Wha?!..Six....sixty two?! That's impossible....
― Cardan upon seeing the Gauss gun
Cardan (Кардан) is an experienced stalker technician who appears in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Background
Cardan was a member of Project 62, a research project run in southwest Zaton, more specifically under the Iron Forest anomaly field. The project seemingly collapsed in 2004 due to them unable to find a power source compact and efficient enough to be used.
After the Zone formed, he started exploring the Zone with two other comrades, Joker and Barge. After a fierce argument , they went their separate ways, and Cardan became a technician aboard Skadovsk, where he repaired and upgraded weapons for money. His resentment over the argument leads him to sink into alcoholism, and by the time of Call of Pripyat he requires alcohol just to function.
Appearances
Call of Pripyat
He appears in the Skadovsk as the local technican of Zaton. His upgrade tree is dependent on his vodka consumption in tandem with the tools he currently has: 1 bottle will unlock most of the first tier upgrade, a second bottle will unlock the second tree and third tree however if given a third bottle: he becomes too drunk to do anything that he'll simply mutter garbled phrases when attempting to speak to and one must wait an entire day for Cardan to become sober enough to talk to. Due to the fact that the third-tier upgrades are only unlocked after Pripyat is explored: there shouldn't be a reason to give him a third bottle in the early parts of the game. However, he doesn't need vodka to repair equipment.
His dependency on vodka can be cured if the player gives him Joker's and Barge's PDA; and shows him the Gauss rifle. Showing Cardan the Gauss rifle will shock Cardan, effectively he faints and wakes up the next day. After he wakes up, he swears off alcohol, and gives the player a massive discount on any future upgrades and repairs without the need of vodka in order to perform upgrades. Once he is in this state, the player has earned the 'good' ending for Cardan and Nitro.
After receiving the schematics for the Gauss Rifle, he can produce jury-rigged batteries – six charges for 2000 rubles. These batteries, while still just as accurate and powerful as the factory-made cells, are heavier. Upon receiving a Calibration Kit, he becomes the only technician capable of fully upgrading an Exoskeleton's motors, allowing a user to sprint like a regular stalker.
Pricing
Cardan's rate depends on his state of inebriation, or the status of his keycard. The player's stance towards the Loners and Bandits in the area has no effect, nor do Joker's and Barge's PDAs.
- 10% discount, and tier 1 upgrades are available with one vodka – lasting about four in game hours.
- 20% discount, and tier 2 and tier 3 upgrades available with two vodkas.
- 35% discount after visiting the Project 62 lab and returning his card. All upgrades without vodka.
Gallery
Trivia
- It is likely that Cardan is based off of Konstantin Stupivtsev, the designer who created Call of Pripyat's HUD and UI.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
