In this guide we’ll show you everything there is to know about Modoc, a small farming community.
Introduction
As you head east from the Den towards Vault City, you’ll pass by the town of Modoc. This is a good place to stop for some fairly easy quests and xp.
While you’re exploring Main Street, every so often the game will pause, and you’ll see a message that a brahmin just took 80 damage and died. This is the work of the slaughterhouse on the eastern side.
You can pick up a pair of skill books on Main Street, both in the neighborhood of Grisham’s house: a First Aid Book in a bookcase inside the house, and Guns and Bullets on the ground in the outhouse behind the house.
Rose at the Bed & Breakfast will offer you a Wasteland Omelette that will completely heal you.
Quests & Opportunities
Here is a list of some of the quests and other opportunities in Modoc, each with a brief synopsis containing at least one way to solve it. The remaining ways, and possibly other minor quests I will leave up to you.
Guard Grisham’s Brahmin
You’ll meet Grishman, the owner of the Slaughterhouse, inside his house on the southern side of the Main Street map. At the end of your conversation with him, he’ll try to hire you to protect his brahmin from a pack of wild dogs. He’ll offer you $1000 minus $100 for each brahmin that gets killed.
If you accept the job, then you’ll get transported to the Brahmin Pastures, where Grisham’s ten brahmin will get attacked by ten wild dogs. For best results, you should immediately run north after you arrive, and start combat manually when the dogs show up. The dogs will be bunched together, so if you have a grenade with you, then you can do major damage to them right from the start.
Each dog you kill will earn you 60xp and 5 karma. Then when you return to Grisham after killing them all, he’ll pay you what he owes — that is, up to $1000.
Get Married
Inside Grisham’s house on Main Street, you’ll meet Grisham’s two attractive children, Gavin and Miria. Regardless of your gender, you can seduce either one of these potential companions — provided you have Charisma 8, or only Charisma 7 if you have a positive reputation in town. You won’t need to do anything special to seduce Gavin, but for Miria you’ll need to compliment her while resisting her advances.
If you’re successful, then during the ensuing romantic interlude, Grisham will burst into the room and demand to know what’s going on. If you’re with a person of the opposite gender, and if your Speech is high enough, then you’ll be able to convince Grisham that you’re performing a medical examination, and he’ll leave, mollified. But otherwise, he’ll force you to get married. This will make the person you’re with a companion, although not a good one. Worse, your spouse will refuse to leave your side, so you’ll be stuck with them until they die. This sequence will give you the Married reputation.
Note: If you’d like to see the wedding but your Charisma is too low, then you can take Mentats to give yourself a temporary boost. You’ll start seeing Mentats when you reach Vault City.
Help Bess
On the eastern side of the Main Street map, in between Grisham’s house and the slaughterhouse, you’ll discover a brahmin named Bess lying on the ground. When you examine her, you’ll see that she has a broken leg. As you might recall from using the game’s skills, only the Doctor skill can cure a crippled limb. You’ll need at least 25% in the Doctor skill to have any hope of healing Bess, and even then it might take you several tries.
When you heal Bess, she’ll begin following you around, and you’ll earn 200xp. Bess with stay with you until you enter one of Modoc’s underground maps or until you leave Modoc for the world map. If you lead Bess to Grisham, then you’ll be able to sell her to him for 100 Meat Jerky, which you’ll find in a crate in the smokehouse (the room with the fire pit) attached to the slaughterhouse. However, this will cost you 5 karma.
If you feel bad about selling Bess, then you can open the gate to the brahmin pen behind the slaughterhouse, and let her escape. If you talk to her on her way out, then you’ll gain 10 karma, but you’ll lose reputation with Modoc.
Investigate the Chicken Coop
On the northern side of the Bed & Breakfast map, you’ll discover a chicken coop behind a chain link fence, guarded by three wild dogs. If you ask Grisham’s daughter Miria about it, she’ll say it looks like Rose is trying to keep something in rather than out, and she’ll wonder how chickens lay 12 pound eggs anyway. Good question.
