Fallout 3: Difference between revisions

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** Go to either extreme, and you'll have either ultra-evil mercenaries (if you are good) or vigilante "lawmen" (if you are evil) attack you as random encounters. Also, one perk gives you a substantial bonus to your Speech skill, provided that you maintain a Neutral karma level. To put this in perspective, you can earn enough Karma points to be "Good" or "Evil" before you leave the tutorial level.

* [[0% Approval Rating]]: Despite his soothing, charismatic voice and a virtual monopoly on airtime in Post-nuclear holocaust America, President Eden is widely considered a joke by the people of the Wasteland. In fact many people assume he's either an old pre-war broadcast playing on a loop, or a crazy guy broadcasting from a bunker somewhere. However, when the Enclave makes their appearance on the scene after a 35 year absence, he quickly reaches [[Not So Harmless]] status.

* [[Abandoned Laboratory]]: Vault 87

* [[Abandoned Laboratory]]: Vault 87.

** Nearly all of the Vaults you encounter are the unfortunate aftermaths of one of Vault-Tec's experiments that [[Gone Horribly Right|went horribly right]].

* [[Abnormal Ammo]]: Many of the custom weapons, and some other weapons, use unusual ammunition, but the Rock-It Launcher takes this trope and runs with it (behind the barn for a roll in the hay, then makes it breakfast in the morning), as it fires anything from tin cans to human skulls to [[Empathy Doll Shot|teddy bears]] and after one of the [[Downloadable Content|DLCs]] you will be able to shoot a piece of your own brain.

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* [[All There in the Manual]]: Quite a bit of background information for the Capital Wasteland is included in the Fallout 3 Official Game Guide.

* [[Always Over the Shoulder]]: When in third person.

* [[Always Save the Girl]]: During "Escape!" the Lone Wanderer has several chances to do this with Amata. They can refuse the pistol she offers so that she can use it to protect herself, tell her father that if he lays anything hand on her again, he ''will regret it'', kill guards who attempt to attack her in the Vault Entrance, and finally offer to take her with you into the Wasteland.

* [[Always Save the Girl]]: During "Escape!", the Lone Wanderer has several chances to do this with Amata. They can refuse the pistol she offers so that she can use it to protect herself, tell her father that if he lays anything hand on her again, he ''will regret it'', kill guards who attempt to attack her in the Vault Entrance, and finally offer to take her with you into the Wasteland.

** Subverted since no matter what you do, she will refuse to leave the Vault. ''And'' won't let you stay. {{spoiler|Even on the return trip later in the game.}}

** Subverted since no matter what you do, she will refuse to leave the Vault. ''And'' won't let you stay. {{spoiler|Even on the return trip later in the game}}.

* [[Amusing Injuries]]: It is possible to get blown ''across town'' with a broken leg and a concussion if you stand in the right place when a nuclear-powered car goes up.

* [[Anal Probing]]: The ''Mothership Zeta'' DLC sees the [[Player Character]] abducted on board a spaceship and probed.

* [[An Axe to Grind]]: The Auto-Axe and Variants in ''The Pitt'' and the regular Axe in ''Point Lookout''.

* [[An Interior Designer Is You]]: You can purchase decoration themes for your house as well as useful upgrades such as a workbench, lab table, and a soda machine (it makes your soda cold, improving its HP restoration ability). And any clutter (old books, dinner plates, teddy bears, etc) you can pick up around the game world can be placed in your house. Trying to do the last thing can cause much frustration thanks to a rather wonky physics engine.

* [[An Interior Designer Is You]]: You can purchase decoration themes for your house as well as useful upgrades such as a workbench, lab table and a soda machine (it makes your soda cold, improving its HP restoration ability). And any clutter (old books, dinner plates, teddy bears, etc) you can pick up around the game world can be placed in your house. Trying to do the last thing can cause much frustration thanks to a rather wonky physics engine.

{{quote|'''Singer:''' And when they landed on Plymouth Rock / Plymouth Rock had landed on them!}}

* [[Another Man's Terror]]: One vault in ''Fallout 3'' will put the PC through a lot of this.

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* [[Apocalyptic Log]]: The computer entries of vault residents. Also the holotapes found in Lamplight Caverns of a schoolteacher and her students trapped in a cave after the bombs fell, and after she is gone, the tapes of the first kid elected mayor of Little Lamplight. Nancy Croydon's logs outside Germantown Police HQ.

* [[Arbitrary Maximum Range]]: [[Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale|And it's fairly short by real life standards.]] Can be very annoying to sniper-type players who could easily make the shot in certain games, never mind what an actual sniper could pull off.

* [[Arc Words]] and [[Arc Number]]: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." [[The Bible|-Revelation 21:6]]

* [[Arc Words]] and [[Arc Number]]: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." [[The Bible|-Revelation 21:6]].

* [[Arrow Cam]]: Used for some bullets fired in VATS.

* [[Artificial Stupidity]]: The "Head of State" NPCs' route between the Temple of the Union and the Lincoln Memorial is long, full of double-backs and treks through [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer]]s and subway tunnels.

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** [[Chainsaw Good|Rippers]] deal crazy amounts of damage outside of VATS, but are uncommon and their properties cause them to break down incredibly fast. Auto Axes from ''the Pitt'' DLC share these characteristics, but are heavier with more power.

** The [[BFG|Big Guns]] degrade fast, use lots of ammo (or have single-shot projectiles that are rare/expensive), and getting duplicates for spare parts is much harder than most weapons.

** The giant robot Liberty Prime is as awesome as giant robots go- from his instant-kill eye beams to the nuclear bombs he chucks like footballs, he's a force to be reckoned with... if only they didn't have so much trouble powering the whole thing.

** The giant robot Liberty Prime is as awesome as giant robots go: from his instant-kill eye beams to the nuclear bombs he chucks like footballs, he's a force to be reckoned with... if only they didn't have so much trouble powering the whole thing.

** The Nuclear Anomaly Perk allows you to set off a small nuclear explosion, killing anyone unfortunate enough to be standing to close to you, once your health drops below a certain point. Problem is that at higher difficulty levels, you take too much damage from enemy attacks to go off before you die.

** The Prototype Medic Power Armor. Sure, it boosts a cool Mister Gutsy-esque voice once you wear it, and does alert you when an enemy is near, but it's a double-edged sword when it comes to trying to be stealthy, because of said voice giving away your position when that happens. The enemy will know where you are even if you equip a Stealth Boy after that, and will promptly attack you. Also, once your health is down to about less than 50%, it will automatically administer Med-X to boost your damage resistance assuming you have some in your inventory. It really isn't that useful a feature in combat when you already some perks that boost your DR in combat. On the plus side, since it's power armor, at least you have some DR to begin with, so it isn't too impractical.

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* [[Bi the Way]]: Possible for female player characters who can flirt with Bittercup, hire Nova and show attraction towards Amata. Possibly with Bittercup, who will flirt with a female character, though other characters claim that she has a reputation for promiscuity.

* [[Black and Grey Morality]]: Many of the sidequests, although the [[Karma Meter]] will often have its own ideas about Good and Evil.

** Professor Calvert is a [[Card-Carrying Villain]] who has a bevy of mindless cultists at his disposal and should you choose to serve him, {{spoiler|tries to kill you}} while Desmond is simply someone from before the Great War who has scores to settle. He's also a [[Jerkass]] master of the [[Cluster F-Bomb]], so pick your poison.

* [[Black and White Morality]]: As far as the overarching Struggle Between Good And Evil goes, the factions line up pretty neatly. The Enclave are firmly on the "Evil" side aside from their [[Utopia Justifies the Means]] intentions, and the East Coast Brotherhood are pretty much totally good guys aside from being [[Fantastic Racism|Fantastic Racists]]. Meanwhile the vast majority of the Super Mutants and Raiders are [[Chaotic Evil]]. Whatever your Karma is, [[But Thou Must!|you still have to]] fight for the Brotherhood against the Enclave and Super Mutants to get anything done.

* [[Black Widow]]: The name of a perk, that enables a Female PC to deal more damage to men, and also opens a [[Femme Fatale|lot of dialogue options]] while talking to them. It also has a [[Spear Counterpart]] for male PC's called "Ladykiller" that has the same effect for women.

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* [[Boom! Headshot!]]: Can go [[Pretty Little Headshots|either]] [[Your Head Asplode|way]] depending on the damage you deal. If you have Bloody Mess perk, then most of the time you get [[Ludicrous Gibs|something else entirely]].

** Combined with [[Sneak Attack]] [[Critical Hit]]s, most enemies can be taken down with a [[One Hit KO]].

* [[Booze-Based Buff]]: Alcohol boosts charisma and strength at a cost to intelligence, and like all chems there is a risk of getting addicted. The Party Boy/Party Girl perk in ''Broken Steel'' eliminates the withdrawal effects, though.

* [[Booze-Based Buff]]: Alcohol boosts charisma and strength at a cost to intelligence, and like all chems there is a risk of getting addicted. The Party Boy/Party Girl perk in ''Broken Steel'' eliminates the withdrawal effects though.

* [[Boring but Practical]]: The hunting rifle (and especially its unique incarnation, Ol' Painless). Bolt action, ugly as sin. Will kill what you need dead, spare parts and ammo are staggeringly abundant. Until you get into the game's top-tier items it remains a workhorse gun for most encounters, and some players stand by Ol' Painless as one of the best guns in the game.

** [[Guide Dang It|If you can find it,]] the Xuanlong Assault Rifle. A unique Chinese Assault Rifle, with an expanded magazine and jacked up stats. More than powerful enough to buzzsaw Raiders and Mutants apart.

** [[Guide Dang It|If you can find it]], the Xuanlong Assault Rifle. A unique Chinese Assault Rifle, with an expanded magazine and jacked up stats. More than powerful enough to buzzsaw Raiders and Mutants apart.

** The Silenced 10mm Pistol. Easily repairable, plentiful ammo, and obtainable early on, if you need someone dead quickly and quietly without alerting every hostile in range during the early parts of the game, this comes in very handy.

* [[Brain In a Jar]]: Professor Calvert in Point Lookout. Also, the heads of a certain kind of robot, the Robobrain, appears to be nothing more than a brain in a dome full of liquid.

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'''Guard:''' What?

'''Argyle:''' LOTUS KICK!

'''Guard:''' Aieee! }}

'''Guard:''' Aieee!}}

* [[Canon Shadow]]: You can take Charon into Tenpenny Tower or Fawkes into the Citadel, and no-one so much as remarks on it, despite other members of their respective races having shoot-on-sight status. ''New Vegas'' dragged your companions closer into the limelight with companion sidequests.

* [[Captain Obvious]]: Charon, Fawkes, and RL-3 in ''Take It Back!'' [[Forgot I Could Fly|suddenly remember they're rad-immune]] if you have Broken Steel.

* [[Captain Obvious]]: Charon, Fawkes and RL-3 in ''Take It Back!'' [[Forgot I Could Fly|suddenly remember they're rad-immune]] if you have Broken Steel.

