Once you've completed the Blind Betrayal quest by saving Paladin Danse he is exiled from the Brotherhood, but he is still available as a companion. Under these conditions, asking Paladin Danse to accompany you will prompt a warning that while he is travelling with you both of you will be considered enemies of the Brotherhood. Any Brotherhood of Steel members that you come across will be kill-on-sight.
- Fallout 4 Killing Brotherhood Of Steel Patrols
- Fallout New Vegas Factions
- Fallout Brotherhood Of Steel Quests
Now, obviously, fast-travelling to the Prydwen and stopping by Maxson's quarters to say hello would cause some real issues. But what about the random-spawned Knights and Vertibirds that you'll encounter in the wasteland?
Are there any long-term ramifications to killing randomly-spawned Brotherhood members while you are with Paladin Danse? Will killing these enemies hurt your relationship with the Brotherhood once you're no longer travelling with Danse?
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3 Answers
I've played the game long enough to know that after the quest Blind Betrayal, you can attack any unnamed brotherhood of steel member with no ramifications. If you complete the quest and then side with any other faction that causes the Prydwen to be destroyed he will ignore you. So, you can do what you want with Danse as long as you don't go on the airship.
JamesJames
You can kill as many randomly spawned brotherhood members as you want without consequence, I stacked up about 80k caps selling their loot and probably hundreds of kills later they are still friendly
EnklaveEnklave
If you are aligned with the brotherhood then killing anyone from the brotherhood will hurt your reputation with them. Eventually they will turn hostile, how long it takes depends on how many quests you have done for them.
At a certain point in the game you have to do a quest to make something and you can choose which faction to do it with, if you choose the railroad or the institute Danse will become hostile towards you and can no longer be taken as a companion.
Dim Fre4kskeDim Fre4kske
protected by Community♦Mar 23 '16 at 18:25
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For the location named Brotherhood in Fallout, see Lost Hills. |
Insignia and first flag of the Brotherhood of Steel[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ha! Good question. These days it's hard to say. Once upon a time it was about technology. Controlling it so it couldn't destroy us again. Energy weapons and power armor are usually tops on our list, although appreciate anything that's vintage. But that all seems so limited now. We haven't grown or adapted. And now we're stuck in a hole, not carrying out our mission.
”— Veronica Santangelo, on the purpose of the Brotherhood in the 23rd century (2281)Brotherhood of Steel (commonly abbreviated to BoS) is a techno-religious[3] military order located in the West and operating across the ruins of post-War North America with its roots stemming from the United States Armed Forces and the government-sponsored scientific community from former Mariposa Military Base before the Great War, dedicated to controlling and regulating technology in the wasteland.[4][5] Though small, the Brotherhood has been an influential group in the history of the wasteland, first as a survivalist group, then a major research and development house, then finally as the enemy of the New California Republic, fighting a bitter war for control of technology in New California. Having suffered defeats in the West, the Brotherhood would be strengthened on the Eastern reaches of the continent, under Elder Arthur Maxson.[6]
The faction has featured in one form or another in every Fallout game.
- 1History
- 2Society
- 2.1Property and trade
- 2.2Social structure
- 2.4Belief system
- 3Divisions and locations
- 4Foreign relations
- 5Technology
History[edit | edit source]
See: History of the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, History of the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel, History of Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel
The Mariposa Rebellion[edit | edit source]
In 2076, the NBC division of West-Tek achieved breakthrough results in the Pan-Immunity Virion Project. The United States Defense Department, in fear of international espionage, moved a military team under the command of Colonel Robert Spindel and Captain Roger Maxson onto the site to secure and oversee the project, now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project.[7] On January 7, 2077, all FEV research was moved to the newly constructed Mariposa Military Base to commence testing of the virus on human subjects.[8][9] The security team was transferred to the newly constructed base as well, to provide protection for the research going on within the facility. They were not informed of the nature of the research.[10]
The situation unraveled shortly before October 10, 2077. Through unknown means, the soldiers stationed at Mariposa discovered the fact that the scientists under their care were performing experiments with the Forced Evolutionary Virus on military prisoners. The revelation prompted a nervous breakdown in Colonel Spindel, who locked himself in his office. Captain Maxson was the only officer left to handle the deteriorating situation. Soldiers were screaming for blood and the whole situation was at risk of devolving into an anarchistic bloodbath. On October 12, when Maxson had to step in to prevent one of his subordinates from killing a member of the science team, he ordered interrogations of the science team under his authority as acting commander. He hoped to prevent a full mutiny by offering his troops a semblance of justice.[10]
The first scientist was brought before Maxson a day later, on October 13. Chief Researcher Robert Anderson explained that human experiments at the facility were sanctioned by the government. He outlined the program to the Captain, emphasizing the fact that it was the government that ordered. When Maxson refused to believe him, the scientist lost his nerve and started screaming how he was just following orders and that he was a military man just like Maxson. The Captain shot him in response. He rationalized it as trying to prevent a full-scale mutiny, but even he didn't believe it.[10]
The killing of Robert Anderson effectively established Maxson as the leader of the rebellion. His position was further reinforced just two days later on October 15, when he attempted to speak to Colonel Spindel through the door of his office. It soon became clear that the Colonel had lost touch with reality, so Maxson and several of his men broke down the door just in time to hear the Colonel apologize and shoot himself. Subsequent scientist interrogations invariably ended in executions. Erin Shellman held out the longest by October 18, finally convincing the Captain that the experiments were really ordered by the government with her detailed account.[10] On October 20, 2077, Captain Maxson declared his unit in full secession from the United States over the radio, attempting to force the government to respond to the situation at Mariposa. No response came. A day later, he ordered the families of soldiers under his command to take shelter within the facility.[10]
On October 23, 2077, the Great War struck. As Maxson was halfway through prying the story from Head Researcher Leon von Felden, the facility lost contact with the outside world as nuclear weapons started to drop. Spared the nuclear devastation, Mariposa protected the inhabitants from nuclear fallout flooding the wasteland. Fearing that China would soon make up for the oversight, on October 24, Maxson ordered his soldiers and their families to prepare to vacate the base the next day.[11]
On October 25, Sergeant Platner volunteered to take atmospheric readings outside the base. Reporting no significant amounts of radiation in the atmosphere, final preparations for the exodus were undertaken. On October 26, Maxson ordered the remains of the scientists to be buried in the wastes outside the base. A day later, on October 27, former US servicemen and their families left the base under the lead of Captain Roger Maxson, heading for the Lost Hills government bunker in the south.[10]
The Exodus[edit | edit source]
Lost Hills government bunker.
In November, a few weeks later, war refugees arrived at the bunker. The people suffered casualties along the way, as while the soldiers were protected by T-51 power armor, their families had no armor to speak of. Marauders that attacked the caravan on its quickly learned to target the unprotected civilians. Though the attackers paid with two lives for every one they took, many were lost, including Roger Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son).[12][13]
Several soldiers broke off during the Exodus as well, led by Sergeant Dennis Allen.[14] Ignoring warnings from Captain Maxson and defying the group's will, Allen's faction separated from the convoy in order to excavate the remains of the West Tek Research Facility using their power armor. They were never heard from again.[13] Around 2151, the Brotherhood sent out Knights to seek out Allen's group or its remains. All they found were desolate ruins.[15][16][17]
The Exodus survivors claimed the Lost bunker as their own. The refugees expanded and adapted it to fit their own needs, becoming a bastion of technology in a world that has lost centuries of technological development overnight.[13] Maxson also needed to find someone in Appalachia, to gain badly needed answers. Using surviving satellite connections, he reached out across the continent, broadcasting a request for contact.[18] By chance, Maxson found an old friend there, Lieutenant Lizzy Taggerdy of the US Army Rangers. Although initially hesitant to trust him, due to the public declaration of secession, she gambled and left the channel open.[19] As Maxson revealed the depth of atrocities perpetrated by the United States government, Taggerdy's faith in the system was shaken, then dismantled. Following the winter spent at Camp Venture, she joined Maxson's banner.[20]
Foundation of the Brotherhood[edit | edit source]
“Words have power, Lizzy. They build identity. They take on a meaning if you keep using them, even if it didn't exist to begin with. It was the Knights and Scribes after the fall of Rome that protected what was left of Western civilization. So we are the new Knights and our role is similar. But we'll need more than names. We'll need new traditions, our own, well, mythology. Something people can believe to their core.
