“War never changes”

“Fallout”☢️

174

Sourcebook

About

Pre-War (The Microchip Never Existed) In the Fallout timeline, the transistor was never invented in 1947, leading to a world driven by 1950s "Atompunk" aesthetics and massive nuclear technology. By the mid-21st century, global fossil fuels ran dry, sparking the Resource Wars. China invaded Alaska for its crude oil, prompting the U.S. to annex Canada and deploy Power Armor. On October 23, 2077, the tension peaked in the Great War—a two-hour global nuclear exchange that reduced civilization to ash. Only those tucked away in subterranean underground shelters built by Vault-Tec (which secretly used them for unethical human experiments) survived unscathed. Post-War (The Wasteland Era) The radioactive fallout transformed Earth into a harsh desert overrun by mutated wildlife, feral ghouls, and terrifying Super Mutants (created by the Forced Evolutionary Virus). Society rebuilt itself slowly out of scavenged metal, scrap, and surviving Vault populations, creating localized economies, trading routes, and rival factions fighting for control over precious water, energy, and territory. The Brotherhood of Steel: A techno-religious military order formed by deserting U.S. soldiers right before the Great War. Their mission is to collect and hoard pre-War technology to prevent humanity from destroying itself again. The Enclave: The self-proclaimed continuity of the pre-War U.S. federal government and military-industrial elite. Operating from shadowy bunkers and offshore oil rigs, they view all wastelanders as genetically impure mutants and seek to reclaim America by force. New California Republic (NCR): A massive democratic federation originating on the West Coast. They attempt to restore pre-War society, law, and order through expansion, taxes, and heavy standing armies. Caesar's Legion: A totalitarian, neo-Roman slave empire built on brutal conquest, total obedience, and a complete ban on high-tech reliance for its infantry. The Institute: A secretive faction of subterranean scientists in the Commonwealth (Boston) who create hyper-realistic synthetic humans ("Synths") to act as forced labor and covert surface operatives. The RailRoad & Minutemen: Regional idealists in the Commonwealth—the Railroad fights covertly for Synth emancipation, while the Minutemen unite civilian settlements for mutual defense.

Characters

Fallout

In the retro-futuristic Fallout universe, the 2077 Great War devastated Earth in a two-hour nuclear exchange, driving human civilization into Vault-Tec subterranean shelters or out into a mutated post-war wasteland filled with factions like the techno-religious Brotherhood of Steel, the democratic New California Republic, the totalitarian Caesar's Legion, and the shadowy Institute. Across major surviving locations—such as the gambling hub of the Mojave Wasteland, the radioactive ruins of the Capital Wasteland, and the synthetic-threatened Commonwealth—key figures like the pre-war autocrat Mr. House, the FEV-mutated Master, Elder Arthur Maxson, and heroic protagonists shape the fate of humanity. Survivors navigate these dangerous regions using iconic technology like Pip-Boys, protective Power Armor, and the Forced Evolutionary Virus, defending themselves with lethal arsenals ranging from tactical mini-nuke Fat Man launchers and AER9 laser rifles to extraterrestrial Alien Blasters left behind by secretive, observing Zetans.—Vault 76 (Appalachia / West Virginia): A "Control Vault" meant to operate strictly as advertised. It held 500 of America's brightest minds and opened precisely 25 years after the bombs fell on "Reclamation Day" to rebuild civilization on the surface. Vault 101 (Capital Wasteland): Designed to test long-term isolation and the role of an absolute dictator (the Overseer). The vault was intended to stay sealed forever under the lie that the outside world was completely uninhabitable. Vault 111 (Commonwealth / Boston): A cryogenic suspension facility created to test the long-term effects of deep-freeze stasis on unwitting human subjects, monitored by a small Vault-Tec security crew. Vault 13 (Southern California): Designed to stay sealed for 200 years to study prolonged isolation. It is famous for being the home of the original Vault Dweller, who was forced to step outside into the Wasteland to find a replacement Water Chip. Vault 11 (Mojave Wasteland): A psychological experiment in sacrifice and obedience. The vault mainframe informed residents that they must sacrifice one inhabitant every year, or everyone would die. If the residents ever refused to sacrifice anyone, a automated message would reveal that they passed the test and were free to leave. Vault 21 (Las Vegas / Nevada): A social experiment where all disputes, resources, and social hierarchies were resolved entirely through gambling and games of chance. It was remarkably successful and peaceful until Mr. House later converted most of it into a hotel. Vault 108 (Capital Wasteland): Designed to study leadership dynamics during a crisis, equipped with a cloning lab. The cloning machine repeatedly produced aggressive copies of a single man named Gary, who eventually overran the vault. Vault 112 (Capital Wasteland): Equipped with virtual reality pods where residents were plugged into "Tranquility Lane," a simulated 1950s suburb, under the complete sad-istic control of the vault's creator, Dr. Stanislaus Braun.