Charleston Cave is a location in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background[]
Comprised of stalactites and other ancient rock formations, the cave was discovered in the early 1960s but subsequently closed due to geological instability. At some point prior to 2077, an unidentified man, after failing to gain entry to the vaults in the region, decided to make his own fallout shelter deep in the cave, incurring heavy debt to do so. Keeping his shelter a secret drove him to kill a young boy, Paulson who also knew about the shelter, to preserve the supplies for himself. A short time after the bombs dropped, he recorded an audio log about his actions, including his intent to visit a woman and her daughter sheltering in the nearby lodge, implying a desire to sexually exploit them, though it's unknown if he ever managed to do so.[1][2]
Following the Great War and the nuclear devastation, sometime before or during 2281, a pack of night stalkers made their nest in the cave, from which they gradually spread out, primarily hunting the herds of bighorners raised as cattle by the super mutant enclave residing in the pre-War ski lodge renamed as Jacobstown.[1]
Layout[]
Situated slightly northwest of Jacobstown, near the top of a snow-covered hill, the cave's entrance rests at a view overlooking the pre-War resort and the desert valley below. To the side of the cave's entrance, a hollowed-out rock with graffiti of a heart on it can be found. The ten night stalkers wandering inside the tunnels are cloaked. The cave itself is a series of winding rock tunnels with several spacious caverns scattered throughout. The dark cave is dimly lit by many clusters of green, bio-luminescent non-harvestable mushrooms.
South from the entrance is a chamber with two beds, a campfire, and a locked ammunition box. From the campfire chamber, a large area with several night stalkers is to the west. A balcony that overlooks the chamber with night stalkers below can be accessed by keeping west instead of veering off south and looping down to the large chamber. Looping around east then south is a small flooded area and a bunker can be found.
The door to the bunker is locked with a Hard lock. There is a large amount of loot in the bunker room, including a hunting shotgun in good condition, numerous consumables, and ammunition boxes. There is a bear trap hidden in the flooded section of the cave just before the incline to the Hard-locked door.
Notable loot[]
- Oh, Baby! - a unique variant of the super sledge, found next to the dead nightkin in the southwest cavern. The nightkin will only be present if one has started Guess Who I Saw Today in Jacobstown, so finding it without the nightkin present made be harder due to the dim lighting and the weapon's dark color scheme.
- Chewed Stealth Boy - Found on the nightkin's dead body. Relevant as a quest item for Guess Who I Saw Today?
- Post-War audio log - Behind the Hard-locked door in the middle part of the map, reached by taking the northern passageway from the chamber with irradiated water.
Related quests[]
Notes[]
When approaching the cave, sounds of night stalkers barking and snarling may be heard.
Appearances[]
Charleston Cave appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Bugs[]
The night stalkers have a tendency to get stuck, usually head-first, within the inclines of the cave passages, making it impossible to achieve a sneak headshot. If you do not have a weapon powerful enough to kill one in one shot (regardless of the body part), it will become unstuck upon changing to attack mode.[verified]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collectors Edition p.291: "[1.07] Charleston Cave
Full of stunning stalactites and other ancient rock formations, Charleston Cave has remained closed for hundreds of years since its discovery in the early 1960s, and subsequent geological instability. Once the home to a hold-out during the Great War, strange mutant critters known as Nightstalkers roam these empty chambers. A new and even more terrifying strain can shroud themselves in Stealth Boy-like invisibility. Don't forget to inspect the nearby rock!"
(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition Tour of the Mojave Wasteland) - ↑ Post-War audio log