* [[Cartography Sidequest]]: Given by Reilly; you'll get caps for every location you discover since the last time you visited her.

* [[Chainmail Bikini]]: Many of the Raider outfits on a female character, but especially the Raider Bombshell Armor from ''The Pitt''.

* [[Chainsaw Good]]: Rippers.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Once you first behold Liberty Prime, you know that he's going to be kicking some ass by the end of the game.

** "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." -[[The Bible|Revelation 21:6]] {{spoiler|That is to say, '216' is the code to activate the purifier at the end of the main story arc.}}

** "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." -[[The Bible|Revelation 21:6]}. {{spoiler|That is to say, '216' is the code to activate the purifier at the end of the main story arc}}.

* [[Chocolate-Frosted Sugar Bombs]]: Known simply as "Sugar Bombs". The cereal pieces are even shaped like miniature nukes.

* [[Christianity Is Catholic]]: Wadsworth, the Robotic butler in your house in Megaton, jokes: "Photons have Mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic."

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* [[Cluster F-Bomb]]: Both in [[NPC]] dialogs as well as [[Enemy Chatter]].

** In particular there are Mayor MacCready of Little Lamplight (particularly striking since [[Troubling Unchildhood Behavior|he's eleven at most]]) and Desmond Lockheart from Point Lookout. Neither of them seem capable of forming a sentence without swearing.

* [[Collection Sidequest]]: Finding all of the Vault-Tec Bobbleheads in the Capital Wasteland; collecting all 100 steel ingots in ''The Pitt''; finding thirty Nuka-Cola Quantum for ''The Nuka-Cola Challenge.''

* [[Collection Sidequest]]: Finding all of the Vault-Tec Bobbleheads in the Capital Wasteland; collecting all 100 steel ingots in ''The Pitt''; finding thirty Nuka-Cola Quantum for ''The Nuka-Cola Challenge''.

* [[Color Wash]]: The entire game is overlaid with a very noticeable green color filter, which can be disabled via modding.

* [[Comically Missing the Point]]: Sierra Petrovita in Girdershade is blissfully clueless that her self-appointed protector Ronald Laren is only sticking around in the hopes of having sex with her. Even when he's obviously (to the player) hitting on her.

* [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard]]: Certain weapons have a special effect of dealing additional damage per hit that ignores damage resistance. The catch? This only activates when an enemy NPC is using it against ''you''.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: At the end of the ''Trouble On the Homefront'' quest, {{spoiler|Amata's informing you that you must leave the vault forever now}} intentionally mirrors the ending of the first Fallout.

* [[Continuity Nod]]: At the end of the ''Trouble On the Homefront'' quest, {{spoiler|Amata's informing you that you must leave the vault forever now}} intentionally mirrors the ending of the first ''Fallout''.

* [[Cool Plane]]: The Enclave's Vertibirds.

* [[Cool Shades]]: Lucky Shades

* [[Cool Shades]]: Lucky Shades.

* [[Cool Versus Awesome]]: Mothership Zeta. A samurai, a cowboy, a wastelander, a soldier two centuries out of place, a [[Plucky Girl]], and you versus hundreds of little green aliens.

* [[Cool Versus Awesome]]: Mothership Zeta. A samurai, a cowboy, a wastelander, a soldier two centuries out of place, a [[Plucky Girl]] and you versus hundreds of little green aliens.

* [[Cool, Clear Water]]: Averted. All water 'in the wild' is radioactive, the only clean water comes out of purifiers. Particularly jarring in Oasis, an [[Arcadia]] which otherwise looks like it was pulled straight out of ''Oblivion.''

* [[Cool, Clear Water]]: Averted. All water 'in the wild' is radioactive, the only clean water comes out of purifiers. Particularly jarring in Oasis, an [[Arcadia]] which otherwise looks like it was pulled straight out of ''Oblivion''.

* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: Tranquility Lane, a computer simulation in {{spoiler|Vault 112}}, where a little girl (who's actually {{spoiler|Dr. Braun}}) forces you to perform a series of increasingly evil acts before letting you leave {{spoiler|with your father.}}

* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: Tranquility Lane, a computer simulation in {{spoiler|Vault 112}}, where a little girl (who's actually {{spoiler|Dr. Braun}}) forces you to perform a series of increasingly evil acts before letting you leave {{spoiler|with your father}}.

* [[Crapsack World]]: The entire ''Fallout'' series takes place [[After the End|after a nuclear war between America and China.]] Which actually makes the world ''better'' in a lot of ways, oddly enough—the prewar world was pretty Crapsack-y to begin with if the little tidbits of history you can find are any indication.

** Unlike Nevada in the sequel game [[Fallout: New Vegas]], The Capital Wasteland is almost completely uncivilized. There are a few isolated settlements, the largest being housed in a derelict aircraft carrier. The rest are a few tiny shanty towns like Megaton, and Tenpenny tower which is a holdout for a few rich cowards. The rest of the area is populated by opportunistic raiders, hostile animal life and super mutants. Unlike New Vegas and the NCR, there is no agriculture to speak of, and absolutely no manufacturing of any kind. Any tools and weaponry to be found are from scavenged ruins.

** Unlike Nevada in the sequel game ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', The Capital Wasteland is almost completely uncivilized. There are a few isolated settlements, the largest being housed in a derelict aircraft carrier. The rest are a few tiny shanty towns like Megaton, and Tenpenny tower which is a holdout for a few rich cowards. The rest of the area is populated by opportunistic raiders, hostile animal life and super mutants. Unlike New Vegas and the NCR, there is no agriculture to speak of, and absolutely no manufacturing of any kind. Any tools and weaponry to be found are from scavenged ruins.

* [[Creepy Child]]: Betty.

* [[Creepy Cleanliness]]: Vault 112. [[Lotus Eater Machine|There's a good reason for that.]]

* [[Cruel and Unusual Death]]: See [[Gorn]] and [[Ludicrous Gibs]].

* [[Cruel and Unusual Death]]: See [[Gorn]] and [[Ludicrous Gibs]] below.

* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: The ''Take It Back!'' quest.

* [[Cut Lex Luthor a Check]]: There's some very interesting people wandering the wasteland with fantastic skills that could be used for the betterment of humanity. Take The Mechanist, able to build and maintain a small army of combat-ready robots, or the Surgeon, a random [[Mad Scientist]] implied to be able to control ghouls and super mutants via computer chip implants.

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== Tropes D-G ==

* [[Dark-Skinned Redhead]]: You can set your race to Hispanic or Afro-American and get a head of blood crimson hair through the customization screen.

* [[Death From Above]]: The Highwater Trousers Easter Egg, and {{spoiler|how the Enclave destroy Liberty Prime in the Broken Steel expansion.}}

* [[Death From Above]]: The Highwater Trousers Easter Egg, and {{spoiler|how the Enclave destroy Liberty Prime in the Broken Steel expansion}}.

* [[Defector From Decadence]]: {{spoiler|Old Man Harris used to be one of the lunatics in Andale until he had a [[Heel Realization]] and realized just how batshit insane his family had become and how horribly fucked up what they practiced really was. In fact, if you kill them all he not only thanks you for what you did, but he also take in their children and promises to teach them how to be something other than practitioners of [[Villainous Incest]] and being prone to [[I'm a Humanitarian]].}}

* [[Defector From Decadence]]: {{spoiler|Old Man Harris used to be one of the lunatics in Andale until he had a [[Heel Realization]] and realized just how batshit insane his family had become and how horribly fucked up what they practiced really was. In fact, if you kill them all he not only thanks you for what you did, but he also take in their children and promises to teach them how to be something other than practitioners of [[Villainous Incest]] and being prone to [[I'm a Humanitarian]]}}.

* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: Moria Brown's book can be this in-universe, if you decide to be a jerk and feed her misinformation. As Three-Dog says for the low-quality version, "It'll get you killed faster than you can say 'Hug a deathclaw.'" However the Pip-Boy notes for it do state that it's a pretty good beginners guide, when it's not wildly inaccurate.

** The same book becomes a [[Continuity Nod]] in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', where it becomes the skill book for the new ''Survival'' skill. Which would seem to indicate that the canonical Lone Wanderer did the job properly.

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** The Mr. Gutsy robots do the same.

* [[Disaster Democracy]]: The Republic of Dave. There's even a quest titled ''Election Day'' that lets you [[Vote Early, Vote Often|manipulate the election result]].

* [[Disc One Final Boss]]: The (most likely) first Behemoth you come across, {{spoiler|just outside of Galaxy News Radio.}}

* [[Disc One Final Boss]]: The (most likely) first Behemoth you come across, {{spoiler|just outside of Galaxy News Radio}}.

* [[Disc One Nuke]]: The Replicated Man's plasma rifle can be obtained ''very'' early in the game if you know where to look for it; getting it doesn't involve combat or dungeon exploration, and it is one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

** On your way to GNR studios, quite early in the game if you follow the main quests, you'll find a dead Brotherhood of Steel member and can loot his Power Armor. Unfortunately in this game you need special training to wear it and so it can't be used yet. However, your ''henchmen'' suffer no such drawback and can slip it on right away. You can then repair the suit with any armor the Behemoth kills shortly after, and your henchman will be pretty much invincible until the Enclave shows up.

** On your way to GNR studios, quite early in the game if you follow the main quests, you'll find a dead Brotherhood of Steel member and can loot his Power Armor. Unfortunately in this game, you need special training to wear it and so it can't be used yet. However, your ''henchmen'' suffer no such drawback and can slip it on right away. You can then repair the suit with any armor the Behemoth kills shortly after, and your henchman will be pretty much invincible until the Enclave shows up.

*** On top of that, that same corpse is also carrying a Fat Man, and the optional objective tells you to pick it up so you can use it against said Behemoth, giving you a ''literal'' Disc One Nuke.

*** On top of that, that same corpse is also carrying a Fat Man, and the optional objective tells you to pick it up so you can use it against said Behemoth, giving you a ''literal'' [[Disc One Nuke]].

** The best armor in the game can be accessed quite early with the Operation: Anchorage DLC. Completing the DLC near the start of the game will open access to the Winterized T-51b Power Armor. It requires Power Armor Training but the simulation before unlocks the ability after you complete it. In total, the helmet and the armor, collectively offers 55 damage resistance (only standard Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor or special Enclave Power Armor matches it), +33 radiation resistance, and +1 charisma. Both parts of the suit also have the highest item hit points in the game (Helmet: 999,100/100 hit points and Armor:9,992,000/100 hit points) effectively meaning they will never break and require repair or lose any damage protection points.

** The best armor in the game can be accessed quite early with the ''Operation: Anchorage'' DLC. Completing the DLC near the start of the game will open access to the Winterized T-51b Power Armor. It requires Power Armor Training but the simulation before unlocks the ability after you complete it. In total, the helmet and the armor, collectively offers 55 damage resistance (only standard Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor or special Enclave Power Armor matches it), +33 radiation resistance, and +1 charisma. Both parts of the suit also have the highest item hit points in the game (Helmet: 999,100/100 hit points and Armor:9,992,000/100 hit points) effectively meaning they will never break and require repair or lose any damage protection points.

