everyone INSISTED that I had to wait until I was grown up to make certain decisions and have certain augmentations done...I wasn't interested in waiting patiently. I truly impatient back then.

...oh no. Oh HELL NO. She...she couldn't have.

"So I took advantage of my genius and familial resources to...handle it myself. Wasn't hard bypassing the security countermeasures. Make the right modifications and personal customization myself. By the time they realized the truth it was already too late! It caused QUITE the huge scandal, but I didn't care it was a WONDERFUL success. Yet people think its wrong when the truth is youth...is the best canvas to paint on. Makes the best clay to mold. The younger...the better. I PROVED it using myself but did they ever think of that? Realize it? No of course not. My own family was deeply horrorified at what I had done. The media went crazy and those pricks even dared to try to prosecute my own parents when they had NOTHING to do with it," she huffed yet still pleased with herself.

...You know who she is now. That diabolical child genius that was all the rage for a time splayed out over all the tabloids. Looking at her face again...you should have realized it. That face. Even with the name change, it has hardly changed.

"So I had to reach out. Step forward and take all the blame and credit for myself. They even tried to send me to juvie...but too bad. My genius was noticed and even appreciated. I had civil service instead and they INSISTED I find a way to undo it...but too bad for them I thought of that. I wasn't about to let all my hard work go to waste. I made sure to make some deals and connections. All got sweeped under the rug and i got invited to SO MANY fun projects. Met delightful brilliant people like myself to work with ever since. Nobody was about to waste a genius of my caliber after all," she proudly admits.

>>6324016
You aren't locked in to her. Plenty of other fish in the sea. Unless you try pulling harem shenanigans then there will be consequences. Sticking your dick in many pussies doesn't count for obvious reasons to prevent GG.

>>6324021
"Just look at this body. Perfection. Customized. Maximized performance. Even managed to optimize its future compatibility with whatever future augments I chose to go with in the future. Personally I wasn't too fond of cybernetics felt like it would waste all my hard work. Kept on tinkering with it even after the bombs dropped although after that it was difficult to find the right resources and it was all about damage control. Fucking radiation and mutagens I swear."

"So...ending up doll like was on purpose?"

"What can I say? I was just a child at the time. Later, I did some modifying but to be honest I didn't really mind that much. Had to redo the whole reproductive setup and make myself less childlike but oh well wasn't too much of a hassle."

"The...side effects for that were so extreme they were banned for a reason right?"

"Due to lesser minds yes," she admits. "A child's mind has issues if its not strong enough. My mind was strong enough and I customized it all myself. They say experience and natural growth should be considered. It's waste of time and unpleasant experiences. Puberty...why the fuck would I to go through something so awful? My own puberty was neatly arranged and perfectly under control. Not to mention quick. Minimal discomfort and side effects."

>Intelligence check passed

"Childhood as its perks you know so too does natural growth," you point out as list out the reasons and speak from your own experience.

"I like smart people and you have a point, but tell me do you really regret having to be surrounded by such IDIOTS and forced to work on greater projects? To not waste your time and effort? To work on something that TRULY matters?" She probes you. Hitting you right in your weakspots.

>Speech check failed
>Charisma check failed

Indeed as a kid...brilliant but well you weren't born in better conditions and the bombs dropped when you were too young. Of course you have regrets but...

"See I can tell. Your eyes don't lie and your face or words cannot fool me. So why just...waste your talents and abilities here hm? Why else would you be so interested in ME and what we are doing here? You have AMBITION and drive. Aren't you ready to...rot away with the masses now, are you?" She sharply points out with precision. "Meanwhile right before you with me...and mine is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change everything. Are you really so willing to just...throw it away?"

You did not sleep well that night and sure enough in the morning company had arrived. You realized she must have known they were going to show up today. An entire team in combat armor who were looking at you sideways and strangely...like you were some kind of fascinating specimen to be observed and enjoy the spectacle.

"Don't get any bright ideas. Is the rest cleanyet?" She asks them when the officer responds with.

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>6324031
"No. Purging of bugs is still ongoing we are just the first to considered clean so here we are Doctor Kristina. Think of us as a...security detail. We'll back you up no matter what doc. This place...something is off about it."

"Right no reinforcements then?"

"Nope. Best we got is some 'allies' like the Swamp Rangers, who have also taken an interest. Things aren't going so well back home," he admits.

"Figures," she sighs. Before pointing towards you. "Cletus here will help us with the locals so I must remind you do NOT get in a shootout with the mutants or other locals. They aren't all as reasonable as this settlement."

"...Really not even the mutants?" Confirms the officer looking towards you.

Your eye couldn't help but twitch in response and answered "They are good folk who just hate outsiders and especially the Feds even before the bombs dropped."

"Really now?" For some reason that last part made them all perk right up. "They hate the government too? How about the military?"

This confused you but you nodded in affirmation.

"I'll be damned...mutants with a mutual enemy. Ain't that something," mutters the officer shaking his head. "You'll need to clear that up with the Captain first for confirmation but we at least will try...not to shoot at them. So long as you keep them from shooting us anyway. We have to keep the doc safe you understand."

You nod in understanding.

What do?
>Meet with this Captain
>Time to introduce them to the 'locals'
>Come to think of it with this kind of backup...you could so some BIG jobs
>Head back home
>Other?

>>6324033
Forgot to mention you made money from the jobs. In this case you were paid in bullion due to high expertise. Cash is considered low value and caps are slowly replacing everything.

Thanks to your skilled labor you got paid a decent amount(would have gotten more with higher barter but alas). So you earned two silver bullion.

>Intelligence check passed
>Perception check failed

She clearly met with someone but who and when? You don't recall noticing anything different.

>>6324016
There will be a vote later whether to stay or break up with her. If you break up with her she'll give you a gift as thanks for saving her. There should be enough hints on what you'll get if you stay with her.

----
Now info dump from MC finally knowing roughly who she is and what she did.

It happened before the MC was born was but later treated as a pariah and nightmarish example so even he heard about it as a kid. There are strict limitations and laws on the augments that children can undergo. Kristina was a proud child genius did not agree with this and broke the law to circumvent it. Undergoing extreme self designed augmentation at a very early age. By the time her family realized what she did, it was too late and when they tried to fix it, the news got leaked and the matter blew up. The law tried to charge them but than the unexpected happened. Kristina HERSELF went to the media and the court to openly speak up as a witness testifying for her family and against herself. After the fiasco, she disappeared from the public eye for years until later emerging. All grown up in intellectual circles as a respected genius researcher from a very early age.

The media portrayed her as the icy, unfeeling, cruel witch and diabolical child genius. From what the MC can tell she impressed some figures with what she did and leveraged her value to suppress the incident and recruited her into certain projects. As for what? Doesn't know yet but she definitely got involved in shady stuff from a very early age and was truly an extreme genius using herself as physical proof and experimental guinea pig.

Obviously, the media portrayal isn't entirely accurate; otherwise why would she have intervened when her family was getting charged? However it is true that the media and public opinion very much disliked her for what she did and continued to support.

>>6324031
I'm not understanding, is she really 45 or are we fucking some kind of synth-child??

>>6324084
She is 45 but modified herself to such an extreme at such an early age she couldn't grow up normally anymore(so think cyborg child). She did it to herself as a child genius. One major update the 2.0 series starting with puberty into adulthood and then 3.0 began after the Bombs due to needing a complete overhaul. She is technically Kristina 3.X as her third edition model was based around having to deal with the wasteland hazards and threats.

