West Coast Factions

Boomers

Due to the tribe's paranoia, hostility, and excessive reverence for explosives, the New Vegas locals started calling them "Boomers". The Boomers didn't mind the name as long as it meant people kept their distance. No matter who approaches them (Mr. House, the Three Families , NCR, or Caesar's Legion), the Boomers have the same response: artillery. While the Boomers' attitude has kept away trouble, all of the major players around New Vegas want to get on the tribe's good side. The Boomers have a clean water supply from Lake Mead, power from solar panels inside the base, and thriving farms that they've learned to develop "the hard way" over the decades they've been in the base. Once, the NCR attempted to shut off the Boomers' water supply. The Boomers' response was to shell sections of the NCR's water pipeline in eastern New Vegas. The NCR promptly restored the flow. 

Brotherhood of Steel

The Brotherhood of Steel is a quasi-religious technological organization operating across the ruins of post-war North America, with its roots stemming from the United States Armed Forces and the government-sponsored scientific community from before the Great War

Caesar's Legion

Caesar's Legion is an autocratic, traditionalist, imperialistic slaver society, and a totalitarian dictatorship. Founded in 2247 by Edward Sallow (also known as Caesar) and Joshua Graham, it is based on the ancient Roman Empire. Its legionaries are a well organized, culturally insular fighting force that mainly operate east of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon, in the former state of Arizona. Ever pushing west, their capital is the city of Flagstaff.

Caesar's Legion is comprised mostly of reconditioned tribes and their descendants. The Legion's symbol is a golden bull on a red field, which is derived from Julius Caesar's standard for the Tenth Twin Legion.

Crimson Caravan

Crimson Caravan is the largest caravan outfit in New California, and quite probably the entire Wasteland. The Crimson Caravan Company is the largest supplier to the NCR of military-grade weaponry, and an assortment of provisions and other equipment types

Enclave (Remnants)

The Enclave is a secretive political, scientific, and militaristic organization that is descended directly from members of the pre-War United States government, and claims to be the legally-sanctioned continuation of the government, while also styling themselves and their overall demeanor as such.

The Enclave is comprised of (mostly) ancestral descendants of top ranking officials of the government (most notably, the last standing president of the United States before the Great War, according to the Fallout Bibles), and elite members of various branches of the United States' military, as well as a few others such as those who had considerable ties and/or sway with powerful corporations that worked closely with the U.S government that retreated to the Poseidon Energy Oil Rig.

The Fiends

The Fiends have little organization except for their occupation of Vault 3 and a few central leaders: Violet, Cook-Cook, Driver Nephi, and Motor-Runner. With Motor-Runner being the one running Vault 3, he is presumed to be the main leader of the Fiends, while Violet, Cook-Cook and Driver Nephi control smaller crews of their own. Like many other raider groups, the Fiends split into small war-parties, usually between 3-4 members, which allows them to operate in an enormous portion of the outer New Vegas area aside from their main area of west and south-western New Vegas.

Followers of the Apocalypse

The Followers of the Apocalypse, or simply the Followers, are a faction based in New California and have established their presence in the Mojave Wasteland. Their goal is to tend to the inhabitants of the wasteland, as well as to ensure that the horrors of the Great War are never to be repeated. To that end, they serve as keepers of knowledge, a position which provides them with the skills they need to carry out their mission.

Forgoing preaching in favour of humanitarianism, the Followers are generally welcomed by the inhabitants of the wasteland. Wherever they go, the Followers seek to provide services to those in need, namely medical care and agricultural instruction. Those in positions of power often regard them as seditious anarchists; though such accusations are not entirely without truth, the organization as a whole has no interest in seizing power.

The Followers of the Apocalypse readily assist those who require aid and welcome anyone who wishes to join their ranks, including former members of the Enclave, Brotherhood of Steel, or just about any other faction. Although pacifists by nature, the Followers will not hesitate to defend themselves against attackers and will take up arms against those who threaten their ideals. Often times they will be seen with hired guards adding much needed protection and firepower to their organization

Great Khans

The Great Khans reside in Mongolian-style tents called Gers within Red Rock Canyon. However, unlike the other settlers of the Mojave, these homes are used for little more than sleeping in as they usually only have room for a couple of beds and a central fire. A Great Khan often carries all of their possessions with them, if they should decide to have anything besides the bare essentials. Because of this, as well as their aggression, the other factions view them as savages. However, unlike the Jackals, Fiends, Scorpions and Vipers the Great Khans are not hostile towards new-comers. As a similarity, if the Great Khans begin to dislike someone they will often show great hostility towards them.

