Veronica Renata Santangelo[Non-game 1] is a member of the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, serving as a journeyman scribe, where she presently resides at the 188 Trading Post in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas. She is a possible companion of the Courier.
Quick Answers
Where can you find Veronica Santangelo in Fallout: New Vegas?
What is Veronica Santangelo's role in the Brotherhood of Steel?
Who were Veronica Santangelo's parents in Fallout: New Vegas?
What is the Veronica quest in Fallout: New Vegas?
Who is Veronica Church Arcade in Fallout: New Vegas?
Background
Early life
Veronica was born into the Brotherhood, like virtually every member of the organization in the 23rd century. Her father was a paladin and her mother a scribe. Both were killed in the same battle with the New California Republic while she was still a child, and she was brought up by the whole Brotherhood as a result. Father Elijah took a keen interest in her education, becoming her tutor and eventually a parental figure (or the next best thing; Veronica never had a grandfather and Elijah was what she imagined one would be like).[1]
From a very young age (before she was even able to speak, according to her), she demonstrated an aptitude for engineering, taking things apart and putting them back together. This drive and natural curiosity led her to choose the career of a scribe within the Brotherhood, turning her from a tinkerer into an engineering prodigy, in no small part thanks to Elijah's guidance.[2] His technological genius rubbed off on her in many ways,[3] but perhaps the most important thing he taught her was irreverence for dogma and authority. His years-long bickering with the elder council taught her to question the Brotherhood's direction.[4]
As an adolescent, Veronica fell in love with Christine Royce,[Non-game 2] another scribe.[5] However, their budding relationship was frowned upon by some members of the Brotherhood, who believed that the limited numbers of the order mean that everyone is obligated to procreate. Eventually, Christine's parents prevailed and she left the Brotherhood to put distance between her and her parents. Veronica was unable to convince her to stay and could not bring herself to abandon the order.[6][7][Non-game 3][Non-game 4] She never realized the truth: It was Elijah who was responsible for the breakup, using his status to break them apart. She never learned that Christine did not actually leave the Brotherhood either; instead finding new purpose as a member of the Circle of Steel.[8]
Journey to the East
Unwilling to leave the Brotherhood behind, when it was Veronica's turn to make the decision, she chose to remain. She believed in what the Brotherhood stood for, or at least the values at the heart of their beliefs.[9] Elijah's influence also played a role. When the Council decided to deal with him by promoting him out of the way, assigning him to investigate Hoover Dam in Nevada,[10] he asked her to join him in founding a new chapter. He tricked the elders into approving the assignment, concealing the fact from Veronica.[11]
At first, Veronica was elated to join her foster parent on such an important expedition. However, when Elijah sidetracked the chapter at HELIOS One, she started having doubts.[4] Although she was his confidante, trusted with recovery runs and intel he would not share with anyone else,[12] she started seeing his nasty character flaws, beginning with obfuscation: He never told her why he had her looking for various pieces of technology.[13] The biggest change came in 2274, when news of the NCR's deployment to Hoover Dam reached the chapter at HELIOS. The elder flew into a rage, calling the NCR children playing with a bomb. It was then that Veronica realized he was not mad because of what he could do with the dam, but rather, being denied its power.[4]
Despite her relationship with Elijah, she was still a 20 year old scribe with no ability to influence the direction of the Brotherhood. She watched powerlessly as the chapter waged a guerrilla war against the NCR over the next two years. During Operation: Sunburst, the chapter lost half their members, but Veronica survived.[14]
Life after HELIOS
Veronica and Elder McNamara in I Could Make You Care
As the Brotherhood under the newly appointed elder, Nolan McNamara, entered a protracted lockdown to protect themselves from the NCR's Army and Rangers and rebuild its strength, Veronica became an outspoken critic of the Brotherhood's policies. Her difficult questions combined with her status as a veteran of HELIOS One made the leadership uncomfortable. To keep her away from the elder and the bunker heads, she was designated a procurement specialist and permitted outside the bunker to make regular supply runs and obtain provisions and other necessities for her peers.[13][Non-game 5] She was keenly aware of the reasons behind her new assignment, made even more frustrating by the fact that she got along with other members well as long as Brotherhood politics were not involved.[15]
