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"Ad Victoriam"— Their commonly heard motto., [3]

The Brotherhood of Steel (commonly abbreviated to BoS) is a post-War technology-focused paramilitary order with chapters operating across the territory of the former United States. Founded by rogue U.S. Army officer Captain Roger Maxson shortly after the Great War, the Brotherhood's core purpose is to preserve advanced technology and regulate its usage.[4][5] Despite often being relatively isolationist, the Brotherhood has proved to be one of the most important organizations in the history of the wasteland, though their exact levels of power and influence have varied over time and by chapter.

The Brotherhood has been featured in every game in the Fallout series, in one form or another. This article focuses exclusively on an overview of the Brotherhood as it appears throughout the series. For information on specific Brotherhood chapters, see: Brotherhood of Steel chapters.

The Brotherhood of Steel is a quasi-religious technocratic military order, founded in the immediate aftermath of the Great War by members of the United States Armed Forces and the government-sponsored scientific community. Originating in California, the organization has numerous extant chapters throughout the former continental United States.

Background[]

The Mariposa Rebellion[]

In 2076, the NBC division of West Tek achieved breakthrough results in the Pan-Immunity Virion Project. The United States Defense Department, fearing 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.[6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]

The situation unraveled shortly before October 10, 2077. 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 a 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.[9]

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 it. 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 did not believe it.[9]

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.[9] 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.[9]

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.[10]

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.[9]

The Exodus[]

Fo1 Losthills Entrance

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 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.[Non-game 1][11]

Several soldiers broke off during the Exodus as well, led by Sergeant Dennis Allen.[12] 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.[11] Around 2151, the Brotherhood sent out knights to seek out Allen's group or its remains. All they found were desolate ruins.[Non-game 2][13]

The Exodus survivors claimed the Lost Hills 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.[11]

Foundation of the Brotherhood and expansion in Appalachia (Fallout 76)[]

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 Elizabeth Taggerdy, About the Brotherhood
Taggerdy card art

Elizabeth Taggerdy, leader of the Brotherhood's first eastern chapter

Using surviving satellite connections, Maxson reached out across the continent, broadcasting a request for contact.[14] By chance, Maxson found an old friend in Appalachia, Lieutenant Elizabeth 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.[15] 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.[16]

Witnessing 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, and 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.[17][18][19] By June 20, 2082, all members under his command switched over to using Brotherhood ranks and practices.[1][20]

The Brotherhood kept growing in New California, welcoming into its ranks a National Guard unit that was formerly stationed near Mariposa.[21] They acquired several bunkers[22] and sent expeditions as far as the Mojave Wasteland, gathering intelligence and new recruits.[23] As the Brotherhood in New California developed, so did its sister organization in Appalachia under Paladin 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.

In Appalachia, the Brotherhood's insistence on acquiring munitions for their fighting against mutants led to ruffled feathers, especially with the Responders prior to the Christmas Flood in December 2082. However, 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 at Lost Hills: to gather, record, and save the collective knowledge of mankind for future generations, to act as a catalyst for the rebirth of civilization in time.[24] Some in Appalachia responded to this new policy with enthusiasm, others with grudging acceptance, and yet others, like Hank Madigan, left the Brotherhood to join the Responders.

The new mission quickly took a backseat, however, as the Appalachian Brotherhood encountered the scorchbeasts and the Scorched in the Cranberry Bog. Conferring with Maxson's ace researcher at Lost Hills, 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. Taggerdy pleaded with Maxson to grant her team permission to use nuclear weapons against the scorchbeasts but was forbidden by him because he found the concept of using nuclear weapons, even to help fight the scorchbeasts, to be too morally abhorrent after their world was destroyed by nukes.

By the 2090s, communication between Lost Hills and Appalachia was on steady decline due to failing Old World communication infrastructure. Before being cut off, Maxson ordered Taggerdy to hold the tide, and proscribed the use of nuclear weapons.[25][19] 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, 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 original Brotherhood in Appalachia.[19]

Reinforcements arrive in Appalachia (Fallout 76)[]

FO76SR Ramirez Rahmani

Paladin Leila Rahmani (second-to-left), the leader of the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force

However, by 2103, a small group of reinforcements arrived on their way from Lost Hills to examine various centers of technology across the country, expand the Brotherhood across the East Coast, and find out what happened to Taggerdy. Known as the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force, they were led by Leila Rahmani and Daniel Shin and were to set up base in Fort Atlas in Appalachia. The team also had a scribe named Odessa Valdez. While Maxson's motive was sincere, wishing to find out what happened to his friend Taggerdy, Rahmani became certain the Council of Elders had an ulterior motive: to remove her influence and meddling as she would often argue over their ways.

Along their hike across the country, the expedition found a town under threat by raiders. Wanting to assist them, Rahmani and Shin agreed to providing the townsfolk with weapons to help defend them. Unfortunately, the raiders were able to steal the guns and kill the townsfolk. During the assault, the Brotherhood lost one of their valued members, Alan Connors, and obtained two young refugee siblings who lost their parents, Marcia and Maximo Leone. This incident would set off a division between Rahmani and Shin, with Shin wanting himself and Rahmani to stand trial with the Council of Elders.

FO76 Atlas arrival

Valdez, Rahmani and Shin arrive at Fort ATLAS

Upon arriving in Appalachia, the group was dismayed to discover that Taggerdy's Brotherhood was wiped out by the scorchbeasts, with Vernon Dodge being the only known survivor. Rahmani decided that in order to establish the Brotherhood's presence in the region, the organization needed to cooperate with Appalachia's other factions, particularly the settlement of Foundation. Shin became skeptical of Rahmani's choices, particularly her desire to delay the re-establishment of contact with the elders in Lost Hills. Rahmani and Shin dealt with numerous conflicts, including Meg Groberg's raiders, battles against super mutants, and a plan to infect the water cycle with FEV orchestrated by a driven scientist.

During a mission to explore an Enclave research facility, Rahmani, feeling that the elders from Lost Hills were a hindrance in her ideals of establishing the Brotherhood as a peacekeeping force, destroyed the radio transmitter, which infuriated Shin. As a result, there is no confirmation of the Brotherhood in Appalachia re-establishing contact with the Brotherhood in California, as well as their status post-2105.

Conflict with the Vipers[]

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.[Non-game 3][11] Around 2141, the Brotherhood ceased admitting new members from the outside, relying solely on their natural growth for increasing their numbers.[26]

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 led to some initiates of the youngest generations having no idea who Roger Maxson was.[27] In 2150, they clashed with the newly reformed Vipers.[Non-game 4] 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.[Non-game 5] 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.[Non-game 4]

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.[Non-game 4] 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.[28]

The emergence of the Unity (Fallout)[]

FO01 NPC Vree G

Scribe Vree

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, Head Scribe Vree determined that it was sterile, but also notes that there must have been a central location that created these mutants.[Non-game 6][29] The elder council, fearing a potential invasion, enacted several security decrees, including a moratorium on training new recruits until the threat passed.[30]

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,[31] 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.[32]

The impasse was broken by the arrival of the Vault Dweller. Having rescued a Brotherhood initiate from bandits in the Hub,[33] the Vault 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 Vault Dweller surprised everyone by surviving and returning with the artifact. They became the first outsider to join the Brotherhood in nearly twenty years.[26][34]

The Brotherhood shared what knowledge they had and some of their advanced technology with the Vault Dweller, allowing them to seek out the Master and destroy him in the Boneyard.[34] 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.[35]

Apex of power, stagnation, and recovery (Fallout 2)[]

Rhombus

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 by 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.[36] 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.[Non-game 7]

Over the years, the Brotherhood grew confident in its status as the sole source of advanced technology left to mankind, and allowed its prominence and influence to wane, growing stagnant.[37] This stagnancy made them unable to deal with the technologically superior Enclave, when the Brotherhood learned of their existence circa 2240.[38][39] 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.[40]

The Brotherhood heads East[]

Once the Enclave was apparently destroyed by the Chosen One, the Brotherhood was without a foe to face. In an effort to end the stagnation, the Brotherhood expanded eastward (including 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.[41][42]

Capital Wasteland (Fallout 3)[]

Elder Lyons

Owyn Lyons

The Brotherhood's presence in the east suffered a further setback when Elder Owyn Lyons, head of the Capital Wasteland division, refused a direct order from the Lost Hills Elder Council, confirming their suspicions that he had gone rogue and was no longer pursuing the original mission. In response, the Brotherhood completely shut off communications to Lyons' division and denied them any reinforcements.[43]

By 2277, the Brotherhood was well-established in the Capital Wasteland with their headquarters at the Citadel in Washington D.C. under the leadership of Owyn Lyons. The Enclave, however, wanted to control Project Purity for themselves, leading to a conflict between the Brotherhood and the Enclave, culminating in the Battle of Project Purity. The Brotherhood were able to prevent the Enclave's assault using a giant fighting robot called Liberty Prime. Although this was a short-term boon for the East Coast Brotherhood, changes were on the horizon for the restorationists under Lyons.[44]

Interim (between Fallout 3 and 4)[]

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. Meanwhile, the adolescent Squire Arthur Maxson matured into a capable warrior and tactician, eventually defeating 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.[2]

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.[2] While some members found this distasteful and left,[45] many still remained, proud to serve a refocused Brotherhood. Maxson became leader of the Brotherhood's Eastern branch, setting it on a new, more authoritarian path.[46] Around this same time, the Brotherhood began constructing a massive airship known as the Prydwen at the conquered former Enclave facility of Adams Air Force Base; the ship began full operation in 2282.[47][48]

Mojave Desert and NCR Brotherhood War (New Vegas)[]

Elder McNamara

Nolan McNamara

Main article: NCR-Brotherhood War

In California, the rampant expansionism of the New California Republic 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.[Non-game 8] The disagreements over the way technology should be handled eventually resulted in a full-out war with the New California Republic. The Brotherhood was eventually forced into a retreat.[49] At least six Brotherhood bunkers were lost to the NCR, four of them destroyed by the Brotherhood themselves in a last-ditch attempt to deny them to the enemy.[50]

The most well-known confrontation occurred during the NCR'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.[51] The Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood was considered effectively neutralized.[Non-game 9] The Mojave chapter went under lockdown following their defeat at HELIOS One and the retreat to Hidden Valley.[Non-game 10]

Despite their victory over the Brotherhood, the war would cost the NCR dearly. Apart from losses in manpower and materiel, the greatest victim of the war was the NCR's economy. The NCR'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 the 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 an 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.[Non-game 11][Non-game 12][Non-game 13][Non-game 14]

Conflict with the Institute (Fallout 4)[]

Fo4 Elder Maxson

Arthur Maxson

After discovering advanced signals originating from the Institute, the Prydwen traveled to the Commonwealth. The Brotherhood established its headquarters at Boston Airport. The vessel serves multiple roles for the Brotherhood, including those of aircraft carrier, command center, clinic, personnel quarters, equipment maintenance bay and research facility.[52] In plotting a course to find, access and destroy the Institute, Elder Maxson determined the first initiative to be repairing Liberty Prime back to working order.[Non-game 15]

Activities in New California (Fallout television series)[]

FL-Fallout-9

Maximus (right) with a power armor user

The Brotherhood is still active in the Los Angeles region around the year 2296. They also have their own airship, the Caswennan, which appears to be similar to the Prydwen.

