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“Of course. Mutants are best equipped to deal with the world today. Who else? The Ghouls? Please. Normals? They brought nuclear death to us all. This will be the age of mutants! Mutants.”

The Master, or Master of the Super Mutants,[1] is the founder and leader of the Unity, an organization with the goal of unifying all humanity by transforming them into mutants. He is fused with the Cathedral's computer network.

Background[edit]

The Master, formerly known as Richard Grey or Richard Moreau before leading the Unity, was described as a brilliant doctor and philosopher by his friend Harold[2], having originally been a resident of Vault City until his exile due to murder shortly after the Vault first opened its doors.[3][4] After his exile, he functioned as a Doctor in The Hub until he led an expedition to the Mariposa Military Base with Harold, where caravans reported creatures emerging and attacking from.[5]

Richard Grey's audio diary is found in the Mariposa Military Base, which describes a first hand account of mutation after he was knocked into vats of FEV by a crane.[6] He describes the green slime that he was immersed in and that it is the source of all the mutations his group traced to here.[7] He wrote that at first, his skin peeled and festered, and the experience was painful.[8] He recounted how he regained his ability walk and felt stronger, and described the experience of a tendril growing from his stomach which he used to consume other creatures.[9]

Grey commented that he had previously thought his mind was slipping into hallucinations, but now was improving.[10] In an attempt to see if animals could also gain awareness from the virus, Grey dipped a rat and a dog into the vats, and they became fused together.[11] At this point, Grey stated he was "much more than a human now" and began commenting on his plans to "bring others into the glory that is the Unity."[11][12]

Once Grey developed a neurolink into the military base's computer, he learned that the virus was called FEV and began to intentionally modify himself by way of injecting the virus into his body.[13] He dipped humans that he caught into the vats, but described them as disappointments, the virus mutating them into "big and dumb mutants."[14] When Grey caught and mutated a human that had less radiation damage, he noted that the conversion was more successful.[14] He then sought to expand to a new "unification center" in order to continue his vision.[15]

Grey subsequently began calling himself the Master and sought out radiation-free humans to transform into Super Mutants using what he referred to as FEV-2.[16][17] One of the Master's direct reports, the Lieutenant, explained that the virus itself was mutated by radiation after the war, and that humans living in the wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, inoculating them from the full effects.[18] Individuals such as those living in vaults have limited exposure to this mutated virus and are still susceptible to its effects.[18] In addition to dipping subjects in the vats, some were experimented upon with FEV, the virus injected into various parts of the brain.[19]

The Master enlisted the aid of the Children of the Cathedral, who gladly followed him as "messengers of evolution."[20] The Master developed psychic powers and anyone who was granted an audience with him must wear a psychic nullifier to pass through the Corridor of Revulsion.[21] If the Master is destroyed, Leanne mentions that the surviving mutants fled in different directions.[22]

Interactions Overview[edit]

Interactions
Icon talkinghead.png
This character has a talking head.
FO76 ui icon quest.png
This character is involved in quests.
  • Destroy the Mutant Leader: The Master is the mutant leader and needs to be destroyed. The Vault Dweller has four options to choose from:
  1. Combat includes facing the Master directly. He has 500 HP, a Gatling laser, high AC, and can attack twice per round. Furthermore, he will spawn a super mutant in the corridor every two turns (four at the lowest combat difficulty), up to a maximum of twelve.
  2. Diplomacy requires the player character to have read Vree's Autopsy Report, at least 7 Intelligence, and a high Speech skill. This allows to ask the Master about his plan, pointing out a problem with it, and either giving him the disk or telling him to ask his female mutants.
  3. Stealth involves no confrontation and infiltrating the lowest level via the barracks in the command center. The doors are locked and require a high Lockpick skill. One can activate the bomb after killing the guards by using Science (70% required), Lockpick (70% required; the test was intended to be for Repair, but the game checks for Lockpick) or the bomb key looted from Mariposa.
  4. It is possible for the Vault Dweller to simply join the Master's cause by talking to him and agreeing to his demands or persuasion.

