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(Since when do overview pages have Appearances sections? The whole page is dedicated to appearances.)
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|game4 =FNV
 
|game4 =FNV
 
|articles4 =[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)|Feral ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul jumpsuit|Feral ghoul jumpsuit]] {{cut}}<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul reaver|Feral ghoul reaver]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul roamer|Feral ghoul roamer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral trooper ghoul|Feral trooper ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing one|Glowing one]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing trooper ghoul|Glowing trooper ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing ghoul jumpsuit|Glowing ghoul jumpsuit]] {{cut}}<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Overseer|Overseer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault dweller|Vault dweller]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault security guard|Vault security guard]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault security officer|Vault security officer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault technician|Vault technician]]
 
|articles4 =[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)|Feral ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul jumpsuit|Feral ghoul jumpsuit]] {{cut}}<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul reaver|Feral ghoul reaver]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul roamer|Feral ghoul roamer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral trooper ghoul|Feral trooper ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing one|Glowing one]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing trooper ghoul|Glowing trooper ghoul]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Glowing ghoul jumpsuit|Glowing ghoul jumpsuit]] {{cut}}<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Overseer|Overseer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault dweller|Vault dweller]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault security guard|Vault security guard]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault security officer|Vault security officer]]<br />[[Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Vault technician|Vault technician]]
|game5 =FOBOS
+
|game5 =FO4
|articles5 =[[Glowing one (Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel)|Glowing one]]
+
|articles5 =[[Feral ghoul (Fallout 4)|Feral ghoul]]
  +
|game6 =FOBOS
  +
|articles6 =[[Glowing one (Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel)|Glowing one]]
 
|game7 =VB
 
|game7 =VB
 
|articles7 =[[Endless walker]]
 
|articles7 =[[Endless walker]]
}}{{Games|FO1|FO2|FO3|FO3BS|FO3PL|FNV|FOT|FOBOS|VB}}
+
}}{{Games|FO1|FO2|FO3|FO3BS|FO3PL|FNV|FO4|FOT|FOBOS|VB}}
   
 
{{quotation|Feral ghouls have lost the ability to reason, and will attack any human on sight.|[[Loading screen]]}}
 
{{quotation|Feral ghouls have lost the ability to reason, and will attack any human on sight.|[[Loading screen]]}}
'''Feral ghouls''' (also known as '''mindless zombies,'''<ref>In-game name in ''Fallout''.[[PRO CRIT.MSG (Fallout)|[1]]]</ref> '''ghoul crazies,'''<ref>In-game name in ''Fallout 2''.[[PRO CRIT.MSG (Fallout 2)|[1]]]</ref> '''feral necrotic post-humans,'''<ref name="barrows">Doctor Barrows terminal entry in ''Fallout 3''.</ref> '''zombies''' or simply '''ferals''') are [[ghoul]]s that have lost their ability to reason and have become aggressive. This has caused much discrimination toward other ghouls which have retained their mental faculties by human wastelanders.
+
'''Feral ghouls''' (also known as '''mindless zombies,'''<ref>In-game name in ''Fallout''.[[PRO CRIT.MSG (Fallout)|[1]]]</ref> '''ghoul crazies,'''<ref>In-game name in ''Fallout 2''.[[PRO CRIT.MSG (Fallout 2)|[1]]]</ref> '''feral necrotic post-humans,'''<ref name="barrows">Doctor Barrows terminal entry in ''Fallout 3''.</ref> '''zombies''' or simply '''ferals''') are [[ghoul]]s that have lost their ability to reason and have become aggressive. Much prejudice from ordinary humans against ghouls who ''retain'' their mental faculties is due to the widespread assumption that this feral state is the inevitable condition of every ghoul.
   