Some exceptions include Head Scribe Lars Taggart, who tutored her and grew to dislike her attitude,[16][17] Head Paladin Edgar Hardin, a hardliner, and Senior Initiate Melissa Watkins, likely for the same reasons Senior Scribe Linda Schuler dislikes the initiate.[18] On the other hand, she gets on particularly well with Senior Paladin Ramos, who has a soft spot for Veronica's antics,[19] Scribe Ibsen, Knight Torres[20][21] and the aforementioned Scribe Schuler.[22]
Being a journeyman scribe, Veronica is responsible for acquiring supplies for the Hidden Valley bunker along with the other duties of a scribe, but relishes her time above ground and to explore life outside of the bunker (as everyone is glad to have her out of the bunker). However, Veronica has become increasingly irritated by what she sees in the Brotherhood of Steel's strict adherence to the Codex[23] and its unrealistic and uninformed views of themselves and the world. Veronica is a perpetual outsider caught between her loyalty to the Brotherhood and troubling doubts about the validity of their current course. The frequency of her visits to the outside has Veronica eager to take first chance to explore and learn about the various groups of the Mojave Wasteland, hoping for insight on a world view that is not from a bunker.[24]
While her absence from the bunker did keep her out of command's hair, her exposure to the outside world only made her more aware of the Brotherhood's failure. Watching the influx of NCR troops, merchants, and citizens to the Mojave made her realize how it failed to adapt. The Brotherhood wanted to seize military technology, to control it so that it could not destroy humanity again. The single-minded pursuit of this goal resulted in stagnation, a failure to adapt to the shifting landscape of the wastes. The NCR had an army, a nation, and controlled the dam. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood was stuck in a glorified hole in the ground, unable to carry out its mission.[25] Yet it still refused to change, to start helping people and serve humanity, rather than itself.[26]
To Veronica, it did not take a scribe to realize that the Brotherhood was doomed in the long run.[27] Even with laser rifles and power armor, the Brotherhood was fast running out of people to bear these arms into combat,[28] and as their power waned, their competitors' waxed. Without a radical course correction, she was staring at a lifetime of scavenging and watching her friends die pointlessly in lost battles.[29]
Changes
By 2281, five years after the fall of HELIOS One, Veronica is at her wits' end. Increasingly torn between loyalty to her friends and unwillingness to join them on the funeral pyre of the order, she seeks to learn from the thriving cultures of the wasteland as she collects supplies for the bunker. She hopes to find some sort of solution that could help save the Brotherhood, but her irreverent attitude puts her dangerously close to outright banishment.[30] Even Elder McNamara, the most progressive member of the chapter after Veronica, is unwilling to bend on what he considers the Brotherhood's core beliefs.[31]
The fact that she received a curious note from Father Elijah does not help.[32] The letter from this ghost of her past indicated a delusional, unstable personality, claiming to have the salvation the doomed Brotherhood needed. The familiar signature made it plain that it came from Elijah and only strengthened her resolve to try a solution that didn't involve wiping the slate clean.[33]
Although she focuses on finding something to force the Brotherhood to change, she also has personal goals to keep her sane. Chief among these is finding a proper dress for herself, something that would allow her to feel like a woman once in a while. She hopes to find a designer gown one day, but until then, she keeps looking.[34]
Personality
Veronica is a dedicated, loyal, but frustrated member of the Brotherhood. She views the Brotherhood as her family first and foremost, for good or for ill, since she was raised communally with the death of her parents in the war with the NCR. She was particularly close to Elder Elijah, who took her on as his personal protege, but this relationship became strained as Elijah grew obsessed with uncovering the secrets of HELIOS One and overcommitted resources to its defense. All for what Veronica would later refer to as "glorified artillery."
Veronica was also frustrated when her lesbian relationship with Christine Royce was forced apart by what she believed to be Brotherhood pressure to seek relationships that would result in "reproduction," but also was due to Elijah's machinations.
The young girl became a loud and frequent critic of the Brotherhood's isolationism and adherence to tradition, pointing out that reform was needed since the days of the old wasteland as simply a suit of power armor and a plasma rifle was not enough to reign supreme anymore. This was a fact that was blatantly obvious to her with the sound defeats they suffered against the NCR. Instead, the Brotherhood chose to simply hide in their bunkers and try to outlive their opponents. These loud critiques isolated her from the conservative leadership that refused to even entertain the thought of reform, and so her duties shifted to being the resident "grocer" that would requisition supplies for Hidden Valley anonymously. This job kept Veronica occupied and out of the bunker, while allowing her to interact with surfacers and attempt to learn their ways.
