Dead Money

Dead Money is the first add-on for Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks.

Release and availability
Dead Money was released on December 21, 2010 on Xbox 360 as exclusive downloadable content. It remained available only to Xbox 360 users for three months, before being released on PC and PS3 on February 22, 2011. It costs $9.99.

It is bundled with the Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition, released on February 7, 2012 for all platforms.

Overview
The add-on focuses on the Sierra Madre, a pre-War casino and resort built by Frederick Sinclair. Slated for opening in late October 2077, the Gala event never took place. Instead, as the cutting edge security systems detected incoming warheads and nuclear detonations, they sealed up the casino, locking guests and crews within, dooming them to a slow, painful death.

But the Sierra Madre was more than just an extravagant resort. It was a fortress, a furnace within which a new civilization would be forged. But it was not perfect. The security system doomed its guests to die. The climate control and air conditioning systems "malfunctioned," releasing a red cloud that would hang over the Sierra Madre, dooming all who entered it. And within it, the ghost people, once the humans trapped within hazmat suits, stalk the streets, abducting any who decide to brave the dangers of the Sierra Madre.

The Madre became a legend, a rumor about a City of Gold passed around saloons and camp fires late at night. Posters advertising its grand opening are scattered across the wastelands, fueling the mystery, while the mysterious broadcast continues to attract would-be scavengers and looters. Only one person found the Madre and lived to tell the tale: Father Elijah.

This former Elder of the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel has gone missing after the Brotherhood's defeat at Helios One. In his travels, he learned of the Madre at Big MT and decided to claim it, for its weapons and technology could allow him to defeat the NCR. However, to crack the casino, he needs help. He needs living tools to make his bidding.

He needs the Courier. The very same person who follows the broadcast to the abandoned Brotherhood of Steel bunker, like so many others before him. Little does Elijah suspect that the Courier will crack the riddle of the Sierra Madre and unearth its dark secrets.

Features

 * Level cap increased by 5.
 * An entire new worldspace to explore, recommended for players of levels 20 and above. Companions cannot come.
 * Gameplay focused on scavenging and surviving in a hostile environment without the player's usual loadout, as well as interaction with companions. Skills are used throughout the add-on, affecting how the player's companions treat them, their options in combat and adventure, or simply surviving.
 * The player cannot return to the Madre without using console commands (such as to reach the portal to the Madre beneath the radio).

Characters
Dead Money characters, 3

Mentioned-only
Dead Money mentioned-only characters, 3

Creatures
Dead Money creatures, 3

Robots and computers
Dead Money robots and computers, 3

Apparel
Dead Money apparel, 3

Cut armor and clothing
Dead Money cut armor and clothing, 1

Consumables
Dead Money consumables, 3

Weapons
Dead Money weapons, 3

Cut weapons
Dead Money cut weapons, 1

Weapon mods
Dead Money weapon mods, 3

Other items
Dead Money miscellaneous items, 3

World objects
Dead Money world objects, 3

Behind the scenes

 * Dead Money is strongly inspired by the 1948 film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, focusing on a pair of disenfranchised folk who plan to seek out the titular treasure, fighting against hostile indigenous inhabitants and their own greed.
 * According to Jason Fader, the DLC was also inspired by films such as: Battle Royale (2000), Cube (1997), and Lifeboat (1944).
 * Chris Avellone penciled a blog detailing the thought process behind design decisions that went into the game.

Bugs

 * Dirty edits in the add-on override changes applied to the grenade launcher by patches, increasing its damage, spread, and allowing for it to be repaired by miniguns.
 * Deleting the add-on resets the level cap to 30. This can be permanent, even if the add-on is installed.
 * The add-on has to be installed via the dashboard to be recognized by the game.