That was why she was called a witch and a diabolical genius since being a child. She broke a LOT of laws with such extreme modification while underage and her opinions did not improve as she got older(hence she was very unpopular figure).

So no not a synth child or immature just...well a crazy genius with severe humanity issues. Basically a typical case why you do not use high degree of augmentation on children but she's a genius who took it to an extreme. If it wasn't for her brilliance, they likely would have imprisoned her into a nuthouse for life. As the augmentation she came up with is absurdly high in terms of capacity. Normally you can only withstand so much augments while retaining your humanity/sanity. Somehow she figured out how to 'adjust' that limiter.

Which is why her body is so 'doll-like' and thus easily mistaken for certain gynoid models(especially if she was cybernetic there would have been no hope to tell the difference). Her modification was so extreme that the apparent differences became nearly imperceptible. Think of her as a full conversion cyborg who went with a wetware specialization from a far too young age. This massively skewed her growth and development.

As for her sanity...LMAO Mad SCIENCE! is a thing here. She definitely ain't right in the head and her body isn't actually human. Hasn't been in very long time. Just made to look that away but uncanny valley is a bitch when you take modification to such an extreme. This is why she looks so young and like a doll. Her body is modeled and copied directly from when she was still in her twenties. Most importantly isn't in fact human at all.

Think about it how the fuck did someone go over twenty years just after the bomb dropped without aging a day?

>>6324098
The answer to that is it's not even her original body at all.

>>6324099
Oops, forgot to spoil that. Anyway, she is on her third body.

>>6324033
>Meet with this Captain

Meanwhile a group of heavily armed but out of place desert rangers and guys who actually did fit in heavy assault armor were carefully making their way through the swamp.

"You have to hand it to these fucking traitors. They are really convincing. Making it look like they are the sole survivors with a great story and everything, grumbled one of the rangers after pulling his stuck boot out of the mud.

"That's the point. Take out our entire company and make themselves look great while doing it," muttered the lead ranger. "Don't forget the Doc needs some alive. The sheer balls on these traitors. Maybe we missed them reporting in...should have had something by now."

"That is what the Doc is for she'll get the answers," growled one of the heavy assault soldiers.

Suddenly the radio crackles on all of them.

"Traitors have made contact with the enemy. I repeat traitors have made contact with the enemy. They have apparently reached their rendevous," crackles the radio.

"Bingo. I knew these fucks had to have some kind of handover, finally all this goddamn waiting and following is worth it," mutters the head ranger. "Alright boys make sure to move into position and-"

"Enemy has power armor. I repeat power armor hostiles confirmed."

"Ah fuck...plan B it is then. If only the power armor wasn't so damned loud and wouldn't be easily missed," complains a ranger.

"Yo Sarge Rico can your boys hold of them power armor long enough for us to pick them off?" Asks the lead ranger to the lead assault trooper.

"Yeah. Won't be a problem at all. Nothing that some...rads can't fix heheheh," cackles the clearly deranged officer.

"Good just remember we cannot kill them all and especially need to grab some of those enemies to interrogate too. Not just the traitors," reminds the lead ranger.

"Yeah yeah now let's DO THIS," excitedly whispers the lead assault trooper almost shouting as he raises his heavy machine gun but not without forgetting to swap out the box for AP+ ammo.

-----
"Everything went according to plan?" Asks an enemy officer inquiring to a traitor.

"Yeah everything went perfectly. The rendevous bunker was within the containment zone and everything. No chance of any of them escaping."

"Perfect now your next missi-"

BANG! The next sound was that of power armor toppling over with a single round from an antimaterial rifle through its heavily armored helmet.

"FUCK ENEMY CONTAC-" tries to order the officer before he takes several neatly arranged sniper shots to the torso sending him tumbling down.

Before they had a chance to react sniper rifles and machine guns emerged from the undergrowth. Even the water around them, creating a neatly arranged crossfire and killbox for them all.

"AMBUSH! TAKE DEFENSIVE COUNTERMEASURES. POWER ARMOR TROOPS PREPARE TO MAKE AND LEAD A BREAKTHROUGH POINT OR WE ARE ALL DEAD," shouts an officer in power armor barely getting out of the way of another antimerial rifle round barely getting his helmet clipped and dented.

---

Still no more votes? At least two would be nice. Just going off on doesn't feel very fair...maybe I should add a timer to it. Makes more sense for a popular quest tho.

>>6324407
*off one.

I'm not opposed to meeting with this Captain. What could we possibly convince these guys to go do on our behalf anyway?

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>6324456
>>6324161
>Meet the captain

Hearing from others is one thing but now you want to see the boss man himself and see what is REALLY going on with this Dragon and Kraken. Apparently their Captain finally arrived. So you decide to go see him. Turned out he wasn't even held up in the bunker but near a certain 'grove' known for its massive mushrooms. Overpoweringly so. Locals avoid that are as the spore fog is just too intense. Even the wildlife does too except for the mushroom men. With an entire squad to escort you and Dr. Kristina didn't mind either. So it shouldn't be a bad trip...Hopefully.

You made sure to stock up on booze before leaving, just in case. Not as good as your own moonshine but alas fermenting takes time...from the squad they tell you a little bit about the Captain. Apparently a tough son of a bitch who fought all the way from Anchorage directly to China and the Ghobi desert under the Dragon. They even swear up and down the man survived getting nuked twice and helped the troops return home.

>>6324456
They are babysitting your companion who is following you.

Rolled 8, 91 = 99 (2d100)

>>6324469
...aw man, these random event rolls are really fucking with me this entire goddamn time.

>>6324471
>>6324469
The journey to that forsaken grove turned out to be very eventful. From a particular stupid group of bandits showing up thinking they could rob you(than ran away upon realizing who was shooting at them). Too bad they didn't bother to chase them down. You could have used the loot. To abominations and wildlife, both deciding that getting in the way would be fine but the squad easily wiped them out without problem. Honestly you struggled to even get a couple shots off before it was already over.

What a bunch of fucking killjoys.

Even the mushroom men and growths weren't spared. One guy pulled out a flamer and it was a clean sweep. All the way there to the grove despite the seemingly endless onslaught, NOTHING could stop those guys. After awhile you just gave up and decided to save on the ammo. Fucking hell, you ain't ever seen anyone who could fight like that before in your entire life. It was as if the world didn't want you to reach your destination and dead getting eaten by some abomination in a ditch somewhere but they just couldn't be stopped.

Honestly the grove is breathtaking in a foggy, disturbingly quiet kind of way. Downright impossibly peaceful. No roars. No rustles. No gunshots. Just...calm. With the fog dancing between the gigantic mushrooms. At first you didn't even see who you came to meet. Just some overgrown and abandoned suits of power armor that were getting covered in mycelium a few even spotting a couple tiny mushrooms. Few lumps nearby on the ground near a pool.

>Perception Failed

Than the power armors moved and those lumps stood up. Shaking themselves off revealing figures covered in mycelium and bandages. Perfectly blending in. A loudspeaker suddenly ruined the quiet coming from a badly scorched...no molten now that you see it moving suit of badly used T51 power armor.

"Stand down and return to your...rest," says a burnt smoky voice behind the loudspeaker after raising and lowering its power armored arm. With that the previously moving figures settled back down. Just like the power armor. Unmoving. Disappearing once more in the fog and mycelium.

