Tres Generaciones: A Fallout Saga

[JustKneller]

Episode Ten: Interlude

I checked the wiki after the end. I had some less than great ending sides. Necropolis had a bad ending, but apparently that is canon. There was a better ending for them, though. The Followers in the Boneyard got a bad ending, but apparently this was guaranteed due to a bug/unfinished content. I didn't get a Hub ending, but apparently the game is kinda fussy about giving you a Hub ending. I would have actually needed to complete the game quicker, I've read, to get better endings. As is, I took more tha one in-game year and canon is somewhere around six to nine months, I believe. Otherwise, it went ok. I guess.

I felt a little meh about my build. I usually plan better but I haven't played the first game in forever so I kinda winged it. I basically took a sniper build and then tried to change gears halfway through because I wasn't going to get an essential perk for it before endgame. Sniper builds are weird in general, even though I tend to play them often for some dumb reason. I don't know why. For those who don't play Fallout, a sniper build is based around a perk called Sniper, which you can only get late in the game at best. The best build for it makes some significant sacrifices until you get to that point. But, really, Sniper is unobtainable in Fallout 1 unless you farm XP. You can get it in Fallout 2, but it's pretty late by the time you do. You can also get it in Fallout Tactics, but by the time you do, there's only about 3% (literally) of the game left. Also, it's probably broken in Tactics.

If I were to do it again, well, I'm not sure what I would do. I'd either pass on Fast Shot (which removes aimed shots), or I would keep it take Small/Big Guns and go crazy with Burst weapons (since bursts can't be aimed anyways. I'd definitely pass on Small Frame. I wouldn't need as much Perception if I'm skipping Sniper. I also wouldn't need as much Luck, however I still might want at least 5 or 6 to avoid the worst critical failures. So yeah, I think I'd either create a higher strength Fast Shot solo commando who goes wild with burst weapons, or do some kind of stealth build since there are non-violent options for most challenges. I'd probably take Bloody Mess as a trait, regardless. It's not canon, but it changes the ending so that you gun down the Overseer after your exile before heading back into the wastes. The violence is a little wonton, but oddly satisfying.

In any event, this is going to change my plan for Fallout 2. It was technically another Sniper build that I've played before (but with a twist). However, this experience has me thinking there is room for improvement. This is not necessarily to make the character more powerful, but it's more to the tune of matching the build to the concept a little better and having a smoother growth arc.

So, one run down, two to go. It is 2162 when Billy is exiled from the vault and 2241 when his grandson begins his fateful quest. What happened in the meantime? Stay tuned!

 

[JustKneller]

Episode Eleven: The End of the Beginning

After Billy left the vault for the last time, the Overseer reported his fate to the other residents. He had expected his decision would be respected, but it actually divided the vault. For once, people in the vault went to bat for Billy. They found Billy's exile to be unjust and put the Overseer on trial to hold him accountable. The vault residents found the Overseer guilty and sentenced him to death. From that point forward, Vault 13 continued without any Overseer.

Some of the residents wanted to see the outside world and were also concerned with what happened to Billy. About a year later, a group of vault dwellers left the vault to seek out Billy and perhaps find a new way to live. Amongst them was Patricia Blais, Billy's long-standing crush. They eventually found their hero in the Hub. Billy was working as a caravan guard for Far Go Traders. With the Hub's crime lord now dead, Far Go was able to run their operation fairly and without any criminal influence. It was honest work, and Billy did well with it.

Billy was brought up to speed on the events in the vault that followed his exile. He was moved that his people actually sought him out and noticed that Patricia was among them. They looked to Billy for advice on how to proceed. Perhaps it was because he spent far more time in the wastes guarding caravans than he spent in any kind of civilization. And, caravan guarding was just something he was doing to put food on the table and pass the time. However, with a group of people working together, he thought they could all make it on their own.

Billy proposed that the lot of them should head north and create their own place. His new “tribe” liked the idea and agreed to follow him. Billy had amassed a small fortune of caps from his journeys and caravan work. He spent all of it on supplies so they could set up their own settlement. From this point forward, they would share everything and take care of each other. The caravan headed north and eventually found a decent place to settle in what used to be the southern reaches of Oregon. They spent the next few years building their new home. Along the way, Patricia noticed Billy in the same way he had always noticed her and they married. By 2167, the village of Arroyo was fully established with Billy and Patricia serving as its leaders. Eventually, the couple had two daughters, Morlis and Rita Peregrino. Billy was happy, for a while, at least. Arroyo felt more like home than Vault 13 ever did.

