Fallout 2 special encounters General information . Special encounters in " Fallout 2 " are varied and eclectic . They tend to include no combat ; exceptions include ' The Unwashed Villagers hunting a spammer ' . Often they contain non - canon pop culture references , sometimes internal references to the Fallout series and setting . A select few are just plain weird . As these encounters are included purely for humour and are random events that may or may not happen , they should not be considered canon . Accessing . Some special encounters can be revisited ; a map circle the same size as minor locations such as toxic caves and Golgotha appears on the World Map where it was found . While an encounter map location is nametagged " Unknown " , the location is in flux ; the encounter can be ' rolled ' again , making a new map circle in that map location . If you want to ' lock down ' a map location and display its name , re - enter it . The exception is the ' Cafe ' location , which will be ' re - rolled ' , its location moving to the new encounter site , even though it has been named . Map locations where an encounter was declined will of course be marked Unknown . Both encounters that leave a map circle and those that don ' t will have to be reactivated in another map area once you decline to enter them . The game keeps track of previous locations , and will not spawn the encounter there again . All special encounters in " Fallout 2 " are desert locations , other than ' Bridge ' , which is a mountain map . So no special encounters can ever be found on the coast or in a city square . Observation indicates that Game Difficulty settings affect the likelihood of a special encounter while traveling . In " Fallout " , the chance was based on the Luck stat . It seems likely that Luck is used here once again . Additionally , since normal encounter chances and types are modified by the Outdoorsman skill , that may also be involved . Unlike running out of fuel for the car on map squares with a City circle in them , the " Out of Fuel " circle will be accessible properly if it is near a random encounter circle , even the permanent ones . Random special encounters . Café of Broken Dreams . Minimum level to visit : None . Map Circle name : Café of Broken Dreams . Encounter remains on the list for randomization , and its location will change to the new encounter site . Fallout Class Reunion . Dogmeat can be recruited here as a companion . Be sure to remove your armor , unless wearing the Bridgekeeper ' s Robes , which lack the tag that denotes them as being armor for the purposes of non - player character reactions . Lynette in Vault City reacts similarly to the robes . Clicking on any non - player character speeds up their dialogue , but you ' ll likely want to see all of it . Enticing Dogmeat to join your party with the iguana - on - a - stick found in one of the Cafe ' s rooms may crash your game . Meat jerky might work as an alternative . The best way to recruit him is to wear the Vault suit , or alternatively , the Bridgekeeper ' s robes . The Café of Broken Dreams contains a minor code variation that affects the level at which you can visit it , and makes it possible for it to be encountered in a completely different part of the map than where it was first encountered , even after its name is displayed . Its map circle moves to the next location it is encountered in . A crashed shuttle . Minimum level to visit : 6 . Map Circle name : Federation Shuttle . Some Star Trek personnel in a shuttle came down with Syndrome , went through a time / space distortion , and crashed here , in the middle of the desert . The Chosen One can find hypo s in their corpses , which heal anywhere between 75 to 100 health . A Guardian Portal . Minimum level to visit : 8 . Map Circle name : Guardian of Forever . Circle on map remains marked " Unknown " until after second visit . The area ' s map resets after each visit and dropped items will be deleted . Amongst other loot , one can find the unique weapon Solar Scorcher on floor . Causing the water chip to malfunction awards 1000 XP . Entering the portal causes the Chosen One to transport back in time into Vault 13 . The stone ring in the map is a reference to the " Star Trek " episode , " City on the Edge of Forever " . The only way to leave Vault 13 is to use the computer in the area . The Chosen One causes its water chip to fail , thus beginning the Vault Dweller ' s quest . A giant stone head . Minimum level to visit : 10 . Map Circle name : Talking Head . A mysterious gathering of rocks and stone heads . Perhaps they created themselves ? This particular one is more talkative than the one in Arroyo . Listening to the stone head for long enough awards a monument chunk , which awards + 3 to Strength and Agility as well as 50 extra damage resistance . One can also steal from it to get three more chunks . However , stealing from it without the skill tagged or below 95 % , thousands of points of fatal damage will be inflicted . The head talks for 12 hours , long enough to have a rest with the aid of your Pip - Boy . A herd of brahmin . Minimum level to visit : 6 . Map Circle name : Mad Brahmin . You know you have at least " thought " about . They know , and they ' re out to settle the score . Warning : saving on this map may corrupt the save and render it unloadable . Brahmin wander towards the Chosen One and / or party members and explode . In combat , they headbutt for relatively low damage . Once a brahmin has exploded or died from combat damage , another spawns . Brahmin