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We pray that the world will know peace. But, if that is not our destiny, if war must come, we stand together knowing that here in Vault 76, our future begins.Fallout 76 intro

Vault 76 is a Vault-Tec Vault located in the Forest region of Appalachia. It is located north of Flatwoods, West Virginia, and was designated as the "Official Vault of the Tricentennial" by Vault-Tec, under the tagline "Vault-Tec Salutes America."[1][2]

Background[]

Construction[]

Since debuting Vault 76 last year, in honor of America's tercentenary, Vault-Tec continues to expand with plans for well over 100 Vaults around the country.Newscaster

Vault 76 was one of 17 control Vaults, part of the overarching Vault experiment. Construction began in February 2065 and ended in October 2069.[3] The maximum capacity was stated to be 500 occupants, and construction blueprints record a capacity of 88.[4][5] The Vault was slated to open to the outside world 20 years after nuclear war so that the individuals within could emerge to recolonize Appalachia.[6] This day would be known as Reclamation Day.

Vault 76 was designed with LightLife geothermal for its primary power supply, and General Atomics nuclear generator as a secondary power supply,[3] but in the end was provided with a pair of super reactors.[7] Its computer control system was Brainpower 4.[3]

Vault statistics
Number 76
Construction begins February 2065
Construction ends October 2069
Occupants planned/actual 500/88
Months sealed planned/actual 240/300
Computer system Brainpower 4
Primary power supply LightLife geothermal (planned)[3]
Super reactor (implemented)[7]
Secondary power supply General Atomics nuclear

The overseer was instructed to ignore standard operating procedures, as Vault 76 was deemed a special project essential to rebuilding the United States in the wake of nuclear war.[8] The occupants were some of America's finest, including students from Vault-Tec University, military members and former White House Chief of Staff. Occupants were provided fully furnished apartments including a bedroom, living room, bathroom and color television.[9]

Debut[]

Fo76 intro slide 6

The opening ceremony of Vault 76 on July 4, 2076

Vault 76 debuted on July 4, 2076,[10] seven years after its construction ended, in honor of the United States' Tercentenary/Tricentennial of its founding in 1776.[11] An opening ceremony, which was broadcasted on television, was held at the entrance and its overseer attended. However, in order to become the overseer, she had to break off her engagement with her fiancé, Evan, or be transferred to another Vault to have him join her in it.

Great War[]

After the news of the Great War broke out, Vault 76 was successfully sealed on October 23, 2077, when the air raid sirens sounded for the last time as Chinese nukes headed for American soil. The Vault-Tec security team ensured compliance and defended the individuals as they entered the Vault, authorized to use lethal force to ensure only those authorized would enter. Everyone else was considered an enemy combatant.[12] They succeeded in their mission and the Vault door was sealed for the next quarter of a century until the all-clear was given once the radiation levels had subsided to a safe threshold.

Fo76 intro slide 12

The Vault 76 overseer leading a Vault-Tec course about Pip-Boys to Vault 76 residents

This was only the beginning of the project. The occupants were a diverse group selected from every walk of life, and apart from the Vault staff, all were highly accomplished before the war and possessed competitive personalities. As such, Vault-Tec expected the Vault dwellers to present unique challenges in maintaining order. As a last resort, the overseer was granted the ability to lock down each domicile and imprison dissenters for any duration deemed appropriate, with the note to account for the fact that enforced solitary confinement can lead to psychological issues. Furthermore, the security team was provided with less-than-lethal devices to ensure compliance. Firearms and other munitions were stowed after the amended entry period.[13]

Ongoing operations[]

Vault76PlayerRoom

A room belonging to one of the dwellers

For the next 25 years, Vault 76 continued to operate as planned. The overseer found order easy to maintain, though the impressive pedigree of those the Vault sheltered and their competence led to the aforementioned unique challenges, most often challenging her authority. To provide them with an outlet for their competitiveness, the overseer instituted a number of awards for the Vault dwellers to obtain, as award ceremonies were a great way to placate even the most hardened egos (altercations aside; one lost a tooth fighting over the Best Dental Hygiene award). The high point of the program was the Vault 76 World Cup, even if it nearly broke the jukebox. The overseer credited the success to the "exemplary" service of her "loyal and dependable" senior staff.[14]