It was almost twenty years later when things took a turn for the worse. In 2205, Patricia fell ill and eventually passed away. Billy knew that life could end at any time in the wasteland, but that did not keep him from taking this loss especially hard. He become despondent and withdrawn from the tribe. He also started drinking heavily at this time. This marked a dark time for Arroyo, as they had to get by without strong leadership. Morlis tried to tend to the tribe's needs during Billy's estrangement. However, her brash attitude did not serve as a source of support or comfort during these years. In 2208, Billy vanished from Arroyo entirely, leaving behind his vault suit and a book of memoirs.

Billy's fate remained a mystery. However, on the night of his disappearance, a young Hakunin (Arroyo's future shaman) reported seeing Billy wearing his power armor, with alien blaster in hand, departing the village. The shaman-to-be approached their leader and asked where he was heading and Billy replied that he was going “to the fourth dimension”. He walked only a short distance further and shot a single round from the alien blaster into the night sky. Billy was then bathed in a glow from a ray of light coming from above. The ray intensified until Hakunin could no longer look at it. When he could see again, the light had vanished, Billy along with it. Of course, even back then Hakunin had been experimenting with all manner of herbs. His account was considered dubious, even though Billy's power armor and sidearm had disappeared along with the man.

Arroyo was now completely without an elder. Morlis decided she would do the Temple of Trials and take her father's place. However, she did not succeed and therefore would not be Elder. When this happened, Rita started training to take the test herself. Two years later, she completed the Temple of Trials and became the new Elder. This only worsened Morlis' mood and attitude towards the tribe. Under Rita's leadership, two significant changes were made to tribal law. First, she outlawed addictive substances. While she never voiced this openly, she blamed alcohol (at least in part) for her father's disappearance. The other law was that the Elder would be the only member of the tribe that would engage in trade with the outside world. This was partly to keep any prohibited substances from finding their way into the tribe, but also to encourage people to first look to each other for help when it is needed. This law was also inspired by her father's withdrawn behavior before his disappearance.

Even with these drastic changes, Arroyo's situation improved under Rita's leadership. They recovered from the loss of Billy and even began to thrive again. During her time as Elder, she found herself with child. In 2221, Barret Peregrino was born. The father was a mystery and his name was not entered into tribal records. For a short time, rumors had spread that the father was actually Hakunin, who was supposed to be chaste and celibate. With Hakunin and Rita's tents so close together, such a tryst could easily happen under the villagers' noses. This was mostly from a bitter Morlis fanning the flames of gossip and her theory was disregarded quickly enough.

Barret was a healthy and energetic child. He was a little wiry, but still rugged. In a lot of ways, he reminded Rita a lot of her father during his better years. He was quick to learn the ways of the tribe and had an abundance of courage. Even at a young age, Rita (partly in jest) called Barret the "Chosen One”, encouraging his growth to potentially become the next village elder. Barret was not the only one on a path to become the next Elder. Kaga, Barret's friend, who eventually turned into his rival, also had his sights set on leadership. Kaga was always the competitive sort, but as the two grew older it took a dark turn.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode Twelve: A New Hope

Barret and Kaga were thirteen years old when they were out hunting geckos together. This was a part of their rite of passage to adulthood. They each were to hunt and bring back a silver gecko to feed the tribe. The two made a friendly (at least to Barret) bet with each other to see who could catch the biggest gecko. They eventually found a nest and prepared to strike. However, it was they who were hunted when a deadly fire gecko (almost unheard of this far north) came up behind them and struck. Kaga was the intended target, but a fast-thinking Barret deflected its attack with his spear and then knocked it back with a riposte. The two boys then did the smartest thing one should do in that situation. They started running.