Stubbornly, however, Veronica would insist on making her case for reform, and believed that if she could just showcase the right evidence to the Elders on a major technological blindsight the Brotherhood had missed that she could convince them on the need to change their ways. However, her journey is completely for naught as she ultimately realizes the Brotherhood would choose extinction over breaking with a dying tradition. The revelation devastates her, and she is left with little comfort, and struggles to reconcile her love for the Brotherhood with their intractable stubbornness.
As a response to all these stresses, Veronica has a sharp wit and a sarcastic sense of humor, trying to maintain a chipper attitude, but this belies the seriousness of which she pursues her goals.
Veronica is open about her preference for women, and particularly idolizes feminine women with beautiful dresses of the pre-War era. However she shows no interest in the Courier regardless of their gender or orientation.
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed. Hardcore mode | |
 |
This character is a permanent companion. They grant the Scribe Assistant perk. | |
 |
This character starts quests. | |
 |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests
- Beyond the Beef: The player character can offer Veronica to Mortimer as a substitute for Ted Gunderson for the banquet.
- I Could Make You Care: Veronica will ask the Courier to take her to Hidden Valley, where she will talk to the Elder about the Brotherhood's collapse, and how it will need to grow and change to stay alive. Veronica then asks the player character to find some technology to convince the Elder.
- If Veronica is convinced to leave, the Courier will have to go to the Follower's outpost and talk to Alvarez about getting her to join the Followers of the Apocalypse, but the doctor who decides who joins the Followers is out for the day. This will require a day's wait, after which a few rogue paladins are found to have destroyed the outpost, killing everyone. She then blames herself for what happens. Afterward, she earns the Causeless Rebel perk, giving her a 30% increased attack rate.
- If she decides to stay, the quest is completed and she will gain the Bonds of Steel perk, giving her +4 DT.
- You Make Me Feel Like a Woman: Veronica has a long-held dream of wearing a dress. Giving her formal wear, White Glove Society attire, Vera's outfit or a dapper gambler suit will make her very happy, and in return she will teach the special unarmed move, Scribe Counter. The attire can be removed from her inventory without penalty after learning the Scribe Counter.
Effects of player's actions
- If the Courier talks negatively about the Brotherhood when first conversing with Veronica, she will refuse to join up as a companion, and further attempts to talk to her will yield only one dialogue option: "Goodbye."
- If the player character has destroyed the Brotherhood bunker in Hidden Valley before recruiting Veronica, she will ask what they know about the Brotherhood when they meet at the 188 Trading Post. Telling her about destroying the Brotherhood will cause her to express shock and lead her to say, "Well in that case: This is for them," and attack.
- Becoming Vilified with the Brotherhood of Steel causes Veronica to quit as a companion. However, it seems that even with a reputation as low as Merciful Thug, she will happily continue as a companion. She will remain a companion upon the destruction of the Hidden Valley bunker, although she warns that it is the Courier's last chance, similar to what happens with Craig Boone after working too closely with the Legion, or Rose of Sharon Cassidy after gaining negative Karma with her as a companion. Destroying the Brotherhood of Steel by activating the bunker's self-destruction option will drop the reputation to Vilified, making Veronica leave the party even if she chose to leave the Brotherhood in her companion quest. Killing all the Brotherhood members without activating the self-destruction option is much less likely to make this happen, as it results in little to no loss of reputation. It is also possible for her to stay as a companion should the Courier complete all Brotherhood of Steel faction quests in their favor, make her leave the Brotherhood, and destroy them without killing any members.
- Veronica will enable access to Hidden Valley on much friendlier terms without being stripped of gear, having an Explosive collar put on, and having to get rid of Ranger Dobson from one of the bunkers.
- Completing her companion quest in favor of the Followers of the Apocalypse causes Veronica not to enter the Brotherhood bunker anymore. As a companion, she will always wait outside the entrance.
- Equipping NCR faction armor while Veronica is a companion may lead her to issue her "last chance" warning.
Other interactions
Giving Veronica the following dress-type items:
may complete the quest You Make Me Feel Like a Woman (See the quest for full details and bugs) and will make her say one of the following lines randomly:
- "Aw, you shouldn't have. It's just my taste. Thank you."
- "Hey, a dress! Thank you! I'm totally trying this on later."
- "<Gasps!> For me? Do you mean it? No, no it's too much. Well Okay. But it's too much. It's perfect. Thank you. Thank you."