Meanwhile, outside of Vault 76, the survivors of the Great War were aware of the Vault's existence and wondered why it was still closed years later. In particular, the Responders wanted to know if they could open the Vault somehow.[15] The Vault's sealing led to the perception from outsiders that the residents of Vault 76 are cushy and privileged, while the rest of the world adjusted to wasteland life.[16]

However, Vault 76 also had another objective: the Vault's overseer was ordered to find and secure three nuclear silos all on her own after its opening. If these sites were still nuclear-capable, she was to ensure no one except Vault-Tec could access or launch nuclear ordnance. Any other authorities, government, militia or otherwise, were to be ignored, to ensure that Vault-Tec alone controlled these silos and could deny their use to any third parties, even if it meant going against any surviving United States Armed Forces personnel that would assert control of the silos themselves as part of the U.S. Department of Defense.[17][18] However, Vault-Tec may have known that the task was impossible for her to accomplish on her own, especially since they purposefully picked someone young and inexperienced for an overseer.[19]

As the Vault neared the end of its duration and approached Reclamation Day, the situation started to slowly deteriorate. In 2100, the Vault was over capacity, with hydroponics struggling to keep up with the demand and mandatory rationing instituted by the overseer. Six individuals had to be placed under disciplinary lockdown (up from four at the end of the previous year), with the morale officer tasked with pacifying rumors about Appalachia around the clock. Nobody wanted to emerge into Appalachia to fight cannibal mutants and brave burning rain.

Regardless, tensions were running high,[14] especially with some people being quite difficult to handle. Jake, an arrogant pre-War lawyer, was detested by the security team so much that only one officer could be trusted to be sent down and not strangle him.[20][21] Furthermore, the "Ressies," as the security team called them, started hacking into terminals to learn more about the Reclamation and the Activation Notices. Although the security team made a token effort to curtail unauthorized access, they all knew trying to keep geniuses out of the files was a lost cause.[22]

Preparations[]

As a result of these mounting concerns, 2102 and Reclamation Day was met with relief from all parties; some were so relieved they even broke into the stores to enjoy it early.[23] The overseer mandated a Reclamation Day party the day before the Activation Notice, opening up restricted alcohol stashes and the remaining food supplies. The happiness and cheering in the atrium as the overseer counted down to midnight were second only to the time when the first Vault child was born. The party continued well into the night when the overseer called lights out and had security help stragglers into their beds. Then, she and her team went through the final checklists. Standees and supplies were placed along the exit route to the Vault door to provide a last refresher course for the Ressies,[24] while the security team went through their duties with record speed: Wiping logs, securing non-essential gear and acquiring Reclamation Packages for themselves.[25]

Those who were sheltered by Vault 76 ultimately had no other choice as the Vault itself was designed to cease functioning and be rendered inhospitable 24 hours after opening, a feature intended to force those within to commit to reclaiming the outside world and prevent them from becoming dependent on the Vault's amenities. Studies showed that dependency was common, so the killswitch was established and set to kick in after the All-Clear message was received after the aforementioned delay. Air circulation would shut down last, giving everyone enough time to leave the Vault, but rendering it hazardous for habitation. Only robotic stewards would remain to preserve the remains, while the former inhabitants focused on rebuilding America.[26]

Reclamation Day[]

Fo76 intro slide 19

The Vault Dwellers leaving Vault 76

Vault 76 successfully opened on October 23, 2102, exactly 25 years after the Great War and five years after the intended date, in a much-celebrated event known as Reclamation Day.[18] The Vault opened and the inhabitants emerged into an unknown world, transformed by nuclear war and a quarter-century of the ensuing chaos and decay that followed. Nobody knew what to expect, as the bombs knocked out all of Vault 76's external sensors except for the Geiger counters. Additionally, the overseer had left before everyone else, leaving behind an announcement vaguely claiming she had her own mission to perform in Appalachia; in reality, she was instructed by Vault-Tec to secure three missile silos in the region.

Vault76PopUp5

One of the pop-ups introducing survival concepts to the emerging Vault Dwellers.

