Now on Twitter, I had a perfectly reasonable reaction to this on Twitter. Really, I did. Perfectly, reasonable, reaction. Because, in all honesty, what other reaction am I supposed to have to this? I'm literally the creator of the MAKE ANOTHER GAME,TODD!!!! meme and this is the sort of thing I would joke about. I know that certain mods have put assets from the Elder Scrolls (or otherwise taken inspiration from them) into Fallout 4, but an actual mod that was licensed by Bethesda? Through the Creation Club?
I'm tempted to bring back my joke about crossing the streams. I don't even remember what my count was.
Madcap Crossed The Streams Count: 7
Also, is it really only 7?
Yes.
...well, apparently my blog is an asshole now.
But yes, I've fallen prey to the devil that is micro-transactions once again. For a mere 300 credits, we can download and install the "Fantasy Hero Set". The description promises that you'll "Embark on a quest to retrieve the helmet and sword of a true warrior of legend"...which will become absolutely hilarious as we'll see in a moment. So, I was drawn in. I usually don't go for Creation Club anything (though I will, ironically, be covering one for Skyrim next week), but this one actually had a quest involved to get the items in question. I thought "Eh, maybe?"
After either leaving Vault 111 for the first time or starting up a new game, we have a new quest pop up on our Pip-Boy: "Method to the Madness", with the instruction to Investigate Hubris Comics. Hubris Comics, which was a vaguely important location when we last looked at something from the Creation Club. Going in, I was fortunate enough that my character had cleared out the place of Ghouls a short enough time ago that the cell hadn't reset, meaning that I was free to head up to the top floor and pick up a holotape detailing the descent into insanity of an actor.
Through the holotape, we get a picture of an actor by the name of "Dave" who apparently is delighting in getting drunk and insisting that he's method acting when he acts like a battlemage. Over the course of about a month, Dave's behavior gets worse as he comes to the studio in a real suit of armor, attacks people with an actual sword (screaming in a fake language that grates on everyone), and then steals set property in a fit of anger before heading out onto the roof of Hubris Comics.
Rather tellingly, the last entry is from October 23, 2077...the same day that the bombs fell.
Going to the roof, we find...a woman's skeleton. And a note - "Jenny's Diary". She apparently was witness to another employee, Bob, trying to jump after Dave and not making it. They don't know how he did it - some people are starting to think that Dave might actually have magical powers, but she dismisses it as nonsense. However, as Dave mentioned conjuring a key and she last saw him fishing something out of a duffel bag...we're pointed toward the nearby roof of Shenley's Oyster Bar.
Now, if you have a jetpack that isn't so hard a trek. If not, you'll have to go through Shenley's and all two of the raiders within. Goodie! Once up the stairs and some crates and to the bag, though, we find that it's still intact after 210 years. Inside is some random loot as well as two items of note the "Throne Room Key" and a note called "Notes on the Throne Room". The note, written by Dave in Ye Olde English tells us of his "throne room" - the toilet at Shenley's.
No real clues on what exactly is going on...but hey, toilet humor! Because, y'know...that's definitely something we needed in a Fallout game.
...eh, I guess it is a crapsack world. I'll be waiting your boos in the comments.
But yes, once you've gotten the key, you can go back down into Shenley's and open up the door, revealing a skeleton on the toilet wearing an Iron Helmet and with a Steel Sword nearby, completing the quest "Method to the Madness".
Sadly, there is no spear to be found with the magic helmet. I know the handful of you who get that joke will be disappointed.
The Iron Helmet - or rather the "Fortifying Iron Helmet" has a Damage Resist of 22 right off the gate and gives a +1 to Strength and Endurance. The "Sharp Steel Sword" - when uses by my character that is not specced into melee, has a damage of 63 and a medium swing speed.
Both can be upgraded, though only the Sword has any differences in how it looks.
Now that that's out of the way, there's an obvious question to be answered - is this going too far? A bit, I think? Though, despite my perfectly reasonable reaction to this on Twitter...that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, if this is over the top as far as referencing things goes - so does the Nirnroot you can find on the Prydwen. Then again, I also have issues with that...but that's neither here nor there.
This is something made with the tongue lodged firmly in the cheek. Little more than what would be an Easter egg in the base game, at best. The helmet and sword don't look bad, they look as though they were transplanted right from Skyrim which is as intended. The story behind them has airs of the "maybe magic, maybe mundane" we've seen with things in Fallout 3 and 4 with the Dunwich Borers group, albeit a much wackier side to things.
And if you think the jump can be explained away by the heights of human physical achievement, just remember that this guy somehow unlocked the bathroom with a spare key he had...and then that spare key is magically up in the duffel bag he got it from 210 years later when we find it.
Spoooooooky!
But yes, so far as the story goes, the story of Randall Clark, this ain't. Dave's either a complete nutjob or had magical powers and - either way - he was a crazed drunk who got too into his role. Like so many others, he either died on or shortly after that terrible October day. Also, I think Bethesda kind of wanted to take the piss out of Skyrim fans with a creepy St. Elsewhere-esque implication that all of it was merely in the head of a crazed method actor.
...okay, that might be just me.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyri...I mean, Fallout 4...I mean...hell with it, they're all made by Bethesda. Work it out yourself.
For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.
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