In this guide we’ll show you everything there is to know about Junktown, a small town undergoing a power struggle.
Introduction
Junktown is a small town filled with multiple quests, lots of experience, and items to be had for early character levels, and a couple of companions, Tycho and Dogmeat. Enter it during the day, or you can enter at night if you’re polite when you talk to the guard… and put away your weapon before you cross the threshold.
Your main goal in Junktown, besides the infusion of experience into your character, is that you can find out from Killian in the General Store where Necropolis, the Hub and the Raiders are on your World Map. If that’s not an incentive…. There are other people of course who can add those locations on your map, and you may go explore anywhere on your own as well.
Junktown Areas
- Entrance: includes Doc Morbid’s “hospital” in the northwest section
- Lab: the room below Doc Morbid’s, relates to a minor quest from the Hub
- Crash House: includes the General Store, Killian and the Crash House Hotel
- Casino: includes Gizmo’s casino/, the Skum Pitt bar, Tycho, Dogmeat and the pugilist ring
Junktown Quests
Here is a list of the significant quests in Junktown, 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.
Assassination Attempt
On the Crash House map, the first building on the south side is the General Store. When you enter the store during the daytime and talk with Killian, an assassin named Kenji will walk in and with the words “Gizmo sends his regards” attempt to end Killian’s life. Save Killian by attacking the assassin and you’ll be rewarded 400xp for completing the quest, plus 250xp for killing Kenji. You’ll also find a Hunting Rifle on Kenji’s corpse.
In the back room of the General Store, you’ll find a few useful items in the shelves, including a Hunting Rifle and a Red Ryder BB gun. You might also notice a wall safe. If you can pick it open, then you’ll earn 500xp, and you’ll find a Scout Handbook inside.
Gizmo’s Confession
After successfully saving Killian from the assassination as explained above, he asks you to help in bringing down Gizmo by digging up dirt from the man himself. When you accept (and if you don’t, you go to jail… not a huge penalty but you miss out on xp) you’ll get both a Bug and a Tape Recorder.
Go up to the Casino area, and into Gizmo’s. His office is in the northwest corner. You can either use Steal and plant the bug on Gizmo himself, or using Speech, trap him into telling you why he wants Killian dead. If you’re going through the dialogue, you’ll need to get him to say that he wants Killian dead because he’s cramping his business. After that, end the conversation and you’ll have enough to bring back to Killian. You don’t need to do anything in particular with your tape recorder other than having it in your inventory.
When you return to Killian, you’ll receive 500xp for completing the quest, and Killian will offer you a bonus reward: a Doctor’s Bag, Leather Armor (which is better than a Leather Jacket), a Shotgun and 100 12 ga. Shotgun Shells, or five Stimpaks. Killian will also ask you to help him and the town guards take down Gizmo.
Alternatively, you can work for Gizmo, and he’ll ask that you kill Killian and his guards. This will likely make the town hostile toward you, so be careful if you go this route.
Gizmo’s a Goner
When you feel up to it, and be sure you’re healed and game is saved, talk to Lars at the Entrance area once the above two quests are completed and agree to come along for the fight. You’ll immediately be transported into Gizmo’s office in the Casino. Help take out Gizmo and his bodyguard Izo, making sure not to accidentally hit Lars’ men. When you finish with the duo, end combat and talk to Lars for your reward of 600xp and 500 caps, depending on whether you asked for money beforehand. Now hike back up to the now-empty casino and loot everything you want. On Gizmo’s body (at the desk) is an Iguana-on-a-Stick, useful if you want to recruit the canine companion named “Dogmeat,” who is right to the east of Gizmo’s as it happens.
Recruit Dogmeat
East of Gizmo’s casino, you’ll discover a small house with a dog named Dogmeat growling at two Junktown citizens, one of them named Phil. Talk to Phil and you’ll get a Mad Max reference. Simply wear a Leather Jacket and approach the dog or use an Iguana-on-a-Stick on him and you’ll get a new companion. You can get a Leather Jacket from Vinnie if you take on the Skulz. You can find Iguanas-on-a-Stick in a few places in town, including the fridge in the Crash House Hotel.