Still, some on the security team were more concerned with internal threats than external ones, as rumors were flying high of who would team up with who after leaving the Vault. The competitive inhabitants were already making alliances and pacts before exiting, and anything could happen without some sort of guiding force.[27] The team feared that the Ressies could go off the rails, breaking the respectable record of 25 years without casualties. Although some argued for arming everyone before they leave the Vault, using the surplus stocks, the overseer denied the request.[28] They received the standard survival packages and were told to run fast and far away from Vault 76 and complete their mission.[29]

Layout[]

Vault 76 is the game's starting and tutorial area, providing a direct route to the exit with few branches. The player character awakes in their apartment and has the opportunity to explore their surroundings and collect the Nuka Tapper game holotape from their personal terminal. They are only allowed to exit the apartment once they collect the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI from its storage rack next to the door.

Upon exiting, they enter an atrium area with detritus from the previous evening's party. The atrium is large, complete with tables, a diner and a soccer field in the middle. There is a note that cannot be taken sitting on one of the tables in the diner on the upper level, called the love note. Side routes are inaccessible but the player character can access the personnel files in the projector room, the survival displays and the overseer's office.

Several Mister Handies are positioned throughout the vault on the route to the exit and man stations at which the player character can acquire their C.A.M.P. and a few other basic necessities as they prepare to leave. After leaving, no one can return to the interior, but new characters created will always start in the Vault.


Equipment stations
Number Image Name Attendant Items
1 Vault76PopUp1 Stay Hydrated Worthy Rad-X
Purified water
2 Vault76PopUp2 Health & Medication Cavendish Stimpak
RadAway
3 Vault76PopUp3 Power is Key Higgenbottom Cloth x5,
Steel x5
Wood x5
Adhesive x3
4 F76 Vault 76 Station 4 Join a Team Merriman Party hat
5 Vault76PopUp5 Camping Made Easy Crowley C.A.M.P.
6 Vault76PopUp6 Get a Job Poole Black-rim glasses
Perk cards
Pen

Outside, the Vault entrance terminates in a large terrace still decorated to mark the tricentennial celebrations. As of patch 1.0.85.0, there is also a donation box where veteran players can leave items for new arrivals to collect. The same patch also replaced Liberators found in the parking lot with regular feral ghouls.

Wastelanders added two additional characters outside, two wastelander women who came to investigate Vault 76. They add as the first opportunities to start the heist story arc from the update, as well as The Wayward side quests.

Inhabitants[]

Interior[]

Exterior[]

Mentioned[]

Notable loot[]

Notes[]

  • Vault 76 can not be re-entered after leaving. Players must create a new character to explore it again.
  • Vault 76 is actually not a single player instance in a public server, as players can encounter each other which is why they spawn in different but identical-looking rooms in the beginning. It is rare for players to encounter other players in Vault 76, however.
  • Vault 76 is mentioned in Fallout 3 in a Citadel terminal entry, listed under D.C. area vaults.[3]
  • Aboard Mothership Zeta, in the Fallout 3 add-on of the same name, a recording of an individual abducted by the Zetan aliens can be found, an assistant CEO of Vault-Tec Corporation named Giles Wolstencroft. He records that he was captured while inspecting the construction site of Vault 76.[30]
  • A newscaster in Fallout 4 reporting before the Great War in the Commonwealth mentions the debut of Vault 76 the previous year, in honor of America's Tercentenary.[11]
  • Reuben Gill and ZAX 1.3c within Vault 51 discuss the opening of the vault on Reclamation Day, where ZAX refuses Gill's command of opening their vault so that he could travel to Vault 76.[31]
  • Vault 76 cannot be nuked in the quest I Am Become Death.
  • Cut content Welcoming Committee is a quest cut from the location.
  • The door and surrounding decoration of Vault 76's entrance are designed to resemble the Vault-Tec logo.