With the fire gecko at their heels, it was Kaga's turn to use his spear, but he used it to “accidentally” trip Barret. In his mind, you did not have to run faster than the gecko if you could run faster than the person with whom you were running. Barret hit the ground and the gecko was on him almost instantly. This time the gecko's attack struck true and he had Barret's left arm in between his teeth as fire started to form in his maw. The unbearable pain was only masked, for the moment, by adrenaline. Barret had lost his spear in the fall, but he still had his knife. He drew the blade and plunged it right into the gecko's eye. This sent the lizard reeling back and gave Barret the opportunity he needed to make his escape.

When he returned to the village, and with adrenaline having done its job, he passed out. A worried Kaga did not expect Barret to make it back. He was the first to Barret's bedside to check in on his “friend” and apologize for his blunder. However, Barret was no fool and knew better. As a result of the attack, Barret lost most of the use of his left arm, and being left-handed, this was a major loss. He no longer could handle a spear and could barely get by with a knife in his off-hand. He used to be able to give Lucas, the village martial arts master, a good fight. But now, he just could not find his balance.

After his recovery, Barret tried to keep a positive attitude, despite the loss of his abilities. Due to his physical limitations, he went from being the top hunter to Hakunin's assistant and having a more supportive role in the village. He was a bright kid who had a natural talent for the healing arts and learned well from the shaman. Barret decided that he would follow in Hakunin's footsteps, though his mother would still call him the Chosen One. He never felt that she was disappointed in him. It was more that she never really stopped grieving Barret's loss from the attack.

Barret also tried to forgive Kaga for his moment of weakness. He did not tell anyone about Kaga having tripped him during their escape, at least not on purpose. It was many years later, on his eighteenth birthday, that he took a vision quest with Hakunin with the help of the Herb of Truth. At that time, Kaga had just started his training to attempt the Temple of Trials. During his vision quest, Barret was sent back to the day of the attack. Not entirely cognizant of what he was saying, he narrated the events of the attack as he was reliving them. Hakunin now knew everything. When Barret came out of his vision he saw anger awash over the shaman's face for the first time ever. Hakunin stormed out of the tent before Barret could ask anything and went straight to the village Elder, Barret's mother.

A public trial was called. Kaga attempted to dismiss Barret's confession by claiming he was only trying to sabotage Kaga's chances of becoming Elder. However, because Barret disclosed this information while under the effects of the Herb of Truth in front of Hakunin, what Barret revealed would not be disregarded. Now that the secret was out, Barret admitted that was what happened all those years ago, but that he did not hold a grudge against Kaga for it and supported his bid for Elder. Kaga responded by accusing Barret of being a liar and manipulator. Hakunin stepped in and suggested that Kaga take the Herb of Truth himself and then they would see what they would see. This surprised Kaga and, for a moment, all could see the look of fear on his face. He quickly collected himself and launched into a litany of curses against Barret for his “envy”. But, it was too late. Even though it was brief, the entire village now saw Kaga's true colors.

Kaga continued to refuse the herb and eventually judgement was rendered. Kaga was found guilty and exiled from Arroyo with only a waterskin, knife, and the clothes on his back. He was told that, should he ever be seen again by anyone in the village, he would be hunted down and executed. As he left Arroyo, Kaga cursed the entire village and swore vengeance. As much as Kaga's reputation was destroyed by these events, Barret's reputation improved dramatically. The villagers extolled him for his grace and were relieved that they avoided having someone as conniving and duplicitous as Kaga as an Elder.

The villagers urged Barret to train for the Temple of Trials so he could be the new Elder. Though his confidence in his physical prowess had been undermined for years due to his limitations (and indeed, he was no longer in terribly good shape), the villagers support inspired him to try. Barret started training and many of the villagers helped. Lucas and Jordan attempted to create bare-handed and spear fighting styles that could work with Barret's limitations. Hakunin found new meditations to help Barret develop a deeper wisdom. Almost everyone pitched in, though Morlis was cantankerous as always. She had secretly hoped that her own son, Nagor, would rise to the challenge even though the boy did not have such ambitions. Barret put his heart into his training. He did much better on the mental as opposed to the more physical trainings. Lucas and Jordan's styles helped, but Barret was still rather clumsy with the village's traditional weapons.

