Vault Dweller

The Vault Dweller (born c. 2141) is the main protagonist of Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Game, and the overarching protagonist of Fallout 2. He is most famous for defeating the Master and his super mutant army, helping Shady Sands grow into the New California Republic, founding the small village of Arroyo and fathering its elder (who too would bear a child; "The Chosen One"). A lot of the canonical information surrounding the Vault Dweller comes from Fallout Bible 0, the Vault Dweller's memoirs from the manual, and accounts from witnesses of the Vault Dweller in Fallout 2.
==Biography==
===Background===
The Vault Dweller was born in 2141 in a nursery of Vault-Tec Vault 13. He was raised by the community and a robot in said vault for a lot of his life. Not much more about the Vault Dweller's life in the vault is known except that the Vault Dweller considered it a good life. In 2161, the water purification chip for the vault broke.
On 4th December, 2161, Jacoren, the overseer, gathered healthy individuals from a certain age range, including the Vault Dweller, and drew straws to pick one of them. The Vault Dweller's straw was picked and he left the vault to find the water chip the next day with clues that a water chip could be found Vault 15.
===Fallout===
On 15th December, 2161, the Vault Dweller found a settlement called Shady Sands, which was led by Aradesh. He helped fight off radscorpions that were terrorizing Shady Sands and saved Tandi, the daughter of Aradesh, from the Khan raiders, killing off the group of raiders in the process. He recruited Ian for help before leaving Shady Sands to continue to Vault 15. 
Unfortunately, when Vault Dweller reached Vault 15, the entire vault was destroyed and the control room that would've held the water chip was buried underneath rocks. The Vault Dweller traveled to Junktown. Not much is known about what exactly he did in Junktown, only that he recruited Dogmeat, a dog that he grew affectionate towards, on 30th December and that he "learned the most important rule of all: doing a good thing sometimes means being a very bad person." 
The Vault Dweller traveled to the Hub and found it to be a desolate place. On 17th January, 2162, the Vault Dweller negotiated with some Water Merchants to deliver water to Vault 13 to buy the vault some more time. The Vault Dweller then reached Necropolis, a city inhabited by ghouls and super-mutants. One of the super-mutants killed Ian with a flamethrower on 13th February, though the Vault Dweller was able to find the water chip in Vault 12, underneath Necropolis.
The Vault Dweller traveled to Vault 13. Jacoren was happy to now have the vault chip, but was distraught by the description of super-mutants. The Vault Dweller realized that by sending the Water Merchants to the vault, he had now given away the position of the vault to the super-mutants, making him regret his decision. Jacoren sent the Vault Dweller out of the vault again in order to destroy the super-mutant threat.
The Vault Dweller traveled back to the Hub for some clues to where super-mutant threat was. A underground network of criminals led by Decker tried to manipulated the Vault Dweller for malicious purposes, but the Vault Dweller killed off the underground before they could kill him. The Vault Dweller saved a young man from a few crooks, who turned out to be a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. The Vault Dweller stopped by Necropolis for a visit, but it was already invaded by super-mutants.
The Vault Dweller traveled to the Brotherhood of Steel for information about the super-mutants. Before joining the Brotherhood of Steel, he was sent off on a quest to the Glow, the ruins of a research facility that was destroyed during the nuclear war in 2077, to find a tape detailing Dennis Allen's expedition through the Glow. The Vault Dweller managed to successfully complete the quest, earning him the rank of Initiate in the Brotherhood of Steel.
With clues from the Brotherhood of Steel, the Vault Dweller traveled to the Boneyard, the remains of Los Angeles. On 30th April, 2162, the Vault Dweller infiltrated the cathedral, using a robe from a member of the Children of the Cathedral he killed in order to bypass security. He fought the leader of the Children of the Cathedral and the mastermind behind the super-mutants, the Master. He killed the Master and destroyed the cathedral, killing everyone inside. 
The Vault Dweller traveled back to the Brotherhood of Steel for clues to where the Forced-Evolutionary Virus vats were located. The Master was building his mutant army using the vats one member at a time and had plans for wiping out the entire human race. With help from the Brotherhood of Steel, the Vault Dweller found the vats and invaded it on May 10. Though Dogmeat unfortunately was killed during the invasion, the Vault Dweller managed to destroy the vats, putting an end to the super-mutant army.
