StopSigntheVendingMachine
mailman#30612
Something I've thought of awhile ago. Figured I'd actually use my account. This is an idea for a community/race and a Companion.
Since I played Fallout 2 two years ago, I imagined that the Companion Goris survived the events in that game and has since moved to the Mexican Wasteland and bred with other Death Claws. Being a large reptile, Goris is attracted to heat so heading south ... makes sense? This new race will be known as the Smart Claws. Part of their tradition is sometimes they'd name themselves after authors, with their Alpha Males always taking the 'title' of their founder. Spanish is their first language, they learn English second, and learn German as a hobby. In my 'head canon' there are German descendants in Mexico; its a Shi-like situation that hints at international relations during the Great War. They've also evolved further to have retractable claws and fingers that bend backwards; allowing them to crudely pick up objects. Like most Non-Human communities in the series, their home is nestled away from the rest of the general populous; in this case, in a mountain.The Smart Claws peacefully coexist with their neighbors (at least as much as they're able); guarding caravans, offering technical and medical advice, and just mingling. Also in my 'head canon', the Mexican Wasteland is still deeply religious in Catholicism (because I know nothing of Mexico) and view these Claws as "demons reformed by God's light"; accepting them almost immediately once their numbers grew. As part of their culture of being scholars; and to help their relations with the Wasteland, the Claws would also learn the faith. They'd being to integrate naming offspring after saints and Bible characters.
The implications of the Smart Claws' existence could include that raiding in their region wouldn't necessarily disappear, but rather happen in small bursts. The few people left who still live the lifestyle would probably be armed with Fat Mans and other heavy weapons. A Smart Claw could also become a Raider; a plot device to make their kind more human. They're bigger and stronger, even smarter. If you can get away with something, then why not? Few Claws convert to raiding, let alone survive raiding, but one Smart Claw is enough to destroy entire towns in an afternoon. Once one 'loses Karma', the hunt for the rouge becomes an region-wide effort, with other Smart Claws taking charge.
Welp, onto the Companion:
ISIAH
S:10
P:6
E:10
C:6
I:6
A:1
L:4
Companion Trait
Apex Predator: While Isiah is following you, all characters lose -20 Damage Resistance during combat. This applies to other Companions, too.
Isiah Likes it When You…
- Pass Speech checks and/or use Unique Dialogue Options.
Responds Well to:
Neutral Karma
Special Abilities and Characteristics:
- Nostalgia: Isiah isn’t just a fully-grown Death Claw, he’s a Smart Claw! A race of Claws with human intelligence, a callback and is directly linked to a Companion from Fallout 2 named Goris.
- Hypothermic Albino: Like his predecessor, Isiah wears a robe (this one made of Brahmin skin) to shield his sensitive skin from the sun. The extra leather of his robe keeps him relatively warm but not for long. He’ll become increasing dreary during the night. He won’t be effective in combat, wobbles when he walks, and beg the player to stop and sleep.
- Auto-dismiss Options: When talking to Isiah, you can have him immediately leave the Party or wait during the night or when you enter a building through a door. For the later, he will wait for you to exit for one in-game day. If you aren’t back by then, Isiah will auto dismiss himself.
- Isiah will be programmed to only join battle against NPCs that are the same or a higher level than him. The only exception for this rule is if the player is near death. What this also means is Isiah doesn’t “level-scale” with the player. He is already set to level 40 when you meet him and only levels up while recruited. This is an attempt to balance the overpowered friend.
- Antisocial Neutral: Isiah doesn’t mind what your Karma is at any given time. He doesn’t care about anything, really. He’s not necessarily evil but won’t protest the player for doing evil things. Nor any good things, either. His silence during your travels isn’t because he’s thinking of the next witty thing to say, it’s because he’s indifferent to the Wasteland and other people at large. He’s walked a long way before meeting you and can confirm that every place is the same.
- Carnivore: When combat ends, Isiah will sometimes eat the corpses of enemies. Loot from their bodies will be transferred to his Inventory but any armor and outfits will always be reduced to 0% Condition. He’ll hesitate to eat any killed Companions unless the player gives permission.