Society[]

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. Let us forge a Brotherhood of Steel.Roger Maxson
F76 BOS Scout Tower Banner 1F76 BOS Scout Tower Banner 2F76 BOS Scout Tower Banner 3
Brotherhood banners

The 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 circumventing ranks when giving orders. 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.[53][54]

Roger 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 unleash nuclear devastation on the world again (as was the case with Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Eckhart in Appalachia). Second, it would give the survivors an idea to believe in, something they could dedicate themselves to, and find meaning in their lives after the nuclear war. The inspiration came from the fall of the western Roman Empire when the knights and scribes kept the fire of civilization going after the empire imploded.[55]

Property and trade[]

As a rule, most Brotherhood chapters do not have an internal economy and allocate resources based on need, including weapons, armor, and even augmentations. Outside recruits are a special case: While they will receive basic equipment (such as Brotherhood armor and weekly allotment of ammunition),[56] and an allotment of rations to maintain their health,[57] they must serve for ten years before the Brotherhood will provide its most advanced services without charge.[58] Higher-ranking members may bypass this requirement and allocate equipment at their discretion, for example, to reward services rendered to the Brotherhood[59] or provide tools necessary for a mission.[60] All equipment beyond personal items is issued by the Brotherhood and carefully tracked by serial number, especially weapons.[61]

Equipment, such as rations, may be used for bets,[57] and some chapters have implemented limited internal trade, keeping superior gear in reserve for higher ranks to purchase.[62] Some chapters of the Brotherhood have even implemented a currency (scrip) for internal trade.[Non-game 16] Restrictions exist: The Mojave chapter will not sell any equipment to any outsider unless permitted by the elder.[63]

Social structure[]

FO01 NPC Maxson G

General John Maxson, High Elder of the Brotherhood beginning in 2159

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.

The Brotherhood is egalitarian in nature, with male and female members both being able to rise up to any rank. At the Brotherhood's foundation, however, the women of the Brotherhood were also called "Brothers" instead of "Sisters,"[64] which would not carry over to the East Coast chapter.[65]

Belief system[]

Origins[]

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 the 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 for humanity's rebirth. As the guardians of civilization, the Brotherhood would focus on the big picture, with direct aid considered a secondary concern.[66]

While scribes were originally considered second-rate members, tools to protect the 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.[66] Maxson's ultimate intention was to establish 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 Elizabeth 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.[67]

Preservationists[]

[The Brotherhood is] the only salvation this tortured planet and its people have. Without us, humanity is sure to perish.Master Scribe Vree, 2161

In 2135, Roger Maxson died of cancer. Although referred to as the Founder and Deliverer, the Brotherhood changed under his son, Maxson II. The most noticeable effect of the change in leadership was the cessation of outside recruitment by 2141, relying solely on natural growth. The Brotherhood creatively interpreted Maxson's words and its role as a steward of humanity and its salvation. Their power armor would remain a symbol of hope, the harbinger of restoration, but the Brotherhood would quietly wait for the right moment to restore the battered Earth to humanity, rather than actively collaborate with outside people.[68] Until then, it would preserve knowledge and control it, so that it could not destroy humanity again[69] 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 find, it emphasized hard sciences and the tangible, resulting in a tacit disregard for non-technical, softer fields of knowledge, such as history or sociology. By the late 23rd century, many Brotherhood initiates did not know who Roger Maxson was or what he had done for the order,[70] and scribes captured by the Legion could not account for the group's origins a few centuries after its foundation.[71]

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.[72] Exports were limited to conventional technologies, with restricted, advanced items strictly controlled and only provided to those deemed responsible enough to use them.

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. Its advantageous position would ultimately lead it to its downfall, as the Brotherhood grew confident in its unchallenged role as quasi-technology police, stagnating.

Reactionaries[]

Fallout New Vegas T-51b

A patrol in Hidden Valley.

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 puts people in hospitals. Or graves, rather, since hospitals went the way of the Dodo.Robert House, 2281

The 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. Facing a changed wasteland with no plan in place, corruption of the Brotherhood's lofty ideals was a matter of time.[73] The increasingly strict adherence to the organization's principles evolved into religious dogmatism. This mindset eventually dominated its leadership. The Codex became sacred,[74][75] with Roger Maxson effectively deified.[76] Religious influences trickled into everyday expressions, with "By Steel" becoming an intensifier and an oath, invoking an undefined higher entity.[77]

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.[Non-game 10] Sharing of Brotherhood secrets, even for a greater purpose, is seen as treason warranting summary execution.[78]

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. 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.[79] The Codex itself was either rewritten or reinterpreted to emphasize the world view.[80][81]

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. The Purifier Conflict with the remnants of the Enclave provided an influx of new technologies and resources, but Lyons' leadership remained a problem. Particularly severe was the fact that Lost Hills completely shut off communications with Lyons' chapter and denied them any reinforcements.[43][82]

Restorers[]

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, 2287

Major changes were introduced under Elder Arthur Maxson in the 2280s. Like the Brotherhood of the 22nd century, the Eastern division rededicated 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 feral ghouls, although the Brotherhood also eliminates raiders and other threats as a matter of course.[83][84]

Control of technology is seen as a means to an end. While the crumbling western Brotherhood attempted to control technology in an 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.[85] The most noticeable way in which this policy is implemented is the collection of technology from pre-War sites, to prevent its abuse.[86]

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 the environment.[87] 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.[88] The Great War was a natural result of putting the implements of Apocalypse in the hands of madmen.[89]

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.[90] The combination of their superior physique and the capacity to think for themselves renders them a threat to mankind,[91] 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.[89][92][93]

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.[2]

He also approved a request by Senior Scribe Neriah to develop a more effective alternative to the pre-War RadAway, showing that he has also carried on Lyons' efforts of improving technology as opposed to simply hoarding it, which remains the West Coast's goal, as can be seen through a conversation between Nolan McNamara and Veronica Santangelo in Fallout: New Vegas.

Insignia[]

Fo1 Brotherhood Corridor

A common rendition of the Brotherhood insignia, used as wall decoration in the West, most commonly in the 22nd century (2161 and 2241)

The iconography of the Brotherhood of Steel is built around its emblem: gears, sword and wings. It is used widely to decorate their facilities, tag armor and equipment, and as part of markers identifying their territory, and overall building up a distinct visual identity. The order marks virtually every piece of equipment it possesses with its sigil.

The Brotherhood insignia has evolved throughout the years and while it has retained its general appearance, the number of cogs on the gears, their facing, and basic color scheme have varied between iterations. Other modifications have also been implemented, such as replacing the gears with a lion rampant, altering the number of teeth on the elements, or changing coloration.

The insignia is usually the only major difference between pre-War military uniforms and Brotherhood outfits.

Divisions and locations[]

Canonical chapters
Group Locations Game


Lost Hills Fallout
Fallout 2
Capital Wasteland detachment Fallout 3
Mojave Fallout: New Vegas
Commonwealth Fallout 4
Appalachia
First Expeditionary Force

Former

Fallout 76
Non-canonical chapters
Group Locations Game
Midwest Fallout Tactics
Texas Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Founding chapter[]

FB3 Appendix

Concept art of the Lost Hills bunker.

The headquarters of the Brotherhood and its first chapter 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. However, by 2242, the Brotherhood was spread across the wastes of California 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.

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.[50]

Appalachia[]

The Appalachian branch of the Brotherhood of Steel was founded when Roger Maxson contacted Lt. Elizabeth 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.[19]

However, in the year 2103, the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force arrived in Appalachia and set up at Fort Atlas, previously called the ATLAS Observatory, reestablishing a Brotherhood presence in the region.[94]

Mojave Chapter[]

Mojave BOS banner

Mojave Chapter insignia

Though their power in the west has diminished greatly over the years, the Brotherhood of Steel still maintains hidden, heavily fortified bunkers throughout the Mojave.Fallout: New Vegas loading screens

The 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 that allow the inhabitants to travel to and from the bunker undercover. It also serves as a kind of electronic disturbance to any and all outside factions' targeting sensors, therefore rendering the bunker safe from detection.[95]

Prior to 2276, the Mojave Brotherhood had been very active in the region before their crippling defeat at HELIOS One by NCR forces 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.[95]

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.[95]

East Coast Brotherhood[]

Citadel

The Citadel

On the East Coast, the East Coast division of the 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 faction, because of his changed priorities, he received no support from California, 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.[96][Non-game 17]

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.[97]

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 acquired possession of Vault 87's G.E.C.K. and nearly activated 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 NCR-Brotherhood War.[96]

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.[98]

Montana Chapter[]

A Brotherhood bunker exists in Montana and was at some point the home of an elder named Patrocolus.[99]

Chicago detachment[]

The Brotherhood of Steel sent a detachment of troops east by airship to track super mutants. After crash landing in Chicago, they clashed with them in the city. By 2254, they have been classified as a rogue unit and fell off of the radar of the organization's other chapters.[100]

Non-canonical chapters[]

Midwestern Brotherhood[]

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 Midwestern 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 Midwestern Brotherhood was far more open in terms of recruitment compared to its West Coast counterparts, accepting ghouls, super mutants and even intelligent deathclaws into their ranks. The Brotherhood's main bases were bunkers that were originally pre-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.