Appearances[]

Vault 76 appears only in Fallout 76 and is mentioned in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes[]

FO76 5th Ani 1

Vault 76 decorated for the 5th Anniversary

  • When reaching the first checkpoint, the "celebration" music from Fallout Shelter plays.
  • In the Japanese version of Fallout 76, Reclamation Day is known as "Saisei no hi" (再生の日). "Saisei" (再生) has the theme of "life" and "biology" in its name, thus the term could be translated as Rebirth Day, Revival Day, Regeneration Day or Regrowth Day. "Seisei" also has the meaning of coming back from either death or severe injury, which would be the Great War in this case.
  • Vault 76 was seen decorated for the Fallout 76 5th Anniversary event where the overseer delivered a 3 minute speech to begin the parade.
  • A trailer for Fallout 76 claims Vault 76 was the first to be opened after the Earth was destroyed by the Great War. However, this seems to contradict or retcon previous lore. For more information, see here.

Gallery[]

Exterior
Player character apt
Equipment stations
Vault interior
Checkpoints
Vault door
Concept art and signage

References[]

  1. Vault 76 promotional materials
  2. Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.286: "01. VAULT 76 (VAULT)
    Welcome to Vault 76! We hope you had a wonderful Reclamation Day shindig, but it's now time to leave. Follow the onscreen instructions, visiting each of the locations on the map, before heading out into the Appalachian wilderness. Remember you can return to the (relative) protection of the Vault entrance when using Fast-Travel without having to spend any Caps. Usually, though, you should gather all items you can before leaving."
    (Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Atlas of Appalachia)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 76, Equipment Issuances
  4. Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 76
  5. Construction plans
  6. Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 76, Personnel assignments
  7. 7.0 7.1 Super reactors visible in the Vault's reactor room
  8. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Vault 76 parameters
  9. Interior of the Vault apartment during Reclamation Day
  10. Fallout 76 intro: "War. War never changes. In 1776 this great nation accepted that armed conflict was the only way to preserve our rights to life, to liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If our founding fathers could only see us now... From Antietam to Amiens, Okinawa to Anchorage, we have fought. And now, the Red Menace is at our doorstep. Democracy itself is under threat of annihilation. That is why today, July 4th 2076, 300 hundred years after our great nation began, we gather together to honor the completion of Vault 76. This sprawling underground shelter may have been engineered by Vault-Tec, but it was built you, the good people of America. So that if the bombs do come, if the end does come, our way of life will endure. But not everyone will be saved. Those chosen to enter this Vault must be our best and our brightest. For when the fighting has stopped, and the fallout has settled, you must rebuild. Not just walls, not just buildings, but hearts and minds. And ultimately America itself. So as we stand here today, we pray that the world will know peace. But, if that is not our destiny, if war must come, we stand together knowing that here in Vault 76, our future begins."
  11. 11.0 11.1 Newscaster: "Since debuting Vault 76 last year, in honor of America's Tercentenary, Vault-Tec continues to expand with plans for well over 100 Vaults around the country."
    (Newscaster's dialogue)
  12. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, VAULT 76 SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS
  13. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Day to Day Duties
  14. 14.0 14.1 Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Annual Review: 2100
  15. Responders map
  16. Sargento: "Word is they were holed up, living in a cushy vault for twenty-five years while the rest of us adjusted to Wasteland life. Now being forced to fight for survival like an animal. How's that for a cold dose of reality!"
    (Sargento's dialogue) Note: This line is spoken over the loudspeaker at the Watoga Civic Center during The Ol' Weston Shuffle, when the player character is introduced as a fighter.
  17. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Vault-Tec Report
  18. 18.0 18.1 Reclamation Day
  19. Overseer's log - Nuke launch: "I had a directive from Vault-Tec: secure the region's three nuclear missile silos. I... WE... had to make sure they didn't fall into the wrong hands. I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I asked you -- my Vault 76 family -- for help."
  20. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Assault Investigated
  21. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Theft Investigated
  22. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Unauthorized Access Investigation
  23. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Drunk and Disorderly
  24. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Reclamation Day Has Arrived
  25. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Rundown Complete
  26. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Mandatory Shut Down
  27. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Keeping a lid on it
  28. Vault 76 terminal entries; security terminal, Final entry
  29. Vault 76 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Survival First
  30. Alien captive recorded log 13
  31. Reuben Gill - 21021023
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