* [[Disney Death]]: With the ''Broken Steel'' DLC, {{spoiler|the original sacrifice at the end of the game becomes a two week coma, both for the PC and Sentinel Lyons (~~Unless~~ Lyons, even though more or less better than you, is sent in which means death)}}.

* [[Disney Death]]: With the ''Broken Steel'' DLC, {{spoiler|the original sacrifice at the end of the game becomes a two week coma, both for the PC and Sentinel Lyons (unless Lyons, even though more or less better than you, is sent in which means death)}}.

* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: Death is the only punishment for ''almost'' any crime in the wasteland. From murder to lockpicking a crate of vendor goods to stealing a bottle of Nuka-Cola, everyone in the vicinity will open fire. And God help you if you try to open the door to GNR studios before the all-clear is sounded. The only crime people don't attack you on-sight for is pickpocketing—they give you a warning, ''then'' they attack you.

** It is justified in the context of the situation. With no official form of criminal justice and scarce resources, even petty theft would actually be akin to a capital offense in the eyes of a community trying to survive on its own.

* [[Doomed Hometown]]: Vault 101.

* [[Downloadable Content]]: There were five DLC'S released for ''Fallout 3'': Operation Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta.

* [[Downloadable Content]]: There were five DLC'S released for ''Fallout 3'': ''Operation: Anchorage'', ''The Pitt'', ''Broken Steel'', ''Point Lookout'' and ''Mothership Zeta''.

* [[Drop the Hammer]]: Quite a lot can be found, also one of the favorite melee weapons for super mutants. They go from hand-hammers that are classed as [[Vendor Trash]], to wieldable sledgehammers, up to the mighty [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Super-Sledge]].

* [[Egopolis]]: The Republic of Dave, formerly the Kingdom of Tom, and potentially later Bobland or Bobtopia.

* [[Eldritch Location]]: The Dunwich Building. {{spoiler|You have hallucinations showing you how the place used to look in prewar times, doors open and shut randomly, and some items move about at their own accord. And then there's the Obelisk, with its highly radioactive nature, and ghostly whispers emanating from it. And the kicker? You enter the building from the north...but once inside, the door you just came in through is at the ''southern'' end.}}

* [[Eldritch Location]]: The Dunwich Building. {{spoiler|You have hallucinations showing you how the place used to look in prewar times, doors open and shut randomly, and some items move about at their own accord. And then there's the Obelisk, with its highly radioactive nature, and ghostly whispers emanating from it. And the kicker? You enter the building from the north... but once inside, the door you just came in through is at the ''southern'' end}}.

** [[Shout-Out|Considering]] [[The Dunwich Horror|the name...]]

** It's also later involved in disposing of a "holy" book with decidedly Lovecraftian elements.

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* [[Evil Is Petty]]: Trying to play as an evil character can result in this at times. Many of the quests in the game are heavily skewed toward the Good end of the scale, especially if you want the best rewards available. Even if you make it clear to the NPCs that you're a selfish, greedy, money-grubbing bastard who's only doing it for the rewards, you still get Good Karma at the end. The result is a lot of random acts of theft and/or violence to offset this.

* [[Evil Versus Evil]]: Crowley and Tenpenny.

** Alternately, {{spoiler|Roy Phillips}} and Tenpenny. Though it just seems like [[Black and Gray Morality]] at first glance.

** Talon Company vs the Super Mutants. The two factions can often be found engaged in turf wars over the downtown ruins.

*** Well, they may not be fighting turf wars. Talon Company may be waging a defensive war. After all, would you want all your mercs being killed by big yellow monsters who are so inarticulate that their most well known line is "Hurry up and die! I'm hungry!"?

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* [[Expansion Pack]]: Several, including one that changes a much-reviled element of the ending.

* [[Explosive Leash]]: The Paradise Falls slave collars.

** The Pitt Bridge (from The Pitt [[Downloadable Content|DLC]]) is an indirect example. In addition to crossing the most irradiated body of water in the game, it is mined and choked with [[Every Car Is a Pinto|exploding cars]].

** The Pitt Bridge (from ''The Pitt'' [[Downloadable Content|DLC]]) is an indirect example. In addition to crossing the most irradiated body of water in the game, it is mined and choked with [[Every Car Is a Pinto|exploding cars]].

* [[Exposition of Immortality]]: Many of the ghouls you can encounter in Underworld lived through the war and can tell you what, frequently little, they can remember of the time before. Carol was born in 2051, twenty-six years prior to the Great War. Meanwhile, some of Fawkes' dialogue implies that he was alive during the initial FEV experiments conducted in Vault 87.

* [[Face Heel Turn]]: {{spoiler|Defender Sibley}} at the end of ''Operation Anchorage''.

* [[Fantastic Racism]]: According to the Enclave, their ultimate goal is to ensure Humanity's survival... too bad their definition of Humanity is Enclave and Vault-born Humans only. If you were born in the Wasteland, the Enclave considers you ''impure''.

** This potentially may be part of the reason why {{spoiler|The Overseer despises the Lone Wanderer and his/her father. Also why drinking tainted Aqua Pura kills you.}}

** This potentially may be part of the reason why {{spoiler|The Overseer despises the Lone Wanderer and his/her father. Also why drinking tainted Aqua Pura kills you}}.

** The Enclave's primary opposition, the Brotherhood of Steel, isn't much better. Both the [[Anti-Mutiny]] and Outcast factions don't have a high opinion of Wastelanders (Vault-born or otherwise), though the former is more tolerant. If you're a Ghoul or a Super Mutant, the Brotherhood and the Enclave are going to shoot you.

** This makes the mutual non-aggression between the Ghouls and Super Mutants stand out more, even if the reason is more practical than ideological. The Ghouls just want be left alone. The Super Mutants leave the Ghouls alone since they're terrible (or even non-viable) as mutation stock.

* [[Fantastic Slurs]]: Ghouls calling unmutated humans 'Smoothskins' (weirdly enough, even some who don't seem to mind humans overall still use the epithet), humans calling ghouls 'zombies', and Three Dog and the Brotherhood of Steel calling Super Mutants 'Frankensteins' and 'Uglies'. Even 'ghoul' presumably started out this way, before being [[Appropriated Appellation|reclaimed]] once they started forming their own societies.

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Capital Wasteland / Lyons Brotherhood of Steel detachment has some resemblance to early Prussia.

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Capital Wasteland/Lyons Brotherhood of Steel detachment has some resemblance to early Prussia.

* [[Fast Forward Mechanic]]: There is a "Wait" action.

* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: Whatever happens to prisoners of the Super Mutants. It can be surmised that they in fact {{spoiler|get dunked in FEV to transform into more Super Mutants.}}

* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: Whatever happens to prisoners of the Super Mutants. It can be surmised that they in fact {{spoiler|get dunked in FEV to transform into more Super Mutants}}.

** If they don't just [[I'm a Humanitarian|eat]] you first...

** Braun if you {{spoiler|activate the Chinese invasion.}} Everyone else in Tranquility Lane if you don't.

** Braun if you {{spoiler|activate the Chinese invasion}}. Everyone else in Tranquility Lane if you don't.

* [[Five-Man Band]]: Your [[Ragtag Band of Misfits]] in ''Mothership Zeta''.

** [[The Hero]]: You, obviously

** [[The Hero]]: You, obviously.

** [[The Lancer]]: Somah, your first ally and the only one from the same timeframe as you.

** [[The Big Guy]]: Paulson, a cowboy sheriff and general tough guy.

** [[The Smart Guy]]: Elliot, the [[Combat Medic]] who adapts some of the alien technology you find into workable items

** [[The Smart Guy]]: Elliot, the [[Combat Medic]] who adapts some of the alien technology you find into workable items.

** [[The Chick]]: Sally, also a [[Tagalong Kid]], she helps you free the others and guides the group around the ship.

** [[The Sixth Ranger]]: Kago, a Japanese samurai, the communication barrier results in him eventually heading off on his own, only to pull a [[Big Damn Heroes]] during the final battle.

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** Although if you save just before the entrance to the Wasteland, you can simply reload that save and create an entirely new character from there, so you really only ''have'' to play through it once.

** The trouble being that some decisions made before that point affect the ''Trouble on the Homefront'' Quest and the availability of a recruitable NPC.

* [[Foreshadowing]]: [[Genius Bonus|If you happen to know]] the geography of a certain country that gained notoriety in literature, you should know what to expect in the village of Arefu as it shares the name with {{spoiler|a commune in Romania where stands Poenari castle, seat of Vlad III, commonly known as Dracula}}.

** Another is the Dunwich Building. Just by virtue of knowing [[H.P. Lovecraft|where the name comes in]], you know to load up before you head in...

** "No one ever enters, and no one ever leaves." {{spoiler|Riiiiiight...}}

** "No one ever enters, and no one ever leaves." {{spoiler|Riiiiiight}}...

** After the quest "The Superhuman Gambit", the kid Derek Pacion suggest that the Wanderer can become a superhero, followed by deathclaws. In Broken Steel, the Wanderer can use Enclave controlled deathclaws against them.

** After the quest "The Superhuman Gambit", the kid Derek Pacion suggest that the Wanderer can become a superhero, followed by deathclaws. In ''Broken Steel'', the Wanderer can use Enclave controlled deathclaws against them.

** Buy Charon's contract, and he'll part ways with his loathsome former master with a shotgun to the head. If you have bad karma and release him from the contract, he'll try the same on you.

** Revelation 21:6 starts, "I am am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end..." The first time you hear this as at the beginning of the story (and of your life). Guess at what other point this passage becomes relevant.

** Revelation 21:6 starts, "I am am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end...". The first time you hear this as at the beginning of the story (and of your life). Guess at what other point this passage becomes relevant.

* [[Four Eyes, Zero Soul]]: Mr. Burke

* [[Four Eyes, Zero Soul]]: Mr. Burke.

* [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampires]]: {{spoiler|The Family}} is a group of reformed cannibals, modeling themselves after classic vampire lore to curb their cravings for human flesh. Most of them, including their leader, are quite friendly and civil, and are [[Noble Demon]]s at the very worst. You'll have the option of making a deal with them to secure blood packs so they no longer have to feed on people, and protect the settlement that was once terrified of them. You can even become one too.

* [[Future Imperfect]]: Rivet City historian Abraham Washington. Justified to an extent by the loss of records in the war.

** One of the tutorial quests has this exact name.

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* [[Gatling Good]]: Miniguns and Gatling Lasers make a return here. Though extremely powerful, they have even stronger unique versions if you really need to dish out the hurt.

* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Fawkes.

* [[Giant Enemy Crab]]: Mirelurks

* [[Giant Enemy Crab]]: Mirelurks.

* [[Giant Mook]]: Super Mutant Behemoths.

* [[Giant Robot]]: Liberty Prime

* [[Giant Robot]]: Liberty Prime.