- "I wish I had something I could give you. I-Wait! What about punching? That's the gift that keeps on giving."
Companion
- Veronica can be recruited at the 188 Trading Post by simply talking to her. As long as the player character does not make themselves out to be an enemy of the Brotherhood, she will ask if she can join their party and reveal her association with the order once she is accepted.
- If the player character destroys Hidden Valley before recruiting her, the player character will be able to reveal that they are responsible for the chapter's destruction. Veronica will immediately attack, to avenge her lost family.
- She is a follower focused on unarmed combat and benefits greatly from heavy armor and high end unarmed gear. However, this also puts her at risk when confronting deathclaws and the like. In her ranged mode, Veronica is a capable user of Energy Weapons.
- As with other companions, Veronica will pick weapons according to their damage per second (i.e. the best weapons in inventory). For unarmed weapons, this will generally mean Fist of Rawr and Saturnite fist super-heated, followed by Pushy, Love and Hate, Embrace of the Mantis King! (GRA) and Displacer glove (depending on their condition). Veronica will not equip an industrial hand since it's marked as a player-only weapon.
- Veronica will wear Brotherhood power armor, such as the one found on dead paladins at Black Mountain, REPCONN or near Nellis.
- As with other companions, she offers a special perk: As long as she's in the party, the player character can talk to her and activate a workbench interface anywhere in the world, as she can help them craft with her own tools and expertise.
- This advantage is nullified by the additional options provided by ED-E after playing through Lonesome Road and unlocking its workbench and reloading tools.
- Veronica will leave the player character's party if their reputation with the Brotherhood drops to Vilified at any point. She will stay on board with it as low as Merciful Thug, but will warn that it is the player character's last chance. She will leave if the reputation drops further.
- Alternatively, completing the quests Pistol Packing, Still in the Dark (favoring McNamara), and Eyesight to the Blind for the Brotherhood will earn enough positive favor with them that activating the bunker self-destruct will only drop reputation to Soft-Hearted Devil, after which Veronica will stay.
- If she quits as a companion, she will not return any gear she is carrying or using.
- Unlike other companions, Veronica will not object to being sent to Lucky 38. However, as with other non-player characters, she will collect and consume any food and drink left in the suite, including in containers. The scripts tied to special Nuka-Colas and the like will apply visual effects to the player should she consume them.
- Like ED-E, Veronica will not die, regardless of any difficulty, unless the Brotherhood of Steel quests have started.
Non-player character comments
- Nightkin: "Book girl has hard decision to make."
- NCR civilians: "Your lady friend seems out of place here."
- NCR tourist: "Your friend seems too civilized for a place like this."
- Boomers: "I can spot a Brotherhood spy from a thousand yards. Even the cute ones."
- Brotherhood of Steel: "If you're planning to take Veronica with you, be sure to have a good pair of earplugs with you. I'm kidding, Veronica! Put the power fist down!"; "Keep an eye on Veronica here. She's a sharp one."; "Try to keep Veronica out of trouble, would you?"
- Powder Gangers: "Now there's a fine-looking woman. Just needs to ditch the robe."
- Great Khans: "Your friend's cute - is she single?"
- Followers: "I didn't know the Brotherhood had any people out here."
- Freesiders: "Your lady friend needs to lighten up."
- The Kings: "Your girl's kinda cute, but not my type at all. I don't go for smart chicks."
- Omertas: "Let me know if the pretty lady with you is looking for some work."
- Outer Vegas denizens: "Your friend's not from the desert, is she?"