The Great Khans subsist on hunting and farming, as well as sales of chemicals and drugs produced in the Red Rock Drug Lab. The Canyon is a harsh environment for plants, leading the Great Khans to depend on drugs as a substitute for crops, which they can create quite easily and can sell to a multitude of factions. Coincidentally, one of their most frequent consumers is also their largest enemy: the New California Republic. The NCR officially has a ban on illegal drugs, however the Crimson Caravan and wealthy merchants that make up the NCR frequently turn a blind eye in order to make a profit. While these merchants make up a large portion of their custom, their biggest consumer is, by far, the Fiends - violent raiders constantly searching for new and exciting drugs. Though the drug trade is not the Great Khans' only form of self-sufficiency. They constantly hunt geckos and bighorners for their meat and pelts, which are tanned into the leather outfits they are often seen wearing. The Great Khans also wear crude armor plating on their legs.

The Great Khans' preferred form of warfare is through war parties, where multiple central figures lead their own individual units into individual battles and adapt on the fly, rather than being ordered by a main unit.

Gun Runners

The Gun Runners is a weapons merchant and manufacturer faction operating out of the Fortress in the Boneyard. By 2281, it has branches in many areas, including one near The Strip in the Mojave Wasteland. The Gun Runners supplies only the finest hardware to the most discerning of customers, including the NCR

Happy Trails Caravan Company

Happy Trails is based in Sac-Town, north of Shady Sands, and does most of its business with New Reno and on the road to Salt Lake City. They are competitors with the Crimson Caravan for trade. After several seasons of bad trading, and since the loss of contact with New Canaan in 2281, the company is in dire financial straits and is preparing to launch an expedition to New Canaan via Zion Canyon in order to reconnect with the Mormons there

The Kings

The Kings claim Freeside as their own, defending it with their switchblades and pistols. Not shy to make a few caps, the Kings, as well as some less reliable others, offer safe escort through Freeside and will even help you fill your water canteen, for a price. Besides these few "services," the Kings generally follow a strict code of suave chivalry. They try to keep peace and order in the streets and do what they can to help the Freeside community. Kings members will assist in fights against any thugs or attackers that attack civilians (or the Courier), and will sometimes offer rewards to the player if his actions have helped Freeside.

By all accounts they are respected throughout Freeside, as interactions with the Followers of the Apocalypse make clear.

New California Republic

New California[1] (officially the New California Republic, often abbreviated to NCR) is a large, democratic federation of well over 700,000[2] based in California, with holdings in Nevada, Oregon, Mexico (Baja California) and along the Colorado River. The NCR emphasizes and claims to support a myriad of old world values, such as democracy, personal liberty, and the rule of law. It also strives to restore general order to the wasteland, the improvement and development of infrastructure and economic systems, and a basic common peace between the people. Though appearing to be a benevolent entity of governance, the ability to control the land it claims to protect, the fidelity of those who live under their rule, and the widespread corruption within their political system has been questioned by many, without a clear response by the NCR themselves.

Omertas

The Omertas and the Gomorrah casino are run by Nero and his right hand man, Big Sal. Cachino is a small time "underboss" within the family and is put in charge of menial tasks, as well as anything that the head of the family needs taken care of that they don't have time to see to themselves.

As the Omerta name suggests, they do not readily give out information, or go into detail about the family's dealings with anyone not of the family. Breaking this code of silence is dealt with, swiftly and severely.

The Omertas are obsessed with power and the ability to control people to meet their needs. They are also very adept at finding ways to squeeze a quick cap or two out of any situation. This is evident in the fact that they get their new "employees" hooked on free chems, and then start charging for each additional fix while simultaneously taking a cut of the caps the "employee" has earned. Keeping the prostitutes hooked on chems keeps them dependent on the Omertas, and keeps them under their employ while ensuring they remain docile and manageable.

Powder Gangers

There are several groups of loosely organized Powder Gangers, many remain in the prison and have been raiding surrounding areas under the leadership of Eddie. There are factions of Powder Gangers spread far along the south-west part of the Mojave Wasteland, as far down as Nipton.

