- Location
- It's a whole new world we live in
...a deathclaw?
Making Headway Through the Multiverse (New Vegas/Gamer-lite/Multicross/Normal Person Insert)
- Thread starter jcw3
- Start date
They don't really seem to have the right body or disposition for being mounts. I was thinking more along the lines of six legged lizards.
Ha, no nothing like that at all. THe two are completely different.
MHTM 1.0
There's an image of the Courier posted later in the chapter, it comes with descriptions of her build. I'm only using the general image, not those specific skills in particular, for Maryanne. She does specialize in talking and vaporizing, though. That picture is actually scarily accurate to how I played her.
Making Headway Through the Multiverse 1.0
Location: Buffalo, New York, United States of America, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-0 (Earth-Prime)
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016
"...no, sir, like I said, we don't have the Wasteland tie-in comics. I'm sorry, but there've been a lot of people in here asking for them, and we ran out a few days ago," you repeat yourself, giving your best sympathetic look towards the customer. Customer's always right, you mentally repeat to yourself in a madness mantra of sorts.
The man on the other side of the counter scoffs at you. "Yeah, right. I know a guy who works in one of these, you know! You've got a whole stack right back there, and when you get the chance, you're going to ratchet up the price!"
What? You blink. "I...I can assure you that's not the case."
"And I'm supposed to believe you? Come on, show me the back, if you've got nothing to hide."
Resist the urge to facepalm. Find it in your heart, Blair. Customer's always right. "I'm the only one here, sir. I can't leave the store unattended," you reply, pointing to a few people browsing, seemingly unaware or uninterested in your...disagreement. "You're going to have to trust me."
He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Do you at least have May's issues of for Spire and Lionheart?"
"Spire's sold out-" you pointedly ignore his second eyeroll, "-but we have the Lionheart trade with the other new arrivals."
"The trade? But I didn't ask for the trade, I asked for the latest issue! Thirty-five! Thur-tee-fihve!" he smacks his fist against his hand, enunciating the number as if she was a small child.
Dick. "Sir, Marker Comics releases their titles in trades every five months. As such, it takes another week for them to release the comic in print form. Their publishing policy, blame Mark Witzel."
"Oh," he says, momentarily abashed. You allow yourself a split second of satisfaction, before he scowls at you. "How was I supposed to know that?"
"I...I don't know, sir," you say, giving up. Customer's always right, Blair. Eight more months, you get to be a lawyer. Customer's always right, Blair. "Have you tried the Batman reboot, if what you wanted isn't available? Detective Comics is attempting a comeback, you could always try starting with their flagship title, or maybe-"
Ah. He's walking away. Well, whatever. A more sensible person came in, purchasing the Ether Cannon graphic novel, and after a few hours of dead time, your shift was over. It wasn't really late, six o'clock, but retail work always drains you close to your limit. Eight more months, you remind yourself. It would probably look a bit odd from an outside perspective, but repetition helped you. Helped stabilize yourself. Made sure that you kept yourself relatively sane.
That was how the world worked if you were a decent human being. You work your ass off for other people, then eventually, if you're good enough, hardworking enough, and you know the right people, you succeed. You allow a fantasy of your own home and family to flash through your head, before shaking yourself back to reality.
Of course, that lasts as long as it takes for you to remember the last episode of Scarletta Streak, the episode where she temporarily unlocks the ability of flight. You feel a pang of depression, but shake that off. You think it's a thing all nerds do. You feel sad that you don't have superpowers, and never will.
Fantasies aren't healthy, Blair, you remind yourself. You do your best to clean up the obvious messes the customers have so generously left you, bring the trash to the dumpster out back, move the cash from the register in the safe, and after completing a few other menial yet necessary tasks, you turn the key to lock Biff's Comic Shack.
Time to head home, and not a moment too-
Location: Goodsprings, Mojave Wasteland, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-1 (Fallout: New Vegas)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2281
-soon?
You look around. You...aren't in Buffalo anymore. None of the slightly run down buildings common to the city's east side, no modern buildings at all from the looks of it. They're all...wood, with some dirty glass windows here and there. Um...is that a saloon? Like from a cowboy movie?
You pinch yourself. Ow. Okay, so definitely not dreaming. You can clearly see your hand, too, so extra proof. Oh God! This is exactly like Spire! Girl gets dropped into fantasy world, gets superpowers and a hot boyfriend...and has to witness massive death and destruction and gore. Okay, so, there was a reason you never really wanted to be a superheroine- wait.
You're focusing on the wrong thing here. You take a look around. Whatever this place is, it's got a couple dozen of those weird wooden buildings- well, okay, they aren't that weird, but they look a bit odd to someone who was raised in Buffalo her whole life- and you guess that means it probably has a hundred or two people. You guess. You suppose you aren't exactly very good at guessing demographics.
It's the evening, and you...are in an alley. That must be why the locals, dressed in the weird farm-style clothes that they are (okay, really, really, not in Buffalo), haven't noticed you. You dodge back into the alley- ew, ew, ew! That's a big bug! Ah! It's a giant cockroach! Ee!
You resist the urge to squeal girlishly, desperately clinging to your tomboy roots, and thinking fast, you grab a loose piece of wood. Dammit, it looks flimsy! Oh, be honest with yourself, Blair, how the hell would you know? What do you know about wood in weird wooden Wild West towns with giant fakking cockroaches!
Unfortunately, you seem to have alerted it to your presence with your inelegant reaction. It leaps- leaps!- at you with a terrifying force, and, desperately calling upon your memories of your one year of softball, you smack it as hard as possible. It makes a disgusting squelching noise as the wood smashes in its skull. You open your eyes, not having even realized they were close. You feel an odd tingling feeling, as if a bit of potential had just been awakened within you.
Oh God. What the hell is going on? You stare at the creature's corpse, with no small bit of revulsion, and you nearly vomit as several dozen smaller cockroaches emerge from the abomination's stomach, literally ripping out from their...mother?'s sides. "Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh," you say, in a very intelligent manner.
You back away from the guts- oh God it's on your arm, ew!- and hastily rub some of it off on your arm, backing away slowly. "You okay there? Looks like that radroach gave you a scare," a woman with a profoundly odd accent asks. Her dog growls suspiciously at you, and she strokes its chin, drawing it back, murmuring something under her breath.
She's an attractive person, in a rough sort of way. She's a tan woman in her mid-twenties, with tightly trimmed dirty red hair, and you can't tell if it's naturally that way, or if she's just so accustomed to this environment. The woman's wearing some kind of armor, made of something you think might be leather.
"Uh, yeah," you reply lamely, trying not to focus on the...radroach's guts. Should you ask what a radroach is? It didn't look very radical, but you don't know what else rad could mean. "What...what was that thing?"
The woman sighs. "Great. Another one," she mumbles. Seeing your confusion, she continues. "Doc Mitchell- uh, that's our town's doctor- he found some lady in a shallow grave by the cemetery. A courier, I think. Involved in some real crazy shit. But that don't matter. How in the same hell do you not know what a goddamn radroach is?"
"I...I'm not from here?"
The woman snorts. "If by here, you mean Planet Earth, then sure, I believe ya," she says, shaking her head. "So. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Sunny. Sunny Smiles. This is my girl, Cheyenne," she says, gesturing to the dog. You aren't good with dog breeds, but you think that's a...oh, who are you kidding, you have no idea. A mutt, maybe? Yeah, you definitely aren't saying that to this woman's face. She has a pretty big gun- how did you not notice that? What the fuck kind of place is this?
Sunny notices you staring, and is about to say something. You absolutely do not want to have that kind of conversation, so you preemptively interrupt her. "Uh, I'm Blair. Blair Hartfield."
"Nice ta meet ya. Listen, I gotta go, but you, uh, you take care of yourself now."
"Will do," you reply almost instantly. Fuck, that was weird. This whole situation is weird. You pinch yourself again, before looking at the radroach. Radroach...she never really explained what that thing was.
You can turn into one now. Wait, what? Yeah, with enough training, you're fairly certain you could morph into a radroach. Um, how do you know this all of a sudden? Oh, and not to mention the improvised weapons and the blunt weapons deal thanks to that use of the piece of timber.
It's because you've been gifted the power of Headway, which allows the acquisition and rapid training of skills and the ability to take powers and forms from defeated enemies, among others. It also apparently can flood you with information related to itself. "Oh. Oh wow," you mutter, clutching your head. That...that- wow.
You look over to Sunny. Her and her dog are strolling along at a leisurely pace, and you belatedly notice the skinned corpse of some reptile that she's lugging along. Wow. This place...you look around. It's a desert. Do reptiles live in the desert? Reptiles that big? You don't actually know. That...you shake yourself out of that stupor.
This place, wherever you've been sent, is weird. That's an established fact. Okay, build from there. What do you know, Blair? This place is probably Earth. The writing on the buildings in English, and you belatedly notice neon signs on the saloon. So you're pretty sure that rules out time travel, unless this is like a post-apocalypse thing. Like Wasteland or Downfall or (you conceal a shudder) Hista.
There are giant cockroaches. Speaking of which, you take another look at your arm, futilely attempting to wipe off splattered guts. After a few moments, you give up. Great. Your work uniform is ruined. Biff is going to be pissed. If you ever get back to Buffalo. The thought of your parents makes you suffer a sudden pang of sorrow.
No. Come on, Blair. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't get you anywhere. You gotta figure out what to do from here on out. Sunny Smiles mentioned the other woman, the one who was found in a shallow grave. It's as good a place to start as any. You have a desperate hope that she might know something about what happened to you. You jog down to Sunny. "Hey, um, that other woman? The one who was weird like me. Where is she now?"