"A guest...how unexpected but I do owe you a thank you. So thanks for showing up instead of having me track you down, Cletus right?" Echoes the man in armor after turning off his loudspeaker. Much quieter as he welcomes you over with the squad and even doctor respectfully following.

You nod and go over. Sitting on a nearby log as the man who must be the captain simply settles back down peering into the pool and fog swirling around it.

"Not many would risk their neck for a stranger, especially in times like these, even if the means of 'rescue'...was questionable but understandable at the end. No harm no foul as they say," He continues in that burnt smoky voice. "I bet you have many questions, don't you? Thinking too much with your dick too," he mutters under his breath at that last part, much to the scowling of Dr. Kristina which he completely ignores.

>>6324482
"Honestly, good men like you...don't really fit in with men like us," he...sighs deeper than any man should find possible. "Honestly if you were willing I would be more than willing to vouch and introduce you those whom you would find yourself in good company...but you ain't here for that now are you? Not to mention, very few of those guys are still alive. Sacrificed themselves to save others some of them were guilty admittedly but all were redeemed themselves in the end. Not like living deadmen like us fought our ways out of hell just to return to another of our own making and all too unwilling to forgive. To forget. Just for the sake of vengeance. Not sure if our mission will bring us salvation or another ticket to hell."

"So kid...let me tell you truth behind the Dragon and Kraken. Why should you reconsider your relationship with dear Dr. Kristina." With that he exits his power armor. Revealing a man wrapped head to toe in bandages that reeked of rot, preservatives, and medicine. "When the bombs fell...for us they fell twice. Two distinct yet separate barrages from both sides. We were all still fighting and killing each other. They didn't care for friendly fire either way. The lucky ones...died. Vaporized if they were really lucky or slowly from the radiation. We no longer had any logistics you see. Forced to watch them die in agony as their flesh and bones melted away. Screaming in agony and begging for mercy. Those....were the lucky ones as hard as it is believe."

"The rest of us...were betrayed and stranded. On the other side of the world surrounded by the enemy we had just slaughtered and destroyed. We had no logistics. No warning. NOTHING. Only the hope to see a home that no longer existed and burning for revenge against those who betrayed us all so. Against those who destroyed the world...yet most of all we hated ourselves for making it happen. A lesson we all learned too late," he speaks in a detached, smoky calm voice lost to the past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-cWo2-IgMg&list=RD6-cWo2-IgMg&start_radio=1

"The only reason I survived...was because I was in my trusty suit of power armor. Everyone around me was melted or vaporized into ash. We were all too close to the blast epicenter. I was sealed screaming in agony in what I thought was my coffin as I was literally cooked alive in it. I could smell my flesh burn and cook just like pork. I felt the fat and water in body boil away. My very brain baked within my armor. I thought it was the end as my power armor melted aroundnd me and I was cooked alive inside it...but the radiation kept me alive," The captain explained as he pealed off the bandages covering his face. Revealing the face that should have belonged to an insane charred ghoul.

"I was one of the luckier ones, my armor despite melting and trapping me inside it. Protected me from the debris, glass, and sand that flayed everyone else alive. The storms...never stopped while we were there. I only cooked."

>>6324488
"My trusty old power armor...wasn't able to protect me from the rads. So I changed and it kept me alive no matter how much I cooked. Most who changed...weren't able to keep their minds. The never-ending pain. The guilt of what we had wrought. Or good old fashion brain damage. A lot of us survivors lost our minds...but not all. We all either clinged to returning home...or vengeance. Didn't matter to us all at that time the difference."

"So...stranded. No supplies. No reinforcements. No support. Only enemies around us and a new ruined world we made. Our journey was fought with countless horrors. All of which when you got down to it were man made and we were responsible for half of it. Many couldn't handle the guilt. Killed themselves. Many couldn't handle what we needed to do to survive. To travel. So they also killed themselves. whether their own bullet or an enemy."

"Yet no matter how dark it was or our deeds. One day a day I'll NEVER forget, The Dragon stood up and spoke to us all. He pointed to the prisoners of war and the refugees desperately trying to survive. Asked us were we willing? Willing to throw away what was left of our humanity? If we did than what would make us any different from the traitors who betrayed us and destroyed this world? From the very man who led us to avenging our people and home. The very one who led us to slaughter, invade their own home, and destroy them...now asked us that. Do you know what we did?"

"..."

"We spared them...because they are us. Just people trying to live, have a home, and live a good life. You know? Just some poor bastards fooled into slaughteirng each other for others' gains. That is why we were called traitors upon our return BY the traitors. Too bad we realized the truth too late. After that we did our best to save whoever we could as we tried to return home. All the way to the coast where Admiral Kraken had pieced together from the ruins...the very man who ruined it all was now offering salvation. I'll never understand what went into his head when he fired all those nukes. The others who fired the nukes couldn't live with it...but he did."

"Together we all worked together to return home...to see our homes were no more. A welcome as traitors for refusing to continue to fight a war that had already ended. Many...left when that happened. Personally I didnt' blame them. They all thought they could still have families or simply wanted to try and forget. For those of us who remained...we found places to settle the survivors. Telling ourselves it would alleviate our guilt somehow...but proof that our humanity remained. Leaving us with now just a single purpose. A mission...to not just finish off the traitors but to hunt down and kill every single one of those fuckers who ended the world. To bring an end to their 'great game'." He finally finishes as he pulls out a silver cross.

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>6324500
"Truthfully I don't believe even if we succeed any of us is making it to Heaven. We don't deserve it, At least I don't anyway. but you know, we certainly can drag every single last one of those fucks down to hell with us."

"THAT IS WHY DRAGON AND KRAKEN EXISTS," he lets out a roar along with all the other soldiers who quietly waited for his speech to end and join in. "It...is our final oath. Our final mission to complete before our end comes."

>Intelligence check passed

You realized why...the radiation. It was the only thing keeping them alive and when the rads fade away...their end too will arrive. No matter what happens, they are all dead men walking.

"That particular faction within Dragon and Kraken that exists...that is why they are called the Revenants," quietly whispers Kristina in your hear to not interrupt and explain.

"As for why we are here...that's simple kid. That installation contains data we need to find them. Resources that could be useful. The mission is so important that only us Deadmen could be entrusted with it. The newcomers, like the good Doctor Wilhelm simply do not have our...drive. That's the story behind us kid and now you know. As for what you choose...that is up to you. We owe you one after all."

What do?
>Agree to help, but stay independent
>Join their faction
>Walk away(but not without reward)
>Other?

Choose 1
>Stay with Katarina
>Break up with Katarina

I'll admit the Captain is my fave side character so far. Inspiration should be obvious but I was also considered what it would be like to actually go through what he and they went through.

>>6324506
>Agree to help, but stay independent
>Break up with Katarina

Asking as someone who knows Fallout exist has mutans and ghouls and uses bottlecaps for currency but knows nothing else about it what is the inspiration for the captain?

>>6324506
>>Agree to help, but stay independent

>Stay with Katarina

Hol up... let me catch up real quick

>Allied, yet Independent
>Tell the Doc that if we're going to stay married, we need a way to have kids
Siiick faction lore setup

>>6324506
>Agree to help, but stay independent
Sure, we're isolated here so we could use some friends. And suffer not the Enclave to live.
>Break up with Katarina
She's a fascinating individual, but she's also nuttier than squirrel shit with a lot of baggage and it's for the best if we keep this as a fling we can remember happily and perhaps seek a long-term relationship with a more stable individual.