Endings
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
At odds with leadership over the Brotherhood's future, Veronica looked to the Mojave Wasteland for an answer both she and they could live with. But the answer would never come, and the dangers of the world that had left the Brotherhood of Steel behind would eventually claim her life. |
Veronica dies. (Will override all other endings) |
| 2 |  |
Hoping to lead the Mojave Brotherhood down a new path, Veronica sought to learn from the thriving cultures of the desert. Absent a firm solution, Veronica's expression of frustration with Brotherhood leadership would lead to her banishment. She ended her days a wandering tinker. |
Do not complete I Could Make You Care. |
| 3 | |
Despite her departure from the group, the Brotherhood's peace treaty with NCR came as some relief to Veronica. Though she remained friendly with surface patrols, she was never again permitted to enter the bunker she once called home. Fearing for the safety of anyone she associated with, she continued her solitary life as a scavenger. But reports would emerge from Mojave scientists and social workers of old equipment miraculously repaired and research notes mysteriously completed. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to join the Followers of the Apocalypse. Form a truce between the Brotherhood of Steel and the NCR during the quest For the Republic, Part 2. |
| 4 | |
Though she'd seen the writing on the wall, the destruction of the Mojave Brotherhood came far more suddenly than Veronica had expected. The news devastated her. Despite her best efforts to leave her past behind, she found herself compelled to make one final journey to Hidden Valley. There, she paid her last respects to the only family she had ever known. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to join the Followers of the Apocalypse. Destroy the Brotherhood of Steel in the Hidden Valley bunker. |
| 5 | |
The Brotherhood's open aggression along the New Vegas highways troubled Veronica greatly. Nevertheless, it removed all doubt from her mind that in leaving them she had made the right choice. Eventually she would take to the road, less in hopes of finding a new home than of leaving memories of the old one behind her. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to join the Followers of the Apocalypse. Complete No Gods, No Masters. |
| 6 | |
The peace with NCR served to ease Veronica's worries about the Brotherhood's immediate future. Still, a distance had arisen between her and her fellow members that would never be bridged. She began secluding herself in crumbling libraries of the Old World, learning of promising technologies she knew the Brotherhood would never adopt. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to stay with the Brotherhood of Steel. Form a truce between the Brotherhood of Steel and the NCR during the quest For the Republic, Part 2. |
| 7 | |
The death of the Mojave Brotherhood came much too soon for Veronica, and in their absence, she felt truly lost. Yet in its wake, she took small comfort in her decision to remain by their side through their few remaining days. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to stay with the Brotherhood. Destroy the bunker in any quest. |
| 8 | |
Veronica put her moral sensibilities aside and supported the Brotherhood's new campaign of aggression as best she could. Yet deep down, she understood that it meant their end would surely be soon to follow. |
Complete I Could Make You Care by encouraging Veronica to stay with the Brotherhood, do not destroy the Hidden Valley bunker and complete No Gods, No Masters. Do not form a truce between the Brotherhood of Steel and the NCR. |
Dead Money
After completion of Dead Money, the Courier can retrieve Elijah's holomessage from his terminal in the abandoned BoS bunker and give it to Veronica, but only after exhausting all of Veronica's dialogue options regarding Father Elijah. In the same conversation, the Courier can choose to keep the holotape's knowledge instead, gaining the perk Elijah's Ramblings. Giving Veronica the message will give her the perk Elijah's Last Words.
Inventory
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veronica's hood Veronica's armored robes |
Veronica's power fist Veronica's 10mm pistol |
Random food, miscellaneous items or ammo. |
Notes
- Veronica is openly lesbian. Asking her "Have you ever been in love?" will lead her to talk about her formative years, and how she'd been romantically involved with Christine Royce, who chose to leave the Brotherhood behind after Father Elijah split them up, and when her parents' insistence that she be in a heterosexual relationship became too much. When a male character discussing follower tactics asks her to stay close, she makes the comment "This is as close as I get until you turn into a leggy brunette." Likewise, if a female Courier tells her to stay close to her, she will say, "Hey now, you're going to have to buy me dinner first."
- Veronica receives a fair amount of commentary from non-player characters and can be seen talking (though there is no audio dialogue) with non-player characters from all non-hostile factions.
- Both male and female characters from non-hostile factions will comment on Veronica's attractiveness, particularly Powder Gangers, Great Khans, the Kings, and even female Fiends.
- Veronica and Melissa Watkins seem to have a form of rivalry with each other, as they exchange snide comments when encountering each other.
- Veronica seems to be shy about showing her hair, as she is always wearing her hood when no other headgear is provided. Apprentice Watkins will even comment on this when walking through the VR Simulation area of the bunker. Veronica will first say, "I almost don't notice your lazy eye any more, Watkins," to which Watkins will retort, "I see you're still hiding your hair."
Veronica will wear a breathing mask if one is given to her, which gives a full view of her hair. Likewise, Veronica will wear Ulysses' mask, which also gives a full view of her hair.
See also the bugs section regarding lobotomite goggles.
- Veronica will still "open" the door to the bunker when visiting it with her for the first time even if the player character has already gained access by dealing with the NCR Ranger, leading to a rather amusing situation where Veronica asks the intercom to unlock an already opened door.