If you want to know the answer, then you’ll need to open the fence, kill the dogs, and then deal with the pile of rocks blocking the doorway. If you have 8 Strength, then you’ll be able to move them just by interacting with them, and you’ll earn 100xp for the effort. Otherwise, you’ll need to plant some explosives next to the rocks and blow them up. You can buy Dynamite from Jo in the General Store if necessary.
Inside the coop, you’ll discover a death claw. This is a very tough enemy, but if you can kill it, then you’ll earn 800xp. But on the downside, without the death claw’s eggs, Rose will stop serving omelets (which restore you to full health) at the Bed and Breakfast.
Clear Farrel’s Garden
AKA “Farrel has a rodent problem in his garden. Remove the infestation.”
You’ll meet Farrel inside his house in the southeastern corner of the Bed & Breakfast map. If you ask him what he does in Modoc, then he’ll tell you about his garden — and he’ll reveal that “something big has moved in,” preventing him from doing anything there. If you agree to help, then he’ll escort you to the Farrel’s Garden map, where you’ll encounter eleven poisonous, radioactive rats. Try to kill them from range, and keep exploring and killing rats until you see a notice about receiving 300xp, which is your reward for the quest.
Note: Before leaving the garden map, be sure to pick up the Rope that you’ll find on the ground near the wheelbarrow. You’ll need to Rope for Balthas’ questline (see below).
When you return to Farrel, he’ll thank you for your help, but he won’t give you anything. However, your good deed will improve your reputation in Modoc.
Find Cornelius’ Watch for Cornelius
AKA “Cornelius has lost his gold pocket watch. Find it and return it to him.”
You’ll meet Cornelius in the back of Rose’s Bed and Breakfast in the Bed & Breakfast map. Cornelius is suffering from dementia, and he’ll put that on full display when you talk to him. If you tell him that he needs some “serious help,” then he’ll tell you that Farrel stole his watch, and he’ll ask you to beat him up and get it back.
You’ll meet Farrel in his house in the southeastern corner of the Bed & Breakfast map. If you talk to him before talking to Cornelius, then he’ll give you his own version of this quest (see below), but they’re the same quest. In any case, Farrel will deny taking the watch, and he’ll welcome you to search his house.
Interestingly, you’ll find a wall safe hidden behind a pile of junk in Farrel’s house. If Farrel spots you trying to open it, then he’ll get mad at you — and after three such sightings, he’ll attack you. The safe is empty, but you can use it for a “bad” solution to the quest. Just go back to Cornelius and tell him that Farrel is hiding his watch in his safe. This will cause Cornelius to walk over to Farrel and start an argument with him. The two will argue for the rest of the game, and they’ll no longer talk to you. You won’t earn any xp this way, and you’ll lose 5 karma.
You won’t find the watch in Farrel’s house. It’s actually in the Caves beneath Modoc, which you can access by opening the toilet in the outhouse just outside Rose’s Bed and Breakfast. (The hint for this comes from Cornelius. If you ask him what he does for the Bed and Breakfast, he’ll tell you that he keeps the outhouse clean.)
Inside the Caves, you’ll need to blow up the rocks blocking the passage to the north. If you don’t have any Dynamite, then you can buy some from Jo in the General Store, but he’ll charge you a lot for it. If Jo is your only convenient source for Dynamite, then you should wait until you’ve completed his Ghost Farm quests. At that point, he’ll give you a huge discount at his store, making Dynamite much more affordable.
To blow up the rocks, stand next to them and open your inventory. Use the Dynamite to set its timer, and then drop it. When the Dynamite goes off, it’ll set off a chain reaction under the outhouse, and if you’re still down there, then you’ll die. So head up the ladder immediately after dropping the Dynamite.
When you return to the surface, the Dynamite will go off no matter what you set the timer for — and the explosion will “re-decorate” the Bed & Breakfast map, and also deal about 30 damage to your entire party. So feel free to go into the Bed and Breakfast and grab an omelet before proceeding.