Death animation[edit]

Killing the Master will trigger a unique death animation:

The Master's death animation
Master death animation.gif

Tell Me About[edit]

Query Response
Master I am not here to answer your questions. You are here to answer mine.
Anything else I am the Master. I don't have to answer to you.

Inventory[edit]

WeaponOn death
Gatling Laserempty

Notes[edit]

Quotes[edit]

  • "So what shall it be? Do you join the Unity, or do you die here? Join! Die! Join! Die!"
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Fo1 Master JoinDie.ogg
  • "I am the Master. I do not have to answer to you!"
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Fo1 Master IAmTheMaster.ogg
  • "I... don't think that I can continue. Continue? To have done the things I have done in the name of progress and healing. It was madness. I can see that now. Madness. Madness? There is no hope. Leave now, leave while you still have hope..."
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Mast19.ogg
  • "We won't change. Not unless we are of one people. One. One. One. One race. One. One. One. The Unity will allow us to move beyond these petty concerns and deal with the major problems at hand. You do want to be a part of that, don't you? Part. Don't."
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Fo1 Master WeWontChange.ogg
  • "All that resist, yes. All those that are required for the Unity as well. The remainder will be allowed to live out their days, but under Unity control and protection. But none shall breed, for they will be the last of their race."
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Fo1 Master AllThatResist.ogg
  • "I must digest this information. One moment... I understand now. You made a clever forgery. You made this up to fool me. Fool! Me!"
    Icon sound.png
    Icon sound.png
    Play sound
    Fo1 Master MustDigestInformation…

Appearances[edit]

The Master appears in Fallout and Fallout: The Roleplaying Game (in the Wanderer's Guide Book). He is mentioned in Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the Scenes[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • "So, what shall it be? Do you join the Unity or do you die here? Join! Die! Join! Die!"
  • "Excellent. Your talents will be useful. But first, you must tell me everything about your Vault."
  • "You think you can destroy me!? Destroy! Me?"

