Growing Up Fast

Guide yourself through your Vault 101 birthday party in Fallout 3. Get Amata's gift, deal with Butch, and learn to use your first BB Gun.

Alright, so you've just gotten your Pip-Boy 3000 and it's time to wrap up your childhood in Vault 101. Don't worry, this part is pretty straightforward and mostly about getting you familiar with the game's early interactions.

Amata's Gift

First up, after you're done messing with your new Pip-Boy, head over and chat with Amata. Honestly, whatever you say here doesn't really change anything significant, but she'll hand you a copy of Grognak the Barbarian. It's a nice little collectible to start with.

The Sweetroll Confrontation

Next, you'll want to ignore the Overseer for a moment and talk to Old Lady Palmer. She's sitting down and will give you a Sweetroll. Now, here's where things get a little spicy: your buddy Butch is going to threaten you for it. You've got a few dialogue options – you can be a bit of a coward, try to be reasonable, or just be outright mean. If you push Butch's buttons, he'll come after you. Your best bet is to just run around the tables until Officer Gomez steps in to stop him. You can chat with Gomez and the other kids, but it doesn't lead to anything important. Amata will pull you aside afterward to talk about Butch.

Ditching the Party

After that little drama, find Stanley, who's sitting near your dad. He'll give you some info about the Pip-Boy and you can snag a Kid's Baseball Cap from him. Eventually, your dad will get up to take a message from Jonas. He'll tell you to bail on your own party. As you're heading out, Beatrice will stop you to give you a birthday poem – pretty lame, right? This party is definitely over.

Dad's Gift

Leave the room where your dad was and follow the tunnel north, then west, and finally down some stairs to the north. Keep an eye out in the hallways; you might spot Officer Kendall. He doesn't have anything useful to say, but if you sneak up on him (press the left analog stick to sneak), you might be able to lift two Stimpaks. Since you can't keep them, it's not a huge deal if you miss them. At the bottom of the stairs, you'll find Jonas, the guy in the lab coat. He'll tell you to wait for your dad, who'll be there soon. When he shows up, he'll give you your best birthday present yet: a BB Gun!

Target Practice

Now, follow your dad and Jonas into a room to the south. Chat with them as you pass. Head to the far end of this room. Your objective is to shoot three targets on the south wall. You *can* shoot Jonas and your dad, but there's really no point in doing so. Hit the three targets past the locker, and a Radroach will pop out. If you want to get a feel for it, now's the perfect time to enter V.A.T.S. mode and take the little guy down. Once the Radroach is dead, your dad will decide it's picture time. Go stand near him, and Jonas will snap the photo. Poof! Your childhood is officially over, marked by another flash of light.