Sexuality in Fallout Series

In all of the Fallout games, the majority of non-player characters are heterosexual. There are some homosexual characters throughout the series, but few references to bisexuality (though the player can play as a bisexual character). Several points throughout the series do allow for same-sex pairing options for the player-character (mostly just sex, few long lasting relationships). In particular, many sex workers in the game can be hired by male and female PCs. The details of PC sexuality are detailed below, but there are also specific pages for any NPCs who are coded as LGBTQ.

Fallout (1997)

In Fallout 1, players can choose either a male or female player-character (the Vault Dweller). This choice has few effects on game play. A male PC can hire a sex worker named Sinthia. A female PC can flirt with Sinthia, but cannot hire her. However, after the player rescues her (with the 1000 xp earning path) and suggests she should “move on with her life,” she’ll offer to have sex for free with a male PC or a female PC if they have enough “charisma” and pass a “charisma check” (an in-game stat) (Joner, 2005). A male PC with enough charisma and who pass the charisma check, or who have the “Beserker” title, can also have sex with Keri, who manages the Crimson Caravan. In exchange she gives the PC the in-game drugs buffout, mentats, and psycho. There are no male NPCs for female or male PCs to sleep with, though there is at least one point in the game when a female PC with enough charisma can negotiate with a male character more easily. Male and female PCs can flirt with a guard at the entrance to Level One of the Brotherhood of Steel, but he will be uninterested (Smith, 1997).

Fallout 2 (1998)

In Fallout 2, players can again choose a male or female PC (the Chosen One), and gender plays a minimal role except for shaping who player can have sex with. A male player-character can “donate genetic material” in one part of the game, and date an NPC named Phyllis who works in the reproduction clinic, assuming certain stat prerequisites are met (Joner, 2008). A female PC can flirt with Phyllis but she will reject them. A male PC can also sleep with Angela Bishop, and if they have sex without a condom she will become pregnant. Her mother, Leslie Anne Bishop, will have sex with male or female PCs, assuming the PC is strong or attractive enough. Again, if a male PC has sex with her without a condom she will become pregnant. In addition, a male PC can ask another NPC, Amanda, to have sex with them in exchange for saving her husband.

A female PC can have sex with a few male NPCs. First, they can have sex with a slaver named Metzger to get him to lower the price (see also here) of Vic the Trader. Second, if they have 6 or more charisma, they can have sex with Lil’ Jesus Mordino and get a bonus to their melee fighting without paying him for the training. The third NPC that a female PC can have sex with is T-Ray, who they can sleep with to recover their stolen car (sleeping with him several times in a row will apparently cause his head to explode). They can also sleep with Slim Picket, head of the Trapper Town. A mutant named Ton will also flirt with a female PC outside of the Cathedral.

Many of the sex workers can be hired by male and female PCs, but two are only able to be hired by a male PC (and the only ones with specific names): Fannie Mae and Shelia. Having sex with certain sex workers can result in a stats boost. Moreover, John Bishop (husband of Leslie Anne and mother of Angela) will offer the PC all the sexual partners they want (male and female, regardless of PC’s gender) if the PC joins the Bishop family. After losing at arm wrestling to a super-mutant named Francis, the player-character will wake up with a ball-gag in their inventory and will be mocked by some in game characters for being his submissive sex partner. Male and female PCs (with 9 charisma and intelligence) can ask to date the brothel owner Miss Kitty, but the actual dating cannot happen until the main quest of the game is completed (Joner, 2008). Moreover, in a rare encounter the player can find a rave party in which the PC (regardless of gender) can have sex with party goers. Finally, male and female player-characters can both work as porn stars at Golden Globes (earning a reputation title) if they have the right stats.

Finally, in the town of Modoc, the PC (regardless of gender, with a high charisma level) can have sex with either the son (Davin) or daughter (Miria) of Grisham, the slaughterhouse owner. After they’ve had sex, Grisham will force the PC to marry his child (again regardless of gender). Miria and Davin will not leave the PC’s party unless they are killed or divorced elsewhere in the game. This has been widely touted as the first instance of same-sex marriage in a video game (see here and here), though other reports indicate there was at least one earlier game: 1992’s Great Greed. Moreover, many older games offered same-sex romances and pairings (even if those did not end in marriage—which can be found elsewhere in this archive). It also appears to be the first time a male PC can have sex with a male NPC in this series (though not the first time this happened in games generally).

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004)

In Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, male and female PCs can hire the sex worker Ruby. Depending on the PC’s gender, she will have different dialogue after she’s been paid. If the player is playing as Cain, a ghoul, she will vomit after they have sex.

Fallout 3 (2008)

The sex workers in Fallout 3 have specific names (unlike many in the prior games). All of them are women, but most cannot actually be hired by the player for sex. Nova, who appears very early on in the game can be hired by male and female PCs, but there are special interactions with male PCs who have the “Lady Killer” perk. After hiring Nova, however, she appears to go up to a room and fall asleep. Clover can be hired by the player, if their PC is “evil” enough, but when hired, she functions as a companion character.

If the player flirts with her enough, Bittercup will give the player-character presents at random intervals for a limited period of time (regardless of the PC’s gender). Beyond flirtations (and an implied night with Nova), there do not seem to be any explicit sexual relationships for the PC in the game (though there are many player created mods).

Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

In contrast to the earlier games, there are male sex workers in Fallout: New Vegas. In the Gomorrah Casino, for example, male and female sex workers will flirt with the PC regardless of gender. These flirtations will not lead to sex generally, with the exception of Joana and Dazzle. In Pretty Sarah’s brothel in the Casa Madrid Apartments, the player can hire one of three sex workers: Jimmy and Maude (only for a male PC) and Sweetie (male or female PCs). The PC (regardless of gender) can also have sex with several sex workers they are tasked with recruiting for the Atomic Wrangler Casino: Fisto (a sexbot); Beatrix Russell (a cowgirl dominatrix ghoul, and Old Ben or Santiago (two suave, male sex workers).

There are some available same-sex flirtations with NPCs who are coded as gay or lesbian in the game as well, provided the PC has the right stats and perks. A male PC can flirt with Arcade Gannon and Major Knight, and get flirted with by Alex Richards. A female PC can flirt with Corporal Betsy.

There are also some NPCs who we might consider to be bisexual, as they will flirt or have sex with the PC, regardless of gender. Most of these require special perks or extra work on the part of the player, however. Two female NPCs will have sex with the PC (regardless of gender) after they complete quests. Sarah Weintraub wants the player to find her 30 vault jumpsuits and if the PC’s speech stat is high enough when she gives the player the quest, they can negotiate that sex is part of her payment. Red Lucy will require that the player collect eggs from various wasteland creatures, and when the quest is over, will offer to have sex with the PC. A male PC with the Confirmed Bachelor perk, or a female PC with the Black Widow perk, can lure Carlyle St. Clair into a nearby dumpster by propositioning Carlyle for sex. If a female PC has the Cherchez La Femme perk, Cass will indicate when she is drunk that she doesn’t care who she shares a bed with. Cass also flirts with male PCs.

Fallout 4 (2015): To Be Added

LGBTQ references in this game:

Fallout (1997): Sexaulity

Fallout 2 (1998): Sexuality

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004): Sexuality

Fallout 3 (2008): Sexuality; Carol and Greta; Anthony Ling; Flak and Shrapnel

Fallout: New Vegas (2010): Sexuality; Arcade Gannon; Christine Royce; Veronica Santangelo; Jimmy; Corporal Betsy; Sergio; Major Knight; Alex Richards; Confirmed Bachelor and Cherchez La Femme perks; Mentions of homosexuality

Fallout 4 (2015): TBA

Citations:

  1. Amanda. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Amanda
  2. Angela Bishop. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Angela_Bishop
  3. Benny. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Benny
  4. Beserker. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Berserker
  5. Bittercup. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Bittercup
  6. Chosen One. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Chosen_One
  7. Clover. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Clover
  8. Davin. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Davin
  9. Dazzle. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Dazzle
  10. Fannie Mae. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fannie_Mae
  11. Find Vic the Trader. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Find_Vic_the_Trader
  12. Fisto. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fisto
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  15. Golden Globes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Golden_Globes
  16. Gomorrah prostitutes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Gomorrah_prostitute
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  19. Keri Lee. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Keri_Lee
  20. Jimmy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Jimmy_(Fallout:_New_Vegas)
  21. Joana. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Joana
  22. John Bishop. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/John_Bishop
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  26. Leslie Ann Bishop. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Leslie_Anne_Bishop
  27. LGBT themes in video games. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_themes_in_video_games
  28. Lil’ Jesus Mordino. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Lil%27_Jesus_Mordino
  29. Maude. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Maude
  30. Metzger. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Metzger
  31. Miria. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Miria
  32. Nova. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Nova
  33. Old Ben. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Old_Ben
  34. Optional Sexual Encounter. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Leslie_Anne_Bishop
  35. Porn Star. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Porn_Star
  36. Prostitutes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Prostitution
  37. Red Lucy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Lucy
  38. Rose of Sharon Cassidy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Rose_of_Sharon_Cassidy
  39. Ruby. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Ruby_(Fallout:_Brotherhood_of_Steel)
  40. Santiago. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Santiago
  41. Sarah Weintraub. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sarah_Weintraub
  42. See Phyllis. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/See_Phyllis
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  44. Sexuality in Fallout: New Vegas. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/sexuality-in-fallout-new-vegas.61395/
  45. Shelia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sheila
  46. Slim Picket. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Slim_Picket
  47. Smith, C. (1997). Fallout FAQ. GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/197289-fallout/faqs/2023
  48. Shot2Hell. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/63576-fallout-2/faqs/2413
  49. Sinthia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sinthia
  50. Sinthia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.gamepedia.com/Sinthia
  51. Sweetie. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sweetie
  52. Their, D. (2015, June 27). Fallout Had Gay Marriage Back in 1998. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2015/06/27/fallout-had-gay-marriage-back-in-1998/
  53. Ton Barracus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Ton_Barracus
  54. T-Ray. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/T-Ray_(character)
  55. Vault Dweller. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Vault_Dweller
  56. What’s with all the homosexuality? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:What’s_with_all_the_homosexuality%3F