 
==Background==
 
==Background==
 
===Biology===
 
===Biology===
 
<section begin=Biology />
 
<section begin=Biology />
The brain structure of a feral ghoul indicates that the regenerative ability of the neurological system that affords "normal" necrotic post-humans their longevity does not extend into the higher reasoning functions of the brain itself. This condition is referred to as ''"ferocious post-necrotic dystrophy,"'' according to the ghoul physician [[Barrows]]. Despite the apparent lack of the higher reasoning they once had as humans, some are capable of semi-intelligible speech, as the [[Vault 34]] security officers will occasionally growl out understandable phrases similar to the [[trog]]s of [[The Pitt (city)|The Pitt]], meaning that their vocal chords are still relatively intact, as is the part of the brain which controls speech.
+
The brain structure of a feral ghoul indicates that the regenerative ability of the neurological system that affords "normal" necrotic post-humans their longevity does not extend into the higher reasoning functions of the brain itself. This condition is referred to as ''"ferocious post-necrotic dystrophy,"'' according to the ghoul physician [[Barrows]]. Despite the apparent lack of the higher reasoning they once had as humans, some are capable of semi-intelligible speech, as the [[Vault 34]] security officers will occasionally growl out understandable phrases similar to the [[trog]]s of [[The Pitt (city)|The Pitt]], indicating that their vocal chords and their brain's speech centers are still relatively intact.
   
 
As the reasoning and critical thinking portions of a ghoul's brain deteriorate, the ghoul subject becomes increasingly hostile, giving in to a carnal need to feed. It remains unclear exactly what precipitates this change in neurobiology and psychology, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that non-social ghouls, or those in isolation, are more prone to the condition.
 
As the reasoning and critical thinking portions of a ghoul's brain deteriorate, the ghoul subject becomes increasingly hostile, giving in to a carnal need to feed. It remains unclear exactly what precipitates this change in neurobiology and psychology, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that non-social ghouls, or those in isolation, are more prone to the condition.
   
It is also quite possible that this is a gradual process, meaning that eventually all ghouls will succumb to this condition. However, considering the existence of ghouls that have been born prior to the [[Great War]] two centuries ago, it is quite possible that this theory is bunk, or that the rate of degeneration is dependent on the individual affected and surrounding environmental factors.
+
It is possible that this is a gradual process, meaning that eventually all ghouls will succumb to this condition. However, considering the existence of ghouls that have been born prior to the [[Great War]] two centuries ago, it is quite possible that this theory is bunk, or that the rate of degeneration is dependent on the individual affected and surrounding environmental factors.
   
As with normal ghouls, ferals are not only extremely resistant to radiation, they are actually healed by it, as can be seen when a glowing one uses its' radiation blast nearby other ghouls. [[M.A.R.Go.T.]] also states that feral ghouls have no internal body heat.<section end=Biology />
+
As with normal ghouls, ferals are not only extremely resistant to radiation, they are actually healed by it, as can be seen when a glowing one uses its radiation blast nearby other ghouls. [[M.A.R.Go.T.]] also states that feral ghouls have no internal body heat.<section end=Biology />
   
 
===Behavior===
 
===Behavior===
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[[File:Ghoul mask.png|thumb|120px|Ghoul mask]]
 
[[File:Ghoul mask.png|thumb|120px|Ghoul mask]]
 
{{main|Ghoul mask}}
 
{{main|Ghoul mask}}
One interesting note with ferals is that they seem to be fooled by very rudimentary means. The [[ghoul mask]], seemingly nothing more than the hollowed-out head of a ghoul or several pieces of a human head stitched together, still seems to deter ferals from attacking.
+
One interesting note on ferals is that they seem to be fooled by very rudimentary means. The [[ghoul mask]], seemingly nothing more than the hollowed-out head of a ghoul or several pieces of a human head stitched together, still seems to deter ferals from attacking.
   
 
When wearing the ghoul mask (or using a [[Stealth Boy (Fallout 3)|Stealth Boy]]) the player can observe relaxed feral ghouls' actions, including twitching, bending down, having fits or sniffing the air. If you are wearing the ghoul mask, ferals will often turn their head to the side and stretch their necks when you come near them, as if they are confused.
 