  • The Master in the control center

  • Master's pedestal after defeat through direct combat

  • Expanded area of the Master's den

  • Aimed shot at the Master

  • Background used for the talking head

  • The confrontation between the Master and the Vault Dweller in Fallout 2 manual

  • "The Master Lives" into the desk

  • In the foreground with a Super Mutant in the background

  • Extended Art

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Master character description: "{100}{}{You see the Master of the Super Mutants.}"
    (Master's dialogue)
  2. ↑ Vault Dweller: "Richard"
    "Grey"
    Harold: "Brilliant guy. A doctor and philosopher. Long ago he lead the expedition where I got changed into a mutant."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  3. ↑ Lynette: "Murderers, both of them. Boyarsky was exiled ten years ago, and Richard Moreau was exiled shortly after we left the Vault. Citizenship is a sacred trust -- crime is not tolerated within our walls."
    (Vclynett.msg)
  4. ↑ Fallout: The Roleplaying Game - Wanderer's Guide Book pg. 198:
    "Before the Master there was Richard Grey, and before him Richard Moreau, an ex-Vault dweller with a shady past. As a resident scientist and doctor at the Hub, Grey was drawn into an ill-fated expedition to Mariposa Military Base, where he was immersed in a vat of Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV). Left for dead and in indescribable agony, Grey slowly mutated beyond all recognition. His new shambling form absorbed the forms and intellects of any creature, or computer, that got too close. Through trial and experimentation, he found that creatures exposed to the FEV exhibited increased, and delectable, intelligence"
  5. ↑ Vault Dweller: "Where were the mutants coming from?"
    Harold: "Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest."
    Vault Dweller: "Did you explore that area?"
    Harold: "We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there."
    Vault Dweller: "Richard Grey?"
    Harold: "Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source."
    Vault Dweller: "And what was that?"
    Harold: "Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you know this base was the cause?"
    Harold: "Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory."
    Vault Dweller: "Did you examine the base closely?"
    Harold: "We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others."
    Vault Dweller: "And then?"
    Harold: "One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey."
    Vault Dweller: "What ever happened to Mark?"
    Harold: "To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked."
    Vault Dweller: "What about you and Grey?"
    Harold: "We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened."
    Vault Dweller: "What?"
    Harold: "A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you survive?"
    Harold: "Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you mutate?"
    Harold: "All's I know, is it was something inside that base."
    Vault Dweller: "Do you think it could have been radiation?"
    Harold: "How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  6. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0005 - 0020
  7. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0028 - 0043
  8. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0000 - 0004
  9. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0058 - 0096
  10. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0097 - 0111
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Richard Grey's audio diary; 0112 - 0134
  12. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0135 - 0139
  13. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0154 - 0172
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Richard Grey's audio diary; 0199 - 0236
  15. ↑ Richard Grey's audio diary; 0237 - 0281
  16. ↑ Vault Dweller: "FEV"
    Lieutenant: "The Vats are where the FEV is stored, and where you normals become one of us. Of course, some die horrible, excruciatingly painful deaths, but well, those are the breaks."
    (Lieutenant's dialogue)
  17. ↑ Vault Dweller: "I happen to know that your mutants are sterile."
    Master: "Preposterous! The FEV-2 virus doesn't destroy the reproductive organs of those it mutates."
    (Master's dialogue)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Vault Dweller:"Why am I a prime human?"
    Lieutenant: "The FEV was mutated by the war radiation. Those living in this desolate wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, essentially inoculating them from the full effects."
    Vault Dweller: "So?"
    Lieutenant: "So, you're from a Vault and have limited exposure to this mutated virus. The original FEV in the Vats should work quite well on you."
    (Lieutenant's dialogue)
  19. ↑ Mad Scientist: "It's not going well. I've been injecting the FEV directly into the pineal gland, but I'm not getting the results I'd hoped for."
    Vault Dweller: "Why don't you try injecting it directly into the Amygdala?"
    Vault Dweller: "Why don't you try injecting it into the Medula?"
    (Mad scientist's dialogue)
  20. ↑ Vault Dweller: "What are the Children's plans?"
