Goodsprings is a town in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas. It serves as the starting point and tutorial area for Fallout: New Vegas.
Background
Goodsprings is named after the Goodsprings source, where the town draws its water.[1] After the Great War, it was settled utilizing a grant from the New California Republic to develop a mining operation near a water source.[Pub 1]
Recently, a prison break has taken place at the NCR Correctional Facility and a deathclaw infestation at the Quarry Junction has shut down I-15, reducing trade in the small town.[2][3] In addition, the Powder Gangers from the prison break led by Joe Cobb have been through town trying to find a Crimson Caravan trader named Ringo, who sought shelter in Goodsprings after his caravan was attacked on the highway.
This is the location where the Courier recovers after being shot in the head and robbed of the Platinum Chip by Benny, subsequently being rescued by Victor. The Courier survives the gunshot after being patched up in Doc Mitchell's house and emerges into the town to begin the quest They Went That-a-Way.
Publications
The residents of the town come to your aid after a Securitron named Victor witnessed your shooting and burial over by the Cemetery. There are few people in Goodsprings. It has never been that populous, and the troubles with Deathclaws, Raiders, and Powder Gangers hasn’t made it any more appealing. A few folks have holed up here to wait things out, but overall it is quite “sleepy”; almost a Ghost Town if there weren’t the odd settler, attempting to eke out an existence among the ruined ranch homes. Local activities include going to the spring (Goodsprings Source), hunting Geckos, Mole Rats, and Coyotes, and loafing around in the Prospector Saloon.”— Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide/Faction Profiles
Layout
The small town is built around Nevada 160, westbound from I-15, converging with Nevada 161 in front of Doc Mitchell's house. This is where the player character begins their journey, after being in Doc Mitchell's care for several days. The Prospector Saloon and Goodsprings General Store, with a Mojave Express dropbox located outside, are situated at the northeast end of town. Several settlers live in the town's houses, farming and raising bighorners.
Goodsprings contains an abandoned schoolhouse, gas station with a bed and safe storage. All containers in Doc Mitchell's house, Victor's shack, and the house due south of the saloon are safe to store items in. In addition, the crates between the saloon and general store are unowned and are close to the workbench.
An invisible border encircles Goodsprings, the cemetery, and Goodsprings Source. Crossing it for the first time triggers menus that allow for confirmation of the Courier's looks, SPECIAL statistics, traits, and skills.
Buildings
Inhabitants
- 1During the quest Ghost Town Gunfight or Run Goodsprings Run
Loot
- Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual - The house where Trudy and Sunny Smiles sleep (the white, L-shaped house, directly east of the Goodsprings schoolhouse) contains a copy of the skill book on a small bookshelf opposite the front entrance. Must be stolen unless the quest Run Goodsprings Run has been completed.
- Two Sunset Sarsaparilla Star Bottle Caps - One can be found in the aforementioned house on the kitchen counter, next to a few Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles. The other is in a white house west of the general store with a vegetable garden outside, on the table in the bedroom.
- A Stealth Boy - In the Goodsprings schoolhouse inside a locked safe. The safe can be opened with a Lockpick skill of 25, or by hacking the nearby terminal (Science 25).
- Goodsprings schoolhouse safe - Given by Sunny Smiles after asking for work.
- Busted Radio - A paper note, given by Trudy after agreeing to fix her radio.
- Suave gambler hat - On the skeletal remains in the fridge if the player takes the road past the saloon to leave.
