Summary
Fallout: New Vegas’ social perks add a lot of interesting dialogue options to the game, including some lines of dialogue that shed light on some of the series’ mysteries. More so than any of Bethesda’sFalloutgames,New Vegasfeels like a direct sequel to the first two games, since it is steeped in lore about factions and even charactersfromFallout 1and2, like the NCR.It also explores a mysterious character set up in the originalFallout.
It isn’t just the NPCs who are a bit mysterious inFallout: New Vegas, however. Even the player character is somewhat of a mystery, at least when it comes to their past. Other than knowing they are a courier, much of the player’s own background is left up to their imagination. However, one perk in the gamereveals an Easter eggthat helps players learn more about the Courier’s mysterious past.
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The Lady Killer Perk Reveals The Courier May Have A Child
The Courier Alludes To Having A Possible Child In Fallout: New Vegas
At level 2,Fallout: New Vegasplayers can take the Lady Killer perk, so long as they are playing a male Courier. This perk gives players a 10% damage buff against female opponents and also unlocks some unique dialogue options. Though the perk says this only unlocks dialogue options with female characters, there is at least one instance of it happening with a male character which reveals interesting information on the Courier.
When speaking to The Lonesome Drifter, who the Courier most likely meets during the “Talent Pool” quest, Lady Killer unlocks a very interesting dialogue option. When discussing the Drifter’s past, the wandering musician tells the Courier that he came from Montana. Upon hearing this,Couriers with the Lady Killer perk get a unique dialogue option:“Wait, Montana? You wouldn’t happen to be 17, would you?” This can be seen in a Reddit post from userTheXander2000.
This line seemingly implies thatthe Courier believes there is some chance that The Lonesome Drifter is actually his estranged son. This dialogue option appears directly after the Drifter mentions that his father left his family when he was young, so it would also imply that the Courier at least met his child before leaving Montana. Aside from this, the line also gives some additional background information on the Courier.
New Vegas Dialogue Also Gives More Background On The Courier
The Courier’s Comment Reveals Their Age And Past Travels
If the Courier believes he has a 17-year-old son, that could give an indication of his age. At the very least, this impliesthe Courier is in his late 30s or possibly his 40s. This would makeFallout: New Vegas’ protagonist significantly older thanFallout 3’s, as the Lone Wanderer is just 19 when leaving Vault 101. If the Courier has survived in the Wasteland for so long, it makes sense why they would be entrusted with delivering the Platinum Chip.
The Lady Killer line also makes it clear thatthe Courier hasn’t always just been around the New Vegas area. Montana is a fair distance from Nevada, especially when the Courier seems to travel by foot. This would imply they had a long journey before reaching Vegas. By shedding this small light on the Courier’s past, this one jokey line ends up creating a lot of questions surrounding the protagonist’s history. However, the Courier isn’t the only character The Lonesome Drifter teaches the player more about.
The Lonesome Drifter Is Heavily Implied To Be The Mysterious Stranger’s Child
The Lonesome Drifter Describes His Father As Similar To The Stranger
Since the firstFallout, players have had the option to take a perk called Mysterious Stranger. This creates a chance that an unknown NPC will apppear to aid the player in combat.New Vegasalso offers a female equivalent known as Miss Fortune, allowing players to take both perks and increase their chances that at least one will come to help. TheMysterious Stranger is also heavily implied to be the Lonesome Drifter’s dad.
When discussing his father,The Lonesome Drifterdescribes him as a “mysterious feller.”This coupled with the Mysterious Stranger’s habit of showing up then quickly disappearing would seem to track with the idea of him suddenly skipping out on his family with no notice. Then there is the similarities between the two characters' naming conventions.
The Mysterious Stranger and The Lonesome Drifter are both simply referred to by descriptors instead of full names. This parallel wouldn’t be a big deal on its own, but combined with the other hints, seems to be further confirmation that the two are related. However, players with the right skills can get even better confirmation of the Stranger’s connection to the Drifter.
A High Barter Skill All But Confirms This Fallout Theory
Players Can Get The Mysterious Stranger’s Gun From The Lonesome Drifter
When talking to The Lonesome Drifter,players with a 50 or higher Barter skill will be offered the chance to convince the Drifter to give them his father’s pistol. The weapon is called the Mysterious Magnum and holds six shots. This is the exact style of weapon that The Mysterious Stranger uses inFallout: New Vegas. Between the name and style of the weapon, it seems very clear that this gun belongs to the Mysterious Stranger.
Although this interaction teaches players some information about the Mysterious Stranger, he is still a largely enigmatic figure. Players only really know that he spent some time in Montana, and has a son. While this is more information than they would have had otherwise, it still doesn’t tell them much about the Stranger’s motivation, or why he pops up to help people in need. Still, it’s undeniable that learning bits of information in this way is a really cool addition toFallout: New Vegas.
Perks like Lady Killer, Confirmed Bachelor, and Black Widow, which give the player unique dialogue options, are a great way to reward players who focus on social skills. Players who prefer to specialize in Speech or Barter are likely more invested in solving issues through dialogue, and listening to what characters have to say. These are the exact players who will be excited to learn little bits ofFalloutlore like this from seemingly unimportant NPCs.
These types of character customization choices also give players a reason to replayFallout: New Vegas. Between hidden dialogue, and some interesting occurrences if players take Wacky Wasteland, there are lots of fun things to experience in the game that players might not see on their first playthrough. There are even more bits ofFalloutlore hiding behind specific dialogue options in the game, so fans of the series should head back to the Mojave when they get the chance.