I did always wonder what the fate of ships at sea during the Great War was. Navies set adrift, cargo ships with no ports to call at and passenger liners with no homes to return to. The only ones I recall showing up in canon are a couple of lost Chinese submarines.

>>6324621
The internal faction within Dragon and Kraken and truthfully many members in general of Revenants, are loosely based on Jushua Graham and the Marked Men of the Divide.

Also reference to Point Lookout with the Great Game and inbred mutant hillbillies.

>>6324788
Sadly that is the price to be paid if you want a smart companion in Fallout. The geniuses are fucking lunatics but brilliant.

It also doesn't help your options are limited as fuck given the low population(and lets not even get into the inbreeding or mutants). Honestly population directly affects the availability of viable mates and potential companions. Plus I rolled REALLY well with Kristina. She is bordering on SPECIAL character tier too bad about her uh...mad genius science! stuff. But there is a reason why she was the VIP and not just another grunt.

Truhfully I was considering having to offer a specific mainline quest just to send the MC out to look for a wife or something given the distinct lack of options at home to avoid the incest and mutant fucking.

I did too which was what inspired Admiral Kraken who did a lot of nuking but at the same time decided he wanted to help evacuate those trapped and save civilians who thought fleeing to sea was a good idea. His character is more complex than with General Dragon.

>>6324837
She's just a bit too far up the crazy axis for my liking. I'd rather put effort into finding someone who's less cracked but also less crackers, that's just the tradeoff to make.

We may have to go on a road trip outside the immediate region and see what trouble we can get into.

>>6324621
>>6324690
>>6324777
>>6324788
You know I as wondering how to solve this tiebreaker but one of you pointed out the need to have children in order to stay together as a requirement, which is entirely fair. So its up to Kristina to make an offer and a viable solution to it. Which is a problem she has been considering the past two decades on how to fix.

So here it is.

-----

Dr. Kristina is aware of your requirements and has an offer for them. Specifically with her being oddly cool with the whole warbride thing. Her offer is as such.

She has two viable ways to bear children. One is the research base she operated in before the bombs dropped. Another site with sufficiently advanced biotechnology would allow her to do so as well(the REDACTED zone is confirmed to have a VERY extensive biological wing according to their sources and you also know this is true with the whole wildlife and abominations).

She has been seeking to upgrade her body with enhanced shielding to cover the womb. Still, she has been most worried about the exposure to the wasteland of offspring when the previous allotment of basic augmentations is no longer viable. She has been trying to find a solution to that, which again is partly why she is so keen on hijacking some advanced biotech facilities. As it would enable her to either fix the solution if she cannot find anyone who has already figured it out(basically Enclave Purity Eugenic Scientist tier as an example). She admits that she herself already hosts more adapted augmentations and genetic profiles meant for older people but not children(yet).

As for why not get knocked up before that? Her response is a flat "go impregnate someone else". Kristina only desires the most superior of offspring who will have the best chances of survival. Her 3.0 series already offers many augments adapted to the wasteland. She just needs to figure out children's versions, upgrade some personal shielding, or simply use an advanced biotech facility.

In game terms Children born of Kristina will enjoy free additional SPECIAL points at birth and have the Pure trait. Maximizing compatibility with various old world tech and augments(meaning for example a normal +1 to str mod for a typical wastelander will not be just +1 str for them). As for the normal penalty to wasteland hazards? Why Kristina claims to already have a solution for that.

That is the reward for knocking up a demented genius. Your offspring get free additional SPECIAL stat points from her meddling. An obviously massive buff downside is...well hope you enjoy the SCIENCE!~

>>6324852
CK2 eugenics time. In her case you get bonus SPECIAL stat points to offspring greatly increasing the emergence of awesome stuff like Genius and Strong traits. Downside is SCIENCE!

But yes mates in general offer various bonus and penalties that will be passed onto offspring. If you went with a mutant for example they would lose their Pure trait but gain Mutant along with other modifiers.

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>6324621
>>6324690
>>6324777
>>6324788
Help but stay independent.

Gaining access to advanced biotech facilities. So Kristina states that she will be able to 'soon' provide you with offspring upon gaining access...apparently inside is something she needs.

----
You...decide to stick around. Your mind still isn't quite made up on Kristina yet but you do want to help. At the same time you aren't interested in joining them. Dragon and Kraken clearly have a LOT of grudges. You just want your home back and a family again. Plus your people also need this dealt with sooner rather than later. Everyone already knows year after year new worse abominations keeping showing up. Not to mention the changes in the wildlife. The mushrooms themselves used to be harmless early on than fungal diseases emerged and monsters too...

So far they have scouted three possible entry points into the facility despite the lockdown. Along a hidden rail line apparently it was locked down internally but granted specific entry requirements if 'sufficient' reinforcements were met. Entry would be granted automatically. Another entry point via nuke detonation blew a deep hole into the entire complex. The problem is said nuke apparently hit their power supply and released even more rads. Normal people cannot hope to use this entry...but it IS one hell of a shortcut. The last one is an automated security checkpoint that if you can somehow get passed it will also be granted entry into the facility.

Oddly enough you could have sworn your crazy uncle said there was another way in, but you don't know what it could be...not mention he was obsessed with the place up until his disappearance.

Even with the amount of troops they brought, they apparently do not 'quite' have enough to brute-force the 'reinforcements' requirement to gain direct entry. They thought about waiting longer or seeing who they could drag in to finally meet the number requirements. The revenants meanwhile are planning to utilize the nuclear detonation entry point. Going deep into the facility the problem is the VIP....can't exactly survive the trip even with Rad X and a hazmat suit. Dr. Kristina meanwhile is trying to figure out if she can somehow get close enough to the automated security checkpoint without getting killed and hack directly into it to achieve some kind of bypass.

What do?
>Bring up your crazy uncle
>Rally the locals as reinforcements
>Let the revenants go ahead
>Help Kristina's hack plan
>Other?

>>6324857
I forgot to mention you leveled up. Giving you 1 perk or SPECIAL point and 14 skill points to spend. So vote on that too.

------
Honestly surprised you managed to avoid combat so much and instead gained enough exp in other ways. Was refreshing and did not see it coming. Exactly the way you wanna play on higher difficulties btw. Combat is DEADLY. btw you still gain exp for failed skill checks. Just want to point that out. Doesn't make sense that you cannot learn from your failures.

As for your gift for rescuing Kristina. The Captain says its delivery is on its way, as they didn't exactly bother to bring much else besides supplies and gear.

To point out the obvious this next segment is VERY dangerous. It was meant to be reserved for a high level but oh well. At least you have backup. Think entering late game content at a low level.

>+1 Rizz
>+5 Guns
>+5 Speech
>+4 Repair
>Crazy Uncle!

>>6324859
+1 Agility
+10 guns
+4 repair
>Crazy Uncle

If we are gonna rush into danger, we gotta be more dangerous

Rolled 32, 47 = 79 (2d100)

>>6324868
>>6324871
...Rizz? I think I'm gonna take that as some kind of custom perk vote.|

Skill and perk voting up in the air.

