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For other characters named Ben, see Ben. |
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Old Ben is a local living in Freeside in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background
Early Life
When Ben was young, his father ran a butcher shop in Freeside, which eventually went out of business after another vendor opened up in town, selling strange meat at a much lower price. After the closure of his shop, Ben's father passed away and soon after, people around Freeside who had bought the strange meat started experiencing abnormal shakes. These abnormal shakes were a common symptom of the consumption of human flesh, which Ben had suspected, but nobody would believe. Sometime later, the strange meat vendor died, and when someone moved into his place, they discovered human remains in a crawlspace. Ben then spent some time as a courier, making enough caps to get a passport into the New Vegas Strip.
The Strip
While visiting the Strip, Ben found a job working as a crier outside the Tops. As he was quite charismatic, Ben often chatted with the female talent at the casino. When one of these girls started to take an interest in him, her manager became jealous, and decided to get rid of Ben, accusing him of stealing from the casino vault. By coincidence, a few grand in caps was discovered missing and Ben was blamed; he believes the manager stole it and used him as a convenient scapegoat. Ben was kicked out of the Tops and lost all of his belongings as well as his casino apartment and was forced to return to the slums in Freeside.
Return to Freeside
With his reputation tarnished, and lacking many career options, Ben turned to being an escort. Regardless of the good pay, Ben felt used and "like a piece of meat," resulting in him quitting. With the money from the escort job, Ben was able to purchase the gear necessary to become a bodyguard. Already having the wits and physical build to handle Freeside's thugs, Ben had become a quite popular bodyguard, with many tourists choosing him as a guard for their trips into Freeside. After a while, Ben had regained his reputation as a decent guy and after a decade of working as a bodyguard, decided to retire.
By 2281, "Old" Ben squats in the area outside the entrance to the Strip. He passes the time trying to advise travelers to Vegas not to go near the gate without talking to the gatekeeper first as the robotic guards are programmed to vaporize anyone who enters the fenced-in area without proper authorization. If asked, he's also willing to relate stories of his colorful past careers.
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests
- Wang Dang Atomic Tango: When looking for a male escort, the Courier can choose between Ben and Santiago to be a "smooth talker" for the Atomic Wrangler Casino. Old Ben can be persuaded through either a Speech check or the Confirmed Bachelor/Black Widow perk.
Inventory
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grimy pre-War businesswear | .44 Magnum revolver |
Notes
- Killing him will result in Freeside infamy.
- Unlike Santiago, the player character cannot have sex with him after Wang Dang Atomic Tango has been completed.
- Old Ben, the King and Santiago permanently smile, even in combat.
Appearances
Old Ben appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes
Old Ben was created by area designer Robert Lee as an alternative option for the "suave talker" objective of Wang Dang Atomic Tango, as he realized many players would be turned off by Santiago. Additionally, Lee saw Old Ben as an opportunity to give a more human and grounded perspective on sex work as both trauma and therapy, especially in comparison to the more humorous Santiago. Old Ben's backstory was further fleshed out by lead creative designer John Gonzalez.[Non-game 1]
Bugs
He can sometimes, after you talk to him, run to the Strip's gate where he will be obliterated by the securitrons.[verified]- If you recruit Santiago and go to the Atomic Wrangler to tell James, then go back to Ben and pass the Speech check, you will be awarded 50 XP and he will run to the Atomic Wrangler. Then, when you go back to the Atomic Wrangler, you can speak to Ben again to pass the Speech check infinitely, earning 35 XP per check. You can also still use the Black Widow/Confirmed Bachelor perk. Speaking to James will not show the option to recruit Ben.[verified]
References
Non-game