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WiP FO4 Build: Player of the Great Game

Tags: #Infiltrator  #Sharpshooter 
  • July 2, 2018

    In the Point Lookout DLC there's a ghoul by the name of Desmond Lockheart who speaks of "The Great Game", a vast international web of intrigue and intelligence. According to him, those players of the game who saw the war coming took a variety of measures to survive it and continue the game, such as becoming a ghoul like he did. One method he specifically mentions is cryogenic freezing. What's more, At the end of his quest line he states he's going "north, to the Commonwealth" to track down and eliminate the next rival on his list. Obviously with two pieces of set up like that I immediately began planning my next Soul Survivor to be A Player In The Great Game.

     

    Story: Like most Players your story begins with training, specifically as a Chinese Crimson Dragoon sniper. Typical of such troops your training began at birth. However when you began to display aptitude for manipulation, deception and intrigue, your training was expanded to foster these skills and groom you as a secret agent. Your successes in the field quickly earned you a great deal of freedom compared to most in service to the People's Republic. It was not long at all before you had your first run in with a Player, and following their trail, entered the Game yourself. As with many Players, though ostensibly acting in service to a specific country or organization, in practice you were more an independent agent who sometimes played favorites. When the war came your plan worked flawlessly. A combination of a cover family in an American suburb that just so happened to grant you entrance to one of the few vaults that would allow you to emerge again in your lifetime, almost exactly as you were when you entered, without risk of your "superiors" noticing and calling you to service to try in vain to prevent the now inevitable Armageddon their leadership had led to.

    But of course, even if China didn't notice, some other Player did. A strike team happens to break into YOUR vault, opens a single pod containing YOUR spouse, steals only YOUR child, the reconfigures the system so everyone dies except YOU. There is no way that is a coincidence. Someone knew you'd be helpless and is toying with you. Who? Another Player, certainly, but who? Lockheart? No he was always very efficient and direct. Calvert? No, not near enough gloating. A Cabbot perhaps? No doubt they're thriving somewhere in this wasteland... You need more information, and the only way that will happen is if you go and get it. It's your move...

     

     

    S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

     

    Strength: 1. Heavy lifting is what pawns are for.

    Perception: 6 + 1(BH) + 3(PP) Awareness is key. Whether it's spotting your target or a nervous tick, a Player lives and dies on knowing that which others wish hidden.

    Endurance: 1 If you're in range and they're aware of it, you've already made 2 fatal mistakes.

    Charisma: 7 +1 (YS) + 1(BH) + 1(PP) Manipulation is your most versatile tool. A shield that can turn any attack and a weapon that can topple any empire... if used correctly. It is good not to be where the bullet is, but better for the bullet to remain unfired, and best if redirected at your opponent. Charisma ensures the loyalty of your own pawns and degrades that of your opponent's.

    Intelligence: 5 + 1(BH) + 2(PP) The first step in any contest is to know one's enemy. In the Game's peak, with new bleeding-edge gizmos entering play with every match, technical knowledge was indispensable. Even in this fallen world, technology separates the victor from the defeated.

    Agility: 5 + 1(BH) +1(PP) The Great Game is a crucible that tests all who play it. If you cannot bend, you will be broken. In a more practical sense, not being detected is your first line of defense, and not getting hit is your last.

    Luck: 3 + 1(PP or BH?) Nothing is truly certain. There's always a chance. Any Player will tell you it is skill and training that elevates them to their position, but only the most deluded would claim to be immune to the tides of fortune. They have all had their victory stolen or their doom denied by some long-shot fluke... or was it? In this line of work, there's always room for doubt.

     

    Perks:

    "What's the difference between you and me, kid? What makes a gifted killer like yourself into a rock-hard bastard like me? The answer is TRAINING you ignorant FUCK! I've got a hundred years of experience on you, and don't you forget it! " -Desmond Lockheart

     

    Combat: Rifleman, Demolition Expert (2), Sniper (2), Penetrator (1), Sneak (4), Mister Sandman (3), Ninja (3) Close combat is a fool's game. Sniping an unaware target from a distance ends a fight before it begins, with minimal risk to your own well-being. As an added bonus, you maintain your plausible deniability. Sometimes though, things don't go as planned. In such an event, a well laid mine field makes a wonderful counter-measure and distraction.

     

    Manipulator: Locksmith (3), Black Widow (3), Lone Wanderer OR Inspirational, Intimidation (3), Gun Nut (4), Hacker (3), Science! (4), Robotics Expert (3), Mysterious Stranger (4) Getting where you shouldn't be and turning obstacles to minions is your favorite play. Without an established infrastructure though you'll need to handle your own toys and gadgets. And who is that trenchcoated fellow who keeps showing up when you least expect him? Another Player perhaps? Not even Valentine can figure it out...

     

    No perkpoints left over for Rifleman or the LW/Inspirational

     

    Companions:

    "But whose side is she on? Do you know? Can you be sure? You always were so bad at choosing your allies" -Professor Calvert

    Although it pays a Player not to get too attached to people, particularly high-value Pawns (sometimes called Rooks or Knights by those who enjoy overextending the Chess metaphor) can be invaluable to retain and utilize, even if it sometimes means a bit more hassle in completing one's objectives. What follows is a short dossiers on a selection of potential "companions" and their suitability to utilization.

     

    Cait:

    Suitability: 3/8

    Though impulsive and unpredictable, Cait remains a strong combatant. While her addiction could conceivably be of use to a Player, either as a leash or as something to rid her of to secure loyalty, her willfulness and lack of subtlety impact her suitability considerably.