”— Roger Maxson to Lizzy TaggerdyWitnessing how people around him slowly succumbed to depression, Captain Maxson formulated a new ideology for the survivors. It took him years to create it, replacing the tarnished Stars and Stripes with new symbols, new ranks, and new ideas to replace the ones scorched in nuclear fire. They would provide meaning for people before they became lost in the depths of despair after losing their friends, family, their entire world. Although some under his command, particularly Lieutenant Taggerdy, were skeptical of his plans, Maxson believed that the way forward lay in new traditions and a new mythology, free of the burden of the past. He also believed that it would prevent any surviving politicians from exercising their authority over former American soldiers, especially those with an agenda that involved burning Americans on the funeral pyre of the regime.[21][22][23] By June 20, 2082, all members under his command switched over to using Brotherhood ranks and practices.[24][25]
As the Brotherhood in New California developed, so did the sister organization in Appalachia, under Paladin Lizzy Taggerdy. Although she showed a bias towards candidates with a military background while building up the ranks, she eventually understood Roger Maxson's vision. And continued to expand and develop the organization using Camp Venture as a training outpost. Despite initial resistance to the new rank system by the rest in her outfit, the new ideas offered by Maxson eventually took root and were accepted. Although the Brotherhood's insistence on acquiring munitions for their fighting against mutants has led to ruffled feathers - especially with the Responders prior to the Charleston flood in December 2082 - they eventually found a common tongue, standing together during the Battle of Huntersville in May 2086. Although the Brotherhood sustained losses, it prevailed. This coincided with the announcement of a new mandate by Roger Maxson: The preservation of technology, to gather, record, and save the collective knowledge of mankind for future generation, to act as a catalyst for the rebirth of civilization in time.[26]
Some responded to this new policy with enthusiasm, others with grudging acceptance, and yet others, like Sergeant Hank Madigan, left the Brotherhood to join the Responders. The new mission quickly took a backseat, however, as the Brotherhood encountered the scorchbeasts and the scorched in the Cranberry Bog. Conferring with Maxson's ace researcher, Scribe Hailey Takano, the Brotherhood in Appalachia quickly calculated that the scorchbeasts represented a potential extinction event for humanity. Lost Hills supplied a number of designs and weapon schematics to help stem the tide, including a sonic generator and an automated research program, but by the 2090s, the failing infrastructure of the Old World rapidly rendered communication impossible. Before being cut-off, Maxson ordered Taggerdy to hold the tide - and proscribed the use of nuclear weapons.[27][23]
Eventually, the communications failed entirely, separating Lost Hills from Appalachia. The chapter in Appalachia fought on, trying to destroy the scorchbeasts through attrition, but by 2093, their numbers dwindled to the point where they were forced to close down Camp Venture, their first base, and focus their remaining forces at Fort Defiance and Thunder Mountain Power Plant. Declining support from the Responders and the constant fighting just to stem the tide of the scorched and their masters took their toll, preventing the Brotherhood from completing the automated research program at Vault-Tec University, supplied to them by Takano. Eventually, the Brotherhood launched Operation Touchdown. This last ditch effort was launched in January 2095 and briefly stemmed the tide at the cost of the entire strike force, which included Knight Moreno and Paladin Taggerdy. Ultimately however, the Brotherhood in Appalachia was wiped out in their last stand at Fort Defiance and Thunder Mountain on August 18-19, 2095, marking the end of the Brotherhood in Appalachia.[23]
Conflict with the Vipers[edit | edit source]
In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer. Already a legendary figure to the Brotherhood, he was essentially deified as the Founder and Deliverer. His son, Maxson II, replaced him as the High Elder, while his grandson, John Maxson, joined the Paladin caste, showing great promise.[28][13] Around 2141, the Brotherhood ceased admitting new members from the outside, relying solely on their natural growth for increasing their numbers.[29]
The Brotherhood was a major power in the region at this point, firmly exercising their control on the lands surrounding their bunker and forming trade relations with the neighboring towns, especially the Hub. However, the focus on hard sciences gave in to the detriment of humanities, history in particular. This decline in soft sciences eventually lead to some Initiates of the youngest generations having no idea who Roger Maxson was.[30] In 2150, they clashed with the newly reformed Vipers.[31] The battles intensified in subsequent years, culminating in the death of High Elder Maxson II in 2155. John Maxson's father expected the raiders to break formation and flee when faced with Brotherhood warriors clad in powered armor, but did not account for their religious ferocity. A poisoned arrow nicked him when his helmet was off, and he died within hours.[32] John Maxson was promoted to the Elder council, while Rhombus was tasked with conducting a campaign of extermination against the Vipers. The Paladins tracked down and wiped out almost all of their members within the span of a month. A handful of Vipers were able to flee north and east into the mountain range; While small groups continued to exist and raid in New California, they never regained their full power. Both Rhombus and John Maxson would eventually ascend to leadership roles, with John Maxson becoming the High Elder in 2159 and promoting Rhombus to the role of Head Paladin.[31]
During the campaign, the Brotherhood sent a few scouts and emissaries to the Hub to track down Vipers members, and from these beginnings, the Hub and the Brotherhood began full trade relations. Caravans had delivered to the Brotherhood before, but not long after the destruction of the Vipers, caravan trains ran directly from the Hub to the Brotherhood on a regular basis.[31] While the situation remained peaceful and prosperous, issues would develop between the Hub and the Brotherhood from time to time. In the late 2150s, the Water Merchants of the Hub attempted to barter a large quantity of water for a weapons stockpile. Although the Brotherhood turned down the offer, the merchants attempted to take the weapons regardless. The thieves were caught, but the Brotherhood Elders voted down a retaliatory expedition.[33]
The Emergence of the Unity[edit | edit source]
In 2161, the Brotherhood discovered the presence of a new enemy. In October, a group of Knights on a patrol in the badlands discovered a dead super mutant. After examining the creature, Master Scribe Vree determined that it was sterile, but also notes that there must have been a central location that created these mutants.[34][35] The Elder Council, fearing a potential invasion, enacted several security decrees, including a moratorium on training new recruits until the threat passed.[36]
The Elders also sent out several scouts north and east into the badlands. Only one returned from the east, reporting an encounter with twenty super mutants,[37] and none at all returned from the north. The Council could not reach an agreement on how to act. Even as Hub merchant caravans started disappearing in the northern wastes, the Elders refused to act until they were fully certain that there was an army massing in the northern mountains.[38]
The impasse was broken by the arrival of the Vault Dweller. Having rescued a Brotherhood Initiate from bandits in the Hub,[39] the Dweller visited the Brotherhood and accepted the mission to the Glow, to recover the disk belonging to Sergeant Dennis Allen to learn the fate of the splinter faction from the Mariposa Rebellion. The Dweller surprised everyone by surviving and returning with the artifact. He became the first outsider to join the Brotherhood in nearly twenty years.[29][40]
The Brotherhood shared what knowledge they had and some of their advanced technology with the Dweller, allowing him to seek out the Master and destroy him in the Boneyard.[40] Following the death of the super mutant leader, the Brotherhood further aided the Vault Dweller's quest, sending a team of crack assault Paladins to storm Mariposa.[41]
Apex of Power, Stagnation, and Recovery[edit | edit source]
Rhombus, architect of Brotherhood's peaceful expansion.
