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Fallout 3 Hints
What is the effect of karma, and how can I raise and lower it?
1 of 7: Karma is basically this game's "good vs. evil" scale. It mainly affects your interactions with NPCs.
2 of 7: For instance, some NPCs can become followers if your karma is in the same basic range (good, neutral, or evil) that theirs is. (See the Followers List.)
3 of 7: Another example is that the slavers at Paradise Falls (location 8 on the Zone 2 Map) will readily let you in if your karma is in the evil range, but you'll have to bribe them or do a quest for them if it isn't.
4 of 7: You can see what your general karma rating is by going to the Stats/General section of your Pip-Boy. To see exactly what it is on the -1000 to 1000 scale, you'll have to use the PC Cheat Codes' command "player.getav karma".
5 of 7: The main way to raise and lower karma is also in interactions with NPCs. Being friendly and helpful (especially to those in need) can raise your karma, as can killing evil NPCs and creatures. Being rude or violent to good or neutral people will lower it, as will killing them or selling them into slavery.
6 of 7: Below are lists of some fairly quick and easy ways to raise and lower karma.
7 of 7: Using those tips, you should never have to worry about the karmic implications of anything you do. Steal a bunch of stuff and then give some purified water to a thirsty beggar to make up for it, or choose a plus-karma option on a quest and then go on a thieving spree, etc.
