"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works co-operatively against common threats."
Charles Darwin
The Leaden Ghost
VATS Sniper Character Build for Fallout New Vegas
CHARACTER SNAPSHOT
Introducing The Leaden Ghost ! An introvert yet clever and goodhearted computer scientist who patrovol the Mojave. Helping those in need with his technological knowledge and skills as a sharpshooter. His sneaky playstyle is best helped with the brute force of Veronica, everyone's favorite brotherhood scribe, who will be her partner in crime for most of his adventures.
BACKSTORY
The Leaden Ghost was born in a dying village on the fringes of the New Mexican wasteland, nestled near the ruins of old Albuquerque. It was a bleak, crumbling place — the kind of settlement where only the stubborn and the elderly remained. Over the years, most of its inhabitants had abandoned it, chasing dreams of greener pastures in the NCR or beyond. The village was slowly giving up, reduced to dust and rust, its end inevitable.
For the Leaden Ghost’s parents, one grim truth was clear: their son would likely be part of the very last generation born in the village. A generation that, in the end, would only have him as its lone representative.
Despite his humble beginnings and the fading future around him, the boy found ways to pass the time. When he wasn’t alone in his room — nose buried in tattered pre-war books and magazines on science and technology — he roamed the nearby ruins. He spent hours scavenging through the skeletal remains of factories and crumbling buildings, dragging back old machines and mysterious gadgets to tinker with. A screwdriver, a wrench, and his curiosity were his best friends.
One day, while exploring a narrow cave tucked into the side of a dry hill, the Leaden Ghost expected to find little more than a cool, quiet place to think. Instead, he discovered something that would change the course of his life forever: a massive, rusted metal door, half-buried in rock and earth.
By sheer luck or instinct, he managed to open it.
Beyond the door lay a vast network of underground corridors — the remains of a forgotten Vault. The lights still flickered weakly, and though many systems were dead, the facility hummed with the ghosts of the Old World. As he wandered its silent halls, a feeling overtook him — a rush of wonder, awe, and beauty so intense that it overwhelmed him. Stendhal syndrome.
He returned to the Vault again and again, day after day, month after month, desperate to explore every corner and uncover its secrets. In those metallic depths, he felt more alive than he ever had above ground. He wasn’t just a boy from a forgotten village anymore — he was an explorer of a forgotten age.
Eventually, others found the Vault too. One day, the Ghost encountered a rough band of scavengers — likely raiders in all but name — who had come looking for valuable salvage. Recognizing his skill with machines and systems, they invited him to join them. He was hesitant, but he agreed. For the first time in his life, he had something resembling companions. These scavengers had a deal with a local Brotherhood of Steel chapter: in exchange for delivering functioning pre-war tech, the Brotherhood provided them with food, water, and supplies. It was a fragile, transactional alliance, but it kept them alive. The Leaden Ghost wasn’t sure if his new comrades respected him or just mocked him behind his back. Still, he enjoyed the company — however flawed it was. After a lifetime of isolation, even these half-feral tech hunters gave him a sense of belonging.
But that illusion shattered quickly.
One day, he returned to their camp only to find the group slaughtered. Their mutilated bodies lay rotting near the remains of a burned-out fire. Raiders had found them — and without formal Brotherhood protection or recognition, they’d stood no chance. The Ghost stood over their corpses and realized a harsh truth: he had no real allies, no one who would risk themselves to save him. These people had been temporary partners, not friends. In the wasteland, without true bonds, you were nothing but a walking corpse-in-waiting.
As he mourned their deaths, he thought back to the Vault — not just the corridors of steel and silence, but the feeling he had experienced when first discovering it. Perhaps that same spark — that same meaning — could be found not just in forgotten machines, but in people. Maybe human connection, real connection, was the next frontier he needed to explore. Craving a new beginning, the Leaden Ghost set his sights on the Mojave Wasteland, where the Republic’s influence clashed with chaos, and rumors spread of opportunity, danger, and change. He took up work as a courier, hoping it might lead him to new places, strange faces, and — if he was lucky — a purpose.
But fate had other plans.
Before he could deliver the mysterious Platinum Chip, he was ambushed by Benny, shot in the head, and left for dead in a shallow grave outside Goodsprings. The journey that began in the ruins of New Mexico was now about to take a new, bloodier turn — one that would reshape the Mojave forever.
ROLEPLAY
Like most couriers, after cheating death in Goodsprings, the Leaden Ghost is initially driven by a thirst for revenge. Benny haunts him, and so, for the first few hours of his journey, he follows the main questline, determined to find his would-be killer. However, his quest for vengeance soon becomes something much deeper.
During his travels, the Leaden Ghost takes time to observe and gather information on the various factions vying for control of the Mojave. He studies their goals, ideals, and positions. Though willing to help and fight for what he believes is right, he feels out of his depth. The political complexity of the Mojave unsettles him — a man of solitude, used to logic and machines, now forced to navigate moral ambiguity and human conflict.