* [[Give Him a Normal Life]]: Dad expected you to stay in the vault and live a (relatively) normal, safe, and happy life after he leaves for the Capital Wasteland. [[Irony|Too bad him leaving the vault is what prevents that from ever happening.]]

* [[Gladiator Subquest]]: The Hole in ''~~the~~ Pitt'' DLC. Which, oddly enough, is part of the add-on's main questline.

* [[Gladiator Subquest]]: The Hole in ''The Pitt'' DLC. Which, oddly enough, is part of the add-on's main questline.

* [[Gorn]] / [[Ludicrous Gibs]]: The Bloody Mess perk, which gives a high chance of any enemy the player kills to gib ludicrously regardless of how they die.

** Laser weapons can reduce the subject to a pile of ash if they kill on a [[Critical Hit]]. Plasma weapons reduce the target to green goo.

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*** Influence from Chinese Remnant forces, most likely.

* [[Grenade Tag]]: Reverse pickpocketing grenades. There's even an achievement for it.

* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: The central theme in ''~~the~~ Pitt'' DLC: you're faced with a real kicker of a choice. You can aid the slave rebellion, which wants to destroy the raider army oppressing them (who really are evil jerks) and kidnap the boss' baby daughter so they can try to create a cure for a massively degenerative disease from her. However, the raider army's the only thing bringing food into the Pitt other than the meat of 'Trogs', the degenerated semi-humans created by the disease, and they have no scientific or medical knowledge and won't treat that baby well. Or you can side with the genuinely good intentioned Lord Ashur, who leads the slaves and raiders so that he can create an industrial powerhouse that'll be free of disease so he can conquer the surrounding area to provide food, shelter and medicine for everyone. Complicating the matter is that the future of The Pitt's people isn't examined, and the player's actions to aid either side could lead to the city prospering or perishing either way through circumstances not explored.

* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: The central theme in ''The Pitt'' DLC: you're faced with a real kicker of a choice. You can aid the slave rebellion, which wants to destroy the raider army oppressing them (who really are evil jerks) and kidnap the boss' baby daughter so they can try to create a cure for a massively degenerative disease from her. However, the raider army's the only thing bringing food into the Pitt other than the meat of 'Trogs', the degenerated semi-humans created by the disease, and they have no scientific or medical knowledge and won't treat that baby well. Or you can side with the genuinely good intentioned Lord Ashur, who leads the slaves and raiders so that he can create an industrial powerhouse that'll be free of disease so he can conquer the surrounding area to provide food, shelter and medicine for everyone. Complicating the matter is that the future of The Pitt's people isn't examined, and the player's actions to aid either side could lead to the city prospering or perishing either way through circumstances not explored.

* [[Grimy Water]]: Dirty, irradiated water is the norm rather than the exception.

* [[Guilt Based Gaming]]: Tell Clover to get lost. She (almost) starts to cry and asks, "But... but what did ''I'' do?"

* [[Guilt Based Gaming]]: Tell Clover to get lost. She (almost) starts to cry and asks, "But... but what did ''I'' do?".

== Tropes H-K ==

* [[Happy Fun Ball]]: The Giddyup Buttercup machines in ''Mothership Zeta.''

* [[Happy Fun Ball]]: The Giddyup Buttercup machines in ''Mothership Zeta''.

* [[Have You Tried Rebooting]]: The computer used to reach Vault 87 appears to be non-functional. To proceed, you have to ask one of the children why it doesn't work (that child turned it off), and ask him to head to the terminal to turn it back on.

* [[Herr Doktor]]: A [[Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate|Morally Ambiguous]] one named [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|Braun]], no less...

* [[Historical Villain Upgrade]]: General Jingwei from the Anchorage simulation is arguably an in-universe example. First thing you see him do is execute an American POW in cold blood; also he's one of the strongest human NPCs.

* [[Holding Out for a Hero]]: Quite a few sidequests involve NPCs who appear to be patiently waiting for some to show up and solve their problems. In the less obvious cases, they're implied to have been at a stalemate for a long time, and getting an external agent to intervene [[Justified Trope|is the only way to feasibly break it]] (e.g., Arefu).

* [[Holding Out for a Hero]]: Quite a few sidequests involve NPCs who appear to be patiently waiting for some to show up and solve their problems. In the less obvious cases, they're implied to have been at a stalemate for a long time, and getting an external agent to intervene [[Justified Trope|is the only way to feasibly break it]] (e.g. Arefu).

* [[Hollywood Density]]: In ''The Pitt'' expansion you are sent on a quest to collect 100 ''steel'' ingots. If you collect them all in one go, then they stack and only weigh as much as the first ingot, but if you collect some, turn them in and then go back, then they still stack but their weight quickly adds up, so both playing the trope straight and averting it at the same time.

* [[Hollywood Density]]: In ''The Pitt'' expansion, you are sent on a quest to collect 100 ''steel'' ingots. If you collect them all in one go, then they stack and only weigh as much as the first ingot, but if you collect some, turn them in and then go back, then they still stack but their weight quickly adds up, so both playing the trope straight and averting it at the same time.

* [[Hollywood Night]]: The night in Fallout is always about as bright as a clear, moonlit night.

* [[Hollywood Night]]: The night in ''Fallout'' is always about as bright as a clear, moonlit night.

** It really depends on your brightness setting.

* [[Homemade Inventions]]: All the custom weapons. Note that you yourself can't come up with them, you have to find the schematics first.

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* [[Hope Sprouts Eternal]]: One interpretation, and quest completion option, of the Oasis.

* [[Hot Dad]]: [[In-Universe]], James is apparently considered this by several characters.

* [[Hulk Speak]] / [[You No Take Candle]]: The super-mutants talk in mono-syllabic grunt-like speech. Subverted with Fawkes, who retained his intelligence and as such, although he speaks in the same style as the other super-mutants, is a lot more articulate.

* [[Hulk Speak]]/[[You No Take Candle]]: The super-mutants talk in mono-syllabic grunt-like speech. Subverted with Fawkes, who retained his intelligence and as such, although he speaks in the same style as the other super-mutants, is a lot more articulate.

* [[Human Resources]]: The Little Lamplight caverns produce a kind of edible fungus which scrubs rads ''and'' cures health, and is thus enthusiastically gobbled up by the kiddies. Sounds too good to be true? {{spoiler|It's best fertilized by human flesh.}}

* [[Human Resources]]: The Little Lamplight caverns produce a kind of edible fungus which scrubs rads ''and'' cures health, and is thus enthusiastically gobbled up by the kiddies. Sounds too good to be true? {{spoiler|It's best fertilized by human flesh}}.

* [[Humongous Mecha]]: Liberty Prime. It is also a bit of a Deconstruction, in that it takes a lot of power to operate. {{spoiler|Reconstructed at the end, in a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]}}

* [[Humongous Mecha]]: Liberty Prime. It is also a bit of a Deconstruction, in that it takes a lot of power to operate. {{spoiler|Reconstructed at the end, in a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]]}}.

* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: Some weapon names, such as Man Opener, Jack (a unique Ripper), Rock-it Launcher, Board of Education, etc.

* [[Idiot Ball]]: Surely the Overseer realizes the lack of genetic stock in the Vault means that every person he has murdered on a whim brings the Vault one step closer to eventually dying out due to inbreeding?

** This is actually one of the arguments you can use to convince him to step down as Overseer. His reaction suggests that he was aware of the problem but chose to downplay its significance because it conflicted with his ideology.

** By the time you have the option to {{spoiler|use the FEV Virus to wipe out all mutated life in the Wasteland, you can't have missed the fact that this will also mean that ''you'' will be poisoned as well. ''You were born in the Wasteland''.}}

** By the time you have the option to {{spoiler|use the FEV Virus to wipe out all mutated life in the Wasteland, you can't have missed the fact that this will also mean that ''you'' will be poisoned as well. ''You were born in the Wasteland''}}.

* [[If You Know What I Mean]]: Knickknack salesman Crazy Wolfgang is delighted to know that you take such an interest in his junk. Of course, no one could possibly be more invested in his junk than him, but he appreciates the enthusiasm anyway.

* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]: {{spoiler|Strange Meat ''[[Soylent Green|is PEOPLE!]]''. The Town of Andale is full of cannibals.}}

* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]: {{spoiler|Strange Meat ''[[Soylent Green|is PEOPLE!]]''. The Town of Andale is full of cannibals}}.

** One of the available perks can make you a humanitarian, too.

* [[Improbable Power Discrepancy]]: The Tribals and Swampfolk in ''Point Lookout'', who are nearly naked and equipped with 19th century rifles and woodcutting axes, are significantly tougher and more dangerous than the [[Powered Armor]] wearing [[Elite Mooks]] of the Enclave (or even the energy-shield-equipped alien soldiers in ''Mothership Zeta'').

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** [[Zero Wing|You have no chance to survive]] [[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series|in America?]]

* [[Irony]]: James just wanted you, his only son/daughter, to live a quiet, safe, and peaceful existence on your own while he snuck out of the vault into the wasteland in pursuit of his of shattered dreams. Too bad that the very act him leaving is what forced you out of the vault and into danger anyways.

** {{spoiler|Liberty Prime destroying the last remnants of the American Government.}}

** {{spoiler|Liberty Prime destroying the last remnants of the American Government}}.

** The Brotherhood of Steel's original mission in the Capital Wasteland was to recover lost technology and the Outcasts left because Elder Lyons made the decision that helping the local Wastelanders was more important than their original goal. By the end of the game (especially with the add-ons) the Brotherhood of Steel has made entirely new weapon systems, reactivated a super robot from the Pre-War period that single handily curb stomped the Enclave, and have recovered so much of the Enclave's advanced technology that they are practically swimming in it. No good deed goes unrewarded, eh?

* [[Item Crafting]]: With a workbench, some schematics, and delightfully [[Vendor Trash|random junk]], you can create some of the most powerful (and [[Rule of Cool|coolest]]) weapons in the game with no fuss.

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* [[Joke Item]]: Some of the weapons you find are totally useless, such as BB gun and pool cue which you are better off using your fists.

* [[Katanas Are Just Better]]: The katana in the game is well above average.

* [[Kill Sat]]: The Enclave use one in Broken Steel {{spoiler|to destroy Liberty Prime}}. You can also use it at the end of Broken Steel to either destroy the Enclave's mobile base, or to blow up the Citadel. Doing the latter, however, earns you a [[What the Hell, Hero?]] response.

* [[Kill Sat]]: The Enclave use one in ''Broken Steel'' {{spoiler|to destroy Liberty Prime}}. You can also use it at the end of Broken Steel to either destroy the Enclave's mobile base, or to blow up the Citadel. Doing the latter, however, earns you a [[What the Hell, Hero?]] response.

** The main game features one [[Reporting Names|code-named Highwater Trousers]], which is controlled from a radar station in the north-central area of the wasteland. It's mainly an [[Easter Egg]].

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== Tropes L-O ==

* [[Large Ham]]: An amusing one in the Rivet City hotel if you successfully lockpick the owner's door.

