Fallout: San Antonio

Session 0: Setting Up My Fallout 2d20 Solo Campaign

Welcome to my new Fallout 2d20 solo campaign! I decided to start a new story, using the last story as a test run. Going forward, I’ve decided to just focus on one story at a time. Each chapter will also have a behind the scenes information such as rolls and decisions made. In this post, I’ll walk you through how I set up the game, from character creation to world-building. Using the Fallout 2d20 system and the Mythic GM Emulator, I’ve crafted a detailed backstory, chosen attributes and skills, and even determined the setting for my adventure.

This is the start of a post-apocalyptic journey, and I hope you enjoy following along as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Step 1: Choosing an Origin

I decided my character, Miles Carter, would be a Vault Dweller. My love for the Fallout games made this an easy choice. Vault Dwellers have a rich connection to the Fallout world, often emerging into the wasteland with a unique perspective shaped by their isolated lives.

Step 2: Assigning S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Attributes

Crafting Miles’s attributes was all about supporting the playstyle I envisioned. I wanted him to excel at crafting mods for weapons, armor, and power armor, have a dog companion, and survive well in the wasteland as a solo adventurer.

Here are Miles’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats:

• Strength: 5
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: 7
• Charisma: 6
• Intelligence: 6
• Agility: 8
• Luck: 4

This balance focuses on survivability, crafting, and combat proficiency, particularly with his 10mm pistol.

Step 3: Selecting Skills

For my Tag Skills, I chose:

• Small Guns: For combat effectiveness.
• Medicine: To aid survival in a solo game.
• Survival: Essential for enduring the wasteland.
• Repair: To support crafting and maintenance.

Vault Dwellers get an extra Tag Skill, which was a nice bonus. After distributing 9 + Intelligence (6) skill points, here’s how Miles’s skills look:

• Tag Skills:
  • Small Guns: 3
  • Survival: 3
  • Medicine: 2
  • Repair: 2
• Other Notable Skills:
  • Barter: 3
  • Athletics: 2
  • Speech: 2
  • Science: 2
• Remaining Skills: Mostly at 1 or 0, leaving plenty of room for growth.

Step 4: Choosing a Perk

I picked the Dogmeat Perk, allowing Miles to start the game with a canine companion. His dog, Jack, is a loyal white German Shepherd—named after my real-life dog! Jack will be Miles’s partner in survival, providing combat support and companionship.

Step 5: Derived Statistics

Here’s how Miles’s derived stats turned out:

• Carry Weight: 200 lbs (150 + Strength × 10)
• Defense: 1 (based on Agility 8)
• Initiative: 12 (Perception + Agility)
• Hit Points: 11 (Endurance + Luck)
• Melee Bonus: 0 (Strength 5)

Step 6: Starting Equipment

As a Vault Dweller, Miles starts with the Vault-Tec Resident equipment package:

• Vault jumpsuit
• Vault-Tec branded canteen (1 purified water)
• Pip-Boy
• Switchblade
• 10mm pistol with 9 rounds of ammo
• 2 Stimpaks
• 10 caps

In addition, Tag Skills grant extra items:

• Medicine: First aid kit and 1 Stimpak
• Repair: Multi-tool
• Small Guns: 9 extra 10mm ammo
• Survival: 2 purified waters and 1 iguana on a stick

Step 7: Miles’s Backstory

Using the Mythic GM Emulator, I rolled on the Character Background Table and asked oracle questions to create Miles’s story:

1. Character Background: “Place” and “Deceive”
   • The vault was deceived by its overseer, who hoarded supplies out of greed.
2. Focus and Actions: “PC Negative,” “Celebrate,” and “Jealousy”
   • The overseer’s actions led to a riot fueled by jealousy. During the chaos, the vault door was opened, and the residents spilled into the wasteland.
3. Additional Oracle Questions:
   • “Does Miles still live in the vault?” No.
   • “Has Miles been wandering outside for a while?” No.

Miles didn’t participate in the riot but was forced into the wasteland along with everyone else. With Jack at his side, he now seeks a new place to call home.

Step 8: Determining the Setting

I chose San Antonio, TX as the setting for my game. As my hometown, it offers a familiar yet exciting backdrop for the adventure.

Using a d8, I rolled to determine the compass direction of Miles’s vault and got Southeast. Then, I rolled on the Location Description Table and got “Resourceful” and “Familiar.”

The perfect match for this was a Super Duper Mart, Fallout’s equivalent of Walmart, which has a familiar name that’s full of resources. Miles’s Vault 26 (rolled randomly) is located beneath a Super Duper Mart in southeast San Antonio, and it’s here that his journey begins.

Step 9: Filling the Lists

Finally, I set up my Threads List and Character List:

• Threads List:
  • Find a home or base of operations.
  • Find out what happened to the Overseer.
• Character List:
  • Vault 26: Miles’s former home.
  • Overseer: The corrupt leader of Vault 26.
  • The Wasteland: A character in its own right, full of danger and opportunity.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up Session 0! With Miles Carter’s backstory and setup complete, I’m ready to dive into the post-apocalyptic wasteland and see where the story takes us. From crafting mods to surviving the harsh environment, I’m excited to share his journey with you.

Stay tuned for the first chapter of this campaign, and feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions in the comments below!

What do you think of this setup? How would you start your own Fallout 2d20 campaign?

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