This has been a difficult one-pager to formulate as Fallout 76 lacks the very robust narratives that existed in the previous entries in the Fallout series. In the end, a key theme of all the Fallout games is building on top of the collapse—not just surviving but thriving. So, in this game, the PCs are going to do the same—reclaim the wasteland.
I am not blind to the use of this kind of narrative in the history of colonialism, but since this a game, we can set the parameters, and in our story, the wasteland is not a fiction but truly a place abandoned. But that pretty much necessarily means its dangerous, and that’s where the PCs come in.
Props to The Starlost for some key inspiration on this one.
Story
It’s the far future, and humanity survives on 76 space-going arks—massive vessels which support multiple environments. Each vessel encapsulates and protects various biomes that preserve the flora and fauna—and maybe the cultures—of a long lost and forgotten homeworld. If there had been a destination in mind, it has been forgotten. A key group within the ship—the contact team made up of the PCs—know the truth, know the purpose of the vessel is colonization, and have finally found a planet suitable for the purpose. Even better, there is no indication of any sentient life—no indigenous population.
Places
The Ruins: On touchdown, the PCs find a massive city, something that could have housed millions if not tens of millions, but which is now abandoned. The technology is beyond even that of the PCs’ spacefaring civilization, and perhaps this planet can offer even more than a home—but what happened to the inhabitants?
The Shelter: This is a structure that serves the same purpose as the arks—the protection of a biome’s flora and fauna. The species here are different than those now find beyond the confines of the Shelter, and it’s not clear if these are indigenous or intended to be introduced. These have evolved separately from those living outside.
People
None: There are structures and infrastructure. The Ruins are a massive city, and there are many more throughout the planet. It is difficult to discern from space until one understands the clues one seeks, and then the vast reach of what had been civilization is clear. This was the disappearance not of millions or hundreds of millions, but billions.
The Leaders: As in any organization, there are those who have used politics to gain influence if not control over others. They see the PCs project as a threat to their own power. They are working hard to separate the contact team from the arks, and if they do, the PCs will be abandoned on the planet as the arks continue to wander space.
Events
The Search: There are probably dangers on the planet—predators that have no fear of people and items that are unintentionally toxic—but the true challenge is the mystery of the fate of the people of this planet. The planet promises to be a home to those who have known only the arks, but the PCs can’t allow that until they can assure the safety of the population.
The Discovery: The PCs find the remains of a military site and the weapon that led to the depopulation of the planet. It is now hundreds if not thousands of years since the weapon burned the sky and poisoned the ground. Nothing in the records make sense—even if they are deciphered. The records expect that the enmity that led the world’s death is understood. The reasons for the hatred and the violence are assumed and never explained. And the weapon could be used again. Are there those among the vessels—perhaps the Leaders—who would be willing to use such a weapon again to protect their own interests?