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Megaton Characters

Deputy Weld: "Welcome to Megaton. The bomb is perfectly safe. We promise."

Megaton is one of the more stable settlements around, with about thirty people, a sheriff, a water purifier, scavenging teams, and a wall to keep Raiders out. However, there is the little problem of an unexploded atomic bomb in the middle of the town, but hey, it keeps those nuts at the Church of the Children of Atom occupied, so how bad can it be? When the Lone Wanderer arrives, Megaton's fate can be decided. However, both New Vegas and 4 reveal that that canonically, Megaton survived the events of Fallout 3 and has greatly expanded in influence as both one of the most populous cities in the Capital Wasteland and the origin of the Wasteland Survival Guide.

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Megaton Guards

    Sheriff Lucas Simms 

Sheriff Lucas Simms

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lucas_simms_fo3.jpg
Voiced by: Gregory L. Williams (English)note 

"This here is my town. These are my people. You so much as breathe wrong, and I'm gonna fuckin' end ya."

The de-facto Sheriff (and mayor) of Megaton, and likely the first person the Lone Wanderer meets on the surface. He's loved by the people and is reasonable and fair, but he protects the town with great ferocity and will not hesitate to pull his gun on anyone who threatens the peace.


  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The reason he is officially in charge and Moriarty isn't? Simms has the better gun and more skill with it.
  • Badass Longcoat: According to the game guide, he's a member of the Regulators.
  • Cowboy Cop: Subverted. While he does dress up as a cowboy, he's much closer to a By-the-Book Cop. For example he knows Burke is up to no good in town, but until he actually does something besides look and act suspicious he won't take action.
  • Cutting Off the Branches: In the first edition of the Collector's Edition Fallout 3 Official Game Guide, the terminal entry titled "Afterword" by Moira Brown in 2297 confirms that his son Harden has replaced him as sheriff of Megaton. Apparently he blames the Lone Wanderer for his father's death, suggesting he was killed by Burke.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Politely welcoming you to Megaton and giving you the lay of the land, before warning you that if you harm anyone, he will not hesitate to end you.
  • I Owe You My Life: You can save his life when he stupidly turns his back on Mr. Burke after arresting him if you're quick enough. He thanks you for it, and comments on how dumb he was for not being so careful.
  • Klingon Promotion: The title of sheriff seems to go to whoever puts on Lucas' duster after he dies. However, his prepubescent son Harden lays claim on the official duties of sheriff if his dad is murdered, and will refuse to recognize you if you put on his dad's outfit.
  • More Dakka: His weapon with which to fend off the raiders is a Chinese Assault Rifle.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: He's a nice guy with good morals and firm patience, and despite the Lone Wanderer walking in with no real idea what is going on, he helps explain some things about the town simply to help. You could make fun of him all you like, and insult his town, and he merely shakes his head and warns you to behave.
  • Too Dumb to Live: If you ask him to arrest Burke, he runs to Burke and tells Burke to follow him. He then turns his back on him and puts away his rifle, leaving him open to a gunshot to the back. He even Lampshades it if you save his life.
  • Ultimate Authority Mayor: He is both mayor and sheriff, which also seems to entail being judge, jury, executioner, and welcome committee. That being said, he's also a Reasonable Authority Figure who insists on seeing evidence of wrongdoing and won't shoot somebody just because they rub him the wrong way.

    Stockholm 

Stockholm

Voiced by: Jeff Baker (English)note 
"How the hell did you get up here, anyway?"

A sniper who keeps watch over Megaton from his vantage point over the front gate. That's about all there is to him.


  • Badasses Wear Bandanas: He probably has it to keep his hair out of his eyes.
  • Cold Sniper: He normally isn't even accessible to the Lone Wanderer due to his location. If the Lone Wanderer ever manages to reach him he'll tell them to leave him alone so that he can watch for raiders.
  • Flat Character: He's just a fairly generic town guard with a name and some dialogue. Normally, it isn't even possible to reach him due to him being stationed above Megaton's front gate.

Moriarty's Saloon

    Colin Moriarty 

Colin Moriarty

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/colin_moriarty_fo3.png
Voiced by: Mike Rosson (English)note 

"My saloon, my home, my little slice of heaven in this backwoods little burg."

The owner of Moriarty's Saloon. Moriarity came to the Capital Wasteland from Ireland with his father as a child, and has been cooking up schemes ever since. He's got a lot of connections, and has a lot of people who owe him a lot of money. Lucas Simms may be the mayor of Megaton, but Moriarty is the one aiming to have complete control over the citizens.