that spawn during combat do nothing until combat ends . Combat here will benefit from a lot of running , and hitting the ' A ' key to initiate combat . Setting party members ' Distance to ' Stay Close to Me ' can keep them on a shorter tether and pull them away from the spawns . Melee or Unarmed characters unfortunately have an obvious disadvantage in this encounter . King Arthur ' s Knights . Minimum level to visit : 10 . No Map location . Loot : $ 500 for pointing . You speak the King ' s English , or at least read it . And you know where the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is , right ? Just point out its direction to the royal guard in power armor ( the ones with the Gatling lasers ) , and after they similarly point out the direction of the G . E . C . K . to you , you part ways , $ 500 richer . King Arthur ' s Knights fighting a rat . Minimum level to visit : 10 . Map Circle Name : Vorpal Rat Cave . Mountain terrain map . Loot : Holy Hand Grenade . Requires the prior visitation of the special encounter , King Arthur ' s Knights . A reference to the battle between King Arthur ' s knights , armed only with the Holy Hand Grenade , against a killer rabbit , which the knights ultimately lost . This unimplemented special encounter still exists in the game files , and can be restored . Immediately upon entering the map , Knights and the Rat are locked in mortal combat . Each of the Knights , including King Arthur , carry $ 500 and around 200 microfusion cell ammunition . This is handy for running the Highwayman as each Knight effectively allows you to charge the car fully twice . However , " If you do nothing , the rat will sometimes kill the knights , though they often manage to get in an instant kill critical first . " The cave in the cliff face contains the Holy Hand Grenade , which will automatically kill the rat , for 7 , 500 XP . Survivors , knights or rat , will remain on the map ; neither has anything to say to the player character . It is a reference to the Monty Python ' s movie Holy Grail where the Knights , not expecting a challenge from a rabbit until it killed several men , must kill it with the " Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch " . Also , when King Arthur was supposed to count to three until detonation , he accidentally counted five and had to be corrected . This is referenced in a Wild Wasteland encounter in " " . NOTE : As probably stated before , this encounter is normally unobtainable because of a glitch . A lone surviving dog . Minimum level to visit : 10 . Map Circle name : Pariahs . The only location where the only possible ( non exploitative ) reward is to prevail in the struggle for survival , and the risk is great . A great misfortune has befallen those who fell here , and you would do well to leave before it falls upon you . Leaving before 10 seconds have elapsed should let you avoid the Luck check . They are repeated every 10th second . Failing a check means that harmless looking skinny dog will follow you , passing the party limit . Notably , it reduces Luck to one , or two for those who are Gifted , and gives the Jinxed trait as a perk . The pariah dog will use all of its seven AP to run to the nearest exit of any map once combat starts , and it has 750 HP . Once it dies , both the trait and the stat decrease disappear , except in the truly rare case of it being killed with a zero damage critical . The pariah dog can be killed by luring him onto the electrified floor on level two of the Sierra Army Depot ; his finely - tuned survival sense only works in the specific context of combat . Alternatively , extract his brains : this process yields two brains , in the organ extraction chamber on level 3 . Be wary , as the latter action gives - 200 points of Karma . Like the Masticator boxer in New Reno , the pariah dog gives a stat decrease that can actually be used exploitatively . Gain Luck and the mutually exclusive Hubologist zeta scans , if they are received before encountering the dog , stop the decrease in Luck , but the increase in Luck that would normally occur to restore Luck , when the dog dies , instead adds Luck . NCR ' s zeta scan gives + 2 Luck / - 1 Luck , SF ' s , + 1 Luck and + 1 Intelligence / - 1 Luck , depending on . . . luck . Guarantees need of save - scumming . A man guarding a bridge . Minimum level to visit : 10 . Map Circle name : Bridge . Loot : Bridgekeeper ' s robes ( purple ) . XP : 500 , for answering " the questions three " . Alternatively , 7500 combat XP for killing the Bridgekeeper . Mountain terrain map . If you miss the Arroyo rope bridge , here is another one . To get to your car , and the World Map , you ' ll have to get past the robed figure guarding the bridge . The Keeper ' s dialogue , and the best solution to this puzzle , make this encounter one of three Monty Python references , all from " Monty Python and the Holy Grail " , another being the " King Arthur ' s knights " encounter , and the third being the unimplemented " King Arthur ' s Knights fighting a rat " . Save and reload to see all three Fallout lore questions . The Bridgekeeper ' s Robes are the same as combat armor minus radiation resistance , and lighter . Pretty much only critical hits harm the Bridgekeeper ; he summons exploding cows remarkably similar to those in the " Mad Brahmin " encounter . If he is killed with a zero damage critical , the robes won ' t drop , and no combat XP is given . See pariah dog for a more detailed explanation of zero damage criticals . Combat ends each time the Bridgekeeper summons