Swampfolk are hostile creatures encountered in Point Lookout in 2277. Their physical deformities are the result of inbreeding coupled with radiation, or exposure to other toxic wastes in the Point Lookout area and the pollutants washed down the river from the north.
Although Point Lookout did not suffer a direct hit during the Great War, the radioactive fallout can be seen in the indigenous population that have slowly devolved over the decades, and now sport the "Point Lookout look." Sporting sinewy, pockmarked bodies oozing with strength and pus, the swampfolk are a violent and stupid bunch, and they don't take well to strangers.[1] Products of latent radiation and incest, swampfolk look, walk, talk, and act like stereotypical "hicks". Large groups can occasionally be found dancing in a circle, clapping their hands and stomping their feet as well as jumping in the air clicking their heels in some form of "hoe-down".
Social characteristics[]
They are very territorial and are hostile to anyone who is not a native of Point Lookout. They have a rudimentary belief system, and mark their territory (which is everywhere north and west of Point Lookout Township) with fetishes: straw dolls hanging from trees and bone totems.[1] These decoration serve as territorial markers to outsiders. Anthropologists have speculated the swampfolk have a belief in the occult, and some postulate they pray to a hitherto unknown entity named Ug-Qualtoth.[1] Swampfolk carry out bloody rituals at a sacred ritual site. The Krivbeknih, a book believed to possess an occult power, is kept there as a holy artifact.
Their religious convictions are a result of the actions of the local figure, Constance Blackhall. Obsessed with the occult, she turned her newfound wealth into a means of acquiring archaic texts and artifacts, including the Krivbeknih. Constance drew a small circle of devotees to herself, styling herself a priestess of an obscure sect based around the book. Local legend states that the Krvibeknih was stolen from her, and without it the woman succumbed to a death that should have found her generations before. Her legacy permeated the provincial culture of Point Lookout and persisted, but what little structure existed within that group deteriorated with no form of leadership. As such, the swampfolk have not so much a faith as a collection of incoherent chants and rituals, their meanings long forgotten.[2]
Gameplay attributes[]
Swampfolk usually attack in groups of two to five. They are territorial, and even though they are marked as enemies in the HUD, they do not actually become hostile until you approach or attack them. The range at which they become hostile is quite far -- more than a hundred feet.
Their tactics and strength are far greater than one would expect. Usually, groups of swampfolk will consist of at least one melee attacker, which is often the strongest member of the group, and multiple other fighters that provide covering fire for the melee attacker. Even at a large distance, swampfolk shooters can be quite accurate.
Swampfolk, like tribals, do an additional 35 damage to the player with all of the weapons they normally use due to an object enhancement in the DLC's data files.
The bruiser and tracker, when running at you, have their mutated arm shielding their face, making a clean shot difficult. Despite this, V.A.T.S. may still display 95% as the calculated success chance on a headshot.
Variants[]
Brawler[]
Brawlers are large, though not as large as trackers and bruisers. They wear clothes that actually fit them -- denim overalls with an orange shirt underneath. Brawlers are the most "normal" looking of the swampfolk. They are tougher than scrappers, but somewhat weaker than creepers, and are roughly on par with a super mutant brute in terms of durability and skill.
Bruisers are essentially tougher, more robust trackers. They wear a very bloody "Bill's" mechanic outfit, and are covered in blood. Bruisers actually do more damage unarmed than when using axes; their unarmed damage rating surpasses that of a deathclaw, and their punches are almost too fast to block. They are otherwise identical to trackers -- they engage only in melee combat, tend to use axes, lack ranged attacks, and have a slower movement speed than deathclaws and feral ghoul reavers.
Creepers share the same body structure as scrappers, but have blonde hair and are covered in blood. They are stronger than scrappers and have three times as much health, making them slightly more robust than a super mutant master.
Scrappers are the smallest and weakest of the swampfolk. They're skinny, with distended bellies. They have somewhat more health than regular super mutants, but are still rather easy to dispatch.