Following the destruction of the Unity, the Brotherhood aided other human settlements to drive the mutants away with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict. The Brotherhood remained out of the power structure for a time, becoming a major research and development house and reintroducing advanced technology into New California at a slow pace. The wise guidance of Rhombus arguably brought the Brotherhood to the zenith of its power.[42] The Brotherhood had good relations with the developing New California Republic, to the point that one of the states of the federation was named after the founder of the Brotherhood: Maxson. However, Lost Hills was never incorporated into the NCR.[43]
Over the years the Brotherhood grew confident in its status as the sole source of advanced technology left to mankind, and allowed it's prominence and influence to wane, growing stagnant.[44] This stagnancy made them unable to deal with the technologically superior Enclave, when the Brotherhood learned of its existence circa 2240.[45][46] In order to learn more about them, the Brotherhood reactivated a network of outposts in Northern California to observe Enclave activity. Thanks to their low profile, they achieved practical anonymity, even in the populous San Francisco.[47]
Once the Enclave was destroyed by the Chosen One, the Brotherhood was without a foe to face. In an effort to end the stagnation the Brotherhood expanded eastward (most notably the formation of the Mojave chapter under Elder Elijah) and sent out expeditions to recover technology, going as far as the Capital Wasteland in 2255, with the expedition under Senior Paladin Owyn Lyons.[48][49]
The Brotherhood War[edit | edit source]
Main article: Brotherhood War
The rampant expansionism of the NCR would eventually lead to a collision course with the Brotherhood. As the NCR's power grew, the Brotherhood adopted a policy of reclaiming technology from people outside the order, energy weapons most of all.[50] The disagreements over the way technology should be handled eventually resulted in full out war with the New California Republic. The Brotherhood was eventually forced into a retreat.[51] At least six Brotherhood bunkers were lost to the Republic, four of them destroyed by the Brotherhood themselves in a last ditch attempt to deny them to the enemy.[52]
The most spectacular known confrontation occurred during the Brotherhood's Operation: Sunburst in 2276. Under Elder Elijah's leadership, the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was operating out of the solar power plant of Helios One when the NCR launched an attack. The NCR's numerical superiority over the Brotherhood, coupled with Elder Elijah's immense reluctance to leave Helios, allowed the NCR to overwhelm the defenders, leading to the loss of over half the chapter.[53] The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood was considered effectively neutralized.[54] The Mojave chapter went under lockdown following their defeat at Helios One and the retreat to Hidden Valley.[55]
Despite their crushing victory over the Brotherhood, the war would serve to cost the NCR dearly. Apart from losses in manpower and materiel, the greatest victim of the war was the Republic's economy. The Republic's gold reserves were completely destroyed by Brotherhood raids: new gold coins could not be minted and paper money could not be properly backed with gold. NCR citizens panicked and rushed to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's remaining gold reserves. Since the NCR was unable to realize these withdrawals, particularly towards the frontier, faith in their currency considerably dropped. To protect against actual economic collapse, the NCR government abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, not payable in specie. Since then many wastelanders lost faith in it as a medium of worth, both as a result of it not being backed by anything but the government's word and the inevitable inflation. In response to the loss of faith, merchant consortiums of the Hub established their own currency, the veritable bottle cap, backing it with a standardized measure of water.[56][57][58][59]
The Brotherhood in the Capital[edit | edit source]
Arthur Maxson, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel (2287)
The Brotherhood's presence in the east suffered a further setback, when Elder Lyons, head of the Capital Wasteland division, refused a direct order from the Lost Hills Elder Council, confirming their suspicions that he has gone rogue and was no longer pursuing the original mission. In response, the Brotherhood completely shut off communications to Lyon's division and denied them any reinforcements.[60][61] Alone, Lyons' organization attempted to implement a charitable program of aiding the wasteland, but their insistence on charity, rather than equitable exchange, led to their steady decline and loss of territory. While the tides seemed to turn during the Purifier Conflict with the remnants of the Enclave, thanks to the influx of new technology and resources, the organization was effectively crumbling.[62]
The key blow to the organization came with the death of Owyn Lyons circa 2278 and the loss of now-Elder Sarah Lyons later that same year. With the seat of power emptied, the remaining Brotherhood members elected multiple ineffectual leaders, while the adolescent Squire Arthur Maxson matured into a capable warrior and tactician, eventually securing a victory over Shepherd, the new warboss of the Capital Wasteland super mutants, in 2282. This feat earned him a provisional leadership position. In fact, this position was bestowed by West Coast Elders, who revealed that they still monitored their errant brethren.[1]
Maxson's position solidified in 2283, when he negotiated a treaty with the Brotherhood Outcasts, bringing them back into the fold and reforming the entire organization, abandoning Lyons' Doctrine. Lyons' Brotherhood became a distant memory as Maxson restored the original mission of the Brotherhood of Steel.[1] While some members found this distasteful and left,[63] the overwhelming majority remained, proud to serve a refocused Brotherhood. Maxson became leader of the Brotherhood Eastern branch, effectively leading to its rebirth.[64]
Society[edit | edit source]
“let us forge together something new. Something strong. Something we can be proud of. Something we can build upon. We'll preserve what's best of what's come before and use it. And one day, we will reclaim what was lost.
Selinux mode changer apk download. Let us forge a Brotherhood of Steel.
”— Roger MaxsonThe Brotherhood is a military order with a strictly enforced hierarchy and chain of command. At the foundation of the hierarchy lies the Chain That Binds doctrine. It mandates obedience to one's superiors and forbids skipping of the ranks when orders are given. Superiors may only give orders to their direct subordinates, but not their subordinate's subordinates. Although intended to ensure the cohesion of command, the doctrine has been generally interpreted as a simple mandate of obedience within the order, with the order flow requirements ignored, abandoned or altered in practice. However, it does provide a technicality that can be invoked to relieve members of their rank - up to and including Elders.[65][66]
Maxson's goals in inventing a new tradition and mythology for the Brotherhood were two-fold: First, they would ensure that members of the Brotherhood would be stripped of their ties to the pre-War military and government, ensuring that any surviving general or politician would not be able to invoke their oaths and use them to eg. unleash nuclear devastation on the world again (as was the case with Col. Ellen Santiago and Sec. Thomas Eckhart in Appalachia). Second, it would give the survivors an idea to believe in, something they could dedicate themselves to and fining meaning in their lives after nuclear fires burned away their families, friends, everything. Inspiration came from the fall of the Western Roman Empire, when knights and scribes kept the fire of civilization going after the empire imploded.[67]
Property and trade[edit | edit source]
As a military order, the Brotherhood seems to have no internal market. Necessary operations, supplies, and other amenities are provided free of charge to working members of the Brotherhood at Lost Hills (though in case of new initiates coming from the outside, they must serve for ten years before the Brotherhood will provide its most advanced services without charge).[68]
Every member receives an allotment of rations to maintain their health and they may be traded between members.[69] All equipment beyond personal items is issued by the Brotherhood and everything, especially weapons, are carefully tracked by serial number. Although it minimizes the risk of foul play, records can still be altered by talented members and lead to unforeseen consequences.[70]
Variations[edit | edit source]
Outside of Lost Hills, though, the rules may change from chapter to chapter: the Mojave chapter will not sell any equipment to any outsider unless the Elder gives permission to.[71] Under Elder Lyons' rule, the D.C. Bunker was known to trade with outsiders, but as of 2277, there were many incidents which dissuaded the Brotherhood from such activities. As of 2287 the Eastern division has resumed trade relations in the Capital Wasteland and established new ones in the Commonwealth.[72] While standard issue gear and weapons are available for free to members, more specialized weapons and equipment must be purchased from the quartermasters.[73]
Social structure[edit | edit source]
General John Maxson, High Elder of the Brotherhood from 2159 onwards.
The Brotherhood has several distinct classes that define a member's standing in the Brotherhood social structure, with a strict hierarchy distinguishing each member's position.
