Vault 13

Vault 13 is a Vault-Tec vault, west of Shady Sands and Vault 15, and to the east of Mariposa Military Base. It was the home of the Vault Dweller.

Background
Construction of Vault 13 started in August 2063 and was completed in March 2069, covering 3,200,000 tons of soil at 200 feet. The starting budget for Vault 13 was $400 billion, although it eventually totaled to $645 billion. It was planned to operate for a duration of 10 years. Vault-Tec assigned the dwellers the Pip-Boy 2000 and also equipped the Vault with a Solar Scorcher, an experimental photo-electric weapon harnessing sunlight as an energy source. It was located in a "scenic mountainous region" northwest of Vault 12.

Vault 13 was a control group for the Societal Preservation Program, intended to be sealed until the subjects were needed by the Enclave, according to Dick Richardson. Vault 13 housed heavy-machinery for construction projects, sustainable hydro-agricultural farms and a water purification system sourced from an subterranean river. Communication equipment kept Vault security effective despite their limited armory. Vault 13 was also supplied with an extra Garden of Eden Creation Kit instead of the extra water chips that made their way to Vault 8.

Fallout
When Vault 13's water purification chip began to malfunction, the overseer began to send out dwellers into the wasteland to find a replacement chip. Amongst those sent out to search for a replacement chip was Talius.

After the Vault Dweller returned successfully and was exiled, many people chose to follow them into the wasteland. Those people who had not left Vault 13 were wary to appoint a new overseer. To replace the overseer, they commissioned the Brotherhood of Steel to build a mainframe computer, a fully-automated mainframe to control and regulate Vault 13.

Fallout 2
The residents of Vault 13 were kidnapped by the Enclave, who knew the Vault's security code, and flew them to Control Station ENCLAVE via Vertibirds. Intelligent Deathclaws, led by Gruthar and his pack, were forced by the Enclave to aid in the capture of the vault dwellers. The residents were considered "pure-strain-humans," which the Enclave needed to test an antidote for the Forced Evolutionary Virus.

Layout
Fallout: Cavern entrance The link between Vault 13 and outer world. Remains of Ed. There are 20 rats in the cave.
 * -|Fallout 1=

Entrance The link between Vault 13 and the outside. Here Vault Dwellers can find medical treatment.

Living quarters The Vault Dwellers sleep here (around 19:00 to 8:00). Also, some are using the rooms for private meetings, like the rebel faction.

Command center The command center where the Overseer is located, as well as the Vault library. It is where the Overseer maintains the Vault. Nearby is the library, armory, and water supplies room. However, the water guard gives the supplies because there is a thief who steals water. One can "spend some time researching important information" using the Science skill on the westernmost computer.

Fallout 2: Cavern entrance The link between Vault 13 and outer world. Nothing is here.
 * -|Fallout 2=

Entrance Intelligent deathclaws have moved in, however, they allow humans (who they found in the wasteland) to live among them. They are first brought to Joseph, the herbalist for medical treatment.

Living quarters The Living Quarters serve now more as a prison for those who disturb the law in Vault 13. Also, a shrine to Vault 13's champion is being built here and it is being tended by Gordon.

Command center The Command Center is now a place where the deathclaw matriarch lays her eggs. The main computer is broken and a computer voice module is needed to repair it.

Fallout

 * Find the Water Chip
 * Find the Water Thief
 * Calm rebel faction
 * Destroy the Mutant Leader
 * Destroy the source of the Mutants

Fallout 2

 * Retrieve the GECK for Arroyo
 * Fix the Vault 13 computer
 * The navigation computer needs the NavComp part to work

Appearances
Vault 13 appears in Fallout and Fallout 2.

Behind the scenes
The location is mentioned in the Fallout Bible.