The smaller groups of Powder Gangers are all lead by a strong or cunning underboss, like Joe Cobb. A large contingent of Powder Gangers can be found in Vault 19 under the leadership of Samuel Cooke, although there they are identified as escaped convicts

Van Graffs

The Van Graff family has a history of ruthless behavior when it comes to rivals muscling in on their territory, and it seems old habits die hard; two of the Van Graffs have set up shop in a bedraggled old casino called the Silver Rush, where they specialize in Energy Weapons, and the maximizing of profits. Run by Gloria Van Graff and her elder half-brother Jean-Baptiste Cutting, their stronghold is heavily-defended with their thugs armed with the latest in weapons technology. Gloria is in charge of general operations at the Silver Rush. She is the person responsible for the New Vegas Van Graffs' general strategy, including possible under-the-counter deals to wipe out the competition. The muscle of the Van Graff operation, Jean-Baptiste personally handles all of Gloria's dirty work. He is a nasty, mean-spirited son-of-a-bitch. Despite the family's tendency to deal in energy weapons, Jean-Baptiste is a connoisseur of big guns and explosives. He threatens people for looking at him the wrong way and is far from all talk; he will go from zero-to-murder in the blink of an eye. His father is the only husband Tiaret really liked so she let Jean keep the name after he died.

During the quest Talent Pool, Bruce Isaac tells the player that the Van Graffs are now one of the two main crime families of New Reno, alongside the Wright family.

East Coast Factions

Anti-mutant Conspiracy

The anti-mutant conspiracy is an organization whose goal is to get rid of super mutants. The group is led by Jacob the Chemist, it being paradoxical, seeing as how he has the same name as Marcus's best friend, Jacob, of the Brotherhood of Steel. Members include Jacob's wife Aileen, Manson, and Franc. Liz also has a hand in trying to get rid of the mutants.

Arcadia

Acadia has been founded by DiMA in the ruins of an observatory with the intention of creating a safe place for synths to live freely and not have to hide their nature. From there, DiMA was able to develop fog condensers to protect the residents of Far Harbor from the Fog. However, this consequently angered the Children of Atom, as the Fog is sacred to them, leading to tensions between the factions. It is implied during the quest The Price of Memory that Acadia has the technology needed to perform a mind wipe. A large amount of salvaged computer equipment is present on the top floor, which stores and reads some of DiMA's memories.

Atom Cats

The Atom Cats is a minor faction dedicated to the usage of power armor. They seem to be a reference to mid-1950s Greasers, with leather outfits and a hotrod-themed paint job for their power armor. They are often pressured by Gunners and raiders who are trying to steal their suits.

Bishops

The Bishops, headed by the ruthless John Bishop, are a power-hungry family that inhabits the Shark Club casino. The second most powerful family in New Reno, they seek to end New Reno's mob-based anarchy and bring it into an alliance with NCR and Vault City, working within the NCR's congressional system to legalize prostitution and gambling within the republic.

Blades

The Blades are a group of survivalists led by a woman named Razor, living in a pre-War nightclub in the Boneyard north of Adytum. While a peaceful group, they are persecuted by the Regulators, who both coerce them into doing their bidding and frame them for crimes against the people of Adytum. This makes it appear that the Adytowners are seriously threatened by the Blades; a convenient pretext for the Regulators' own repressive policies.

The Blades are fairly disorganized, and simply trust in their leader, Razor, to do what is best for their group. They live in the large building which dominates the downtown area of Boneyard.

Brotherhood Outcasts

The Brotherhood Outcasts are a splinter faction of the Brotherhood of Steel that broke ties with Elder Lyons' group at the Citadel. The Outcasts attribute their departure to their belief that Elder Lyons had lost sight of the Brotherhood's true mission and the original reason for their presence in the Capital Wasteland: the recovery and preservation of advanced pre-War technology. Dissatisfied with Lyons' focus on aiding the local populace of the Capital Wasteland, a contingent of Brotherhood members led by Henry Casdin absconded from the Citadel in the dead of night, taking weapons and advanced technologies with them. Led by Casdin, the dissidents traveled north and eventually took up residence at Fort Independence, where they pushed back the indigenous raider groups and secured the pre-War installation as their headquarters. However, they are still undertaking efforts to occupy the Fairfax region from the raider groups, with one reconnaissance team retreating from the town mid-operation. Labeled "Outcasts" by their former brothers and sisters, the renegades adopted the moniker as a badge of honor, painting their armor red and black to distinguish themselves from the organization that they no longer serve.

