Karma

Karma is the reflection of all good and evil choices you make during the game and how they are perceived by the inhabitants of the wasteland in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics.

Overview
Karma is, philosophically, the principle of cause and effect. Karma is not only the effects of your actions, but also your intentions that are taken into account and are measured in points called "Karma points". The more an intention or an action has as an impact, the more you win or lose karma points.

Karma affects a variety of elements, as you gain or lose Karma over the course of the game, people will behave differently toward you, it will unlock certain dialogue options or actions, open up certain areas of the wastelands, it can even affects which companions agree to join you in certain games.

It is classified by three types: good, neutral, and evil. Players always start a new game with 0 karma points (neutral).

Apperances
In Fallout, karma is simply named "general reputation" (but has the same function as karma in other Fallout games) and reputation titles appeared.

In Fallout 2, what was originally called "general reputation" is renamed to karma, reputation titles are kept and a new stat called "reputation" is added, acting as a measurement of how you are perceived in various places.

In Fallout Tactics, reputation titles and reputation are removed, only karma is kept. Also, a new specific stat called "rank" is added, indicating your rank in the Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel.

In Fallout 3, only karma appeared. Although it is measured in points, the player never gets to see a numerical karmic value, only the status and the title.

In Fallout: New Vegas, karma is kept (like Fallout 3, the player never gets to see a numerical karmic value) and reputation returned, and acting now as a measurement of how you are perceived by various factions and various towns.

Behind the scenes

 * The Defender Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Batman.
 * The Shield of Hope Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Captain America. Instead of having a star on the costume's chest, Vault Boy's sports a number 13, referencing Vault 13.
 * The Guardian of the Wastes Vault Boy image is a reference to the British Army's Foot Guards.
 * The Savior of the Damned Vault Boy image is a reference to Dudley Do-Right of the 1959 collective two animated cartoon series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
 * The Demon Spawn Vault Boy image is a reference to the comic book superhero Spawn.

Karma titles
In Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics, your karma status is defined by a "karma title", depending of your karma points and in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, also on your level.

For Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics, specific Vault Boy images were to appear to represent each karma title, but probably due to an oversight, they don't appear in-game and a specific image that includes all the karma titles is put in their place.