The Vault Dweller traveled back to Vault 13. However, even though the Vault Dweller saved the human race from genocide and mutation, Jacoren was forced to exile the Vault Dweller from Vault 13. Jacoren was worried that the Vault Dweller could convince the citizens of Vault 13 to leave the vault to see what the outside world was like. Despite the Vault Dweller's pleas, he was forced to never come back to Vault 13. The Vault Dweller never forgave Jacoren for what he did.
===In Exile===
After leaving the vault for a final time, the Vault Dweller wandered the desert, but never moved far from the mountains that shielded the vault from the rest of the world. Some other members of the vault, upon hearing of what happened, decided to leave the vault and join the Vault Dweller, following him soon afterwards. The Vault Dweller eventually found and rejoined this small group of former vault dwellers. Knowing little of the outside world, the group would almost certainly have died had it not been for the Vault Dweller's assistance.
Two months later, the Vault Dweller headed north, to the great canyons, with a small group of vault dwellers and wastelanders and founded a small village. Initially, they would send scouts back towards the vault, to help others who thought like themselves, but that slowly came to an end. The Vault Dweller taught the others the skills they would need to survive and grow strong.
Hunting, farming and other skills to feed them, engineering and science to build their homes, fighting to protect what was theirs. Slowly, they took the knowledge that the Vault Dweller had learned on his adventure and together, they learned to thrive. Over time, their rag-tag group had turned into a tribe. The Vault Dweller fell in love with one of them, named Pat, and they raised a family, like all of their tribespeople. The construction of Arroyo was completed on 18th August, 2167.
The Vault Dweller and Pat led the tribe which grew larger and stronger. In 2188, their daughter, who would later become the village elder, was born. Eventually, she and the other children became the leaders of the community.
===Departure===
On 16th January, 2208, several years after Pat's death, the Vault Dweller wrote his memoirs. Soon after that, he vanished from Arroyo and was presumed dead. The Vault Dweller left the vault suit behind, folded on the bed, later to be placed inside the Temple of Trials. Some say the Vault Dweller was taken by the sky spirits, others say that the Vault Dweller felt it was time to move on and leave the elders to guide Arroyo to its destiny.
After the One-Moon (Month) Cycle of mourning for the Vault Dweller ended, activity in Arroyo began to return to normal. Years later, the Vault Dweller's grandchild, later called the Chosen One, was born. Interactions with the Wasteland Stranger during his stay in Carbon can result in the Initiate receiving from him a Red Ryder BB gun. Additionally, the Initiate may find a Vault 13 flask in the Carbon Mill, at which the Wasteland Stranger remarks at being a "sentimental old fool" and offers a trade for it.
After leaving Arroyo the only known place where he was spotted was the town of Carbon, where he is known simply as the Wasteland Stranger. There, he helped some of the people to hide from raiders and also helped the Initiate trace the remnants of the Master's army and some Brotherhood of Steel paladins, directing him to Los. What became of him afterwards is unknown, but it is certain he left Carbon and continued his travel in the Wasteland.
After a long and fulfilling life, the Vault Dweller most likely perished from either Wasteland dangers or natural causes, given the 80-year gap between Fallout 1 & 2.
===Legacy===
Besides Arroyo and the Chosen One, the Vault Dweller's journey lived on to the extent that he is still revered by a fair portion of the people in the Wasteland. His statue is prominently displayed in the New California Republic capital, Shady Sands.
He is remembered under several names, including "the Vault Dweller" and "the Stranger" (used by those who - while believing in his greatness - doubt he ever could have come from a vault). He refers to himself as "the Wanderer" at the end of his memoirs. Children who heard of his story would often play at finding Vault 13, some of these children even grew into adults obsessed with proving the Vault Dweller's former home existed. For a time, President Tandi would even sponsor such adventurers, until giving up after many years of failure.
Even 120 years after the Vault Dweller walked the wasteland, his actions are still felt throughout places as far as the Mojave Wasteland. Super mutants such as Marcus, who had been a companion of his grandson, recount how the Vault Dweller defeated the Master.