Although denounced as traitors by the East Coast Brotherhood, the Outcasts view themselves as the opposite; in the Outcasts' eyes, they remain true to the Brotherhood of Steel and it was Elder Lyons who betrayed what the Brotherhood stands for. The Outcasts believe that their actions will be vindicated when they reunite with the main Brotherhood forces on the West Coast. Until that day, the Outcasts continue to uphold the Brotherhood's mission and scour the Wasteland, reclaiming pre-War sites in search of valuable technology, such as the Virtual Strategic Solutions facility in the Bailey's Crossroads district, which the Outcasts are currently struggling to defend the region from the super mutants.[1]

Sometime between 2283 and 2284, Arthur Maxson reunified the Brotherhood and the Outcasts by convincing the latter to conclude a truce at the age of 16, becoming the new and youngest leader of the East Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel

Chinese Remnants

The members of this faction are the last known, scattered remnants of Chinese military operations in the United States after the Great War. These spies, intelligence agents, and special-ops soldiers were stuck on foreign soil and continue to exist after many years as ghouls. Their numbers are considerably few, and encountering them is unlikely unless one should stumble across their covert operation from years ago at Mama Dolce's.

Forged

The Forged are similar to raiders, set apart only by their small numbers and fanatical obsession with the destructive power of fire. They can mainly be found in and around Saugus Ironworks, their home and base of operations, and they'll attack any and all trespassers on sight.

According to various terminals found within Saugus Ironworks, their leader Slag came from outside the Commonwealth looking for recruits to form a new gang. Initially the process seemed to have been slow, with many recruits failing the gruesome initiation rituals. Their number of recruits increased though, after the Forged killed many of the notorious Gunners from the neighboring Hub City Auto Wreckers during battle.

The Forged are cruel and sadistic, showing no mercy to outsiders or even their fellow Forged. New recruits must pass several trials to prove their worth before becoming one of the Forged. No details about what these trials consist of can be found, only that they are extremely brutal, with failure ending in death. Once initiates pass these trials, they must change their name to a "tougher" nickname, typically one that invokes fire and machinery. One terminal lists a number of members who failed the Forged in the past with names such as "Flare," "Spark" and "Steele" (one former member, Yancey, was killed for refusing to change their name). The Forged have little tolerance for failure or disobedience, with punishments ranging from banishment, to having one's family slaughtered in front of them or being fed molten iron. The most common punishment is being fed to "The Forge," an enormous crucible filled with molten metal which the Forged seem to revere as a sort of idol or deity.

Friendly Lending Company

The Friendly Lending Company, known mostly as FLC, is ostensibly a business operation lending out funds owned by Decker[1] to those in need.

In reality, the FLC is a loanshark operation, baring accusations by the Hub police of extortion, with several thousands of hubcaps on hand; stored in the safe of the organization's main office in the Hub's downtown area. The FLC is managed by Lorenzo "the Munificent" Giovanni, under the control of Decker whose philosophy of being a respectable business man is summarized by his words, "You don't show us respect, you get hurt. How much more respectability can a man ask for?"

FLC gives out loans on a graduated scale of 200 hubcap units, at an interest rate of 10% of the original loan, with a maximum of 1,000 hubcaps; potential customers must build a credit base at each 200 hubcap level to be able to receive a loan on the next additional 200 hubcaps. FLC allows up to 10 days before the loans are due.

Gunners

The Gunners are a paramilitary mercenary organization and are the largest single unaligned faction in the Commonwealth, acting independently of any government or settlement. They are well-disciplined, highly-equipped soldiers for hire with their own customs and signage, who control numerous strongholds both in and around the Boston area. The Gunners are lead by Captain Wes, with their headquarters being Gunners Plaza. The origins of the Gunners and their recruitment techniques are largely unknown although it is known they employ from raiders, who upon joining, may have difficulty adjusting to the strict environment and regimentation of being a Gunner, the best known being Tessa. Based on patterns of speech and terminal entries, the Gunners place great emphasis on loyalty and do not tolerate insubordination. Many Gunners also get their blood types tattooed onto their foreheads by their medics, as this is both a practical measure and a rite of passage. Desertion from the Gunners is not unknown, an example being Private Tyler.

