» Tue Jun 11, 2013 12:54 am Ghoul and Super Mutant Options for Fallout 4
This is a combined effort by my brother and I to include the option for players of Fallout 4 to experience play as either a ghoul or a super mutant. Below are explanations for how a player could possibly become either a ghoul or super mutant; perks available to players who become ghouls or super mutants; and other ideas relating to being a ghoul or super mutant in Fallout 4.
Becoming a ghoul
Option 1: If Luck Stat is equal to or less than 2, then player character (PC) reaching 1,000 rads does not die, but experiences ghoulification (cutscene?)
- As Three Dog from Fallout 3 says – ghouls are people who’ve suffered a massive shock of radiation but haven’t had the good fortune to die. So – from that perspective ghoulification is unlucky
Option 2: If luck is equal to or greater than 9, then PC reaching 1,000 rads does not die, but experiences ghoulification.
- From the perspective of ghouls like Moira Brown or Desmond Lockheart ghoulification is an opportunity to gain knowledge and live much longer. To them, ghoulification rather than death by exposure to radiation is preferable – even lucky.
Option 3: “Ghoulish Tendencies” PC may choose a trait at the beginning of the game that allows them to ghoulify rather than die when reaching 1,000 rads.
Option 4: PC may start the game as a ghoul.
Once you’re a ghoul
Positive effects:
- You will no longer suffer from any forms of radiation sickness
- Radiation heals ghoulified PCs (+1 rads per second = +1 health per second)
- Radiation also heals damaged or crippled limbs (Similar to Rad Regeneration Perk from Fallout 3)
- Perception raised by 2
- PC will not be attacked by feral ghouls unless PC attacks first.
- PC cannot become addicted to Jet
- Automatic acceptance into the Church of Atom or the Apostles of the Holy Light.
Negative effects:
- Ghoulified characters still absorb rads, and their rad limit is raised to 20,000 upon becoming a ghoul. If they reach 20,000 rads (limit subject to perks) then the character will become feral.
- Human NPCs with negative karma will be automatically hostile to ghoulified players in the wasteland.
- Some human settlements will not grant entrance to the PC once ghoulified.
- Some merchants in towns that allow ghouls to enter will no longer trade with the PC.
- Radaway and Rad-x have no effect.
- Charisma decreased by 2
- Once ghoulified, if the PC visits a settlement or trader, then slavers will be alerted and will send squads to capture him/her.
- – 25% resistance to fire or flame based attacks (shishkebab, incendiary rounds, nuka-grenade, flamer, etc.)
Ghoul Specific Perks
Geiger Ghoul (requires ghoulification): Increase rad cap by 5,000 points
Glowing Ghoul (requires ghoulification and Geiger Ghoul perk): Increase rad cap by an additional 5,000 points
- Once every hour (game time) PC can create wave of self-healing radiation for
himself and any ghoul followers (can harm non-ghoul followers and enemies).
- We imagine this perk also changing the appearance of the player character to resemble something like Jason Bright from Fallout New Vegas.
- We also see this change in appearance having a negative effect on relationships with some NPCs that may have previously been accepting of the PC’s ghoulification. However, we think that this negative effect could be mitigated with a science, medicine or speech check.
Zombie Lord (requires ghoulification, Geiger Ghoul, and Glowing Ghoul Perks): Increase rad cap by an additional 10,000 points
- Grants the PC the ability to rip radioactive gore off themselves and hurl it like a grenade at enemies.
- We imagine again that the PC would experience some changes in their appearance at this stage, but I’m not sure what. Perhaps the green aura that follows reavers in FONV and FO3.
You’re Simply Glowing! (requires ghoulification and charisma of 6): Perk may read as: “You’re radioactive warmth draws the affections of other ghouls and leaves them more vulnerable to your attacks. Grants the PC unique dialogue options with other ghouls and 10% extra damage against opponents of the same (feral or non-feral.).”
Atomic Efficiency: Absorb 100% more health per rad (+2 health per rad)
Radioactive Halflife: One time only opportunity to decrease your total absorbed rads in half.
Pre-War Survivor (Only for PCs that start the game as a ghoul i.e. option #4): Grants the PC an increased understanding of pre-war technology. Increase Science, Repair and Medicine by 5 points.
- Alternatively increase Intelligence and Endurance by 1.
- Or both
Yangtze Campaign Survivor (Only for PCs that start the game as a ghoul i.e. option #4): Automatically grants the PC Power-Armor Training, small guns and explosives increased by 5.
- Perhaps even unique Chinese dialogue options with members of the Shi, or Chinese remnant forces.
Becoming a super mutant
Option 1: “Mysterious Wasteland Merchant”
- The PC meets a Mysterious Merchant in the wastes (we imagine a difficult place to find – some shack that the PC is unlikely to discover early on – we like the idea of it being an unmarked location). Upon entering, the PC is confronted by a suspiciously large and shrouded figure (A super mutant hiding its identity) and is automatically engaged in conversation. The Mysterious Merchant offers to trade, upon completion of regular trade, the PC can try to pass a speech check (Endurance and Strength check?), which allows them to see “the real goods.” Whereupon the Mysterious Merchant offers the player “immortality.” The Mysterious merchant then offers a choice between two strange pressurized aerosol delivery canisters – one that he picked up in a vault back east, and the other he picked up on a military base during his travels on the west coast.
- The West Coast Canister contains Mariposa Super Mutant FEV
- The East Coast Canister contains Vault 87 Super Mutant FEV.