- Cannibal: Isiah doesn’t mind you killing Death Claws and always helps you in those fights. In fact, he’ll sometimes eat the Death Claw corpses.
Rough Dialogue:
Player: “I didn’t know Death Claws were cannibals.”
Isiah: “No. I am a cannibal. We’re also susceptible to deadly diseases and insanity from consuming the same flesh.”
P: “But not you?”
I: “How rude of you … to assume I’m sane. Besides, I just have the right genes.”
P: “But you can’t do that! That’s wrong!”
I: “Meat is meat. I don’t give a shit where it comes from.”
P: “What about me? Are you saying you’d eat me!?!”
I: “If you died … yes. As for your friends, if you’d prefer to bury them, I’ll respect that.”
- Isiah will randomly run away at full speed. He’s not dismissing himself but looking for the nearest Brahmin(s) to eat. He'll mumble about "being hungry. Might take off soon" as a telltale sign.
- Meme Machine and Based: He sometimes references ‘internet culture’ from reality, whether in idle chatter or relating to Quests you bring him on. Isiah is very calm if not bored; his monotone voice rarely raising volume or tempo even in dire situations. Isiah is somewhat of a Pet Companion as in there is literally nothing the player can do to upset him so much that he’ll permanently leave or become hostile.
- Despite his people’s back story, Isiah is such a fluent English speaker you wouldn’t know he’s Spanish until he talks that language.
- Isiah will use his super senses to detect enemies from far away. Examples:
I: “Hold up. I smell something … Maybe three somethings.”
I *on robots*: “Wait. I sense a large heat source but smell no flesh … A robot! Could be a Mister Handy, could be a Sentry Bot. You roll the dice.”
I *on Death Claws*: *low growl/hum* “Underdeveloped approaching.” Or “We’re encroaching on someone else’s den.” Or “Death Claws. Stand by.”
- Isiah will sometimes attempt to speak creole from his time spent in The Big Easy.
How to Recruit:
Rescue him from the Big Easy survivalists.
Based on coverage of the leaked IP: Fallout: New Orleans, my fanfic Wasteland involves Louisiana, now named The Big Easy. Once every 6 years or so, a massive hive of Blood Bugs are born and wreak havoc throughout that region. This event is known as “Blood Year” and lasts no longer that two months. The giant mosquitos; while horrifying, have this short reign because they eat everything left in the state and then resort to cannibalism. They essentially “reset” the ecosystem. Because Blood Year begins in the Big Easy, people there migrate north along the east coast. For the sake of gameplay, most stop at the Capital Wasteland. Based on public records, Blood Year always seems to begin during the summer, leaving Big Easy folk a few months as the temperature rises to make the long trek to … relative safety. Some people, however, are diehard patriots (or stubborn) and band together in hopes to “weather the storm” as it were. Isiah is captured by this group who plan to use him as their main defense when their “holiday” begins and later kill him for meat to survive. A straight-forward damsel-in-distress scenario.
OPTIONS:
1. Kill the survivalists: Two reasons why Isiah doesn’t bust himself out is because the people were able to corner him with Missile Launchers and Flamethrowers in the first place, and the Blood Bug hive could awaken at any moment (to his understanding). No one wants to be caught outside for that. Still, it brings up the moral dilemma: Is it wrong to kill these people?
2. Bargain for Isiah with several dozen pieces of food: The food can be anything as long as the player passes an item quantity check.
3. Agree to stop Blood Year: This option opens the Main Quest in The Big Easy that echoes other Main Quests in the series with Earth-shattering consequences. The camp will then “loan” you Isiah because like those in the Mexican Wasteland, they can be swayed to believe he is their “deliverance”. You aren’t compelled to do the Quest you both can just say: “fuck it” and leave Louisiana behind. This exploit will be balanced with a few Speech checks.
Personal Quest: NO CELLS, ALL FLAMES: Help Isiah settle an argument.
Isiah needs someone (anyone) to “Open doors. Go through doors. Press buttons on a terminal. Pick a lock. Turn pages in a book. Things I can’t do yet” in order to learn more. This Quest mostly involves reading him entrees in your PIP Boy relating to his interests. At some point, you are tasked with taking him to Raven Rock to confront the Enclave. Haven’t thought that far ahead. Not sure how to approach this part besides handing him over to them to be studied and dissected. Isiah would attack the Enclave personnel but not the player.
Backstory: In a family of scholars and intellectuals, Isiah is a millennial edge lord. He isn’t as smart as his fellows but is immature in getting into arguments. He is cursed with the “I’m never wrong” mindset. Usually among the Smart Claws, a man born with albinism is groomed to become the next Alpha Male because their founder; Goris, was albino but Isiah is a case of one who is unqualified and unworthy for the possession. He was frustrated at first, but as life goes by and friends exclude him from inner circles, he became jaded and preferred being alone. Prolonged seclusion in the shade has worsened Isiah’s condition and is a metaphor for his stubbornness to “remain in the dark”. One day, he instinctively got into a “debate” regarding the origin of their species. While no one refutes how Goris met the Chosen One (the player character in Fallout 2), the question about how FEV was changed to spawn intelligent Death Claws lingers. The simple answers “Because they’re Enclave” or “Leave it alone; FEV is dangerous enough” doesn’t suffice him anymore. Like that, Isiah leaves home. He first enters New California to investigate Navarro (now an NCR base) and was turned away, but not before learning that the Republic didn’t know more about it than he did. From there, Isiah would hug the border; from the Mojave, to Caesar’s Land, to Texas, to finally The Big Easy where he was caught up in Blood Year. He yearns to enter The Capital Wasteland where he discovered the Enclave is still operational. If you haven’t guessed at this point in this design document, Isiah, and The Big Easy, would be a Fallout 3 mod.
Random Encounter: PEEPING TOM
Once you return to the Capital Wasteland with Isiah, he will be dismissed to his own personal cave. Another characteristic is he refuses to be recruited during the night. If you enter his cave during this time, you may see something special: Isiah not wearing his robe. He looks especially demonic for a Death Claw. Besides his plain-white skin, his claws, horns, teeth, and talons are all pitch black. Being awakened will irritate him so much that he’ll pick you up, giving you a close up look at his spooky, unique head model with blood red eyes that glow in the dark. He’ll roar in you face and throw you out the cave. You respawn in the Capital Wasteland with a few Crippled Limbs.
Since I played Fallout 2 two years ago, I imagined that the Companion Goris survived the events in that game and has since moved to the Mexican Wasteland and bred with other Death Claws. Being a large reptile, Goris is attracted to heat so heading south ... makes sense? This new race will be known as the Smart Claws. Part of their tradition is sometimes they'd name themselves after authors, with their Alpha Males always taking the 'title' of their founder. Spanish is their first language, they learn English second, and learn German as a hobby. In my 'head canon' there are German descendants in Mexico; its a Shi-like situation that hints at international relations during the Great War. They've also evolved further to have retractable claws and fingers that bend backwards; allowing them to crudely pick up objects. Like most Non-Human communities in the series, their home is nestled away from the rest of the general populous; in this case, in a mountain.The Smart Claws peacefully coexist with their neighbors (at least as much as they're able); guarding caravans, offering technical and medical advice, and just mingling. Also in my 'head canon', the Mexican Wasteland is still deeply religious in Catholicism (because I know nothing of Mexico) and view these Claws as "demons reformed by God's light"; accepting them almost immediately once their numbers grew. As part of their culture of being scholars; and to help their relations with the Wasteland, the Claws would also learn the faith. They'd being to integrate naming offspring after saints and Bible characters.
The implications of the Smart Claws' existence could include that raiding in their region wouldn't necessarily disappear, but rather happen in small bursts. The few people left who still live the lifestyle would probably be armed with Fat Mans and other heavy weapons. A Smart Claw could also become a Raider; a plot device to make their kind more human. They're bigger and stronger, even smarter. If you can get away with something, then why not? Few Claws convert to raiding, let alone survive raiding, but one Smart Claw is enough to destroy entire towns in an afternoon. Once one 'loses Karma', the hunt for the rouge becomes an region-wide effort, with other Smart Claws taking charge.
Welp, onto the Companion:
ISIAH
S:10
P:6
E:10
C:6
I:6
A:1
L:4
Companion Trait
Apex Predator: While Isiah is following you, all characters lose -20 Damage Resistance during combat. This applies to other Companions, too.
Isiah Likes it When You…
- Pass Speech checks and/or use Unique Dialogue Options.
Responds Well to:
Neutral Karma
Special Abilities and Characteristics:
- Nostalgia: Isiah isn’t just a fully-grown Death Claw, he’s a Smart Claw! A race of Claws with human intelligence, a callback and is directly linked to a Companion from Fallout 2 named Goris.
- Hypothermic Albino: Like his predecessor, Isiah wears a robe (this one made of Brahmin skin) to shield his sensitive skin from the sun. The extra leather of his robe keeps him relatively warm but not for long. He’ll become increasing dreary during the night. He won’t be effective in combat, wobbles when he walks, and beg the player to stop and sleep.
- Auto-dismiss Options: When talking to Isiah, you can have him immediately leave the Party or wait during the night or when you enter a building through a door. For the later, he will wait for you to exit for one in-game day. If you aren’t back by then, Isiah will auto dismiss himself.
- Isiah will be programmed to only join battle against NPCs that are the same or a higher level than him. The only exception for this rule is if the player is near death. What this also means is Isiah doesn’t “level-scale” with the player. He is already set to level 40 when you meet him and only levels up while recruited. This is an attempt to balance the overpowered friend.
- Antisocial Neutral: Isiah doesn’t mind what your Karma is at any given time. He doesn’t care about anything, really. He’s not necessarily evil but won’t protest the player for doing evil things. Nor any good things, either. His silence during your travels isn’t because he’s thinking of the next witty thing to say, it’s because he’s indifferent to the Wasteland and other people at large. He’s walked a long way before meeting you and can confirm that every place is the same.
- Carnivore: When combat ends, Isiah will sometimes eat the corpses of enemies. Loot from their bodies will be transferred to his Inventory but any armor and outfits will always be reduced to 0% Condition. He’ll hesitate to eat any killed Companions unless the player gives permission.
- Cannibal: Isiah doesn’t mind you killing Death Claws and always helps you in those fights. In fact, he’ll sometimes eat the Death Claw corpses.
Rough Dialogue:
Player: “I didn’t know Death Claws were cannibals.”
Isiah: “No. I am a cannibal. We’re also susceptible to deadly diseases and insanity from consuming the same flesh.”
P: “But not you?”
I: “How rude of you … to assume I’m sane. Besides, I just have the right genes.”
P: “But you can’t do that! That’s wrong!”
I: “Meat is meat. I don’t give a shit where it comes from.”
P: “What about me? Are you saying you’d eat me!?!”
I: “If you died … yes. As for your friends, if you’d prefer to bury them, I’ll respect that.”
- Isiah will randomly run away at full speed. He’s not dismissing himself but looking for the nearest Brahmin(s) to eat. He'll mumble about "being hungry. Might take off soon" as a telltale sign.
- Meme Machine and Based: He sometimes references ‘internet culture’ from reality, whether in idle chatter or relating to Quests you bring him on. Isiah is very calm if not bored; his monotone voice rarely raising volume or tempo even in dire situations. Isiah is somewhat of a Pet Companion as in there is literally nothing the player can do to upset him so much that he’ll permanently leave or become hostile.
- Despite his people’s back story, Isiah is such a fluent English speaker you wouldn’t know he’s Spanish until he talks that language.
- Isiah will use his super senses to detect enemies from far away. Examples:
I: “Hold up. I smell something … Maybe three somethings.”
I *on robots*: “Wait. I sense a large heat source but smell no flesh … A robot! Could be a Mister Handy, could be a Sentry Bot. You roll the dice.”
I *on Death Claws*: *low growl/hum* “Underdeveloped approaching.” Or “We’re encroaching on someone else’s den.” Or “Death Claws. Stand by.”
- Isiah will sometimes attempt to speak creole from his time spent in The Big Easy.
How to Recruit:
Rescue him from the Big Easy survivalists.