Similar to raiders and the Capital Wasteland's Talon Company, most Gunners will attack strangers on sight. They differ from raiders in their lack of drug dependency, use of superior equipment (they often come equipped with military-grade armor and rifles), extensive use of laser or plasma weaponry and employing other heavy duty military gear, including assaultrons, sentry bots or Mister Gutsies, and their commanders are even known to make use of power armor. The Gunners possess functional Vertibirds, which permits them to employ vertical envelopment and air assault tactics, transporting two to four man strike teams with one or two attack dogs.

The Institute

The Institute is an advanced scientific organization in the Commonwealth. It is known and feared for its ability to produce advanced synthetic humans (also known as synths) of high enough quality to pass as true humans.

Jackals

The Jackals are a typical group of raiders, but more savage and with a cannibalistic nature - opposed to most raiders such as the Fiends who are drug addicts. They file their teeth to sharp points, becoming savage and cannibalistic after a winter storm trapped them, forcing them to eat each other for survival. Some even resort to feigning death or running away from fights, only to return later and claim the corpses from each side. Generally they despise all mutants, and refuse to eat them because of an apparent bad taste.

Jackals are informally organized into small family groups which consists of about three normal members and a leader, although these families can team up with each other to attack larger targets. Jackal gangs often hide behind billboards and other obstructions, ambushing any passing travellers they see, using their large numbers to overwhelm them. As Jackals are animalistic in nature, they are generally considered cowards and will not attack unless they know they can win. If they successfully rob or raid, they will band together in their hideaways and fight over the spoils.

Littlehorn & Associates

Littlehorn & Associates is a firm in the Capital Wasteland which specializes in contract killing. Almost nothing is known about the mysterious Littlehorn & Associates. They occasionally employ individuals who they feel suit their ends, although neither Daniel Littlehorn nor his glass-eyed associates will divulge anything about what those ends actually are.[1]

Headed by Daniel Littlehorn, the firm is the Regulators' counterpart and located in a large shed at the entrance to the scrapyard. If the Lone Wanderer has the Contract Killer perk, the firm will be the buyer for ears obtained by killing characters with good Karma. If the Lone Wanderer maintains or achieves a Very Evil level of Karma upon turning in any ear(s) to him, they will get a bonus.

Littlehorn & Associates runs low key throughout the Capital Wasteland, as Daniel Littlehorn tells the Lone Wanderer that his employees are all over, just the Lone Wanderer probably never noticed it. It is not revealed why Littlehorn wants ears from "good people" other than him mentioning something about maintaining a certain balance in the Wastes. Daniel Littlehorn and the rest of Littlehorn & Associates see it best to give as little as possible personal or even business related information to make everything go smoother.

Minutemen

The Minutemen were founded as a result of the efforts by various small communities to protect themselves against the numerous threats present within the Commonwealth. As the organization expanded, acquiring dividends in both infantry and resources, they first gained recognition after successfully defending Diamond City from a super mutant attack in 2180.[1]

Upon gaining enough resources, the organization eventually assumed control of Fort Independence, transforming it into their main base of operations. Renamed as 'The Castle,' the group re-purposed a large portion of the fort into an armory, also erecting a big radio tower in the courtyard to broadcast the signal for 'Radio Freedom,' a radio station with the purpose of notifying all members of the Minutemen about communities in distress and other notifications, to all over the Commonwealth.

After operating for a significant amount of time, in 2240,[2] the Minutemen were forced to abandon the fort, the reason being mirelurks suddenly assaulting the Castle with the intent to nest in and around it. Thinking it was a super mutant attack, General McGann locked himself deep into the armory behind a myriad of defenses. With this last-ditch effort to protect the armory from being entered, he effectively doomed himself to die by dehydration, a demise hastened by his consuming a fair portion of the bottles in a case of wine. Despite this, his act of defiance prevented the mirelurks from nesting within the armory bastion, preserving it well until the quest Old Guns.