The aforementioned Chicago detachment is a reference to the Brotherhood as they appeared in Fallout Tactics, though what is mentioned of them is essentially all that remains in canonical installments.

Texas Expedition[]

Main article: Texas Expedition

After the death of John Maxson, Rhombus, the head of the Brotherhood's paladins, became the new high elder, in the non-canonical Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel. A super mutant faction under the leadership of Attis moved east and attempted to recreate the mutant army in Texas using the Corporate 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, in 2208. The Texan Brotherhood would prove successful in their quest, destroying Attis and his army at the ghoul city of Los.

Unlike the Chicago detachment, the events of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel have not been referenced in any way in later canonical installments.

Foreign relations[]

We're talking about a coterie 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 House
FOT Intro War 10

Brotherhood 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.[Non-game 18]

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.[Non-game 18]

By 2281, the Brotherhood fought against the NCR in the devastating NCR-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.[101] 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.[50][102]

Outside recruitment[]

For most of its existence, the Brotherhood did not recruit outsiders as a general rule. When it did, they required the recruits to be very young, so that the proper relationship with technology could be cultivated. Adults have an approach that the Brotherhood considers perverted.[103] However, exceptional individuals may conditionally join the Brotherhood.[104][105]

Circa 2287, the policy changed radically. As Elder Arthur Maxson became the leader of the Brotherhood's Eastern branch, he retained Elder Owyn Lyons' practice of recruiting wastelanders[106] sponsored by existing Brotherhood members[107] and expanded it. As it was under Lyons, the sponsor would travel with their charges and teach them the ideals of the Brotherhood and train them in combat.[108] 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.[109][110] However, while the member can retract their sponsorship,[111] once the rank is confirmed by the elder, only the elder can dismiss the sponsored party from the organization.[112]

Attitude towards mutants[]

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 operations in the Glow, a location regarded by the Brotherhood as close to the 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.

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. 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 was not hostile towards super mutants that settled down peacefully.[113]

By 2287, the Brotherhood has radicalized its policy towards mutants, with standing orders to exterminate any post-War abominations.[114] In practice, the Brotherhood usually does not shoot on sight unless targets are confirmed as hostile - even if they are a synth in a critical location.[115]

Technology[]

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, 2281

Weapons[]

Fallout Lost Hills Level 3

The Lost Hills bunker and the heart of the Brotherhood: The main library and workshops.

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 they 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,[116] and virtual reality training systems, which allow personnel to maintain their combat prowess even under lockdown.[117]

Some chapters have also supplemented their combat force with recovered robots, like robobrains, sentry bots, and even a prototype combat robot.[118] Due to their lack of manpower, and the fact that they did not recruit outsiders, the Brotherhood splinter group known as the Outcasts relied heavily on reprogrammed robots in order to augment their smaller pool of human soldiers.

Vehicles[]

The Brotherhood does not possess working ground vehicles, at least not in the mid-2100s.[119] The Brotherhood did have access to an entire fleet of airships 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 vessel crashing in the Midwest on a long-range exploration mission. It was not until the acquisition of Pride One, a captured Enclave Vertibird, at the end of the Brotherhood-Enclave War, that the Brotherhood returned to the skies. Eight years later, the Brotherhood built a new, more advanced, airship at Adams Air Force Base which they christened the Prydwen.[120][Non-game 19] The Prydwen's construction was carried out alongside a brand-new Vertibird fleet. This fleet would be made up of captured and restored Enclave Vertibirds, as well as brand-new ones built from scratch. By 2287, the size of this new air force was so significant that the Brotherhood created an entirely new caste, known as lancers, in order to pilot them.

Research and manufacturing[]

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,[121] through physics,[122][123][124][125] to astronomy[126][127] and theories on time travel.[128]

In terms of manufacturing capacity, the West Coast Brotherhood relies on items hand-made by the knights. Although limited supplies pose a challenge,[129] the real problems come from the actual manufacturing and prototyping process,[130] especially when the reality does not seem to match the knights' expectations.[131] 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.[Non-game 18] 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.[132]

Notes[]

  • Despite being relatively small in numbers (compared to groups, such as the NCR), the Brotherhood is the most widely spread faction in post-War America.
  • Most members of the Brotherhood are usually gruff in dealing with outsiders and usually extremely rude towards mutated creatures, such as ghouls and super mutants.
  • As of 2103, Leila Rahmani believes the elders of the Brotherhood to be comprised of "fearful conservatism," remarking that she had tried to steer them away from this ideal.[133]
  • The Brotherhood is extremely territorial when it comes to technology and will defend it to the death. In Fallout: New Vegas, it is mentioned that an elder was severely punished for destroying a piece of unknown technology.[134]
  • According to the Citadel terminal entries, the Brotherhood in Lost Hills began protecting the NCR state of Maxson by 2277 at the latest.[135] It also mentions an internal conflict, possibly a civil war, in the Brotherhood of Steel on the West Coast. This conflict forced Arthur Maxson to live in the Citadel.[136]
    BOS Rhombus

    Rhombus, the Brotherhood's new High Elder in Brotherhood of Steel

  • The Brotherhood of Steel also appears in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, although the game is considered non-canon in Bethesda's continuity. In this game, 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 Corporate 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 led by Attis. Rhombus became the leader of the Texas Expedition and they traveled eastward to Texas, arriving by 2208. There, he discovered a prototype vault which was abandoned and installed the Brotherhood's main base of operation in this area. Their main mission was to eradicate the menace of all super mutants. The Texan Brotherhood was now also more open to recruiting outsiders, including ghouls like Cain. With the help of a Brotherhood Initiate (Cain, Cyrus or Nadia), the Texan Brotherhood would prove successful in their quest, destroying Attis and his army at the ghoul city of Los.
  • Bugged A Montana chapter was meant to be mentioned in Owyn Lyons' dialogue, but the sequence is bugged and does not play in-game.[99]

Appearances[]

The Brotherhood of Steel has appeared in all Fallout games to date, as well as the Fallout TV series.

Behind the scenes[]

  • The flag with the sword, gears, wings, and stripes was first used in Fallout 3, as a low-resolution asset flown over the Citadel. When extracted, the texture can be recreated to produce the flag on the right. This interpretation is supported by the official merchandise (where a full-size flag uses the red-and-white version) and Fallout 76's Nuclear Winter mode, where the Brotherhood of Steel minigun paint has a decal depicting this version of the flag.
    • However, the flag used for these is an erroneous recreation that was first posted on this wiki shortly after the game's release. The sigil was oversized (terminating on the last, rather than the penultimate stripe) and placed in a round field, whereas the sigil on the Citadel flag was placed with a stroke blending effect applied that gave it a rounded appearance. The original asset is based on a thirteen-stripe design, with a burlap filter applied and the sigil placed over the filter with a stroke effect applied, masking part of the burlap filter. This version was subsequently used as the basis for the Brotherhood of Steel flag in official Bethesda merchandise.
  • 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.

Developer quotes[]

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, Origins of Fallout blog
  • The Brotherhood of Steel was originally planned to double as a religious organization centered around the worship of pre-War technology.[Non-game 20][Non-game 18] This ideology was directly influenced by A Canticle for Leibowitz, which dealt with a group of Catholic monks tasked with preserving all scientific and technological knowledge until humankind is prepared to wield it.[Non-game 21]
  • They were also inspired directly by the Guardians of the Citadel faction from Wasteland.[Non-game 20]
  • Joshua Sawyer described the impact of the Brotherhood raids on the NCR's gold reserves, as 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 the 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 an actual economic collapse, the NCR government abandoned the gold standard. 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.[Non-game 11][Non-game 12][Non-game 13][Non-game 14]
  • Sawyer also commented on the Brotherhood's conflict with the NCR, in that at the same time the Republic's power grew, the Brotherhood adopted a policy of reclaiming technology from people outside the order, which caused conflict in the Mojave.[Non-game 22]

Creation Club[]

These stenciled Brotherhood decals are seen in the "Brotherhood of Steel, Institute, Railroad, Minutemen Weapon Paint Job" and "Brotherhood of Steel, Institute, Railroad, Minutemen Armor Paint Job" bundles on Fallout 4's Creation Club storefront, created for Bethesda by the modder Skibadaa. The orientation of the cogs on these symbols alternates between uses. Some of the skins included in these bundles were later repurposed as Overseer rank rewards in Fallout 76's Nuclear Winter game mode.