==Personality==
In-game, the Vault Dweller's personality is mostly defined by the player's actions and dialogue through the Vault Dweller. The Vault Dweller can be anything from a genuinely nice guy who wants the best from everyone and tries to avoid battles, to a jerk who wages battles against everyone he meets, including children. These actions have long-term effects as per the karma value. The higher the karma value, the more everyone treats the Vault Dweller nicely and trust him. The lower the karma value, the more everyone treats the Vault Dweller harshly, or hold him to suspicion. His actions can even hold impact on the fate of each town and organization.
Canonically, the Vault Dweller is held up as hero that helped save the entire human race. The events that transpired canonically in the game come from his memoirs in the Fallout 2 manual. He was initially naïve about the dangers of the wasteland. He eventually learned how to survive the wasteland and adopted a "kill when necessary" mindset, and he cares about anyone he trusts. However, doesn't forgive easily, as when he is exiled from Vault 13 by Overseer Jacoren, he never forgives Jacoren; with the "Childkiller" or "Berserker" perk, the Vault Dweller even murders Jacoren. 
==Appearance==
Canonically, the Vault Dweller is male. He has a pretty normal height with a slightly muscular build. In-game, his face is not shown clearly, since he is seen as a sprite. The close up view of him is behind him at the end of the game. In his memoirs, his face looks similar to the Vault Boy, the mascot of the company, Vault-Tec. In the Fallout manual, his face looks similar to one of the three pre-made character builds, Albert Cole.
==Skills and Abilities==
The Vault Dweller's skills and abilties are directly chosen by the player. He can have seven primary statistics that can have a value from 1 - 10. They are strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. The player can also choose two of 16 traits that give a benefit and disadvantage to the Vault Dweller at character creation.
There are also 18 skills the Vault Dweller can improve each level of, three of which he can specialize in at character creation. Every three levels (four with the "Skilled" trait), the Vault Dweller can choose a new skill to use. Canonically, the Vault Dweller most likely had a weaponized build similar to one of the three pre-made characters, Max Stone; according to his memoirs, he killed the Master directly and raided the Marisopa Military Base to destroy the Vats.
==Relations==
===Sinthia===
Sinthia is a prostitute who works for Gizmo, operating in the Crash House hotel, in Junktown. If the Vault Dweller spends a night in the hotel, then Sinthia will be taken hostage by a raider. Marcelles, the hotel's owner, will then abruptly awaken the Vault Dweller and ask him to save Sinthia from the crazed raider in the room next door.
Peaceful: Once the Vault Dweller walks close enough to the raider, dialogue mode will begin. When talking with the raider, the Vault Dweller must assure him that no one is going to hurt him, as to have him believe that they are a friend and not an enemy. If the Vault Dweller's Speech skill is high enough, he can convince the raider to leave without a fight. If the check fails, either 100 or 200 caps may need to be paid, depending on what dialogue options are chosen.
Violent: If the Vault Dweller fails a Speech check, refuses to pay caps to the raider, or simply decides to attack the raider, the raider will engage in combat. Upon killing the raider, the Vault Dweller will receive 400 XP (instead of 1000 XP for convincing the raider) and Marcelles' thanks. However, Sinthia will be enraged, saying "you really don't care for human life", refusing to speak with the Vault Dweller.
Sneaky: The Vault Dweller should talk to the raider in a peaceful manner. When the raider says he needs to think about it, the Vault Dweller should begin sneaking. If the Vault Dweller's Sneak is high enough, both the Vault Dweller and Sinthia will be able to sneak behind the raider without him reacting. Shooting him will knock him unconscious. At first, Sinthia will think the raider is dead, but the game confirms he is not.
Sinthia will not sell her services to the Vault Dweller if the raider is killed. If a companion of the Vault Dweller happens to kill him, the Vault Dweller will still be able to do "business" with her. If the Vault Dweller does not save her, Sinthia suffers a gruesome death, causing resentment among the rest of the girls. If the Vault Dweller does save her, her "services" will be available (at a rate of 40 caps for every 10 minutes).