- When talking to Veronica about the Brotherhood and its past disagreements between its members on using their technology to protect wastelanders, she will mention that "one chapter had a small civil war over it," referring to the conflict between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Brotherhood Outcasts in the Capital Wasteland.
- If she is low on health, she will comment on how she would rather have been an actress. She will also ask to be buried in a dress, showing her fondness for dresses even further.
- Doing all of the Brotherhood's quests before recruiting Veronica makes it impossible for her to get either of her own perks. As a result, her ending will not show once the game is finished.
- Asking The Forecaster about "Here" will lead him to say (about Veronica) "Forecast: Cloudy, with a chance of friendship."[35]
- Being a Brotherhood paladin gives no extra dialogue when first meeting Veronica.
- Apparently, Veronica likes Fancy Lads Snack Cakes, as she sometimes says she wants a lifetime supply of them.
- Being caught pickpocketing Elder McNamara with Veronica in tow will lead her to kill any and all hostile characters. Although this does not cause loss of Karma or Brotherhood reputation, they will remain hostile indefinitely, making quests unavailable.
- As with other non-player characters, Veronica will appear bald if wearing the atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator or the valence radii-accentuator from Old World Blues.
Notable quotes
- "Well, thanks for taking a chance on a naive young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her hand."
- "Great. Thanks. Thank you. I'll encourage people to name their non-ugly children after you. Seriously."
- "Sorry about that. Just because I love them doesn't mean some of them aren't assholes."
- "Ooo. Got something good for me? Is it a dress?"
- "You're making me carry the heavy stuff, aren't you?"
- "Does jumping at them with my fists count as ranged? <Sighs> Fine."
- "Yes! Finally. Everything's coming up Veronica."
- "Probably die of natural causes eventually anyway."
- "Holy hell, that's a lot of energy weapons. Guess we dropped the ball on that one."
- "Hey, you try getting a date wearing Scribe robes. Might as well be wearing sweatpants."
- "You know, I've been thinking. The real problem with the Brotherhood is that we isolate ourselves. Our training is top-notch, our technology gives us an advantage, but when it all comes down to it, we're losing because we shun the outside world. We always make enemies, never allies. We refuse to recruit outsiders, or see the value in their simpler technologies."
- "But... you don't have a "this is good news" expression on your face."
- "He was dead when I got there."
- "Look at the Followers of the Apocalypse. They use their expertise to improve people's lives. They train them to be self-sufficient. That expertise cultivates respect and gratitude. Spreads their ideals. Draws talent to their cause. They make friends like we make enemies. But they don't know a fraction of what we know. If we took on their role, we could stand up to anyone. We wouldn't have to hide."
- "What'd you think of Mr. House? I was surprised he only had the two robot sex slaves."
- "Wow. I've got to admit, you have completely defied my first impression of you. Eye lasers. I'll be sure and look out for that next time."
- "A lifetime supply of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes, revenge against my enemies, and world peace. In that order."
- "Do me a favor. Make sure they bury me in a nice dress."
- "This better not be about the meaning of life."
- "Ooo, do I get a prize if I answer right?"
- "It doesn't matter. He died when we all retreated to Hidden Valley. I didn't expect to see him again, no one did."
- "That was... that was hard to watch. The parts I understood? Didn't matter. Past all the garbage, all it amounted to was goodbye."
Appearances
Veronica Santangelo appears in Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.
Behind the scenes
Veronica's voice actress, Felicia Day, in the voiceover booth
- Veronica was written by Eric Fenstermaker.[Non-game 6]
- Veronica is voiced by Felicia Day, who was nominated for "Best Performance by a Human Female" at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards for her performance as Veronica.
- In localized versions of the game, Veronica's voice is dubbed by Marie Chevalot (French), Yūko Kaida (Japanese) and Conchi López (Spanish).
- If asked about her personal life, she might mention "I was young and needed the money." This quote is similar to when the Chosen One (as a Porn Star) says to Ethyl Wright: "Look, I was young and needed the money."
Developer quotes
I cannot speak for Chris Avellone (who wrote and directed Dead Money), but I believe we were limited by time/scheduling. Veronica was written and recorded for the base New Vegas game with (IIRC) only a few hooks for Dead Money. I think reactions to Dead Money content itself would have required a more comprehensive level of (way) advanced planning, i.e., we would have needed to know exactly what Veronica was reacting to in Dead Money at the time that we recorded her for New Vegas.