West Coast[edit | edit source]
The original hierarchy implemented by the Lost Hills chapter and followed by Western chapters. Members of the west coast Brotherhood are primarily descendants of soldiers and scientists that broke away from the United States during the Mariposa Rebellion, apart from a small number of outsiders in their ranks.[3]
This means that the western Brotherhood is very small compared to other organizations in the region, most notably the New California Republic. While not an official policy, some members believe that in order for the Brotherhood to survive, all fertile members of the order are obligated to procreate. As a result, these persons display a lack of tolerance for same-sex relationships.[74] Those born in the Brotherhood that want to be neither Scribes, Knights nor Paladins are free to leave – the Brotherhood does not believe in forcing anyone to serve them against their will.[75][76]
The castes are as follows:
- Initiates are the youngest and/or least experienced members of the Brotherhood, whose sole purpose is training and learning to become a valued member of either the Knights or the Scribes.[77]
- Scribes are scientists, responsible for researching and reverse engineering recovered technologies, maintaining the Brotherhood's scientific knowledge, and even experimenting with new ones (though the Brotherhood's focus on preservation means this is rather rare).[3][78][79] There are three Scribe orders within the Brotherhood, focusing on different types of technology: the Order of the Sword (offensive), the Shield (defensive), and the Quill (civilian).[80][81] In eastern chapters, Scribes have taken over the duties of Knights, becoming responsible for research and engineering activities of the Brotherhood.[82]
- Knights are the craftsmen and foot soldiers of the Brotherhood. They maintain the Brotherhood's stockpile of technology, repair and providing technical services where they are needed, as well as producing new weapons to replenish stocks and provide trading goods. Knights also perform patrols, scouting assignments, and support the Paladins in offensive operations. Those that focus on combat training, may be eligible to become Paladins, the protectors of the Brotherhood.[3][83][84][85][86][87] Eastern chapters have offloaded engineering duties to Scribes, focusing Knights on logistics and combat operations, reflecting their proactive focus.[88]
- Paladins are the primary combat force of the Brotherhood, in charge of all security and outside activities. Equipped with the best military technology the Brotherhood has to offer, they are some of the most fearsome foes in the wasteland.[3][89] The ranks of the Paladins are reinforced by promoting exceptional Knights and[85] it's generally impossible to become a Paladin any other way.[90] Notably, while power armor was reserved for Paladin use in the first century of the Brotherhood's existence,[91] the restrictions were relaxed over the decades, allowing Knights and in extreme cases even Initiates to use power armor (usually older models, such as the T-45).[92]
- Elders are the highest ranking members of the Brotherhood, its leaders and decision makers, determining everything from meals to the course of campaigns.[93] Typically, only Paladins are eligible to become Elders, but exceptions can be made for extraordinary members of other branches.[94] Regardless of their branch of service, Elders are elected into the council by other council members,[90]with the High Elder chosen by the council. The candidate can turn down the offer.[95] Out of the first four High Elders, three belonged to the Maxson lineage, but there is no requirement for the council to propose the position to a member of the bloodline.[96] Elders may be dismissed for violating the Brotherhood's charter or laws, such as destroying technological devices without due cause, violating the Chain that Binds, or murdering a fellow member. Due to the requirement for Elders to set an examples, Elders may also be stripped of their position if allowing them to retain it would compromise the morale or integrity of a given chapter.[97]
Eastern division[edit | edit source]
The Eastern division implemented a heavily modified hierarchy derived from Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel altered ranking system, adapting it to the challenges of the wasteland.
- Squires are children who are too young to train as Initiates but are allowed to serve the various needs of full fledged members of the Brotherhood. In exchange they are taught basic concepts such as military structure, combat readiness and loyalty that will help them when they are old enough to become Initiates. Squires sometimes accompany exemplary Knights on missions, at the behest of Lancer Captain Kells, to experience combat firsthand but only as an observer.[98]
- Initiates are Brotherhood-born members and sponsored outsiders who are training to become Knights, Scribes or Lancers.[99]
- Aspirants is a rank used to denote someone training under a superior officer such as a Paladin or Knight-Commander in order to be promoted to a full-fledged knight. They are a step above Initiates.[99]
- Lancers are the backbone of the Brotherhoods newly formed airforce. Without them the Brotherhood would be unable to operate their vast fleets of VB-01 and VB-02 Vertibirds.[100]
- Knights are fully fledged members who have served time in the Brotherhood. They are professional soldiers, and the main backbone of the Brotherhood's ground forces.[99]
- Paladins are the Brotherhood's elite, seasoned veterans that are often high ranking field commanders or used in elite strike teams.[99]
- Scribes are the brains to the Brotherhood's brawn. They are responsible for the development and research of all Brotherhood technology, as well as the maintenance of advanced systems, weapons and armor and any other technical requirements.[101]
- Sentinel is a rare rank, only given to the Brotherhood's best and most distinguished soldiers. The last known Sentinel was Sarah Lyons, daughter of Elder Owyn Lyons; she was the highest ranking field commander under Elder Lyons, and commanded the Lyon's Pride, a single squad of the chapter's best soldiers. It is unknown if the Pride still operates as of 2287. The Sole Survivor can achieve this rank through completion of A New Dawn.[99]
Eastern Brotherhood[edit | edit source]
The Eastern Brotherhood operating in the Midwest has a rank system that differs from the original Brotherhood ranks. In the Midwest, the Scribes act as both scientists and engineers, taking the place of both western Scribes and Knights. Knights are just a military rank lower in the hierarchy than paladins and are not allowed to use power armor. The Inquisitors are the Brotherhood's law enforcement and intelligence. The rank of General is not a honorific, but the equivalent of the army general rank, and the 'commanding officer' is the military leader of the Brotherhood of Steel in the Midwest and also the only one who outranks the Generals, responsible for giving mission orders to everyone, and also the only one that can give their opinion on the Elders' politics.[102] Also, the assignment into commanding officer is done by the elders and only a General can become commanding officer. Like all Brotherhood of Steel, the Midwestern elders are the leaders and the thinkers of all decision.[103]
Belief system[edit | edit source]
The beliefs of the Brotherhood were shaped by the experiences of Roger Maxson at Mariposa Military Base and in the aftermath of the Great War. At first, the Brotherhood focused on aiding survivors to the best of its ability, acting as an armed fighting force, rather than a military order it would become. The change came with the realization that the collective knowledge of humanity was in danger of being lost for generations to come. To keep the secrets of the past alive, Maxson decided to dedicate the Brotherhood to the preservation of technology and human knowledge, collecting it in order that the Brotherhood might become the catalyst of humanity's rebirth. As the guardian's of civilization, the Brotherhood would focus on the big picture, with direct aid considered a secondary concern.[104]
Notably, while Scribes were originally considered second-rate members, tools to protect Knights and maintain the Brotherhood's bases, this change in priorities placed them on equal footing with soldiers of the Brotherhood, tasked with preserving and developing technologies recovered from the field by the Knights.[104]
Finally, Maxson's intention was to maintain the Brotherhood as an organization that works closely with people outside of the Brotherhood, as guardians of civilizations, not its gatekeepers. His idea of an open Brotherhood put him at odds with isolationist members of the Brotherhood, including his own son and Paladin Lizzy Taggerdy, head of the Appalachian chapter. Although nobody confronted him openly on the issue, out of respect for his role as founder, Roger Maxson was in the minority.[105]
Preservationists[edit | edit source]
“[The Brotherhood is] the only salvation this tortured planet and its people have. Without us, humanity is sure to perish.
”— Master Scribe Vree, 2161In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer. Although referred to as the Founder and Deliverer, the Brotherhood changed under his son, Maxson II.[28][13] The most noticeable effect of the change in leadership was the cessation of outside recruitment by 2141, relying solely on natural growth.[29]
However, the Brotherhood was still focused on its stewardship role, aiming for the salvation of humanity. Their power armor was a symbol of hope, the harbinger of restoration as the Brotherhood waited for the right moment to restore the battered Earth to humanity.[106] Until then, it would preserve knowledge and control it, so that it could not destroy humanity again[107] by preserving knowledge and its practical applications for future generations, as Maxson intended. While the mandate was to recover, restore, and record whatever the Brotherhood could lay its hands on, the Brotherhood emphasized hard sciences and the tangible, resulting in a tacit disregard for non-technical, softer fields of knowledge such as history or sociology. This benign neglect steadily developed into a major problem as the Brotherhood started to forget its own history and origins: As early as 2160, many Brotherhood of Steel Initiates did not know who Roger Maxson was,[30] with even Scribes showing the same ignorance not even a century after the Brotherhood's foundation.[108]
The Brotherhood continued to research theoretical and practical aspects of science, including biology, physics, and chemistry. Practical applications were particularly emphasized, as weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, and so on were exported in exchange for food, water, and other necessities.[109] Exports were limited to conventional technologies, with restricted, advanced items strictly controlled and only provided to those deemed responsible enough to use it.[44]
Regardless of its disregard for soft sciences, the Brotherhood's policies allowed it to reach a position of influence. Its stockpiles of technology and combined knowledge allowed it to emerge as a major research and development house in New California, slowly reintroducing advanced technologies while wisely remaining outside the power structure.[42] Its advantageous position would ultimately lead it to its downfall, as the Brotherhood grew confident in its unchallenged role as a quasi technology police, stagnating.[44]
Reactionaries[edit | edit source]
A patrol in Hidden Valley.
See: Brotherhood of Steel (Mojave chapter)
“They're a terrorist group, basically. Militant, quasi-religious fanatics obsessed with hoarding Pre-War technology. Not all technology, mind you. You don't see them raiding hospitals to cart away Auto-Docs or armfuls of prosthetic organs. No, they greatly prefer the sort of technology that Or graves, rather, since hospitals went the way of the Dodo.