Crazy uncle time it is!
----

Truthfully you have been avoiding the topic of your crazy uncle for a...long long time now. When you a kid, growing up, or hell even as an adult only crazy Uncle Boris truly understood you. He, like you was super smart. Spent time in the military got them to pay for his own college and job training. Did that for decades before leaving for 'redacted reasons'. Your uncle was a special character who had a LOT of fancy toys and everyone thought he was crazy until the bombs dropped and the shit came pouring out of REDACTED, proving he wasn't crazy at all the WHOLE time. Just way ahead of the curve...and of all your relatives. You got along best with him. Hell after your parents died, not longer after the bombs dropped, you secretly hoped he would adopt you. Instead it was your other uncle and his wife because nobody trusted good old crazy Uncle Boris and his robot waifu to raise you right. Still he made sure to visit you regularly and taught you all kinds of things that nobody in school ever dared to...and after the bombs dropped it was only Uncle Boris and books to keep you learning.

One day, when you were old enough...grown up. He vanished. Looking back on it, you knew it was because he was waiting for you to be old enough to fend for yourself first before he did whatever he had to do. After that you never had the heart to visit his lonely cabin in the woods and its hidden bunker. Too many painful memories to be honest. To this day you never learned what happened to him but deep down you know where he went because of what stuff he would mention occasionally, his obsession, and bits of plans he left laying around that you glimpsed. So secretly-

>Intelligence checked passed

He HAD to have found another way in. Have info that right now...meant you could no longer avoid the topic. So you finally brought up your crazy uncle and what he knew.

After that you were immediately sent to guide the way to his lonely cabin. This time even the Captain came with and other power armored troops. Apparently they were desperate for solutions and info. His cabin due to his interest was located WAY too close to that REDACTED installation and military base. To such an extent a big reason you couldn't come later even if you wanted to was it simply became far too dangerous. With the company you were able to fight your way through the abominations that kept getting in the way. It was still an utter slog even for the guys in power armor...eventually you saw it.

His lonely cabin. Surroundeaded by automated security system and traps galore. Even still being patrolled by a few robots after all this time. Although you could see a few wrecked robots carefully placed in his tool shed for repairs...that never came again.

>>6324881
Except for it falling into a bit of disrepair, you couldn't help but be impressed at how pristine it was still. Like just went on another one of his 'expeditions' and didn't return yet to do maintenance. Except this time he never came back. Luckily the entire security system identifies you as a friendly but your friends...well you just need to access the main terminal and be able to change that. Knowing the way you avoided all the traps. Meant for both man, beast, and abomination.

You even saw that same old Mr. Handy Wattzworth still doing yard work and fixing the traps as usual. Approaching the cabin door...you couldn't help but take a deep breath before opening it. Inside nothing change. Not even that, totally not a assaultron modified into also being a sexbot. Your uncle's 'waifu' whatever the fuck that meant but you knew that robot was far smarter than any other robot you ever encountered. Modified and customized to all hell that is for sure.

"Welcome back Cletus! I'm sorry Boris isn't in right now but you know you can treat this place like home," welcomed your uncle's waifu. "I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you upon his return!"

"...Hi Mary, nice to you so too," you choke back knowing...he isn't ever coming back.

"Oh you and don't forget to welcome your friends in too! Been so long since we last had company," she points out. "Don't worry I already adjusted the targeting perimeters they are find so long as they don't create too big a mess! She cheerily bustles about in the kitchen pulling out refreshments.

"...well okay then," damn that robot is WAY too fucking smart. How did your uncle ever do it? "Say my uncle said he left something for me when I was older? About uh...what he was doing?"

"Oh that? I cannot believe I forgot it! Must be too excited from finally having some guests, the neighbors are just far too rowdy a bunch, so rude," she poutly speaks. "He left the key on the hanger to the basement for you! Don't take too long now. That would be rude to our guests!" She kindly reminds you as she works away.

After waving the rest of them in. You went downstairs and found the key. Which opened the one room in the house you weren't allowed into. His office. There you find books, papers, and a single terminal with a letter resting on top of it.

Opening it...you saw it was a goodbye letter for you.

>>6324889
Dear Cletus,

If your reading this then that means I never made it back. For that I am sorry but I couldn't keep waiting. The more time the passed the worse the problem would become. I know you were ready when I went and frankly I didn't want you to follow me. Preferably I alone would be enough to fix the issue but if not...well if you are unable to go and solve it I suggest providing what I left in the safe for someone else who can instead.

Inside the safe is ID credentials I liberated while I was inside the facility. Yes that's right, I had a way in. Keep in mind the credentials are basic and anyone can use them but many restricted and lockdown areas require additional credentials to access. Luckily for you I found out how to gain those upgraded credentials while I was exploring inside. There are two ways to gain improved access technically there is a third but that is limited to having to come from RnD heads and can only be applied in the now lockdown areas. Firstly in Human Resources department you can gain improved access however it DOESN'T allow you to get past the lockdown. The only way to do that is the Head of Security has the right to issue you an ID allowing you to bypass the lockdown. Keep in mind the new IDs can ONLY work on that specific individual. If you think you can swap it around there will be a major security threat issued to deal with you as a spy. This is why I couldn't leave behind my own credentials for you to use instead.

Once you are inside. There are three major threats that must be dealt with in order for the lockdown to be lifted and our home saved. Everyone knows about the horrors coming from the biological wing but that isn't the biggest problem. You also need to deal with the Energy Sector first. IGNORE the biological wing unil than...or the even bigger problem. Its not just limited to power reactors and previously a big part why everything went wrong because there simply wasn't enough power left to run everything. Including defensive countermeasures and failsafe. If you can bring it back online you can choose to directly liquidate the other two troublesome areas...or at least try. I don't know if it will still prove wholly effective by the time you get this, as the problem worsens. Hopefully it should at least cripple it and make everything MUCH easier to handle.

After that you want to focus on the biological wing. This is currently what affects the outside world the most and once the energy sector is handled that will also handle the radiation leak issue. So don't worry too much about that...just avoid the generator sector at all costs. ESPECIALLY the experimental reactor. Whatever you do do NOT get close to that thing until you resolve the third and final, arguably the greatest issue.

>>6324893
With the main power back online many security countermeasures will be available. However under no circumstance should you enter the biological wing without strong biohazard safety gear equipped. Otherwise anything exposed WILL uncontrollably mutate. I don't know what the fuck they were working on but exactly but it leaked like crazy and was some very potent mutagen agents being used. In theory something that already has mutated should be okay...otherwise we wouldn't see so much abomination activity and other wildlife crawling all over the place. Once inside you need to find whatever is blocking the countermeasures, security systems, and even failsafe ports to remove those blockages. After that GTFO and activate the failsafe. Once it completes you should be able to enter and sweep up whatever is left. Just whatever you happens NEVER let your biohazard safety gear get compromised or think you can handle the shit that is in there without the failsafe. You have no idea the kind of horrors that are still trapped inside. So be very careful and remove those blockages ASAP than GTFO.

Lastly and definitely the biggest problem. They were working on something...deeply disturbing deeper within the facility. Something happened. I'm not too clear on what exactly. It is whole reason why I left this time after all and didn't make it back was because I needed to find out. Obviousy that didn't work out for me too well but even for me the information on that sector is too CLASSIFIED for me to get access even with all the credentials I could find I still couldn't crack it and figure out what went wrong exactly. What I do know is that they were experimenting with 'anomalies' that occur when at extremely high concentrations of energy or radiation and certain physics experiments like teleportation and portals. That is why you need to stay the fuck away from the experimental reactor. It's deeply involved in those experiments and was... affected somehow.