a new brahmin , and he will be quite willing to take up conversation with you at this point as though nothing had happened . The Bridgekeeper can also die as a result of the Chosen One asking him a counter question ( with an IN > 6 ) . This has the highest probability of the Special Encounters . If you have an IN < 4 , the conversation will again be confusing . When the Keeper asks the Chosen One ' s name , naturally , he asks back . That ' s only polite . Obviously this isn ' t enough to fling the Bridgekeeper shrieking into the ravine for lack of a reply . The next dialogue choices are garbled so , again , choose carefully . Save / reload . The remains of a whale . Minimum level to visit : 6 . Map Circle name : Crashed Whale . Loot : Pot of Daisies . Or you might just leave them be . " Oh , no , not again " - the Bowl of Petunias . by Douglas Adams . You find byproducts of the use of the Improbability Drive starship propulsion system : A whale which has seen better days , or perhaps one should say minutes , from the time it was instantly created in low - orbit above the planet up until just before it became part of the planet . The bowl of petunias ' ( Daisies ) story continued on later in the Hitchhiker ' s series , where it was discovered that the unfortunate vegetable was merely one incarnation of a spirit doomed to be perpetually killed by one of the main characters , Arthur Dent . A tin woodsman . Minimum level to visit : 6 . No Map location . Loot : 150 microfusion cells . The Tin woodsman has no drops . A reference to the guy who had a heart all along , from " The Wizard of Oz " Don ' t let this happen to you . When your power armor rusts up , apparently all you can do is stand around gasping " Oil ! " at any Good Samaritans who might happen to pass by . Unique to this map : Cola Fridge , Stove design . Toxic waste dump . Minimum level to visit : 6 . Map Circle name : Toxic waste dump . XP : Combat XP , if you don ' t actually die just from the radiation while killing or fleeing from the fire geckos . The exit grid is to the right , assuming you don ' t want to take just a little time to learn to better appreciate the fine points of the splendor of mankind ' s achievement . The Unwashed Villagers hunting a spammer . Minimum level to visit : 1 . No Map location . Loot : 6 stimpaks and a fruit 600 rounds of 10mm JHP on the Unwashed Villagers . XP : Combat ( optional ) . A reference to a real - life flamewar between a Fallout internet community and a forum ' troll ' . Normally , the villagers will take turns shooting the Spammer , all the while issuing triumphant battle cries , while he attempts to placate them with floating text apologies . They run off the map after he dies . If the Spammer lives to the end of the battle , he continues to stumble about the map , continuing his comments . Scripted encounters . A band of ruffians led by a Morton Brothers . Requirements : the Chosen One completed the Redding quest : Kill Frog Morton There are three brothers , consequently there are three encounters . They become progressively more challenging . The second brother uses and drops a Light support weapon , the final brother , a H & K G11E . The brothers are accompanied by enemies of the New Reno area Gang type . The game code places this ' gang ' on a different ' team ' , initially neutral to the brother , and the player . If the brother has a higher Sequence than any gang member , and attacks first , the ' gang ' will only engage the player after combat with the brother is over , and vice versa . A herd of brahmin . Requirements : the Chosen One freed Bess and the other brahmin in Modoc . The encounter only occurs near Modoc . The luckless Bess and her herd seem doomed to die . Dead brahmin lie strewn about . " " Are God and Nature then at strife , / That Nature lends such evil dreams ? / So careful of the type she seems , / So careless of the single life ; " " - Alfred , Lord Tennyson , from the poem , influenced by contemporary ideas of Survival of the Fittest , that included the famous line " Nature , red in tooth and claw " . A trader and guards . Requirements : Occurs only in the map squares surrounding the map square at the top of the map , directly north of Modoc . Trader Willy ' s is less inspiring than it ought to be . The player falls asleep , and must choose to buy a weapon sight unseen , and without even knowing what it is . The list of available items is level - based , and includes power fist , sniper rifle , alien blaster , and minigun . Some people in the wrong place at the wrong time . See the year 2241 for the identity of the giant armored figure and his friends . Requirement : Date after Aug 30 , 2241 . The Chosen One happens upon a confrontation between two opposing parties . On the one side , there are three armored and heavily - armed figures , one of them huge . On the other a family of farmers : a man , a woman , and a child . The man rejects the large figure ' s demand to accompany him , saying , " I would rather what knowledge I have disappear with me into the grave " , and the three are executed . The large man waves the Chosen away saying , " This is none of your affair . Turn around and walk away . " This occurs as a Desert type special encounter , but the game code makes this event trigger when particular conditions , notably the date , are met . The script does not include the terrain requirements for random special encounters , i . e . even if the player is traveling over mountain terrain on the large scale map , the encounter is a Desert encounter .