”— Robert House, 2281The refusal to adapt and evolve led to a decline in the Brotherhood's standing and influence, as the New California Republic emerged as a major power player in the wasteland.[45] Facing a changed wasteland with no plan in place, corruption of the Brotherhood's lofty ideals was a matter of time.[110] The increasingly strict adherence to the organization's principles evolved into religious dogmatism. This mindset eventually dominated its leadership. The Codex became sacred,[111][112] with Roger Maxson effectively deified.[113]
The definition of technology became very selective. The Brotherhood started to focus almost exclusively on combat technologies such as energy weapons or power armor, zealously restricting its use to its own ranks. Basic, useful technologies like genetic modification of crops or civil engineering were largely ignored, as irrelevant to the pursuit of narrowly-understood power.[55] Sharing of Brotherhood secrets, even for a greater purpose, is seen as treason warranting summary execution.[114]
The drive to protect the people from the ravages of technology was replaced by hoarding. The Brotherhood became aggressive in their efforts to control technology, wrestling it away from people viewed as lesser. No outsiders were permitted to join their ranks. Rather than restoring the Earth, the Brotherhood wanted to outlive and inherit the Earth after other rivals have died out.[115] The Codex itself was either rewritten or reinterpreted to emphasize the world view.[116][117]
Not all Brotherhood chapters were dedicated to this reactionary policy. Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel diverged when Elder Owyn Lyons turned his chapter into a purely charitable organization, aiding the wasteland without compensation and opening its ranks to outside recruitment. His insistence on charity, rather than equitable exchange, led to a steady decline and loss of territory over a period of twenty years of their presence in the Capital Wasteland. While the Purifier Conflict with the remnants of the Enclave provided an influx of new technologies and resources, the chapter was crumbling under Lyons' leadership, devoted to his failed policies of containment and attrition of threats in the Wasteland.[62] Particularly severe was the fact that Lost Hills completely shut off communications with Lyons' chapter and denied them any reinforcements.[60][61]
Restorers[edit | edit source]
A Brotherhood research patrol in Concord.
See: Brotherhood of Steel (Eastern division)
“Before the Great War, science and technology became more of a burden than a benefit. The atom bomb, bio-engineered plagues and FEV are clear examples of the horrors that technological advancement had wrought. We're here to make sure that never happens again.
”— Paladin Danse, 2287Major changes were introduced under Elder Arthur Maxson in the 2280s. Like the Brotherhood of the 22nd century, the Eastern division (re)dedicated itself to the advancement of humanity. Beyond taking an active role in wasteland politics, the Brotherhood embraced Elder Lyons' policies of eradicating abominations, combining them with a new approach to controlling technology. Abominations of nature brought about by mankind's meddling are viewed as a scourge that needs to be destroyed in order for humanity to prosper. The list typically involves super mutants and hostile ghouls, although the Brotherhood also eliminates raiders and other threats as a matter of course.[118][119]
Control of technology is seen as a means to an end. While the crumbling western Brotherhood attempted to control technology in a desperate attempt to stave off its destruction, Maxson's Brotherhood returned to the original mission of containment: Protecting mankind from technologies that cannot be fully controlled and thus represent a threat to its long-term welfare and even survival. As a result, the Brotherhood seeks to understand the nature of technology, its power and meaning to humans, and fights those who would abuse said power for their own ends, endangering mankind in the process.[120] The most noticeable way in which this policy is implemented is the collection of technology from pre-War sites, to prevent its abuse.[121]
The Brotherhood rejects technological development for the sake of technological development, drawing on the lessons of the Great War. The Brotherhood holds that it was a result of technological progress outpacing man's restraint and moral progress. Consumerism and greed became the driving forces of progress, new technologies exploited by megacorporations for their own gain, pocketing the cash and ignoring the collateral damage to society and environment.[122] Though miracle advancements in medicine and welfare were made, the unchecked development spurred by the war with China led to widespread abuse of technology's potential. Bio-engineered plagues, FEV, and ever more destructive nuclear weapons were but a handful of horrors created by pre-War mankind.[123] The Great War was a natural result of putting the implements of Apocalypse in the hands of mad men.[124]
Gen 3 synths, which are indistinguishable from humans, are a perfect example of science run amok - a technology that cannot be fully controlled by humans.[125] The combination of their superior physique and the capacity to think for themselves renders them a threat to mankind,[126] while the way in which they are created - assembled in a laboratory and programmed like a robot - is anathema to the Brotherhood, which holds human life to be sacred.[124][127][128]
Notably, while the Brotherhood's new rhetoric has religious overtones, Elder Maxson rejects the notion of being worshiped as divine. The eradication of Maxson cults in the Western Brotherhood is consistent with his desire to be nothing more and nothing less than human: Aided and perfected by technology, but not controlled or enslaved by it.[1]
Insignia[edit | edit source]
In the Brotherhood symbol, the gears represent their engineering knowledge, the sword is their will to defend themselves, the wings represent the uplifting hope that the acquisition of lost technology represents for mankind's salvation following the devastation of the Great War, and the circle represents the fraternal unity that makes the organization a true brotherhood.[129]
Another interpretation is that the Brotherhood's symbol represents each of the organization's different orders. The sword represents the Paladins, the wings represent the Elders (the 'wings' control the movement of the sword), the large gear represents the Knights, and the two smaller gears represent the Scribes and the Initiates, whose services keep the Knights supplied with the information and the manpower required to get their jobs done.[3]
Notably, the Brotherhood insignia evolved throughout the years and while it retained its general appearance, the number of cogs on the gears, their facing, and even basic color scheme have varied between iterations. The standard seems to be nine cogs on each wheel.
- A common rendition of the Brotherhood insignia, used as wall decoration in the West, most commonly in the 22nd century (2161 and 2241)
- A variant used on bunker entrances and elevator doors (2161 and 2241)
- Another version used at Lost Hills, featuring twelve cogs on the main gear and six on the smaller ones (2161 and 2241)
- A mono-colored version used on Brotherhood supply crates (2161 and 2241) Fallout 4 rename dog console command.
- A revised variant of the insignia used by the Mojave Brotherhood, with the large gear facing right. The same layout was used by Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel (2277 and 2281)
- A modified variant used by the Eastern division under Elder Arthur Maxson (2287)
The Brotherhood has also used a variety of flags. The first one was a combination of the Stripes of the United States with the Brotherhood's insignia. Subsequent flags usually superimposed the insignia on a field of solid color.
- A design believed to be the first Brotherhood flag, flown over Lost Hills.[2]
Divisions and locations[edit | edit source]
Main article: List of Brotherhood of Steel chapters
The headquarters of the Brotherhood is the Lost Hills bunker in California, the seat of the Brotherhood's High Elder and its ruling council, and the place where the organization was founded. It is also the center of their research and military activities. By the 23rd century, the Brotherhood spread out from their original bunker across the wastes, establishing bases in small bunkers and installations hidden from the eyes of common folk, and finding them all and wiping them out would be a difficult and dangerous task.[3]
Their installations include small observation bunkers (for example, in the Den, San Francisco, and Shady Sands), as well as major outposts and subterranean facilities, like Hidden Valley. Apart from Hidden Valley, at least six other larger bunkers are confirmed to exist, though four of them were destroyed by the Brotherhood and two fell to the NCR. All Brotherhood outposts are formally subject to the Lost Hills' ruling council's authority, even if they sometimes tend to act independently, especially if they are located far from California and contact with the headquarters is rare. The Lost Hills bunker is surrounded by the state of Maxson, which, while named after the founder of the Brotherhood, is officially outside Brotherhood rule and is a state of the New California Republic. The later conflict between the Republic and the Brotherhood most likely resulted in the destruction of many of the Brotherhood's bunkers in New California.[52]
Appalachia[edit | edit source]
The Appalachian branch of the Brotherhood of Steel was founded when Roger Maxson contacted Lt. Lizzy Taggerdy via satellite. The chance meeting led to the earliest branch of the Brotherhood being established in the remote region. Based out of Camp Venture and later Fort Defiance, the chapter focused on recovery and aiding the local population in its early years, before focusing entirely on the destruction of the scorchbeasts and the scorched as an existential threat to humanity. The chapter failed in its attempt to contain the threat, becoming extinct in August 2095, less than twenty years after their foundation.[23] Led lights for laptop keyboard.