That all changes when he encounters Veronica, a bright and optimistic Brotherhood scribe on her way to New Vegas. Her warmth and hopeful determination to make the world a better place stir something in him. For the first time, he begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, helping people doesn’t require grand strategies or monumental shifts — just small acts of kindness that accumulate over time. He agrees to accompany Veronica to the Hidden Valley bunker, curious to meet the Brotherhood of Steel. He already has a history with them from his time in New Mexico, so finding a familiar group in the Mojave gives him a rare sense of comfort. Veronica quickly becomes like an older sister to him. After spending years isolated with only books and scavenged technology for company, the Leaden Ghost lacks social grace. Her ability to communicate and connect fills a gap in his life. He listens more than he speaks, but with her around, his voice begins to grow.
The Ghost is initially drawn to the Brotherhood of Steel due to their discipline, reverence for knowledge, and structured hierarchy — all of which align with his analytical mind. He completes Still in the Dark, siding with Hardin, reflecting his early hope that the Brotherhood can reform from within.
He supports Veronica’s efforts for change, encouraging her to speak up even as the Brotherhood continues to ignore her. In time, he realizes the grim truth: the Brotherhood has become stagnant. Their obsession with hoarding technology has made them blind to the suffering of the people around them. He parts ways, not in anger, but with profound disappointment.
Seeking a group that wields knowledge with compassion, The Leaden Ghost and Veronica gravitate toward the Followers of the Apocalypse. In them, he finds what the Brotherhood lacks — a will to act, to educate, to heal. Through them, he meets Arcade Gannon, whose background with the Enclave intrigues him.
He befriends Arcade and eventually triggers For Auld Lang Syne, uniting the scattered Enclave Remnants. While he does not excuse the crimes of their past, he sees potential in their experience and technology. He proposes a bold idea: a reformed Enclave, guided by the Followers' morality but strengthened by military precision.
In his eyes, only a synthesis of the Brotherhood’s structure, the Followers’ compassion, and the Enclave’s power can ensure the Mojave’s survival. He’s no ideologue — he’s a pragmatist, seeking to build something better from the pieces of the old world.
The Dead Money expedition is transformative. The Sierra Madre, a treasure trove of technology and obsession, becomes a twisted mirror of the Brotherhood’s own ideals. Father Elijah, once a respected Elder, is now consumed by control and fear — a cautionary tale of what the Ghost could have become. He sees clearly now: hoarding knowledge without purpose leads only to ruin. He chooses to leave the Sierra Madre’s treasure behind, not for himself, but to prevent its corruption from spreading. From this point on, his mission becomes clear: technology must serve people, not be locked away from them. Preservation without action is decay. From now on, he will share what he knows — not hide it.
As war looms between the NCR and the Brotherhood of Steel, the Leaden Ghost sees it as yet another tragic repetition of the past. Having earned the trust of all sides — the Brotherhood, the NCR, the Followers, and the Enclave — he uses his influence to broker an uneasy but vital truce.
This moment marks the peak of his journey — not a triumph of power, but of diplomacy and foresight. He has no love for flags or governments, but he believes in stability, in survival, and in the chance for a better tomorrow. In his vision, the NCR maintains order, the Brotherhood safeguards technology with renewed purpose, the Followers uplift the people, and the Remnants serve as a shield against future threats. It’s not a perfect world — but it’s one that has a future.
The Leaden Ghost's adventure ends with Mr. House defeated, the Great Khans and Fiends wiped out, and Vegas placed under the care of the Followers and the people of the Strip. The Legion is repelled, and a fragile truce holds between the NCR and the Brotherhood. Nothing perfect — but it's peace, at least for now.
While the NCR may credit him publicly and offer him accolades, the Ghost does not stay to accept them. He vanishes with the Enclave Remnants in a vertibird, never to be seen again. Over time, his story becomes legend — a nameless figure who helped reshape the Mojave, only to disappear into myth. Two things remain certain: the factions he connected will thrive because of him, and Veronica and Gannon, his closest companions, will never forget the man who changed their lives — the man who helped them believe again.
EQUIPEMENT
The idea behind the aesthetic of The Leaden Ghost was to replicate the striking look of the guy from Threads—the mysterious masked policeman who appears for barely 30 seconds in the whole movie, yet managed to become its most iconic image. This movie is interesting to consider in the context of Fallout: New Vegas, since the game's plot revolves around how the threads that link the different factions will determine the fate of the Mojave. Threads shows that the connections between the countries of the world could lead humanity to near extinction and a return to a dark, medieval age.
Anyway, it looks super cool. Be sure to keep some pre-war clothes in your inventory, as Father Elijah's robes count as faction armor associated with the Brotherhood of Steel, and NCR soldiers will shoot you on sight if you approach them while wearing it.