A year into his training, misfortune struck Arroyo again, this time in the form of a drought. While the village continued to help Barret with his training, the impact of water scarcity grew in priority. By the second year of Barret's training, Arroyo's situation became critical. Crops were withering and children were getting sick. Barret could have used some more time, but the Chosen One was needed by the village right then. Barret needed to take the test. He needed to succeed. And, he needed to save Arroyo.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode 13: A Holy Man on a Holy Quest

So, what kind of protagonist has Barret turned out to be? Billy was an unarmed fighter that bridged into energy weapons. Barret will be a pure pistoleer with only conventional (not energy) guns. His build is as follows:

Spoiler: A man of modest dreams

4727894
One Hander, Small Frame
Small Guns, Doctor, Speech
Awareness, Magnetic Personality, Healer, Living Anatomy, Bonus Rate of Fire, Better Criticals, More Criticals, More Criticals

I agonized a bit over this build. I even posted on Reddit to get a sounding board (and got some good advice). I don't want to have the same regrets I had with Billy. I really want to capture the concept well. I know I swore off Small Frame after the Fallout 1 run, but it should be ok here. A loadout for a conventional pistoleer is a lot lighter and I'll have more companions. Additionally, it's much easier to mule with companions in the second game due to some system changes. So, really, it should be fine.

I am playing Fallout 2 with the Restoration Project mod which replaces a lot of cut content. If it wasn't for that, I'd max my Agility (currently 9) from the start as there would be no other way to raise it. With the Restoration Project, I'll have the opportunity to get a permanent +1 Agility in a restored location.

The ST of 4 is a bit of a handicap. The best pistols for early and mid-game require a ST of 5. I can still use them, but with a significant accuracy penalty. My ST is good for the early SMGs, but burst weapons with all the companions I'm taking are not a good mix.

This is definitely not an optimized build, but (I think) its the best fit for the concept. Besides, being able to max out his number of companions does as much for him as min-maxing the character. I expect he will be fine.

I have a few self-imposed limitations. Some of it, I baked into the narrative of the previous episode, but here's all my “rules”:

1) No drugs, specifically no addictive chems. I'm even going to avoid stimpacks (for Barret, but likely let companions have them all) and just use healing powder, first aid, and doctor.
2) No bartering. Only the Elder can trade with the outside world and Barret is not the Elder yet. Barret will need to scavenge for what he needs. I will actually be trying to avoid all commerce, but I think there's a quest or two where I need to pony up some money so we'll see. However, I won't be able to liquidate the massive amount of loot in the game at merchants (which breaks the economy fast), so I'll be limited in resources in a variety of areas (particularly ammo for the best weapons).
3) No storage. There's a car with an infinite capacity trunk you can get in the game. I won't be getting that. I'm a nomad and can only keep what I (and companions) can carry.
4) Despite having two quick slots, Barret is one-handed, so he can only have a weapon equipped to a single slot. If he wants to change weapons, he'll have to go into his inventory to swap it out (which can be inconvenient in combat).

I would say this all tracks with the last episode, but if you're just tuning in:

Barret wanted to prove himself to his tribe. He was a slight boy (Small Frame) but quick (AG 9). He lost his talents with the spear and fist (no melee/unarmed tag/lowish ST) due to losing most of the use of his dominant arm in a gecko attack (LK 4, One Hander). Since then, he has spent his days doing much less physical work (EN 2). He helps out the village shaman, Hakunin, and trains in the healing arts (PE 7, IN 8, Doctor tag). He was once in line to become the next Elder, like his mother, but is content with being the successor to the shaman.

Barret's tribe eventually discovered that his disabling accident was perpetrated by a friend turned rival who wanted to take Barret out of the running for Elder. After a trial, where Barret even defended his prior friend for his moment of weakness (Speech tag), the rival was exiled. If it was not for Barret's advocacy, he likely would have been executed on the spot. The tribe was impressed with Barret's grace (CH 7) and urged him to do the Temple of Trials to become the next Elder.

And now, everything is about to change. Having risked life and (remaining) limb to be the Chosen One, he will head into the wasteland to find new allies, discover the way of the gun (Small Guns tag/Combat Perks) and the warrior within will be unleashed.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode Fourteen: You Have to Start Somewhere

Spoiler: Hi, Mom!