When you’re ready, go back down into the Caverns, and explore the area that you opened up. You’re encounter a single mole rat, and you’ll find Cornelius’ Gold Watch, plus a Bag and some other miscellaneous items, in its nest.
To complete the quest, you’ll just need to give the watch to Cornelius or Farrel. If you’re honest, then you’ll earn 1500xp and 10 karma either way, and Cornelius and Farrel will go back to being friends. But if you want, then you can lie to Cornelius and tell him that Farrel stole the watch. For this case, you’ll only earn 500xp and you’ll lose 5 karma, and Cornelius and Farrel will start arguing with each other.
Find Cornelius’ Watch for Farrel
AKA “Farrel wants you to find Cornelius’ gold pocket watch. Find it and return it to Farrel.”
The first time you meet Farrel inside his house in the southeastern corner of the Bed & Breakfast map, he’ll demand that you quit harassing him about Cornelius’ gold watch. When you ask him what he’s talking about, he’ll explain that everybody in town thinks that he stole the watch, even though he didn’t. So he’ll ask you to help him find it.
This is essentially the same quest as Cornelius’ quest above. Please see that quest for details.
Find Jonny
AKA “Jonny is missing. Find him and bring him home to Balthas.”
You’ll meet Balthas in the tannery in the northern part of the Main Street map. With 6 Perception, you’ll notice that he’s preoccupied, which will lead to him asking you to look for his son Jonny, who went missing a few days ago. If your reputation in Modoc is high enough, then Balthas will send the family dog Laddie with you to sniff out where Jonny is.
Laddie will lead you right to the well in the center of the Main Street map. If you remove the boards from the well and use a Rope on it, then you’ll be able to descend to the Town Well map. You can acquire a Rope during the quest Clear Farrel’s Garden, so you might want to complete it first. You can also buy a Rope from Jo in the General Store. This is the only time you’ll need a Rope in the game.
In the Town Well, you’ll find Jonny’s BB Gun in the collapsed northern passage. You’ll also find a lot of coin bags on the ground. If you pick up a coin bag, then you’ll gain $1 but lose 1 karma, so it’s probably best to leave them alone.
If you show Jonny’s BB Gun to Balthas, then you’ll complete the quest, but you’ll both assume Jonny is dead, and Balthas will take the gun from you. There is no reward for completing this quest, so you’re better off keeping the gun and leaving the quest open for a while longer. You’ll eventually find Jonny while working through Jo’s Ghost Farm questline (see below).
Bring Jonny Back Home
AKA “Jonny’s in the Slag caves. Find a way to get Jonny back home to Balthas.”
You’ll find Jonny at the Ghost Farm location. He’ll be north of the Cavern at the Underground Lake with several other children. If Laddie is with you, then she’ll run straight to Jonny. Otherwise, you’ll have to talk to the children until you find the right one.
When you talk to Jonny, don’t offer him candy, and don’t force him to come along with you. Just tell him that his parents are looking for him. Jonny will be suspicious of you, and he’ll ask you what his father’s name is. If you answer “Balthas” or if you’re trustworthy enough, then he’ll be satisfied. If you answer incorrectly, then you can just try again until you get the answer right. But still Jonny won’t go with you. He’ll ask you to get Vegeir’s permission first.
Vegeir won’t give you permission to take Jonny home until you’ve completed his quest Deliver Slag Message to Jo in Modoc (see below). At that point, he’ll give you and Jonny an escort to Modoc, which means the two of you will instantly appear there. So don’t ask for permission until you’re ready to leave the area.
Back in Modoc, when you talk to Balthas, he’ll thank you for your help, and he’ll give you a Combat Leather Jacket. You’ll also receive 2500xp.
Simply continue with quest #6 and #7, find Jonny and bring him home for a nice Combat Leather Jacket and $2k.
Investigate the Ghost Farm
- AKA “Something strange is happening at the farm northeast of Modoc. Investigate and report back to Jo.”