"The old schoolhouse. Used to be full of giant mantises, but I guess that courier was going to take care of them. She's got one of those laser pistols."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Schoolhouse...does she literally mean...oh, the red brick building with the ancient, tattered fence. That...sort of looks like a schoolhouse. You make your way over there, drawing odd looks from the locals. You guess a t-shirt and jeans aren't exactly common attire here. A schoolhouse, huh? And did she say giant mantises?
God. This place is fucked up. You don't even know what it's called. Hellhole, maybe? Seems fitting. You laugh bitterly. Why couldn't you have gone to one of the nice sci-fi universes? Star Trek? Stars in Our Skies? Star Wars (okay, maybe not that one). Or maybe a fairy tale fantasy world (a Disney one, not a classic one). But no, you get giant bugs. Just great, Blair.
You decide to stop whining once you get to the schoolhouse, and you knock on the door. After a few moments, a blonde woman in a blue jumpsuit with some kind of weird looking gun opens the door, and frowns when she sees you. "Who are you?" she asks, in a similar accent to the one Sunny has.
"Uh, I'm Blair. We're sort of both...weird?"
She narrows her eyes at you. "Maryanne. I got shot in the head last night, so I'm not exactly feeling mighty friendly."
"Oh, oh, yeah, I just...I dunno, you're weird, I'm weird, I figured that…" you trail off, not sure what to say.
"What did you figure?"
"Well...we're both outsiders, and I figured...we could stay together? Mutual support?"
Maryanne relaxes her frown. "I can understand that. You wanna talk inside? I haven't cleaned up the bugs, but there are some clean spaces."
Ew. "Okay, sure," you say, putting on a brave face. You notice that Maryanne hasn't taken her hand off of the pistol.
You enter the schoolhouse. It's a ratty wooden building, with an impressive amount of holes and corpses of giant insects. You can vaguely recognize the ruins of a chalkboard, desks, and a multitude of classroom accoutrements. Oh, and, again, the mantis corpses. You and Maryanne both carefully avoid them.
"So. What's your story?" Maryanne asks. She's a very attractive woman of above-average height, with barely neck-length shaggy blond hair, tan white skin, full pink lips and green eyes, wearing a blue and yellow jumpsuit that actually looks sort of comfortable.
Why you first? You guess it's her place. Is it? It seems that way. Not that you'd want to live here. A thought occurs to you. You might end up having to, if you're stuck in...whatever this place is. "Well...I'm going to be completely honest with you."
For the first time, Maryanne smiles. It's a wry grin, but it's something. "I certainly hope so."
You blush. "Um, yeah. I...don't think I'm from around here."
"Neither am I, I don't think," Maryanne says.
You frown. "You don't think?"
"Some kinda amnesia. Looks like getting shot in the head does bad stuff to your brain. Who woulda thunk it," she jokes.
Okay, you're really curious about that story. But for now… "I got attacked by a giant roach today. What the hell was that thing? Can you explain that?" you ask.
Maryanne tilts her head to the side. "Radroaches. You know, used to be tiny, radiation made them big? Sorta like those little mantises over there. Or those geckos that keep attacking this place."
Geckos...were those the things Sunny had skinned. Jeez. You remember seeing those little things on a field trip to Disney World, and now they're the size of a ten year old. You shudder, and Maryanne notices. And...radiation? The fuck?
"Now, I don't mean to pry, Blair, but you don't know a basic fact of the wasteland like what radroaches are. Even I know stuff like that, for some forsaken reason. But you, you don't. Why?"
Radiation? How did radiation create those things? That's not how it works! This isn't some Spider-Man comic, this is a real world! After a moment, you're still a bit stuck on that, but you tear yourself away for the sake of the conversation. "I don't think I'm from this world," you finally say.
Fuck it. You aren't going to be able to lie. You're wearing weird clothes, you don't even know where you are, and you don't know a thing about this world. Radiation...a nuclear war, maybe? But the mutation and growth of animals- that's not how radiation works!
"Alien? You look plenty human. So does your body language," Maryanne replies. Her accent, Sunny's accent...you can't really place it. It's a drawl, but not a Southern one. There's emphasis on the wrong syllables, some phrases even sound a bit robotic...you honestly can't place it. Gah. So much to absorb.
"I am human. You know what alternate worlds are, right? Antichthon?" you ask, referencing a TV miniseries about a Counter-Earth. You think that was a real word, anyway.
"In a way. Alternate worlds, maybe. Dunno 'bout this anne-tik-thun."
"I think I come from one."
Maryanne exhales. "Damn."
"Yeah. I know," you say, scratching the back of your head. The two of you sit in silence for a moment, before Maryanne speaks up again.
"So. What's it like on this alternate Earth of yours."
You blink. "Um, well, I come from Buffalo. It's a city in America. New York."
For the first time, Maryanne looks seriously stunned. "You...you come from the pre-war America."
"I...I don't know. I could come from the past, I could come from an alternate timeline. I don't know."
"Why? Did you not have a choice in coming here?"
You shake your head. "I don't even know how I got here. Or where I am."
"Goodsprings. The Mojave Wasteland," Maryanne replies, leaning forward in her chair, a bit of a desk that must have been torn off a long time ago.
"The...the Mojave Wasteland? That's all the way in Nevada! Or...something," you say. Shit, you really should have paid attention in geography class.
"That far from New York?" Maryanne asks, the name of your home state apparently unfamiliar on her lips.
"I...yeah. Across the country," you reply. There's a faded globe on one of the desks, and you point out the distance to her. Maryanne takes a look at the miles to inches ratio, and her eyes widen.
"You really came a long way, Blair. I don't suppose you have any idea how you got here? At all?"
You shake your head. "I...are you any good with combat? Fighting people?"
"I got the laser pistol. Helps me out with the odd...I dunno, radroach or bloatfly or something like that. I usually just talk raiders out of trying to attack me, or better yet, avoid their hideouts altogether."
"Oh. I don't have anything like that, but I think I can still be of use to you somehow. I think more happened to me than just getting sent to-" you look at the giant mantis corpse, which looks it was...stepped on? Yep, Maryanne has green slime on her boots. Okay. "-this place. Goodsprings," you say, the word sour on your lips.
You continue, as Maryanne gives you a 'go on' gesture. Here goes. "I think it's called Headway. When I got here, I ran into a radroach. A giant cockroach, but I guess you know that. When I killed that thing, I...got a tingly feeling. It sort of came with a message. Like I had this power, and I could keep training, and keep taking things down, and I would get stronger for it."
Maryanne stares at you for a moment. "Repeat yourself."
"I'm sorry?" you ask, confused.
She waves her hand. "Repeat yourself."
"U-um, okay," you stammer a bit. "When I came here, I got attacked by a radroach. When I...killed it, I got a tingly feeling. That tingly feeling, I think it carried a message with it. About some kind of power called Headway. Lets me kill or beat things, take their powers, or learn skills and get better. Either way, it involves a lot of training."
"Mmhmm," Maryanne mumbles. "You're telling the truth."
"How- well, I am, but how do you know?" you ask.
"Don't remember much from before those fuckers shot me, but I know I can talk and that I can blast. And I'm really good at talking. That means I know when people are lying to me. You aren't-" she shakes her head slowly, "-crazy as that might sound to say. Speaking of crazy, I don't think you're that, either."
You plaster on a retail smile. "Oh. Thanks."
She laughs. "Okay. So maybe that was a bit rude of me to say. Sorry, this whole amnesia business has me awfully freaked out."
"It's...fine. So, do we have...an agreement, or something like that?"
"Well, if we're being frank here, you need me more than I need you. As you are, well, no offense, Blair, but you aren't cut out for the wasteland. But that Headway thing, if you're talking truth, could make you a pretty useful ally, friend, what-have-you."
Damn, she's right. But you can't afford to look weak. "So what use are you to me?"
"None, if you just want to stay in Goodsprings for the rest of your life. But you aren't that type, are you?" Maryanne leans forward again.
"I'm- yeah, I'm not. I don't think I could live here forever."
"So Goodsprings is a place for sharecroppers, water farmers, and people who take advantage of the traveling caravans between here and elsewhere. Not a place for adventure. if you want to explore the world, find a way back home, get stronger with your power, or whatever it is you want to do, you're going to have to leave. And I think I'm a pretty good bet for an ally in this early stage."
She continues with a question. "You know how to use your power?"
"Sorta? I've had flashes of the general idea, but...not completely, no."
"How does two weeks sound? You find out about your powers, we get you a gun, teach you how to use it if you don't already, get you ready for the wasteland."
"I...think I could get a good grip on my power in two weeks. Right now, though, my focus is on a place to stay. To sleep, really."
"I got some cots set up in the back," Maryanne says, gesturing towards the back of the schoolhouse.
"Cool," you reply.
"Yeah. So, what do you say? You interested in this alliance?"
Y/N Voting
[ ] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[ ] No. There will be a brief blurb next update where you go to Trudy and ask to sleep in a back room in exchange for working for her, where two out of seven actions a day will be spent serving at the bar indefinitely until you decide to leave (two weeks minimum).
Plan Voting. You may pick up to five (normally seven, but there are two mandatory actions in this update), but you may not repeat options unless otherwise stated. You are picking for Sunday, October 22, 2281. Please label your plans as Plan [USERNAME], for convenience of voting. Assume 1 action each unless otherwise stated. Remember that even if an action fails, that just means it's more likely next time. If you choose No, your work for Trudy will not start until the day after this one.
Powers
[ ] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[ ] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1.
[ ] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[ ] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[ ] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
[ ] Write-in. It would need to be an activity you could learn in Goodsprings.
Goodsprings Actions
[ ] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[ ] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[ ] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[ ] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[ ] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
[ ] Easy Pete knows how to use explosives. That sounds like something that might possibly be a useful skill to have. 50% of Explosives 0.
[ ] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
[ ] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
[ ] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in. Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1.
[ ] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
Final Rolls
60:00. Shape Changing: Radroach unlocked as training option.
83:50. Improvised Weapons 0 unlocked.
28:50. Blunt Weapons 0 not unlocked.
Improvised Weapons unlocked (0)
Shape Changing: Radroach unlocked as training option
Alright, I need a beta reader who specializes in Fallout lore. PM me if interested.
Making Headway Through the Multiverse 1.0
Location: Buffalo, New York, United States of America, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-0 (Earth-Prime)
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2016
"...no, sir, like I said, we don't have the Wasteland tie-in comics. I'm sorry, but there've been a lot of people in here asking for them, and we ran out a few days ago," you repeat yourself, giving your best sympathetic look towards the customer. Customer's always right, you mentally repeat to yourself in a madness mantra of sorts.
The man on the other side of the counter scoffs at you. "Yeah, right. I know a guy who works in one of these, you know! You've got a whole stack right back there, and when you get the chance, you're going to ratchet up the price!"
What? You blink. "I...I can assure you that's not the case."
"And I'm supposed to believe you? Come on, show me the back, if you've got nothing to hide."
Resist the urge to facepalm. Find it in your heart, Blair. Customer's always right. "I'm the only one here, sir. I can't leave the store unattended," you reply, pointing to a few people browsing, seemingly unaware or uninterested in your...disagreement. "You're going to have to trust me."
He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Do you at least have May's issues of for Spire and Lionheart?"
"Spire's sold out-" you pointedly ignore his second eyeroll, "-but we have the Lionheart trade with the other new arrivals."
"The trade? But I didn't ask for the trade, I asked for the latest issue! Thirty-five! Thur-tee-fihve!" he smacks his fist against his hand, enunciating the number as if she was a small child.
Dick. "Sir, Marker Comics releases their titles in trades every five months. As such, it takes another week for them to release the comic in print form. Their publishing policy, blame Mark Witzel."
"Oh," he says, momentarily abashed. You allow yourself a split second of satisfaction, before he scowls at you. "How was I supposed to know that?"
"I...I don't know, sir," you say, giving up. Customer's always right, Blair. Eight more months, you get to be a lawyer. Customer's always right, Blair. "Have you tried the Batman reboot, if what you wanted isn't available? Detective Comics is attempting a comeback, you could always try starting with their flagship title, or maybe-"
Ah. He's walking away. Well, whatever. A more sensible person came in, purchasing the Ether Cannon graphic novel, and after a few hours of dead time, your shift was over. It wasn't really late, six o'clock, but retail work always drains you close to your limit. Eight more months, you remind yourself. It would probably look a bit odd from an outside perspective, but repetition helped you. Helped stabilize yourself. Made sure that you kept yourself relatively sane.
That was how the world worked if you were a decent human being. You work your ass off for other people, then eventually, if you're good enough, hardworking enough, and you know the right people, you succeed. You allow a fantasy of your own home and family to flash through your head, before shaking yourself back to reality.
Of course, that lasts as long as it takes for you to remember the last episode of Scarletta Streak, the episode where she temporarily unlocks the ability of flight. You feel a pang of depression, but shake that off. You think it's a thing all nerds do. You feel sad that you don't have superpowers, and never will.
Fantasies aren't healthy, Blair, you remind yourself. You do your best to clean up the obvious messes the customers have so generously left you, bring the trash to the dumpster out back, move the cash from the register in the safe, and after completing a few other menial yet necessary tasks, you turn the key to lock Biff's Comic Shack.
Time to head home, and not a moment too-
Location: Goodsprings, Mojave Wasteland, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-1 (Fallout: New Vegas)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2281
-soon?
You look around. You...aren't in Buffalo anymore. None of the slightly run down buildings common to the city's east side, no modern buildings at all from the looks of it. They're all...wood, with some dirty glass windows here and there. Um...is that a saloon? Like from a cowboy movie?
You pinch yourself. Ow. Okay, so definitely not dreaming. You can clearly see your hand, too, so extra proof. Oh God! This is exactly like Spire! Girl gets dropped into fantasy world, gets superpowers and a hot boyfriend...and has to witness massive death and destruction and gore. Okay, so, there was a reason you never really wanted to be a superheroine- wait.
You're focusing on the wrong thing here. You take a look around. Whatever this place is, it's got a couple dozen of those weird wooden buildings- well, okay, they aren't that weird, but they look a bit odd to someone who was raised in Buffalo her whole life- and you guess that means it probably has a hundred or two people. You guess. You suppose you aren't exactly very good at guessing demographics.
It's the evening, and you...are in an alley. That must be why the locals, dressed in the weird farm-style clothes that they are (okay, really, really, not in Buffalo), haven't noticed you. You dodge back into the alley- ew, ew, ew! That's a big bug! Ah! It's a giant cockroach! Ee!
You resist the urge to squeal girlishly, desperately clinging to your tomboy roots, and thinking fast, you grab a loose piece of wood. Dammit, it looks flimsy! Oh, be honest with yourself, Blair, how the hell would you know? What do you know about wood in weird wooden Wild West towns with giant fakking cockroaches!
Unfortunately, you seem to have alerted it to your presence with your inelegant reaction. It leaps- leaps!- at you with a terrifying force, and, desperately calling upon your memories of your one year of softball, you smack it as hard as possible. It makes a disgusting squelching noise as the wood smashes in its skull. You open your eyes, not having even realized they were close. You feel an odd tingling feeling, as if a bit of potential had just been awakened within you.
Oh God. What the hell is going on? You stare at the creature's corpse, with no small bit of revulsion, and you nearly vomit as several dozen smaller cockroaches emerge from the abomination's stomach, literally ripping out from their...mother?'s sides. "Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh," you say, in a very intelligent manner.
You back away from the guts- oh God it's on your arm, ew!- and hastily rub some of it off on your arm, backing away slowly. "You okay there? Looks like that radroach gave you a scare," a woman with a profoundly odd accent asks. Her dog growls suspiciously at you, and she strokes its chin, drawing it back, murmuring something under her breath.
She's an attractive person, in a rough sort of way. She's a tan woman in her mid-twenties, with tightly trimmed dirty red hair, and you can't tell if it's naturally that way, or if she's just so accustomed to this environment. The woman's wearing some kind of armor, made of something you think might be leather.
"Uh, yeah," you reply lamely, trying not to focus on the...radroach's guts. Should you ask what a radroach is? It didn't look very radical, but you don't know what else rad could mean. "What...what was that thing?"
The woman sighs. "Great. Another one," she mumbles. Seeing your confusion, she continues. "Doc Mitchell- uh, that's our town's doctor- he found some lady in a shallow grave by the cemetery. A courier, I think. Involved in some real crazy shit. But that don't matter. How in the same hell do you not know what a goddamn radroach is?"
"I...I'm not from here?"
The woman snorts. "If by here, you mean Planet Earth, then sure, I believe ya," she says, shaking her head. "So. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Sunny. Sunny Smiles. This is my girl, Cheyenne," she says, gesturing to the dog. You aren't good with dog breeds, but you think that's a...oh, who are you kidding, you have no idea. A mutt, maybe? Yeah, you definitely aren't saying that to this woman's face. She has a pretty big gun- how did you not notice that? What the fuck kind of place is this?
Sunny notices you staring, and is about to say something. You absolutely do not want to have that kind of conversation, so you preemptively interrupt her. "Uh, I'm Blair. Blair Hartfield."
"Nice ta meet ya. Listen, I gotta go, but you, uh, you take care of yourself now."
"Will do," you reply almost instantly. Fuck, that was weird. This whole situation is weird. You pinch yourself again, before looking at the radroach. Radroach...she never really explained what that thing was.
You can turn into one now. Wait, what? Yeah, with enough training, you're fairly certain you could morph into a radroach. Um, how do you know this all of a sudden? Oh, and not to mention the improvised weapons and the blunt weapons deal thanks to that use of the piece of timber.
It's because you've been gifted the power of Headway, which allows the acquisition and rapid training of skills and the ability to take powers and forms from defeated enemies, among others. It also apparently can flood you with information related to itself. "Oh. Oh wow," you mutter, clutching your head. That...that- wow.
You look over to Sunny. Her and her dog are strolling along at a leisurely pace, and you belatedly notice the skinned corpse of some reptile that she's lugging along. Wow. This place...you look around. It's a desert. Do reptiles live in the desert? Reptiles that big? You don't actually know. That...you shake yourself out of that stupor.
This place, wherever you've been sent, is weird. That's an established fact. Okay, build from there. What do you know, Blair? This place is probably Earth. The writing on the buildings in English, and you belatedly notice neon signs on the saloon. So you're pretty sure that rules out time travel, unless this is like a post-apocalypse thing. Like Wasteland or Downfall or (you conceal a shudder) Hista.
There are giant cockroaches. Speaking of which, you take another look at your arm, futilely attempting to wipe off splattered guts. After a few moments, you give up. Great. Your work uniform is ruined. Biff is going to be pissed. If you ever get back to Buffalo. The thought of your parents makes you suffer a sudden pang of sorrow.
No. Come on, Blair. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't get you anywhere. You gotta figure out what to do from here on out. Sunny Smiles mentioned the other woman, the one who was found in a shallow grave. It's as good a place to start as any. You have a desperate hope that she might know something about what happened to you. You jog down to Sunny. "Hey, um, that other woman? The one who was weird like me. Where is she now?"
"The old schoolhouse. Used to be full of giant mantises, but I guess that courier was going to take care of them. She's got one of those laser pistols."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Schoolhouse...does she literally mean...oh, the red brick building with the ancient, tattered fence. That...sort of looks like a schoolhouse. You make your way over there, drawing odd looks from the locals. You guess a t-shirt and jeans aren't exactly common attire here. A schoolhouse, huh? And did she say giant mantises?