  • Bad Boss: Treats his workers like shit, putting them in so much debt to him that they are essentially slaves. He forces Nova into prostitution, and he regularly beats Gob viciously. When Silver tried to get away from him, he sends you out to kill her.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: He claims to be descended from some of the original settlers of Megaton, and whether this is true or not, he's amassed enough wealth and connections over the decades that he's vital to the town's economy. It's heavily implied that the townsfolk would have gladly kicked him out years ago if this weren't the case.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He's convinced that Billy killed Maggie's parents and uses her as a slave. No evidence can be found to back this up, suggesting Moriarty simply can't understand Billy's altruism.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He'll act all polite and friendly to your face, but one look at his computer tells us what he's saying about people behind their backs...
  • For the Evulz: There's a rumor in town that Moriarty pisses in his drink stills, just because he can.
  • Hated by All: Everyone wants Moriarty gone, and he knows it. That said, they will still open fire on a Lone Wanderer who gets caught killing him.
  • Hate Sink: One of the more despicable characters in the game overall thanks to his infamous Jerkassery.
  • Informed Attribute: Despite enslaving Nova and Gob, and beating the latter, he is marked as neutral Karma and killing him incurs a Karma penalty.
  • I Own This Town: His connections, information and general power would allow him to take over Megaton if Lucas Simms wasn't around.
  • Jerkass: Keeps information on his terminal to blackmail people with, overcharges on alcohol, and refuses to tell the Lone Wanderer about his father until paid. However the thing that pushes him into being truly evil is him asking the Lone Wanderer to murder Sara Silver.
  • Kick the Dog: Or in this case, kick the Gob. He not only keeps Gob as a slave with unpayable debts, he also physically abuses Gob.
    Gob (if the player ends a conversation with him while Moriarty is alive): "Don't hit me!"
  • Knowledge Broker: He keeps tracks of anyone walking through Megaton, and frequently spies on his fellow citizens in the hopes of getting blackmail material. It is somewhat downplayed in that he is not terribly concerned with what happens outside of Megaton, and therefore his knowledge of that tropic is quite limited.
  • Morality Pet: Shows genuine affection towards Nova, letting her demand free time off and letting her mouth off at him. Then again, it's implied that he takes advantage of her services whenever he likes, without paying her for them.
  • Moving the Goalposts: This is how he keeps Gob working for him. Every time Gob makes any progress towards paying off his debt it is quickly undone by Moriarty charging him for trivial things and piling on more and more costs for him to pay back.
  • Mysterious Past: His actual origins are difficult to pin down. If you ask him, he'll tell you that his ancestors founded Megaton all the way back when the bombs dropped, but more credible accounts suggest he came over from the British Isles with his father as a child.
  • Pet the Dog:
    • Ordinarily, Moriarty would've have thrown James and his child out of his establishment when they met for the very first time, simply because said child's crying annoyed him, but James talked him out of it. In fact, if you read Moriarty's notes, you get the feeling James actually managed the rare feat of getting actual courtesy and respect out of Moriarty. And, in a smaller instance, he does wind up leveling with you and telling you the mostly unvarnished truth even if you fail the speech check. That said, bear in mind this man is a known liar.
    • He also offers a toast to James after he dies.
  • Tempting Fate: He says on his terminal that he doesn't care if Burke stays in town until the atomic bomb explodes so long as he always pays for his drinks. Guess what happens if the Lone Wanderer rigs the bomb with Burke's detonator.

    Gob 

Gob

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gob_fo3.png
Voiced by: Mike Rosson (English)note 

"I'm used to every asshole smoothskin in this town giving me shit 'cause I look like a corpse."

An unfortunate ghoul who came to Megaton from Underworld seeking adventure. He ended up as Moriarty's worker (basically a slave) to pay off a debt he owed, which Moriarty unfairly increases by charging him for trivial things like simply living there.


  • All Love Is Unrequited: Is in love with Nova but she seems to regard him as a friend.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: His reason for risking Moriarty's wrath by giving the Lone Wanderer a discount? The Wanderer was the only customer who didn't insult or hit him.
  • Hopeless Suitor: To Nova
  • Indentured Servitude: Moriarty has him trapped as a indebted slave and is always finding new ways to add to his debt to keep him working and preventing him from leaving.
  • Nice Guy: He's meek and friendly, once you demonstrate you won't abuse him.
  • Under New Management: If you kill Moriarty, Gob will eventually take over the saloon, making it Gob's Saloon. He's likely much happier after this.

