Happy Trails Expedition is the introductory quest in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts.
Quick walkthrough[]
Honest Hearts main quest: Happy Trails Expedition | |||||
Find Jed Masterson with the "Happy Trails Expedition Broadcast" from your Pip-boy and begin your journey to Zion Canyon. | |||||
Let Jed Masterson know you're ready to leave once you're traveling alone and carrying 75 (or 100) pounds or less. | |||||
Reward: 225 caps When We Remembered Zion Achievement/Trophy | |||||
Leads to: Arrival at Zion | |||||
Detailed walkthrough[]
Upon exiting Doc Mitchell's house in Goodsprings, if Honest Hearts is installed, the player character will receive a message about a new radio broadcast on the Pip-Boy, the Happy Trails Expedition Broadcast from Jed Masterson, talking about the Happy Trails Caravan Company looking for anyone with a Pip-Boy willing to join up with them for a journey through Zion Canyon on the way to New Canaan in Utah. Subsequently, the map marker for the northern passage, situated north of North Vegas Square, appears.
Traveling to the location and entering the cave at the base of the cliffside, the player character is directed via the quest marker to speak to Jed about joining the caravan. He will only allow them to travel with the caravan if they are traveling without (or are willing to dismiss) their companions and carry no more than 75 pounds in their inventory. One can increase the weight limit to 100 pounds by one of a few different methods:
- Pass one of several various speech checks with Ricky.
- Passing a 50 Survival skill check with Jed.
- Having the Strong Back or Pack Rat perks.
Along with Jed, there are four other characters in the cave that make up the Happy Trails expedition, though two of them are unnamed Happy Trails caravan guards with generic dialogue; the other two are Stella and Ricky. Stella can be asked about some of her background as a former sheriff of Caliente. Talking to Ricky begins an at-length conversation about his many "accomplishments" and by passing several associated skill checks (Survival, Guns, Science, etc.), one can call him out on his lies and be given a choice for what to do with him before the expedition leaves:
- "Persuade" him to leave, causing him to abandon the caravan and leave the northern passage.
- Promise to keep silent about his fabricated qualifications if he agrees to carry some of their gear, increasing the carry limit to 100 pounds (physically giving items to Ricky is not required).
Alternatively, one can also pass a 45 Medicine skill check to diagnose Ricky as a Psycho addict and open new story options:
- Convince him to leave the expedition before his stash runs out on the trail, resulting in the same as the first option above.
- Offer to sell him Psycho and Fixer for caps, 30 per hit of Psycho up to a maximum of ten hits, and one dose of Fixer for 80. Note: This does not prevent the above scenario with the other skill checks from being carried out to convince him to carry more gear or leave the caravan.
Once any companions have been dismissed and one's Carry Weight is at or below the limit (any items that must be left behind can be safely placed in the crate next to Jed), one must talk to Jed again to begin travelling to Zion Canyon. Completing this quest triggers the opening cutscenes for Honest Hearts and then Arrival at Zion.
Quest stages[]
Notes[]
- It is not possible to inflict damage upon any NPC's in the northern passage; attacking them has no effect, and they will not turn hostile.
- Starting the add-on requires lowering one's total Carry Weight below a set limit. After the add-on is complete, traveling back to Zion can be made with as much weight as desired.
- If Ricky leaves, he will be replaced by another guard with a hunting rifle during Arrival at Zion.
- The level cap increases when the add-on is installed, not when starting the quest.
- If Ricky is made to leave after telling him to carry some extra items, the new limit of 100 lbs. will remain.
- Jed has unique dialogue if one has previously interacted with Alice McLafferty at the Crimson Caravan Company:
- If Alice was already killed, either independently or as a result of choosing the violent path for Heartache by the Number, he will mention her death at the player character's hands and thank them for eliminating some of Happy Trails' competition.[1]
- If Alice is still alive and one has completed You Can Depend on Me and then Pressing Matters, he will recognize them as an associate of Crimson Caravan and question their decision to work with a smaller company.[2]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Jed Masterson: "Hang on - ain't you the one that wiped out the Crimson Caravan's Vegas branch not too long ago? Ought to thank you for that - knocking McLafferty out of the running gives Happy Trails a market to expand into."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue) - ↑ Jed Masterson: "Wait a minute, I recognize you. Yeah... you're Alice McLafferty's rising star, ain't you? You sure you want to be here? McLafferty's non-competes are pretty rigid."
(Jed Masterson's dialogue)
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