![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113544886867/49F364AF4A94AAB756693A4C69A9EECE6025F277/)
Good morning vault. It's nice to be ensconced in concrete, waking up to the sound of humming air ducts.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546423170/96FB6C9EBF052665506EA3BAA7CDEA44A9244F5E/)
First order of business is to run around looting everything that I'm allowed to. I'm taking maximum advantage, given how nasty it is for me to permanently lose 10 HP for doing the main vault quest. Gotta make up for it somehow.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546423591/5C8989D7DC240F80A9AC0896F01FF67D3263A8E1/)
I also see the doctor for some diseases I'd picked up. I wanted to do the quest to get the jet addict to seek help as well, but I guess my charisma is too low. Funnily enough though, even taking some grape mentats (plus 5 char) didn't seem to do it.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546424271/0C2E1321398E1A78500539B875F20E1626D67318/)
Time to get back out there. Let's try and stay alive.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546426159/8C6D066FC3C5AC4141B60194F3A7C12611DDAAE6/)
With all this loot I think I should be able to make myself a motorbike at Hangman's Alley for future fast travel. I'm right. Except that I'm missing one piece of leather. Luckily, I find a bit of raider armor in a chest that when scrapped will give me a piece. OK, we now have a bike here too.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546430083/65196616DE2F7D2CA41E5DDE3143178F212061C4/)
On my way back to Sanctuary I drop by the brotherhood camp to pick up some quests. I'm going to have to wipe out the ghouls around Cambridge square. Not just yet though. I need to go drop off all my remaining scrap.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546431434/B138000CD4A0E02E184697825977EE926E7E257C/)
I take out three raiders just outside of town. None of them are raider psychos, so they go down pretty easily. Lower level raiders really aren't able to hurt me much anymore unless they get very close. I'm OK with that. Higher level guys can still kill me in seconds if I'm not lucky. And even lower level guys with melee weapons I have to watch out for.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546432220/6BF3097DAF21D993A6A115B9F7F05D7DB406C062/)
The outside of the Corvega plant is cleared, but I'm still not able to go inside. I'm pretty much guaranteed to be killed, so I can't justify it.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546434794/5259D5A88613B8E4AE41EA6B30D0AF5B5A922C4F/)
Hey boy. Good to see you again.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546433057/6AF3EBDF942914E2573E94D8A89CD323DC5C5496/)
Nice to be back. I dump all my scrap. Quite a lot of it. And do some ammunition rationalization, and a little trading with Carla.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546435144/F1561F2E5865129F9844FA2D08AD317C3CF11E9C/)
Hmmm.. So I now have two mini-nukes. I had discovered one in the vault 81 hidden section, which I had never noticed in my previous visits there. It's hidden a little bit cleverly. So... I wonder. Maybe I have enough that I can try and take out the super mutants guarding the outside of the water purifying plant. I've never attempted it, but with two mini-nukes it might be within the realm of possibility. Still. Not yet. Maybe in a few more levels? I need to do something about my terrible power armor and low health first.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546436549/AA38B2236C4A01BB980BD4E11C6ACC970C4B9617/)
In the morning I jump on my bike back down south. One problem with this mod? It does take too much time to fast travel. As in, more time than if I was to just actually run there manually. Which seems wrong.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546437387/B00EDCC1DCB2A189A79621DAFECD6071C81ACCD7/)
The sun has already set when I get back to the brotherhood outpost. I'm suiting up for this one. Just to be safe.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546444717/6616C035F048F89CCE3B4AF132CF7F5D09A041E1/)
There's a few tense moments. But my minigun and some robot help make it all go pretty smooth. Lot's of nice loot too.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546438589/339F77F0C216C9E3E7CBF6FE3CA5148CB5C0E512/)
Level 18! That's two levels since I last died.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546444124/D212B5143591771542232E979783FB0CE9991497/)
I'm tempted to go with extra health, or toughness, but I go with a second point in gun nut. I want to upgrade my sniper rifle some more, and my combat rifle.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546446552/6A9968A71BBA71430817917340BE0ACBDC9BF9C5/)
I collect my XP.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546446950/6D6240D7452D2E98CD6B4F7F4215D1592C7114BD/)
And spend the night in Diamond City.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546447295/D49D4C8A25DEB1710387660F52DD4D0440FC6428/)
Up and at em. Time to take care of the paint quest. I should be able to handle it.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546449243/34285BC2551A2B3C7B31EAA1411C1FE7D28A3F0D/)
First I head round the back of the building to take care of the two raiders there.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546450039/D0F1ADB73F025C4DD40E830697DB755CFA7E0E73/)
Inside I use some med-x for damage resistance, and plant a bomb I'd picked up earlier by the door where they come through to look for me. That takes out two of them. It's easy enough to then gun down the lower level raiders, but the one named Demo I'm hiding from. My dog is a hero and distracts him, so I come around to finish him off at close range. But what's this? He has disengaged from my dog just as I do so, and starts shoot me. Uh oh. I've put all my shots in vats into his chest, which is not going to take him out fast enough. Super quick, I cancel and go back into vats, reassigning to his head. It's combat rifle versus combat rifle, at three meters distance. I'm -just- able to take him out before running out of AP or HP. Phew!!!! Then I can run around grabbing some more junk and loot. And the paint of course.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546450762/AD8CEFF50E0249A5E9767B2BBA7B60BDE7A1FDEF/)
Great. Almost half-way to level 19 already. I have an idea for where I can get the remaining xp.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546451950/1108F395568AB84394C50641BEF3484EC78340F7/)
First though, I'm going back to Sanctuary yet again to dump off my loot. I really wish I had some supply lies connecting my settlements so that I wouldn't need to do this, but I don't have the charisma to get the perks I need.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546457879/F1CF16C2599FECE8A18279B5A7697724E35A918B/)
I now have the perk and material requirements needed to upgrade Far Shot into a real sniper rifle. Sweet. All that remains is to change it over to .50 cal later.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546458214/E219FBA9D4878C7F03F3B17BA5C3B45554C1FBA1/)
My combat rifle is also coming along nicely. Although I need gun nut rank 3 to unlock some of the remaining stuff. I'm also getting low on aluminium and oil (all that driving has used up most of my oil for fuel!).