Barret met with his mother before starting the Temple of Trials. She told him some things that he already knew. The drought was ruining their crops, people were getting sick, the brahmin were even dying. However, she knew of a solution. Should Barret succeed in the Temple, he was to find something called a Garden of Eden Creation Kit, or a GECK. This would somehow save their village. Barret assured his mother that he would not disappoint their people and left for the Temple.

Spoiler: And so it begins

Barret steeled himself outside of the Temple. He was not afraid of the trial ahead of him, though he felt the gravity of his quest. He had to succeed for the sake of his people.

Spoiler: A swing and a miss

Barret was grateful to the village's masters for teaching him new fighting styles which capitlized on mobility over power. Even though Barret had trouble getting a hit in on the ants and radscorpions, he stayed on the move so they could not get a hit on Barret.

Spoiler: Talking my way out of it

At the end of the gauntlet was Cameron, who said that his final challenge was to best him in hand to hand combat. However, Barret did not think the final test was to be more fighting, especially not against one of his own. He had a way with words and used it to explain why a fight would not be in either of their best interests. Cameron declared his final test a success.

Spoiler: All that for some blue underwear?

Barret approached the tabernacle where the vault suit his grandfather wore was on display. He solemnly removed it from the display and put it on. He had succeed at the Temple of Trials. When his mother stepped down, he would be the new Elder. And now, he was ready for his quest. He head back to the village to report his success and prepare to leave on his journey.

Spoiler: The first step

The Elder gave him a flask with the number “13” on it as a clue. She also gave him some money to purchase things in the outside world. He knew this was a test. He was not Elder yet, and he did not have the authority to trade with outsiders for goods. Not only would he return with the GECK, but he would also return this money to the Elder.

Spoiler: Just a little more training

Jordan and Lucas offered to give Barret a few more pointers on combat to help him on his way. Barret would take all the help he could get.

Spoiler: Father figure

He checked in with all his fellow villagers to say goodbye and to see if they needed anything before he left. He visited Hakunin, who he always saw as a father figure, last. After helping him with a chore, the shaman gifted him with some healing powder and offered to make him more if he could find the herbs for it.

Spoiler: Tooling up

On his way out of the village, he noticed that Mynoc had a particularly keen spear. Barret asked him about it and his friend offered to sharpen his spear if he could get some flint from his Aunt Morlis.

Spoiler: Wicked witch

Aunt Morlis was quite ornery as always. Barret was still able to convince her to help out. After Mynoc sharpened his spear, Barret left the village and started walking east.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode Fifteen: A Dead End

Spoiler: The village people

Barret arrived at Klamath and was...unimpressed. This village did not seem to even have an Elder, just a man that reeked of the forbidden spirits at the entrance to the town. Barret would need to do some exploring.

Spoiler: A clue

He found Vic's shack, further evidenced by a stash of Vault 13 canteens in his dresser. However, there was no Vic or a GECK to be found.

Spoiler: A whole new world

While exploring around town, Barret found a magazine detailing a weapon about which he had only heard stories. These “guns” had the ability to instantly strike an enemy from far away. Many of them could even be used one handed with no difficulty. Barret hoped to find one to replace his spear.

Spoiler: Bugmen!

Barret rested for the night in an abandoned hovel and started fresh the next morning. He saw what appeared to be another “tribal” in the town center. Barret initially thought that starting with Torr the tribal would be his best bet. However, quickly into the conversation, he figured out that this person was not exactly the village wise man. Still, this simple man needed help with some rad scorpions, so Barret helped out of sympathy.

Fun fact, if you are low int yourself, you actually have a very different conversation with Torr.

Spoiler: What the Buck, Chuck?

Barret found that radscorpions were not Torr's only problem. Apparently, he was being targeted by brahmin rustlers. They attempted to recruit Barret into helping with their scheme. Barret was incensed by their ignoble hustle and gave them a dressing down to shame them into better behavior. However, the two miscreants responded by attacking Barret. Fortunately, Barret was a more agile adversary than they expected and the brothers were defeated. From them, Barret procured two sets of spiked knuckles. They would come in handy.

Spoiler: Perk up

Real combat had been an education for Barret and he quickly figured out how to size up the opposition.