** Mr. Buckingham: YOU HAVE INSULTED MY HONOR AND FOR...THAT YOU MUST DIE! *flamethrower*

** Mr. Buckingham: YOU HAVE INSULTED MY HONOR AND FOR... THAT YOU MUST DIE! *flamethrower*

* [[Large Ham Radio]]: Three Dog.

* [[Lethal Joke Item]]: The Dart Gun doesn't seem very powerful (low damage, moderate poison effect), but note the additional effect: "Damage left/right leg (-1000 points)". That's right, it instantly cripples ''any'' organic enemy, transforming Ghouls, Yao Guai, Deathclaws, Mirelurks and even Super Mutant Behemoths into limping target practice. Oh, and it's a totally silent, zero spread weapon that does more overall damage than the Silenced 10mm Pistol - you can quietly headshot half of Evergreen Mills with a high enough Small Guns skill.

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* [[Little Green Men]]: You can find the corpse of one. In the ''Mothership Zeta'' expansion pack, you find out it wasn't alone.

* [[The Load]]: Almost anyone you have to escort as part of a quest. On the other hand, you can give them your armor and weapons which makes them slightly less useless. ''Slightly''.

* [[Logic Bomb]]: With high enough science skill, you can do this to get {{spoiler|President Eden}} to self destruct.

* [[Lost Forever]]: Actually quite a few places cannot be revisited. This includes Raven Rock, the Mobile Base Crawler in ''Broken Steel'', and a lot of areas on the alien ship in ''Mothership Zeta''. Vault 101 is a slight case, you do revisit it but only once, and once you complete the quest in there you can't come back.

* [[Lotus Eater Machine]]: Vault 112 and Tranquility Lane.

* [[Master Computer]]: {{spoiler|President John Henry Eden, a.k.a. a ZAX supercomputer that has become sentient.}}

* [[Master Computer]]: {{spoiler|President John Henry Eden, a.k.a. a ZAX supercomputer that has become sentient}}.

* [[Meaningful Name]]:

** Mr. Burke doesn't just sound like "berk", he's also named after a famous Victorian grave robber. Even that doesn't hint at quite how evil he is.

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* [[Mega Corp]]: The Capital Wasteland houses the former headquarters of a corporation that is guarded by robotic sentries with shoot to kill orders, ran trial tests that resulted in several deaths, and is more concerned with stock loss than the death or dismemberment of its employees. No, they are not a military contractor or a pharmaceutical company. They make soft drinks.

* [[Mercy Kill]]: The "good" way to end the Tranquility Lane simulation is to kill everyone inside it, sparing them from their torturer, while leaving the torturer trapped there forever.

* [[A Million Is a Statistic]]: In ''~~the~~ Pitt'' DLC, kidnapping {{spoiler|Ashur's daughter}} vs. leaving the anonymous Pitt Slaves to their fate are considered roughly equal in terms of moral weight.

* [[A Million Is a Statistic]]: In ''The Pitt'' DLC, kidnapping {{spoiler|Ashur's daughter}} vs. leaving the anonymous Pitt Slaves to their fate are considered roughly equal in terms of moral weight.

** Though to be fair, no one said that the aftereffects would be good after said Rebellion. {{spoiler|Wernher might just be a power hungry former lieutenant of Ashur, so who knows if there's anything DIFFERENT if he's in charge. And if YOUR in charge, what they gonna do after you go leave?}}

** Though to be fair, no one said that the aftereffects would be good after said Rebellion. {{spoiler|Wernher might just be a power hungry former lieutenant of Ashur, so who knows if there's anything DIFFERENT if he's in charge. And if YOUR in charge, what they gonna do after you go leave}}?

* [[Mind Screw]]: Vault 106, full stop.

* [[Mistaken for Gay]]: In Moriarty's Saloon, if a male character talks to a male Megaton resident, sometimes they'll say "This isn't that kind of bar."

* [[Money for Nothing]]: Fairly quickly you'll find yourself swimming in caps with nothing to spend them on. The things you'd want to spend money on can be found easily by looting enemies and checking every container you see, and what you don't keep can be sold. The best weapons and armor are naturally quest rewards, and once you have them other equipment is only useful for repairs, and if you don't need to repair anything they're [[Vendor Trash]]. There's also numerous unmarked quests that reward you substantial amounts of caps for bringing someone certain types of item, and can be repeated indefinitely. Just keep in mind which junk items to hoard (Sugar Bombs, Blood Packs, etc.) and where to trade them in.

* [[Money for Nothing]]: Fairly quickly, you'll find yourself swimming in caps with nothing to spend them on. The things you'd want to spend money on can be found easily by looting enemies and checking every container you see, and what you don't keep can be sold. The best weapons and armor are naturally quest rewards, and once you have them other equipment is only useful for repairs, and if you don't need to repair anything they're [[Vendor Trash]]. There's also numerous unmarked quests that reward you substantial amounts of caps for bringing someone certain types of item, and can be repeated indefinitely. Just keep in mind which junk items to hoard (Sugar Bombs, Blood Packs, etc.) and where to trade them in.

** Rare ammo for guns like the magnum and sniper rifle are the exception. You will have more than enough caps to buy a few hundred bullets for them, but no one has that much to sell.

** Most irritatingly, merchant inventories are dictated by player level. Meaning that a level 6 [[Player Character|Lone Wanderer]] with 15000 caps will find that no one is willing to sell him a Chinese Assault Rifle until he gains a few levels.

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* [[Musical Theme Naming]]: Interestingly, even many of the original songs on the soundtrack are named after hit tunes by The Ink Spots, such as "Whispering Grass" and "When the Swallows Return" ("When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano").

* [[Mysterious Protector]]: The Mysterious Stranger, a [[Trenchcoat Brigade|trenchcoat-and-fedora-clad]] man who shows up in VATS occasionally to kill a target for you.

* [[Mythology Gag]]: One of the random passwords that occurs in the hacking minigame is Cochise, the name of the [[Master Computer]] [[Big Bad]] from ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'', the spiritual precursor of ''Fallout''. Also, in ''Wasteland'' one of your dialogue options while speaking with Cochise was to ask it how you could kill it. You can ask the exact same question of this game's [[Master Computer]] [[Big Bad]], {{spoiler|President Eden}}. Both of them respond by telling you that they're far beyond your ability to inflict physical damage.

* [[Mythology Gag]]: One of the random passwords that occurs in the hacking minigame is Cochise, the name of the [[Master Computer]] [[Big Bad]] from ''[[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]'', the spiritual precursor of ''Fallout''. Also, in ''Wasteland'', one of your dialogue options while speaking with Cochise was to ask it how you could kill it. You can ask the exact same question of this game's [[Master Computer]] [[Big Bad]], {{spoiler|President Eden}}. Both of them respond by telling you that they're far beyond your ability to inflict physical damage.

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: "Deathclaw"? Hey, that sounds cuddly...

* [[Negate Your Own Sacrifice]]: Averted in the original game, to the anger of the fans -- {{spoiler|none of your radiation-immune teammates can be made to do the final task for you}}. That was fixed in the expansion pack, but they still call you a coward for not doing it yourself. Pragmatism is dead in the wasteland.

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* [[Nerf]]ed: Colonel Autumn's unique laser pistol was originally full-auto, allowing it to fire as fast as a Gatling Laser and making it almost as powerful.

** Enclave soldiers in general, compared to their ''Fallout 2'' counterparts, mostly as a result of how vastly different the combat engines in ''Fallout 2'' and ''Fallout 3'' are.

* [[Nicknaming the Enemy]]: Ghouls refer to humans as "Smoothskins." However, it's not clear whether this is necessarily a slur, as even friendly, sympathetic Ghouls refer to humans as this, sometimes even to their faces. On the other hand, when humans refer to Ghouls as "Zombies," it's ''definitely'' intended to be derogatory.

* [[Nicknaming the Enemy]]: Ghouls refer to humans as "Smoothskins". However, it's not clear whether this is necessarily a slur, as even friendly, sympathetic Ghouls refer to humans as this, sometimes even to their faces. On the other hand, when humans refer to Ghouls as "Zombies", it's ''definitely'' intended to be derogatory.

* [[No Good Deed Goes Unpunished]]: If you've reached Good karma, the Talon Company Mercs will go after your head, calling you a "holier-than-thou white-knight". It matters little for some people though, since it also means more things to kill. That turns into more XP, ammo, armor, and weapons, as well as [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|more things]] [[Catharsis Factor|to shoot at]].

* [[No Good Deed Goes Unpunished]]: If you've reached Good karma, the Talon Company Mercs will go after your head, calling you a "holier-than-thou white-knight". It matters little for some people though, since it also means more things to kill. That turns into more XP, ammo, armor and weapons, as well as [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|more things]] [[Catharsis Factor|to shoot at]].

** If you've reached Evil karma, you get [[Can't Get Away with Nuthin'|the same]] but with a different set of people after you, namely [[Vigilante Man|the Regulators]]. But again, [[Trigger Happy|more people to blow away]].

** If you've managed to reach both Evil karma and Good karma at least once, you get ''both'' after you giving you [[Up to Eleven|even more]] people to kill. If both groups are near, you can also potentially [[Set a Mook to Kill a Mook|set them to kill themselves]] [[Pass the Popcorn|since they're hostile to the other group]]. Never leaving Neutral karma will avoid the hit squads.

* [[No One Could Survive That]]: {{spoiler|Colonel Autumn, you, and Sentinel Lyons. Autumn clearly injects himself with some sort of [[Applied Phlebotinum]] before being hit with the radiation wave, while Lyons was outside the control room and therefore took a less powerful blast. You, on the other hand, have no such explanation for your survival.}} However, {{spoiler|you do ultimately survive even if you go into the room, which kills Lyons, so maybe the Lone Wanderer is just that much more durable to this situation.}}

* [[No One Could Survive That]]: {{spoiler|Colonel Autumn, you, and Sentinel Lyons. Autumn clearly injects himself with some sort of [[Applied Phlebotinum]] before being hit with the radiation wave, while Lyons was outside the control room and therefore took a less powerful blast. You, on the other hand, have no such explanation for your survival}}. However, {{spoiler|you do ultimately survive even if you go into the room, which kills Lyons, so maybe the Lone Wanderer is just that much more durable to this situation}}.

* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: The Cure in ''~~the~~ Pitt'' expansion. Justified - {{spoiler|it's a baby.}}

* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: The Cure in ''The Pitt'' expansion. Justified - {{spoiler|it's a baby}}.

