I find myself fascinated by ghouls within the Fallout franchise. So much so that I've spent many hours wishing that I could change this Vaultdweller into one. Perhaps its my love for zombies and the fact that ghouls resemble the undead that pleases me, or maybe its the ghoul attitude and entire culture of underworld that does it for me. Whatever the case, I've found myself setting out to become one.

My first experience in trying to recreate a ghoul came after discovering the Ghoul Mask. This gave me the appearance of a ghoul, even fooling the ferals into not attacking me, but looking like a ghoul and actually being a ghoul are two entirely different things.

Realizing that radiation was the cause of one's "ghoulification", I stopped avoiding areas of high radiation and actually sought them out instead. This, of course, was of no use. The only effect radiation had on non-ghouls was sickness followed by death. It then hit me that I needed to train my own body to react differently to rads. So I began learning perks that lessened the effects of radiation on my, still fleshy, body such as Rad Resistance and Lead Belly. This was still a long way from the rad resistance of true ghouls (who actually are healed by radiation), but I hoped that it would be enough to allow me to expose myself to the higher levels of radiation needed to cause the change.

Still my desires for ghouldom went unfulfilled. it was then that a realization set into my head. Every ghoul that I have ever met became that was as a result of an atomic blast. This one thought would change the Capital Wasteland forever. For it was at this point that my quest to become a ghoul would no longer harm just myself as I set out to create my own atomic explosion. With my Ghoul Mask on my head and excitement within it I detonated the atomic bomb at the center of Megaton in my next attempt to be transformed. My only regret was that I couldn't be closer to the blast as I triggered the detonator. I remained unaffected.

With my "experiments" exhausted, I knew then that I would, most likely, never become a ghoul. That still doesn't stop me from trying however. Studying normal ghouls got me nowhere, so I now turn my attention to the ferals. I wander the wastes, searching for feral ghouls to study. I watch their actions and habitats in an attempt to, hopefully, learn the key to becoming one of them. I have thus shed my belongings, wearing only my Ghoul Mask in order to live amongst the ferals. I find myself going native. I've even adopted the diet of the ferals. I doubt becoming a Cannibal will actually help me become a ghoul, but it certainly won't hurt.

Originally Posted: Examiner.com