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It's not my place to say much, Walter thinks this is a man's job. I swear, I won't see the day he'll get over that Heck Gunderson.Ethel Phebus

Pheeble Will is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Pheeble Will 
Speak with Walter Phebus outside the Las Vegas Boulevard Station on the Strip;
choose the 7 Perception attribute check to find out his real motive. 
Agree to help Walter get his revenge on Heck Gunderson;
pass a 70 Barter check to receive 400 caps upfront. 
Speak with Ethel Phebus
Pass a 75 Speech check to convince Walter to abandon his revenge and leave with his wife. 
Reward: 375 XP 
Speak with Heck Gunderson in the Ultra-Luxe about his missing son and trigger Beyond the Beef
Return to Walter. 
Kill only Heck Gunderson. 
Kill only Ted Gunderson. 
Kill both Heck and Ted. 
Reward: 100 XP
500 caps (1000 with 90 Barter) 
Reward: 100 XP
250 caps (500 with 80 Barter) 
Reward: 200 XP
1500 caps 

Detailed walkthrough[]

The quest is started by entering the middle section of the New Vegas Strip (where one finds the entrance to the Tops during Ring-a-Ding-Ding!) and looking on the west side, near the Las Vegas Boulevard Station. At the foot of the stairs, a rancher couple are sitting on some nearby benches, Ethel and Walter Phebus. Speaking to the latter, he initially is cagey about their reasons for coming to New Vegas, but choosing a 7 Perception attribute check gets him to reveal that he and his wife came all the way from New California in order to track down Heck Gunderson, a wealthy and notorious brahmin baron; asking Walter more questions reveals that the Phebus ranch was taken over by Heck through underhanded methods and Walter sees no alternative but to take him out the "old-fashioned" way. Before agreeing to help, one can pass a 70 Barter skill check to receive 400 caps upfront, with more after they get results.

Alternatively, one can also speak to Ethel who laments the loss of their ranch but doesn't want her husband to go down the dark path of vengeance and requests the player character try to persuade him to let the matter go. Speaking with Walter again and passing a 75 Speech check will successfully convince him to abandon his revenge and return home with his wife, completing the quest and garnering 375 XP but no caps.

Cold, hard revenge[]

Enter the nearby Ultra-Luxe and agree to disarm for the greeter (optionally keeping any holdout weapons). Heck Gunderson can be found sitting at the circular bar in the middle of the casino floor, accompanied by a Gunderson hired hand. Speaking with him, one will learn through questioning that while he initially came to the casino to do business with the governing White Glove Society, shortly after, his son, Ted Gunderson went missing and he wants answers and to find his lost family. Offering to help find Ted will trigger the side quest Beyond the Beef.

If one still wishes to help Walter in his revenge, after returning with information, the rancher will be delighted to see Heck Gunderson suffering but still desires to see the deed done. There will now be three options on how to carry out his revenge, all of them intertwined with the above quest:

  • If Ted Gunderson is killed, Walter will pay the player 250 caps (500 with 80 Barter) and complete the quest for 100 XP.
  • If Heck Gunderson is killed, Walter will pay the player 500 caps (1,000 with a 90 Barter) and complete the quest for 100 XP.
  • If one succeeds in killing both Heck and Ted, Walter will pay them 1,500 caps (no check required) and complete the quest for 200 XP.

Note: One can still choose to kill only one of them even if the player character can't pass the required Barter check, it will only result in earning fewer caps.

Note: The choice to kill only Heck Gunderson or both Ted and his father is less consequential if the player character is siding with the Legion, since one will be able to finish this quest without missing a portion of Render Unto Caesar.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Find out the purpose behind Heck Gunderson's visit to the Ultra-Luxe.
15 Talk to Walter Phebus about Heck Gunderson's demise.
20 Heck Gunderson is looking for his disappeared son. Talk to Walter Phebus about this.
25 (Optional) Ethel Phebus wants her husband, Walter, to forget about Heck Gunderson and return to their ranch. (Requires Speech check of 75, end of quest if this option is chosen)
29 Talk to Walter Phebus when you are ready to help him
30 Take care of Ted Gunderson for Walter Phebus
40 Take care of Heck Gunderson for Walter Phebus
50 Take care of both Heck, and Ted Gunderson, for Walter Phebus.
55Quest finishedTed's dead. Take care of Heck Gunderson
60 Ted's a goner. Talk to Walter about this.
65 Heck's dead. Take care of Ted Gunderson.
70 Heck Gunderson's dead. Talk to Walter about this.
80 Heck, and Ted, Gunderson are taken care of. Talk to Walter about this.
90 Walter has let go of his will for revenge, and will return to the ranch with Ethel.
100 Walter's dead. You can't help him, or Ethel, any longer.
110 Ethel's dead. You can't help her, or Walter, any longer.
120 Walter was happy to hear of Heck Gunderson's demise. He decided to take Ethel back to their home.
125 Against Ethel's will, Walter was happy to hear of Heck Gunderson's demise. He decided to take Ethel back to their home.
127 Walter was happy about Heck Gunderson's suffering, although he lamented Ted's death. He decided to take Ethel back to their home.
130Quest finishedThe Gundersons are dealt with. Walter was happy to hear the news, and took Ethel back to their home.

Notes[]

  • Bringing Ted Gunderson to Heck Gunderson during Beyond the Beef and talking to Heck will fail this quest and result in Walter and Ethel disappearing from the Strip, even if Heck is killed immediately after.
  • If one brings Ted back to Heck and then kills Heck, the White Glove Society will shun them, however, Heck's hired gun will help fight them if they turn hostile.
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Cut contentCut questsAuto-Inject Quest · Bright and Shiny · Chip Provenance · Debug Topics · Exploring Vault 74 · Jailhouse Rock · Meat of Champions (quest) · TempMan · Underpass Water Purifier · Viva Las Vegas! · Welcome to Fabulous New Vegas · World Changes Post-Endgame
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre · Return to the FountainCut content
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse