For the original game before it became Fallout, see Vault 13: A GURPS Post-Nuclear Adventure. |
Vault 13 is a Vault-Tec Vault located in southern California. Its precise location is west of Shady Sands and Vault 15, and east of Mariposa Military Base. It is the starting and ending location of Fallout, and the birthplace of the Vault Dweller.
Background[]
Sometime prior to December 2161, Vault 13's standard-issue water purification chip began to malfunction. The incumbent overseer made the decision to send out scouts from their population into the wasteland to find any usable replacement chips. One resident, Talius was captured during his search by nightkin at Necropolis and later dipped in the vats of FEV at Mariposa, only to instead mutate into a ghoul-like mutant like Harold. He wound up with the Followers of the Apocalypse, far away from the Vault.[1][2] The final resident selected by the overseer for the chip retrieval mission was a man simply called the Vault Dweller. On December 5, 2161 at 07:21, he left the Vault with a 10mm pistol, some supplies, and the pre-War coordinates of Vault 15. By then, 13's water chip finally failed, leaving the Vault's residents with just 150 days worth of water reserves.
After braving the dangers of New California, the Dweller finally returned with the chip in February 2162, recovering it from Vault 12 beneath Necropolis, succeeding where Talius failed.[Non-game 1]
The overseer was pleased, in particular because of the rebel faction rising in the Vault, demanding to leave.[3] Upon reviewing the Vault Dweller's report, in particular the mutants at Necropolis, he calculated that the mutant population was far too uniform to be the result of random chance, and concluded that there had to be a factory producing them at a startling rate. Determining it was a threat to the Vault, the Overseer once more sent the Dweller into the wasteland as 13's most capable agent. The Vault Dweller succeeded, locating and assassinating the leader of the mutant army, the Master, and destroying his command center, the Cathedral, in March 2162.[Non-game 2] On April 20, 2162, the Vault Dweller completed his mission, killing the Lieutenant and destroying the Mariposa Military Base containing the FEV vats used to create the mutants.[Non-game 3]
The Vault Dweller returned to Vault 13 in May 2162. However, he was prevented from entering the Vault as the Overseer stood outside the Vault blast door, and stated that, rather than let him back inside as a hero, he was banishing the Dweller into the wasteland, convinced that his presence and exploits in saving the Vault would inspire other dwellers to seek out new lives in the wasteland and abandon Vault 13 entirely (endangering the control group). In preventing this, the Overseer believed that he was saving the Vault.[Non-game 4] However, when the remaining residents learned of what he did, most were disgusted by the Overseer's decision. A faction under Theresa and Lyle eventually formed and rebelled against him, leading to many leaving the Vault anyways in protest. Those who remained believed that the deserters were doomed to perish in the wastes and arrested the Overseer. He was tried and sentenced to death, and the position of Vault overseer was abolished afterward.[4][Note 1]
Layout[]
Cavern entrance[]
The link between Vault 13 and outer world. Remains of Ed are a good warning. There are 20 rats in the cave.
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Entrance[]
The link between Vault 13 and the outside. Here Vault Dwellers can find medical treatment.
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Living quarters[]
The Vault Dwellers sleep here (around 19:00 to 8:00). Also, some are using the rooms for private meetings, like the rebel faction.
Command center[]
The command center where the overseer is located, as well as the Vault library. It is where the overseer maintains the Vault. Nearby is the library, armory, and water supplies room. However, the water guard gives the supplies because there is a thief who steals water. One can "spend some time researching important information" using the Science skill on the westernmost computer and another in the southwest near the entrance.
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Magazine:
Armory:
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Inhabitants[]
- Vault Dweller, the player character
- The overseer, leader of the Vault
- Medic, offering healing services
- Security officer, guarding the armory
- Quest-related
- Theresa
- Water guard and the water thief
- Minor
- Generic
- Former
Related quests[]
- Minor
Notes[]
- The Vault will be inaccessible when starting the game. However, it can be entered after one day has elapsed in-game.
- A random, special encounter in Fallout 2 - find a strange giant time stone portal named the Guardian of Forever. After passing through it, they arrive in Vault 13's command center and break the water purification chip in 2161 before returning to the world map screen.
- The background music "The Vault of the Future" is re-used for Vault 22 in Fallout: New Vegas.
- If the Chosen One leaves a companion inside the Vault, leaves, allows the deathclaw massacre to occur, then returns, said companion will still be alive.
- The Vault-Tec elevator decal has a spelling mistake, saying Vaul Tek.
Appearances[]
Vault 13 appears in Fallout.
Gallery[]
- Areas
- Sprites
- Cutscenes
- Concept art
- Vault 13
- A GURPS Post-Nuclear Role Playing Game
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{138}{}{Where were you from originally?}"
Talius: "{140}{}{Some time ago, I lived in a place far to the north of here. They were having a problem with the water supply and sought out people to find a way to fix it.}"
(Talius' dialogue) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{166}{}{What was the name of this Vault?}"
Talius: "{184}{}{My vault had no name. It was merely numbered 13.}"
(Talius' dialogue) - ↑ Calm rebel faction
- ↑ The Chosen One: "{129}{}{Are you the Overseer?}"
Martin Frobisher: "{172}{}{We don't use that term anymore. There used to be an overseer, many years ago, but he did a bad thing and many of our people left the vault - only to die in the wastes, I'm sure. He was tried and sentenced to death for his crime. We haven't used the title since.}"
(Martin Frobisher's dialogue)
Non-game
- ↑ Fallout Bible 4: "9. Do YOU guys know what that ending of the Hub with ghouls and humans uniting is all about? It says Harold and the VD unite the ghouls and humans of the Hub. Anybody seen more ghouls than Harold in the Hub? Can't be about Necropolis, because it's the ONLY good ending for the Hub."
Although there weren't any ghouls shown in the Hub in Fallout 1, there may have been a handful wandering around in Old Town (kind of like Talius the ghoul in the Boneyard). The ending is more appropriate if you just mentally change the word "ghouls" to "skags." Basically, peace and harmony reign supreme. It's possible several ghouls traveled to the Hub during the Migration after they formed their engineering development house in Necropolis." - ↑ Fallout Bible p.26: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE"
"2162 March 3: Vault Dweller kicks the Master’s ass." - ↑ Fallout Bible p.26: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE"
"2162 April 20: Vault Dweller destroys the Military Base. Dogmeat dies defending his master." - ↑ Fallout Bible p.26: "TIMELINE REPAIR: SECOND STRIKE"
"2162 May 10: Fallout 1 Ends: Vault Dweller returns to Vault 13, only to be told "you're a hero, and you have to leave." Some members of the Vault (led by Lydia, the head of the "return to the surface" faction, and including her supporters, Theresa and Lyle) follow soon afterwards."
Note
- ↑ The overseer may be killed following the goodbye speech if the player has the Bloody Mess trait or enters combat by hitting A.
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