Skill magazines
Skill magazine | Location |
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Boxing Times |
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Fixin' Things |
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Lad's Life |
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Locksmith's Reader |
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Meeting People |
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Programmer's Digest |
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Salesman Weekly |
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Today's Physician |
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Related quests
Endings

Narrated by Doc Mitchell
# | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Travelers continued to stop by Goodsprings Source for water on the Long 15, but rarely would anyone venture into the ruins of Goodsprings itself. Those who did were almost always tourists, come to visit the graveyard where the Courier "rose from the dead."![]() |
Kill the people of Goodsprings or complete Run Goodsprings Run. | |
2 | Goodsprings saw more trade along I-15 after NCR gained control of the Mojave Wasteland, but with that came a heavy burden of the Republic's taxes. Some old-timers, unable to handle the cost, were forced to move on, grumbling all the while.![]() |
Complete Ghost Town Gunfight, complete the endgame quest Eureka! for the NCR. | |
3 | The Legion, preoccupied with its acquisition of New Vegas, scarcely took notice of the town of Goodsprings. Many locals moved on, fearful of Caesar's long shadow. Only the old and the stubborn remained.![]() |
Complete Ghost Town Gunfight, complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. | |
4 | After Mr. House gained control of New Vegas, he sent a Securitron to Goodsprings as a token of appreciation for helping the Courier. Victor was a mixed blessing, however, as he continually monitored the town for Mr. House.![]() |
Complete Ghost Town Gunfight, complete the endgame quest All or Nothing for Mr. House. | |
5 | With New Vegas' independence formally declared, Goodsprings thrived. More travelers stopped by Goodsprings on their way to and from the Strip, and the locals grew prosperous from the traffic.![]() |
Complete Ghost Town Gunfight, complete the endgame quest No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas. |
Notes
- As the starting location, the Goodsprings area, and related quests offer examples of all the non-combat skill-based checks found in the game: Barter 20 (Trudy); Barter 25 (Chet); Explosives 25 (Easy Pete); Medicine 30 (Doc); Repair 20 (Trudy); Repair 25 (Doc); Science 25 (Victor, Doc, Trudy, schoolhouse); Sneak 25 (Trudy); Speech 20 (Joe Cobb); Speech 25 (Chet, Trudy); Speech 30 (Doc); and Lockpick 75 (Trudy's safe, which can also be opened via terminal). There are several other locks that have a Lockpick skill requirement of 0-50.
- Once one clears the town, hostiles will not respawn within the town limits. Bark scorpions from Goodsprings Cemetery may still appear and geckos will routinely spawn at Goodsprings Source.
- The state flag of Nevada flies above the entrance to Doc Mitchell's house.
- According to a front-page newspaper story, a kind doctor was murdered in the town before the Great War, shocking the citizens.
- After the player completes Ghost Town Gunfight if they convinced Chet to donate leather armor, the residents will continue to wear it indefinitely.
Appearances
Goodsprings appears in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes
- Goodsprings is a real life town of the same name.
- Goodsprings was designed by Eric Fenstermaker and Travis Stout.[Dev 1]
- Megan Parks was responsible for layout, prop placement, decoration, terrain shaping and vistas in this location.[Dev 2]
Bugs
- Sometimes if you fast travel from Goodsprings to the Goodsprings source, the game will crash. (This bug only seems to start happening after you complete Ghost Town Gunfight and always happens the next time you try to do so after doing said mission.) [verified]
- In Goodsprings, entering buildings or saving after returning from the NCRCF causes the game to crash. [verified]
Gallery
View of nearby situated Goodsprings source
References
- ↑ The Courier: "What town is this?"
Mitchell: "This here's Goodsprings. Named after the water we got here, just down the road to the southeast. Goodsprings Source, they call it. It's a quiet town, and that's how we like it. We don't go looking for trouble, though occasionally it sees fit to come looking for us."
(Doc Mitchell's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "Does Goodsprings get many visitors?"
Trudy: "Mostly traders looking to buy Bighorner meat and hides. The traders are the main reason the general store manages to stay in business. Most travelers heading south on in the I-15 just push on towards Primm unless they're in desperate need of supplies."
(Trudy's dialogue) - ↑ The Courier: "What else can you tell me about Goodsprings?"
Doc Mitchell: "Well, there's a general store just up the road. Run by a fella named Chet. He don't got nothing fancy, but he's got your basics covered. If you're looking to wet your whistle, just past Chet's is the Prospector Saloon. The bartender there, Trudy, knows everyone in town. Other than that, there's not much to see. Just people trying to scratch out a living."
(Doc Mitchell's dialogue)
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 43: "Goodsprings
Goodsprings is a small, barely active town that has been a mining community since the early days of Nevada. Most recently, it was settled under a grant from NCR to develop a low-risk mining environment near a reliable source of potable water. Even so, there are only a dozen or so people in the town due to trade along the Long 15 drying up. Signs along the highway direct people to Goodsprings, but they do the town no good if no one is on the highway to read them.
The residents of the town come to your aid after a Securitron named Victor witnessed your shooting and burial over by the Cemetery. There are few people in Goodsprings. It has never been that populace, and the troubles with Deathclaws, Raiders, and Powder Gangers hasn't made it any more appealing. A few folks have hold up here to wait things out, but overall its quite "sleepy"; almost a Ghost Town if there weren't the odd settler, attempting to eke out an existence among the ruined ranch homes. Local activities include going to the spring (Goodsprings Source), hunting Geckos, Mole Rats, and Coyotes, and loafing around in the Prospector Saloon."
(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide/Faction profiles)
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