Based on coverage of the leaked IP: Fallout: New Orleans, my fanfic Wasteland involves Louisiana, now named The Big Easy. Once every 6 years or so, a massive hive of Blood Bugs are born and wreak havoc throughout that region. This event is known as “Blood Year” and lasts no longer that two months. The giant mosquitos; while horrifying, have this short reign because they eat everything left in the state and then resort to cannibalism. They essentially “reset” the ecosystem. Because Blood Year begins in the Big Easy, people there migrate north along the east coast. For the sake of gameplay, most stop at the Capital Wasteland. Based on public records, Blood Year always seems to begin during the summer, leaving Big Easy folk a few months as the temperature rises to make the long trek to … relative safety. Some people, however, are diehard patriots (or stubborn) and band together in hopes to “weather the storm” as it were. Isiah is captured by this group who plan to use him as their main defense when their “holiday” begins and later kill him for meat to survive. A straight-forward damsel-in-distress scenario.
OPTIONS:
1. Kill the survivalists: Two reasons why Isiah doesn’t bust himself out is because the people were able to corner him with Missile Launchers and Flamethrowers in the first place, and the Blood Bug hive could awaken at any moment (to his understanding). No one wants to be caught outside for that. Still, it brings up the moral dilemma: Is it wrong to kill these people?
2. Bargain for Isiah with several dozen pieces of food: The food can be anything as long as the player passes an item quantity check.
3. Agree to stop Blood Year: This option opens the Main Quest in The Big Easy that echoes other Main Quests in the series with Earth-shattering consequences. The camp will then “loan” you Isiah because like those in the Mexican Wasteland, they can be swayed to believe he is their “deliverance”. You aren’t compelled to do the Quest you both can just say: “fuck it” and leave Louisiana behind. This exploit will be balanced with a few Speech checks.
Personal Quest: NO CELLS, ALL FLAMES: Help Isiah settle an argument.
Isiah needs someone (anyone) to “Open doors. Go through doors. Press buttons on a terminal. Pick a lock. Turn pages in a book. Things I can’t do yet” in order to learn more. This Quest mostly involves reading him entrees in your PIP Boy relating to his interests. At some point, you are tasked with taking him to Raven Rock to confront the Enclave. Haven’t thought that far ahead. Not sure how to approach this part besides handing him over to them to be studied and dissected. Isiah would attack the Enclave personnel but not the player.
Backstory: In a family of scholars and intellectuals, Isiah is a millennial edge lord. He isn’t as smart as his fellows but is immature in getting into arguments. He is cursed with the “I’m never wrong” mindset. Usually among the Smart Claws, a man born with albinism is groomed to become the next Alpha Male because their founder; Goris, was albino but Isiah is a case of one who is unqualified and unworthy for the possession. He was frustrated at first, but as life goes by and friends exclude him from inner circles, he became jaded and preferred being alone. Prolonged seclusion in the shade has worsened Isiah’s condition and is a metaphor for his stubbornness to “remain in the dark”. One day, he instinctively got into a “debate” regarding the origin of their species. While no one refutes how Goris met the Chosen One (the player character in Fallout 2), the question about how FEV was changed to spawn intelligent Death Claws lingers. The simple answers “Because they’re Enclave” or “Leave it alone; FEV is dangerous enough” doesn’t suffice him anymore. Like that, Isiah leaves home. He first enters New California to investigate Navarro (now an NCR base) and was turned away, but not before learning that the Republic didn’t know more about it than he did. From there, Isiah would hug the border; from the Mojave, to Caesar’s Land, to Texas, to finally The Big Easy where he was caught up in Blood Year. He yearns to enter The Capital Wasteland where he discovered the Enclave is still operational. If you haven’t guessed at this point in this design document, Isiah, and The Big Easy, would be a Fallout 3 mod.
Random Encounter: PEEPING TOM
Once you return to the Capital Wasteland with Isiah, he will be dismissed to his own personal cave. Another characteristic is he refuses to be recruited during the night. If you enter his cave during this time, you may see something special: Isiah not wearing his robe. He looks especially demonic for a Death Claw. Besides his plain-white skin, his claws, horns, teeth, and talons are all pitch black. Being awakened will irritate him so much that he’ll pick you up, giving you a close up look at his spooky, unique head model with blood red eyes that glow in the dark. He’ll roar in you face and throw you out the cave. You respawn in the Capital Wasteland with a few Crippled Limbs.
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