Tycho is a Desert Ranger and a recruitable NPC in the original Fallout.
Background
A survivalist by trade, Tycho is a veteran of the wastes. He carries a gas mask (just in case), wears hardened leather armor, a knife, knuckles, a canteen, all the usual survival gear. Most just see him just as a random man in dusty leather armour, with a gas mask hanging around his neck, goggles to keep out sand and glare and a sand-colored trenchcoat usable for camouflage and to keep the sun off. The double barreled shotgun slung on his arm further confirms the feel that he's just another mercenary.
However, in reality, Tycho comes from the Desert Rangers, a small, but formidable faction from the Mojave Wasteland and beyond, experts in survival and self-styled peacekeepers of the wastes. His background gives him immense knowledge abour life in the desert. He took off to wandering the desert with traders and explorers for several years, returning from time to time with goods or maps. Tycho started with small trips and went further abroad as he became more experienced. He went as far as the Gulf of Mexico in Texas and then headed back west.
Eventually he wound up on the west coast as a long-range explorer for the Rangers, stopping in Junktown for some rest and relaxation, just as the Vault Dweller comes to the settlement to kickstart a small revolution.
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
Interactions | ||
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This character is a permanent companion. | ||
This character is a temporary companion. | ||
This character has a talking head. | ||
This character starts quests. | ||
This character is involved in quests. | ||
This character is a doctor. | ||
This character is a merchant. | Sells: - | |
This character can modify weapons. |
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This character is allied with the following faction(s). |
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Other Interactions
To obtain Tycho, the player must head to Junktown and be at the Skum Pitt located in the far North Eastern part of the city at 5 o' clock. He will join you indefinitely if you have taken on Killian's quest to deal with Gizmo. If Killian is killed, Tycho becomes non-recruitable.
Due to sprite limitations, he can only use rifles, shotguns, small handguns and a spear. He has 60 hit points. It is unwise to give him any weapon with a burst function; he wastes ammo and can accidentally shoot you if you are near his target when he uses the burst function.
If caught stealing Neal's Urn from the Skum Pitt (before recruiting), Tycho will become hostile to the player.
Tycho can teach you some survival skills.
Tell me about
Tycho's Tell-Me-Abouts | |
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Query | Response |
Junktown | Well, Junktown's not really home, but it's an interesting city. It has
potential, although I don't know that building out of the refuse of the past is the best way to construct the future. |
Rangers | We Rangers hail from back east, what used to be called Nevada. Our
heritage stretches back to the days of the Texas Rangers. We learn survival and combat skills in order to go out into the world and have a chance of surviving and making things better. |
Chip | I haven't seen a relic of old technology like a water chip for a long
time. Personally, you're better off depending on yourself, not on some piece of tech that you can't fix. |
War | The War was a testament to human greed and insanity. Let's hope that we
have learned enough to never repeat such folly. |
Wastes | The wastes are hostile and dangerous, even to the wary traveler.
Radiation and strange creatures will take their toll. Tread with caution, and remember that everything you see and hear is a clue. |
Necropolis | The City of Death is well named. It lies in what used to be the little
town of Bakersfield. Now, though, it's home to ghouls and worse. |
Vault | I've heard of the great underground Vaults. I don't know much about them,
though. |
Killian Darkwater | Killian's a good man doing a difficult job. |
Gizmo | Gizmo is . . . well, he strikes me as a crook. He'll get his in the end. |
Boneyard | The Boneyard? I'm told it's a place of gangs and hard life, near the
coast. |
Hub | The Hub's a giant merchantile community, just a short ways south of
Junktown. |
Casino | Gizmo's casino is probably one of the last places I'd want to go,
unless I were going to step on Gizmo's neck. Not that I could get a foot past all the blubber. |
Store | Killian has a decent general store in Junktown. |
Deathclaw | Heard some tales about something faster, bigger, and meaner than
any living creature has a right to be. Not too many, though, which means that it doesn't leave many survivors. Big claws, ferocious disposition. |
Military Base |
The military had several secret bases scattered about, I know. I just
don't know where. |
Apocalypse | Nuclear armageddon was the result of pride and foolishness. Now, we're
paying the price. |
Strange | Certainly there are some strange things out there. I've seen mutated
scorpions and cows, and I've heard that Necropolis is home to ghouls, who seem human but are far different. |
Booze | I prefer a good strong stout, or perhaps a Nuka-Cola. |
Chems | I'd stay away from chems if I were you. Sure, they can give you a boost,
but you always wind up paying for it in the end. |
Psychics | You mean telepathetics? Heh . . . seriously, I don't buy it. |
Merchants | Some merchants from the Hub visit Junktown and other cities on
a regular basis. |
Brotherhood, Cathedral, Children, Exodus, Followers, Garl, Master, Unity, Set, Watershed, Necropolis, Hall, Library, Overseer, Medic, Healing, Initiates, Paladins, Scribes, Vats | "I'm sorry, I can't help you there." |
Comments
Tycho's comments | |
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Location | Comment |
Deathclaw's lair | Note the lack of any animal life for quite a distance. And the piles of
bones. Whatever lives here is a real beast. Keep your weapon handy. |
Necropolis | There are many strange tales about Necropolis, the city of the dead. Stay
alert, because it could get dangerous really fast. |
The Glow | Watch out for radioactive hot spots. This place obviously sustained a
direct nuclear strike, and secondary cascade radiation may be bad. I'd recommend avoiding this place completely if we can. |
Mariposa military base | A military place like this must have a central command room somewhere. I bet we could get through those force-field generators with a little hot-wiring, or if we could find the force field control computer. |
Inventory
Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
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Leather armor | Shotgun | 3 Stimpaks 20x 12 gauge shells Bottlecaps |
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Notes
- He is equipped with the best armor and has the most health of all the NPCs who can join you.
Behind the scenes
- Tycho's grandfather was a Desert Ranger (the Desert Rangers are a reference to Wasteland, a 1980s game which is considered to be Fallout's predecessor). Tycho also mentions the "fat freak" from Las Vegas, which is a reference to Fat Freddy from Wasteland.
- Tycho is not mentioned anywhere in Vault Dweller's memoirs, but Tandi in the Cafe of Broken Dreams mentions him and the Vault Dweller, indicating that they did get together after all.
- It is entirely possible that Tycho's description in Fallout is an inspiration for the NCR Ranger combat armor in Fallout: New Vegas as Tycho himself is described as "a man in dusty leather armor with a trench coat and gas mask".
Appearances
Tycho appears only in Fallout.
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