When wearing the ghoul mask (or using a [[Stealth Boy (Fallout 3)|Stealth Boy]]) the player can observe relaxed feral ghouls' actions, including twitching, bending down, having fits or sniffing the air. If you are wearing the ghoul mask, ferals will often turn their head to the side and stretch their necks when you come near them, as if they are confused.
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[[File:Ghoul Roamer.png|180x150px|right]]
 
[[File:Ghoul Roamer.png|180x150px|right]]
 
{{Gamearticle|FO3|FNV|link1=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul roamer|link2=Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul roamer}}
 
{{Gamearticle|FO3|FNV|link1=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul roamer|link2=Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul roamer}}
Some feral ghoul roamers in the Capital Wasteland wear what appears to be the remains of old combat armor, and are somewhat tougher than standard feral ghouls, requiring more damage to be dealt to put them down. It is possible that roamers are ghoulified U.S. soldiers since tattered remains of combat armor are strapped to their bodies. However, in the Mojave Wasteland, ghoul roamers appear no different than the standard feral ghoul. They are not very common but can be found in groups of 2-5 in places containing lots of ghouls (Museum Of History etc.)
+
Some feral ghoul roamers in the Capital Wasteland wear what appears to be the remains of old combat armor, and are somewhat tougher than standard feral ghouls, requiring more damage to be dealt to put them down. It is possible that roamers are ghoulified U.S. soldiers since tattered remains of combat armor are strapped to their bodies. However, in the Mojave Wasteland, ghoul roamers appear no different than the standard feral ghoul. They are not very common but can be found in groups of 2-5 in places containing lots of ghouls, like the Museum of History.
   
 
===Feral ghoul reaver===
 
===Feral ghoul reaver===
 
[[File:Feral ghoul reaver.png|180x150px|right]]
 
[[File:Feral ghoul reaver.png|180x150px|right]]
 
{{Gamearticle|FO3BS|FO3PL|FNV|link1=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul reaver|link2=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul reaver|link3=Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul reaver}}
 
{{Gamearticle|FO3BS|FO3PL|FNV|link1=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul reaver|link2=Feral ghoul (Fallout 3)#Feral ghoul reaver|link3=Feral ghoul (Fallout: New Vegas)#Feral ghoul reaver}}
Feral ghoul reavers appear in the ''Fallout 3'' [[Fallout 3 add-ons|add-ons]] ''[[Broken Steel]]'' and ''[[Point Lookout (add-on)|Point Lookout]]'' and also can be found in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' in the [[Mojave Wasteland]]. They are much more combat-worthy than other ghouls and wear what appears to be the remnant of [[metal armor]]. They also have the ability to rip radioactive gore out of themselves and hurl it like a grenade. Aside from the damage they can inflict, they also have great endurance and boast one of the highest [[Hit points|HPs]] in the game, being able to survive even attacks from the [[Fat Man (Fallout 3)|Fat Man]]. Their lunge attacks (much like a deathclaw's) can send the player a good distance back, and can even have a high level player crippled and dead in a short amount of time.
+
Feral ghoul reavers appear in the ''Fallout 3'' [[Fallout 3 add-ons|add-ons]] ''[[Broken Steel]]'' and ''[[Point Lookout (add-on)|Point Lookout]]'' and also can be found in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' in the [[Mojave Wasteland]]. They are much more combat-worthy than other ghouls and wear what appears to be the remnant of [[metal armor]]. They also have the ability to rip radioactive gore out of themselves and hurl it like a grenade. Aside from the damage they can inflict, they also have great endurance and boast one of the highest [[Hit points|HPs]] in the game, being able to survive even attacks from the [[Fat Man (Fallout 3)|Fat Man]]. Their lunge attacks (much like a deathclaw's) can send the player a good distance back, and can even cripple or kill a high level player very quickly.
  +
  +
Even at point blank range and with the [[Sniper]], [[Gunslinger]] and [[Commando]] perks, the [[V.A.T.S.]] chance for hitting a Reaver's head will never go above 74% in Fallout 3.
   
