The Lonesome Drifter is a traveling musician skilled with his guitar and temporarily camping on the shores of the El Dorado Dry Lake in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281. He appears in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background[]
Born around 2253[1] in a small town somewhere in the state of Montana,[2] the Drifter's childhood was marred by the sudden departure of his father, whom he remembers as "a real mysterious feller" that traveled from home often, and that not even his wife really knew anything about him.[3][4] As a result, his mother was forced to work her fingers to the bone in order to provide for her child and the Drifter grew up trying to master the guitar, however, the burden she carried eventually weighed her down. To help his mother, the Drifter found work at the coal mines at the age of 15, working the black seams until his mother later passed away after a life of hardship.[5][6] Angry and frustrated at his father's leaving that contributed to his mother's death, the Drifter packed his guitar and a six-shooter, the only mementos of his father, and took to the road to find the man and get some answers.[7][8][9]
For years after, the Drifter traveled the wasteland, unsure of what he would do if he ever did find his father, whether to ask him questions or outright punch him in the mouth; eventually, even he started to consider it a waste of time and a dumb idea from the start.[10][11] By the latter years of the 23rd century, with his search ultimately proving fruitless, the Drifter nevertheless found success in entertaining numerous audiences with his singing talents in the meantime, including one time while traveling with a caravan that passed through the territory of the Dead Horses in Utah, where his singing charmed a young tribesman and inspired him to dream of exploring the wider wasteland.[12]
By 2281, the Lonesome Drifter started to tire of the nomadic lifestyle, realizing that his quest will likely end in failure. Camping out on the shores of the El Dorado Dry Lake southeast of New Vegas, he spends his days pondering his options and considering ways to settle down for good.[13]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- Talent Pool: The Courier has been tasked to recruit an act for Tommy Torini's Aces Theater located within The Tops casino.
Effects of player's actions[]
- After recruiting him for the Aces, he can be seen at 10 PM and plays the songs "Streets of New Reno," "Home on the Wastes" or "New Vegas Valley."
- Passing a 50 Barter skill check when recruiting him during Talent Pool will convince him to gift the Mysterious Magnum to the player character.
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator duster Sheriff's hat |
Mysterious Magnum | Acoustic guitar Vegas gate key* |
- * Added to his inventory after giving Tommy Torini's business card to the drifter in Talent Pool.
Notes[]
- Failing the Barter check during Talent Pool will lead to the Mysterious Magnum becoming unobtainable without killing the Lonesome Drifter, which fails the quest.
- If a fire ant from the nearby location of El Dorado Dry Lake follows the Courier to where the Lonesome Drifter resides, the ant will not attack him, and he will simply run in the opposite direction until the ant dies.
- If one takes the Mysterious Stranger perk and it activates once the Lonesome Drifter is targeted in V.A.T.S., the Mysterious Stranger will always attack and kill him.
- Despite the Drifter's outfit being explicitly identified in the game files as the Regulator duster, it is never confirmed in-game if it means he is actually associated with, or a member of the Regulators encountered in the Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3.
Appearances[]
The Lonesome Drifter appears in Fallout: New Vegas and is mentioned in its add-on Honest Hearts.
Behind the scenes[]
Joshua Sawyer stated in a forum post that he wishes they had time to hard-code the Mysterious Stranger to turn on the player character if attempting to use V.A.T.S to kill the Lonesome Drifter, further confirming their connection.[14]
Bugs[]
If the player character kills or is caught stealing from him, they will lose reputation from the Strip, even if the Lonesome Drifter hasn't yet been recruited in the quest Talent Pool. [verified]- Sometimes when it is his time to perform on stage, he will play his guitar and the music will play as normal, but he will not leave his seat. [verified]
- After completing Talent Pool, if one kills The Lonesome Drifter, the cycle in which The Aces Theater runs on will be broken. Whoever performs onstage next will do so constantly, meaning nobody else will EVER perform except them. [verified]
- Sometimes he will start running randomly in the El Dorado Dry Lake. [verified]
Gallery[]
References[]
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