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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.

Bighorner rancher Walter Phebus and his wife, Ethel, have traveled to New Vegas on the trail of a big-name rancher/robber baron named Heck Gunderson. Walter is bent on revenge after losing land to Gunderson in a shady deal.

Warning: This quest is tied to Beyond the Beef, and depending on the actions of the player character, it is possible to fail one of the two quests.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Pheeble Will 
Talk to Walter Phebus, and pass a Perception check. 
Receive 400 caps for accepting his proposition with a Barter check. 
Persuade Walter to leave with a Speech check. 
Reward: 375 XP 
Leads to: Beyond the Beef 
Talk to Heck Gunderson
Report your findings back to Walter. 
Kill Heck. 
Kill Ted
Kill both Heck and Ted. 
Reward: 100 XP
500 caps (1000 with a Barter check) 
Reward: 100 XP
250 caps (500 with a Barter check) 
Reward: 200 XP
1500 caps 

Detailed walkthrough[]

Initiate conversation with Walter Phebus near the Las Vegas Boulevard Station to find that he has trailed Heck Gunderson to the Ultra-Luxe casino. Walter tells the Courier his troubles and requests that they find out why Heck is visiting the casino. With a Barter check of 70, the player character will receive 400 caps for accepting this quest. Ethel asks to persuade her husband to let the matter go. However, accomplishing Ethel's task requires a Speech check of 75. This will end the quest and reward the player character with 375 XP.

Speak with Heck Gunderson (accompanied by a bodyguard in the Ultra-Luxe casino) to find out that he is working out a food supply deal with the White Glove Society, and that his son, Ted Gunderson, is missing. Offering to help find Ted will initiate the quest Beyond the Beef, and finishing that quest by returning Ted alive will fail this quest. However, it is possible to finish both quests by making careful options.

If one wishes to help Walter in his revenge, after returning with one's findings he will be delighted to see Heck Gunderson suffering. There will now be three options on how to carry out his revenge. With a Barter check of 80, one can convince him that only killing Ted is enough and Heck will suffer more, in exchange for 500 caps. Failing the check only nets 250 caps. With a Barter check of 90, one can convince him that only killing Heck is enough for 1,000 caps. Failing that check only gives the player character 500 caps. The only other option is to kill BOTH Ted and Heck Gunderson (no check required). Remember though that one can still choose to kill only one of them even if the player character can't pass the required Barter check, one will just earn fewer caps.

  • If Ted Gunderson is killed, Walter will pay the player 250 caps (500 with a Barter of 80) and they will gain 100 XP.
  • If Heck Gunderson is killed, Walter will pay the player 500 caps (1,000 with a Barter of 90) and they will gain 100 XP.
  • If the player character succeeds in killing both Heck and Ted, Walter will pay them 1,500 caps and they will gain 200 XP.

Note: The choice to kill Heck Gunderson or both Ted and his father is less consequential if the player character is siding with the Legion, since the player character will be able to finish the 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. Walter and Ethel disappear, even if Heck is killed immediately after.
  • Oddly enough, 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 you fight them.
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 · Don't Poke at the Bear! · 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
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
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
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