* [[Obvious Beta]]: Getting stuck in the scenery in the Wasteland, constant crashing, missing textures, an innumerable number of bugs that cause the game to hang (including the giant [[Badass]] anti-communist robot refusing to move, which ''always seems to happen once every playthrough''), Radscorpions and Brahmin spawning stuck in the ground half the time, the [[Play Station 3]] version locking up if one of your friends signed into PSN (patched, thankfully), framerate and control lag that randomly appears to the point where you have to reset on the ''console versions'', all the Operation: Anchorage equipment being glitched somehow, The Pitt being completely unplayable at launch, Broken Steel making your companions invincible and have Three Dog spoil the entire game even if you just left the Vault...Seriously, it can get really bad at times. Thankfully, there are plenty of unofficial patches that clean things up a bit...unless of course you have the console version, in which case, you're completely screwed, because the official patches barely fixed a thing. At least this one has a higher ratio of [[Good Bad Bugs]] compared to New Vegas, although it's really no less buggy overall.

* [[Obvious Beta]]: Getting stuck in the scenery in the Wasteland, constant crashing, missing textures, an innumerable number of bugs that cause the game to hang (including the giant [[Badass]] anti-communist robot refusing to move, which ''always seems to happen once every playthrough''), Radscorpions and Brahmin spawning stuck in the ground half the time, the [[Play Station 3]] version locking up if one of your friends signed into PSN (patched, thankfully), framerate and control lag that randomly appears to the point where you have to reset on the ''console versions'', all the ''Operation: Anchorage'' equipment being glitched somehow, ''The Pitt'' being completely unplayable at launch, ''Broken Steel'' making your companions invincible and have Three Dog spoil the entire game even if you just left the Vault... Seriously, it can get really bad at times. Thankfully, there are plenty of unofficial patches that clean things up a bit... unless of course you have the console version, in which case, you're completely screwed, because the official patches barely fixed a thing. At least this one has a higher ratio of [[Good Bad Bugs]] compared to ''New Vegas'', although it's really no less buggy overall.

* [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome]]: In ''Broken Steel'' when you wake up two weeks have passed since the end of the game. Apparently while you were under the Brotherhood was systematically tracking down the Enclave remnants with help from Liberty Prime.

* [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome]]: In ''Broken Steel'', when you wake up two weeks have passed since the end of the game. Apparently, while you were under the Brotherhood was systematically tracking down the Enclave remnants with help from Liberty Prime.

* [[One-Time Dungeon]]: Completionists would be advised to grab the collectible Energy Weapons bobblehead during the brief Raven Rock sequence...Since once the door shuts behind you, you're never getting back in there.

* [[One-Time Dungeon]]: Completionists would be advised to grab the collectible Energy Weapons bobblehead during the brief Raven Rock sequence... Since once the door shuts behind you, you're never getting back in there.

** Several areas in ''Mothership Zeta'' can only be explored once, particularly frustrating since there's an achievement for finding alien captive logs in those areas, and they're quite easy to miss.

* [[Only One Female Mold]]: Even the old wrinkle faced women have young shaped bodies.

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** Averted when it comes to enslaving enemies. Even putting a slave collar on the most evil [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|village burning raider]] or cruel Talon mercenary gets you a lot of bad karma point, while blowing up their heads leaves your karma meter unblemished. Apparently [[Even Evil Has Standards]].

* [[Peek-a-Boo Corpse]]: Stepping on a skeleton causes the same rumble feedback as a bear trap or tripwire. It doesn't do any damage, it's just there to make you jump.

* [[Perky Goth]]: Bittercup, much to the annoyance of the other denizens of Big Town (mostly because she would rather [[Skewed Priorities|look for makeup components than keep an eye out for Super Mutants, etc.)]].

* [[Perky Goth]]: Bittercup, much to the annoyance of the other denizens of Big Town (mostly because she would rather [[Skewed Priorities|look for makeup components than keep an eye out for Super Mutants, etc)]].

* [[Phlebotinum Battery]]: You can get a perk called "Solar Powered" which gives you massive stat bonuses in the daylight.

* [[The Plot Reaper]]: {{spoiler|Liberty Prime}} takes a nuke to the face in the first mission of the ''Broken Steel'' expansion to the main quest. Otherwise, you'd be wondering why he couldn't just curb-stomp the entire Wasteland for you.

* [[Point and Click Map]]

* [[Pokémon-Speak]]: "Gary!" - although from their intonation it sounds more like they're calling the name of [[Cloning Blues|one of the other Garys]].

** Bingo in ''~~the~~ Pitt''.

** Bingo in ''The Pitt''.

* [[The Pollyanna]]: Moira Brown, who takes everything from her bleak surroundings to her catastrophically failed experiments to her own ghoulification with the same sunny enthusiasm. [[Break the Cutie|Breaking her spirit]] by persuading her to give up her Guide project is treated as a [[Moral Event Horizon|special kind of evil]].

* [[Powered Armor]]: Standard issue for the Brotherhood of steel and the Enclave

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{{quote|'''Talon Company Merc:''' I want this one's head on a fucking platter!

'''Super Mutant:''' I'll wear your bones around my NECK, human!

'''Sergeant RL-3:''' Do that again and I'll put ''my boot so far up your ass you'll cough up boot polish!'' }}

'''Sergeant RL-3:''' Do that again and I'll put ''my boot so far up your ass you'll cough up boot polish!''}}

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: Every Vault-Tec Overseer. Well, except Braun.

** The Vault 101 Security guards you have to gun down to escape. The alternative with some of them is to let them be killed by Radroaches.

* [[Puny Earthlings]]: Subverted with ''Mothership Zeta'', while the aliens possess powerful guns, without energy shields, they are just as frail (if not moreso) as any given human. A sextet of humans (~~The~~ Player, a Samurai wearing vintage armor and a katana, a Cowboy wearing ordinary clothing and carrying a revolver, an Anchorage [[Combat Medic]], another Wastelander, and a little girl) are capable of completely wrecking an entire shipful of spacemen.

* [[Puny Earthlings]]: Subverted with ''Mothership Zeta'', while the aliens possess powerful guns, without energy shields, they are just as frail (if not moreso) as any given human. A sextet of humans (the Player, a Samurai wearing vintage armor and a katana, a Cowboy wearing ordinary clothing and carrying a revolver, an Anchorage [[Combat Medic]], another Wastelander and a little girl) are capable of completely wrecking an entire shipful of spacemen.

** Abominations play this somewhat straight, as they are definitely a threat if they close in, but their lack of shielding puts them at a disadvantage if you spot them beforehand and open fire.

* [[Put on a Bus]]: {{spoiler|Doctor Li}} in ''Broken Steel''. Characters state that she was tired of the conflict in the Capital Wasteland and decided to take a trip to the Commonwealth. Some of the pre-''Broken Steel'' dialogue implies that {{spoiler|she was in love with your dad, and his death and your near-death}} pretty much destroyed her emotionally.

* [[Putting on the Reich]]: The Enclave Officers.

* [[Quintessential British Gentleman]]: The Mr Handy robots.

* [[The Quisling]]: {{spoiler|Anna Holt.}} [[Karma Houdini|And it's]] ''[[Karma Houdini|still]]'' [[Karma Houdini|wrong to kill her]].

* [[The Quisling]]: {{spoiler|Anna Holt}}. [[Karma Houdini|And it's]] ''[[Karma Houdini|still]]'' [[Karma Houdini|wrong to kill her]].

* [[Railing Kill]]: Happens quite often if your target is on catwalk or the like. But most notably {{spoiler|Colonel Autumn}} if you shoot him where he stands.

* [[Rare Candy]]: The Vault-Tec Bobbleheads, and to a lesser extent, skillbooks.

** Also the Here and Now perk.

* [[Real Is Brown]]: Or gray, if you're in D.C. [[Justified]] since the region was nuked to within an inch of its life.

* [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old]]: Most of your allies in ''Mothership Zeta.''

* [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old]]: Most of your allies in ''Mothership Zeta''.

* [[The Remnant]]: The East Coast Enclave is all that's left of the Enclave, which was destroyed by the ''[[Fallout 2]]'' player character. Then in "Broken Steel", you fight the remnant of ''that'' remnant.

* [[The Remnant]]: The East Coast Enclave is all that's left of the Enclave, which was destroyed by the ''[[Fallout 2]]'' player character. Then in ''Broken Steel'', you fight the remnant of ''that'' remnant.

** Also the Chinese Remnants, ghoulified pre-War espionage agents hiding out in {{spoiler|a factory in D.C.}}

* [[Restraining Bolt]]: Every robot has one of these on its back.

** It doubles as a [[Morality Chip]]; it's the only thing stopping that jovial Mr. Handy (or any other robot) from going on a blood-soaked rampage.

* [[Retired Badass]]: Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood, old adventurer and one of the nicest guys in the capital wasteland.

** James, the Lone Wanderer's father. This is a man who {{spoiler|19 years previously, left the safety of Rivet City and set off across the Capital Wasteland to Vault 101, ''with his newborn child in tow''.}}

** James, the Lone Wanderer's father. This is a man who {{spoiler|19 years previously, left the safety of Rivet City and set off across the Capital Wasteland to Vault 101, ''with his newborn child in tow''}}.

* [[Revolvers Are Just Better]]: Averted with the .32 pistol, a revolver that is actually one of the weakest guns in the game. The Scoped .44 Magnum on the other hand is among the best of the available pistols.

* [[Roar Before Beating]]: Feral ghouls and Zeta's alien abominations. This is not a free action—they tend to get shot up doing it.

* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: All of Mothership Zeta. NOBODY abducts and anal-probes the Lone Wanderer and gets away with it.

* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: All of ''Mothership Zeta''. NOBODY abducts and anal-probes the Lone Wanderer and gets away with it.

* [[Robo Speak]]: Most robots, smarter ones use [[Spock Speak]] instead.

* [[Rube Goldberg Device]]: There's one [[Easter Egg|hidden]] in the Gold Ribbon Grocer's. After deliberately stepping on a [[Schmuck Bait|pressure plate]] the chain reaction leads to useful tools and ammo falls from the ceiling.

* [[Rule of Cool]]: The entire game basically ''runs'' on [[Rule of Cool]].

* [[Rule of Drama]]: The original ending forces the player {{spoiler|to make a heroic sacrifice. Even though logically speaking, several of your potential companions could ''easily'' perform the action for you and be unharmed.}} But the companions will refuse to help, with their reasoning being essentially "It's simply more dramatic if ''you'' do it."

* [[Rule of Drama]]: The original ending forces the player {{spoiler|to make a heroic sacrifice. Even though logically speaking, several of your potential companions could ''easily'' perform the action for you and be unharmed}}. But the companions will refuse to help, with their reasoning being essentially "It's simply more dramatic if ''you'' do it."

* [[Scary Scorpions]]: Radscorpions, who have no [[Boom! Headshot!|weak point]]. The Giant and Albino versions even more so.

* [[Scavenger World]]: With a fair amount of [[Survivalist Stash|SurvivalistStashes]].

* [[Scenery Gorn]]: The view of downtown DC from the top of the Washington Monument is equal parts breathtaking and horrifying.

