Ben Kurtz is an adopted tribal resident of Vault 18 and a potential companion in Fallout: New California.
Background[]
Ben knows little of his past, and neither does anyone else in Vault 18. He was discovered as a teenager by a Wasteland Scout team led by Kevin Rossman with nothing but a pair of spears and a note written to himself about his memories, and taken back to the vault to be raised alongside other rescued tribal children. Given the name Ben by Dr. Rossman, the young man grew up as a social outcast in Vault 18, living an introverted but comfortable life drawing comics about a wasteland tribal hero named Kurtz. Though he is troubled by his inability to remember his past, he is happy with the tranquility of life in the vault and unbothered by others' opinions of him. He was also a member of Coach Bragg's Vault Patriots team until being cut a week before the big game of the 2260 Vault Ball season on November 23.
Early life[]
Ben was born and raised in a vault located near Las Vegas, Nevada. During his childhood, he was forced out of the vault along with the rest of its inhabitants when it was raided and filled with cement, with the now-exiled dwellers blaming a "man" or a "wizard."[1] Forced to migrate in search of a new home, they wandered west into the Pass and were discovered by the Unity, and most of the vault exiles were killed or captured and taken to Fort Daggerpoint for FEV testing. Ben was able to escape with two older friends, although they too succumbed to the wasteland's horrors, leaving Ben as the vault's only known survivor. Ben was later caught by the pursuing mutants, but was able to escape and used land mines to kill them.[2]
Left to fend for himself in the wastes, Ben quickly became a skilled, hardened warrior despite his youth. He eventually came upon the Exodites, living among the various tribes but eventually joining the California Tribe. He took part in the tribe's ritual "Forgetting Game," completing wiping his memory and being cast once again into the wastes. It was after then that Dr. Rossman discovered him and brought him to Vault 18.
New California[]
On November 24, 2260, the night of the Enclave Patriots' rebellion, Ben is caught in the Vault 18 Atrium facing Chevy Bragg, who attempts to kill him. Before she can do so, Ben's long-hidden combat instincts kick in, and he is able to kill Chevy and the two Patriots with her, then make his way to the upper level of the vault, facing more Patriots. With his memories and personality partially regained, he becomes much colder and detached.
New Vegas[]
If Ben survived the events of New California as a companion, he parts ways with the Star Player and the other survivors of Vault 18 at Fort Daggerpoint, returning to the California Tribe. They choose to leave the Pass and resettle in Arizona rather than be assimilated by the NCR. He and the tribe spent a decade looking for a new home, eventually travelling to Arizona. Despite the heat and arid nature of the region, he and the tribe survived. However, Caesar's Legion forces led by Aurelius of Phoenix came upon them, outnumbering them. Although Ben joined the Legion and even became a general seeking to protect his tribe, Aurelius of Phoenix enslaved the rest of his tribe, eventually putting them all to death. Now seeking vengeance, Ben is imprisoned in Cottonwood Cove, and remains there as of 2281, seeking to kill Aurelius.[3]
Interactions with the player character[]
In either path of the Prequel, Ben can be found sitting in a booth in the vault atrium diner, drawing comics.
Quests[]
- Live Free or Die/Failure Means Death: Ben will be encountered after the Star Player outruns the fireball from the elevator to the upper level, surrounded by a ring of dead Enclave Patriots. After revealing the "Kurtz" personality, Ben will accompany one out of the vault. If one has completed Hell to Pay, and was rude to Ben in the Prequel, he will escape the vault but refuse to accompany the player character due to their Enclave affiliation. If the player character treated him politely in the Prequel, he can be recruited as a companion.
- Cards Under the Table: Ben is one of the companions to be asked about escaping Athens-Tec Mine. He will direct the Star Player to Wilson Wilco, noting that Wilco seems to be hiding something; if successfully sold, he will be sent to Black Horse Ranch and must be rescued from the ranch along with any other sold companions. He can also be convinced to escape on his own and will flee to Xiabula, which will only be successful with 7+ Luck.
- Join The War Machine/The Revanchist: If Ben successfully escaped Athens-Tec Mine and the Star Player joined the Raider Alliance instead of escaping to Union City, Ben will be found outside of Xiabula when the Star Player arrives to kill Chieftain O'oga. He wishes to defend his tribe and must be fought. However, if The Revanchist is active, he can be convinced to step aside by sparing the chief using the options in that quest. Sparing the chieftain is the only way to keep him as a companion in this scenario. Note that this will not occur if Ben was successfully sold to the Raiders through Cards Under the Table, as he will simply be enslaved and sent to Black Horse Ranch.
- Vengeance Calling: If Ben was brought as a companion to the final battle at Fort Daggerpoint, he can be found during Fallout: New Vegas in the slave pen at Cottonwood Cove. He must be freed, then aided in killing Aurelius of Phoenix, after which he will be available again as a permanent companion in the Mojave Wasteland.
Other interactions[]
- With successive Perception checks of 5 and 7 during the Prequel, Ben will grant the Star Player the perk The Way Seer.
- If one expresses interest in his comics, he will lead them to his apartment, where he will provide more information about each poster in his apartment and explain them and how they fit into "Kurtz's" backstory.
Inventory[]
New California[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tribal vault armor (non-playable) | Ben's spears (2) (non-playable) |
New Vegas[]
Notes[]
- On John Bragg's master list of Vault 18 residents, he is one of the few who are classed under the C-List.
- Ben claims to be illiterate but was able to write himself a letter before losing his memory.
- Ben mentions having a terminal, but it is not present in-game.
- In the planned 1.0 companion rewrite, Ben's past is expanded upon. His first contact with the Exodites was through a woman from the Ares Tribe, Naia, and the two quickly became lovers. He lived among the Ares Tribe, then the Orian Tribe, and finally joined the California Tribe along with Naia - though he cared little for the tribe's rituals of forgetting. He was later betrayed by another tribal, Vondu, who believed that Naia would betroth herself to him and became jealous when she chose Kurtz instead. With Kurtz forced into the Forgetting Game and out of the way, Vondu then sold Naia to the Raider Alliance. In the planned rewrite, after regaining his memories and catching up with the California Tribe, Kurtz would express his intent to rescue Naia from the Botniks who bought her.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Star Player: "Hang on a second, you were from a vault?"
Ben Kurtz: "I was born there, but I do not remember it. It was filled with cement, and my kin were forced into the ruins of Vegas. There was some confusion as to why this happened. Some blamed a man, others a wizard. All I recall, we left." - ↑ Star Player: "So, how did you escape the cave and the mutants?"
Ben Kurtz: "I was too young to fight them, and my tribe was small. I escaped with my two older friends into the wastes. We fled for weeks. We found ghouls, radscorpions, and hordes of raiders, until finally my friends succumbed. The green demons followed. They captured me, but eventually I managed to escape their bonds yet again. I placed mines along a bridge between two canyons, and they followed. The mines killed two, the rest fell to their death." - ↑ Star Player: "Where have you been the last twenty years?"
Ben Kurtz: "After I saw you leave Fort Daggerpoint, the California Tribe and I spent a decade looking for a place to call home. We finally left for Arizona. It was hard there. Hot and dry, but we found a way. We survived. That’s where we were outnumbered and captured by Caesar’s Legion as soon as we found ourselves referring to the sun baked dirt and sand as home. I did what I had to be done to protect the Tribe and joined the Legion as a general. But Aurelius of Phoenix enslaved everyone else in my absence. They all died, baking in the Arizona sun. This is why the death of Aurelius is something I see in my dreams, every night."