God. This place is fucked up. You don't even know what it's called. Hellhole, maybe? Seems fitting. You laugh bitterly. Why couldn't you have gone to one of the nice sci-fi universes? Star Trek? Stars in Our Skies? Star Wars (okay, maybe not that one). Or maybe a fairy tale fantasy world (a Disney one, not a classic one). But no, you get giant bugs. Just great, Blair.
You decide to stop whining once you get to the schoolhouse, and you knock on the door. After a few moments, a blonde woman in a blue jumpsuit with some kind of weird looking gun opens the door, and frowns when she sees you. "Who are you?" she asks, in a similar accent to the one Sunny has.
"Uh, I'm Blair. We're sort of both...weird?"
She narrows her eyes at you. "Maryanne. I got shot in the head last night, so I'm not exactly feeling mighty friendly."
"Oh, oh, yeah, I just...I dunno, you're weird, I'm weird, I figured that…" you trail off, not sure what to say.
"What did you figure?"
"Well...we're both outsiders, and I figured...we could stay together? Mutual support?"
Maryanne relaxes her frown. "I can understand that. You wanna talk inside? I haven't cleaned up the bugs, but there are some clean spaces."
Ew. "Okay, sure," you say, putting on a brave face. You notice that Maryanne hasn't taken her hand off of the pistol.
You enter the schoolhouse. It's a ratty wooden building, with an impressive amount of holes and corpses of giant insects. You can vaguely recognize the ruins of a chalkboard, desks, and a multitude of classroom accoutrements. Oh, and, again, the mantis corpses. You and Maryanne both carefully avoid them.
"So. What's your story?" Maryanne asks. She's a very attractive woman of above-average height, with barely neck-length shaggy blond hair, tan white skin, full pink lips and green eyes, wearing a blue and yellow jumpsuit that actually looks sort of comfortable.
Why you first? You guess it's her place. Is it? It seems that way. Not that you'd want to live here. A thought occurs to you. You might end up having to, if you're stuck in...whatever this place is. "Well...I'm going to be completely honest with you."
For the first time, Maryanne smiles. It's a wry grin, but it's something. "I certainly hope so."
You blush. "Um, yeah. I...don't think I'm from around here."
"Neither am I, I don't think," Maryanne says.
You frown. "You don't think?"
"Some kinda amnesia. Looks like getting shot in the head does bad stuff to your brain. Who woulda thunk it," she jokes.
Okay, you're really curious about that story. But for now… "I got attacked by a giant roach today. What the hell was that thing? Can you explain that?" you ask.
Maryanne tilts her head to the side. "Radroaches. You know, used to be tiny, radiation made them big? Sorta like those little mantises over there. Or those geckos that keep attacking this place."
Geckos...were those the things Sunny had skinned. Jeez. You remember seeing those little things on a field trip to Disney World, and now they're the size of a ten year old. You shudder, and Maryanne notices. And...radiation? The fuck?
"Now, I don't mean to pry, Blair, but you don't know a basic fact of the wasteland like what radroaches are. Even I know stuff like that, for some forsaken reason. But you, you don't. Why?"
Radiation? How did radiation create those things? That's not how it works! This isn't some Spider-Man comic, this is a real world! After a moment, you're still a bit stuck on that, but you tear yourself away for the sake of the conversation. "I don't think I'm from this world," you finally say.
Fuck it. You aren't going to be able to lie. You're wearing weird clothes, you don't even know where you are, and you don't know a thing about this world. Radiation...a nuclear war, maybe? But the mutation and growth of animals- that's not how radiation works!
"Alien? You look plenty human. So does your body language," Maryanne replies. Her accent, Sunny's accent...you can't really place it. It's a drawl, but not a Southern one. There's emphasis on the wrong syllables, some phrases even sound a bit robotic...you honestly can't place it. Gah. So much to absorb.
"I am human. You know what alternate worlds are, right? Antichthon?" you ask, referencing a TV miniseries about a Counter-Earth. You think that was a real word, anyway.
"In a way. Alternate worlds, maybe. Dunno 'bout this anne-tik-thun."
"I think I come from one."
Maryanne exhales. "Damn."
"Yeah. I know," you say, scratching the back of your head. The two of you sit in silence for a moment, before Maryanne speaks up again.
"So. What's it like on this alternate Earth of yours."
You blink. "Um, well, I come from Buffalo. It's a city in America. New York."
For the first time, Maryanne looks seriously stunned. "You...you come from the pre-war America."
"I...I don't know. I could come from the past, I could come from an alternate timeline. I don't know."
"Why? Did you not have a choice in coming here?"
You shake your head. "I don't even know how I got here. Or where I am."
"Goodsprings. The Mojave Wasteland," Maryanne replies, leaning forward in her chair, a bit of a desk that must have been torn off a long time ago.
"The...the Mojave Wasteland? That's all the way in Nevada! Or...something," you say. Shit, you really should have paid attention in geography class.
"That far from New York?" Maryanne asks, the name of your home state apparently unfamiliar on her lips.
"I...yeah. Across the country," you reply. There's a faded globe on one of the desks, and you point out the distance to her. Maryanne takes a look at the miles to inches ratio, and her eyes widen.
"You really came a long way, Blair. I don't suppose you have any idea how you got here? At all?"
You shake your head. "I...are you any good with combat? Fighting people?"
"I got the laser pistol. Helps me out with the odd...I dunno, radroach or bloatfly or something like that. I usually just talk raiders out of trying to attack me, or better yet, avoid their hideouts altogether."
"Oh. I don't have anything like that, but I think I can still be of use to you somehow. I think more happened to me than just getting sent to-" you look at the giant mantis corpse, which looks it was...stepped on? Yep, Maryanne has green slime on her boots. Okay. "-this place. Goodsprings," you say, the word sour on your lips.
You continue, as Maryanne gives you a 'go on' gesture. Here goes. "I think it's called Headway. When I got here, I ran into a radroach. A giant cockroach, but I guess you know that. When I killed that thing, I...got a tingly feeling. It sort of came with a message. Like I had this power, and I could keep training, and keep taking things down, and I would get stronger for it."
Maryanne stares at you for a moment. "Repeat yourself."
"I'm sorry?" you ask, confused.
She waves her hand. "Repeat yourself."
"U-um, okay," you stammer a bit. "When I came here, I got attacked by a radroach. When I...killed it, I got a tingly feeling. That tingly feeling, I think it carried a message with it. About some kind of power called Headway. Lets me kill or beat things, take their powers, or learn skills and get better. Either way, it involves a lot of training."
"Mmhmm," Maryanne mumbles. "You're telling the truth."
"How- well, I am, but how do you know?" you ask.
"Don't remember much from before those fuckers shot me, but I know I can talk and that I can blast. And I'm really good at talking. That means I know when people are lying to me. You aren't-" she shakes her head slowly, "-crazy as that might sound to say. Speaking of crazy, I don't think you're that, either."
You plaster on a retail smile. "Oh. Thanks."
She laughs. "Okay. So maybe that was a bit rude of me to say. Sorry, this whole amnesia business has me awfully freaked out."
"It's...fine. So, do we have...an agreement, or something like that?"
"Well, if we're being frank here, you need me more than I need you. As you are, well, no offense, Blair, but you aren't cut out for the wasteland. But that Headway thing, if you're talking truth, could make you a pretty useful ally, friend, what-have-you."
Damn, she's right. But you can't afford to look weak. "So what use are you to me?"
"None, if you just want to stay in Goodsprings for the rest of your life. But you aren't that type, are you?" Maryanne leans forward again.
"I'm- yeah, I'm not. I don't think I could live here forever."
"So Goodsprings is a place for sharecroppers, water farmers, and people who take advantage of the traveling caravans between here and elsewhere. Not a place for adventure. if you want to explore the world, find a way back home, get stronger with your power, or whatever it is you want to do, you're going to have to leave. And I think I'm a pretty good bet for an ally in this early stage."
She continues with a question. "You know how to use your power?"
"Sorta? I've had flashes of the general idea, but...not completely, no."
"How does two weeks sound? You find out about your powers, we get you a gun, teach you how to use it if you don't already, get you ready for the wasteland."
"I...think I could get a good grip on my power in two weeks. Right now, though, my focus is on a place to stay. To sleep, really."
"I got some cots set up in the back," Maryanne says, gesturing towards the back of the schoolhouse.
"Cool," you reply.
"Yeah. So, what do you say? You interested in this alliance?"
Y/N Voting
[ ] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[ ] No. There will be a brief blurb next update where you go to Trudy and ask to sleep in a back room in exchange for working for her, where two out of seven actions a day will be spent serving at the bar indefinitely until you decide to leave (two weeks minimum).
Plan Voting. You may pick up to five (normally seven, but there are two mandatory actions in this update), but you may not repeat options unless otherwise stated. You are picking for Sunday, October 22, 2281. Please label your plans as Plan [USERNAME], for convenience of voting. Assume 1 action each unless otherwise stated. Remember that even if an action fails, that just means it's more likely next time. If you choose No, your work for Trudy will not start until the day after this one.
Powers
[ ] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[ ] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1.
[ ] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[ ] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[ ] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
[ ] Write-in. It would need to be an activity you could learn in Goodsprings.
Goodsprings Actions
[ ] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[ ] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[ ] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[ ] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[ ] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
[ ] Easy Pete knows how to use explosives. That sounds like something that might possibly be a useful skill to have. 50% of Explosives 0.
[ ] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
[ ] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
[ ] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in. Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1.
[ ] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
Final Rolls
60:00. Shape Changing: Radroach unlocked as training option.