* [[Scenery Gorn]]: The view of downtown D.C. from the top of the Washington Monument is equal parts breathtaking and horrifying.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: {{spoiler|Oasis}} Also, various places such as downtown Washington, D.C., Arlington Cemetery, the northwestern area of the map ... pretty much anything that isn't in the central, southwestern, or northeastern portions of the world map.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: {{spoiler|Oasis}}. Also, various places such as downtown Washington, D.C., Arlington Cemetery, the northwestern area of the map... pretty much anything that isn't in the central, southwestern or northeastern portions of the world map.

{{quote|'''Three Dog:''' Have any of you kiddies ever seen... a ''tree''? [...] Somewhere out in the Wasteland is a place with ''lots'' of trees, a veritable oasis of green in a [[Real Is Brown|depressing sea of brown]]...}}

* [[Second-Hour Superpower]]: The Pip Boy 3000 and the V.A.T.S targeting system is given to you during your 10th Birthday Party.

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* [[Short-Range Long-Range Weapon]]: All the guns in the game have an [[Arbitrary Maximum Range]], but it can be especially noticeable with the sniper rifle. Sniper-type players are known to fail to make long-distance shots that would have been possible in some other games, never mind [[Real Life]]. The bullet simply disappears before it reaches its target.

* [[Shout-Out]]: Way too many to list here, but the ''Mad Max'' films are referenced most prominently. A full list can be found [http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_cultural_references here.]

** In the Georgetown townhouse there is a robot that says a very familiar poem for those who have read Ray Bradbury (actually that whole house is a reference to that short story)

** In the Georgetown townhouse, there is a robot that says a very familiar poem for those who have read Ray Bradbury (actually that whole house is a reference to that short story).

** The Mysterious Stranger carries a .44 Magnum. The Mark Twain story ''[[The Mysterious Stranger]]'' has an alt title: ''No. 44''.

** The Dunwich building is named after ''[[The Dunwich Horror]]'' by [[H.P. Lovecraft]] and has a suitably Lovecraftian atmosphere. The good karma ending to a quest given on Point Lookout involves taking a ''[[Tome of Eldritch Lore|Necronomicon]]'' [[Expy]] there to be destroyed.

** Tenpenny Tower is possibly a shoutout to [[Land of the Dead]], where a corrupt leader has an elitist refuge against the outside world under threat by [[Fantastic Slurs|zombies]].

** Tenpenny Tower is possibly a shoutout to ''[[Land of the Dead]]'', where a corrupt leader has an elitist refuge against the outside world under threat by [[Fantastic Slurs|zombies]].

** In the game's opening, one of the images shown is the head of a statue, lying amongst a pile of rubble. This could be reminiscent of the poem [[Percy Bysshe Shelley|"Ozymandias"]], as is the [[Look on My Works Ye Mighty and Despair|general theme of the entire game]].

** You find a highly-intelligent Super Mutant named Fawkes in Isolation Cell 5 of a vault that was a secret government installation testing the use of gene and germ therapy on unwilling subjects. [[V for Vendetta|Sound familiar?]]

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* [[Slave Mooks]]: Crimson and Clover.

* [[Sniper Pistol]]: The Scoped .44 Magnum, one of the best standard pistols in the game.

* [[Songs in the Key of Lock]]: {{spoiler|Tranquility Lane has a hidden computer interface that allows you to shut it down}}; accessing it requires a musical code based on {{spoiler|the [[Leitmotif]] you can hear on the soundtrack}} and which {{spoiler|Betty}} occasionally whistles to herself.

* [[Sophisticated As Hell]]: Desmond from the ''Point Lookout'' add-on is quite eloquent. He's also a walking [[Cluster F-Bomb]].

* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: The radio on your Pipboy is [[Soundtrack Dissonance]] on demand. With it, you have the choice of listening to either uplifting golden oldies music from the 50s, patriotic American army music, or even violin sonatas while going around and killing random mutants and animals.

** {{spoiler|Tranquility Lane}} takes it [[Up to Eleven]] with it's constant usage of an uplifting theme while you're busy committing murder. For bonus points, that happy little jingle {{spoiler|is the [[Songs in the Key of Lock|musical key]] to triggering the simulation's failsafe.}}

** {{spoiler|Tranquility Lane}} takes it [[Up to Eleven]] with it's constant usage of an uplifting theme while you're busy committing murder. For bonus points, that happy little jingle {{spoiler|is the [[Songs in the Key of Lock|musical key]] to triggering the simulation's failsafe}}.

* [[Speech Impediment]]: Biwwy of Widdle Wampwi- er, Little Lamplight. If you feel like being a jerk to a little kid, you can tell him to stop talking like that, but he will say he doesn't know what you are talking about. He'll trade you his Wazer Wifle (the item is actually named this in the game interface) for caps, or give it to you for free if you have the Child At Heart perk.

* [[Spiritual Successor]]: To Bethesda's run on the ''[[Terminator]]'' games from the 1980s to 1990s. Ironically, the ''Broken Steel'' add-on for this game would be released within the same month as ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' and its video game tie-in.

* [[Spock Speak]]: Mr Handy and Mr Gutsy robots, each have English butler and [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]] voice respectively. Also, the Prototype Medic Armor.

* [[Stealth Pun]]: James is shown to have an affinity for scotch throughout the game. Scotch, a type of whiskey, gets its name from the Gaelic 'usquebaugh', which translates into modern English as...wait for it..."water of life".

* [[Stealth Pun]]: James is shown to have an affinity for scotch throughout the game. Scotch, a type of whiskey, gets its name from the Gaelic 'usquebaugh', which translates into modern English as... wait for it... "water of life".

* [[Stopped Clock]]: Every single clock you see is stopped at the exact time the Chinese attack occurred. Seems like some of them would have been wind-up or something...

** There is not one purely mechanical clock to be seen anywhere; not even a little bedside model.

* [[Stripperiffic]]: The worn slave wear from The Pitt and some of the Raider wardrobes. Also, the Sexy Sleepwear and the Naughty Nightwear.

* [[Stripperiffic]]: The worn slave wear from ''The Pitt'' and some of the Raider wardrobes. Also, the Sexy Sleepwear and the Naughty Nightwear.

* [[Stronger with Age]]: The East Coast super mutants function this way, going all the way up to the [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Super Mutant Behemoth]].

* [[Subliminal Seduction]]: The true purpose of Vault 92 was to brainwash its residents—all musicians—through white noise seeded through the speaker system and recording equipment, with the purpose to make them ultra-loyal super-soldiers upon receiving a simple command phrase. [[Foregone Conclusion|Naturally]], [[Ax Crazy|things]] [[Insane Equals Violent|went]] [[Gone Horribly Wrong|horribly]] ''[[Gone Horribly Wrong|horribly]]'' [[Gone Horribly Wrong|wrong]].

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* [[This Is No Time for Knitting]]: In ''The Adventures of Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood'', the following exchange occurs:

{{quote|'''Penelope Chase''': Why is your Ghoul friend picking their pockets? This is no time for sticky fingers, Daring!

'''Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood''': It's not what he's taking out, my dear, but rather what he's putting in! DUCK AND COVER! }}

'''Herbert 'Daring' Dashwood''': It's not what he's taking out, my dear, but rather what he's putting in! DUCK AND COVER!}}

* [[Throwaway Country]]: In ''Mothership Zeta'', you can use the [[Death Ray]] to zap part of [[Canada, Eh?|Canada]].

* [[Too Awesome to Use]]: Some may have difficulty using weapons that have rare ammo or cannot be repaired except by merchants. In the case of weapons like the Alien Blaster, it has both a finite ammo limit AND it is unique and cannot be repaired by the player.

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** The Ninth Circle's proprietor, Ahzrukhal. He knows that Charon really hates his guts and is [[Obstructive Code of Conduct|only held in check by a contract]]. Ahzrukhal will still let the Lone Wanderer buy the contract off him.

** To a lesser extent, feral ghouls, since they ''always'' announce they've detected the player with a distinctive screech that lasts about three seconds, giving an attentive marksman plenty of time to line up a shot.

* [[Tortured Abomination]]: {{spoiler|Harold.}}

* [[Tortured Abomination]]: {{spoiler|Harold}}.

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: {{spoiler|Andale.}}

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: {{spoiler|Andale}}.

* [[Trauma Inn]]: ANY bed will heal you, but owned or rented ones give you an XP-generation bonus for a short time afterwards.

* [[Try Not to Die]]: One of Moira Brown's cheerful ways of saying goodbye whenever you end a conversation with her. Also, Everett in The Pitt.

* [[Universal Ammunition]]: Semi-realistically averted. If a weapon is the same caliber as a given round, it can fire it, (e.g. .32 rounds work in both the .32 revolver and the hunting rifle). This is not ''quite'' how it works in [[Real Life]], but it's better than many games do at it.

* [[Universal Ammunition]]: Semi-realistically averted. If a weapon is the same caliber as a given round, it can fire it (e.g. .32 rounds work in both the .32 revolver and the hunting rifle). This is not ''quite'' how it works in [[Real Life]], but it's better than many games do at it.

** One serious screw-up is Lincoln's Repeater, a unique [[wikipedia:Henry rifle|Henry lever-action rifle]] chambered for .44 Magnum ammunition (same as the aforementioned [[Sniper Pistol]] uses). One little problem: [[Did Not Do the Research|a Henry repeater of that era would be blown apart by modern .44 bullets.]]

* [[Unreliable Narrator]]: The Narrator says that Vault 101's door never opened, and that you were born there. [[First Episode Spoiler|The game's plot proves both false.]]

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** Dr. Braun gives us an in-universe example, his only source of amusement is cruelly tormenting the other inhabitants of Tranquility Lane.

* [[Vigilante Man]]: The Regulators is a whole organization of these guys.

* [[Villainous Incest]]: {{spoiler|The Andale residents.}} You're pretty far gone when generations of inbreeding ''isn't your [[Town with a Dark Secret|dark secret]]''.

* [[Villainous Incest]]: {{spoiler|The Andale residents}}. You're pretty far gone when generations of inbreeding ''isn't your [[Town with a Dark Secret|dark secret]]''.

* [[Wacky Wayside Tribe]]: The majority of the sidequests and characters you encounter have absolutely no bearing on the central questline of the game, and many (i.e. the superheroes or the Republic of Dave) are stand-alone one-shot jokes. This is in contrast to ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', where most of the sidequests and characters had some ties to the central NCR-vs-Legion conflict or were otherwise interconnected with other events and characters elsewhere in the game. As a result, ''Fallout 3'' is more of an episodic TV show, while ''New Vegas'' is more of a [[Myth Arc]] mini-series.

* [[Warp Whistle]]: Fast-travelling. No explanation is given of how you can effectively teleport, so it's best seen as a "skip to the end of the journey" option—time skips ahead each time you travel, and does so in proportion to the distance you've gone. While you get to avoid all the [[Random Encounters]] you might otherwise face, there's a fairly high chance that something will spawn right on top of you the second you arrive at your location.

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* [[Wasteland Elder]]: There are multiple examples. Such as Manya, the oldest person alive in Megaton, who can tell you the history of its foundation, as well as the elderly leaders of the children of the atom. There are also ghouls that still survived since the original bomb drops, one of which says that her interesting story is somewhat boring.