Insignia Use Notes Seen
BoS FO4 CC Minigun Decal recreation
Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout 76)[137] This decal is used on miniguns, assault rifles, and infantry armor painted in Brotherhood colors. Creation Club (2017)
Nuclear Winter (2019)
BoS CC Wingspan Decal-3
Brotherhood of Steel This decal is used on various weapons painted in Brotherhood colors, including laser weapons and 10mm pistols. Creation Club (2017)
BoS CC Wings and Chevrons Decal
Brotherhood of Steel This decal is used on various weapons painted in Brotherhood colors, including Gatling lasers, missile launchers, sniper rifles, and captured Institute weapons. Creation Club (2017)
BoS CC Combat Wing Decal
Brotherhood of Steel This decal is used on combat rifles and combat shotguns painted in Brotherhood colors. Creation Club (2017)

Gallery[]

Fallout[]

Fallout 2[]

Fallout 3[]

Fallout: New Vegas[]

Fallout 4[]

Fallout 76[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Camp Venture terminal entries; commander's terminal, JAN-03-81: E Fisher
    Note: This entry establishes that Taggerdy is still referred to as a lieutenant, indicating the switchover did not yet take place.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Prydwen terminal entries; Proctor Quinlan's terminal, The Rise of Elder Maxson
  3. Multiple references in the Fort Defiance terminal entries indicating it was used as early as 2095 and even in the Appalachia chapter.
  4. The Chosen One: "{115}{}{Who are you guys?}"
    Matthew: "{119}{}{We are a paramilitary organization known as the Brotherhood of Steel.}"
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  5. The Chosen One: "{201}{}{What do you know about the Brotherhood?}"
    ACE: "{221}{}{The Brotherhood of Steel is a paramilitary organization dedicated to the salvation of mankind through the proper use of technology. All other information is classified.}"
    (ACE's dialogue)
  6. Power management and mainframe terminal: "Base Information"
    "West Tech Research Facility: Founded in 2002 as a private contractor for the United States government, the company initially consisted of two divisions--the Advanced Weapons Research and the Biomedical Sciences divisions."
    "In 2069, West Tech was the single largest contractor for the United States government; its largest contract being Powered Infantry Armor Model T-51b."
    "In light of significant advances in 2076 by the NBC on the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, the United States Defense Department, in fear of international espionage, moved a team onto the site to secure and oversee the project, now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project."
    (GPWRTERM.MSG)
  7. Power management and mainframe terminal: "FEV (Force Evolutionary Virus). Status: Pending"
    "FEV Summary Digest: 2073. As China became increasingly aggressive with their use of biological weapons, the United States government felt that a countermeasure was needed. The Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP) was officially formed September 15, 2073."
    "2075. It became clear that the best way to combat the newly created biological weapons was to alter uninfected DNA so that it was no longer susceptible to standard viral infection."
    "2076. Unforseen side effects began surfacing in early 2076 with the PVP. Animal test subjects began showing an abnormal growth rate accompanied by increased brain activity."
    "The U.S. government took notice of these discoveries, and in the interests of national security, moved a team on-site to secure and oversee the project, which was now dubbed the FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) project."
    "2077. FEV nears completion. Test on lab animals are at a near 100% success rate. Size and muscle density increase approximately 60%, and the protential intelligence increase by 200%."
    "Effects upon human subjects remain unknown; although they are theoretically promising."
    "The military, wishing to continue further testing, builds a large facility at the Mariposa military installation in central California. At this new facility, testing of the FEV virus continues on volunteer subjects from the military."
    (GPWRTERM.MSG)
  8. FEV experiment disk: "Log Date January 7, 2077
    Major Barnett has ordered transfer of all FEV research to the Mariposa Military Base. He plans to continue the project experiments on volunteer subjects. I am against this, and would like it noted here that research on human subjects is not recommended by myself or my staff."
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Captain Maxson's diary
  10. Maxson log
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Sophia's tape
  12. Chris Avellone placed Allen's rebellion in 2134 for the Fallout Bible, which would have made him at least an octogenarian when he split off. He appears to have missed two elements: Cabbot's explanation that the group split off during the Exodus and the fact that the disk references United States Army ranks and the United States Armed Forces, instead of the Brotherhood of Steel. Furthermore, Avellone mentioned elders in the timeline, who did not exist in any capacity in 2077. Sophia's tape makes it clear that Allen defied Captain Maxson, not the elders.
  13. The Vault Dweller: "Ancient"/"Order"
    Cabbot: "Oh, well, in the Exodus, the Brotherhood split into two groups. The group that broke away robbed the others of some of the weapons an-and went southwest. About ten years ago, we sent out knights to look for them, but all they found was ruins. No one knows what happened."
    The Vault Dweller: "Exodus"
    Cabbot: "The ancient Brotherhood came from some place far up north a long, long time ago. We call this the great Exodus. You can read about it more if you ask Vree in the library."
    (Cabbot's dialogue)
  14. Official Fallout Twitter: "November 2077, a month after the Great War, army Captain Roger Maxson arrived with survivors at the Californian bunker of Lost Hills. There he formed the Brotherhood of Steel, who used a functioning satellite to extend their reach across America… all the way to Appalachia."
  15. Radio log: Aug 29 2077
  16. Taggerdy's journal: NOV 04 2077
  17. Formation of the Brotherhood of Steel
  18. About the Brotherhood
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 See Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout 76) for references.
  20. Squire Asher's journal
  21. A Vault Dweller: "Where are you from?"
    Paladin Rahmani: "I'm originally from the California branch of the Brotherhood of Steel. I was dispatched near MarisposaIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar before the bombs fell. I learned that some members of the US military had created an organization to help people. I was also a member of the US military, joining up with the Brotherhood was a natural transition for me."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  22. A Vault Dweller: "Where are you from?"
    Scribe Valdez: "California, though truth be told I've spent most of my life in one bunker or another."
    (Odessa Valdez's dialogue)
  23. Fort Atlas terminal entries; Scribe Valdez's terminal, KNIGHT Shin, Daniel
  24. Preservation of technology
  25. The nuclear option (holotape)
  26. 26.0 26.1 John Maxson: "Hello, youngster. Cabbot said you wanted to talk. Look I'm uh . . . I'm pretty stacked up right now, so I'll uh . . . I'll help you out as long as you don't start flappin' your gums too much. You know, outsiders are like that, always jawin' . . . Hehehe. Kinda like me, huh?"
    The Vault Dweller: "Outsiders? What do you mean by that?"
    John Maxson: "An Initiate not born here. You're the first Outsider we've let join in a long, long time. Well, near on twenty years now."
    (John Maxson's dialogue)
  27. The Vault Dweller: "You don't consider the Brotherhood's weaponry to be important?"
    Sophia: "Vree seems to think that the research of new weaponry and the information gathered from Mutant autopsies is more important than our history. She has forgotten that our history is a vital part of our lives. It has gotten so bad that many of the new initiates don't even know who Roger Maxson is or what exactly he did for us."
    (Sophia's dialogue)
  28. The Vault Dweller: "Merchants"
    John Maxson: "You want to hear about the Water Merchants. Hehehe, well you can't trust them. A few years ago, they offered us Water for a huge stockpile of weapons. We told them no, and you know what they did? Sent in thieves to steal the weapons! We caught 'em, but the Elders voted down going to the Hub to teach the merchants a lesson."
    (John Maxson's dialogue)
  29. Vree's autopsy report: "This is truly amazing. Some of the Knights on a patrolling expedition came across an unusual creature."
  30. The Vault Dweller: "Okay, can you teach me some stuff?"
    Rhombus: "Stuff? I could teach you how to fight...if you had any ability. But the High Elder decreed no training of new recruits until the threat of invasion passes."
    (Rhombus' dialogue)
  31. The Vault Dweller: "Do you have any clues as to what's behind the disappearance of the caravans?"
    John Maxson: "When we heard about the missing caravans, we sent out a few scouts east and the north. The ones who went north never returned. One came back from the east. He talked about a score of strange beings, all muscle with burnin' eyes. The Elder's aren't doin' squat, but I'm getting ready just the same."
    (John Maxson's dialogue)
  32. [clarification needed]The Vault Dweller: ""
    John Maxson: "I got a gut feeling there's a small force in the east and a much bigger one in the north. The Elders are collecting dust because none of the scouts returned from the north. I can't do anything but watch."
    "Well the Merchants from the Hub told us a bunch of caravans disappeared on their way up north. I think there's an army in the mountains, but the Elders, well, they don't want to act until they're sure."
    (John Maxson's dialogue)
  33. Vault Dweller's memoirs: "I returned to the Hub, looking for clues. Some time was spent there, and I discovered a shady underworld amongst the hustle and bustle of that large city. They thought they could manipulate me, but I proved them wrong and used the crooks instead. I did rescue a young man who belonged to the Brotherhood of Steel. A few trouble-makers tried to stop me, but I learned much about survival since leaving the Vault."
  34. 34.0 34.1 Vault Dweller's memoirs: "It was in my best interest to leave town for a while. I journeyed to this Brotherhood. Thinking they would have the knowledge I sought, I tried to join them. They required me to go on a quest before they would let me in. Thinking it would be a short and easy quest, I agreed and set off for the place they called the Glow. The horror of atomic war was never so obvious to me until then. The Brotherhood was surprised to see me, and even more surprised to see that I had not only survived their quest, but succeeded. They gave me the information I required and some of their technology, and I set off in search of the Boneyard."
  35. Vault Dweller's memoirs: "I had to find these Vats, and put them out of action as well, lest another take the Master's place and continue to build the mutant army. Fortunately, my friends at the Brotherhood had a few clues, and helped me reach my goal. Invading the Vats, I came across more mutants and robots. None could stand in my way. I had a mission. I had a goal. I had a really large gun. It was here that Dogmeat fell, a victim of a powerful energy forcefield. I miss that dog. I destroyed the Vats that day, and with it, the mutant army. The last I heard, they splintered and disappeared into the desert."
  36. Fallout endings: "The Brotherhood of Steel helps the other human outposts drive the mutant armies away with minimal loss of life, on both sides of the conflict. The advanced technology of the Brotherhood is slowly reintroduced into New California, with little disruption or chaos. The Brotherhood wisely remains out of the power structure, and becomes a major research and development house."