Sinthia will not be available for service to a female Vault Dweller. However, if the female Vault Dweller has a higher Luck skill, then Sinthia will allow it once when talking to her about her boss directly after rescuing her. If one fails to persuade her, she will remark on both herself and the Vault Dweller being women. If the Vault Dweller has used her services before, then once in a while, if the player character returns to Junktown and walks past the Crash House, there will be some text saying that they "feel like paying another visit to Sinthia".
===Keri Lee===
Demetre Romara is the owner and proprietor of the Crimson Caravan, and Keri Lee is his daughter. Clad in black leather and sporting a green mohawk, Keri is much like any other wasteland punk at a glance, with an attitude to match. However, competence and blood ties thankfully make her the perfect and most trusted accountant for Demetre, with him hoping that Keri will take the reins soon, so that he can retire in peace. With 7 Charisma or the "Berserker" title, a male Vault Dweller can have sex with her; she gifts one dose each of Buffout, Mentats, and Psycho as thanks.
==Endings==
Faction 	Outcome & Narration 	Canon
Mutants 	"Your mission beneath the Cathedral is successful. Your actions today will influence the outside world for years to come." 	Yes
Mutants 	Destroy Cathedral first: "The death of the Master was the first major step towards ending his mad dream of conquest and enforced peace, but it is the destruction of the Vats that neutralizes the mutant threat. Without the ability to create more mutants and enforce their harsh brand of justice, the mutant armies flee to the east, beyond the no-man's land." 	Yes
Mutants 	Destroy Mariposa first: "You managed to destroy the Vats, then you killed the Master before he could realize his twisted plans. With the Master gone, his armies flee to the east in fear of retribution from the remaining normals." 	No
Necropolis 	Prosperity: "The ghouls of Necropolis learn how to maintain the repaired water pump, and eventually rediscover many lost secrets of engineering. They form a business selling this technology to other towns." 	No
Necropolis 	Dehydration: "The ghouls of Necropolis learn firsthand the final meaning of dehydration, as their city succumbs to the desert sands and the water runs out. Without their water purifying control chip, they do not survive." 	No
Necropolis 	Mutants: "The mutant attack on Necropolis spares none of the ghoulish inhabitants. After the mutant armies advance, they leave a truly dead city behind them." 	Yes
Followers 	Prosperity: "The Followers of the Apocalypse rise to become a major influence in New California. With your help, they gain control of the LA Boneyard." 	Yes
Followers 	Mutants: "The mutant armies, led into battle by the fierce Super Mutants, destroy the Followers of the Apocalypse. Barely human carrion feeders pick over the Followers' remains." 	No
Shady Sands	Prosperity: "In Shady Sands, Tandi helps her father Aradesh bring a new community and new life out of the broken remains of the world. They are responsible for the New California Republic, whose ideals spread across the land." 	Yes
Shady Sands	Aradesh dies: "Tandi takes control of Shady Sands after the death of her father, Aradesh. Her brilliant if headstrong style of leadership makes Shady Sands a powerful force in the years to come." 	No
Shady Sands	Tandi dies: "Aradesh grieves for his slain daughter, Tandi, but eventually builds Shady Sands into a respected community which is prosperous for many years, before his untimely death at the hands of a Desert Raider." 	No
Shady Sands	Aradesh & Tandi die: "With Aradesh dead, and Tandi missing or killed, Shady Sands needs a new leader. After several elections, they find they cannot be governed by a single person and create a guiding council. Shortly afterwards, the Raiders regroup and attack Shady Sands, burning the small community to the ground." 	No
Shady Sands	Mutants: "The mutant army marches as far north as Shady Sands, razing the small town to the ground." 	No
Junktown 	Gizmo dies: "Killian Darkwater takes firm control of Junktown, drives out the last of Gizmo's kind, and then enforces his own brand of frontier justice. Life is fair and safe under his law." 	Yes