 
In ''Fallout: New Vegas'', reavers are simply a tougher and more aggressive variant of feral ghouls, having somewhat higher Hit Points than a glowing one. They have also lost their ability to throw radioactive gore, and their damage is not nearly as high as it was in Fallout 3, they can be dispatched as if they were any other feral ghoul.
 
In ''Fallout: New Vegas'', reavers are simply a tougher and more aggressive variant of feral ghouls, having somewhat higher Hit Points than a glowing one. They have also lost their ability to throw radioactive gore, and their damage is not nearly as high as it was in Fallout 3, they can be dispatched as if they were any other feral ghoul.
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Glowing ones or luminous necrotic post-humans<ref name="barrows" /> are ghouls who absorbed so much radiation that they glow in the dark, being living conduits of radiation. In daylight they simply appear to be incredibly pale feral ghouls, but in darkness they glow with a vivid yellow-green hue, their opaque skeletons clearly visible as in an X-ray. Approaching a fallen glowing one can cause minor exposure to radiation, so they can still be dangerous to normal humans even after their death.
 
Glowing ones or luminous necrotic post-humans<ref name="barrows" /> are ghouls who absorbed so much radiation that they glow in the dark, being living conduits of radiation. In daylight they simply appear to be incredibly pale feral ghouls, but in darkness they glow with a vivid yellow-green hue, their opaque skeletons clearly visible as in an X-ray. Approaching a fallen glowing one can cause minor exposure to radiation, so they can still be dangerous to normal humans even after their death.
   
They are often considered outsiders even by other (non-feral) ghouls, they are also one of the rarest of the feral ghouls. While there are many glowing ones that kept their normal human intellectual abilities in the [[New California|Core Region]], it seems that nearly all of them in the [[Capital Wasteland]] and the Mojave Wasteland have become feral.
+
They are often considered outsiders even by other (non-feral) ghouls, they are also one of the rarest of the feral ghouls. While there are many glowing ones that kept their normal human intellectual abilities in [[New California]], it seems that nearly all of them in the [[Capital Wasteland]] and the Mojave Wasteland have become feral.
   
 
The Capital Wasteland and some Mojave Wasteland glowing ones can also emit an incandescent wave of radiation at will from their bodies, which they use to heal themselves and any surrounding ghouls while damaging their enemies. Even though being considered outcasts, other feral ghouls seem to follow them, as they are attracted to the lethal doses of radiation the glowing ones emit from their bodies.
 
The Capital Wasteland and some Mojave Wasteland glowing ones can also emit an incandescent wave of radiation at will from their bodies, which they use to heal themselves and any surrounding ghouls while damaging their enemies. Even though being considered outcasts, other feral ghouls seem to follow them, as they are attracted to the lethal doses of radiation the glowing ones emit from their bodies.
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{{FOBOS}}
 
{{FOBOS}}
In [[Los]], the glowing ghouls are among the members of the [[Church of the Lost]], a ghoul cult dedicated to protection of the [[Secret Vault]]. Interestingly, they are less affected by radiation than their comrades from the Capital Wasteland and the West Coast's Core Region.
+
In [[Los]], the glowing ghouls are among the members of the [[Church of the Lost]], a ghoul cult dedicated to protection of the [[Secret Vault]]. Interestingly, they are less affected by radiation than their comrades from the Capital Wasteland and New California.
 
{{FOBOS|end}}{{clear}}
 
{{FOBOS|end}}{{clear}}
   
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Not all endless walkers end up [[radscorpion]] food, at least not at first. On those rare occasions when one survives more than one year in the wasteland, they turn into wandering, voracious creatures on an endless quest for flesh. Due to their prolonged, open exposure to the desert sun, high radiation, and other hardships of the wasteland, these unfortunate ghouls, who were banished naked from the Reservation, look like walking, sun bleached chunks of beef jerky. Their constant exposure to the hot sun and high levels of radiation has caused their skin to toughen into natural, hardened leather, but at the same time, their ability to reason has been completely lost.
 