Mojave chapter[edit | edit source]
The Mojave Brotherhood's bunker is located in Hidden Valley, directly east of the settlement of Goodsprings in the Mojave Wasteland. It is surrounded by powerful underground fans that serve as a high-tech defense system, creating artificial sandstorms which allow the inhabitants to travel to and from the bunker under cover. It also serves as a kind of electronic disturbance to any and all outside factions' targeting sensors, therefore rendering the bunker safe from detection.[130]
Prior to 2276, the Mojave Brotherhood had been very active in the region before their crippling defeat at Helios One by the NCR Army and were forced underground on the orders of their new leader Elder McNamara. Due to a complete lockdown ordered to preserve what remaining soldiers he had, McNamara relies solely on teams that were trapped outside of the bunker for intel and trusted undercover operatives to bring food and supplies back to those trapped inside.[130]
Despite their seclusion from the outside world they still are regarded as a powerful faction in the region, this is shown in Mr. House's calculations as they painted the Brotherhood insurgency to be the greatest threat to his reign in the Mojave Wasteland in the long-term.[130]
Eastern division[edit | edit source]
On the East Coast, Brotherhood established the Citadel, built into and beneath the ruins of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. This faction was led by the idealistic Elder Owyn Lyons who decided to make the protection of the human inhabitants of the Capital Wasteland from super mutants and other threats his top priority, instead of the acquisition and preservation of technology. While Lyons was officially recognized by the ruling council at Lost Hills as the leader of a Brotherhood chapter, his defiance resulted in New California cutting off support and his faction, for all intents and purposes, was independent. Without reinforcements from the West Coast, Lyons was forced to recruit locally, but, as most new wastelander conscripts are overeager, unskilled, or both, the survival rate of these local members was atrocious. Elder Lyons’ daughter Sarah commanded her own elite squad, Lyons' Pride. These soldiers help preserve the Capital Wasteland by holding back the super mutants, who tend to remain in the urban ruins of Washington, D.C.[62]
Members of Lyons' expeditionary force who preferred to stay faithful to the Brotherhood's original goals of locating and preserving technology and knowledge eventually abandoned him in 2276, after Lyons outright refused to permit them to excavate Fort Independence. Under the lead of Paladin Henry Casdin, they left the Citadel to take up residence in the fort, and styled themselves as the Brotherhood Outcasts. In addition to carrying out Lyons' original orders, the Outcasts attempted to re-establish contact with the western Elders.. And have Lyons placed in front of a firing squad.[131]
As the war with the super mutants intensified, the Enclave returned in the flesh after fleeing New California several years prior. Their radio broadcasts had been heard for years on Wasteland radios. In a bold first move they seized the Jefferson Memorial's 'Project Purity' (a project intended to provide clean water to the wasteland), and subsequently consolidated their power throughout the Capital Wasteland. At first favoring caution, Elder Lyons soon changed his mind, engaging the Enclave in a full-scale battle after the Enclave acquires possession of Vault 87's G.E.C.K. and nearly activating Project Purity. With the aid of Liberty Prime, the Enclave was ousted from the Jefferson Memorial and into uncertain disarray. Despite the subsequent loss of Liberty Prime, Lyons' chapter started its recovery to dwarf their fellow chapters back west in power, especially after the devastation of the Brotherhood War.[62]
Following both Lyons' deaths circa 2278, the chapter was managed by a string of largely ineffectual Elders, only to come under the leadership of Elder Arthur Maxson in 2283, who reunited the chapter with the Brotherhood Outcasts. Together with the Prydwen, a large airship whose creation started in the twilight years of Lyons' reign, and their victory against the Enclave in 2277, the chapter achieved its goal. As of 2287, the chapter is able to field large quantities of Vertibirds and T-60 power armor, manufacture replacement parts, and use standardized energy weapons. Their newly acquired power allowed them to send long range recon teams to scout regions and recover technologies. One of these, Recon squad Gladius, was sent to the Commonwealth to investigate the region after the disappearance of Recon squad Artemis. Their findings prompted the Brotherhood to deploy in the Commonwealth aboard the Prydwen and strike against the Institute. Once they arrived, the Brotherhood conducted an air assault on the feral ghouls occupying Boston Airport, and established their main base of operations there. They are capable of and frequently conduct air assault operations, especially when inserting patrol teams and assaulting objectives such as Bunker Hill.[132]
Fallout 4 Killing Brotherhood Of Steel Patrols
Montana bunker[edit | edit source]
A bunker exists in Montana and is at some point the home of Elder Patrocolus.[133]
Eastern Brotherhood of Steel[edit | edit source]
The splinter faction which lost contact with the Brotherhood leadership at Lost Hills has been an independent organization since 2197, when the airship of its founders crashed near Chicago. Unlike the original, isolationist Brotherhood, the Eastern Brotherhood expanded aggressively and eventually established a network of bunkers and vassalized towns from Illinois to Kansas, drafting folk from tribes and cities under Brotherhood protection into its ranks. While more open to the outside world, this faction of the Brotherhood is by no means altruistic - the villagers under Brotherhood rule, while protected from raiders and mutants, live in fear of the infamous Brotherhood Inquisitors. The Brotherhood main bases were bunkers that were probably pre-Great War military bunkers that were found, taken, and rebuilt. In accordance with the Brotherhood's military roots, they were renamed Bunkers Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon.[134]
Texas Expedition[edit | edit source]
After the death of John Maxson, Rhombus, the head of the Brotherhood's Paladins, became the new High Elder. After the death of the Master, the Brotherhood of Steel helped the other human outposts of New California drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict. However, a super mutant faction under the leadership of Attis moved east and attempted to recreate the mutant army in Texas using the Secret Vault. Rhombus, despite some criticism from the ruling council of the West Coast Brotherhood of Steel, started a crusade against the still existent threat of the super mutant army, now led by Attis. They traveled eastward to Texas. There, he discovered a prototype Vault which was abandoned and installed the Brotherhood's main base of operation in this area. Their principal mission was to eradicate the menace of all super mutants. For this reason, they created a new Texas Brotherhood icon, which featured a pair of wings, topped by dual pistols, all of a red color.[135]
Maxson bunker[edit | edit source]
While not necessarily a separate chapter, a fairly large group of Brotherhood soldiers and staff were sent to the Maxson Bunker in Colorado, southeast of the Grand Canyon. In the year 2231, High Elder Jeremy Maxson decided that it was time to expand Brotherhood operations into the east, and he sent an expeditionary force composed of five Paladins to confirm the location of pre-war Senator Todd Peterson's bunker. The expedition leader, Andrea Brixley, discovered the bunker, disabled its security, and opened it for habitation. For over a decade, she and her fellow Paladins explored the east, and forged relationships with many of the local tribes that inhabited the area.[136]
In the year 2242, Jeremy Maxson renamed the bunker after his famous ancestor, Roger Maxson, and later sent a full complement of troops for occupation there. Andrea Brixley was promoted to Elder, given the rank of General, and was placed in charge of the bunker. The remainder of her exploratory team were given the title of Elder as well. It was not long afterward that the war with the New California Republic was announced, and the bunker was re-suited for war.[136]
Foreign relations[edit | edit source]
“We're talking about a of bulging-eyed fanatics who think all Pre-War technology belongs to them. They'll never accept my using an army of robots to defend New Vegas. While it's a fight I can win, I'd rather sidestep it altogether.
”— Robert HouseBrotherhood Paladins fighting super mutants and raiders.