Hopefully with the security lockdown lifted and access to full power. You can reach the mainframe and HQ to figure out how to deal with it. I would obviously still suggest using the whatever failsafe they have to help deal with the situation before going in yourself first.

Anyway sorry for not being there to say goodbye personally. I didn't want to set a bad omen but obviously that didn't matter...

PS Tell Mary I'm sorry and ain't coming back this time

PPS I left a special holotape in this letter for my terminal to gain access to a hidden mainframe and secret bunker section that was hidden. Inside you can remove the limiters I put on Mary and take her with you. Trust me, you'll need her help. I would suggest using her sentry chassis because this facility is shockingly roomy. I couldn't bring myself to risk her life after all we went through...and I'll know you'll soon discover what she really is but just know I always did love her and couldn't bear to lose her that is why I did what I did.

>>6324896
You take out the holotape and plug it into the terminal.

Inside you see recordings. Specs on an experiments and a document titled 'Saving Mary'. As well as an OVERRIDE option which you press. Even from here you could feel the ground shudder as 'something' opened up in the secret bunker. You also couldn't help but check what this document was about.

What you found was a mixture of a journal and notes from Boris back before he lost his job and clearances. Boris apparently fell in love with a woman named Mary who served in black ops. The two were having a workplace romance despite working in different departments. Boris would modify, customize, and repair her gear for her while Mary would bring back interesting bits of tech, research, and experimental materials she 'found'. One day thanks to her vouching for him he was brought in as a field technician and combat engineer where he did surprisingly well for himself. Until...that day came. The mission was a failure and despite their best efforts while recovering her body encased in her ruin powered armor Mary was labeled KIA due to catastrophic organ and brain damage. Boris blamed himself for not spending more time on medicine learning. WHen they planned to deal with her body Boris...secretly took a robobrain tank and extracted her brain. Despite the crippling damage Boris...had a plan. A crazy idea to save her. Boris had worked on robobrains before and he knew an awful lot of robotics including some experimental technology still under development. Hell he even worked on several of those related projects.

While it was true her brain wasn't intact enough to even be a robobrain or recovered via traditional cybernetics...that was only if they ignored a certain application of AI development. So Boris reached and did some experimenting. One day he was discovered however and refused to give up all his experimental materials(aka Mary's brain) and was kicked off with disgrace from the military. However he didn't stop his research and eventually finished his research project but labeled the now 'saved' Mary as a 'waifu' he bought from some sexbot manufacturers so nobody would notice.

However despite his best efforts...Mary changed. In order to help keep her stable he had to restrict many applications and memory recall functions. Mary...wasn't just a robobrain or even a cyborg. She was something much much more. Partial digitalization with reprogramming of the crippled/missing brain segments and hybridized with with a mini AI module using cloned brain tissues and robobrain modified programs. This was Boris's Magnum Opus and his masterpiece Mary...which he never dared to reveal to the world.

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>6324904
...That was a lot take in. You heard that Boris had a lover once and her passing was something she never got over so much so he got a sexbot instead. But you had no idea that his 'sexbot' wasn't just some kinky replacement but truly her...or what was left of her.

Inside that document you saw the LIMITERS that were placed inside that Boris asked you to remove. Which you did. Before getting up and heading to his secret bunker. You had been in there before but not the hidden section he apparently somehow managed to hide away.

Inside...you saw an entire research lab, robotics facility with FULL of heavily modified robotics including a sentry bot. Along with the mainframe upon which rested Mary's brain...or what was left of it. It was heavily overgrown with artificial modules, covered in scars, and you could clearly see where the cloned brain tissue was implanted. Honestly you cannot wrap your head around just 'how' your uncle revived what should have been a very dead woman but he somehow did.

Gained companion Mary former black ops operative, revived into a robotic monstrosity after her death in combat thanks to her lover Boris.

Temporary Companion Perk gained
Mayhem: Increased explosive radius with explosives or damage on non-explosive weapons

Personal Companion Perk
Massacre: For every enemy slain, excess damage on death is transferred to the next available target.

Mary has the following Chassis available(choose 1)

>Senty Bot
>Assaultron
>Robobrain

While you were still looking around. You suddenly heard screams of abominations and gunfire. Of course they just had to interrupt before you were finished, but come to think of it doesn't this allow you to test some stuff out?

What do?
>Unleash Mary
>See what your uncle left in his locker...
>Just let them handle it
>Join in the fun
>Other?

>>6324906
>Assaultron
My head's still spinning a bit on what exactly he's done here. I understand it as he's spliced what's left of his gf's brain with an AI to fill in the gaps and stuffed it into a robutt?
Anyway, I'll go Assaultron for a more physically flexible combat platform
>See what your uncle left in his locker...
picrel

Also, I'll break the tie about Kristina by withdrawing my Nay vote. She's got a few major screws loose but that means never a dull day in the end I suppose. That and the siren call of eugenics.

>>6324934
Pretty much you understand what he did with Mary. There wasn't enough to turn into a cyborg or mindwipe into a robobrain. So he fuck it and figured out how to hybridize with an AI to restore her 'functionality', obviously this didn't...work out too great. It's a true testament to both his skill and craziness that he somehow got it to work.

IF you had a higher science, you would understand better what he did. A high medicine check would have let you understand the side effects and why he was so regretful about not knowing more. Katarina would understand more of the science behind it but not much robotics(her forte is more programming than mechanicals unlike the MC with his repair) and medical issues. MC has enough repair to notice how heavily modified the robotics he used are and how the blueprint is put together.

As for Katarina...yeah there is a side effect when it comes to the science! The brilliant scientists are notably lacking in the sanity department but in exchange they can really pull off some crazy ass shit.

Just wait until you see what she can do with the proper tools and facilities. Much less the proper support involved.

Its worth noting that compared to her more...unhinged counterparts(admittedly she hasn't had centuries to really go nuts yet). Katarina can into the concept of proper socialization(in fact its a Tagged skill for her so she is REALLY good at it) and has some modicum of propriety. Arguably this can easily make her much more dangerous than them. After all they would struggle to find backing, support, funding, and resources for their projects when with her this was simply never a concern. It is also the same exact factor that made Mr. House such a uniquely dangerous man it wasn't his intellect that made him so superior and dangerous but his ability to socialize and charisma on top of that brilliance. That is why, despite her apparently unhinged nature, she has more in common with House than any other notable comparisons.

The downside is though she cannot 'quite' compare to the insane sciences they can unleash as her Tag Skills helps her keep her alive(energy weapons) and grounded(speech). If she were a pure science! Build like if she had also tagged Repair and Medicine instead holy shit the horrors and wonders someone like that could unleash. Thus making her a more 'sane' and easier to handle model of Science! mate. The others you could find like that would likely be far more mentally unstable than her.

>>6324906
>Senty Bot
>See what your uncle left in his locker...

I don't know how they would react to Mary or what uncle did to save her so let's keep her hidden

>>6324934
>>6325081
So waifu confirmed is Dr. Katarina...hope you enjoy science!
1 vote for Assaultron
1 vote sentry bot

2 votes for what's in the locker?

---
You heard the gunfire and shrieks of abomination coming from above...but alas the mysteries of the locker(box) called you forth. Plus you knew they could handle it. Its not like your missing anything cool or anything.