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546458560/3A636FB074A6AB049304A7ECC8971C23A87C2F49/)
My magazine collecting is coming along. I could probably sell it for a few dollars, but it looks too nice.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546459967/5DD026BA8E26F881CB6836C3618847FF0248109D/)
The next day I head back down again. Yet again it's dark by the time I get to my destination, backstreet apparel. I'm going to take out some of the raiders there, for the minuteman quest. It's not necessary to clear the whole building, as I recall. So, with some drugs, and my dog, I should be able to do it.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546460216/8C23507D36F1250BA3780279755CAD3193A62613/)
First I have to clear our the turrets by the door. I have plenty of ammo though. I just have to be careful of exploding vehicles, as usual.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546464877/B3809D5B9961BD22A71FA910254541F364E20340/)
Inside, I kick things off by throwing a molotov (which ignites a trap they have set up as well), and inhaling some jet. Let's do this!
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546465341/E2C25E4366D9AE24AE7D2B32300B6FDD416EAA95/)
There is a raider psycho, but I have a crit saved up, and my dog charges in to help. The remaining raider scum is not too much trouble. We are going OK. There's one more raider I have to take out, in the back room.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546564401/3CFD09632CAC9ADBBE47CE075EC263B14946DA5E/)
But he has a name. I use my molotov on him and step around gunning in real time. That's when I die. It's a similar mistake that I made to when I died for the first time to that dog by the quarry. I didn't go into vats, not thinking that the raider could get that close when I'm gunning him in the chest. But he does, and stabs me. One-shotted. What the... That's death #5. Well darn. I've saved just earlier though, and my mistake was pretty simple. I can handle these guys. I go right back in, being more careful to keep some distance.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546564848/7E1E7BB04BFDCED1DA9E4773B2F230A161152EE1/)
This combat rifle is doing the job nicely.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546565249/91A795434D9F1EC5BEDF24158B1463F6DC217A70/)
The remaining raider charges me, but I am careful to step back as I unload my clip. Then its all over.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546566348/CF7E4ECF69C8810273BCBEF2EDD2E2C887075060/)
Back at hangmans alley after looting, I add a cellar using the basement mod. As usual it has a little bit too much in the way of free loot. I'm going to hold-off on collecting it all for now, as it feels a bit like cheating. Maybe later when I've progressed some more I can start to make use of those supplies. I spend the night sleeping down here.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546567179/3EB58D1B600FBD5D247FC469C0959118C9BB59ED/)
The next day I collect the xp for the quest. I'm now the "general" of the minute men, such as they are.
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546567971/4E00FE074CF0008E4E98796BCC5824DBFEB3D736/)
And I do a little bit of tinkering and furniture building in town to get the final few xp. Level 19. OK, let's get to level 20 without dying!
![](http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/269469113546568344/B6872FE87DBFF3ED4F84F6AD509B7839B4147BBA/)
I'm going to put a point into agility. More HP would be nice, but I need more action points for safer combat I think. If I invest in this SPECIAL I can also unlock the action girl perk, making my AP recover much faster. That is going to really be important.
Goodnight, wasteland.(It's been 37 days since I left the vault. I'm level 19. I have been "heavily wounded" 5 times.)
Thoughts: That was a productive few days. Dying again sucked. I still hadn't recovered from the damage to my ego after the last death! I new that I was taking on some risk heading in to the apparel store, but I thought it was manageable. In the end I was right, and wrong. Right in that I actually could handle the combat. It was no suicide run. So I was justified in making the attempt (trying not to die rules out attempting anything involving near certain death, like the Corvega plant!) But wrong in that I died anyway, due to poor judgement in the execution towards the end. Still, that was on day 36. That's nine days since I previously died, and two levels since. Not
too bad. Really I'd like to now get to level 20, then 25, then level 30 all without dying again. I'll have to give some thought as to how I can get this xp without too much risk. Anyway, I'll add yet another scar for this one when I'm next in Diamond City. Maybe a bit of a burn this time, seeming as molotovs where involved. I've got a "self performance rating" on the first page which I update, based on how much I am dying. I'm leaving it as "poor". Not terrible. But not really OK either.