83:50. Improvised Weapons 0 unlocked.
28:50. Blunt Weapons 0 not unlocked.
Improvised Weapons unlocked (0)
Shape Changing: Radroach unlocked as training option
Alright, I need a beta reader who specializes in Fallout lore. PM me if interested.
Last edited:
- Location
- U.S.
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan tri2
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Plan tri2
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
mandatory actions
Fitness and Running Stack
information might unlock extra parts of events later
and medicine and first aid should help with radiation which I think is the main danger of the setting. Also a friendly doctor won't always be there if something goes wrong.
forgot it needed a name
[X] plan Red Cross
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
mandatory actions
Fitness and Running Stack
information might unlock extra parts of events later
and medicine and first aid should help with radiation which I think is the main danger of the setting. Also a friendly doctor won't always be there if something goes wrong.
forgot it needed a name
[X] plan Red Cross
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
Last edited:
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan FireAsh
-[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
-[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations.Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
-[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
-[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
Right this is my plan and my reasons for each are: Currency is one of the things we should learn early on so if we stumble upon any we can get it, learning the factions is important so we learn who to help/avoid, first aid/medicine is important as it will help us heal ourselves and others better, Fitness to help improve our general body health and marksmanship for handguns because they are easier to handle and find ammo for as well as being good medium range/close range.
[X] Plan FireAsh
-[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1.
-[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations.Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
-[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
-[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
Right this is my plan and my reasons for each are: Currency is one of the things we should learn early on so if we stumble upon any we can get it, learning the factions is important so we learn who to help/avoid, first aid/medicine is important as it will help us heal ourselves and others better, Fitness to help improve our general body health and marksmanship for handguns because they are easier to handle and find ammo for as well as being good medium range/close range.
Last edited:
- Location
- It's a whole new world we live in
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Rifles
-[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations.Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
-[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
-[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
-[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1.
[X] Plan Rifles
-[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations.Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
-[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
-[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
-[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1.
Khepri14
Thus kindly I scatter...
- Location
- Following the wind
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
[X] Plan Khepri
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Talk to Sunny about the local politics. You don't know anything besides that this place is called Goodsprings, and that caravans are a thing. Unlocks very basic in-character knowledge about the N.C.R., Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of the Mojave Wasteland.
[X] So, in this post-apocalyptic world, what do they use for currency? Unlocks knowledge of bottle caps and other Mojave currencies, as well as ways to earn it.
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
Plan:ChildishChimera
Powers
[X] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival.100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
Plan:ChildishChimera
Powers
[X] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[X] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 50% of Fitness 3. 10% of Fitness 4. 100% of Exercise 0. 80% of Exercise 1. 50% of Exercise 2. 15% of Exercise 3.
[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival.100% of Survival 0. 80% of Survival 1. 50% of Survival 2. 10% of Survival 3. 80% of Survival (Wasteland) 0. 40% of Survival (Wasteland) 1.
[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 80% of Running 1. 60% of Running 2. 40% of Running 3. 0% of Running 4. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
Goodsprings Actions
[X] Radiation. How does it work? You really want to know this, and you're probably going to spend a while asking about it, and the various mutations. Unlocks basic knowledge of mutations, radiation, and how pre-war America collapsed. Mandatory action.
[X] There's a functioning robot on the south side of town, and he's sapient! You have to meet him. You simply have to. 50% of Robotics (Earth-1). Unlocks basic knowledge about robots. Mandatory action.
[X] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
- Location
- Brazil
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
[X] Plan Khepri
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
[X] Plan Khepri
sainen
Elder Lich
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
[X] Plan Khepri
why would you want that? Radroaches are the weakest most pathetic mobs in fallout, so we're better off building up Blair's baseline skills as those are easily more important that a shapeshifting ability that will be rapidly replaced(there are some much better forms out there like Fire Ants, Radscorpions[giant,Queen],Cazador, Yao guai, and Death claws.
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
It's less I care about the form and more I want practice shapeshifting. Getting used to a different form now makes it easier when we get a better form latter. Plus for Blair I would consider shapeshifting a base skill.
- Location
- USA
We can get that practice with a superior form. Which we could acquire faster if we train our base stats.
Also, we can only be in a single form at a time. While our skills are all fully active no matter what form we are in.
[x] Khepri
I just realized, had we gone to skyrim we could have acquired dragon form
.I hope our next verse has a dragon in it
Last edited:
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
Makes senseWe can get that practice with a superior form. Which we could acquire faster if we train our base stats.
Also, we can only be in a single form at a time. While our skills are all fully active no matter what form we are in.
[x] Khepri
I just realized, had we gone to skyrim we could have acquired dragon form
I hope our next verse has a dragon in it
[X] Khepri
Last edited:
We can get that practice with a superior form. Which we could acquire faster if we train our base stats.
Also, we can only be in a single form at a time. While our skills are all fully active no matter what form we are in.
[x] Khepri
I just realized, had we gone to skyrim we could have acquired dragon form
I hope our next verse has a dragon in it
I think it will probably work out better this way. By the time we fight any dragons we'll already be pretty tough, should make for a much easier fight. And since, as you pointed out, our skills apply to any form we're in, our dragon form will be all the stronger. for it.
That's assuming we fight any dragons at all. By the time our next setting vote comes up who knows what priorities the thread will have?
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
Hopefully we can learn enough about robotics that we'll be able to fix ED-E when the option comes up, Maryanne doesn't look like she has that particular skillset. Also, I'm guessing the Powder Gangers will be attacking before our two weeks here are over.
[X] Yes. This option establishes you as an ally and partner of Courier 6, or Maryanne. You will live in the schoolhouse with her for two weeks, with her and some of Goodsprings' denizens teaching you stuff and about how to use your power. You will leave with her in two weeks' time, and this option will very likely tie you to the main plotline as a companion of Maryanne's.
[X] Plan Khepri
Hopefully we can learn enough about robotics that we'll be able to fix ED-E when the option comes up, Maryanne doesn't look like she has that particular skillset. Also, I'm guessing the Powder Gangers will be attacking before our two weeks here are over.
- Location
- USA
You raise good points. This is probably for the best
MHTM 1.1
Making Headway Through the Multiverse 1.1
Location: Goodsprings, Mojave Wasteland, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-1 (Fallout: New Vegas)
Date: Sunday, October 20, 2281
You wake up groggily, rising from an uncomfortable position on a...cot? The hell? You whip your head around. Wood? This old and rotten? No, this isn't your room! Your room doesn't have desks and chalkboards- oh. Get it together, brain. Remember what happened yesterday.
Fuck, that's surreal. You look over to Maryanne. She's already awake, looking angrily at a safe in the corner of the schoolhouse. "...hey," you say, after a brief moment of hesitation.
She tsks at the safe, before turning to you. "Hey. I've been trying to figure out a hole in that damn safe, but I just can't think of anything. I don't want to damage it either. Well, damage it any further. These yokels tried to use dynamite on the damn thing, and it's a miracle the safe is still together."
"Isn't that good? I mean, isn't it easier to get the stuff in the safe if there's no safe?"
She shakes her head. "Some pre-war folks liked rigging their safes up to explode if someone got in by brute force. So you gotta use finesse."
"Explode?" your eyes boggle.
Maryanne laughs. "Yeah, and in a schoolhouse, too. Still, you can never be too paranoid, especially out here," she says, momentarily frowning. Seeing your confused expression, she waves her hand nonchalantly. "Sorry. Getting my memory back, one confusing morning at a time. Anyway. You know what we're going to do for food? I found some pre-war candies in a shelf back there, but that's not part of a complete breakfast, you know?"
You blanch. "Those things are still edible."
"You didn't know? Oh. Well, pre-war people used radioactive preservatives to keep their food in shape for a long time. Other stuff, too. Blood packs, stimpaks, stuff like that."
"...oh," you reply dumbly. You're...going to avoid the pre-war food, if at all possible.
"Anyhoo," she gestures towards the door, "I saw some xander root outside. That's a pretty easy food to eat, you can even eat it raw. Tastes like shit, but it's nutritious enough."
"...oh," you say. Does Headway help with cooking? God, you hope it does.
"Right. Let's get picking, and then we can go do stuff for the day."
Xander root looks exactly like what something with that name should look like. It's a brownish turnip thing that looks like what would happen if you froze a jellyfish in midair (midwater?) and wrapped it in bark. You follow Maryanne's lead (aren't you supposed to clean these things off first?), and break off the roots at the bottom, biting into them- ugh! The texture...it's like biting into a raw potato. After that, you have to drink the brackish liquid in its center.
You make a face, before you keep eating. You silently thank your mother for all of those years of being uncompromising about your food 'choices'. After finishing the xander root, you wipe your hands off on your pants. Man. You're going to need new clothes.
Maryanne looks to you. "I was going to go to Sunny's to try and get a bit of survival training in. After that, well, I got saved by that robot a few buildings down-"
"Wait, did you say robot?" you ask. "Sorry to interrupt, but what?"
She gives you an odd look. "Yes? I think his name is Victor."
"And he's a robot."
"...Yes. I think a Securitron."
"Can I come with you? I- it's a robot, right? A real-life robot?"
Maryanne blinks. "Yes?"
"Please let me come with you!"
"Um...sure."
"Yay! Thank you!"
She frowns, confused. "Don't mention it. I'm going to take another look at that safe."
"Alright. While you're doing that, I'm going to try to use my power to get into shape."
After parting ways, you do exactly what you said you were going to do. The desks in the schoolhouse are heavy enough for you to struggle with lifting them in a standard bench press position on the ground, so you start there. You idly consider Maryanne as a spotter, but you decide against it. She seems engrossed with the safe.