    Nova 

Nova

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nova_fo319.png
Voiced by: Karen Carbone (English)note 

"Ohhh. You like it rough, huh? Well, that costs extra."

The town prostitute. Working for Moriarty (under duress), she clearly hates the guy like everyone else in town, but otherwise is rather decently regarded by everyone else.


  • Everybody Has Standards: She sees Gob as a nice guy and a person, unlike their boss and most of the people in Megaton, but she's not thinking of getting in bed with him.
  • Hooker with a Heart of Gold: She is rather affable and pleasant to everyone, but what makes her more than just a nice girl is that she can look past the fact Gob is a ghoul and she treats him like a person.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Easily the sexiest woman in Megaton without trying very hard.
  • Under New Management: If you kill Moriarty, Nova will take over running the inn part of the saloon, and will no longer be a prostitute.

Other Residents

    Moira Brown 

Moira Brown

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moria_brown_fo3.jpg
As a ghoul 
Voiced by: Karen Carbone (English)note 

"Good luck with that research!"

The owner of the Craterside Supply, the general store in Megaton. Unflaggingly cheerful, always curious and devoted to science. It makes her somewhat weird. The Lone Wanderer can help her fulfil her life's dream of authoring the definitive book on how to survive the wasteland. Conversely, the Wanderer can rip her off, hiding out in the saloon all day, then coming back to give her idiotic and dangerous advice.