Once recruited, Dogmeat will follow you around faithfully, but there is no way of getting rid of him save him dying in combat. That said, Dogmeat can be fairly useful in the early stages of the game if you manage to keep him alive due to his multiple biting attacks.
Recruit Tycho
Also on the Casino map, to the northeast is the Skum Pitt bar. Walk into the bar past 4pm when there are multiple people there and you’ll find Tycho, another potential companion. Have a drink with him, and ask him about the wilderness for a +5% hike to Outdoorsman, and then to join you for 300xp. Tycho is probably the most skilled companion to have with you in the game, so if you’re fond of party members, consider him.
Also talk to the singer there, and compliment his singing to add the Boneyard, Brotherhood of Steel and Hub to your World Map if they aren’t already there.
Saul & Trish
Also in the bar, after speaking with Neal, a Skulz gang member will attack the waitress Trish, and she’ll let out a scream for her boyfriend Saul, the featured boxer over at the boxing ring behind the bar. Neal will then blow away the offending Skulz gang member, and kick out the other Skulz gang members, which may come back to haunt him later depending on how you decide to handle the “Steal Neal’s Urn” quest below.
Afterwards, go over to Trish and talk to her about Saul, and then head over to the boxing ring where Saul hangs out. When Saul is approachable, talk to him about his boxing and other subjects until you can mention that Trish is concerned. You’ll receive 250xp.
Rescue Sinthia
On the Crash House map in the Crash House Hotel, purchase a room for the night from Marcelles at the counter and agree to rest. During your sleep, Marcelles will awaken you and tell you that someone has Sinthia held captive in the next room to the north. Go there to initiate automatic dialogue with the captor. You’ll need to talk to him three times.
If you’re persuasive with the captor, then he’ll agree to leave. Depending on your Speech skill, he’ll either demand 100 or 200 caps, or leave for free. You can also kill the captor or sneak behind him and knock him out.
If you kill the captor, then Sinthia will get mad at you, and you’ll only earn 400xp. If the captor survives, then you’ll earn 1000xp, and Sinthia will offer you a freebie — provided you’re male. Females will have to pass a Charisma check for the service. As long as Sinthia survives, Marcelles will give you a free night at the hotel.
Steal Neal’s Urn
After witnessing a Skulz gang member getting killed by Neal in the Skum Pitt bar, visit gang leader Vinnie in the back of the Crash House Hotel, and ask him about joining the gang. Vinnie will want you to prove yourself by stealing the Urn where Neal keeps his dead wife’s ashes.
Wait until morning (around 6-10am should be fine) and enter the bar on the Casino map via the right side unlocked door. Steal the Urn from the bar by using the Steal skill from the skilldex. If you receive a message about “your clumsy attempt,” then Neal will know you’re the culprit — even if he’s sleeping in the back room — and he’ll attack you the next time he sees you. If instead “you successfully steal the urn,” then Neal won’t know who did it, and he won’t attack you.
When you deliver the Urn to Vinnie, you’ll receive 400xp, and Vinnie will give you another task — to kill Neal. Tell Vinnie you need some time to prepare to keep your options open. This will allow you to kill Neal as requested (for 300xp from Vinnie) or report Vinnie’s plan to Lars for the “Bust up the Skulz” quest below.
Bust up the Skulz
There are at least two ways of completing this. One is to convince Sherry at the Crash House (near the back room) to leave the Skulz, and return 24 hours later and ask her to testify against them. When she accepts, tell Lars for 500xp.
The other way is if you’ve already been to see Vinnie about stealing Neal’s urn (see the quest above). Upon returning to Vinnie to show him the Urn, he’ll ask that you help them take down Neal. Tell him you want some time to prepare, and then squeal on him to Lars, who will then ask that you help Junktown get rid of the Skulz. Agree, and you’ll be teleported to the Skum Pitt bar. For taking care of the Skulz, you’ll get 300xp, and another 500xp when talking to Lars when it’s over.
