Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas

Goodsprings Side Quests

Complete Goodsprings side quests in Fallout: New Vegas. Gain early experience, caps, and gear while learning combat, crafting, and reputation mechanics.

Goodsprings Side Quests

As the Courier's first stop after cheating death, the sleepy town of Goodsprings offers a handful of introductory quests. These not only provide valuable early-game experience, caps, and gear but also serve as excellent tutorials for core game mechanics like combat, crafting, and reputation. Your actions here will set your initial standing with both the Goodsprings locals and the volatile Powder Gangers.

Back in the Saddle

This quest serves as the game's official combat and shooting tutorial, triggered by speaking with Sunny Smiles after you leave Doc Mitchell's house.

Walkthrough

  1. Find Sunny Smiles in or around the Prospector Saloon. Ask her to teach you a few things about survival, and she'll agree to give you some gun training.
  2. She provides you with a Varmint Rifle and 50 rounds of 5.56mm ammo. Follow her behind the saloon.
  3. Objective 1: Target Practice. Shoot the three Sarsaparilla bottles on the fence as instructed.
  4. Objective 2: Pest Control. Follow Sunny east to the Goodsprings Wells. You will need to eliminate three Geckos that are threatening the water supply.
  5. Optional Objective: Rescue Settler. As you approach the wells, you'll find a Goodsprings settler trapped atop a water tower by more Geckos. Killing these Geckos will earn you extra Goodsprings reputation and a thank you from the settler.
  6. Speak with Sunny after all Geckos are defeated to complete the quest.

Rewards

  • 50 XP
  • Goodsprings Reputation increase
  • You get to keep the Varmint Rifle and any remaining ammo.

By a Campfire on the Trail

Immediately after completing "Back in the Saddle," you can speak to Sunny Smiles again to begin this crafting tutorial.

Walkthrough

  1. Ask Sunny Smiles about surviving in the desert, and she will offer to teach you about campfire crafting.
  2. Meet her at the campfire located near the ruins of the Goodsprings schoolhouse, just to the east.
  3. Objective 1: Gather Ingredients. Sunny tasks you with finding two key Mojave plants.
    • Xander Root: Found growing at the base of the large, burned-out tree right next to the schoolhouse.
    • Broc Flower: Found growing near the entrance to the Goodsprings Cemetery on the hill overlooking the town.
  4. Objective 2: Crafting. Return to the campfire and use the crafting interface to create a Healing Powder from the ingredients you gathered.
  5. Speak to Sunny one last time to complete the quest.

Rewards

  • 50 XP
  • 3 Healing Powders
  • Goodsprings Reputation increase

Ghost Town Gunfight

This is the major quest in Goodsprings, forcing you to choose a side in the conflict between the locals and a gang of Powder Gangers led by Joe Cobb. The quest begins after you speak with Joe Cobb in the saloon and then warn Trudy, or by speaking with Sunny after Ringo takes refuge in the gas station.

Path 1: Siding with Goodsprings

This path involves defending the town from the Powder Gangers and is the generally recommended route for a "good" karma playthrough.

  1. Speak to Ringo, who is hiding in the Goodsprings Gas Station. Agree to help him.
  2. Ringo will ask you to rally the townsfolk. You can recruit the following people:
    • Sunny Smiles: Agrees to help without any checks.
    • Trudy: Requires a Speech 25 check to join the fight.
    • Easy Pete: Requires an Explosives 25 check to provide you with 5 sticks of Dynamite.
    • Chet: Requires a Barter 25 check. He will give you Leather Armor and some ammo.
    • Doc Mitchell: Requires a Medicine 25 check to give you 3 Stimpaks.
  3. Once you're ready, speak to Ringo to begin the firefight.
  4. Defeat Joe Cobb and his five Powder Ganger allies as they attack the town. Use cover and let the townsfolk draw fire.
  5. After the battle, speak with Ringo to receive your reward.

Path 2: Siding with the Powder Gangers

This path involves helping Joe Cobb take over the town, permanently turning the locals hostile.

  1. Speak to Joe Cobb in the Prospector Saloon and agree to help his gang.
  2. Deal with Ringo: Cobb will ask you to take care of Ringo. You can either kill him or, with a Speech 25 check, intimidate him into fleeing without his gear.
  3. Get Supplies (Optional): You can shake down Chet with a Barter 25 check or Doc Mitchell with a Medicine 25 check for extra supplies.
  4. Return to Joe Cobb and tell him you are ready to attack the town.
  5. Help the Powder Gangers kill all the Goodsprings defenders, including Sunny Smiles, Trudy, and Easy Pete.
  6. Once the town is "pacified," talk to Joe Cobb to finish the quest.

Outcomes and Rewards

  • Siding with Goodsprings:
    • 100 XP
    • 100 Caps
    • Goodsprings Fame (Idolized)
    • Powder Gangers Infamy (Vilified)
    • The town remains friendly, and all vendors and services are available.
  • Siding with the Powder Gangers:
    • 100 XP
    • Caps and assorted loot from Joe Cobb
    • Powder Gangers Fame
    • Goodsprings Infamy (Vilified)
    • The town's named residents (except Doc Mitchell and Victor) will be killed, permanently removing them as vendors and quest-givers.
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