* [[Weapon, Jr.]]: The tutorial has the player learn to shoot with a BB gun on their 10th birthday.

* [[We Can Rule Together]]: [[Affably Evil]] President Eden suggests that there may be a place in the Enclave for the Lone Wanderer, perhaps even replacing Colonel Autumn as his [[The Dragon|dragon]], if they agree to help Eden implement his Final Solution. Nothing ever comes of it, though, for two important reasons; 1) even if you don't destroy Eden yourself, in ''Broken Steel'' Liberty Prime will level Raven Rock, either destroying Eden or burying him under a few thousand tons of rubble. 2) Despite being raised in a Vault, the Lone Wanderer is descended from Wastelanders, so Eden's FEV turns out to be fatal to him / her as well.

* [[We Can Rule Together]]: [[Affably Evil]] President Eden suggests that there may be a place in the Enclave for the Lone Wanderer, perhaps even replacing Colonel Autumn as his [[The Dragon|dragon]], if they agree to help Eden implement his Final Solution. Nothing ever comes of it, though, for two important reasons; 1) even if you don't destroy Eden yourself, in ''Broken Steel'', Liberty Prime will level Raven Rock, either destroying Eden or burying him under a few thousand tons of rubble. 2) Despite being raised in a Vault, the Lone Wanderer is descended from Wastelanders, so Eden's FEV turns out to be fatal to him/her as well.

* [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]: The Vault 101 Overseer. He seems sour and unfriendly most of the time, but if you read his entry in his terminal, he really wished to have the vault residents lead a peaceful life and didn't proceed with Vault experiments.

** Just about everyone in Canterbury Commons believes The Mechanist is doing more harm than good. While he's sincere about protecting the town, it's agreed that his heavilly-armed robots are doing a lot more damage than the mutated ants.

* [[Wham! Episode|Wham Mission]]: ''The Waters of Life''. Specifically, {{spoiler|the point when its revealed that not only are the Enclave still active despite the events of ''2'', but they also intend to forcefully take control of Project Purity for their own sinister ends.}}

* [[Wham! Episode|Wham Mission]]: ''The Waters of Life''. Specifically, {{spoiler|the point when its revealed that not only are the Enclave still active despite the events of ''2'', but they also intend to forcefully take control of Project Purity for their own sinister ends}}.

* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]]: A recurring theme. There are multiple quests that ask you to decide whether ghouls/androids/slaves/mutants/people trapped in a [[Lotus Eater Machine]] Are People Too (with the Karma Meter almost always falling on the side of "yes they are"); the two most powerful factions on either side of the coin are distinctly human-chauvinist, although the Enclave {{spoiler|have an AI for a leader}} and the Brotherhood {{spoiler|employ a high-ranking cyborg}}. The Enclave plan to {{spoiler|use the modified FEV to kill all "meta-humans" with even the slightest degree of mutation}}.

** Three Dog often says "Ghouls are people too", which can either be ignored by the player or not, but even he admits that Feral Ghouls are mindless zombies, going so far as to say [[Kill'Em All|"So kill as many as you damn well please"]].

** Three Dog often says "Ghouls are people too", which can either be ignored by the player or not, but even he admits that Feral Ghouls are mindless zombies, going so far as to say [[Kill'Em All|"So kill as many as you damn well please."]]

** The Replicated Man quest is about an android, and both his pursuer and "helper" give reasons on why or why not he's human.

** [[The Pollyanna|Moira]] is convinced that Mirelurks must have a complex underwater society. {{spoiler|They don't.}}

** [[The Pollyanna|Moira]] is convinced that Mirelurks must have a complex underwater society. {{spoiler|They don't}}.

* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: Depending on your actions, you can get quite a few of these.

** Dad gives you one when he finds out you destroyed Megaton, while Three Dog calls you a "scumbag" if you kill the mutants wanting to get into Tenpenny Tower—and calls out the mutants when they ''kill'' every human in Tenpenny Tower.

*** Three Dog will call you out almost any time you take the "evil option" in a given mission.

** In ''The Pitt'', you can also choose to call it to {{spoiler|Wernher}} when you learn of his complete plan.

** You get called on this if you kill the Overseer during your escape. And again if you kill the new Overseer in the sidequest "Trouble On The Homefront" (or the same one, if you didn't kill him before). And, no, they won't accept "but he was shooting me" as a good reason.

** In ''Broken Steel'', if you choose to target the Citadel after reaching the Satellite room in the Mobile Base Crawler, upon landing back at the [now destroyed] Citadel, the Brotherhood of Steel will immediately find out that it was your doing. They will then declare you a traitor in their eyes, and will shoot you on sight.

* [[While Rome Burns]]: Dukov and his two party girls spend every day huddled inside a building doing nothing but drinking, partying, getting high, and having sex. The fact that they are almost completely defenseless and surrounded by super mutants and other monsters is something they choose to simply ignore.

** [[Informed Ability]]: The girls only stay with Dukov because he's apparently a [[Retired Badass|pretty good shot]], hence why they can do all that partying.

*** Well he is {{spoiler|a retired mercenary who Tenpenny hired to go fetch a suit of T-51b Power Armor from a bunker infested with Sentry Bots, Mister Gutsy robots, and Protectrons.}} Ya gotta give him that.

*** Well he is {{spoiler|a retired mercenary who Tenpenny hired to go fetch a suit of T-51b Power Armor from a bunker infested with Sentry Bots, Mister Gutsy robots and Protectrons}}. Ya gotta give him that.

* [[Wide Open Sandbox]]: The player is free to explore anywhere after leaving Vault 101.

* [[Wise Beyond Their Years]]: Most, if not all, of the residents of Little Lamplight.

** The Lone Wanderer themself. They are ''nineteen'' at the time they escaped Vault 101, and one of the first things they get the option to do is ''disarm a nuclear bomb''.

* [[Worst News Judgement Ever]]: Three Dog of Galaxy News Radio talks about the player character and ''only'' about the player character. There are precisely two news stories in the entire game that aren't directly related to you or your father. This makes sense most of the time, as the player tends to do things that are noticeable enough to be considered newsworthy, but some of the things he reports on are less than noteworthy - he even does a story about you finishing a fetch quest involving collecting soda bottles for a strange woman out in the middle of nowhere. This is lampshaded with "Christ, talk about a slow news day..."

* [[Worst News Judgement Ever]]: Three Dog of Galaxy News Radio talks about the player character and ''only'' about the player character. There are precisely two news stories in the entire game that aren't directly related to you or your father. This makes sense most of the time, as the player tends to do things that are noticeable enough to be considered newsworthy, but some of the things he reports on are less than noteworthy - he even does a story about you finishing a fetch quest involving collecting soda bottles for a strange woman out in the middle of nowhere. This is lampshaded with "Christ, talk about a slow news day...".

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: Colonel Autumn makes his character clear when he murders a female scientist in cold blood for no reason the first time you see him.

* [[Wrench Wench]]: Moira Brown. You, if you play as the female version of the Lone Wanderer and spend up enough on Repair skill points.

* [[Written by the Winners]]: A terminal in the ''Operation: Anchorage'' DLC mentions that General Chase was constantly changing the Anchorage simulation until it was largely divorced from the reality of what actually happened out there.

* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: Both the AntAgonist and The Mechanist believe they are in a superhero comic...you can complete a quest by convincing them that they're not.

* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: Both the AntAgonist and The Mechanist believe they are in a superhero comic... you can complete a quest by convincing them that they're not.

== Tropes X-Z ==

* [[X Meets Y]]: The game has been described as ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion|Oblivion]]'' with guns. Depending on [[Zero Punctuation|who]] you talk to, ''[[Tropes Are Not Bad|this is not necessarily a bad thing]]''.

* [[You Can't Go Home Again]]: You are forced to leave Vault 101 and go into the wasteland after your dad escapes. The pissed off Overseer planned on killing you as a scapegoat. The mission "Trouble On The Homefront" allows you to return to the Vault, which has fallen into chaos, and help sort things out. Of course right after [[Ungrateful Bastard|you are told to leave]] and this time you can't ever return.

* [[You Can't Go Home Again]]: You are forced to leave Vault 101 and go into the wasteland after your dad escapes. The pissed off Overseer planned on killing you as a scapegoat. The mission "Trouble On The Homefront" allows you to return to the Vault, which has fallen into chaos, and help sort things out. Of course, right after [[Ungrateful Bastard|you are told to leave]] and this time you can't ever return.

* [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness]]: If you {{spoiler|tell Colonel Autumn the correct code for the purifier}}, he will thank you and kill you, resulting in a [[Nonstandard Game Over]].

** Also, in ''Point Lookout'', if you choose to {{spoiler|side with Professor Calvert to kill Desmond, he will reward you with "The greatest thing any human could ever hope for", which is to say... DEATH! At least he tries to by activating hostile protectrons in his room, and not all of them are working.}}

** Also, in ''Point Lookout'', if you choose to {{spoiler|side with Professor Calvert to kill Desmond, he will reward you with "The greatest thing any human could ever hope for", which is to say... DEATH! At least he tries to by activating hostile protectrons in his room, and not all of them are working}}.

** Another one in ''Point Lookout'', the quest which you {{spoiler|play as a Chinese spy, after you accomplished the mission and looking at extraction detail, it is then shown that the Chinese intelligence apparently didn't want their agent back, and instead instructed him to take his death honorably and then lock him up in an irradiated room. It is done so crudely that the real agent if he ever completed his mission could have escaped the death trap.}}

** Another one in ''Point Lookout'', the quest which you {{spoiler|play as a Chinese spy, after you accomplished the mission and looking at extraction detail, it is then shown that the Chinese intelligence apparently didn't want their agent back, and instead instructed him to take his death honorably and then lock him up in an irradiated room. It is done so crudely that the real agent if he ever completed his mission could have escaped the death trap}}.

* [[You Have Researched Breathing]]: You can get meat from anything from a dog to a giant bug, but you need the Cannibal perk if you want fresh human meat. However, feral ghouls will occasionally carry around steak-shaped slabs of human.

* [[Your Head Asplode]]:

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** Moira develops a molerat repellent that repels their heads from their bodies.

* [[Your Mind Makes It Real]]: Tranquility Lane and the Anchorage Reclamation Simulation.

* [[You Should Know This Already]]: After installing Broken Steel, there's a glitch where at any time, even if you haven't completed the original questline yet, Three Dog will give his broadcast about the Brotherhood of Steel defeating the Enclave to take control of Project Purity and starting it up. As a result you could walk out the Vault door, tune your radio to Galaxy News, and hear how the game ends.

* [[You Should Know This Already]]: After installing ''Broken Steel'', there's a glitch where at any time, even if you haven't completed the original questline yet, Three Dog will give his broadcast about the Brotherhood of Steel defeating the Enclave to take control of Project Purity and starting it up. As a result, you could walk out the Vault door, tune your radio to Galaxy News, and hear how the game ends.

* [[Zip Mode]]: Fast travel to major areas.