The holorifle will be fully modded—make sure to collect all the mods in the Sierra Madre, as you won’t be able to return there after completing Dead Money, and the mods don’t exist anywhere else. It's a fantastic rifle, but unfortunately, it cannot be repaired with standard items, so be sure to collect weapon repair kits and enough caps to pay vendors to fix it.
Note that I also kept a plasma pistol in my inventory to replace the holorifle if enemies get too close, because the holorifle can injure yourself or your allies—and we don’t have enough Charisma to reduce friendly fire.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay-wise, The Leaden Ghost is a pretty straightforward character. Simply sneak into the perfect position, then quickly eliminate your targets with well-placed shots from the holorifle. Even though the build focuses on V.A.T.S. shots, The Leaden Ghost is so efficient that he can fight without relying on it. Threats approaching you? Don’t worry! Veronica will deal with them using her powerful fists while you reposition yourself to a more advantageous and distant location. The holorifle is so powerful that enemies killed with it are usually blasted into a pile of dust—which is super satisfying.
Having 100 Science also opens up a lot of possibilities for this character. Many speech checks in the game are determined by your Science skill, such as convincing Doctor Henry not to conduct his experiments on Lily, making Elijah believe you're willing to side with him during the final mission of Dead Money, or repairing Rhonda at Black Mountain. Not to mention all the robots you can disable with ease, and the doors and lockers you can unlock by hacking terminals.
All of this really helps immerse you in the role of a computer nerd who uses his knowledge and the various technologies at his disposal to make up for a lack of proper military training or social skills.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L., TRAITS, STATS AND PERK SPREAD
The Leaden Ghost will leave Goodsprings with the following traits and S.P.E.C.I.A.L attribution.
Strength is just what you need. It can be boosted to 10 if needed thanks to the nerd rage perk
Perception is crucial to aim your holorifle and VATS shots. It will be boosted to 10 thanks to some perks
Endurance is not really important for the build but you still need some to survive a few hits.
Charisma is not very useful for any FNV builds anyways + The Leaden Ghost is always seen as a weirdo by other so it mactches his personality.
Intelligence is essential to get most of his perks and to gain more XP.
Agility is essential for VATS shoots, it's also important to move quickly which is important for a glass cannon like this character.
Luck is essential to get good and frequent crit
Small Frame
(+1 Agility but Fragile limbs (25% extra limb damage).
Agility is essential for this build for VATS shoots + since we are playing as a sniper and thus dont plan on taking many its, the extra limb damage isn't as inconvinient as it sounds.
Trigger Discipline
(Guns and energy weapons you fire are 20% more accurate but Guns and energy weapons you fire are 20% less quick, AP cost for your guns and energy weapons are 20% higher)
Again, The Leaden Ghost is a sniper. Not the type of character who needs to fire quickly, so the accuracy is more important here. We have a high AP pool already with all the perks so even that downside is negligable.
Tagged Skills: Energy Weapons ; Stealth ; Science
Minor Skills: Lockpicking ; Medecine
Level | PERK | PREREQUISITE |
2 | Comprehension | Int 4 |
4 | Educated | Int 4, Level 4 |
6 | Retention | Int 4 |
8 | Finesse | |
10 | Swift Learner | Level 2 ; Int, 4 |
12 | Sniper | Level 12 ; PE 6 : AG 6 |
14 | Better Critical | Per 6 |
16 | Nerd Rage | Int 5, Level 10 |
18 | Robotic Expert | Science 50 ; Level 12 |
20 | Silent Running | Level 12 ; AG 6 ; Sneak 50 |
22 | Grim Reaper’s Sprint | Level 20 |
24 | Voracious Reader | Level 22 ; Int 7 |
26 | Concentrated Fire | Level 18 ; Energy Weapons 60 |
28 | Tunner Runner | Level 16 ; Agility 8 |
30 | Nerves of Steel | Level 26 : Ag 7 |
32 | Alterness | Level 12 ; PE 6 |
34 | Math Wrath | Level 10 ; Science 70 |
36 | Broad Daylight | Level 36 |
38 | Action Boy | Level 16 ; AG 6 |
40 | Certified Tech | Level 40 |
Now for the perk order, it was chosen with a natural progression kept in mind. I choosed to prioritize some "scholar" perks like Educated and Comprehension because the earlier you take them, the more useful they are throuought the game. At level 40 you will have a really efficient stealth sniper build, getting most of his damage thanks to crits and VATS. who will also have the option to tap into other unperked skills thanks to magazines i needed.
One fun thing with all the magazine perks is to craft True Police Stories magazine so will always have one on hand if needed. They boost critical chance 10% which is incredible for this build.
Inspirations
- Threads (1984) by Mick Jackson
- Robocop (1987) by Paul Verhoeven
- Fevvy's VATS Sniper build for Fallout 4
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