Opening the box you see a locked box with a name Merry Mayhem on it. After that you saw an military engineer's uniform, fatigues, and an unusually designed labcoat. That didn't draw your eyes though. What did was the rack of heavily modified guns and a unique modified suit of

>Boris's Black Ops Technician Combat Armor
+10 Repair
+10 Science
+5 Medicine
+5 Stealth
+5 Guns
+300 Radiation Resistance
+50 Energy Resistance
+50 Fire Resistance
+50 Explosive Resistance
+50 Chemical Resistance
DR 20
DT 23
Full suit of body and facial armor total coverage.

Just to warn you, the armor is UNIQUE and cannot be repaired with normal means or materials(no so scrapping combat or even riot armor thinking it can will do the job it won't).

Neatly packaged still. Its wiring and seals are all intact, meaning it's still environmentally sound and can autoinject chems and night vision built in. Pristine despite heavy use. With a sigil that you frankly don't recognize. Next to you see some memorabilia and keepsakes. Knick knacks, including a portion measured out specifically for the Commie gear including a missing spot containing some kind of suit and gun stand that was missing. Oddly a Dragoon Sword was still neatly placed on a holder before it. You examined the blade, recognizing it was no normal sword.

>Crimson Ghost's Sword of Massacre
Unique
Bonus bleed and stealth damage. Deals additional sanity damage on hit.

With the following heavily modified
>Hunting Rifle
>Combat Shotgun
>10mm Pistol
>Hunting Revolver

Not to mention boxes of Boris's SPECIALLY HANDLOAD munitions in various calibers. These ones in the crate were marked differently from the rest of the armory.

Meanwhile on the surface while Cletus was enjoying going through his mystery box...

"WHAT KIND OF FUCKING ASSAULTRON MODEL IS THAT," screams a guy in power armor as he barely ducks just in time to dodge a head laser of doom that swept through the area.

>>6325100
While a modified Assaultron wearing an apron LEAPED from enemy to enemy crackling blades infused with plasma sheering right through them no matter the armor or mass in its way. Even flying around with its head laser melting through abominations into ash. Meanwhile a few other combat robots plodded out and joined in the attack but were completely eclipsed by an extremely pissed off Assaultron who finally had guests come visit in over a decade...

"Uh Captain why aren't you doing anything," asks Dr. Katarina while sipping some iced tea.

The man in exited his on the porch sat in the guest room didn't even bother glancing up as he savored a slice of pie. "No need. The automated security systems are enough."

"...But your men are also fighting," she reminds immensely enjoying her tea.

"Ah let them have their fun. Get it out of their system. Besides not like they could stop that Assaultron if they tried.

INTRUDERS DETECTED Suddenly shouted a sentry bot as it rolls out from the garage.

"...You SURE you don't want to do anything?" She checks peering at the totally not suspiciously modified sentry bot.

"Nah they got it covered," he says leaning back in the chair and patting his belly. "Damn good pie. I haven't had something that good in decades. Surprised you haven't given into your curiosity and went downstairs yet."

"Eh...I'm enjoying the robotics too much," she admits shrugging. "More my brother's thing but I know enough to enjoy and notice the details."

"Any idea about that Assaultron? I thought it was a dominator at first."

"Jet enhanced legs with Handy stabilizers to maintain balance. Not enough to make it fly or hover but definitely enough for insane leaps. Armor was modified. Hands were placed with android model but secret stealth powered blades were hidden but not sure how the plasma infusion works or the modified headlaser. Packs too much punch for too long. Not to mention that Assaultron is too smart," she says. "I'll need to take a closer look but don't expect much, I'm not my brother. He's the robotics expert."

"So its maker?" He further inquired.

"Brilliant. Amazed such modifications didn't make it to the battlefield. Assaultrons were already terrifying as it is in CQC, but imagine the damned things leaping right on top of you. They would make any urban warfare units, ambushes, or black ops team wet dream come true," she points out.

"Exactly this Boris...I think I might recognize the name now," the Captain mutters. "At first I didn't think it would be him...but seeing those robots? Definitely that guy's style."

"Really? Who was he?"

>>6325107
"No surprise you haven't heard of him. Besides being an egghead, he was also a battle fanatic. So he wasn't in the same kind of circles as you were. A lot of his work got REDACTED and placed into Black Ops. Too good for the frontline, apparently. He bounced around a bit between projects before falling into Black Ops as a technical specialist. Apparently got snapped in some project codename Merry Massacre before being dishonorably discharged. Many of us were taking bets on just how many warcrimes he committed for THAT to happen."

"Dishonorably Discharged? How?"

"Nobody knew. Official report claimed it was due to an unsanctioned research project and withholding of data important to national security but everyone knew that was bullshit. Dear old Boris was a scary fella with a lot of even scarier friends. You don't lurk in those kinds of circles without 'connections'. Boris though he was a techie who knew how to sneak AND fight. That kind of talent should have been untouchable. So weird thing that he got discharged just like that," muttered the Captain enjoying himself with another slice of pie. "Especially afterwards. The man just vanished. Didn't even get snapped up by some clandestine think tank or unofficial black ops group."

"You sure? It sounds like it might have been involved in that installation."

"If he was, he was in somewhere VERY deep and extremely dark," shrugs The Captain. "Look at this place...maybe he just wanted to retire? Who knows. Not like he is alive to tell us."

KABOOM!

"You say someone who had access to a fucking sentry bot was 'retired'?" She mutters under her breath but alas he heard it.

"Boris had the kind of connections that if you went sniffing around you would 'vanish' and never be heard from again. There is a reason why nobody went looking for him afterward. We knew his discharge was bullshit and he had scary friends."

"Not your circle huh?"

"No," the Captain shakes his head. "I was more frontline. Not doing the shady shit Boris was up to later. I knew of him earlier on back before he went full spook."

"I think I'm gonna go look for Cletus," stands up the doctor.

"Jeeze worse than fucking teenaged rabbits. At least remember we are supposed to be on the job," waves off the Captain.

"You...you," she sputters. "NOT like that damn it."

"Right...as if I am gonna believe the 'warbride' and her newest boytoy," he chuckles.

"Oh shut up I'm not THAT unprofessional damn it," she complains as she stomps away.

"Tell me again whose fucking the local assset and guide?" He teases her enjoying yet ANOTHER slice of pie.

"NOT LISTENING ANYMORE!"

"Ah...see what happens when you fuck around with the human body thinking you can outsmart god?" complains the Captain to a seemingly empty spot that suddenly took up a cup of tea and sipped it.

"Maybe she is curious?" Suddenly, a voice speaks from nowhere.

"If that were true, she would have just used the terminal instead of finding him." Captain points out.

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>6325111
"Found anything yet?" Asks the Captain.

"Office. Hidden Bunker. No lies. Lots of usable information about the facility. Research is limited either redacted or encrypted. We suspect this wasn't his actual research base."

"Oh, so he really was an insider?"

"Likely."

"Does Cletus have access?"

"Extensive. Deceased protocols granted him much access. Automated Systems states him as heir."

"What a coincidence. Now I am REALLY curious about that facility," speaks the Captain as he leans back enjoying some iced tea. "Any luck on finding the spy network?"

"Defunct."

"We both know that is bullshit. How else did they know exactly where to strike with such precision? Find those damned moles. I don't believe they are truly dead. Not for a second. Fuckers like you and me are too damned hard to kill," The Captain states as he enjoys the scenery of the fighting finishing up with tea.

Back to Cletus was seriously pondering on what Chassis to go for after he finished going over the locker. Luckily Boris left out the blueprints stating their specs and instruction manual. Still it was a tough choice...robobrain for long ranged. Assaultron for CQC. Sentry bot configuration was meant for mass...that was when a figure jumped on your back.

