Karma



Karma is the reflection of all good and evil choices you make during the game and how they are perceived by the inhabitants of the wasteland in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics.

Karma is, philosophically, the principle of cause and effect, with the effects of your actions but also your intentions that are take into account measured in point called "karma points". The more an intention or an action have a major impact, the more you win or lose more or less karma points.

It is classified by three types: good, neutral, and evil. Players always start a new game with 0 karma points, a neutral karma. People will behave differently toward you depending upon your karma, and it's also a factor to unlock certain dialogue options or able to do something specific.

Overviews per game
In Fallout, karma is simply named "general reputation" (but have the same function as karma in other Fallout games) and reputation titles appeared.

In Fallout 2, what was originally called "general reputation" is renamed to karma, reputation titles are kept and a new stat called "reputation" is added, acting as a measurement of how you are perceived in various places.

In Fallout Tactics, reputation titles and reputation are removed, only karma is kept. Also, a new specific stat called "rank" is added, indicating your rank in the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel.

In Fallout 3, only karma appeared. Although it is measured in points, the player never gets to see a numerical karmic value, only the status and the title.

In Fallout: New Vegas, karma is kept (like Fallout 3, the player never gets to see a numerical karmic value) and reputation returned, and acting now as a measurement of how you are perceived by various factions and various towns.

Karma levels
You begin the game with a value of zero, which increases or decreases based on the players actions. There are 5 levels of karma:


 * Very Good: +750 to +1000.
 * Good: +250 to +749.
 * Neutral: -249 to +249.
 * Evil: -749 to -250.
 * Very Evil: -1000 to -750.

Companions and karma
In Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics, the recruitment of your companions is not affected to your karma. In Fallout 3, some companions have a karma level requirement that must be met if the player wishes to enlist them:


 * Clover and Jericho need a bad karma to be recruited. After being hired, they will follow the player regardless of changes in karma level, although they will often mention how boring the player is, should he become good.


 * Butch DeLoria and Sergeant RL-3, both recruited with neutral karma, are similar to Clover and Jericho. They will not leave if your karma becomes good or evil, but unlike Clover, you can't get them back with a high or low karma level when the main story separates you.


 * Players with high karma may hire Fawkes or Star Paladin Cross. They are not slaves or servants like Clover and Charon: they will follow you of their own free will, without any cost, if you ask them and have good karma. Be aware, however, that being good characters, they will leave your side if you become evil after hiring them, and will refuse to follow you again until your karma is high enough.


 * Dogmeat will follow you regardless of what your karma level is.

Karma titles
In Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics, your karma status is defined by a "karma title", depending of your karma points and in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, also on your level.

For Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, specific Vault Boy images were going to appear to represent the karma titles, but probably due to an oversight, they don't appear in-game and a specific image that includes all the karma titles is put in their place.

Fallout 3
Karma titles above level 20 can only be reached with the add-on Broken Steel.

Fallout: New Vegas
For the most part, titles are same as in Fallout 3; the only difference is that any titles referencing that game's setting have been appropriately changed to reflect the Vegas/Mojave setting of New Vegas. Though each of the add-ons raise the level cap by five, titles do not change past level 30.

Behind the scenes

 * The Defender Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Batman.
 * The Shield of Hope Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Captain America. Instead of having a star on the costume's chest, Vault Boy's sports a number 13, referencing Vault 13.
 * The Guardian of the Wastes Vault Boy image is a reference to the British Army's Foot Guards.
 * The Savior of the Damned Vault Boy image is a reference to Dudley Do-Right of the 1959 collective two animated cartoon series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
 * The Demon Spawn Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Spawn.

Karma Карма Karma