If you ask Jo in the General Store about the GECK, then he’ll promise to tell you where to find it — provided you do him a favor first. He’ll then tell you the story of a nearby Ghost Farm, complete with ghosts, dead bodies, and a missing farmer named Karl, and he’ll ask you to investigate it. Before heading out, it’s a good idea to talk to Balthas in the Tannery, and accept his quest Find Jonny (see above). These two questlines will merge at the Ghost Farm.
You’ll find the Ghost Farm to the northeast of Modoc. When you get there, you’ll spot the numerous dead bodies that Jo mentioned, but when you examine them, you’ll discover that they’re fake — just dummies covered with brahmin guts. Everything else at the farm will seem normal, until you step onto the rug in the house and fall through the floor into the Cavern below.
Inside the Cavern, you’ll meet a pair of Protectors, who will offer to escort you to Vegeir. If you refuse, then they’ll attack you. Vegeir will explain that he and his cohorts are Slags, people who have been living underground since the bombs fell, but who weren’t lucky enough to have a vault at their disposal. He’ll also mention that he’s been wanting to make contact with Modoc, and he’ll ask you to deliver a Slag Message to them. This will trigger the quest Deliver Slag Message to Jo in Modoc (see below).
Before leaving the Cavern, you should head north to the Underground Lake. You’ll find several children running around there, including Jonny for Balthas’ quest. But he won’t leave until you get Vegeir’s permission, and Vegeir won’t give you permission until you complete this quest.
When you return to Jo in Modoc, he’ll be excited about the possibilities of trading with the Slags, but he’ll be wary of them because of the dead bodies at the Ghost Farm, and because of the missing farmer Karl, whom he’ll assume they killed. This will trigger Jo’s next quest Ease Jo’s Suspicions about the Slags (see below).
Deliver Slag Message to Jo in Modoc
You’ll receive this quest from Vegeir in the Cavern beneath the Ghost Farm northeast of Modoc. Vegeir will tell you that he’d like to negotiate a trade agreement with Modoc, and he’ll give you a Slag Message to deliver to their leader, aka Jo in the General Store.
When you deliver the Slag Message to Jo, he’ll be interested, but he won’t trust the Slags yet. So you’ll have to complete the quest Ease Jo’s Suspicions about the Slags (see below). Once you’ve done that, Jo will agree to trade with the Slags. When you relay this to Vegeir, he’ll give you an Assault Rifle and 50 5mm JHP as your reward. He’ll also allow you to take Jonny back home (see Bring Jonny Back Home above).
Ease Jo’s Suspicions about the Slags
AKA “Jo is suspicious of the Slags. Find out about the dead bodies at the Ghost Farm and find out what happened to Karl.”
When you deliver the Slag Message from Vegeir at the Ghost Farm to Jo at the General Store in Modoc, Jo will be excited but also wary. He won’t trust the Slags because of the dead bodies at the Ghost Farm, and because of the missing farmer Karl. So for this quest, you’ll need to set his mind at ease — and you’ll only have one month to do it, or else the Modoc townspeople will attack the Slags and wipe them out.
- For the dead bodies, you’ll need to go to the Ghost Farm and examine them. You’ll see that they’re just dummies covered in brahmin entrails.
- For Karl, you’ll need to travel to the Den and talk to Karl in Mom’s Diner. If you ask him for his story, then he’ll tell you about ghosts scaring him away from his farm.
You can do both of these things before or after delivering the Slag Message to Jo. If you have to do them after — and traipse back to the Ghost Farm and the Den — then the one month time limit should be just enough for you to complete both trips.
When you explain to Jo that his fears are unfounded, he’ll agree to deal with the Slags. This will complete the quest and earn you 3500xp and 20 karma. But Jo won’t really know anything about the GECK. He’ll just suggest that you visit the town of Gecko to the east. However, Jo will give you a huge discount at his store, and he’ll ask you to deliver a message to Karl that it’s safe for him to come home. When you do this, you’ll earn 500xp. Rose at the Bed and Breakfast will also start feeding you for free.
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