Fallout: New Vegas, one of the most beloved entries in the Fallout series, features a variety of complex decisions that influence the story’s progression. One such scenario arises in the “Honest Hearts” DLC, where players encounter a character named Follows-Chalk. As players navigate the morally ambiguous landscapes of the Mojave Desert and Zion Canyon, they often wonder, can you complete Honest Hearts after killing Follows-Chalk? Let’s dive into the mechanics of this narrative choice and explore its consequences.
Who is Follows-Chalk?
In the Honest Hearts DLC, players journey into Zion Canyon and meet Follows-Chalk, a member of the Dead Horses tribe. His personality is marked by curiosity about the outside world and a desire to explore beyond the canyon. Follows-Chalk serves as a companion and a pivotal figure in shaping the final outcomes of the DLC. He helps you navigate the dangerous wilderness and provides critical insights into tribal politics.
Follows-Chalk is torn between his responsibilities to his tribe and his aspirations to see the wider world. Depending on your actions and dialogue choices, you can either encourage him to follow his wanderlust or persuade him to remain with his people. But what happens if you take a darker route and kill Follows-Chalk?
Can You Kill Follows-Chalk?
Yes, you can kill Follows-Chalk in the Honest Hearts DLC. Like many non-essential characters in Fallout: New Vegas, Follows-Chalk can be killed by the player, either deliberately or by accident during combat. Whether you choose to eliminate him for moral reasons or due to a misunderstanding during the gameplay, the question remains: What are the repercussions of this action, and can you still complete the DLC?
The Immediate Consequences
Killing Follows-Chalk does not automatically prevent you from completing the Honest Hearts DLC. However, it does have significant ramifications for how the story unfolds.
- Loss of a Companion: Follows-Chalk is an important companion during parts of the DLC. His knowledge of the canyon helps the player during exploration, and his assistance in combat can be invaluable when facing the many dangers of Zion. Killing him means you lose his help for the remainder of your journey.
- Impact on Reputation: Fallout: New Vegas operates on a reputation system. Killing Follows-Chalk will negatively affect your reputation with the Dead Horses tribe. If you’re hoping to maintain good relations with the tribe and its members, killing one of their own, especially a respected member like Follows-Chalk, will set you back.
- Narrative Changes: Follows-Chalk’s story arc is directly tied to the DLC’s ending. Encouraging him to stay or leave changes the epilogue slides of the Honest Hearts DLC. If he is dead, his story is cut short, and the conclusion of his arc will reflect his untimely death. This alters the tone of the ending, removing the possibility of seeing how his future might have played out.
Can You Still Complete Honest Hearts?
Despite the dramatic consequences of killing Follows-Chalk, you can still complete Honest Hearts. The death of this character doesn’t prevent you from finishing the primary quests or achieving one of the various endings. However, the death of a key NPC alters your overall experience and the available choices in the storyline.
Here’s what to expect after killing Follows-Chalk:
- Primary Quests Unaffected: The main quests in Honest Hearts focus on assisting either Daniel and the Sorrows or Joshua Graham and the Dead Horses. Follows-Chalk’s death does not impede your progress in these missions. You can continue to work towards either helping Daniel evacuate Zion or aiding Joshua Graham in fighting off the White Legs tribe.
- Final Outcome Alterations: At the end of the DLC, you are presented with different slides reflecting the choices you made throughout the story. Follows-Chalk’s presence is one of these factors. If he is dead, the game will note his demise and adjust the epilogue accordingly. Rather than hearing about his future travels or contributions to the tribe, the story will acknowledge his death, impacting the tone of the final narrative.
- Loss of Influence: Follows-Chalk provides additional context to many situations in the DLC. Without his perspective, your decisions may feel more isolated, and you lose out on some of the cultural nuances he offers regarding tribal politics and life in Zion Canyon.
How Does Killing Follows-Chalk Affect the Ending?
In Honest Hearts, the ending is shaped by the actions and decisions you make throughout the journey. Follows-Chalk’s future is a part of this, and his survival (or death) impacts the epilogue slideshow that details the consequences of your choices. Typically, there are two possible outcomes for Follows-Chalk:
- Encouraging Him to Leave: If Follows-Chalk survives and you encourage him to explore beyond Zion, the epilogue will reflect this. He leaves the canyon and travels into the Mojave, seeking new experiences and knowledge about the world outside of his tribe.
- Convincing Him to Stay: If you persuade Follows-Chalk to remain in Zion, the ending slide shows him continuing to live with the Dead Horses tribe. He grows older and eventually becomes a leader or respected elder among his people, fulfilling his role within the community.
However, if you kill Follows-Chalk, neither of these outcomes occurs. Instead, the epilogue will simply state that Follows-Chalk met his untimely death, cutting short his story and eliminating the possibility of a more nuanced resolution.
Should You Kill Follows-Chalk?
The decision to kill Follows-Chalk depends entirely on your playstyle and the kind of narrative you want to create in Fallout: New Vegas. There is no definitive “right” or “wrong” choice—only the consequences of your actions. If you’re aiming for a more peaceful, harmonious resolution, sparing him and guiding his future can create a more satisfying conclusion. However, if you’re playing a character who is more ruthless or pragmatic, killing him may fit your role-playing style.
Ultimately, while killing Follows-Chalk alters the story, it does not hinder your ability to complete Honest Hearts. The DLC is designed with player freedom in mind, allowing for a variety of outcomes and consequences based on your choices. The death of a character like Follows-Chalk only serves to enrich the complexity of the narrative, reminding players that every action in the Fallout universe has ripple effects.
Conclusion
Can you complete Honest Hearts after killing Follows-Chalk? Absolutely. While his death impacts the narrative and some of the ending slides, it doesn’t prevent you from finishing the DLC. The beauty of Fallout: New Vegas lies in its flexibility and the freedom it gives players to shape their own stories. Killing Follows-Chalk is just one of many possible choices, and it’s up to you to decide how it fits into your journey through the treacherous landscapes of Zion Canyon.