While they are generally not hostile to others without a good reason, members of the Brotherhood are not interested in justice for the obviously weaker and less fortunate wastelanders (or mutants) around them. They largely focus on keeping their secrecy and preserving and developing technology, which they often put above human life since technology is irreplaceable in the post-nuclear wastelands—lives are not. Their motives are often unclear, and Brotherhood members are not people to be trifled with. It is safe to say, however, that if a group of Brotherhood Paladins appears to be helping outsiders, their motives are not altruistic.[3]
The Brotherhood does not like to share their choicest technological bits with others, despite the obvious benefits their technology could bring to the Wasteland. It is a commonly accepted truth within the Brotherhood that the people of the Wasteland are not responsible enough to use (and maintain) all of the technology the Brotherhood has at their disposal. They are known for trading some of their technologies with frontier communities and the states of the New California Republic in exchange for food and other resources, but they keep the more sensitive and advanced technologies to themselves.[3]
By 2281, the Brotherhood reversed its earlier policies, in response to their waning power, and became much more insular and aggressive, opting to wrestle technologies from the hands of lesser people, whether they be willing to give them up or not. This led to the devastating Brotherhood War. One of the most devastating campaigns of the war played out in the Mojave wasteland: in the course of Operation Sunburst more than half the chapter perished, forcing Elder McNamara to declare lockdown: sealing the chapter underground, with only high security patrols and supply runners allowed outside. All brothers left outside the bunker are cut loose if this protocol is enacted.[137] The Brotherhood has also enacted a scorched earth policy: if a bunker is invaded, the crew is obligated to initiate self-destruct. In four out of six instances of successful invasion by NCR forces, this was carried out.[52][138]
Outside recruitment[edit | edit source]
For most of its existence the Brotherhood did not recruit outsiders as a general rule. When it did, they require the recruits to be very young, so that the proper relationship with technology can be cultivated. Adults have an approach that the Brotherhood considers perverted.[139] However, exceptional individuals may conditionally join the Brotherhood.[140][141]
Circa 2287, the policy changed radically. As Elder Arthur Maxson became leader of the Brotherhood's Eastern branch, he retained Elder Owyn Lyons' practice of recruiting wastelanders[142] sponsored by existing Brotherhood members[143] and expanded it. As it was under Lyons, sponsor would travel with their charges and teach them the ideals of the Brotherhood and train them in combat.[144] To this end, active members can field promote recruits to Initiate rank, but the rank and subsequent promotions have to be confirmed by the Elder at the earliest possible opportunity.[145][146] However, while the member can retract their sponsorship,[147] once the rank is confirmed by the Elder, only the Elder can dismiss the sponsored party from the organization.[148]
Attitude towards mutants[edit | edit source]
The Brotherhood's attitude towards mutants ranges from dislike to outright hostility. When it comes to the ghouls, the Brotherhood dislikes them due to their ideology. As the Brotherhood hoards and preserves technology, tinkering ghouls that dismantle or sometimes damage old technology are abhorrent. Their dislike was amplified by salvaging operation in the Glow, a location regarded by the Brotherhood as close to holy ground due to the deaths of their comrades there and high technology within. Most Brotherhood members came to see ghouls as filthy scavengers. Thankfully, contact between them is limited.[90]
Their hostility towards super mutants was derived from the location of Lost Hills. The proximity of their bunker to Mariposa and the desolate Central Valley put them in the paths of many bloodthirsty mutants. That made them an easy choice for an external enemy to focus members of the chapter on.[90] However, the Brotherhood drove away super mutants with minimal loss of life on both sides of the conflict after the fall of the Master and wasn't hostile towards super mutants that settled down peacefully.[42][149]
By 2287, the Brotherhood has radicalized its policy towards mutants, with standing orders to exterminate any post-War abominations.[150] In practice, the Brotherhood usually doesn't shoot on sight unless targets are confirmed as hostile - even if they are a synth in a critical location.[151]
Technology[edit | edit source]
“The worst impulses of mankind, concentrated in one insane, backward tribe. The Brotherhood seems to have formed not long after the great atomic war. It's hard to know - they care little for history. Some of the Brotherhood scribes we captured further East didn't even know the name of their founder, Roger Maxson. They like to pretty up their mission with trappings of chivalry, but the truth is they're horders. They horde technology. It's been 200 years, and they still have the mentality of scavengers. They say they're preserving these technologies, but for what? They have no vision. They offer no future. They're a dead end.
”— Caesar, 2281The Lost Hills bunker and the heart of the Brotherhood: The main library and workshops.
Weapons[edit | edit source]
Military technology is the Brotherhood's main priority, and their efforts over the centuries have equipped them with a powerful array of power armor, energy weapons, defense turrets, combat implants, and computers. Their focus allowed them to amass sizable stockpiles of power armor (T-60, T-51 and T-45 variants, though the western chapters lack the ability to manufacture new units) and energy weapons. Apart from applied combat technologies, the Brotherhood also has access to advanced medical technologies such as cybernetics, combat implants[152] and virtual reality training systems, which allow personnel to maintain their combat prowess even under lockdown.[153]
Some chapters have also supplemented their combat force with recovered robots, like robobrains, sentry bots, and even a prototypical bleeding edge combat robot.[154]
Vehicles[edit | edit source]
Somewhat ironically, the Brotherhood does not have access to working automobiles, at least not in the mid-2100s.[155] The Brotherhood did have access to an entire fleet of pre-War air ships in the mid-22nd century, used for exploration and recon. However, over the years the fleet was either destroyed or dismantled for spare parts. By the 23rd century, none of the airships remained, with one notable vessel crashing in the Midwest on a long-range exploration mission. It wasn't until the creation of Prydwen at Adams Air Force Base that the Brotherhood returned to the skies, becoming the first post-War faction to create a flying vehicle from scratch.[156][157]
Research and manufacturing[edit | edit source]
While the overall devotion to research has decayed over the course of centuries, the Brotherhood was once at the forefront of research in the wasteland. In the 22nd century, for example, research topics ranged from redeveloping laser weapons,[158] through physics[159][160][161][162], to astronomy[163][164] and theories on time travel.[165]
In terms of manufacturing capacity, the west coast Brotherhood relies on items hand-made by the Knights. Although limited supplies pose a challenge,[166] the real problems come from the actual manufacturing and prototyping process,[167] especially when the reality doesn't seem to match the Knights' expectations.[168] Regardless, the Brotherhood was able to maintain a high enough output of technology (primarily weapons and ammunition) to support themselves and trade the surplus for water, food, and other necessary supplies.[3] However, hand manufacturing and the high degree of sophistication of their primary weapons mean that the Brotherhood has limited strategic flexibility: It cannot compete with nation states like the New California Republic, with their reserves of manpower, industrial output and the mass use of inexpensive weapons.[169]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
“I do love how these guys eventually turned out, but their origins were not very original. I simply wanted a group exactly like the monks from the Guardian Citadel in Wasteland. This was one of my favorite parts in the original game – an old, isolated stone fortress whose robed monks wielded insane energy weapons and would blast any trespassers. Fantastic.
The Brotherhood was intentionally the same post-apocalyptic religious order that existed to keep the technologies of the old world alive. However, unlike the nihilistic Guardians of Wasteland, I really wanted the player to be able to befriend and join up with this group (and grab all of their awesome gear, of course). In keeping with the medieval monk themes, the Brotherhood became more of a knightly order with a distrust of outsiders rather than a coven of crazy zealots. Although this did make them similar to concepts in Gamma World (the Knights of Genetic Purity) and Warhammer 40K (the Imperial Tech Cults), I just loved the idea of high-tech knights in power-armor wielding virbo-swords and Gatling Lasers. Total fan service to me.
”— Scott Campbell, The Origins of Fallout- The Brotherhood of Steel were based on a completely hostile faction known as the Guardians in the 1987 game Wasteland, the predecessor to Fallout.
- The Brotherhood's technology-centric religious ideology was directly influenced by A Canticle for Leibowiz, which dealt with how a group of Christian monks who task themselves with preserving all scientific and technological knowledge of mankind until the human race is ready for it again.[170]
- Valve Software's multiplayer FPS Team Fortress 2 pays homage to the Brotherhood with an achievement in the game's 'Mann vs. Machine' game mode.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
The Brotherhood of Steel appears in all Fallout games.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Fallout New Vegas Factions
- BoS power armor - render
- Citadel - early conceptual design
- Super sledge / Brotherhood of Steel under armor - early conceptual design
- Brotherhood of Steel Scribe / Elder - conceptual design
- Brotherhood of Steel Paladin in T-51b power armor
- Brotherhood of Steel patrol in the Mojave Wasteland
- Fawkes standing before a Brotherhood of SteelVertibird landing
- A training session of tribal recruits in the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel
- A duo with human and super mutant in the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel
References[edit source]
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Retrieved from 'https://fallout.gamepedia.com/index.php?title=Brotherhood_of_Steel&oldid=2139958'
Alright, first of all, I want to lay out my position and arguments for it.