- Each Formula has it’s own pro’s and cons and a separate perk tree associated with it.
Option 2: “Feeling Super”
- PC can select a Super Mutant Trait at the beginning of the game
Option 3: Starting out Super.
- PC can start the game as a Super Mutant
- PC can choose which strain of FEV you want at this point.
Once You're a Super Mutant
Mariposa Formula Positive Effects
- Endurance + 2, Strength +1
- Carrying capacity increased by 50 points
- Speed increased + 15%
- +15% chance of critical strike
- Immunity to radiation
- Other super mutants and centaurs will not attack you unless you fire on them first.
Mariposa Formula Negative Side Effects
- Charisma -3, Intelligence -1
- Can no longer use One-handed small guns and energy weapons (Like pistols and laser pistols).
- PC loses Pip-boy (FLESH OUT A REPLACEMENT)
- We thought of a broken pip-boy that maintains equipment/location/character management functionality – but loses VATS. Alternatively, VATS can only target the enemy as a whole - like when using a melee weapon - not specific body parts and VATS would be much less accurate.
- Stimpaks are 25% less effective
- Human NPCs with negative karma will be automatically hostile to super mutant PCs in the wasteland.
- Some human settlements will not grant entrance to the PC once exposed to FEV.
- Some merchants in towns that allow super mutants to enter will no longer trade with the PC.
Vault 87 Formula Positive Effects
- Strength +2, Endurance +1
- Carrying capacity increased by 75 points
- Damage Resistance +5
- When attacking with either Big Guns or Melee Weapons +10% damage.
- Immunity to radiation
- Other super mutants and centaurs will not attack you unless you fire on them first.
Vault 87 Formula Negative Effects
- Intelligence -3, Charisma -1
- Can no longer use One-handed small guns and energy weapons (Like pistols and laser pistols).
- PC loses Pip-boy ( See above)
- Opponents have +15% chance of finding you while sneaking.
- Human NPCs with negative karma will be automatically hostile to super mutant PCs in the wasteland.
- Some human settlements will not grant entrance to the PC once exposed to FEV.
- Some merchants in towns that allow super mutants to enter will no longer trade with the PC.
Mutant Specific Perks
Nightkin Augmentation (Must have chosen Mariposa formula): Stealth Boys last 4 times longer and +10 sneak.
Overlord Augmentation (Must have chosen Vault 87 formula): +30 hp, and PC meets all Strength requirements for weapons
- We also like the idea of a buff to melee and unarmed damage.
Continuing Evolution (for either class of super mutant): You’ve scrounged around and improved your armor! +10 DR (3 ranks).
- We also imagine a change in appearance for the character when this occurs – similar to the differences between Grunts, Brutes and Masters.
- This perk's name is a play on Continuing Education
Psychotic Break (Prereq – Mariposa formula, Nightkin Augmentation): if the PC is reduced to one half of their hit points they will suffer a "psychotic break" and become enraged effectively increasing overall damage by +25%
- It would also be fun if certain characters that interact with the PC begin to notice the psychological change and make mention of it once this perk is chosen.
Calling of the Master ( Prereq - Mariposa formula): 10% dmg increase against human opponents.
Behemoth Rage (Prereq Vault 87 Formula & Overlord Augmentation): Once per in-game day, PC can enter rage state granting +10 Melee dmg, +5 dmg resistance, +20% speed boost.
- We’ve also considered this working similarly to the Orc’s “Berserker Rage" ability in The Elder Scrolls but thought that might be overpowered.
Fawkes’ Focus (Prereq Vault 87 Formula) You’ve learned to focus your mutated mind on things other than evisceration and your next meal. You regain 2 points in intelligence!
Some Other Ideas
Companions We would like to see companions that are only available to Ghouls, and companions that are only available to Super Mutants. Also, we think that some companions that might be willing to join a normal PC would not be willing to join Ghouls or Super Mutants.
- Some characters we’d like to see come back as companions strictly for Ghouls and Super Mutants respectively:
- Desmond Lockheart
- Gob
- Mean Sonofa[censored]
- Tabitha of Utobitha
Quests and Factions We’d like to see factions that center around being a ghoul or being a mutant with their own questlines. We imagine these questlines ending in “seek the cure” opportunities that represent splits in the respective factions between those who feel empowered by their mutation and those who feel debilitated by it.
- This would grant the player a choice between granting a cure, or leaving their faction to forever embrace their mutation.
- As mentioned above, the Church of Atom or the Apostles of the Holy Light provide great starting points for Ghouls.
- Furthermore, the differences between the above churches’ beliefs might make for an interesting conflict between the two. After all, war... war never changes.
- We imagine something like “The Master Loyalists” or “Super Mutant Solidarity Movement” for Super Mutants.
- The Master Loyalists might be trying to create a reincarnation of the Master entity with FEV experimentation
- Whereas the SMSM might be trying to simply establish the Super Mutant Population of the wastes as a solid member of the Wasteland’s larger community.
One of our favorite possibilities regardless of faction is the idea that a Super Mutant PC could find a second suit of Frank Horrigan power armor and bind themselves to the suit. Perhaps part of an Enclave quest, or part of a dungeon crawl through an abandoned Enclave prototype armor facility?
Edit : maybe make it a mod, its a great idea for a mod, just not for an in game thing. Maybe a sidequest like the one in skyrim with sanguine. Or the option to break the storyline liek in morrowind and do what you said.