It takes you an hour or so, but you feel Fitness go up inside, and you feel a new skill take place. Exercise. Specifically, Exercise is a way for Headway to know your body better, and to be able to better teach you how to go about raising strictly physical skills. You've already noticed a few inefficiencies about your desk-lifting training, and will aim to rectify that in the future.
Seeing that Maryanne is still swearing at the safe- that is the second stubbornest woman you've ever met- you decide to go for yet another Fitness training, since you have quite a bit of time, and you aren't really that winded. You take a drink of purified water first. Looks like Maryanne fetched some from the Goodsprings well while you were training. Nice of her. You make a mental note to thank her.
Running laps around the schoolhouse isn't the most dignified of activities, and draws some odd looks from passers by, but you've never minded embarrassment. Running does somewhat well, and you enjoy progress in that regard, as well as towards Fitness. You feel a minor boost in Running that puts you, overall, somewhat below average in that field.
Hee hee! This is awesome!
Once you finish, you meet Maryanne inside. "Hey. Training go alright?"
"Yeah, I think so."
She gives you an appraising look. "Show me your arm?" she asks. You do so, confused, and she rolls up your sleeve. "You've gotten muscles," she notes. "No normal person can do that."
"Gee...thanks."
"No, no. It proves you were right about those powers of yourselves," the courier notes, biting her lower lip. "I want to see if it can work on survival stuff. Remember how I was going to talk to Sunny to refresh my memory on living in the wasteland?"
You nod. She continues. "You want to come with me and find out if Headway- that's what it's called, right?" she asks, and seeing you bob your head in the affirmative, she keeps going. "See if Headway can help you with knowledge stuff."
"Pretty sure it can. But yeah, knowing how to live here would be helpful," you muse.
"Great. I was getting just about tired of looking at that damn safe, anyway."
Sunny Smiles usually operates by the wells a few hundred feet behind the town saloon, hunting strange preteen-sized reptiles called geckos to protect the town's source of water. You're kinda curious to get a look at them, but not curious enough to risk your life...yet.
She greets the two of you amicably. "Mornin', I think. Don't think it's noon yet, anyway. How y'all doing?"
"Fine." "Alright."
"Great to hear. Y'all wanted survival training, right?"
The both of you nod. The next few hours wouldn't be especially interesting to someone outside the wasteland, as it was largely spent on basic stuff like identifying plants that are safe to eat, building shelter, how to build campfire in the wilds, and what types of animals to definitely avoid. Fuck, deathclaws and super mutants and cazadores and all those abominations are terrifying. You feel lucky to have only met a giant cockroach.
Basic wilderness survival saw more luck than its wasteland equivalent, but Headway was happy to support both options, so you guess that confirms Maryanne's theory. You thank Sunny, and prepare to leave- but then Maryanne asks a question.
"Hey, what can you tell us about local politics? Like, the big players?"
"Well...Goodsprings is independent. We take traders from N.C.R. and Vegas, mostly. N.C.R.- that's the New California Republic. You remember how your parents made you eat your veggies, even when you didn't want to?"
You nod, and Maryanne seems to understand what she's going for. "N.C.R.'s that, on a national scale. Vegas is a pretty fucked up place. Lotta gambling, drinking, gangs. There's a guy named Mr. House who sorta bosses around all the gangs, and controls the city."
"Then there's the Legion. They're a bunch of fucking assholes who own slaves, crucify people, the whole works. They don't leave a lot of room for raiders and the like...but then again, the slaves and crucifyin'. They're at war with N.C.R. Word is that Legion might even win."
"Doesn't sound good," Maryanne mutters, and you can't help but agreeing.
"Tell me more about the Legion," you ask, surprising even yourself.
"Some guy named Caesar founded it...maybe fifty years ago? He took a bunch of tribes, taught them how to use weapons, and formed Caesar's Legion as an alliance to...take over the world, I guess. They're trying to take over the Wasteland. Pretty self-righteous assholes, from what caravaners are saying. 'Course, most of them are N.C.R., so it could be proper gander, for all we know."
"Yeah," you reply. "Thanks."
If this Legion is as bad as she says, then you might have a new goal beyond simply getting home.
"Hey, one more thing, what do you guys use for currency around here?" you ask.
Sunny frowns, but still answers the question. She kneels down, scratches Cheyenne's chin, before replying. "Caps, mostly. Bottlecaps. You can find them on old pre-war sodas. Nuka-Cola, Sunset Sarsaparilla, Kickshot, Jonesbury, Dr. Green's, some stuff like that. Mostly Nuka-Cola and Sunset Sarsaparilla, though. Bit awkward to lug around giant bags, but I hear there are banks in Vegas that can help out with that," she says, pausing for a moment. "Oh yeah, and N.C.R. has its own money. These weird slips of paper that mean different things based off of the number. Some places still accept pre-war money, too."
She goes into a bit more detail, into various ways to earn money, and the only ones that seem like they would appeal to you on a long-term basis are scavenging, mercenary work, and other brands of adventuring. Tending to brahmin (some variety of post-radiation cow) or maintaining irrigation systems or farming aren't exactly dream jobs for you. And Headway practically tingles with anticipation whenever it hears about the wasteland.
"So...radiation," you ask. "You said it mutates animals? Like that radroach I killed?"
"I'm no scientist or nothing," Sunny remarks, "but after the War, the radiation from the bombs spread throughout what used to be the United States. Animals that used to be tiny, well, now they're radroaches and giant mantises. The bugs ain't really a problem, though. Deathclaws, super mutants, cazadores, those are a huge problem."
"But...does radiation really work like that?"
"Maybe. Like I said, no scientist. But radiation's a fact of life in the wasteland. It's in the food, it still lurks around a buncha places, the water's usually not that safe to drink, sometimes even if ya boil it. You might want to pick up a few Rad-Away's and Rad-X's."
"What are those?"
"Rad-Away takes away rads, Rad-X shields ya from rads."
"So...the war, how did it happen?"
"America, China, didn't like each other, and they were fightin' already. Eventually, some asshole pressed the button."
"Thanks. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just not used to radiation being a big important thing."
"Don't worry about it. Just try not to die out there."
"...will do."
The two of you say goodbye to Sunny, and you make your way to the robot's house. Apparently his name is Victor. He lives in a tiny little shack right on the edge of Goodsprings, a short walk from the schoolhouse. You're lucky enough to catch him (you wonder how robots pick genders. Is it chosen for them?) on his way home.
He's definitely a robot. He operates on a battered blue chassis attached to a single tire, with various multicolored buttons underneath his torso image. Said image is a black and white visage of a psychotic-looking cowboy, that occasionally flickers in and out. Dangly arms with pincer-hands are attached to both of the chassis's side, and there's what you think is an antennae spinning atop his frame.
Cool! He looks like something out of a B-Movie, but, he's actually in front of you! "Well, howdy, pardners! How are y'all doing on this fine evening?"
You let Maryanne speak first, because when you start talking, you probably aren't going to shut up. "I'm doing just fine, Victor. I'm Maryanne, this is Blair. I just wanted to stop by and thank you for digging me out of that grave."
"Don't you worry bout a thing, little missy! I was just strollin' around, saw some unsavory folks doin' some right nasty deeds, and then I came to help you out! Nothing any good people wouldn't do."
"Well, like I said, thank you kindly, Victor," Maryanne actually curtsies. Are you supposed to do that? "You know anything about the men who tried to put me down?"
"Can't say I do, ma'am. You might get a bit more luck from the other folks in town."
Maryanne nods, and looks around. "I guess that's all. Once more, Victor, thanks for the help. I think I might just owe you one."
"Shucks, darling, I'm just a humble Securitron. You don't owe me a thang. Hey, if you see any of my brothers, though, tell 'em Victor says howdy!"
"I'll do so happily."
Seeing an opening in the conversation, you insert yourself. "So, you're a real life robot," you start the conversation off intelligently.
"I sure am! From my frame to my little trundler down there!"
Okay, that was a stupid way to start off the conversation, but whatever. "Who made you? Like, how were you constructed."
"Oh, that was a long, long time ago! I'm afraid I don't remember much about those times before I moseyed on inta Goodsprings."
"Oh. Well, how do you perceive us. Like, I don't see any obvious implements for...vision."
"Sensors in my arms! That's what these here gizmos are for," he gestures to some colored lights above his pincers.
"I've never met a robot before, you know. This is really cool for me. Um...so what would you say differentiates you from a human."
Maryanne rolls her eyes, and then, sporting an amused smile, turns to you. "It's getting late. I'm going back to the schoolhouse. You...have fun."
"I will, thank you! So, um, Victor, about what I was saying-"
Around forty-five minutes later, you return to the schoolhouse with a bemused Victor behind you, a happy Headway, and your curiosity satisfied. It's fascinating how this world managed to replicate life so closely. Victor's cowboy personality is surreal, but besides that, he's fully sapient. Sapient enough to eventually grow annoyed with stupid questions, obviously.
You return to the schoolhouse, noting that Headway has added a new type of ability to your roster, this world's robotics. You don't know much at all about it at the moment. All you know is how little you know.
Maryanne still hasn't made any progress with the safe. Shaking your head, you head back to sleep, ignoring the muttered curses.
+1 Fitness (3)
+1 Running (1)
General: Exercise unlocked (2)
General: Survival unlocked (1)
General: Survival (Wasteland) unlocked (0)
Magic: Robotics (Earth-1) unlocked (0)
Plan Voting. You may pick up to seven actions for Monday, October 21, 2281, and another seven for Tuesday, October 22, 2281. Options may be repeated on different days, but not the same one. Robotics (Earth-1) is not available due to having a lack of resources in Goodsprings.
Powers
[ ] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[ ] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Handguns) 3.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
[ ] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 90% of Survival 2. 50% of Survival 3. 10% of Survival 4. 70% of Survival (Wasteland) 1. 35% of Survival (Wasteland) 2.
[ ] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[ ] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
[ ] Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
[ ] Write-in. It would need to be an activity you could learn in Goodsprings.
Goodsprings Actions
[ ] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[ ] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
[ ] Easy Pete knows how to use explosives. That sounds like something that might possibly be a useful skill to have. 50% of Explosives 0.
[ ] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
[ ] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
[ ] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
Location: Goodsprings, Mojave Wasteland, Earth, Sol, Milky Way Galaxy, Earth-1 (Fallout: New Vegas)
Date: Sunday, October 20, 2281
You wake up groggily, rising from an uncomfortable position on a...cot? The hell? You whip your head around. Wood? This old and rotten? No, this isn't your room! Your room doesn't have desks and chalkboards- oh. Get it together, brain. Remember what happened yesterday.
Fuck, that's surreal. You look over to Maryanne. She's already awake, looking angrily at a safe in the corner of the schoolhouse. "...hey," you say, after a brief moment of hesitation.
She tsks at the safe, before turning to you. "Hey. I've been trying to figure out a hole in that damn safe, but I just can't think of anything. I don't want to damage it either. Well, damage it any further. These yokels tried to use dynamite on the damn thing, and it's a miracle the safe is still together."
"Isn't that good? I mean, isn't it easier to get the stuff in the safe if there's no safe?"
She shakes her head. "Some pre-war folks liked rigging their safes up to explode if someone got in by brute force. So you gotta use finesse."
"Explode?" your eyes boggle.
Maryanne laughs. "Yeah, and in a schoolhouse, too. Still, you can never be too paranoid, especially out here," she says, momentarily frowning. Seeing your confused expression, she waves her hand nonchalantly. "Sorry. Getting my memory back, one confusing morning at a time. Anyway. You know what we're going to do for food? I found some pre-war candies in a shelf back there, but that's not part of a complete breakfast, you know?"
You blanch. "Those things are still edible."
"You didn't know? Oh. Well, pre-war people used radioactive preservatives to keep their food in shape for a long time. Other stuff, too. Blood packs, stimpaks, stuff like that."
"...oh," you reply dumbly. You're...going to avoid the pre-war food, if at all possible.
"Anyhoo," she gestures towards the door, "I saw some xander root outside. That's a pretty easy food to eat, you can even eat it raw. Tastes like shit, but it's nutritious enough."
"...oh," you say. Does Headway help with cooking? God, you hope it does.
"Right. Let's get picking, and then we can go do stuff for the day."
Xander root looks exactly like what something with that name should look like. It's a brownish turnip thing that looks like what would happen if you froze a jellyfish in midair (midwater?) and wrapped it in bark. You follow Maryanne's lead (aren't you supposed to clean these things off first?), and break off the roots at the bottom, biting into them- ugh! The texture...it's like biting into a raw potato. After that, you have to drink the brackish liquid in its center.
You make a face, before you keep eating. You silently thank your mother for all of those years of being uncompromising about your food 'choices'. After finishing the xander root, you wipe your hands off on your pants. Man. You're going to need new clothes.
Maryanne looks to you. "I was going to go to Sunny's to try and get a bit of survival training in. After that, well, I got saved by that robot a few buildings down-"
"Wait, did you say robot?" you ask. "Sorry to interrupt, but what?"
She gives you an odd look. "Yes? I think his name is Victor."
"And he's a robot."
"...Yes. I think a Securitron."
"Can I come with you? I- it's a robot, right? A real-life robot?"
Maryanne blinks. "Yes?"
"Please let me come with you!"
"Um...sure."
"Yay! Thank you!"
She frowns, confused. "Don't mention it. I'm going to take another look at that safe."
"Alright. While you're doing that, I'm going to try to use my power to get into shape."
After parting ways, you do exactly what you said you were going to do. The desks in the schoolhouse are heavy enough for you to struggle with lifting them in a standard bench press position on the ground, so you start there. You idly consider Maryanne as a spotter, but you decide against it. She seems engrossed with the safe.
It takes you an hour or so, but you feel Fitness go up inside, and you feel a new skill take place. Exercise. Specifically, Exercise is a way for Headway to know your body better, and to be able to better teach you how to go about raising strictly physical skills. You've already noticed a few inefficiencies about your desk-lifting training, and will aim to rectify that in the future.
Seeing that Maryanne is still swearing at the safe- that is the second stubbornest woman you've ever met- you decide to go for yet another Fitness training, since you have quite a bit of time, and you aren't really that winded. You take a drink of purified water first. Looks like Maryanne fetched some from the Goodsprings well while you were training. Nice of her. You make a mental note to thank her.
Running laps around the schoolhouse isn't the most dignified of activities, and draws some odd looks from passers by, but you've never minded embarrassment. Running does somewhat well, and you enjoy progress in that regard, as well as towards Fitness. You feel a minor boost in Running that puts you, overall, somewhat below average in that field.
Hee hee! This is awesome!
Once you finish, you meet Maryanne inside. "Hey. Training go alright?"
"Yeah, I think so."
She gives you an appraising look. "Show me your arm?" she asks. You do so, confused, and she rolls up your sleeve. "You've gotten muscles," she notes. "No normal person can do that."
"Gee...thanks."
"No, no. It proves you were right about those powers of yourselves," the courier notes, biting her lower lip. "I want to see if it can work on survival stuff. Remember how I was going to talk to Sunny to refresh my memory on living in the wasteland?"
You nod. She continues. "You want to come with me and find out if Headway- that's what it's called, right?" she asks, and seeing you bob your head in the affirmative, she keeps going. "See if Headway can help you with knowledge stuff."
"Pretty sure it can. But yeah, knowing how to live here would be helpful," you muse.
"Great. I was getting just about tired of looking at that damn safe, anyway."
Sunny Smiles usually operates by the wells a few hundred feet behind the town saloon, hunting strange preteen-sized reptiles called geckos to protect the town's source of water. You're kinda curious to get a look at them, but not curious enough to risk your life...yet.
She greets the two of you amicably. "Mornin', I think. Don't think it's noon yet, anyway. How y'all doing?"
"Fine." "Alright."
"Great to hear. Y'all wanted survival training, right?"
The both of you nod. The next few hours wouldn't be especially interesting to someone outside the wasteland, as it was largely spent on basic stuff like identifying plants that are safe to eat, building shelter, how to build campfire in the wilds, and what types of animals to definitely avoid. Fuck, deathclaws and super mutants and cazadores and all those abominations are terrifying. You feel lucky to have only met a giant cockroach.
Basic wilderness survival saw more luck than its wasteland equivalent, but Headway was happy to support both options, so you guess that confirms Maryanne's theory. You thank Sunny, and prepare to leave- but then Maryanne asks a question.
"Hey, what can you tell us about local politics? Like, the big players?"
"Well...Goodsprings is independent. We take traders from N.C.R. and Vegas, mostly. N.C.R.- that's the New California Republic. You remember how your parents made you eat your veggies, even when you didn't want to?"
You nod, and Maryanne seems to understand what she's going for. "N.C.R.'s that, on a national scale. Vegas is a pretty fucked up place. Lotta gambling, drinking, gangs. There's a guy named Mr. House who sorta bosses around all the gangs, and controls the city."
"Then there's the Legion. They're a bunch of fucking assholes who own slaves, crucify people, the whole works. They don't leave a lot of room for raiders and the like...but then again, the slaves and crucifyin'. They're at war with N.C.R. Word is that Legion might even win."
"Doesn't sound good," Maryanne mutters, and you can't help but agreeing.
"Tell me more about the Legion," you ask, surprising even yourself.
"Some guy named Caesar founded it...maybe fifty years ago? He took a bunch of tribes, taught them how to use weapons, and formed Caesar's Legion as an alliance to...take over the world, I guess. They're trying to take over the Wasteland. Pretty self-righteous assholes, from what caravaners are saying. 'Course, most of them are N.C.R., so it could be proper gander, for all we know."
"Yeah," you reply. "Thanks."
If this Legion is as bad as she says, then you might have a new goal beyond simply getting home.
"Hey, one more thing, what do you guys use for currency around here?" you ask.
Sunny frowns, but still answers the question. She kneels down, scratches Cheyenne's chin, before replying. "Caps, mostly. Bottlecaps. You can find them on old pre-war sodas. Nuka-Cola, Sunset Sarsaparilla, Kickshot, Jonesbury, Dr. Green's, some stuff like that. Mostly Nuka-Cola and Sunset Sarsaparilla, though. Bit awkward to lug around giant bags, but I hear there are banks in Vegas that can help out with that," she says, pausing for a moment. "Oh yeah, and N.C.R. has its own money. These weird slips of paper that mean different things based off of the number. Some places still accept pre-war money, too."
She goes into a bit more detail, into various ways to earn money, and the only ones that seem like they would appeal to you on a long-term basis are scavenging, mercenary work, and other brands of adventuring. Tending to brahmin (some variety of post-radiation cow) or maintaining irrigation systems or farming aren't exactly dream jobs for you. And Headway practically tingles with anticipation whenever it hears about the wasteland.
"So...radiation," you ask. "You said it mutates animals? Like that radroach I killed?"
"I'm no scientist or nothing," Sunny remarks, "but after the War, the radiation from the bombs spread throughout what used to be the United States. Animals that used to be tiny, well, now they're radroaches and giant mantises. The bugs ain't really a problem, though. Deathclaws, super mutants, cazadores, those are a huge problem."
"But...does radiation really work like that?"
"Maybe. Like I said, no scientist. But radiation's a fact of life in the wasteland. It's in the food, it still lurks around a buncha places, the water's usually not that safe to drink, sometimes even if ya boil it. You might want to pick up a few Rad-Away's and Rad-X's."