The last leader of the Minutemen, General Becker, was killed at some point after his appointment/election as leader. Upon his death, the Minutemen began to experience internal strife, as the various groups couldn't agree upon a successor. The loss of the Castle only exacerbated the problem, and this disagreement on a new leader caused the political landscape to become incredibly fragile. The entire situation came to a head following the Quincy Massacre, many of the militias making up the group disbanding in disgust or turning to banditry, following the almost inevitable loss of popular (and its attendant material) support.

Following the whole ordeal, only remnants of the Minutemen and their supporters remained. With the exception of Preston Garvey, one of the few survivors to escape the massacre and thus still loyal to the cause of the organization, the Minutemen had effectively ceased to exist as a cohesive group.

Mutant Liberation Army

If General Barnaky becomes the sole organic component of the Calculator, the joined Brotherhood of Steel and Robot army become a benevolent dictator towards humans and a ruthless exploiter of mutants. The Mutant Liberation Army is a faction that eventually forms, made up of mutants and humans that work together towards the common goal of protecting and eventually liberating mutants from under the Brotherhood's harsh rule.

Despite the Brotherhood's violent efforts to subdue and destroy the faction, for every public execution, for every disappearance, another rebel joins the MLA and soon the Brotherhood finds itself locked in a struggle with the faction. Eventually however, the MLA loses its advantage due to the sheer overwhelming size of the Brotherhood's army and are driven back west, towards lands of the original Brotherhood. With time, they disperse and are destroyed by the Brotherhood.

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is a faction found in the area of Goodneighbor in the Commonwealth in 2287. The Neighborhood Watch is responsible for keeping order in Goodneighbor. Acts of theft or violence are answered with a hail of bullets, but visitors who stay out of trouble have nothing to fear from these local guards.

The Neighborhood Watch act as police and are under the command of John Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor. The settlement guards wear patched three-piece suits, worn fedoras, and use Tommy guns. The Neighborhood Watch are all male and consist of humans and ghouls, unlike Diamond City security.

Pillars of the Community

The Pillars of the Community is a cult claiming to be a new and growing religious movement in the Commonwealth. Led by Brother Thomas, the members of this small-time cult are mostly local residents and drifters seeking hope for a better life, thus they have turned to the cult to find salvation from the horrors of the treacherous wasteland. All new members are required to give up their "worldly possessions" in order to join the organization.

Unbeknownst to the cult's many missionaries and initiates, the religious movement is a scam operation, which many denizens of the Commonwealth unfortunately have fallen for. Behind closed doors, the leader of the cult, Brother Thomas, is actually a conman and thief who steals belongings from people who join his cult, holding them hostage until they agree to be relieved of their possessions. In private, Brother Thomas will openly admit this fact.

The Railroad

The Railroad is an underground movement with a primary aim of freeing sentient synths from their creators at the Institute.

Regulators

The Regulators are a group of vigilantes who wear cowboy-style hats and Regulator dusters in the fashion of pre-War gunslingers and outlaws.The Regulators are a relatively new group in the Capital Wasteland, having appeared only in 2267 or so. They take it upon themselves to hunt down troublemakers and do their best to keep a semblance of peace wherever they are.

Reilly's Rangers

Reilly's Rangers is a mercenary faction in the Capital Wasteland, based at the Ranger compound near Seward Square. There are currently four members of Reilly's Rangers. Reilly herself gives out quests involving mapping the wastes and helping other rangers in need.

Triggermen

The Triggermen are gangsters who base themselves around Boston's pre-War mafia families and their traditions. This appears to be due to the influence of their ghoul members, who claim to have been members of such organizations.[1] Because of this, most Triggermen appear to operate with a code of honor, for example, Skinny Malone refuses to kill Nick Valentine because of the "old times", when they fought with each other in the past. They can often be seen in the company of Raiders and other such unscrupulous characters, running enterprises such as the robot racetrack at Easy City Downs. Like mob families before the war, Triggermen usually will wear a suit or other clothing typical to the pre-War era, sometimes alongside a fedora.

Underground Ghouls

The underground ghouls were a loose organization of disgruntled but peaceful ghouls in Necropolis in 2161. Presumably due to their unwillingness to partake in his hostile administration of the City of the Dead, they were forced by Set to live in the city's sewers. They were apparently unarmed and form no threat to anyone, but were one of the most helpful factions in Necropolis.