Vending Machine (Fallout 3)

Nuka-Cola vending machines are stationary elements of furniture designed to sell Nuka-Cola Corporation's beverages, in Fallout 3.

Overview
The Nuka-Cola Corporation aggressively marketed their flagship product ever since its introduction in 2044. Low-maintenance vending machines were a crucial part of the strategy, and the corporation's generous investment eventually led to a vending machine on almost every street in the United States by 2067, available in a broad variety of types.

Variant

 * Pristine Vending Machine

Locations
A total of 152 machines are located throughout the Capital Wasteland, in metro stations and various buildings. The contents of a vending machine are randomly set the first time the player character enters a map cell and remain that way for the rest of the game. In all other respects, it is a standard container and can be used for long term storage throughout the game.

A fully stocked vending machine contains nine bottle caps, three Nuka-Colas and a Nuka-Cola Quantum, but it is an extremely rare occurrence. The minimum a vending machine will contain is a single Nuka-Cola with the rest being random. There are two chances (75%) for an additional Nuka-Cola. There is a chance (10%) for bottle caps (probably 11% for 9) and a chance (10%) for a Nuka-Cola Quantum. The odds (based on the above figures) for a fully stocked machine are 1 in 1,600 or 0.0625%. That works out to 1 fully stocked machine in 10 1/2 complete games (visiting every machine on the map).

Since the contents of a vending machine are set the first time the player enters a map cell, it is possible to "roll" for Quantums (save, enter the cell, check for Quantums, reload). In a map cell containing two vending machines, the odds are 1 in 100 of finding a Quantum in both of them. For three machines, it is 1 in 1,000 and so on.

A pristine Nuka-Cola machine can be bought for the house in Megaton or the suite in Tenpenny Tower from Moira Brown and Lydia Montenegro, respectively. Putting a regular Nuka-Cola into the Pristine Vending Machine converts it into an Ice Cold, improving the health benefits (+20HP/+1RAD vs. +10HP/+2RAD). Once converted, they are no longer available for the Quantum Chemist perk. As with all other vending machines, the one in the house/suite is a regular container and can be used to store anything else in the game.

According to Ronald Laren, Nuka-Cola vending machines have a label on them reading "Warning: If you tamper with this unit you will have to answer to the Nuka-Cola Corporation."