Spoiler: I could have been a contender

After helping Torr, Barret further explored the town and met a fellow that helped him with his unarmed combat. He could not wait to try these new tricks and techniques on Lucas when he returned to Arroyo.

Spoiler: Rats, I hate rats

Barret met a villager who had a key to access an otherwise abandoned part of town. It was apparently overtaken by rats, but there was the prospect of finding some old world technology. Barret negotiated for the key.

Spoiler: Ouch

There certainly were rats and one of them managed to get a lucky strike on Barret. He had to fall back and rest up to heal.

That “NPC crippled” bit is weird. I don't have any NPCs with me. I haven't used a stimpack yet. And, for this, I needed my Doctor skill.

Spoiler: Hail to the King

Deep in bowels of the rat warrens was the Rat King. A lucky first punch crippled its leg and slowed it down.

Spoiler: The King is dead

The Rat King, with its crippled leg, could not keep up with Barret.

Spoiler: Could it be?

And there it was. One of those “guns” from that magazine. It felt naturally comfortable, even in Barret's off-hand.

Spoiler: A legend is born

Barret was a natural with this weapon. His first shot instantly killed a large rat. He was elated. Even after all these years, using his right hand was usually a clumsy affair being that he was a lefty. However, when it came to firearms, he was a righty.

Fun fact. This is actually a thing. It's called cross dominance and I have it.

Spoiler: Well, that was a waste

Barret did secure some old world tech on the other side of the rat warrens. However, it was not a GECK. He was not sure what it was, but he left it in Vic's shack. Barret figured the trader would find some use for it when he returned.

So far, Klamath had been a dead end. There is no GECK and Vic was nowhere to be found. Barret returned to the town proper to work out his next steps.

 

[JustKneller]

I've slacked off a bit on journaling, but I'm still playing the run. My big hangup has been screenshots. For some reason, they aren't really grabbing me here and I don't find them to be terribly effective. On top of that, there are some events that are a little hard to screenshot, namely the talking head dialogues. There's often just no one screenshot that captures the essence of the conversation.

At the same time, a wall of text would be hard on the eyes. I've been looking for inspiration from my favorite play report of all time. Zero screenshots. Maximum effect. I mean, really, Dorner covers a lot of content pretty efficiently.

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out a new style/voice for this and the level of detail it should involve.

 

[Antimatter]

It's alright and there are no requirements. Probably you can mix and match.

 

[JustKneller]

Problem #2. I'm at an impasse. I'm level 9 currently. For those who know the game, I finished Klamath, The Den, and Modoc. For RP reasons, I only swung by VC long enough to pick up Cassidy and get Ed to tell me about brahmin drives in the Big Circle where he picked up the V13 flask. That means Broken Hills, New Reno, Redding, the Den, and Modoc. The next logical steps are Broken Hills, New Reno, and Redding, with Redding being the closest next stop.

However, I'm only level 9. I have Sulik, Vic and Cassidy. I intend to pick up Marcus and (eventually) Cat Jules. Redding makes the most sense, but either the Morton brothers or the wanamingos will easily wipe us out. Broken Hills would be the most practical, but I can't survive fixing the mine (I'm not using stims). And, I think I'm even under-leveled for New Reno.

I figure I'm going to have to pick one and power through it, but I'm feeling quite indecisive.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode Sixteen: Retcon Rewind

This is a bit of a character reset. This is less for function and more for roleplay. Barret is still a one-handed pistoleer, but considering the urgency of his quest, I don't feel like I built in a good RP reason to do all the side questing. The flow of play so far has been to do the thing I'm meant to do in each place, and then take a break from the RP to side quest and get some much needed XP. By my third or fourth town, I just stopped feeling it. I make a really subtle change (swapping out Small Frame for Good Natured, lowering IN by 1 to compensate), but it makes a world of RP difference to me. I'll also be trimming down the screenshot curation a bit. As previously mentioned, I'm not finding it terribly effective and it really slows things down.

But, I'm dead set on following through on this triple run. Unlike Baldur's Gate, where the run gets progressively less satisfying and I eventually get annoyed with BG2's munchkiny shenanigans and abandon a run, this is a course that actually gets better (for me) as I go. Fallout 1 is cool enough, I really like the build and the companions in Fallout 2, and then New Vegas has a version of my absolute most favorite character I've built for any rpg I've played. I've been a little distracted lately with some work stuff and other things, but the dust has seemed to settle on all that so I can get back on track.