Not all endless walkers end up [[radscorpion]] food, at least not at first. On those rare occasions when one survives more than one year in the wasteland, they turn into wandering, voracious creatures on an endless quest for flesh. Due to their prolonged, open exposure to the desert sun, high radiation, and other hardships of the wasteland, these unfortunate ghouls, who were banished naked from the Reservation, look like walking, sun bleached chunks of beef jerky. Their constant exposure to the hot sun and high levels of radiation has caused their skin to toughen into natural, hardened leather, but at the same time, their ability to reason has been completely lost.
 
{{VB|end}}{{clear}}
 
{{VB|end}}{{clear}}
 
==Appearances==
 
<section begin="Appearances" />
 
Feral ghouls appear in ''[[Fallout]]'' (in random encounters, as ''"mindless ghouls"''), ''[[Fallout 2]]'' (as ''"ghoul crazies"''), ''[[Fallout 3]]'' (where they are actually named ''"feral ghouls"'' for the first time), ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'' and were due to appear in ''[[Van Buren]]'', the canceled ''Fallout 3'' by [[Black Isle Studios]] (as ''"endless walker"'').<section end="Appearances" />
 
   
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
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[[Category:Ghouls]]
 
[[Category:Ghouls]]
   
  +
[[de:Wilde Ghule]]
 
[[ru:Дикий гуль]]
 
[[ru:Дикий гуль]]

Revision as of 14:59, 5 June 2015

Gameplay articles
FalloutMindless ghoul
Glowing one
Mad glowing one
Fallout 2Ghoul crazies
Glowing one
Reactor glowing one
Fallout 3Feral ghoul
Feral ghoul roamer
Feral ghoul reaver Broken Steel Point Lookout (add-on)
Glowing one
Swamp ghoul Point Lookout (add-on)
Fallout: New VegasFeral ghoul
Feral ghoul jumpsuit Cut content
Feral ghoul reaver
Feral ghoul roamer
Feral trooper ghoul
Glowing one
Glowing trooper ghoul
Glowing ghoul jumpsuit Cut content
Overseer
Vault dweller
Vault security guard
Vault security officer
Vault technician
Fallout 4Feral ghoul
Fallout: BoSGlowing one
Van BurenEndless walker
 ... 
Gametitle-FO1Gametitle-FO2Gametitle-FO3Gametitle-FO3 BSGametitle-FO3 PLGametitle-FNV
Gametitle-FO1Gametitle-FO2Gametitle-FO3Gametitle-FO3 BSGametitle-FO3 PLGametitle-FNVGametitle-FO4Gametitle-FOTGametitle-FOBOSGametitle-VB
Feral ghouls have lost the ability to reason, and will attack any human on sight.Loading screen

Feral ghouls (also known as mindless zombies,[1] ghoul crazies,[2] feral necrotic post-humans,[3] zombies or simply ferals) are ghouls that have lost their ability to reason and have become aggressive. Much prejudice from ordinary humans against ghouls who retain their mental faculties is due to the widespread assumption that this feral state is the inevitable condition of every ghoul.

Background

Biology

The brain structure of a feral ghoul indicates that the regenerative ability of the neurological system that affords "normal" necrotic post-humans their longevity does not extend into the higher reasoning functions of the brain itself. This condition is referred to as "ferocious post-necrotic dystrophy," according to the ghoul physician Barrows. Despite the apparent lack of the higher reasoning they once had as humans, some are capable of semi-intelligible speech, as the Vault 34 security officers will occasionally growl out understandable phrases similar to the trogs of The Pitt, indicating that their vocal chords and their brain's speech centers are still relatively intact.

As the reasoning and critical thinking portions of a ghoul's brain deteriorate, the ghoul subject becomes increasingly hostile, giving in to a carnal need to feed. It remains unclear exactly what precipitates this change in neurobiology and psychology, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that non-social ghouls, or those in isolation, are more prone to the condition.