  • American Accents: She has a very distinctive Upper Midwest accent, which helps with her general personality.
  • Big Good: Despite her oddities and foibles, her driving motivation behind her actions is to become one of these for the entire Wasteland, courtesy of publishing the definitive guide on how to survive in a post apocalyptic world, and seeing how the guide has gotten as far as the Mojave Wasteland in just four years and boosts the Courier's survival skills, it seems that the Lone Wanderer canonically helped her extensively in her research.
  • Big Sister Mentor: Mixed with Sink or Swim Mentor (see below), but much her Moira's dialogue and voice-acting heavily implies that she views the Lone Wanderer as a surrogate younger sibling to her. Constantly speaking to them with a doting and encouraging tone. Plus, a hallucination of her corpse during the Point Lookout Mushroom Samba moment implies the feeling may be mutual.
  • Break the Cutie: You can convince her that making the guide is a waste of time; doing so will get you the unique Dream Crusher perk, a discount on her items, and increase the quality of her repairs, but this action will also net you negative karma and permanently sour her mood.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: While she is an absolutely kooky Mad Scientist of a woman who has wild assumptions about certain things and excuses every crazy and dangerous request by saying it's For Science!, she is genuinely very smart in terms of intelligence, as her SPECIAL stats can show with her INT at 7, and it's the main reason Megaton puts up with her eccentricities. And a lot of the things she does, like healing you from near-dying, cleansing extreme amounts of radiation (benign mutation aside), and the processor widget that allows all the robots in the RobCo Facility to be reprogrammed display it. She is also, despite her almost naïve optimism, one of the very few characters in the Fallout Universe who understands and has accepted that there's simply no going back to how things "used to be" before the war, and that all humanity can do is try and make the best of what they have now and use the pieces of what's left to make something new, which is one of the main drives behind her making the guide.
    "No. It's like...Did you ever try to put a broken piece of glass back together? Even if the pieces fit, you can't make it whole again the way it was. But if you're clever, you can still use the pieces to make other useful things. Maybe even something wonderful, like a mosaic! Well, the world broke just like glass. And everyone's trying to put it back together like it was, but it'll never come together the same way."
  • Cloud Cuckoolander: Her enthusiasm for "science" and Pollyanna tendencies paint her as one. For example, there's her mistaken belief that the Capital Wasteland Mirelurks have an advanced underwater civilization.
  • Cutting Off the Branches: New Vegas and 4 confirm that she was largely successful with the Wasteland Survival Guide, as it's available in both games as a Skill/Perk Book.
  • Foil: To Grayditch's Doctor Lesko. Both are eccentric scientists whose approach to the scientific process leads the Lone Wanderer to dangerous places, but while Lesko has no concern for how wildly dangerous his experiment is, setting up right in the middle of a developing town, Moira at least sends her research assistant far afield, ensuring that if anything goes wrong, only one person gets hurt.
    • In addition, Moira's Wasteland Survival Guide is a project with a clearly defined process and end goal (send someone out to brave the wastes in order to determine the best way to survive out there, then distribute that knowledge to as many people as possible). Lesko's research is unfocused, slapdash and arguably pointless (inject FEV into ants and hope they'll get back to their Pre-War size, when most everyone agrees that giant ants are a nuisance that can be held off with a pistol).
  • For Science!: When the Lone Wanderer (frequently) calls her out on how dangerous her requests are, she'll insist that they're for the good of science, and therefore humanity as a whole. Her requests involving radiation and crippling injury specifically invoke this response if you try and protest.
  • Genki Girl: She's always smiling and cheerful. Even if she ends up Ghoulified if you choose to nuke Megaton. Hell, she probably found her newfound resistance to extreme radiation to be be fascinating!
  • Hidden Depths: If you ask her what she could possibly hope to accomplish by writing the Guide, she gives a surprisingly passionate speech about "a piece of broken glass": even if a broken glass bottle can't be repaired, you can still put the shards back together to make something useful. Well, the world got "broke" in the Great War, and it's time to try to put it back together.
  • Literal-Minded: Hand-in-hand with Sarcasm-Blind. Some of her notes are straightforward in a way that could be taken as a joke ("What do Super-Mutants eat?" / "Research assistants"), except Moira seems to mean them seriously.
  • Mad Scientist: A lighthearted and humorous take on the trope. Moira is genuinely trying to improve the wasteland, but her "experiments" reach into this trope. Her terminal entries, for instance, include wondering if Brahmin heads learn independently, if Centaurs can talk, if explosives can be used to expand the town, and if Mole Rats can be domesticated (which actually is Hilarious in Hindsight considering how in New Vegas, the Mole Rat "Snuffles" is the town pet of the NCR mining town Sloan). There's also this quote after the radiation part of the guide quest:
    "Well, you're alive... That's the good news. But there was a little side effect. A teeny, tiny, um, mutation. But it seems to be benign, at least. Here, take a few radiation Chems, as my little way of saying, "I'm sorry I twisted your DNA like a kitten with a ball of yarn."
  • Multiple Endings: Her quest, more than any other, branches out into multiple possibilities depending on how the Lone Wanderer handles it. For instance, it matters how much of the research they've done (some quests can be completed by lying to Moira and then making up your observations or snarking the crap out of her), how much of the additional research was completed for the bonus objectives/rewards, and the responses the Lone Wanderer gives when asked for their observations and input regarding the experiment (it can be scientific, adrenaline fueled, or once again, snarked). Depending, once the quest is finished, different perks can be acquired and Three Dog will comment on its effect upon the Wasteland, if it's legit valuable info that can save people, somewhat useful, or is to be avoided at all costs because it's a big joke. Additionally, the Lone Wanderer can just convince Moira to not write the damn thing and get better deals from her services and a rather handy defensive perk. Probably one of the most overall dynamic quests in terms of how it can end and affect the in-game world.
  • Nice Girl: Her quirks aside, she really does have no ulterior motives aside from wanting to help people with what she discovers from her experiments.
  • Try Not to Die: She'll send you off on incredibly dangerous missions with friendly advice to this effect - especially the ones where you need to become injured and have a broken limb. She will even cheerily say the trope name word-for-word.
  • The Pollyanna: Especially obvious if you nuke Megaton. She will be turned into a ghoul, but won't care at all, and even thanks you for detonating the bomb because she thinks its nice that "you helped those nice people at the Children of Atom out".
  • Sarcasm-Blind: Moria has a bit of difficulty understanding some of the sarcastic responses for her quest.
  • Sink or Swim Mentor: She somewhat mixes this with Big Sister Mentor toward the Lone Wanderer (if her quest is accepted early in the game) as she has them go through several potentially fatal scenarios expecting them to come back so she can hear what they've learned, though Moira does try to sweeten the deal by paying the Lone Wanderer for every task they accomplish and sure enough, if they complete every task (including the optional parts) properly, the Lone Wanderer will have grown into a genuine Wasteland survival expert.

    Jenny Stahl 

Jenny Stahl

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jenny_stahl_fo3.jpg
Voiced by: Shari Elliker (English)note 

One of the owners of The Brass Lantern and Moriarty's only business competitor.


  • Big, Screwed-Up Family: Andy is incredibly angry and bitter, even chatting with Burke about his little deal, and Leo is a notorious addict. She seems to be the only one with a level head.
  • Doesn't Like Guns: It appears that way, she carries a .32 pistol, but never uses it, even when attacked.
  • Stepford Smiler: You'd never know from talking to her, but Jericho tried to rape her a while back. At night while she's sleeping you can hear her talk in her sleep while having nightmares.

    Confessor Cromwell 

Confessor Cromwell

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cromwell_fo3.jpg
Voiced by: Peter Gil (English)note 

"We seek creation and unification in Atom's glow."