    Note: As Rhombus' survival is a prerequisite (otherwise the BoS turns into the Steel Plague), he is its leader in this time.
  37. The Chosen One: "Okay - and what is it that you do?"
    Matthew: "At one time we were the sole bastions of technology left on the planet. We set ourselves up as what could best be called 'technology police.' We hoarded the old knowledge and only doled it out in small parcels. Of course, it was only to those who we felt deserved it and had the wisdom to properly use it."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  38. The Chosen One: "Before we go any further, why tell me all this now?"
    Matthew: "(sigh) The Enclave has developed vertibird technology, flying machines that allow them to move deeply into surrounding territories. Without similar technology to counter this threat, the Brotherhood would be unable to stop an invasion launched by the Enclave. We need to have vertibird technology, or a viable counter to it, for ourselves."
    "Now, recently the Enclave established a base north of here called Navarro. It's used as a stopover point for the maintenance and refueling of vertibirds. It's my belief that such a base may have complete technical plans of the vertibirds. All I need is for someone to infiltrate the base, steal the plans, and bring them here to me."
    The Chosen One: "Let me guess. You want me to infiltrate this base for you."
    Matthew: "Let me be frank with you, the Brotherhood of Steel is not the power that we once were. We believed ourselves to be the sole source of technology left to mankind. Secure in this belief we have let our order decline over the years. Now we don't have the resources at our disposal to deal with the Enclave. We need your help."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  39. The Chosen One: "You said 'at one time.' What about now?"
    Matthew: "Several months ago we came across a group known as the Enclave. Much to our surprise their level of technology surpassed even our own. We found this quite disturbing and considered contacting them. However, we decided on a more cautious course of action until we could determine exactly who the Enclave was, and the underlying purpose of their organization."
    "To this end, we have reactivated small outposts near areas of Enclave activity from which we can safely observe them. Currently, we have activated such outposts in the Den, the NCR, and here in San Francisco."
    The Chosen One: "Sounds interesting. What have you learned?"
    Matthew: "We have found that the Enclave deals heavily in drugs, weapons, and slaves. However, these are simply trivial pursuits leading up to some higher purpose, which we have failed to uncover. We are still watching them."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  40. The Chosen One: "Why is it that nobody around here mentions you?"
    Matthew: "We've had this base for years. By maintaining it at a low level with minimal staffing, never drawing attention to ourselves, we've achieved anonymity. We leave the Shi alone, and they leave us alone."
    (Matthew's dialogue)
  41. The Lone Wanderer: "So what's your long-term plan for dealing with the Brotherhood?"
    Henry Casdin: "The Brotherhood came out here to recover technology from the eastern cities and bases. If Lyons won't do it, then we will. And when we resume contact with the Western Elders, Lyons is going to be put in his place. Even if that place is in front of a firing squad."
    (Henry Casdin's dialogue)
  42. The Lone Wanderer: "What kind of changes?"
    Reginald Rothchild: "We were dispatched with a specific mission. We were sent to locate and secure any technology remaining from before the war. Like our robotic monstrosity. That was our greatest find. Damn thing still doesn't work, but at least it's ours. But those damned Super Mutants... They changed things. Lyons changed. He decided they were a threat. Not just to us, but to everyone. And so he altered the mission. Finding the source of the mutants and putting a stop to them was his goal. Our original mission became an afterthought. We've failed both."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  43. 43.0 43.1 The Lone Wanderer: "You make saving people sound like a bad thing."
    Reginald Rothchild: "It wasn't why we were sent here. Good or bad has nothing to do with it. Lyons knew that, but ignored it. He decided it was more important to save the people here than to obey orders from his superiors. For years he'd try and persuade them to send reinforcements and supplies, all the while stringing them along, saying he was sticking to the mission. Finally, things came to a head. Lyons directly refused orders, and so the West Coast cut us off. No communications, no reinforcements."
    The Lone Wanderer: "Why, what happened?"
    Reginald Rothchild: "Lines of communication were severed years ago. The Western Elders have washed their hands of us."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  44. Events of Fallout 3.
  45. The Sole Survivor: "What's your story?"
    The Scribe: “I was once a Scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel. Back when that was something to be proud of. Back when we used our knowledge to help people, rather than simply hoarding it for our own power. When Squire Maxson took over... well, I didn't like the changes he made to the Brotherhood. Some said it was a return to our ancient traditions. Maybe so. But things are not necessarily better simply because they are ancient. So, I left. Since then, I've been walking up and down in the world... until I found myself here."
    (The Scribe's dialogue)
  46. Brotherhood soldier: "I'm proud to be serving under Elder Maxson. I had enough of Lyons and his foolish ways."
    (Generic Brotherhood soldiers' dialogue)
  47. The Sole Survivor: "Where was the Prydwen constructed?"
    Kells: "She was constructed at Adam's In-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar Air Force Base just outside of Washington D.C. There was a vast amount of scrap metal and salvageable components there after we defeated the Enclave. We spent the first two years alone gathering the parts. The rest was spent assembling. It was worth the effort. With the Prydwen in our arsenal, we can mobilize our entire division... sending her anywhere that Elder Maxson wishes her to go. Her presence in the Commonwealth ensures that our mission to defeat the Institute will end in victory."
    (Kells' dialogue)
  48. The Sole Survivor: "You sure Ingram knows what she's doing?"
    Arthur Maxson: "Proctor Ingram's managed to keep a 40,000 ton airship aloft for the past five years. I'd say that earns her the benefit of the doubt."
    (Arthur Maxson's dialogue)
  49. Fallout: New Vegas loading screens: "Due to disagreements over how technology should be controlled in the wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel waged a long and bloody war against the NCR. Despite superior equipment and training, the Brotherhood eventually went into retreat."
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 The Courier: "Any recommendations on how to complete the mission?"
    Robert House: "From time to time, the NCR has assaulted Brotherhood bunkers. In four of the six incidents I know of, the bunkers self-destructed. I surmise it's standard practice for the Brotherhood to install a self-destruct system. It's consistent with their uncompromising nature. You might use that against them. Or kill them another way, it's up to you. Return when it's done."
    (Robert House's dialogue)
  51. The Courier: "Tell me about what happened at HELIOS."
    Ramos: "I'm sure someone's told you all this before. Several years back, we were running our chapter out the HELIOS One solar power station. Our Elder at the time, Elijah, had some kind of obsession with the place. Which is the only reason we stayed as long as we did. That place was hardly defensible, and we knew the NCR was moving in on us, but the Elder refused to budge, insisting that he just needed 'more time'. We never found out what he needed the time for. Wave upon wave of NCR troopers hit us from all directions. We held out for a time, but we were grossly outnumbered, and they had more men than we had ammo. Eventually our positions collapsed. Elder Elijah was nowhere to be found, so McNamara took charge and led what remained of us on a counter-offensive west. We lost a lot of men and women, but we broke through and made it here. Make no mistake, McNamara saved this chapter that day."
    (Ramos' dialogue)
  52. The Prydwen terminal entries; Elder Maxson's terminal, Ingram IG-444PR - Prydwen Concerns
  53. Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal, Chain That Binds
  54. The Courier: "One of the datastore entries mentioned the Chain That Binds. What is that, exactly?"
    Ramos: "That's an old, old principle that's been around since the Brotherhood was founded. It basically means that you have to obey a superior officer. It's pretty much common sense, but it gets invoked a lot when people get pissy about following orders. If you're curious, I'll give you access to the datastore entry on it. You'd probably be the first to read it in years, if not decades."
    (Ramos' dialogue)
  55. About the Brotherhood
  56. Quartermaster Michael provides standard issue Brotherhood armor to the Vault Dweller once they become an initiate.
  57. 57.0 57.1 The Courier: "Initiate Stanton told me about your little adventure the other day."
    Melissa Watkins: "That was so much fun! The wind whipping through our hair, not knowing what was going to jump out at us at any moment. And when those scorpions came out! It was just like the sims! All I had to do was line then up and squeeze the trigger. I doubt I'll be able to get Stanton to go with me again, though. I thought he'd enjoy it as much as I did, but he was just scared the whole time. Don't tell him I told you this, but when those scorpions surrounded us, I'd bet a week's rations he pissed himself!"
    (Melissa Watkins' dialogue)
  58. The Vault Dweller: "{135}{}{I'll do it!}"
    Lorri: "{148}{}{I'm sorry, but you are an outsider. After you're in the Brotherhood for ten years or so I'll be able to do the operation for free, but we have expenses and you're not a regular working member of the Brotherhood, yet.}"
    (Lorri's dialogue)
  59. Talus' rewards at the end of Rescue Initiate from the Hub
  60. Mathia issues weapons at the behest of Elder John Maxson.
  61. Courier: "Can I just get you another laser pistol?"
    Initiate Stanton: "No, weapon check-in protocol includes verifying the serial number of the weapon, so a different gun would be noticed. Plus, having a new gun suddenly show up would immediately point to you, being the only outsider around here and all. No, the only way I have out of this is if you help me find that gun. You'll help me, right?"
    (Initiate Stanton's dialogue)
  62. Proctor Teagan: "Congratulations on the promotion, Paladin. We keep some of the superior gear on reserve for the higher ranks. Let me know if you want to take a look."
    The Sole Survivor: "I'll take a look."
    (Proctor Teagan's dialogue)
  63. Knight Torres: "Sorry, outsider, but I'm not allowed to sell you anything without the Elder's say so."
    "You must be the stranger I've been hearing about. Sorry, but I'm strictly forbidden from offering our tech to outsiders like yourself."
    (Knight Torres' dialogue)
  64. Paladin Jennifer: "{131}{}{The women of the Brotherhood are also called Brothers. We don't call the women Sisters. This is the Brotherhood of Steel, after all, not the Brother and Sisterhood of Steel.}"
    (Paladin Jennifer's dialogue)
  65. The Sole Survivor: "Don't apologize. It reminds me why I'm doing this."