"What are those?"
"Rad-Away takes away rads, Rad-X shields ya from rads."
"So...the war, how did it happen?"
"America, China, didn't like each other, and they were fightin' already. Eventually, some asshole pressed the button."
"Thanks. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just not used to radiation being a big important thing."
"Don't worry about it. Just try not to die out there."
"...will do."
The two of you say goodbye to Sunny, and you make your way to the robot's house. Apparently his name is Victor. He lives in a tiny little shack right on the edge of Goodsprings, a short walk from the schoolhouse. You're lucky enough to catch him (you wonder how robots pick genders. Is it chosen for them?) on his way home.
He's definitely a robot. He operates on a battered blue chassis attached to a single tire, with various multicolored buttons underneath his torso image. Said image is a black and white visage of a psychotic-looking cowboy, that occasionally flickers in and out. Dangly arms with pincer-hands are attached to both of the chassis's side, and there's what you think is an antennae spinning atop his frame.
Cool! He looks like something out of a B-Movie, but, he's actually in front of you! "Well, howdy, pardners! How are y'all doing on this fine evening?"
You let Maryanne speak first, because when you start talking, you probably aren't going to shut up. "I'm doing just fine, Victor. I'm Maryanne, this is Blair. I just wanted to stop by and thank you for digging me out of that grave."
"Don't you worry bout a thing, little missy! I was just strollin' around, saw some unsavory folks doin' some right nasty deeds, and then I came to help you out! Nothing any good people wouldn't do."
"Well, like I said, thank you kindly, Victor," Maryanne actually curtsies. Are you supposed to do that? "You know anything about the men who tried to put me down?"
"Can't say I do, ma'am. You might get a bit more luck from the other folks in town."
Maryanne nods, and looks around. "I guess that's all. Once more, Victor, thanks for the help. I think I might just owe you one."
"Shucks, darling, I'm just a humble Securitron. You don't owe me a thang. Hey, if you see any of my brothers, though, tell 'em Victor says howdy!"
"I'll do so happily."
Seeing an opening in the conversation, you insert yourself. "So, you're a real life robot," you start the conversation off intelligently.
"I sure am! From my frame to my little trundler down there!"
Okay, that was a stupid way to start off the conversation, but whatever. "Who made you? Like, how were you constructed."
"Oh, that was a long, long time ago! I'm afraid I don't remember much about those times before I moseyed on inta Goodsprings."
"Oh. Well, how do you perceive us. Like, I don't see any obvious implements for...vision."
"Sensors in my arms! That's what these here gizmos are for," he gestures to some colored lights above his pincers.
"I've never met a robot before, you know. This is really cool for me. Um...so what would you say differentiates you from a human."
Maryanne rolls her eyes, and then, sporting an amused smile, turns to you. "It's getting late. I'm going back to the schoolhouse. You...have fun."
"I will, thank you! So, um, Victor, about what I was saying-"
Around forty-five minutes later, you return to the schoolhouse with a bemused Victor behind you, a happy Headway, and your curiosity satisfied. It's fascinating how this world managed to replicate life so closely. Victor's cowboy personality is surreal, but besides that, he's fully sapient. Sapient enough to eventually grow annoyed with stupid questions, obviously.
You return to the schoolhouse, noting that Headway has added a new type of ability to your roster, this world's robotics. You don't know much at all about it at the moment. All you know is how little you know.
Maryanne still hasn't made any progress with the safe. Shaking your head, you head back to sleep, ignoring the muttered curses.
+1 Fitness (3)
+1 Running (1)
General: Exercise unlocked (2)
General: Survival unlocked (1)
General: Survival (Wasteland) unlocked (0)
Magic: Robotics (Earth-1) unlocked (0)
Plan Voting. You may pick up to seven actions for Monday, October 21, 2281, and another seven for Tuesday, October 22, 2281. Options may be repeated on different days, but not the same one. Robotics (Earth-1) is not available due to having a lack of resources in Goodsprings.
Powers
[ ] Shape Changing: Radroach. Train to assume the form of a radroach. 30% of Shape Changing: Radroach 0.
General Skills
[ ] Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Handguns) 3.
[ ] Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
[ ] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 90% of Survival 2. 50% of Survival 3. 10% of Survival 4. 70% of Survival (Wasteland) 1. 35% of Survival (Wasteland) 2.
[ ] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
[ ] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
[ ] Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
[ ] Write-in. It would need to be an activity you could learn in Goodsprings.
Goodsprings Actions
[ ] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
[ ] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
[ ] Easy Pete knows how to use explosives. That sounds like something that might possibly be a useful skill to have. 50% of Explosives 0.
[ ] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
[ ] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
[ ] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
[X} Plan Spectrum
[X] Monday
-[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 90% of Survival 2. 50% of Survival 3. 10% of Survival 4. 70% of Survival (Wasteland) 1. 35% of Survival (Wasteland) 2.
-[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
[X] Tuesday
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Handguns) 3.
-[X] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
-[X] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
-[X] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
For Day 1, another spread of just basic useful skills for the Wasteland. Survival, First Aid, Running, Perception, Scavenger are all obvious. Locksmith because the safe keeps coming up. Blunt Weapons not to necessarily focus on it but because a little bit of backup skill if shit goes pear-shaped would be nice to have. For Day 2, continuing focus on core stuff, while branching to splash some of the other ones not taken on Monday to see what opens up.
[X] Monday
-[X] Survival. Talk to Sunny about survival. 90% of Survival 2. 50% of Survival 3. 10% of Survival 4. 70% of Survival (Wasteland) 1. 35% of Survival (Wasteland) 2.
-[X] Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
[X] Tuesday
-[X] Marksmanship (Modern Handguns). You want to be able to use guns in combat. You've actually never even held a gun before. Sunny's offered to help you and Maryanne with basic shooting practice. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Handguns) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Handguns) 3.
-[X] Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
-[X] Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
-[X] Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
For Day 1, another spread of just basic useful skills for the Wasteland. Survival, First Aid, Running, Perception, Scavenger are all obvious. Locksmith because the safe keeps coming up. Blunt Weapons not to necessarily focus on it but because a little bit of backup skill if shit goes pear-shaped would be nice to have. For Day 2, continuing focus on core stuff, while branching to splash some of the other ones not taken on Monday to see what opens up.
Last edited:
[X] Plan Cracking Open The Basics
-[X] Monday - Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
-[X] Monday - Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Monday - There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
-[X] Monday - Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
-[X] Monday - Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] Monday - Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Monday - Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
-[X] Tuesday - Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
-[X] Tuesday - Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Tuesday - Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Tuesday - There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
-[X] Tuesday - Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
-[X] Tuesday - Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
-[X] Tuesday - Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
Basic idea being to pick up the basic combat skills and unlock Gecko Hunting with the safe. Also do all the Goodsprings exclusives to pick up Skill 0/1s, and raise our fitness.
Passive skill training is boss, so we want some of all
-[X] Monday - Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
-[X] Monday - Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Monday - There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
-[X] Monday - Ask some locals about the basics of being a hunter. 75% of Hunter 0. 50% of Hunter 1. 20% of Hunter 2.
-[X] Monday - Talk to a local man nicknamed Easy Pete about his storied history as a prospector. 60% of Scavenger 0. 20% of Scavenger 1.
-[X] Monday - Visit Doctor Mitchell. He's the town doctor, and he might have some good advice regarding the medical field, and the dangers of the wasteland in that regard. 100% of First Aid 0. 75% of First Aid 1. 50% of First Aid 2. 10% of First Aid 3. 75% of Medicine 0. 25% of Medicine 1. Unlocks further training in this area.
-[X] Monday - Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
-[X] Tuesday - Fitness. You're not out-of-shape or anything, but if giant bugs and worse are the norm in the wasteland, then you'd better get better. 75% of Fitness 4. 40% of Fitness 5. 5% of Fitness 6. 70% of Exercise 3. 35% of Exercise 4. 0% of Exercise 5.
-[X] Tuesday - Running. While you were about to go to sleep, Maryanne/Trudy told you about something called a deathclaw. Yeah. 100% of Running 2. 70% of Running 3. 40% of Running 4. 10% of Running 5. Increase in Fitness skill, how much depending on whether Fitness option was taken or not.
-[X] Tuesday - Perception. Knowing where you are, what that thing is, and what its weak spots could be are good survival guides, according to Maryanne. 80% of Perception 0. 50% of Perception 1. 20% of Perception 2.
-[X] Tuesday - There's a locked safe in the schoolhouse, and you want in (so does Maryanne). Maybe some of the locals know how that would work? 60% of Locksmith 0. 30% of Locksmith 1. Locksmith 2 required to open safe.
-[X] Tuesday - Marksmanship (Modern Rifles). The above, but you'll be learning to use rifles. 60% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 0. 20% of Marksmanship (Modern Rifles) 1. Gecko Hunting option unlocked with Markmanship (Modern Rifles) 3.
-[X] Tuesday - Ask Trudy and some of her customers about how some of the local gambling works. You don't have any real money yet, and Maryanne has you covered you there, but you think it might be something useful for the future. 100% of Caravan 0. 80% of Caravan 1. 60% of Caravan 2. 40% of Caravan 3. 20% of Caravan 4.
-[X] Tuesday - Blunt Weapons. You've found a baseball bat in the schoolhouse backroom. Might be useful to practice with. You don't really have a method of self-defense yet. 100% of Blunt Weapons 0. 75% of Blunt Weapons 1. 50% of Blunt Weapons 2. 25% of Blunt Weapons 3.
Basic idea being to pick up the basic combat skills and unlock Gecko Hunting with the safe. Also do all the Goodsprings exclusives to pick up Skill 0/1s, and raise our fitness.
Passive skill training is boss, so we want some of all