     

    Codsworth:

    Suitability 5/8

    Obedient, intelligent and tactful, Codsworth certainly makes a perfect butler to keep around your home or valet to accompany you when you wish to make a display of wealth and refinement. In combat situations he is serviceable but not ideal, so it is recommended you leave him at home in such circumstances.

     

    Curie:

    Suitability: 6/8

    Whether as a medical unit of advanced synth, Curie's knowledge (and perk) are invaluable in the wasteland. Her altruism and naiveté, while perhaps obstuctionary to a Player's goals and motives, also make her exceptionally easy to manipulate. Also, if one may forgive a touch of sentimentality, her voice module may remind one of old "friends" from before the war one is unlikely to see again.

     

    Paladin Danse:

    Suitability: 3/8

    Though a trained soldier and accomplished combatant, Danse's devotion to the Brotherhood make him unsuitable as anything more than an attack dog, unless one intends to infiltrate said Brotherhood. That being said, he is quite simple to use in this capacity. Simply point and yell "synth" or perhaps "mutant" and he will eliminate with nary a question asked.

     

    Deacon:

    Suitability: N/A, classification P

    With a seemingly innate understanding of intrigue, infiltration and deception, if Deacon isn't already playing The Great Game, it is only because he wasn't around before the war. And even that is not a certainty. If your goals align he will be an invaluable ally. If they do not he will be among your most dangerous foes.

     

    John Hancock:

    Suitability: 2/8

    Though it is always handy to have a politician in one's pocket, Hancock is willful, sloppy, and resentful of being led. Such things make him difficult to utilize effectively. However it would not pay to make an enemy of him. Hives such as his town of Goodneighbor are always invaluable to those in our line of work, as hideaways, sources of information, and affordable, untraceable combat assets, such as....

     

    R. J. MacCready:

    Suitability: 8/8
    Hired guns devoted to the highest bidder are perhaps the most reliable asset in the game. Reliably available, reliably obedient to you as long as you can pay, and reliable to desert you if you come up broke or a higher bidder comes along. What makes MacCready of note is firstly his skill, being a sniper of some renown he could likely even teach you a thing or two, and secondly intel that suggests he is in need of assistance. While normally such baggage is not desirable, as in all thing it presents an opportunity. Namely, if someone were to solve his problems, he will almost certainly develop a loyalty to his savior. If such can be achieved, he has the makings of a loyal and effective lieutenant or enforcer.

     

    Nick Valentine:

    Suitability: N/A, classification A

    Though certainly clever enough for The Great Game, Valentine's scope is exceptionally local and lacking in big-picture perspective. However, such people can be invaluable in certain situations and his connections and detective skills make him just such a person. Keep him as an ally and he will be able to sniff out anyone or anything you have need of. Working with him will also greatly enhance one's reputation with nearly all members of Commonwealth society. Additionally, his pre-war mind in an apparently nigh-immortal body presents certain ideas for extending one's longevity.

     

    Piper Wright:

    Suitability: 4/8

    Though not as adept as her good friend Valentine, Piper is still quite capable in uncovering information. Perhaps her greatest use, however, is her newspaper. Being one of the few periodicals in circulation in the wasteland, it is a valuable tool for spreading information or misinformation However, Ms. Wright's devotion to "the truth" makes the later proposition risky if not handled correctly. If angered in such a way, Piper is quite liable to snoop out and expose the unfavorable secrets of the object of her anger. One does not need to explain the danger this poses in our line of work.

     

    Preston Garvey:

    Suitability: 5/8

    Though perhaps frustratingly simple and pestering, Garvey has two things that make him of use to an enterprising Player. Firstly he is a reasonably effective organizer, but more importantly he has the authority as "the last of the Minutemen" to bequeath a symbolic status of "General of the Minutemen". Such a title, particularly with the aid of his organizational skills, could quickly be leveraged into a large network of soldiers and agents loyal to whomever it is given to, should they feel bothered to deal with the incessant needs such an organization requires.

     

    Strong

    Suitability: 5/8

    Brutish and dumb with simple needs, Strong is easy enough to manipulate, even on accident and makes for an imposing presence when one needs to make a scene or simply intimidate. As a bodyguard he is effective but unsubtle, and unless a kept on a tight leash is liable to repeatedly blow your cover. Of course the action of doing so does present a most effective distraction, so it is hardly a total loss. The main risks run but employing him are his resentfulness of subtlety and the risk of an outside agency manipulating him into opposing you.

     

    X6-88

    Suitability: 2 or 5

    Though a highly trained and equipped combat and tracking expert, his loyalty is entirely owned by The Institute. Unless your goals and methods are squarely aligned with those of the Institute, he is not worth the risks and bother.

  • July 2, 2018

    A WiP I've been tooling with for a couple days. The backstory is kinda skeletal but I may leave it that way so you can fill in the details while you play. I'm also looking for a better name for the build than "Player" if anyone has one handy. Thoughts?

  • July 2, 2018

    I just realized I never spellchecked this. I profusely apologize to your poor defiled eyeballs.

  • July 2, 2018

    Interesting to see what you do with this. And no my eyeballs are still okay.

  • July 2, 2018

    Thanks, I'm hoping I can do the concept justice. The Great Game is one of my favorite tropes out there, and I love anything we learn about the backstage world of Fallout.  Also: Spellchecked verssion up now