Fort Independence

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Fort Independence
Overview
Factions	Brotherhood Outcasts
Map marker	Unmarked
Quests	The Outcast Collection Agent
Ref ID	0003D445 0003D444 (lower level)

 

Fort Independence is the headquarters of the Brotherhood Outcasts in the Capital Wasteland, located west of Fairfax Ruins and north of Andale.

Layout

The Outcasts have adapted the old fort to their needs and restored much of its internal facilities. All of the technology they gather is stored within the fort, as are their research findings.

By default, the Outcasts inside are hostile to any trespassers. The fort is guarded on the outside by Defender Morgan, Defender Rockfowl, and an automated defense turret. After the player character speaks with Defender Morgan about a job, Protector Casdin will open the perimeter fence's gate and encourage the Lone Wanderer to bring scavenged technology to them in exchange for supplies.

In the eastern section (the offices) on the main floor there is a computer named "Field reports" with 2 audio logs that can be downloaded (Fort Independence Field Report no.1 and 2). The first audio log speaks about "the increased raider activity in Fairfax Ruins" and the second about "3 entrances into underground utility tunnels and a small weapons cache situated in the southeast section of the tunnels". The voice in the first recording seems to be unique (another one is that of Defender Sibley).

Notable loot

Once inside Fort Independence there is nearly no notable loot until you reach the lower levels. Down the stairs in the room left of the exit door is the entrance to the basement. Inside the desk within the first room is the password to the locked (hard) wall terminal which opens the door; continue down until you reach a room full of research terminals. Activating them adds notes on various weapons, namely the missile launcher, minigun, Enclave power armor, plasma rifle, pulse grenade, and laser rifle. In this room there is a locked (hard) door, a key to this is available in the bunk-bed-filled room nearby within an locked (easy) footlocker. Through these door is the unique Miss Launcher and various other loot.

• The Miss Launcher in the basement, along with a minigun, laser rifle, plasma rifle, 6 boxes of ammunition which include quite a number of alien power cells, as well as 2 mini nukes.
• There is a Nuka-Cola Quantum and a Stealth Boy in the central room on the main floor, next to some bunk beds.
• A Nuka-Cola Quantum can also sometimes be found in the Nuka-Cola machine near the entrance to the lower levels.
• Alien power cells can be obtained from the locked storage room, next to the room with the research terminals.
• A rare Rake is found in the lower level of the fort. After descending the first staircase you encounter, there will be a room halfway down. It is located to the right of some piping, leaning against a bookshelf.
• Two unusually large Empty syringes and one Forceps are located in the medical room of the lower level.

Notes

• If any of the Brotherhood Outcasts with names are killed all other Brotherhood Outcasts will become hostile. If the Operation: Anchorage quest is not yet completed, the Outcasts there will still be friendly while others will not.
• Up the highway there is an Enclave outpost. It is possible that Enclave patrols may attack and kill the Outcasts.
• Like it mentioned above, the Outcasts might fight with Enclave patrols so check your fire, you don't want to fight a large group of Outcasts and Enclave soldiers at once.
• The Fort's unnamed Brotherhood Outcasts will yield fingers if killed by a player who has acquired the Lawbringer perk. Named ones such as Protector Casdin, in contrast, will have ears if they are slain by a player with the perk Contract Killer.
• Under the bridge at Fort Independence, there is a unique turret that seems to be able to communicate. The turret will only say "Casdin says you're clear", and will only say it after you earned Casdin's trust. This can be observed by jumping into the turret from the sandbags next to it. The voice is similar to that of a robobrain.
• Often if the Lone Wanderer is seen coming in or out of Fort Independence without Protector Casdin giving permission to enter, as a reward for collected tech, all outcast will become hostile.
• During The Outcast Collection Agent quest when you give Protector Casdin better armor than the one he is wearing, he will immediately equip it.
• Sometimes if the character attempts to pickpocket an Outcast soldier inside Fort Independence and gets caught, they will become hostile while all the other Outcast soldiers will remain friendly.
• You can enter the fort before gaining permission without any Outcasts becoming hostile by pickpocketing the key from Defender Morgan and disabling the turrent using robotics expert. Use the door near the computer and the Outcasts will not be hostile, even though no technology was given.
• Sometimes an Enclave Vertibird will perform a bombing run and most likely kill Protector Casdin and the other Outcasts guarding Fort Independence, allowing the player to loot the bodies without karma loss. Several large explosions can be heard while traveling near Fort Independence when this happens.
• The name of this location is thematic since Outcasts are liberated from the original Brotherhood.

Appearances

Fort Independence appears only in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

• The name Fort Independence was also the name of a real fort in California, used during conflicts such as the Owens valley Indian war.

Bugs

• PC In the lower level of Fort Independence, the turret in the main chamber will be stuck in the ceiling. It will not attack you and cannot be destroyed easily (The turret can only be destroyed by the Mysterious Stranger in V.A.T.S, a flamer or deactivating it by hacking the locked (average) terminal in front of it). This can result in a follower staying and continually attacking the turret with no effect. This can be fixed by leaving the fort.
• Xbox 360 After hacking the turret controls under the bridge to remove its targeting system and then disable it, sometimes the turret under the bridge will at first look stretched into the ground and allow you to walk through it, and then if reactivated will appear high above the bridge and be hard to see, even if aiming through a sniper scope.
• Xbox 360 Defenders Morgan and Rockfowl will respawn right next to their corpses after you've killed them. This glitch applies to several of the unnamed Outcasts.
• Playstation 3 When initially discovering the Fort, the Brotherhood Outcasts outside may shoot at the player if the player attempts to attack the approaching raiders with melee/unarmed weapons.
  • Playstation 3 Sometimes upon discovery of the Fort, the Brotherhood Outcasts may be hostile for no apparent reason.