Either that or we would have needed to book Felicia Day for more studio time during the development of Dead Money. That can also be difficult and expensive, especially since voice actors and studio time are generally booked in multiple hour blocks. It’s difficult to justify if the character is only saying two or three new lines.
It also gets a little messy when trying to decide where to draw the line. I think a lot of people would love to see some resolution between Christine and Veronica, but what about Caesar responding to the events of Honest Hearts? I wrote Joshua Graham and directed Honest Hearts, so I can speak more definitively to that. The limited reactivity Caesar could have about JG/HH wouldn’t really justify the expense of bringing John Doman back into the studio. And of course the new dialogue (minor as it might be) would still need to be tested. Caesar had one of the most complex dialogues in New Vegas, so it’s something we really tried to avoid messing with once the game shipped.
I know that might seem a little silly, but because recording expenses can be high and recording sessions typically happen late in development, it’s often safer to err on the side of caution.”— J.E. Sawyer on technical limitations behind the decision to not provide definite resolution for Christina and VeronicaI think Veronica is relatively happy (an important qualifier in setting where most things are miserable) and any tragedy in her ending slides has more to do with the state of the BoS than her personal relationships. Most other companions don’t speak of their romantic relationships. Arcade and Cassidy mention some in passing, but nothing in particular. Boone's wife is the source of a lot of personal anguish. You could make an argument that Boone’s or Veronica’s relationships are more tragic than the other, but both of them qualify as not good.”— Joshua Sawyer on Tumblr[Non-game 3]
Bugs
If you equip Brotherhood of Steel power armor inside Hidden Valley while Veronica is a follower, even if you are a "member" of the Brotherhood, she will react as if you have killed Brotherhood members, then repeatedly keep talking to you and saying "What?", every 3–8 seconds. Restarting your PC or console solves the problem. [verified]- After giving Veronica formal wear or White Glove Society attire, she may thank you and say she'll teach you an unarmed move, and the screen will fade out and in, but the perk won't be added. According to the GECK, the object that does the timing for the fade-out/in when she teaches the player the move is shared with the nine triggers used to start I Could Make You Care. The script for giving the move doesn't fully reset the object, so if any of the nine triggers have activated, she will no longer be able to give the perk. [verified]
- At Hidden Valley, she may glitch and stay at the intercom and the door to the bunker will become locked. In the PC version, the following commands can be used to fix this glitch: prid 000e32a9 then SayTo player HVVeronicaEnter. [verified]
- Sometimes she will randomly stop following the player after accessing her inventory. In the PC version, the following commands can be used to fix this glitch: prid 000e32a9, resurrect 1, disable, finally followed by enable. [verified]
- After completing I Could Make You Care, she may stop following, but can still be interacted with. The compass will have an extra quest arrow pointing at Gibson's shack even though the quest has been completed and the map won't have a marker on the location. She won't follow the player except for through certain loading doorways, upon which she will immediately initiate direct conversation. She won't move from this spot or attack any enemies. Even upon removing her as a companion and returning to the 188 Trading Post and re-enlisting her, she will still not move. This possibly has to do with the ending fight of her quest. You can also make her appear in Gibson's shack if you use the terminal to download the research notes. [verified]
- Going to Gibson's shack, Veronica will instantly appear when you enter. Use the computer and download the notes again. Walk outside and talk to her in normal dialogue, tell her again what tech you will go for, and end the conversation. This seems to reset her and she will start to follow you as normal.