Junktown 	Killian dies: "Junktown becomes the new boomtown under the careful, and profitable, guidance of Don Gizmo. He profits the most, and continues to increase the size of his casino, and the scope of his power, until he chokes to death while eating some iguana-on-a-stick." 	No
Junktown 	Mutants: "The mutants are slowed, but not stopped, by the brave defenders of Junktown. When the army finishes their brutal siege, nothing of Junktown remains." 	No
Brotherhood	Rhombus lives: "The Brotherhood of Steel helps the other human outposts drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life, on both sides of the conflict. The advanced technology of the Brotherhood is slowly reintroduced into New California, with little disruption or chaos. The Brotherhood wisely remains out of the power structure, and becomes a major research and development house." 	Yes
Brotherhood	Rhombus dies: "The Brotherhood of Steel, under new leadership after the death of Rhombus, becomes an overzealous, techno-religious dictatorship. In 20 years, the Steel Plague devastates the newly formed New California Republic, and starts a Dark Age that could last a thousand years." 	No
Brotherhood	Mutants: "The Brotherhood of Steel repels the first wave of a mutant invasion, but a traitor in their midst causes the Citadel to fall. Fortunately, the advanced technology is mastered slowly by the mutants, and they were unable to use it against you." 	No
The Hub 	Prosperity: "With your assistance, Old Harold brings the ghoul population of the Hub into equality with the humans. The two sides work together, and the Hub prospers. Old Harold is still alive, as far as anyone knows." 	Yes
The Hub 	Mutants: "The Hub disperses before the might of the mutant army and will never recover." 	No
Khans 	Kill enough Khans: "Thanks to your persistence, the Raiders are destroyed as an effective fighting force, and disband. None of the Raider survivors are ever heard from again." 	Yes
Khans 	Kill some Khans: "The Desert Raiders eventually regroup and manage to terrorize small communities in the years following your adventures." 	No
Khans 	Leave the Khans: "The Desert Raiders pillage most of the northern parts of New California. They are a scourge that lasts for years, until a rebel army of mutants brings them down." 	No
Vault 13 	Spare Jacoren: "You march into the desert sands, leaving the Vault behind you." 	Yes
Vault 13 	Kill Jacoren: "You march into the desert sands, leaving the shattered corpse of the Overseer behind you, never to return to the Vault." 	No
Vault 13 	Join the Master: "It is done. Vault Thirteen belongs to the Unity and the Master. Your knowledge of the Vault defenses saved many mutant lives during the attack. You personally made the final kill when you took the life of the Overseer. You will certainly become one of the finest soldiers for the Unity, and your skills will see you rewarded often in the future. You are happy. But there remains the tiniest doubt of what could have been..."	No
==Traits==
Trait 	Benefit 	Penalty
Bloody Mess 	Violent death animations. 	Changes the ending.
Bruiser 	Strength +2. 	Action Points -2.
Chem Reliant 	Faster addiction recovery. 	Doubled chance of addiction.
Chem Resistant 	Halved chance of addiction. 	Chems last half as long.
Fast Metabolism	Healing rate +2. 	Poison & rad resistance start at 0%.
Fast Shot 	One less Action Point needed in combat. 	Can't use Aimed Shot for any attack.
Finesse 	Critical chance +10%. 	Overall damage -30%.
Gifted 	Each SPECIAL stat +1. 	Each skill -10%.
Gifted 	Each SPECIAL stat +1. 	Five fewer skill points at level-up.
Good Natured 	-10% to Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Throwing, Melee & Unarmed.	
Heavy Handed 	Melee damage +4. 	Critical hits -30%.
Jinxed 	More critical failures for enemies. 	More critical failures for you.
Kamikaze 	Sequence +5. 	Armor class starts at 0%.
One Hander 	Chance to hit +20% (one-handed weapons). 	Chance to hit -40% (two-handed weapons).
Skilled 	Get a perk every 4 levels instead of every 3 levels. 	
Small Frame 	Agility +1. 	Carry weight = 25 + (15 x your Strength).
Night Person 	Intelligence & Perception +1 (6pm-6am). 	Intelligence & Perception -1 (6am-6pm).
==Gallery==
VaultDwellerBlankConcept.jpg|Concept by Anthony Postma.
VaultDwellerColouredConcept.jpg|Concept by Anthony Postma.
VaultDwellerDifferentConcept.jpg|Concept by Anthony Postma.