So, without further ado...

Spoiler: Barret Redux

4727794
One Hander, Good Natured
Small Guns, Doctor, Speech
Awareness, Magnetic Personality, Healer, Living Anatomy, Bonus Rate of Fire, Better Criticals, More Criticals, More Criticals

Everything up to the start of this game (i.e. the backstory) is virtually the same. The gecko attack, Kaga's betrayal followed by the revelation of that betrayal and Kaga's exile.

I also have the same self-imposed rules in play: No drugs for anyone and avoiding stims for Barret (just using healing powder if possible), no storage, no car, and no bartering. I can “procure” items in unowned containers (share and share alike in Arroyo), but I can't pickpocket or take things that will send people hostile. Finally, being one handed, he can only use one quick slot for a weapon. The other can be a tool, first aid kit, etc.

To sum up the concept (edited):

Barret wanted to prove himself to his tribe. He was quick (AG 9), but he lost his talents with the spear and fist (no melee/unarmed tag/lowish ST) due to losing most of the use of his dominant arm in a gecko attack (LK 4, One Hander). Since then, he has spent his days doing much less physical work (EN 2). As of the beginning of our tale, he was helping out the village shaman, Hakunin, and training in the healing arts (PE 7, IN 7, Doctor tag). He was once in line to become the next Elder, like his mother, but was content with being the successor to the shaman.

Barret's tribe eventually discovered that his disabling accident was perpetrated by a friend-turned-rival, Kaga, who wanted to take Barret out of the running for Elder. After a trial, where Barret even defended Kaga for his moment of weakness (Good Natured, Speech tag), the rival was exiled. If it was not for Barret's advocacy, Kaga likely would have been executed on the spot. The tribe was impressed with Barret's grace (CH 7) and urged him to do the Temple of Trials to become the next Elder, and helped him train for the last year.

Now, everything is about to change. Having risked life and (remaining) limb to be the Chosen One, he will head into the wasteland to find new allies, discover the way of the gun (Small Guns) and the warrior within will be unleashed.

 

[JustKneller]

Episode 17: Error and Trial

Spoiler: Mission: Possible

After his accident, Barret never expected he would do the Temple of Trials. But, at the village's behest, the would-be-shaman started the path to become the would-be-Elder. The Temple had its challenges for someone like Barret who lacked an abundance of combat prowess. Fortunately, the new fighting styles he was taught by Lucas and Jordan helped. Barret focused more on mobility and defense, and less on his offense. This let him wear down his enemies slowly while putting himself at minimal risk to their attacks. The end of the trial put him face to face with Cameron. Barret's final test seemed to be that he needed to best Cameron in combat. However, Barret determined that the test was to use diplomacy to explain why combat was not necessary. The lesson therein being that one does not always need to take to spear or fist to solve their problems. Barret passed his final test, retrieved the sacred vault suit from the tabernacle, and returned to the village.

The Elder, his mother, urged Barret to make haste with his quest to find the Holy GECK. He read between the lines on this one. Barret had a tendency to get slightly distracted from matters at hand to help those around him. It was just in his nature. He promised that he would do everything in his power to return with the GECK, but was sure not to mention possibly helping others along the way. The Elder also gave him a bag of small golden discs to use on his journey. He recognized these as the taboo “moneys” that only the Elder should be handling to engage in trade with the outside world. He was not Elder yet and saw this as another test. He would take the “moneys”, but would also return with them, unused, along with the GECK.

Despite saying nothing, he may have still sent the message of his good nature to the Elder. He spoke with everyone in the village before finally leaving, helping his cousin find his dog, helping Hakunin weed his garden, and helping Feargus fix the well. He also took some time for extra lessons with Lucas and Jordan, and Mynoc even helped sharpen his spear (once Barret was able convince his surly Aunt Morlis to part with a piece of flint). Barret finished the Trial during the early sun of one day and finally left the village by the late sun of the next day. He thought the delay was worth it. Barret helped many people in his village and felt much more prepared for this quest.