Fawkes

Fawkes is an intelligent and sophisticated super mutant, a rare breed in the Capital Wasteland. Before the transformation into a super mutant, Fawkes was a woman. However, all super mutants, or Meta-Humans, lose most of their visible sexual indicators in the process, transforming into an almost asexual state.

Fawkes begs the Vault 101 Dweller to be released from a cell in which the super mutant has resided for as long as memory permits. Fawkes also claims being able to attain literacy and a civilized personality by gleaning as much information as possible from the vault's immense database. Fawkes credits an intimate knowledge of Vault 87 to possibly being a resident there before being transformed into a super mutant. Fawkes is wearing a torn vault 87 jump suit.

In exchange for release, Fawkes retrieves the Garden of Eden Creation Kit device from a radioactive section of the vault, and then bids the Vault 101 Dweller farewell. After the Vault 101 Dweller is incapacitated and taken to Raven Rock, the base of The Enclave, Fawkes aids in the escape, and devastates the Enclave soldiers with an incredibly powerful Gatling Laser.

Any items that you give to Fawkes before your trip to Raven Rock will be gone when she meets you at the entrance to Raven Rock.

Depending on the player's karma, Fawkes may agree to accompany the Vault 101 Dweller on future travels as a companion. If your karma is too low, Fawkes is found wandering around the entrance to The Underworld.

One major issue is that Fawkes often gets stuck due to the super mutant's size, and in small areas the player can even be blocked off entirely if Fawkes gets stuck.

If fired by the player, Fawkes will be waiting in the Museum of History, near the entrance to the Underworld.

When the Vault 101 Dweller is faced with the climactic decision at the conclusion of the game, Fawkes politely declines to enter the radioactive room in lieu of the player, stating that is the player's destiny, alone.

Equipment
Fawkes is clad in a tattered Vault Suit, and wields by default either a Super Sledge or a Gatling Laser. The player cannot equip Fawkes with different clothing, thereby somewhat limiting this NPC companion's effectiveness in combat. Like other NPC companions Fawkes' default ranged weapon, a unique Gatling Laser, has infinite ammo.

After rescuing the Lone Wanderer from Raven Rock, Fawkes can carry 229 pounds of equipment.

In Vault 87, Fawkes carries a Super Sledge called "Fawkes' Super Sledge". To get this, simply offer to trade equipment and provide another weapon Fawkes can use in exchange, such as a regular Super Sledge. It does 37 damage, and comes in near perfect condition. It can be repaired with Super Sledges.

Combat
Fawkes, thanks to the inherent thick skin natural to Super Mutants (or, in the words of Fawkes, 'Meta-Humans'), is extremely resilient. Coupled with a powerful Gatling Laser, Fawkes makes the most powerful ally. Fawkes can be instructed on which weapon to equip (Super Sledge, Gatling laser, non-default gun, energy weapons, explosive and even unarmed weapons that Fawkes has ammunition for), and on which tactics to utilize in battle (stay close or hang back).

Fawkes is also highly skilled in all weapon categories (small guns, big guns, energy weapons, explosives, melee weapons, and unarmed). In contrast, most other NPC companions are only skilled in two weapon categories, i.e. small guns and melee weapons for Jericho and Clover, or small guns and explosives for Charon.

Unlike other humanoid companions, Fawkes does not appear to be able to sneak and as such is not the best choice for stealthy characters. Despite some drawbacks, Fawkes is still possibly the most powerful follower in the game, able to withstand several direct missile hits, or even a mini-nuke, before dying.

Fawkes seems to strongly disapprove of stealing and will attack you if he spots you trying to steal even one item.

Appearances
Fawkes first appears in Fallout 3 in Isolation Room 05 of Vault 87. Fawkes can later be found and recruited upon completing the raven rock quest.

Related quests

 * Finding the Garden of Eden

Question of Gender
Fawkes first appears in Vault 87 in Isolation Room 05 which previously held female test Subject D624. Fawkes' dialogue refers to being placed in isolation as 'Another failed FEV expermiment', wearing a ripped Vault 87 jumpsuit.

The Chief Physician's Terminal (in the room across from Fawkes') records that Subject D624 was destroyed along with the other three female test subjects after one went insane and the others expired on their own. Fawkes also states in the in-game dialog during this part of the game that (s)he was not the original occupant of the cell.

