The title refers to one of the most complex side quests in the game. It can be started near the beginning when you enter Megaton. To activate this mission, proceed to Craterside Supply and find Moira Brown there. This odd woman wants to create an ultimate guide for all survivors. And you can help her!
The quest is divided into 3 chapters each with 3 main tasks and 3 optional ones. You should tell Moira about your adventures at the end of each task and subtask. Exact rewards are based on your success during each chapter as well as on your replies. The woman will give you caps, consumables, and ammo anyway. But also you can receive a certain version of the valuable perk. Exact bonuses of this perk depend on your actions during the mission.
Here is a short guide to replies in dialogues with Moira:
- Standard answers are available anytime. They increase your maximum HP.
- Snide answers are available anytime too. They increase your crit chance.
- Smart replies require at least 7 IN or PE. They boost your Science and Medicine skills.
- Tough replies require at least 7 ST or EN. They increase your resistance to basic damage.
- Sly replies require at least 7 CH or AG. They boost your Speech and Sneak skills.
There are also ways of skipping certain tasks or even chapters but such replies will lower your karma. Note that tasks during each chapter can be finished in any order and this will not affect final rewards. Note also that only secondary tasks give you additional bonuses for the perk. Find Moira in her Megaton’s shop to start the mission. If the city was destroyed, go to Underworld and find ghoul-Moira there.
Chapter 1
The 1st section features basic things for survivors, e.g. supplies, radiation, and pain. The final reward for this chapter includes stimpaks and XP.
- Expedition for supplies to Super Duper Mart.
Primary task: find food inside the building.
Secondary task: find medicine inside the building.
Your mission here is to enter Super Duper Mart and find consumables there. The shop is full of angry raiders who control all supplies there. You can simply face one or two enemies near the entrance so far as the fridge with food is very close to it. However, drugs are in the left section of the shop, so there will be much more raiders.
Rewards: iguana bits for the primary task and a food sanitizer for the secondary one. IN, EN or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
- Experiments with radiation.
Primary task: suffer from at least 200 Rads.
Secondary task: suffer from at least 600 Rads.
Yeah, you have to get radiation sickness. 200 Rads is a minimum, so be ready for some nasty feelings. The closest place to contract enough Rads is the bomb in the center of Megaton. Simply drink polluted water near it to do the trick. Don’t worry so far as Moira will immediately reduce your radiation level to 0 at the end of this subtask.
Rewards: Rad-X and RadAway for the primary task and Rad Regeneration perk for the secondary one. PE, EN or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
- Walk through a mine field.
Primary task: reach the central part of Minefield.
Secondary task: bring a mine from the location to Moira.
You have to find a ruined city located northeast of Megaton and east of Paradise Falls. Moira will note it on the map. As you can understand, Minefield is full of mines! In addition, there is an insane sniper who shoots at explosive cars. Light Step perk will be useful here but you also can ignore Minefield, lie to Moira and bring a mine from another place.
Rewards: frag grenades for the primary task and schematics of bottlecap mine for the secondary one. PE, EN or AG above 7 required for additional replies.
Chapter 2
The 2nd section focuses on deadly creatures inhabiting the post-nuclear world as well as on dealing with injuries from them. The final reward includes ammo and XP.
- Eliminating mole rats.
Primary task: deal with 3 rats.
Secondary task: deal with 7 more creatures.
Here you must find several mole rats and use Moira’s repellent on them. Interesting that this invention just kills rats by exploding their heads… You can find a lot of targets in the Teped Sewers marked by Moira. Also, 3 to 5 rats can be found on the back side of Megaton. Probably, it’s the easiest task among all available.
Rewards: Jet and Psycho for the primary task and the repellent stick for the secondary one. PE, EN or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
- Journey to mirelurk nests.
Primary task: place Moira’s observer inside the nest.
Secondary task: don’t slay any mirelurk.
Travel to the Anchorage Memorial and explore it to find the nest of mirelurks. Moira will give you the quest item which should be placed just near monsters’ eggs. Look for the Facility Bay inside the Memorial as nests are located at the lowest level there. It’s possible to clear the location before taking the quest, so you will not face mirelurks at all.
Rewards: Stealth Boys for the primary task and the shady hat for the secondary one. IN, ST or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
- Significant self-harming adventure.
Primary task: speak with Moira having less than half of HP.
Secondary task: speak with Moira having any limb broken.
Well, this is the easiest task! You simply have to lower your HP and, optionally, break a leg or a hand. Just exit the shop and jump over the fence to fall near the bomb. It’s better to be fully healed before this action as it can even kill you. Also, don’t use any armor to break your leg and complete the secondary task! Your health will be fully restored at the end.
Rewards: Med-X for the primary task and the environment suit for the secondary one. IN, EN or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
Chapter 3
The 3rd section covers the history and technologies related both to pre-War and post-War periods. The final reward is your prize for the entire quest. It includes a mini nuke, a duplicate of the finished book, Survival Expert perk, and XP as usually.
- History of Rivet City.
Primary task: learn about Rivet City’s history.
Secondary task: check stories of citizens and reveal real history.
It seems to be too easy? Don’t think so. Firstly, travel to Rivet City and talk to people there. They will guide you to Bannon. Do it to finish the primary task. Then speak with Vera in her hotel or with Belle in The Muddy Rudder. Explore the abandoned part of the city and find Pinkerton there. He will reveal the real story of the settlement.
Rewards: Mentats for the primary task and 10% discount in Rivet City for the secondary one. IN, ST or CH above 7 required for additional replies.
- Robots and where to find them.
Primary task: install the program in the RobCo factory.
Secondary task: hack the system in this location.
Reach the marked location and find the mainframe on the topmost level. There are numerous mole rats, radroaches, and robots, though the latter is deactivated. Machines will wake up after installing the software. It’s highly suggested to have at least 50 points in Science to hack the system and make robots non-hostile to you.
Rewards: pulse grenades for the primary task and a Science skill book for the secondary one. CH, IN or ST above 7 required for additional replies.
- Finding valuable books.
Primary task: get the catalog from the Arlington Library.
Secondary task: find the archive in the abandoned section of the library.
The main objective is pretty simple so far as you just should interact with Brotherhood guardians. Normally, they will let you in and give access to the terminals. Soldiers will even help in finding archives surrounded by raiders and radroaches. You don’t want to spoil relations with Brotherhood, so try to become their friend.
Rewards: caps for the primary task and a Speech skill book for the secondary one. AG, IN or EN above 7 required for additional replies.
Alternative ending
There is another way to finish this mission. You can convince Moira to give up, so her guide will never be written. This requires a high level of Speech and will lower your karma. Nevertheless, you will get Dream Crusher perk, cool discount in Moira’s shop and a lot of XP. Moira also will increase her Repair skill, so you can fix up equipment better. Such ending isn’t canonic so far as the guide is presented both in Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4.