    Paladin Danse: "Thank you, sister. It's good to know you're taking my advice to heart."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  66. 66.0 66.1 Preservation of technology
  67. Elder Maxson's final conversation
  68. Talus: "{217}{}{, it is time you wore your own suit of Power Armor. This is a very special privilege for one so new to our order. Wear our Power Armor as a symbol of hope as you walk the wasteland, for someday when the world is ready we will surface and restore our battered Earth. Congratulations, you have made us all very proud. I'll send Michael the authorization.}"
    (Talus' dialogue)
  69. The Courier: "What's their purpose?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "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 I 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's dialogue)
  70. Sophia: "{337}{}{Vree seems to think that the research of new weaponry and the information gathered from Mutant autopsies is more important than our history. She has forgotten that our history is a vital part of our lives. It has gotten so bad that many of the new initiates don't even know who Roger Maxson is or what exactly he did for us.}"
    (Sophia's dialogue)
  71. The Courier: "What do you think of the Brotherhood of Steel?"
    Caesar: "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 hordersIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar. They hordeIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar 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's dialogue)
  72. Brotherhood services and research as seen at Lost Hills in Fallout. They are also mentioned as important trading partners of the Hub merchants.
  73. The corruption affected the entire Brotherhood and wasn't a localized development unique to the Mojave chapter, as indicated by the references in the NCR-Brotherhood War article. Furthermore, as the Mojave chapter was established in Veronica's lifetime (she explicitly states Elijah took her with his force, after New Californian elders decided to get rid of the problem by promoting him out of the way), it is an example of the West's ideology, not an outlier.
  74. The Courier: "What's the Codex?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "Ah, the Codex. If it's in there, we have to abide it, if it's not, it's not important. It documents our history, too. Part of what Scribes like me do is update it. Hmm... I wonder... Nah, they'd probably catch it if I rewrote the Founder's axioms."
    (Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
  75. Brotherhood of Steel paladin: "We heard Veronica talking with the Elder. We won't stand for this."
    The Courier: "Won't stand for what? She plans to respect the Elder's decision."
    Brotherhood of Steel paladin: "Respect, nothing. She plans to whisper in his ear. Poison him against the Codex. No... this has to end now. Execute them."
    (Brotherhood of Steel paladin's dialogue) Note: This line is heard after Veronica's talk with the elder during I Could Make You Care.
  76. The Courier: "This isn't your place. You're neither Head Scribe nor Elder."
    Brotherhood of Steel paladin: "Their sentimentality prevents them from administering justice. Our duty is to the Codex above all, something your companion has forgotten. And that gives us the authority to make it our place."
    The Courier: "I don't get what the big deal is."
    Brotherhood of Steel paladin: "High Elder Maxson didn't just found the Brotherhood. He defined it. To serve in the Brotherhood is to serve his ideals. Our way of life is based on them. We know no other path. There is no other path. With her... leanings... Veronica spits in the face of every Knight, Paladin, and Scribe to serve in our ranks."
    (Brotherhood of Steel paladin's dialogue) Note: This line is heard after Veronica's talk with the elder during I Could Make You Care.
  77. The Courier: "I'm hurt. I need help, Doc."
    Linda Schuler: "By Steel, I haven't seen wounds like these since HELIOS. I've got to get you treated quickly."
    (Linda Schuler's dialogue)
  78. Veronica Santangelo: "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no."
    Brotherhood of Steel paladin: "Sharing knowledge with an outsider organization. I knew Veronica couldn't be trusted. We tracked your movements a long way. But it was worth it to catch her in the act. Passing Brotherhood secrets to outsiders is the lowest form of treason. What have you got to say for yourself?"
    (Veronica Santangelo's and Brotherhood of Steel paladin's dialogue) Note: This line is heard after the paladins massacre the Followers at the outpost during I Could Make You Care.
  79. The Courier: "Does the Brotherhood protect people from raiders or other threats?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "No, no. We only protect people from themselves, and only in the sense that we don't let them have the really good Pre-War toys. And sometimes it's more like we protect ourselves from them and hope to outlive them and become humanity's sole heirs. We've had people go rogue, though, and start helping people. One chapter had a small civil war over it. We take our isolationism seriously."
    (Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)
  80. The Lone Wanderer: "Relax, Squire. I don't bite."
    Arthur Maxson: "I plead for your pardon if my behavior offends you, sir/ma'am. We don't get many visitors in the Citadel. The Brothers and Elder Lyons are excellent teachers, but I get nervous about the protocols. The codex says that outsiders are not to be trusted. Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind. Aid them when you can, but lose not sight of yourself, it says."
    (Arthur Maxson's dialogue)
  81. Nolan McNamara: "What does the Codex say?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "A bunch of closed-minded bullshit."
    Nolan McNamara: "We do not help them, or let them in."
    Veronica Santangelo: "But-"
    Nolan McNamara: "We keep knowledge they must never have."
    Veronica Santangelo: "Give it a chance. For me. I can't stay here and watch us waste away."
    Nolan McNamara: "I'm sorry."
    Veronica Santangelo: "We'll die out."
    Nolan McNamara: "<Sighs> I know."
    Veronica Santangelo: "Come on. I can't listen to this anymore."
    (Veronica Santangelo and Nolan McNamara's dialogue) Note: This conversation is spoken at the end of the quest I Could Make You Care.
  82. The Lone Wanderer: "Why are you here in the Capital Wasteland?"
    Owyn Lyons: "Our orders were, and are, to acquire any and all advanced technology. And we have, to the best of our abilities. But when I realized the extent of the Super Mutant threat, I felt it was my responsibility to aid the people in their struggle against them. Unfortunately, my superiors back west disagree with my assessment of the situation. They feel I've grown too "attached" to the local populace. And they're right. In any event, the Enclave's arrival changes everything..."
    (Owyn Lyons' dialogue)
  83. Fallout 4 loading screens: "The Brotherhood of Steel is dedicated to the advancement of humanity, and views mutation as a scourge. Super Mutants, Ghouls and any other 'abominations' have been deemed impure, and must be eradicated."
  84. The Sole Survivor: "What are my responsibilities as a Sentinel?"
    Arthur Maxson: "I need you to set an example for the troops. Collect technology, exterminate abominations of nature and bring a message of stability to the people of Commonwealth. Our ideals are what define us, Sentinel. If we can hold onto that, then we will always be victorious. Was there anything else you need to ask?"
    (Elder Maxson's dialogue)
  85. The Sole Survivor: "Who are the Brotherhood of Steel?"
    Paladin Danse: "Our order seeks to understand the nature of technology. It's power. It's meaning to us as humans. And we fight to secure that power from those who would abuse it."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  86. Paladin Danse: "Over two hundred years ago, the abuse of technology drove our race to the brink of extinction. The Brotherhood refuses to allow that to happen again. By collecting all forms of technology, and keeping it out of reach of those who seek to exploit it, we're ensuring the survival of the human race."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  87. Paladin Danse: "It was corporations like this that put the last nail in the coffin for mankind. They exploited technology for their own gains, pocketing the cash and ignoring the damage they'd done."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue) Note: This is spoken in the lobby of ArcJet Systems, during Call to Arms.
  88. The Sole Survivor: "How did mankind abuse technology?"
    Paladin Danse: "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's dialogue)
  89. 89.0 89.1 Arthur Maxson: "How dare you betray the Brotherhood!"
    Paladin Danse: "It's not his fault. It's mine."
    Arthur Maxson: "I'll deal with you in a moment. Knight! Why has this... this thing not been destroyed?"
    The Sole Survivor: "He's still alive because you're wrong about him."
    Arthur Maxson: "Him?! Danse isn't a man, it's a machine... an automaton created by the Institute. It wasn't born from the womb of a loving mother, it was grown within the cold confines of a laboratory. Flesh is flesh. Machine is machine. The two were never meant to intertwine. By attempting to play God, the Institute has taken the sanctity of human life and corrupted it beyond measure."
    Paladin Danse: "After all I've done for the Brotherhood... all the blood I've spilled in our name, how can you can say that about me?"
    Arthur Maxson: "You're the physical embodiment of what we hate most. Technology that's gone too far. Look around you, Danse. Look at the scorched earth and the bones that litter the wasteland. Millions... perhaps even billions, died because science outpaced man's restraint. They called it a 'new frontier' and 'pushing the envelope,' completely disregarding the repercussions. Can't you see that the same thing is happening again?! You're a single bomb in an arsenal of thousands preparing to lay waste to what's left of mankind."
    (Elder Arthur Maxson and Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  90. Fallout 4 loading screens: "To the Brotherhood of Steel, the 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."
  91. The Sole Survivor: "No, but I'm hoping there's a way out."
    Paladin Danse: "Don't be ridiculous. Look, I'm not blind to the fact that this must be difficult for you. I wish Maxson had sent someone else. But that doesn't change a thing. I'm a synth, which means I need to be destroyed. If you disobey your orders, you're not only betraying Maxson, you're betraying the Brotherhood of Steel and everything it stands for. Synths can't be trusted. Machines were never meant to make their own decisions, they need to be controlled. Technology that's run amok is what brought the entire world to its knees and humanity to the brink of extinction. I need to be the example, not the exception."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  92. The Sole Survivor: "Danse shares the same beliefs as the Brotherhood."
    Arthur Maxson: "Don't be so naive. How can you trust the word of a machine that thinks it's alive? A machine that's had its mind erased, its thoughts programmed... its very soul manufactured. Those ethics that it's striving to champion aren't even its own. They were artificially inserted in an attempt to have it blend in to society."
    (Elder Arthur Maxson's dialogue)
  93. The Sole Survivor: "Synth? Isn't that the same as 'robot?'"
    Paladin Danse: "They're an abuse of technology created by the Institute. Abominations meant to 'improve' upon humanity. It's unacceptable. They simply can't be allowed to exist."
    (Paladin Danse's dialogue)
  94. Steel Dawn
  95. 95.0 95.1 95.2 See Mojave chapter for references.
  96. 96.0 96.1 Events of Fallout 3