"Cleetus the Captain is being so mean to me," tattles the Doctor.

"Really now of all time? I guess I can consider the fighting finished then..." you mutter turning around to face her. "What do you mean by teasing?"

"He..he...um..." she sputters and blushes before going silent. Then suddenly changes the topic. "Did you find what we needed?"

"Yeah and than some. My dear not so crazy uncle had left quite a bit. His workshop is here, armory over there, and there are two offices. One secret and the other up top meant to be official."

"ooh any goodies?"

"Mostly stuff about robotics and armaments along with his paranoid plans. So has the fighting finished?"

"Yeah that modified assaultron wearing a apron that initially greeted us went ballistic. Honestly not even sure if the automated security needed to be activated much less our help."

"...Wow that intense huh?"

"Oh yeah that thing is a killing machine. Very high end. To think that was modified for service and not optimized for combat..." she mutters.

Oh great Mary...you still gotta figure out what your gonna do about that. Plus the plans your uncle left behind about the facility. Including that secret entry point.

What do?
>Get the plans
>Sick Katarina on Mary
>See what happened for yourself
>See what else your uncle left behind
>Other?

>>6325122
>See what happened for yourself

Rizz = Charisma
>Equip the Custom Combat Armor & Arsenal
>Take a Full Inventory
>See what else... left behind
>Transfer Mary to a/Activate Sentry Bot
>Get the Plans
>Enjoy Wifely times before we depart
Not in that order.

>>6325264
Yeah, I realized that too late about rizz. Which reminds me I brought up the differences of a high intelligence build in NPCs but not charisma. Charisma builder NPC are unique in that they are able to apply buff, persuade, and command others. As a Companion this means a Charisma focused Companion ALSO enables you to take an extra action because they too count as a Leader(MC is a leader by default, no matter how low their charisma is just don't expect the associated buffs) meaning they can lead a group and do other things at the same time as the MC is. Downside is they are by far the hardest to control companion type and most disobedient but that is what you get for extra actions. If they stay in the same party you can expect benefits to being able to provide extra commands and increased option pick limit.

Other high SPECIAL focused NPCs in comparison are much more simple, except for those with High Luck expect things to be especially 'interesting' and strange with them around. The others should be easily guessed like high Perception make great sharpshooters and high Endurance are tanky.

Anyway that is two votes for sentry bot. Looks like we get to see the deadliest form of Mary!

Reminder, we still need more votes about the level up.

>>6325394
Mary the Sentry Bot(equipped Chassis)
Equipped
>Full Sentry Bot body
>TWO mininuke launchers(Merry Massacre specialty)
A spare set of missile launchers or mortars is available to be swapped out.
>One Explosive Minigun and One gatling plasma *Experimental*
Miniguns, gatling laser, missile launchers, and firebomb throwers also available as spare parts with a single experimental variant of gatling plasma and explosive minigun available
>Hydraulic Armor(highest armor bonus and carryweight bonus)
Tesla Armor plates available(high armor bonus and bonus energy damage)
>REDACTED Module equipped
Black Ops speciality customized by Boris, acting as a comm booster, Tesla field arc, and jammer(both comm and smart weaponry)(warning is irreplaceable Unique)
There are also black ops Boris infiltration and support modules also available besides standard replacements.
>Custom Mary's Head
Bonus to damage or radius, fire rate, and accuracy. Reduces Sanity damage taken.

Keep in mind ammo consumption of robotic companions. They also use ammo and need maintenance as well as repair when damaged. However they do not have life support requirements.

Temporary Companion perk equipped(changes according to Chassis)
Time for a Massacre: DR +20. Increased damage and fire rate.

>>6324859 >>6325404
>+1 Charisma
>+5 Guns
>+5 Speech
>+4 Repair

>>6325598
Level up is confirmed.

>Still need a tiebreaker vote.

Current stats


Cletus Wesson-Smith
Age 30

Strength 5
Perception 4
Endurance 6
Charisma 5
Intelligence 8
Agility 6
Luck 3

Barter 19
Energy Weapons 12
Explosives 17
Guns(tagged) 51
Lockpick 12
Medicine 25
Melee 24
Repair(tagged) 54
Science 25
Sneak 16
Speach 19
Survival(tagged) 46
Unarmed 16

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Still no tiebreaker vote? Guess I'll leave it to a roll for tiebreaking. Let's see what wins.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>6325260
You got curious. It finally quieted down and you want to see what happened for yourself. So while Dr. Katarina was busy being distracted oohing and aahing over the mainframe. You went topside to see what happened. Plus you needed to swap out Mary anyway. So you would need to go up regardless.

The fighting had already ended. You noticed a sentry bot was still rolling around, but a few proctectron workers showed up and were busy filling holes filled with abominations while some Mr Handy's cleaned up. A very flustered Mary meanwhile was apologizing aggregiously to her 'guests' and offered some new refreshments. Apologizing for the mess and meddlesome neighbors interfering. Only reason you knew something was up was the fact that her apron was splattered with fresh blood and heat was still radiating from her legs and head.

The soldiers on the hand were apparently enjoying themselves immensely with refreshments and snacks. You don't notice much in terms of damage and their weapons were already being quickly cleaned due to little usage. Looks like the security system took care of most of it. You even saw a Mr. Handy starting up a barbecue with a suspiciously large and fresh pile of meat by the side and fryer working on some mushrooms to go with.

Once upon a time you always wondered how Mary was such a good cook despite being a robot...but now...well you need to get her tuned up. So you convince her to come inside with you real quick and down into the banker. The transfer to the new chassis was easy. Pop off the brain place into its new housing. Deactivate the current 'home' chassis. Than push the buttons.

What you weren't expecting was just how poorly Mary was going to handle having all the limiters lifted and finding out the truth...

roll 2d100s. First roll for limiter removal. Second roll for revealing the truth about Boris.

Rolled 46, 83 = 129 (2d100)

>>6325882

Rolled 45, 45 = 90 (2d100)

>>6325882
I don't know if you want multiple 2d100s so just to be sure

>>6325975
Dem double 45s...aight. I am gonna leave a special offer before I go to bed and let you anons vote on it overnight.

If you keep the 45s there will be special reward attached despite them not being the best rolls.

If you don't than you will keep the highest rolls instead.

So keep the double 45s
>Y/N?

As for dice rolls. Dice is mainly to represent luck but also influence skill and SPECIAL checks. Depending on the difficulty or circumstance, you get more or less in a dice pool depending on number of rolls. Crits take priority but I will also make exemptions if the rolls are interesting enough and if its fitting.

The reason the 45s are interesting is because Mary isn't sane and this world has influences and Science!(particularly MAD science! and characters with 0 sanity left) which is impacted heavily by weird/chaotic probability.

Sanity is a big deal, it just hasn't came up much yet because the MC is a drunk and booze helps restore sanity. So besides purging rads he is also constantly restoring sanity as well thanks to his trait. Lucky rolls are big deal depending on how lucky or unlucky you are. Suffice it to say with luck builds dice rolls become far more important.

>>6325994
I'll tentatively say no the doubles because we're surrounded by too much crazy already and don't need any more over having a bonus in something but I'll wait to see what >>6325975 who actually rolled it says

I'm up for doubles, why not. Not the one who rolled though.
We're taking the gear right?
Also, can we get a full inventory?

>>6325994
Keep my doubles >>6325975