Embarking on your journey in the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 begins with a dramatic escape from Vault 101. This initial segment serves as both a tutorial and a crucial starting point for your adventure. Understanding how to navigate this section efficiently can significantly impact your early game experience. This guide will provide you with a detailed walkthrough to not only escape the vault but also equip yourself for the challenges that lie ahead in the harsh world outside.
Your awakening in Vault 101 is far from ordinary. Amata, a close friend, rouses you with alarming news: your father has mysteriously left the vault, and chaos is erupting within its walls. She reveals a plan to facilitate your escape and hands you bobby pins, essential tools for any budding vault dweller turned wanderer. Trust in Amata’s plan, and she’ll further equip you with her father’s pistol and some ammunition. Accepting this pistol is highly recommended as it will be useful in the upcoming encounters.
Upon gaining control, your first priority should be scavenging your room. Loot everything on your desk, the first aid kit to your left, and the dresser to your right. These initial supplies, though modest, are valuable in the early stages of your journey.
Exiting your room and turning right, you’ll witness Officer Kendall engaged in combat with Radroaches. This is your first combat encounter. Conserve your pistol ammo for tougher foes later. Engage Officer Kendall with your melee weapon, the bat, and then switch to fists to dispatch the Radroaches. Fists are effective against Radroaches and will save your bat’s condition. After defeating them, loot both Kendall and the Radroaches, taking everything you can carry. Don’t forget to equip Kendall’s security armor and helmet immediately for added protection.
Officer Kendall battling Radroaches in the Vault 101 hallway, a beginner combat scenario in Fallout 3 guide.
Continuing down the hallway, you’ll encounter Butch, desperate for help as his mother is under attack by Radroaches. Your dialogue choice here is largely inconsequential to the outcome. Regardless of whether you agree to “help” him or not, your next steps remain the same. After the brief exchange, eliminate Butch, his mother, and the Radroaches. Loot all of them thoroughly, collecting everything useful, including the vodka bottles scattered on the floor.
Proceeding further, you will pass the diner. Ignore Grandma Sparkles for now and enter the diner. Inside, eliminate the Radroaches and collect their meat. Exit the diner and ascend the stairs, where you’ll meet Officer Gomez. Officer Gomez is generally considered one of the more lenient guards in Vault 101. You have a choice: you can either spare him or eliminate him for his armor and baton. Consider your resources and needs when making this decision.
You might hear Andy’s cries for help in the background, indicating more Radroach activity. Head towards him and eliminate the remaining Radroaches. Ignore the room to your left and proceed forward to the Atrium. You’ll witness Mary and Tom Holden attempting to reach the vault entrance, only to be gunned down by the vault security guards. Now, equip the Overseer’s 10mm pistol that Amata provided. Use it to take down Officer O’Brian and Richards. Loot their bodies for their gear. Follow the stairs to the upper level, eliminating and looting any Radroaches you encounter along the way.
You will eventually reach the systems room. Clear out the Radroaches and loot Floyd Lewis, the toolbox beside him, and the Radroaches themselves. Proceed into Admin and eliminate Security Chief Hannon, who is patrolling the area. Loot his body. Open the door leading to the Overseer’s office, where you’ll find him and Officer Mack holding Amata hostage. Officer Mack will immediately attack you. Prioritize dealing with him first. You then have the option to deal with the Overseer. Killing him will yield a few Stimpaks, but Amata will disapprove, considering he is her father. To obtain the key and password to his terminal without resorting to violence, choose the following dialogue options:
After resolving the situation with the Overseer, loot the four lockers and two desks in the room. You’ll find pistol ammo, additional armor, and various valuables. At this point, you might be encumbered due to the weight of the armor you’ve collected. You can manage this by either leaving some armor behind, repairing armor to slightly improve its condition and reduce weight in comparison to carrying multiple damaged sets, or discarding items with a poor value-to-weight ratio.
In the Overseer’s office, loot Jonas and the two desks near him. Then, go through the door to the left. There are two rooms here. Loot bobby pins from one and 10mm pistol ammo from the dressers in both. Use the Overseer’s Office Key to unlock the main quarters. Inside, loot the locker on the right for pistol ammo and valuables. Use the terminal to open the secret tunnel, your path to freedom.
You should now reach the Vault’s main entrance. Use the control panel to open the massive vault door to the outside world. Pulling the lever will initiate the vault door opening sequence. As the vault door opens, the door across the room will also open, and the last two security guards will emerge, pursuing you. You can choose to engage them if you have inventory space for their loot, or you can simply step outside the vault door. If you stand just outside, they will not follow and instead retreat.
After dealing with the guards and saying your farewells to Amata, you will finally step out of Vault 101 and into the Capital Wasteland. This marks the end of the tutorial phase and the true beginning of Fallout 3. You now have the opportunity to revise your character. If desired, you can change your name, race, gender, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, or tag skills before fully committing to your adventure in the wasteland. This escape from Vault 101 is just the first step in your much larger journey within the Fallout universe.