  97. See Brotherhood Outcasts for references.
  98. See East Coast Brotherhood of Steel for references.
  99. 99.0 99.1 Bugged Owyn Lyons: "Brothers, as we take our meal this day, let us reflect upon the words of Elder Patrocolus of the Montana Bunker. 'It is in service of Steel and guardianship of one's Brothers that each man finds his purpose. My friends, stand with your Brothers. Guard them... ...guide them. And in each of them find purpose. Look around this table, my Brothers. Look into the eyes of each man and woman seated here today. Pledge in your hearts and minds, pledge by your guns that you will stand with them in battle until the end. Trust each of them with your life.' And earn the trust of each in turn. Eat well, my friends."
    (Owyn Lyons' dialogue) Note: CitElderLyonsMealBlessing1; this line is bugged and is not heard in normal gameplay. Bugged
  100. The Lone Wanderer: "Then where's the rest of the Brotherhood?"
    Reginald Rothchild: "The West Coast, unless something has changed. There's been no contact with them for the last several years. There's also a small detachment in Chicago, but they're off the radar. Gone rogue. Long story."
    (Reginald Rothchild's dialogue)
  101. The Courier: "What exactly are the rules regarding entering and leaving?"
    Ramos: "Under the lockdown, only essential personnel are permitted to enter or leave. That includes supply runners and high security patrols. All other personnel are forbidden to leave, and any personnel that were out there when the lockdown was enacted are forbidden from returning."
    (Ramos' dialogue)
  102. The Courier: "Any possibility of a diplomatic solution?"
    Robert House: "We're talking about a coterie 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."
    The Courier: "I don't want to kill off the entire Brotherhood."
    Robert House: "Don't tell me that you've fallen for the stories of noble paladins on crusade, preserving mankind's technology in a benighted age? Dross! In any case... this is an employer - employee relationship. I've given you an assignment, and the directions are clear."
    (Robert House's dialogue)
  103. The Courier: "How do I join the Brotherhood of Steel?"
    Ramos: "You don't. Ever. You don't even think about it. Even if we did recruit trespassers, you're far too old for us. Your relationship to technology has already been perverted."
    (Ramos' dialogue)
  104. The Courier: "I want to join the Brotherhood."
    Edgar Hardin: "Yes, I thought you might, given how much time you've spent here. That's not usually a request we agree to. Typically, we take in the young, so that they might be trained through adolescence. In special cases, we allow exceptional individuals to conditionally join. Luckily for you, you happen to be exceptional. The condition is that you must complete a task. This task must prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have what it takes to join the Brotherhood. I happen to have something perfectly suitable in mind, though I warn you - it won't be easy. Still interested?"
    (Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
  105. The Vault Dweller: "{104}{}{What is the Brotherhood of Steel.}"
    Darrel: "{110}{}{The Brotherhood is a collective of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the preservation of technology.}"
    (Darrel's dialogue)
  106. Danse: "Would it be possible to speak... off the record for a moment?"
    The Sole Survivor: "'Off the record?' That's not like you, Danse."
    Danse: "Which is why this is going to be difficult to say, so I'd appreciate it if you bear with me. When you were first placed under my sponsorship, I had some serious reservations about it. Despite all that, this has turned out to be a rewarding experience... for both of us. At this point, honestly, I don't feel like there's anything else I could teach you about being a Brotherhood soldier that you don't already know. It's apparent from your attitude and your actions that you intend to keep those ideals close to your heart."
    The Sole Survivor: "You're beating around the bush. Is there something you're trying to tell me?"
    Danse: "Is it that obvious? I've... never been very good at these things. Let me start at the beginning. I grew up alone in the Capital Wasteland. Spent most of my childhood picking through the ruins and selling scrap. When I was a bit older, and had a few caps to my name, I moved into Rivet City and opened a junk stand. While I was there, I met a guy named Cutler. We got along pretty well, watched each other's backs and kept each other out of trouble. When the Brotherhood came through on a recruiting run, we felt like it was the best way out of our nowhere lives, so we joined up."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  107. The Sole Survivor: "Does it have anything to do with the Brotherhood?"
    Danse: "I wouldn't necessarily say that. This isn't a formal meeting. I... simply want to clear the air. I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot when we first met and I feel like I owe you an apology. Expecting you to embrace the standards of the Brotherhood without having a history with us was unfair. And given that you've adjusted so well to our beliefs, I don't think I needed to push so hard."
    The Sole Survivor: "That's very kind. Thank you."
    Danse: "Well, you deserve it. When I was an Initiate, my sponsor was Paladin Krieg. Toughest squad leader I ever served with. He was a model soldier, embodying the values every trainee was striving to achieve. Fiercely loyal, secure in his beliefs and brave to a fault. From the moment I was assigned to his squad I was singled out... it felt like he was pushing me harder than the rest of the team. I fought by his side for years and we had some seriously close calls, but he never explained to me why I was treated that way."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  108. The Sole Survivor: "So what's all this about you being my sponsor?"
    Danse: "Elder Maxson is understandably particular when it comes to new recruits. He believes in order to keep the Brotherhood strong, we have to bond as brothers. As your sponsor, it's my duty to travel with you throughout the Commonwealth to ensure that our ideals are being observed. That's why I'm so concerned about your performance in the field."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  109. Semper Invicta and Shadow of Steel
  110. The Sole Survivor: "Don't worry, I've spent time in the military."
    Danse: "Perfect. Then there's no need to give you a long lecture, so I'll get right to the point. I only ask for two things from anyone under my command. Honesty and respect. You fall in line, you stay in line. I give you an order, and you follow it. It's as simple as that. Now, before I release you to Haylen and Rhys for your assignments, there's one last order of business. From this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of Initiate. This is only a training rank... I'm not premitted to grant ranks any higher than that."
    The Sole Survivor: "Why can't you promote me beyond Initiate?"
    Danse: "Only an Elder can promote you beyond Initiate. After we get the transmitter up and running, I'll call in and see what I can do."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  111. Danse: "I've already told you, I'm retracting my sponsorship. You're on your own."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  112. Danse: "I don't know why you even bother staying with the Brotherhood."
    (Danse's dialogue)
  113. Fallout 2 events.
  114. The Sole Survivor: "What exactly do I have to do?"
    Kells: "You'll be escorting a squire to a location where you'll be purging it of all the post-war aberrations: mutants, ghouls, synths, you name it. Meanwhile, the squire will observe and assist under your protection. It's simple and extremely beneficial. What do you say?"
    (Kells' dialogue)
  115. The Sole Survivor can bring Strong, Hancock, or Nick Valentine into Brotherhood locations without them opening fire.
  116. The implants acquired from Lorri at Lost Hills in Fallout.
  117. Fallout: New Vegas Hidden Valley VR pods
  118. Fallout 3 the Citadel
  119. Knight: "{102}{}{Boy, I wish we had an automobile.}"
    (Brotherhood knight's dialogue in Fallout)
  120. The Sole Survivor: "Did the Brotherhood ever build other airships?"
    Kells: "There were less advanced versions of this ship built on the West Coast a long time ago. Historical records about their current status are in dispute, but we're fairly certain that they were destroyed. In any event, I hope your tour of the Prydwen helped acclimate you to our way of life up here. I think you'll find that the more familiar you become with both her capabilities and her crew, the longer you'll survive as a member of the Brotherhood. You're dismissed, Knight/Paladin/Sentinel."
    (Kells' dialogue)
  121. The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{I'd like to know more about the weapons we make here.}"
    Vree: "{124}{Vree18}{Speak to the knights. Ask them to show you one of the latest laser pistols I designed.}"
    (Vree's dialogue)
  122. Scribe: "{105}{}{Will the universe continue to expand or will it eventually collapse back in on itself?}"
    (Lost Hills scribes' dialogue)
  123. Scribe: "{112}{}{Did you know the sun is actually a big nuclear reaction?}"
    (Lost Hills scribes' dialogue)
  124. Scribe: "{112}{}{Did you know that the sun is actually a big nuclear reaction? Similar to what ended the old world, except it's fission, no fusion.}"
    (Lost Hills scribes' dialogue)
  125. Scribe: "{114}{}{Did you know that the hydrogen atom is 99.9843425% empty space?}"
    (GENSCRIB.MSG)
  126. Scribe: "{113}{}{Did you know a black hole is actually an opening to another universe?}"
    (Lost Hills scribes' dialogue)
  127. Scribe: "{113}{}{Did you know that a black hole is actually an opening to another universe? I have it all worked out on paper. Too bad there won't be any more space travel until long after I'm dead.}"
    (Lost Hills scribes' dialogue)
  128. Scribe: "{115}{}{Time travel will one day be possible and we might be able to prevent the disaster that ruined our world in the past. But wouldn't that . . . stop us from going back if it was fixed . . . oh, my head hurts.}"
    (Brotherhood Scribes' dialogue in Fallout)
  129. Knight: "{102}{}{When our supplies are limited it can really be a challenge to find a way to use what we've got.}"
    (Lost Hills knights' dialogue)
  130. Knight: "{103}{}{I can't figure out why my last prototype didn't work.}"
    (Lost Hills knights' dialogue)
  131. Knight: "{108}{}{Well, the computer says it should work. Now what did I do wrong?}"
    (Lost Hills knights' dialogue)
  132. See NCR-Brotherhood War for details.
  133. A Vault Dweller: "Is what happened really such a big deal?"
    Leila Rahmani: "You weren't there, Initiate. It was... harrowing. Those civilians trusted us to save them. We... lost one of our own as well. Knight Connors. May he rest in peace. We disobeyed orders, handing out those weapons instead of safeguarding them. Perhaps it would have been forgivable, had we succeeded. But the Elders would take this failure as proof of the danger of unrestrained technology. They would double down on the fearful conservatism I've tried so hard to steer them away from. We cannot let that happen. At this stage, the Brotherhood still has a chance to be something better."
    (Leila Rahmani's dialogue)
  134. Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; terminal (restored), Elder Dismissal Incidents, Incident #3
  135. Citadel terminal entries; Citadel A ring terminals, Maxson Archive terminal, State of Maxson
  136. Citadel terminal entries; Citadel A ring terminals, Maxson archive terminal, Maxson Family Dossiers, New Entry: Scribe Arthur Maxson
  137. Brotherhood of Steel minigun paint awarded at Overseer rank 33