An old (and possibly senile or insane) man who spends his entire day standing in a puddle of irradiated water next to an undetonated atomic bomb. He preaches about the "Children Of Atom", a bizarre religion that believes individual atoms contain entire universes, and thus nuclear destruction is not destruction, but a ritualistic purification and creation of new existences.


  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: He worships an undetonated atomic bomb and sees a nuclear holocaust as a good thing. Standing knee-deep in radioactive water all day may or may not have something to do with that...
  • From Nobody to Nightmare: He's just a nutty preacher spouting nonsense about radiation in Fallout 3. Come Fallout 4, and he now leads a massive(ly violent) congregation, and is now regarded as a prophet by his followers. He even has the influence to send his followers as far north as Maine.
  • Good Shepherd: Whether his message is a good thing to believe in or not aside, he's pleasant enough to the Lone Wanderer if spoken to, and judging by the fact he and his parishioners helped build Megaton, his teachings seem to encourage reaching a helping hand out to others as long as you respect their beliefs.
  • Hypocrite: He says that all Children of Atom must be sober pacifists, but you can find a pistol and whiskey in his office.
  • Killed Offscreen: Due to what could be a bug, you can occasionally enter town and find him lying dead in the pool from radiation poisoning. Well, what do you think will happen to an old man who spends all day ankle-deep in a pool of water around an old nuclear warhead?

    Billy Creel 

Billy Creel

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/billy_creel_fo3.jpg
Voiced by: Craig Sechler (English)note 

A trader who helps Megaton stay supplied. Raises a little girl named Maggie orphaned after a Raider attack.


  • Abusive Parents: Subverted. Colin Moriarty believes that he killed her parents and is raising Maggie for unsavory purposes, but examination of his home and Maggie's current well being rather easily prove otherwise.
  • Badasses Wear Bandanas: He is one of the stronger residents of Megaton and will have no problem fighting back if attacked.
  • Dark Is Not Evil. He looks like your typical wasteland rent-a-thug with his bandana, eyepatch, goatee and merc clothes but is actually one of the friendlier Megaton residents. Just don't piss him off.
  • Eye Scream: Apparently suffered one in the past, judging from the eye patch.
  • Good Counterpart: To Jericho, as both lived out in the Wastelands before settling down in Megaton where they use their respective skills to benefit the town while claiming they hold no fond memories of their pre-Megaton days. The difference is that Jericho is a former raider and Retired Monster, while despite Moriarty's suspicions the evidence suggests that Creel was a trader or caravan protector before finding Maggie. Even if Moriarty is right and he did kill Maggie's parents, the fact that he is a good parent would imply he really is The Atoner unlike Jericho who simply pretends to be.
  • Good Parents: He downplays this, but it's obvious Maggie is doing well under his care.
  • Promotion to Parent: Self-induced after taking her in after a Raider attack. He even lampshades that if wasn't what he intended, but if he had his own daughter, he'd want her to be like Maggie.
  • Totally Radical: His speech is peppered with "hip" expressions.

    Doc Church 

Doc Church

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doc_church_fo3.jpg
Voiced by: Gregory Gorton (English)note 

"You'd best have cancer because from the looks of you, you're breaking rule number one right now."

A cranky old man who serves as Megaton's best (and only) doctor.


  • Ambiguously Evil: Just how bad he was before becoming Megaton's doctor is never explained.
  • Dr. Jerk: His defining characteristic. If the player ever needed a good excuse to blast Megaton back to the stone age he is it. Not helped at all by his annoyingly repetitive comments about you pestering him.
    "For christ's sake, you don't look sick and you sure as hell don't look dead, so why are you bothering me?"
    "All better now, you big baby. Can I get back to work now?"
    "Try not to hurt yourself."
    "You don't got nearly enough holes in you to be botherin' me."
  • Foil: To Jericho, as like him he is a Retired Monster who is unapologetically rude to the player. However he does seem to actually care about the people in Megaton and nobody seems to have any problems with him, unlike Jericho who is only allowed to stay as long he helps defend the town.
  • Heel–Face Turn: Went from an ally of the slavers to a doctor for a struggling town. While he's still a massive jerk, he's far better than he was before.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As rude as he is with the player he actually seems to care about the people in town and tries to be as professional as possible with them. He'll also show genuine concern if the player is critically injured when they visit him. (He'll still charge you through the nose for a fix up though.)
  • Retired Monster: Similar to Flak in Rivet City, he used to work for the slavers in Paradise Falls, though to what extent he supported them and how far his help actually went remains vague.

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