It is possible that this is a gradual process, meaning that eventually all ghouls will succumb to this condition. However, considering the existence of ghouls that have been born prior to the Great War two centuries ago, it is quite possible that this theory is bunk, or that the rate of degeneration is dependent on the individual affected and surrounding environmental factors.

As with normal ghouls, ferals are not only extremely resistant to radiation, they are actually healed by it, as can be seen when a glowing one uses its radiation blast nearby other ghouls. M.A.R.Go.T. also states that feral ghouls have no internal body heat.

Behavior

Feral ghouls often cluster together in dark, cool environments, like sub-basement-levels or underground areas, only occasionally leaving their normal hunting grounds for time in the open air. However, the myth that ferals fear light is false. Occasionally, the player may encounter one or two ferals out in the open. Isabella Proud's research seems to confirm that feral ghouls do not fear or avoid light. One prime example is Warrington Trainyard. Another good example is the Mojave Wasteland, where almost all feral ghouls can be found outdoors during the day.

Frequently, ferals of all types will wander from place to place, stopping at fallen prey to feed, but will immediately attack any and all non-ghoul creatures they come across. They will often sniff, screech, or lash out at other ferals. Upon detecting a non-ghoul, most ferals will make a high-pitched gurgle or screech, and set out to search the area. Upon sighting prey, they will often scream once more, alerting any nearby ghouls, and attack. There is no rank or pecking order to these attacks; all attack at the same time in a rampant onslaught. Because of this in enclosed areas like Vault 34, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. Feral ghouls mainly attack with their hands, slashing and smashing in an insane fury. Some feral ghouls can be seen to use weapons, such as the trooper ghouls in Camp Searchlight, likely indicating that they have only gone feral recently.

Feral ghouls are not very smart but the fact that they seem to move in packs and stay near irradiated areas shows that they have some form of intelligence. However, this may simply be a form of survival instinct.

Ghoul mask

Ghoul mask

Ghoul mask

Main article: Ghoul mask

One interesting note on ferals is that they seem to be fooled by very rudimentary means. The ghoul mask, seemingly nothing more than the hollowed-out head of a ghoul or several pieces of a human head stitched together, still seems to deter ferals from attacking.

When wearing the ghoul mask (or using a Stealth Boy) the player can observe relaxed feral ghouls' actions, including twitching, bending down, having fits or sniffing the air. If you are wearing the ghoul mask, ferals will often turn their head to the side and stretch their necks when you come near them, as if they are confused.

Roy Phillips, who gives you the mask, states if you get close enough to the ghouls they will "sniff" you out and attack you, even if you have the mask on. Regardless of this advice, the ghouls will not attack unless the player removes the mask or provoke them by attacking them.

Variants

Feral ghoul

Feral ghoul

Feral ghouls (also known as mindless ghouls or ghoul crazies) are the basic feral ghoul variant, wearing only a pair of tattered shorts and noticeably weaker than standard human opponents, they are easily dispatched with one or two headshots from any decent weapon or a solid hit from a decent melee or unarmed weapon. Despite their shrill noise and remarkable speed, they are only truly a threat when they have the advantage of numbers, or when the player character is at a low level. Some feral ghouls come in different colors as well as different types. The colors are different depending on how the human looked before turning into a feral ghoul.

Feral ghoul roamer

Ghoul Roamer
Gameplay articles: Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas

Some feral ghoul roamers in the Capital Wasteland wear what appears to be the remains of old combat armor, and are somewhat tougher than standard feral ghouls, requiring more damage to be dealt to put them down. It is possible that roamers are ghoulified U.S. soldiers since tattered remains of combat armor are strapped to their bodies. However, in the Mojave Wasteland, ghoul roamers appear no different than the standard feral ghoul. They are not very common but can be found in groups of 2-5 in places containing lots of ghouls, like the Museum of History.