Non-game

  1. Fallout Bible 0: "2077 Nov Captain Maxson, his men, and their families, arrive at the Lost Hills bunker a few weeks later, suffering many casualties along the way, including Maxson's wife (but not his teenage son). The Lost Hills bunker becomes the HQ of the Brotherhood of Steel the Vault Dweller finds in Fallout 1."
  2. Fallout Bible 0: "2134 A faction within the Brotherhood of Steel led by Sergeant Dennis Allen gains strength, and they urge the Elders to let them explore the southeast Glow for artifacts. The Elders refuse, so Allen and his divisionist group splits away from the Brotherhood of Steel, taking some technology and weapons with them."
    "2134 Led by Sergeant Dennis Allen, a small team of the Brotherhood of Steel head to the West Tek research facility in search of technological artifacts. They arrive there twenty days later, and are promptly chewed apart by the West Tek's unforgiving automated defense systems. Wounded, Allen begins to suffer radiation poisoning from a leak in his suit. Before he dies, he logs what happened to the expedition into a holodisk then goes to join the Brotherhood in the sky."
    Note: While the date 2134 is given in the timeline, Cabbot explicitly names the date as 2077.
    Note: The first name is given only in the Fallout Bible 0 timeline. In the game itself, he is only referred to as "D. Allen".
  3. Fallout Bible 0: "2135 Elder Roger Maxson dies of cancer, and his son, already an accomplished soldier, takes up the role of 'General' (Elder) within the Brotherhood of Steel. John Maxson becomes a member of the Paladins, showing tremendous promise as a soldier."
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fallout Bible 6: "Defeat at the Hub in 2125: Their failed attempt to raid the Hub during the Hub's formative years, stopped almost solely by Angus, the founder of the Hub. Angus' defense caused the Vipers to retreat north, and they roamed the wastes for many, many years, occasionally attacking caravans and small settlements. Around the early 2150s, however, the Vipers had grown to their former strength from captured slaves and caravan drivers and had begun to establish a power base in the badlands to the North of the Hub (and south of the Lost Hills Bunker). Driven by a religious frenzy (and the need to provide for their much larger numbers of soldiers and disciples), they began raiding more frequently than before, attracting the attention of the Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood sent out a few squads of scouts to track the raiders down - it was more of a training exercise conducted by John Maxson's father, as the Brotherhood was convinced that small detachment of troops in Power Armor would be sufficient to deal with a group of raiders, no matter how large.
    Near Extermination by the Brotherhood of Steel in 2155: One Brotherhood squad found the Vipers, and during the firefight, John Maxson's father (who was leading the squad) was killed with a poisoned arrow. The response from the Brotherhood was immediate. The Paladins, now led by Rhombus, began a full scale campaign against the Vipers, tracking them down and wiping 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, but they were never heard from again.
    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). So some good did come out of the Vipers' presence in the wastes, for what it's worth."
  5. Fallout Bible 0: "2155 John Maxson's father dies in a raid by the Vipers. Expecting the raiders to break and run, Maxson doesn't take into account the religious ferocity of the Vipers (or their poisoned weapons), and when a single arrow nicks him with his helmet off, he dies within hours. John Maxson takes up the role of Elder, and Rhombus becomes the new head of the Paladins."
  6. Fallout Bible 0: "2161 October A Brotherhood of Steel patrol comes across a dead super mutant in the badlands. They take the corpse back to the Scribes, and Head Scribe Vree begins her examinations of the super mutant."
  7. Fallout Bible 6: "2. How was the Brotherhood of Steel involved with NCR after the destruction of the Enclave?
    Unknown. Presumably, they'd already established some level of co-existence with NCR even before the events of F1, judging by one of the states of NCR being dubbed 'Maxson' (more on that in a future update except to say that the Lost Hills Bunker was NOT turned into a town in NCR) and considering their pre-existing ties to the Hub, which became a state by the time of F2. I've always imagined that NCR and BOS have maintained an uneasy truce, with barter and (some) technology sharing between the two groups."
  8. GTtv interview with Josh Sawyer: "In the Fallout: New Vegas, the Brotherhood is not quite as prominent as they were in, say, Fallout 3. Part of that is because over time, the Brotherhood has been at war with New California Republic. So after the end of Fallout 2, they basically got into conflict with NCR over control of technology, mostly energy weapons because that's one of the main purposes of the Brotherhood is to control that technology. NCR didn't want to hand it over, so they went to war."
  9. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates:
    2276 "Conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel escalates, culminating in decisive victory at HELIOS One. The Mojave Brotherhood is considered "neutralized.""
    (Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.43: "Brotherhood of Steel
    The Brotherhood of Steel is a militant organization devoted to the preservation of pre-war technology and human knowledge. Their professed mission is to preserve pre-war technology and human knowledge for the benefit of future generations. In practice, its definition of technology is strangely selective, ignoring basic but potentially useful technologies (genetic modification of crops and civil engineering, for example) in favor of combat technology such as energy weapons and power armor: and even now, nearly two centuries after the Great War, the Brotherhood zealously restricts the use and knowledge of such technologies to its own membership.
    The Mojave Brotherhood operated freely amid the Vegas wastes for several years, carrying out many reclamation missions without serious opposition. The balance of power shifted in 2251, when a large contingent of NCR troops entered the region and occupied Hoover Dam. Conflict was inevitable. Nearly two years of guerilla skirmishes culminated in a pitched battle at HELIOS One, a solar energy plant the Brotherhood had been refurbishing for several months with the goals of bringing it back online and activating its hidden offensive capabilities (the ARCHIMEDES II death ray). The battle for HELIOS One (Operation: Sunburst) proved a disaster for the Mojave Brotherhood. More than half its Paladins and Knights were killed. The chapter's leader, Elder Elijah, disappeared without a trace. The Brotherhood was driven from the facility, which suffered extensive damage. Survivors retreated to Hidden Valley.
    Since that defeat, the chapter's leader, Elder McNamara, has restricted activity outside the bunker to occasional reconnaissance missions and high-value raids. All operations take place at night, and engagement of NCR forces is strictly forbidden. Though the Brotherhood's ascetic lifestyle has prepared its members for a sequestered existence better than most, the passivity of their current situation has proved highly stressful."
    (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Joshua Sawyer: "And this is discussed in-game: BoS raided NCR's gold reserves until NCR could no longer generate gold coinage nor back their paper money. They abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, which is why its value is inflated over both caps and (especially) Legion coinage. (...) People in eastern NCR and the Mojave Wasteland lost faith in the NCR government's a) ability to back the listed value of paper money and b) stability overall. If you're living in Bakersfield, staring at a piece of paper that says "redeemable for value in gold" and you have no faith in the government's ability or willingness to do that -- or if you see that the government has changed the currency to say that it is not able to be exchanged for a backed good -- you may very well listen to the strong consortium of local merchants offering to exchange that paper note for currency backed by water."
    (Joshua Sawyer on SomethingAwful.com)
  12. 12.0 12.1 Joshua Sawyer: "Traders from the Mojave travel the Short Loop into NCR, which means that they have to go through a few hundred miles of solid desert. Carrying enough water to travel from New Vegas to the Boneyard (or vice versa) would undercut cargo capacity significantly. Even the communities around the Mojave Wasteland (other than New Vegas itself) have water brought in and stored in local towers. Of course, the Colorado River is nearby as long as you don't mind walking through an active war zone."
    (Joshua Sawyer on SomethingAwful.com)
  13. 13.0 13.1 "How does the Hub 'back' caps? Can you exchange a certain number of caps for a standard measure of water?
    Joshua Sawyer: Yes."
    (Joshua Sawyer on SomethingAwful.com)
  14. 14.0 14.1 Joshua Sawyer: "It happened during the BoS-NCR war. I believe Alice McLafferty mentions it, but I'm not positive. She doesn't detail the events in this much detail, but here they are:
    The attacks caused NCR citizens (and others who held NCR currency) to panic, resulting in a rush to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's gold reserves. Inability to do this at several locations (especially near the periphery of NCR territory where reserves were normally low) caused a loss of faith in NCR's ability to back their currency.
    Though NCR eventually stopped the BoS attacks, they decided to protect against future problems by switching to fiat currency. While this meant that BoS could no longer attack a) reserves or b) the source of production (all NCR bills are made in the Boneyard), some people felt more uneasy about their money not having any "real" (backed) value. This loss of confidence increased with NCR inflation, an ever-looming specter of fiat currency.
    Because the Hub links NCR with the Mojave Wasteland and beyond, the merchants there grew frustrated with NCR's handling of the currency crisis. They conspired to re-introduce the bottle cap as a water-backed currency that could "bridge the gap" between NCR and Legion territory. In the time leading up to the re-introduction, they did the footwork to position themselves properly. If some old-timer had a chest full of caps, they didn't care (in fact, they thought that was great, since the old-timers would enthusiastically embrace the return of the cap), but they did seek to control or destroy production facilities and truly large volumes of caps (e.g. Typhon's treasure) whenever possible."

    (Joshua Sawyer on SomethingAwful.com)
  15. Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 34: "Soldiers
    Soldiers are responsible for gathering technology and enforcing the will of the Brotherhood. Individuals who demonstrate exceptional loyalty and valor are promoted up the ranks, gaining more formidable gear along the way. Most Brotherhood of Steel soldiers rely on various laser rifles, but heavy guns such as miniguns, Gatling lasers, and missile launchers are sometimes used to overwhelm the opposition. Higher ranking soldiers sometimes employ T60 Power Armor, allowing them to absorb huge amounts of damage."
    (Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Groups, Gangs, and Factions)
  16. Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p. 84-85: "Scrip covers a variety of tokens used for exchange within a specific group. Some parts of the Brotherhood of Steel have used scrip for internal trade (where a member of the Brotherhood wants something from someone else in the Brotherhood), but they’re also used in places where the person or group who control all the jobs also control all the traders: if you’re using scrip, you can’t easily leave that group, because you’ve got no money accepted by the outside world."
  17. Faction Profile – the Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout 3)
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Fallout Bible 6:
    "The Brotherhood of Steel: The Brotherhood of Steel (BOS) is a techno-religious organization, with roots in the US military and government-sponsored scientific community from before the war."
  19. The Art of Fallout 4 p. 256: "Chapter 6 VEHICLES
    However, one vehicle whose size is both impressive and appropriate is the Prydwen, the only postwar-built airship. We went with a full-on diesel-punk design, combining elements of Zepplins and naval vessels and using mysterious technologies (beyond simple hydrogen) to keep it afloat. Its complement of Vertibirds are of a different variety than the gunships used by the Enclave—better suited to troop transport but modified for deployment from the airship."
  20. 20.0 20.1 "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, Origins of Fallout blog)
  21. Tim Cain GDC talk (Youtube)
  22. GTtv interview with Josh Sawyer: "In the Fallout: New Vegas, the Brotherhood is not quite as prominent as they were in, say, Fallout 3. Part of that is because over time, the Brotherhood has been at war with New California Republic. So after the end of Fallout 2, they basically got into conflict with NCR over control of technology, mostly energy weapons because that's one of the main purposes of the Brotherhood is to control that technology. NCR didn't want to hand it over, so they went to war."
Brotherhood of Steel
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