It is clear that Fawkes is not in fact Subject D624, the previous occupant of the cell known to be female. The physicians terminal and Fawkes' dialog both confirm this, and no in-game data contradicts it. Thus any speculation about the gender of Fawkes must not draw upon any statements about Subject D624.

Thus the only evidence one way or the other is that of Wes Johnson, the actor who voiced Fawkes, who stated in an interview that Fawkes was female before becoming a super mutant. This statement is itself controversial, since Johnson is not a member of the Fallout 3 development team and therefore his statements beyond what he did as a voice actor are not authoritative.

The relevant messages on the door terminal is found under the option "Identify Specimen" with the resultant text "Subject D624"

The five messages on the physicians terminal are below with the relevant sections highlighted. 87-34224 establishes Subject D624 as a female, 87-34335 says that 'all remaining subjects', presumably including D624, were destroyed.


 * Entry 87-34190:
 * "The latest subjects in the Evolutionary Experimentation Program (EEP) are showing some promise after only a single exposure to the modified FEV. We are currently testing five subjects, two males and three females. Each one of them is under 24 hour observation as usual. We hope to have a breakthrough in this strain as the continual pressure from Vault-Tec and the military at Mariposa is becoming most bothersome. "


 * Entry 87-34224:
 * "Incredible results! After only three days, subjects B440, B164 and D624 (all our female specimens) are all exhibiting a unique change. Their bodies are undergoing severe physical changes, losing most of their visible female indicators and transforming to an almost asexual state. They are also seeing increased upper body strength and muscle formation in line with males."
 * "Similarly, subjects C376 and A541 (our male specimens) are losing most of their visible male indicators and taking on the same asexual state as the females. It seems that the FEV wishes to "level the playing field" and start with a clean slate as it works."


 * Entry 87-34233:
 * "We've had a minor setback. Subject B440, Mary Kilpatrik, is now deceased. According to my autopsy, she died of a massive loss of brain function and was unable to sustain her basic bodily needs. This is the usual pattern we see in all the FEV Strains we test... the brains of the subjects becoming too damaged to support even the most basic human needs (eating, sleeping, etc.). So far, all other subjects are nominal and continue to exhibit physical changes."


 * Entry 87-34265:
 * "At ten days, we are now noticing that the skin of all our remaining test subjects is actually thickening and becoming more resilient. This seems to be the FEV bringing about some new adaptive change. This is the kind of result we were looking for... adaptations that could prove useful in combat situations. I need to remember to congratulate Dr. Filo on his skin engineering; his coded instructions in this strain seem to be exactly what he expected."


 * Entry 87-34335:
 * "Once again, I've hit that damn wall. At fourteen days, all of the test subjects began to exhibit severe bouts of rage and anxiety. So much so that they were a danger to my team and to this facility. I had no choice once again but to order them to be destroyed. It pains me every time we do this. The same cycle has been repeated in every strain we test. We always see superior physical adaptations, but the mental changes are their downfall."

Behind the scenes
Fawkes' name is a reference to Guy Fawkes, a 16th century English Catholic famed for his involvement in an assassination attempt known as the Gunpowder Plot. Fawkes chose this name out of admiration for Guy Fawkes's principles.

Fawkes is also a reference to the title character 'V' in the graphic novel / film V for Vendetta. In the graphic novel, 'V' is the sole survivor of a government experiment in which test subjects are exposed to a mutagenic agent intended to give them superhuman strength, endurance, and pain tolerance. 'V' supposedly took his name from the number (5, roman numeral V) of the test chamber in which he was held during the experiment. 'V' is extremely erudite and constantly wears a Guy Fawkes mask. Fawkes is the sole survivor of the FEV experiment, and is imprisoned in isolation chamber 05 when found by the player.

Much of the random dialogue heard from Fawkes as one wanders around, while readable as simple wasteland survival advice, also references Zen philosophy. Examples include "Be aware of the present moment" and "There is safety in mindfulness". Together with Uncle Leo's Zen reference, this suggests that Zen Buddhism is a means to retaining a level of independent mental functioning after FEV transformation.