    Morpheus: "Our plans? We are the messengers of evolution, my child. We follow the Master in his endless quest to heal the land and the people."
    (Morpheus' dialogue)
  21. ↑ Viscious: "Then use the door, and beware the Corridor. I assume that you have your protection in place?"
    Vault Dweller: "No, not really. Should I?"
    Viscious: "Of course! You cannot hope to pass the Corridor without it. What did you do with your nullifier!"
    (Viscious' dialogue)
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chosen One: "So, tell me what you know about the Master."
    Leanne: "Well this might take a bit. Be a gentleman and buy me a drink, wouldn't you please? Not whiskey though, Nuka-Cola please."
    Chosen One: "Sure."
    Leanne: "Thanks. Now let's see... I remember my mom telling me about this huge migration that happened 70... or was it 80 years ago..."
    Chosen One: "Please, go on."
    Leanne: "Really big mutants with weapons as tall as you and me came from the south. Mom said it looked like a big migration of some sort."
    Chosen One: "How many?"
    Leanne: "Don't know, but there were multiple groups of them. Some would continue north, others headed east. No one knew where they were going."
    Chosen One: "Go on."
    Leanne: "They were quite upset and seemed to be fleeing from something."
    Chosen One: "Really?"
    Leanne: "Yeah, there were also others in dirty, tattered purple robes... they kept babbling about how the Master was dead..."
    Chosen One: "Interesting."
    Leanne: "Some of them even committed suicide right here in town!"
    Chosen One: "So?"
    Leanne: "Well don't you see. They were talking about the Master, the one your ancestor killed."
    Chosen One: "Thanks for the story."
    (Leanne's dialogue)
  23. ↑ Chosen One: "How about the long version?"
    Dr. Fung: "The long version is this: We are here because our people are the descendants of the crew of a nuclear submarine, called the Shih-huang-ti. When the missiles fell in the Great Deluge, the systems aboard the submarine failed and we drifted in the dark for many days."
    Chosen One: "-more-"
    Fung: "At last, we drifted ashore. We found ourselves near the ruins of San Francisco. Most of the city was devastated in the war. We had to recreate society based on the few survivors who had crept back to the city."
    Chosen One: "-more-"
    Fung: "We rebuilt with what we could find, and we have scientists and technology the world must envy. We are rebuilding civilization, but not as that horrid Master creature did."
    (Fung's dialogue)
  24. ↑ Chosen One: "Oh, it can’t be as bad as all that. They seemed like reasonable people to me."
    Harold: "Reasonable? Reasonable! Well, I’m sure people said the Master was reasonable, too. What a bonehead. Get the hell out. Now!"
    (Harold's dialogue)
  25. ↑ Chosen One: "Hell, I’m not too busy. Let’s hear it all."
    Marcus: "Right...After the Master and the vats were destroyed, I wandered a bit. No place to go. One day got attacked by this fool wearin’ power armor."
    (Marcus' dialogue)
  26. ↑ Joe Grimm: "Maybe the Master was wrong. Maybe you normal humans -AIN'T- all scum-sucking fleshbags and maybe it's me but the old Brotherhood would of shot first and asked questions later. We just might have to check out this new Brotherhood for ourselves. Seeya around! Let's go gimpy. Heh heh."
    (Joe Grimm's dialogue)
  27. ↑ Toccamatta: "Gammorin? *pant pant* Gammorin, is that you? I failed you my lord. AARRRGGGHHH! *cough* We all failed you... Whole platoon wiped out by that one monster... They crushed us... those things... they don't feel pain... *cough* ...I used to... think the same thing once. They took my prisoner, General Barnaky... I didn't have time... get any information from him. He's a tough nut to crack all right... *chuckle, cough, sharp inhale* don't like mutants much, either... You should've seen it, Gammorin... It looks like an angry god... breaths fire and death... *cough* ...my death. I'm going to die. I *sputter* don't hurt any more. Why is it so bright? I hope it's not that damn robot again... Master..."
    (Toccamatta's dialogue)
  28. ↑ Journal of Sir Latham
  29. ↑ Initiate: "Mutant army? You mean there are lots more of you freaks?"
    Attis: "Yes, we are many. A mutant army. The destruction of our Master has only strengthened our resolve. We will control this vault - and its scientific secrets - then use it as a base of operations for our war on humanity."
    (Attis' dialogue)
  30. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "A genetic mutation of that magnitude could only be caused by F.E.V."
    Harold: "Whoa-ho! Check out the brain on this guy! It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  31. ↑ Courier: "And who are you, exactly?"
    Davison: "Me? I am devoted to Antler. But before Antler? Hmm... Captain, once. Last name, Davison. First name... don't remember. I commanded a troop of Nightkin. The Master's elite. A great honor, very proud. Something happened. We wandered the desert. Life without Master was... hard. The others' minds going strange, going crazy. But then I found us new master. I find us Antler! Since then, everything's been going really well."
    (Davison's dialogue)
  32. ↑ Courier: "Why does that make him go away?"
    God: "Dog is afraid of me as long as the Master isn't around."