So I did side with the Brotherhood of Steel by a number of reasons:
- I see their point, synths are basically self-aware computers, I can’t see them as humans, they are built on top of someone else’s life’s and are generally weapons of war/espionage, being worried about them would be like being worried about the Sink’s appliances, sure they might sound human, but sounding/looking=/=being
- In my opinion, the Institute isn’t the most suitable candidate for establishing a nation, sure they may have tech and manpower, but most of those scientists have been down there for hundreds of years, probably never even saw the sun, sure the food shortages problems, may be solved, but how can we expect them to do the rest? Like how can we expect them to establish a judicial system about issues they have no knowledge about themselves? And besides kidnapping humans and send them to God knows where, well…
- They have the manpower, know how and resources to pacify the Commonwealth, and besides the Institute, no one is as well prepared as them.
- They don’t have Preston Garvey.
So leave your thoughts and opinions down below.
First Opinion
I did not side with the Brotherhood because:
- I personally believe synths who are peaceful deserve fair and good treatment. If they truly feel then I don’t see why they cant. Its not their fault they are a synth. I feel like that’s saying that you are a terrible person because your parents are, let’s say, killers for example. That wouldn’t be your fault.
- I also believe non feral ghouls are still human and they also should be treated equally. I find it funny that I usually find more kind non feral ghouls than kind humans in the game.
- Not sure if I should be putting this also here but. once again, the super mutans who DONT attack should also be treated equally. Sure, I won’t deny the fact that in Fallout 4 the majority are the ones who just kill on sight and they do really fucked up shit to the corpses. Those should definitely be dealt with the violent way. But then you have Strong (though hes pretty violent, he doesn’t actually kill you), Vigil, or even that one super mutant in Far Harbor who isn’t trying to rip you apart. Even if there are very few of those, they should be treated well.
- I don’t think simply because some dumbasses decided to start a war, everyone will be responsible for it.
- They are assholes IMO. Take that one guy you can buy guns from in the prydwen for example. When you ask for a job, he will pretty much say you need to go to settlers for something (forgot atm) and if they don’t want to give it the BOS will take it by force. It also annoys me how he said they should be oh so grateful for them. He really pisses me off.
I recommend watching Oxhorns video on why the BOS is evil. I pretty much agree with everything he says in the video (if I do remember correctly).
Second Opinion
- Gen 3 Synths are people. Full-Stop. Canonically, they are indistinguishable from ‘regular’ humanity down to the cellular level, and no medical test can determine a difference. They feel pain, fear, love and more. As such;
The Institute is guilty of slavery, as well as other crimes against humanity.
The Brotherhood is guilty of genocide, not just of Synths but of Ghouls.
The Railroad…. is “guilty” of not focusing on slavery as a whole, but that is more a Commonwealth problem than an issue with their organization as a whole. Slavery doesn’t really exist in the Commonwealth outside of, what, a single reference in a sidequest…. and the Institute, so I can give them a pass for going “All Synths, all the time”.
Fallout Brotherhood Of Steel Quests
- The Brotherhood is a military dictatorship *at best*, and quasi-facism at worst.
There is no civilian oversight in the Brotherhood. They don’t answer to anyone, except themselves. Maxon is the *literal* ruler of the Capital Wasteland*, and there is very little dissent in the Brotherhood. Very few Brotherhood members speak out against even their most disgusting actions, and the few that do speak out are the green recruits. They are *fanatics*, and fanaticism is never a good thing.
![Fallout 4 killing brotherhood of steel lyrics Fallout 4 killing brotherhood of steel lyrics](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123778998/535924691.jpg)
“If you aren’t Brotherhood, you are nothing” is *literally* something Brotherhood soldiers say to the inhabitants of the Commonwealth.
- If you pay attention to the companions that have visited/come from the Capital Wasteland…. it really sounds like the Brotherhood isn’t nearly as effective at nation-building as you (and other people) make it seem.
Macready, for one, essentially states that despite the Capital Wasteland being ruled over by the BoS for almost a decade, the Commonwealth is *still* a safer place to live than the Capital Wasteland.
Original Link – Continuation of discussion
You ready to Take your Brotherhood of Steel to the maximum level by eliminating all the foes such as The Institute and the Railroad. You need to be prepared for the worst fight as you will be disloyal to the other Factions. Let's check the Fall of the other faction in this Last Part of Brotherhood of Steel Essential Quest.
Tactical Thinking
It's time to end the Railroad's journey by eliminating all the Leader of this faction. You need to take them one-by-one in the Old North Church and gain your position in Brotherhood.
Objective
- Kill Doctor Carrington
- Kill Glory
- Kill Tinker Tom
- Kill Deacon
- Kill Desdemona
- Reprogram PAM or Destroy PAM
Walkthrough
If you accept Lancer-Captain Kells mission to eliminate the Railroad Leader then your relationship with them will be over. It's better to complete the necessary quest with them to gain some unique collectible or Armor. If you decided to stick to the mission then go to Prydwen and speak with Lancer-Captain Kells.
Now head to the Old North Church where the Railroad's elite is waiting for us. Once you get inside the church, start eliminating all the enemies and continue moving inside the Church Crypt then in the catacombs. Here you need to activate the detonator to destroy the wall and get through it towards the Railroad base.
Once you enter the Base, start executing the Leaders: Doctor Carrington, Glory, Tinker Tom, Deacon and Desdemona one-by-one and make sure no one is alive. Now that the Railroad is down you need to locate the PAM and either you destroy it or reprogram her. Exit the Church and get back to Prydwen to inform Kells about the success. If you chose to reprogram the PAM then she will be moved to Prydwen. Thus ending the Mission with the Fall of Railroad's Elite.
Spoils of War
Another tough Decision to make if you want to get along with the Institute or Stick to the Brotherhood of Steel till the end of the Story. This guide will provide you both the cases so let's check them out.
Objective
- Locate the Beryllium Agitator
- Unlock the reactor
- Eliminate Reactor Level security
Walkthrough
After you have a word with Proctor Ingram where you agree to help him find Beryllium Agitator from the Mass Fusion Building. Here you have to decide:
After you have a word with Proctor Ingram where you agree to help him find Beryllium Agitator from the Mass Fusion Building. Here you have to decide:
- Stick with Brotherhood of Steel and Fly to Mass Fusion(via Vertibird) making the Institute quests to end and it will trigger 'Banished from the Institute' quest.
- Join the Institute by letting them know all the Plans of Brotherhood and switching your alliance. This will start the Institute quest 'Mass Fusion'.
Presuming that you stay aligned with the Brotherhood then take the Vertibird and land on the Roof of the Mass Fusion Building. Once you enter the Ruins start executing all the enemies inside then get to the second floor and grab the Mass Fusion Executive Lab Password and the Mass Fusion Executive ID to access the Lab terminal and the elevator to head down with this Password.
Now Head to the Basement and retrieve the agitator then try to hack the manager's terminal to power up the elevator or simply go to the circuit breaker to start it up. Again use the elevator with the ID then head down to clear the next bunch of enemies and now you have two options:
- You can take the elevator directly to the Lobby if you have used the circuit breaker for powering up.
- Obtain the Mass Fusion Labs Key from the room ahead and use the hole to get to the lobby.
From the Lobby, clear the enemies and head straight towards the decontamination area where you will find the reactor chamber. After activating the interlock release and the agitator receptacle go ahead to take Beryllium Agitator. Get ready for some hardcore action where you need to pass the Sentry Bot and Protectron in the outer room and then Assaultron at the Main door.
As you reach upstairs another Protectron and Laser Turret are waiting for us. Finally make your exit from the lobby and then you can either assist you allies with the remaining enemies or directly fly to Boston Airport to report Proctor Ingram thus ending the Mission and finally gaining Brotherhood trust.
Ad Victoriam
You get to use the Liberty Prime who will now be activated with the help of Beryllium Agitator. Let's get the Synth of the Track and show them who is the real boss.
Objective
- Plug in Beryllium Agitator
- Activate power transfer switch
- Defend Liberty Prime
Walkthrough
You have acquired the Beryllium Agitator from the Mass Fusion ruins, go to speak with Proctor Ingram and he will guide you with the powering up Liberty Prime. Go to Liberty Prime and insert Agitator behind Prime's head. Now that the Agitator is placed its time to power up the Liberty Prime by activating the power switch.
Liberty Prime is now ready for action, use it to Travel to C.I.T. ruins and take all the Synth down. Here you also need to take care of the Prime from taking critical damage. Thus Ending the Mission and You are ready to take the Final Ending of Fallout 4 with Brotherhood of Steel. Now is the Beginning of Act 3: The Nuclear Option Brotherhood of Steel.