Statistics

 * Health: 500
 * SPECIAL
 * Strength: 9
 * Perception: 3
 * Endurance: 8
 * Charisma: 5
 * Intelligence: 3
 * Agility: 5
 * Luck: 5


 * Skills
 * Barter: 0
 * Big Guns: 75
 * Energy Weapons: 75
 * Explosives: 75
 * Lockpick: 0
 * Medicine: 0
 * Melee Weapons: 75
 * Repair: 0
 * Science: 0
 * Small Guns: 75
 * Sneak:
 * Speech: 0
 * Unarmed: 75

Quotes

 * "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" -Fawkes screaming during combat.
 * "Next time, put up a fight!" -After killing an enemy.
 * "Aw... I wanted a fight" -If the Player kills the opposing enemy before Fawkes does.
 * "YOU LOSE!" - After killing an enemy.
 * "Yes, By All means, LET'S!" -While offering to trade equipment.
 * "Something... troubling you, my friend?" -When opening a dialogue conversation with Fawkes.
 * "You Have Something to Say?" -When opening a dialogue conversation with Fawkes.
 * "In all Things, a Calm heart must Prevail" -When an enemy is detected.
 * "There is Safety, in Mindfulness" -When an enemy is detected.
 * "You're Here, You're Here, STOP HIDING!" -When an enemy is nearby but does not sense the Players presence.
 * "Be aware of the Present moment" -When an enemy is detected.
 * "I win again!" -When Fawkes wins a battle
 * "Die, metal man!" -When Fawkes is fighting a robot.
 * "If you insist but DO be Careful, I can hardly repay Your kindness by waiting back here" -When told to Wait.
 * "Now You Went and GOT ME MAD!" - When Fawkes Spots An Enemy
 * "I'm sorry it had to come to this. Goodbye, friend." -Said when the player attacks Fawkes until she becomes hostile.
 * "Nothing but echoes from the past" -Heard when entered a power station building with the typical desk, old computers and etcs alike
 * "It saddens me to see you act like this, friend." Said when player has recrutied Fawkes, and Karma level falls below good or very good level.

Bugs

 * If you have a vault or science theme active at your Megaton house, avoid going to bed with Fawkes following you. If you do, you will become trapped, as Fawkes will block the door exiting your bedroom.
 * PC: to solve this ask Fawkes to stop following you (fire Fawkes). Fawkes will begin to walk out of the house to head towards underworld; whereupon you simply catch up to and re-hire the super mutant.  You can also use toggle collision (tcl) code in the console to clip past Fawkes.
 * PS3: Fawkes doesn't seem to leave even when fired and just stands there leaving you to remain stuck. Even if you sleep, Fawkes just won't go, and is very hard to kill. One must go back to a previous save.
 * 360: you can just shove Fawkes out of the way. Make sure to push Fawkes out the door and not into a wall.


 * If the player does not release Fawkes from Isolation Room 05 and retrieves the G.E.C.K. on his/her own, Fawkes will still be in that cell if the player ever decides to return. Later, if you talk to Fawkes through the intercom, it will cause a dialogue conversation that apparently was meant to happen at Raven Rock where Fawkes (if released) helps the player escape. From here, and Karma permitting, Fawkes can glitch out of the cell and then follow you normally through the course of the game. This is handy for players who couldn't find a way to release Fawkes to begin with. However, in some cases Fawkes will not be carrying a gatling laser, and will use only a sledgehammer in combat, which cannot be removed from inventory.


 * It is possible that even after rescue, Fawkes will remain in Vault 87 somewhere either outside Isolation Room 05, near the GECK room, or somewhere in between, and not meet you outside Raven Rock. If you go back to the Vault and find Fawkes your dialog options will be the same as they are right outside Raven Rock.


 * There is some chance of a bizzare glitch occuring in the Republic of Dave: Fawkes might just start killing everybody nearby. That happened to me at least three times.


 * If Fawkes is fired in the presence of Liberty Prime the robot will start attacking her.


 * In the quest "Reilly's Rangers", upon reaching the roof, if the rangers spot you with Fawkes, you will receive a message "Reilly's Rangers are now hostile to you" and the quest will fail. This happened 5 times before I realized that it happens because Fawkes is a mutant.  If you tell her to wait immediately outside the door to the roof and then talk to the rangers, you can then collect Fawkes and the rangers remain friendly. (NOTE - This does not always happen.  Some players have reported saving Reilly's Rangers with Fawkes without issue.)


 * While in Vault 87, While encountering an enemy, it is possible for the enemy to shoot Fawkes' Super sledge out of her hands, leaving you to pick it up.