- When you try to give Veronica a dress, she will sometimes act like you haven't given her the dress. A possible way to fix the bug is to have Veronica with you when you sit down and stand up from any chair. You may need to access her inventory after you stand up. She will then act like you have just given her the dress and will teach you the Scribe Counter unarmed move, even if you have already taken the dress out of her inventory earlier. [verified]
- If you don't ask her to join during your first conversation with her, it is possible that the dialogue option for her to join never appears after that. [verified]
- Veronica can occasionally become stuck at the Silver Rush in front of the gun supply after she activates one of the triggers for her quest. [verified]
- When exploring the underwater levels of Vault 11, Veronica may get stuck and will permanently disappear for the rest of the game. To avoid this, tell Veronica to wait before exploring the underwater levels. [verified]
- Sometimes, taking Veronica into the REPCONN test site offices level during the Come Fly With Me quest will cause Jason Bright to appear as hostile upon entry, and cause her to attack him without provocation. Telling her to wait outside the office entrance prevents this. [verified]
- When paying Dawes the caps to enter the NCR Correctional Facility, she will randomly attack Dawes when you get in, but the Powder Gangers will not be hostile. [verified]
- Sometimes, she will become trapped behind the first door (with a Very Hard lock) in Hidden Valley, rendering her unusable until the door can be locked. It will also prevent you from initiating dialogue with her, so you cannot use her to unlock the door. [verified]
- When the player buys Euclid's C-Finder from Max at Freeside while with Veronica, it might automatically activate the quest I Could Make You Care but leave it in a glitched state where it can't be completed. [verified]
- When initiating conversation via the companion wheel, Veronica will have two mouths; a regular mouth that remains stationary and a "ghost" mouth that will speak over the stationary mouth, while both are still visible. [verified]
- While in hardcore mode, Veronica can be of some use. A glitch can occur where she can carry infinite pounds of weight. This has worked with lighter objects like missiles or Nuka-Cola's when placed one at a time, but it doesn't seem to work if she is already over-encumbered. [verified]
- Veronica stops using her default power fist and equips a combat knife instead. Neither the power fist nor the combat knife shows up in her inventory, and giving her stronger melee weapons will not force her to switch. When waiting at the Lucky 38, she will walk around with her default power fist, however, as soon as you tell her to follow you, she will switch back to the combat knife. [verified]
- After destroying the Brotherhood bunker, Veronica will say how it is your last chance. After this, she will continuously engage in conversation with you and you have to dismiss her to the Lucky 38. [verified]
- NOTE: This will sometimes continue even if you revert to a previous save (prior to the destruction of the bunker)
- After fast traveling to a location, she will occasionally start running away as quickly as she can for no reason. To correct this either enter a building (that makes your game load a new area), fast travel to another location or wait for her to turn around. [verified]
- Sometimes when given a ballistic fist, Veronica will later start using her default pneumatic gauntlet and the ballistic fist will have disappeared from her inventory. At a later time, it is possible to recover the "lost" weapon which has spontaneously swapped to your inventory and become invisible. [verified]
- After giving Veronica her formal wear or White Glove Society dress, you may lose the option to tell her to go to the Lucky 38. [verified]
- Sometimes, when equipping Brotherhood power armor even outside of Hidden Valley, Veronica will become angered and accuse you of fighting the Brotherhood. [verified]
- If you add lobotomite goggles to Veronica's inventory, she will remove her hood and not put the goggles on at all. She will still wear glasses and other headwear, however. [verified]
- If you give Veronica either the Valence radii-accentuator or the Atomic-valence tri-radii-oscillator she will appear bald, losing her hair texture.
- Sometimes, Veronica's equipped weapon will disappear from her inventory when she is dismissed from your party. There is no way to get it back. This can be avoided by taking weapons from her before dismissing her. [verified]
- When giving her an unarmed weapon, the "wrist" part may disappear, leaving only the part covering the hand visible. [verified]
- If Lily and ED-E are followers she sometimes may act as a third follower after asking her to join. This applies to other human companions as well. [verified]
- Note that using the glitch above and then loading Old World Blues will cause her to follow you to Big MT. [verified]
- Sometimes, after leaving combat via fast travel, Veronica will still be in combat mode even when no enemies are around, rendering her unable to speak to you anymore. You can fix this by reentering combat.[verified]
- If given a power armor helmet while still having her hood in her inventory, Veronica will switch between the two at random, most often after location transitions and accessing her inventory.
Gallery
References
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Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 PlayStation Blog Meet the Companions Playstation Blog September 15, 2010 preview for Fallout: New Vegas
- ↑ Chris Avellone on Twitter November 19, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Frog Helm Fan Club on Veronica and Christine reactivity in Dead Money by Joshua Sawyer
- ↑ Helm Fan Club on Tragic Lesbian trope and by Joshua Sawyer
- ↑ Where do the brotherhood of steel get all their food from?
Joshua Sawyer: Veronica buys much of the HV BoS' food for them. That's essentially her job: acquiring things that the BoS cannot produce within Hidden Valley.
(Josh Sawyer on Formspring May 9, 2011) - ↑ Joshua Sawyer on Twitter: "Companions: Arcade (me), Boone (Fenstermaker), Cass (Avellone), ED-E (Hooper), Lily and Raul (Stout), Rex (Farrell), Veronica (Fenstermaker)."
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