Trackers are robust seven-foot-tall swampfolk. Their extremely swollen, clubbed fingers seem to be too big to fit into a firearm. Appropriately, trackers specialize in melee attacks, and are able to inflict extreme amounts of damage with axes or their bare hands. They can withstand somewhat more damage than a deathclaw or sentry bot.
Trackers run with an interesting hop to their step, using their swollen arms to shield their face from V.A.T.S. headshots while they try to enter melee range. Crippling their legs has very little effect on their movement speed, which is noticeably slower than that of a deathclaw.
Interestingly enough, their exposed stomachs bear stitches, suggesting that the swampfolk have at least some rudimentary medical capabilities.
There are a few characters in the Point Lookout who, while technically not regular swampfolk, have some ties to them.
Kenny was born to swampfolk parents, but lacked their deformities and thus became an outcast.
Marguerite, a moonshine-making woman who lives in the bog with the swampfolk, lacks severe deformities but is still considered a local. The swampfolk probably tolerate her because of her moonshining skills.
Obadiah Blackhall and his ancestors share some traditions and religious practices with the swampfolk, though Obadiah tries to distance himself from swampfolk beliefs when speaking to outsiders. He seems to fear the swampfolk, and a beheaded creeper can be found in Blackhall Manor's basement.
Haley is not one of the swampfolk, but he is believed to be a local and does some trading with them. He may be tolerated because he's a trader and has access to goods that the swampfolk can't obtain on their own.
Notes[]
Swampfolk will not drop fingers, because they are registered as creatures (part of the super mutant faction) in the G.E.C.K., and function like Point Lookout's version of super mutants. They even use the same footstep sounds as super mutants.
You can wait and fast travel while close to swampfolk that don't notice you.
Trackers and bruisers seem to have extremely flexible knees. When they are dead, their knees can bend to unnatural degrees well beyond 45 degrees away from them. It is unknown whether this is some kind of a mutation (which would explain why they walk so oddly), or if it is just a bug.
Creepers and scrappers with lever-action rifles can shoot very fast - comparable to firing a sniper rifle at top speed.
Swampfolk may have existed, in some form, and been hostile to outsiders since before the war. Skeletons and discarded items at the jet crash site imply that the pilot of a crashed jet, as well as a guard from the nearby Turtledove Detention Camp, were attacked and killed.
PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 One specific scrapper, creeper, or bruiser near the Ritual Site will spawn one frag grenade every 30 seconds as long as you stay in the same cell as the dead swampfolk.
↑ 1.01.11.2Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.44-45: "Swampfolk Although Point Lookout did not suffer a direct hit during the Great War, the radioactive fallout can be seen in the indigenous population that have slowly devolved over the decades, and now sport the "Point Lookout look." Sporting sinewy, pockmarked bodies oozing with strength and pus, the Swampfolk are a violent and stupid bunch, and they don't take well to strangers. They have a rudimentary belief system, and mark their territory (which is everywhere north and west of Point Lookout Township) with fetishes: straw dolls hanging from trees and bone totems. Anthropologists have speculated the Swampfolk have a belief in the occult, and some postulate they pray to a hitherto unknown entity named Ug-Qualtoth. Frighteningly strong, and ferociously territorial, they are among the most dangerous adversaries you may face." (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)
↑Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.662: "[1.02] Blackhall Manor (LAT 02/LONG 07) Constance Blackhall was obsessed with the occult. She turned her newfound wealth into a means of acquiring archaic texts and artifacts. The most notorious of these was the Krvibeknih. Constance drew a small circle of devotees to herself, styling herself a priestess of an obscure sect based around the book. Constance lived an unnaturally long life, even in the radiation soaked marshes of Point Lookout. Local legend states that the Krvibeknih was stolen from her, and without it the woman succumbed to a death that should have found her generations before. Her legacy, having permeated the provincial culture of Point Lookout, persisted, but what little structure existed within that group deteriorated with no form of leadership. Theirs is not so much a faith as a collection of incoherent chants and rituals, their meanings long forgotten. The Blackhalls have stubbornly clung to existence, but Obadiah appears to the last of their line. He knows that the Krivbeknih has found its way back to Point Lookout, and intends to reclaim it, with the hopes of restoring power over the swampfolk to his family." (Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