Confronting the Master (Memoirs).png|The Vault Dweller confronting the Master (Memoirs).
Exiled from Vault 13 (Memoirs).png|The Vault Dweller exiled from Vault 13 (Memoirs).
Vault Dweller after his exile.png|The Vault Dweller after his exile (Memoirs).
VaultDwellerFace.png|The Vault Dweller's face.
VaultDwellerChosenOneFamilyTree.png|The Vault Dweller's family tree.
The Vault Dweller exiled.gif|The Vault Dweller exiled from Vault 13.
VaultDwellerComparison.png|Male and female Vault Dweller.
GameOverFallout1.png|The Vault Dweller dies.
==Trivia==
*Whilst the Vault Dweller could be either male or female in Fallout, the canon Dweller was male, as established by Fallout 2 (in the opening movie, among other places).
*The Vault Dweller's age can be set at the start of Fallout, but only between 16 and 35. However, his canonical age is 20, according to Fallout Bible 0 and an interview with Tim Cain.
*At the beginning of Fallout, the player can choose three custom-built characters, along with the option of creating a new character from scratch. However, none of the pre-made characters are canon identities, as their ages are not the canonical age.
**27-year-old Albert Cole is a persuasive negotiator and charismatic leader of a group of people who are considering life outside the vault, and has an occupation close to what used to be called a "lawyer".
**23-year-old Maxwell "Max" Stone is the largest member of Vault 13, carrying great strength and stamina, but with slightly lacking intellect, due to being dropped on his head by a labor bot at conception. Athough he's not the canon protagonist, he is the protagonist of the Fallout demo.
**17-year-old Natalia Dubrovhsky is a talented and intelligent acrobat, who only had trouble as a child understanding personal property laws held by Vault 13.
*In Fallout 3, when Butch DeLoria is trying to think of a name for his gang at the Lone Wanderer's birthday party, Paul Hannon Jr. suggests the name "Vault Dwellers", but Butch dismisses it as stupid. He then says, "Who wants to be going around being called a 'Vault Dweller'?" in a mocking voice.
*In the Classic Pack pre-order bonus for Fallout: New Vegas, The Courier receives an armored Vault 13 jumpsuit, a weathered 10mm pistol and a Vault 13 canteen. This is a reference to Fallout and the Vault Dweller's adventures.
*Although it is also possible in Fallout to join the Master or simply detonate the bomb in the Los Angeles Vault, the canon Vault Dweller in Fallout killed the Master after interacting with him.
*In a nod to the Vault Dweller, the Lone Wanderer is kicked out of Vault 101 after helping its residents in the quest "Trouble on the Homefront" in Fallout 3.
*The Vault Dweller was originally considered by the writers to not have a canon gender, until the developers of Fallout 2 likely overlooked this and made a male statue to the Vault Dweller, thus accidentally giving the Vault Dweller a canonical gender.
* In Fallout 2, it is revealed that water chips were mass produced and very cheap to make, and that the whole plot of Fallout could have been avoided if the Vault adequately got supplies before the war.
==Licensing==
This article contains content derived from the "Vault Dweller" article on Nukapedia, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
==Navigation==
Category:One-Man Army
Category:Betrayed
Category:Warriors
Category:Dreaded
Category:Legacy
Category:Successful
Category:Freedom Fighters
Category:Strong-Willed
Category:Parents
Category:Unwanted
Category:Presumed Deceased
Category:Selfless
Category:Honorable
Category:Wrathful
Category:Deceased
Category:Spouses
Category:In Love
Category:Brutes
Category:Protectors
Category:Science Fiction Heroes
Category:Leaders
Category:Elderly
Category:Military
Category:Monster Slayers
Category:Fallout Heroes
Category:Nameless
Category:Male
Category:Determinators
Category:The Hero
Category:The Messiah
Category:The Chosen One
Category:The Icon
Category:Mute
Category:Unseen
Category:Egalitarian
Category:Reluctant Heroes
Category:Rebellion Heroes
Category:Type Dependent on Version
Category:Adventurers
Category:Posthumous
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Status Dependent upon Player Choice
Category:Genius
Category:Scapegoat