Feral ghoul reaver

Feral ghoul reaver

Feral ghoul reavers appear in the Fallout 3 add-ons Broken Steel and Point Lookout and also can be found in Fallout: New Vegas in the Mojave Wasteland. They are much more combat-worthy than other ghouls and wear what appears to be the remnant of metal armor. They also have the ability to rip radioactive gore out of themselves and hurl it like a grenade. Aside from the damage they can inflict, they also have great endurance and boast one of the highest HPs in the game, being able to survive even attacks from the Fat Man. Their lunge attacks (much like a deathclaw's) can send the player a good distance back, and can even cripple or kill a high level player very quickly.

Even at point blank range and with the Sniper, Gunslinger and Commando perks, the V.A.T.S. chance for hitting a Reaver's head will never go above 74% in Fallout 3.

In Fallout: New Vegas, reavers are simply a tougher and more aggressive variant of feral ghouls, having somewhat higher Hit Points than a glowing one. They have also lost their ability to throw radioactive gore, and their damage is not nearly as high as it was in Fallout 3, they can be dispatched as if they were any other feral ghoul.

Glowing one

Glowing one

Glowing ones or luminous necrotic post-humans[3] are ghouls who absorbed so much radiation that they glow in the dark, being living conduits of radiation. In daylight they simply appear to be incredibly pale feral ghouls, but in darkness they glow with a vivid yellow-green hue, their opaque skeletons clearly visible as in an X-ray. Approaching a fallen glowing one can cause minor exposure to radiation, so they can still be dangerous to normal humans even after their death.

They are often considered outsiders even by other (non-feral) ghouls, they are also one of the rarest of the feral ghouls. While there are many glowing ones that kept their normal human intellectual abilities in New California, it seems that nearly all of them in the Capital Wasteland and the Mojave Wasteland have become feral.

The Capital Wasteland and some Mojave Wasteland glowing ones can also emit an incandescent wave of radiation at will from their bodies, which they use to heal themselves and any surrounding ghouls while damaging their enemies. Even though being considered outcasts, other feral ghouls seem to follow them, as they are attracted to the lethal doses of radiation the glowing ones emit from their bodies.

All glowing ones in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are feral with the exception of Jason Bright.

In Los, the glowing ghouls are among the members of the Church of the Lost, a ghoul cult dedicated to protection of the Secret Vault. Interestingly, they are less affected by radiation than their comrades from the Capital Wasteland and New California.

Swamp ghoul

Swamp ghoul
Gameplay article: Point Lookout

Swamp ghouls are feral ghouls which exclusively inhabit the swamps of Point Lookout. Swamp ghouls wear a tattered pair of shorts commonly worn by tribals, hinting that they were once tribals who didn't eat their punga fruit. They are found in massive numbers in and around Turtledove Detention Camp. They exhibit characteristics similar to those of normal feral ghouls, but their skin's general appearance is more of a gray color and they are also considerably weaker. However, the swamp ghouls tend to be in greater numbers than their Capital Wasteland counterparts.

Endless walkers

VB DD14 creat Endless Walker
Gameplay article: Van Buren

The Endless Walk is the punishment in which a ghoul from the Reservation is stripped of every worldly possession, including clothing, and sent marching into the wasteland. No ghoul has ever come back from the Endless Walk (note that after being exiled from the Reservation, Otto Stead was saved by Governor Dodge at Hoover Dam). Another source of endless walkers in the Boulder area is the Crater, the remains of what was once NORAD.

Not all endless walkers end up radscorpion food, at least not at first. On those rare occasions when one survives more than one year in the wasteland, they turn into wandering, voracious creatures on an endless quest for flesh. Due to their prolonged, open exposure to the desert sun, high radiation, and other hardships of the wasteland, these unfortunate ghouls, who were banished naked from the Reservation, look like walking, sun bleached chunks of beef jerky. Their constant exposure to the hot sun and high levels of radiation has caused their skin to toughen into natural, hardened leather, but at the same time, their ability to reason has been completely lost.

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References

  1. In-game name in Fallout.[1]
  2. In-game name in Fallout 2.[1]
  3. 3.0 3.1 Doctor Barrows terminal entry in Fallout 3.