Shadows of the Past

 A side mission in a Fallout game would typically involve exploration, combat, decision-making, and storytelling that ties into the larger post-apocalyptic world. Here’s an example of a detailed side mission:

Mission Title: "Shadows of the Past"

Objective: Investigate and resolve the mystery of a haunted factory, uncovering its dark history and dealing with the entities within.

Starting Point:

• Location: The player stumbles upon an old, decrepit factory on the outskirts of a ruined city.
• NPC Encounter: Outside the factory, a frightened scavenger named Marta is found hiding. She claims the factory is haunted by restless spirits and begs the player to investigate and put the spirits to rest.

Mission Steps:

1. Enter the Factory:

   • Objective: Find a way inside the factory.
   • Details: The main entrance is barricaded. Players need to find an alternative route, such as a broken window or a side door. The player might need to use lockpicking or hacking skills to gain entry.

2. Investigate the Factory:

   • Objective: Explore the factory to gather information about its history and the source of the haunting.
   • Details: As the player navigates through the factory, they encounter eerie sounds, flickering lights, and occasional glimpses of ghostly figures. Terminals and old holotapes provide clues about the factory’s past, revealing it was a secret research facility conducting unethical experiments on humans and animals.

3. Confront the Entities:

   • Objective: Deal with the hostile entities within the factory.
   • Details: The player encounters various hostile creatures, such as feral ghouls, radroaches, and aggressive robots that have been reprogrammed to attack intruders. These entities are manifestations of the factory’s dark history and the experiments that took place there.

4. Uncover the Secret Laboratory:

   • Objective: Find the hidden laboratory where the experiments were conducted.
   • Details: Following clues from the terminals and holotapes, the player discovers a concealed entrance leading to an underground laboratory. The lab is filled with the remnants of the experiments, including mutated creatures and old research notes.

5. Resolve the Haunting:

   • Objective: Put the spirits to rest.
   • Details: In the laboratory, the player finds a terminal with an option to either shut down the life support systems of the remaining mutated creatures, effectively ending their suffering, or find a way to cure them if the player has high enough science or medical skills. Either choice will appease the spirits, leading to a final confrontation with the vengeful spirit of the head scientist, who can be reasoned with or defeated in combat.

6. Exit the Factory:

   • Objective: Leave the factory and report back to Marta.
   • Details: With the spirits put to rest, the eerie atmosphere of the factory dissipates. The player must navigate their way back out, encountering any remaining hostile creatures.

7. Conclusion:

   • Objective: Report back to Marta.
   • Details: The player returns to Marta, who thanks them for their bravery and offers a reward. The factory is now a potential settlement location or a source of valuable loot and resources for the player.

Rewards:

• Experience Points: Gained for completing each objective.
• Items: Unique weapons or armor found within the factory, as well as a stash of valuable resources in the hidden laboratory.
• Settlement: The factory can be claimed as a new settlement location, with some effort required to clean and fortify it.

Optional Outcomes:

• Moral Choices: Players’ decisions on whether to euthanize or cure the mutated creatures affect their karma and potential future interactions with other NPCs.
• Hidden Lore: Additional hidden terminals and holotapes can reveal more about the factory’s backstory, adding depth to the mission and the game world.

This side mission offers a blend of combat, exploration, and storytelling, engaging players with a compelling narrative and rewarding them with unique loot and new opportunities within the game world.