    Courier: "Why did you put emphasis on the word 'Master' before?"
    God: "[SUCCEEDED] The "Master" - Elijah... reminds Dog of someone from long ago. His leader, commander. Commanders. The Master was a strong personality... personalities as well. Dog is slavish, was conditioned to serve the Master until death. The Old Man... Elijah merely came along and opened that door in Dog's mind. Now Dog does whatever the Old Man wants."
    (God's dialogue)
  33. ↑ Courier: "Do you know anything about that Super mutant walking around town?"
    Klamath Bob: "Oh, heh. Yeah, that's Mean Sonofabitch. I know the name sounds bad, but he likes it. He's one nasty old coot. Far as I can tell, he's one of them original Super Mutants, what came from the Boneyard. Wandered about after that "Master" fellow died. Eventually got caught somewhere around the Hub, back in NCR. Boy, they sure treated him mean down there. Cut him up so bad he can't talk no more. I tried to buy him, just so they'd stop hurting him, but they didn't want any of it."
    (Klamath Bob's dialogue)
  34. ↑ Courier: "You were a soldier?"
    Lily Bowen: "A spy. Sometimes an assassin. I killed a lot of folks for the Master. Yes, Leo, you helped, too."
    Courier: "Who was the Master?"
    Lily Bowen: "Oh, he was a nasty man, dearie. You don't want to know about him. He was the one who made that Super mutant army I told you about."
    Courier: "What happened then?"
    Lily Bowen: "That wicked old Master got what was coming to him, that's what! After his cathedral blew up, I decided it was high time to go home."
    (Lily Bowen's dialogue)
  35. ↑ Courier: "Super Mutant army?"
    Marcus: "Long story, so here's the short version. The Master created the Super Mutants and Nightkin. The Master thought he could unify everyone. No more differences, no more war. Didn't end well."
    (Marcus' dialogue)
  36. ↑ Tabitha: "Do you remember the good old days where the Master ruled over us all?"
    Rhonda: "When his gentle, compelling, and yet oddly insistent voice crawled through your mind and told you exactly what to do?"
    Tabitha: "Do you miss a time when you didn't have to think for yourself, and enjoyed lazy days of following the bellowed commands of others?"
    Rhonda: "Those days can be yours again, for Best Friend Tabitha, the esteemed leader of the State of Utobitha, is here to tell you what to do!"
    Tabitha: "That's right! I, Tabitha, will take on the burden of your obedience!"
    Rhonda: "Acceptance into Utobitha pending Best Friend Tabitha's approval. Best Friend Tabitha reserves the right to turn down applicants for any reason, including whimsy or boredom. Acceptance into Utobitha open to mutants only. Former human servants of the Master conditionally accepted for purposes of centaur feeding duties."
    Tabitha: "Utobitha! Come, take a load off your mind!"
    (Tabitha's dialogue)
  37. ↑ Home on the Wastes
Publications
  1. ↑ Fallout Official Survival Guide p.106: "The Master: Boss Behind The Supreme It All"
    "The Master is not a nice person.
    Once a normal human, long ago, he was mutated by exposure to the FEV virus. Along the way since then, he has somehow hybridized with other human mutants and with computers, turning him into a rather strange and schizoid monster who speaks in multiple voices. As "the Holy Flame" and "Father Hope," he rules the Children of the Cathedral, who figure in his plot to infect all humans with FEV and take over the entire world."
Design Documents
  1. ↑ Fallout film treatment #43
Developer Statements
  1. ↑ Fallout Bible 0
  2. ↑ Chris Avellone: "The Vault "Grey" (originally Moreau) started out in before his mutation into the Master was Vault 8 and the Vault you find him in Fallout 1 was a test/demonstration Vault constructed by Vault-Tec and has no number (according to Chris Taylor - thanks to Nick Garrott for letting me know about Vault 13's stash on this stuff)."
    (Fallout Bible 0)
  3. ↑ Fallout Developer Statements - Characters;Brian Freyermuth: Master Writing Credit, 2024 February 9
External
  1. ↑ Screenshot of web page
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Fallout Characters Icon vaulttec.png
BoneyardJon Zimmerman •  Nicole •  Razor
The CathedralLaura •  Master •  Morpheus
The HubButch Harris •  Daren Hightower •  Decker •  Harold •  Jain •  Loxley
JunktownGizmo •  Killian Darkwater
Lost HillsCabbot •  John Maxson •  Rhombus •  Vree
Mariposa Military BaseLieutenant
NecropolisHarry •  Set
Raiders (Khan Base)Garl
Shady SandsAradesh •  Tandi
Vault 13Vault 13 Overseer •  Vault Dweller
Gametitle-FO1.png
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png The Cathedral Icon vaulttec.png
PeopleCathedral GroundsMorpheus •  Lasher •  Dr. Wu •  Laura •  Ton •  Sister Francis •  Dane •  Calder •  Slummer •  Viola •  Zark •  Olivier •  Pinochet •  Shopkeeper •  Follower invader
Master's LairMaster •  Vincent •  Viscious •  Jeremia •  Gideon •  Wiggum •  Moore •  Lucy •  Kyle
Generic NPCsMad scientist •  Nightkin sentry •  Praying Child of the Cathedral •  Praying super mutant •  Super mutant guard •  Super mutant sergeant •  Super mutant soldier •  Technician •  Child with a real attitude
QuestsDestroy the Mutant leader
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