Tobar the Ferryman

Tobar is a ferryman living in Point Lookout in 2277.

Background
Tobar is the captain of the steamboat Duchess Gambit, a ferry with which travelers can venture from the Capital Wasteland to Point Lookout, Maryland. In his youth, he was an adventurous and sprightly fellow whose curiosity took him up and down the coast from "the Commonwealth to the Broken Banks." Regardless of the veracity of his claims, he is a living reminder that the world will always have a place for the savvy and charming trickster. The Duchess was a small sightseeing vessel used for tourist excursions along the Chesapeake Bay before the War. Tobar’s grandfather found her and, with the help of his caravan, restored the boat's boiler, allowing the vessel to be powered by steam heat from any fuel that will fit inside the burner. Although Tobar is slow to venture anywhere far from the safety of his ship, money is a powerful motivator for him and he will do most anything to turn a buck.

He takes on passengers whenever possible and always chews the scenery to sell a riverboat ticket. Nevertheless, he is quite knowledgeable about Point Lookout and its various locales, like the conveniently close House of Wares (from which he gets a commission for referring travelers), the old Homestead Motel for a place to stay, the high-rollers hunting club in the coastal grotto, or the abandoned Calvert Mansion filled with pre-War treasures. When he is not grifting "deals" to travelers, he is bartering with local merchants, like Haley or Madame Panada. Not only does he usually negotiate a considerable fare from his passenger, but most who visit the commune at Point Lookout join it, each time creating a new opportunity for Tobar to earn his next punga shipment. Tobar has long since decided that something must be off about that fruit, and he has not touched the stuff since.

Tobar has various ports along the Atlantic Seaboard. His current career as a ferryman revolves around the punga fruit produced by the tribals from Point Lookout. The tribal leader of the fruit farmers has struck a gruesome bargain with the ferryman is permitted to export the considerable surplus of punga fruit produced by the commune every month, although Tobar is wary to reveal his supplier. This is because the deal allows Tobar to acquire punga fruit in exchange for performing lobotomies on the tribal cult initiates. Strangely, he kept the parts of the brain he removed as "trophies." When the Lone Wanderer finally confronts him about taking part of their brain, he taunted them about their "spirit walk," and attempted to justify his actions by stating it is what he needed to do to survive, and that the Lone Wanderer has killed far more people than he has. After finishing his talk, he then attacked the Lone Wanderer and was killed.

Daily schedule
Tobar stays at his boat waiting to take the Lone Wanderer back and forth as they please, and will trade merchandise with them in Point Lookout.

Quests

 * The Local Flavor: Tobar transports the player character to Point Lookout and will mention that there are untold treasures that lie within the swamps. When arriving in Point Lookout, he remarks about the smoke coming from Calvert Mansion and encourages the Lone Wanderer to check it out.
 * Hearing Voices: It is revealed by Nadine that when people are rendered unconscious by the Mother Punga, Tobar sneaks into the sacred bog and removes a part of their brain. When confronted, he taunts the Lone Wanderer about their "spirit walk," then attempts to justify his actions. Afterwards, he becomes hostile. He will actually have the lump of brain he removed in the engine room, which one can take.

Effects of player's actions

 * Tobar sells punga fruits, in both refined and wild variants, and, most importantly, riverboat tickets to Point Lookout. The tickets cost 300-400 caps each depending on one's Barter skill.
 * He also takes a part of the Lone Wanderer's brain after they get exposed to the Mother Punga's pollen. After completing Walking with Spirits and talking to Nadine, one can kill Tobar and get their lump of brain back. At this point, Nadine will take over the ferry and allow the player character to ride for free.

Inventory

 * * One of the riverboat tickets sold from Tobar's merchant inventory will always be simultaneously listed in his personal inventory. If it is stolen, another will then move from his merchant list to his personal inventory. The stock of tickets in his merchant inventory will refresh following this change.

Appearances
Tobar appears only in the Fallout 3 add-on Point Lookout.

Bugs

 * Sometimes, if one skips the encounter with Tobar when first arriving in Point Lookout and returns to the Capital Wasteland before completing the main quests, Tobar might not be found after arriving back at the riverboat landing.
 * Sometimes, when first talking to Tobar, his lines will not be voiced.
 * Sometimes, Tobar will be found with most of his body below the deck, showing only his chest up from the floor of the boat.