Brotherhood Outcasts

The Brotherhood Outcasts are a faction in the Capital Wasteland in 2277.

Background
The Brotherhood Outcasts are a contingent of Brotherhood of Steel soldiers who separated themselves from Elder Lyons' group at the Citadel. The Outcasts attributed their departure to their belief that Elder Lyons had lost sight of the Brotherhood’s true mission, and the reason for their presence in the Capital Wasteland; the discovery and acquisition of advanced pre-War technology. Dissatisfied with Lyons' focus on protecting the population of the Capital Wasteland, a group of Brotherhood members led by Henry Casdin absconded from the Citadel in the middle of the night, taking advanced technology and weaponry with them. Headed by Casdin, the dissidents made their way south to Fort Independence, where they pushed back the indigenous raider groups and seized the pre-War installation for use as their headquarters. Termed “Outcasts” by their angered former brothers and sisters, the renegade soldiers adopted the name as a badge of honor, painting their armor red and black to distinguish themselves from the organization they no longer serve.

Although Lyons and the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel view the Outcasts as traitors, they do not consider themselves as such. In their eyes, they remain the true Brotherhood of Steel, and it is Lyons who has deserted the principles the Brotherhood stands for. The Outcasts believe that their actions will be vindicated when they return to the primary Brotherhood on the West Coast. Until that day, they continue to uphold the Brotherhood’s mission to reclaim advanced technology, exploring areas such as the Virtual Strategic Simulations facility in an effort to uncover new forms of pre-War tech.

Organization
Brotherhood Outcasts wear T-45d power armor repainted black and red. To compensate for their reduced numbers, the Outcasts have supplemented their forces with a number of reprogrammed robobrains, sentry bots, and protectrons painted with the same colors.

In addition to procuring and stockpiling technology from the Capital Wasteland's many ruins, the Outcasts analyze and reverse-engineer what they find, leaving logs at their bases that record their work.

Their main base in the Washington, D.C. area is Fort Independence, though there is at least one other known Outcast Outpost. While the Brotherhood of Steel patrols the D.C. ruins, Brotherhood Outcast patrols are common in the Capital Wasteland. Outcast patrols typically involve three Brotherhood Outcasts (often comprised of one armed with a ranged weapon, one armed with a melee weapon, and one armed with a heavy weapon) or, more commonly, 1-2 outcasts and an Outcast protectron or robobrain. There are three "ranks" of Brotherhood Outcast, which appear according to the player's level, with higher-level Outcasts possessing more hit points and better weapons. Outcast patrols are neutral if not quite friendly towards the player, and will fight against hostile enemies such as raiders, Enclave, creatures, and rogue robots.

Relations with the Lone Wanderer
The Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts show great disdain towards wastelanders. While not hostile, they will constantly insult and berate the player. Though the player can make a deal with them at Fort Independence, it is not possible to join their faction. If the player is caught trying to enter their base or killing Protector Henry Casdin, the Outcasts will become hostile, unless the player has delivered enough technology to them to be considered a friend. Even if you're considered a friend, the Outcasts will still berate you for your assumed technological backwardness, unless the PC is wearing Outcast power armor, in which case the Outcasts will treat you as if you are one of them.

Access to Fort Independence is never "given" but after supplying Protector Casdin with enough scrap metal, energy weapons, and/or power armors, the dialog option "So are we good? Do you trust me enough now?" appears when speaking to Protector Casdin. This is usually when it becomes safe to pick the locked door to Fort Independence, providing the player does not pick the lock with an Outcast watching.

Protector Casdin does engage in nearby firefights and can sometimes be found dead at Fort Independence making the free form quest to deliver materials impossible. Searching his corpse reveals a door key, but using it will still turn the Outcasts hostile upon entering Fort Independence.

Outcast members are scripted as evil characters (despite being more gray in outlook than black). Thus, fingers can be taken off their corpses if the player character takes the Lawbringer perk. Interestingly, Protector Casdin, Defender Rockfowl, and Defender Morgan drop ears but your Karma is not affected.

Relations with Other Factions
The Brotherhood Outcasts are considered hostile by the Brotherhood of Steel, and vice versa. Outcast and Lyons Brotherhood members will engage each other on sight. This is somewhat surprising, as Elder Lyons professes to understand the reason for the Outcasts' departure. It is unknown whether this open hostility is due to orders from Casdin, Lyons, or mutual anger and distrust between the rank-and-file soldiers of the two organizations.

Although the Outcasts emphasize collecting technology as their primary mission, not the protection of the populace, Outcast patrols will still engage hostile enemies such as raider groups, super mutant bands and Enclave patrols, although this is probably in self-defense. Similarly, Outcast patrols will not fire upon neutral Wasteland inhabitants such as scavengers.

Technology
Brotherhood outcast soldiers are formidable opponents. They have superior protection, weaponry, and skills to virtually every faction encountered in the Capital Wasteland, including raiders, Talon Company mercenaries, and most indigenous fauna the Wasteland has to offer. Outcasts generally, though not always, operate in patrols of 3 units(a typical patrol consists of two soldiers and one robot, or three men, one melee attacker, one mid-ranged, one heavy weapon user), making them a bit more dangerous as all of them can open fire the second a hostile appears. Outcast patrols are generally weaker than Enclave kill-teams, however, and frequently lose to them in direct combat unless the Outcast squad is making use of heavy weapons. Fortunately for the player, Outcasts are usually not hostile (but gruff and rude) when encountered, making their appearance often helpful. Outcasts will fight any of the more hostile indigenous factions and creatures, saving you ammunition, time, and energy, and their fallen can be looted for Outcast power armor and advanced weapons.

Outcast Patrols generally use the following weapons:

Also any weapon salvaged from other enemies (If you see an Outcast carrying, say, a plasma rifle, combat shotgun, sniper rifle, or Chinese assault rifle, this is, more likely than not, the reason)

In addition to having human members, the Outcasts make extensive use of protectrons, sentry bots and robobrains. A few squads will even make use of particularly powerful sentry bots, equipped with Gatling lasers. All of the above can be easily spotted by their red-and-black-flecked paint job, mimicking those of their Outcast masters. While the protectron is hardly a wonderful combatant, the robobrain can prove a challenge, and the sentry bot is outright deadly. Particularly strong squads have a higher concentration of better gear.

Interactions with the player character
The Lone Wanderer can talk with Protector Casdin at Fort Independence, who can arrange a deal between the Outcasts and the Lone Wanderer to trade various technological items for useful supplies.

The Outcasts play a major role in Operation: Anchorage, in which a group of Outcasts in the Outcast Outpost under the command of Protector McGraw is trying to acquire advanced military tools, and the only way to enter the locked room containing these relics is by completing a military simulation only accessible by someone wearing a Neural-Interface Device (i.e., Pip-Boy).

Appearances
Brotherhood Outcasts appear in Fallout 3 and the add-on Operation: Anchorage, and are mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs

 * After delivering enough technology to Protector Casdin the player will be granted "trusted" status and added to the OutcastAllyFaction Faction. Although Casdin indicates this will put the player on friendly terms with most members of the Outcasts, the optional "friendly" dialogue is set to check if the player is a member of the OutcastFaction Faction, rather than the OutcastAllyFaction Faction. This results in most "friendly" Outcast greetings and dialogue not being heard.