The unnamed Parlor Room bartender is the bartender at the Parlor Room in Vault City in Fallout 2.
Background
A tall man in an elegant suit, the bartender has a fixed stare, professional demeanor, and appears completely detached from the reality around him.[1] Before he was assigned to the Parlor Room, he was the servant of Doctor Troy for several months. As the doctor required him to be fluent with the Vault City medical database, he learned a significant amount of medical information and appears to have received additional medical training, since he had no trouble navigating the jargon and understanding the origins of synthetic alcohols and how Vault City used the Auto-Docs as micro-breweries for their production.[2]
Although he is a slave (servant in Vault City doublespeak), he has no complaints about his status: In return for his labor, he receives medical care, housing, and regular food, even if he has no freedom to choose for himself.[3] He is extremely deferential to other people, in particular citizens and guardsmen, but that empathy does not extend to mentally challenged people or others he sees as inferior. He promptly summons guards to remove them to the city gates.[4] The only exception is people of exceptional achievement.[5]
In fact, he has so completely embraced the Vault City identity that he treats non-synthesized alcohol with scorn, as "bacterial-ridden mixtures."[6] However, it has also given him an understanding of the inner workings of the city. Once properly persuaded to share,[7] he can reveal a surprising amount of knowledge about the political machinations and tensions within the city (after all, citizens don't regard servants as smart enough to listen),[8] though he consistently stops at calling out his enslavement for what it is.[3]
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
  |
This character is involved in quests. | |
  |
This character provides character bonuses. |
Applied after buying a total of 100 Alcohol-Z shots: With low Luck, it will apply negative effects: |
  |
This character is a merchant. | Sells: Water ($5) Alcohol-Z ($20) |
Schedule
- Between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., the bartender will be asleep in the Council area. Outside of these hours, he will be dutifully manning the bar.
Quests
- Drink your weight in Alcohol-Z: The bartender in Vault City can sell the Chosen One all sorts of synthetic alcohol.
Other interactions
- With an Intelligence of specifically 4, the Chosen One will be able to pursue a unique version of the medical database conversation, misunderstanding "fluent" as a euphemism for sexual activity and "jargon" as a person responsible for the city's computer network.[9]
- If the player somehow brings Marcus or Lenny into the city and avoids entering combat, the bartender will call the guards and enter combat. Becoming Captain of the Guard allows for bringing them in with no protest.
Inventory
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| $168 |
Behind the scenes
When speaking with this bartender and gaining one of the Alcohol Raised or Lowered Hit Points perks, the Chosen One breaks the fourth wall.[10][11]
Appearances
The Parlor Room bartender appears only in Fallout 2.
References
- ↑ Parlor Room bartender's character description: "{100}{}{You see a bartender.}"
"{101}{}{You see a tall man in an elegant suit. He is staring straight ahead and paying no attention to the patrons around him.}"
"{103}{}{This man looks stone-faced. If he notices you, he shows no sign.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{119}{}{What's on tap?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{136}{}{'On tap?' How... quaint.}"
"{137}{}{We have mineral water, distilled water, and sparkling water. We also have several synthesized alcohols.}"
The Chosen One: "{138}{}{Um... what synthesized alcohols do you have?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{153}{}{We have synthetic derivatives H and T, and we recently brewed an extremely popular mixture, "Alcohol-Z," which has a rich pseudo micro-brewery flavor. Each is modestly priced at twenty dollars a glass.}"
The Chosen One: "{173}{}{How do you manufacture these synthesized alcohols?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{176}{}{The Auto-Docs within Vault City can brew synthetic substitutes for otherwise-addictive substances. As I understand it, these synthetics were used as placebos for chem addicts before the war.}"
The Chosen One: "{177}{}{You seem to know a great deal about these synthetics.}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{183}{}{I was a servant to Dr. Troy for a few months before being re-assigned here. He required that I be fluent with the Vault City medical database.}"
The Chosen One: "{185}{}{Medical database?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{192}{}{Yes, several of the computers on the first floor of the Vault contain a vast array of medical information. It's all quite fascinating, though the jargon can be confusing if you don't have medical training.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Chosen One: "{215}{}{Can you tell me a little about the slavery here in Vault City?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{232}{}{Oh, no, no...it's not slavery. Those people you seeing working in the city are servants...myself included. We are treated very well here, taught to read and write, and given medical care, homes and food.}"
The Chosen One: "{233}{}{Everything except your freedom, huh?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{237}{}{If you are not going to order a drink, perhaps you had best leave, ma'am.}
Parlor Room bartender: "{238}{}{If you are not going to order a drink, perhaps you had best leave, sir.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ Parlor Room bartender: "{127}{}{Yes? Can I help you?}"
The Chosen One: "{128}{}{Awnt-awnt}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{133}{}{Yes, 'awnt-awnt' to you, too. Hold on a moment while I summon the guards to 'awnt-awnt' you to the front gate.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ Parlor Room bartender: "{116}{}{Welcome! We've all heard about your exploits against the Enclave. Can I get you something to drink?}"
The Chosen One: "{117}{}{Awnt-awnt}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{122}{}{Heh-heh, 'awnt-awnt' to you, too. Please be careful out in the wastes.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{155}{}{Uh, do you have any real drinks?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{199}{}{If you mean what passes for alcohol in the wastes, then no.}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{200}{}{We have never felt the need to poison our systems with those bacterial-ridden mixtures. The bar in the Courtyard might be less... discriminating.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{203}{}{I was looking for some information.}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{206}{}{Then perhaps you should be at our information center instead of this establishment. It is located downtown. Now move along... I have other customers.}"
The Chosen One: "{208}{}{No, I think you'll tell me what I want to know first. And you'll leave that attitude out of your voice, too if you know what's good for you.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{214}{}{Can you tell me who Vault City's leader is?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{218}{}{Why, First Citizen Lynette, of course. She's been First Citizen for almost two terms now. She is still answerable to the council, but she is responsible for most of the core legislation for Vault City.}"
The Chosen One: "{219}{}{Council?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{223}{}{Yes, there is also a Vault City council. Its spokesman is Senior Councilman McClure. (Leans in.) McClure and the First Citizen have butted heads several times, in fact.}"
The Chosen One: "{224}{}{Really...?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{228}{}{Oh, yes. Recently, some Citizens have petitioned McClure and the council to override some of the First Citizen's decisions. It created quite a stir, let me tell you.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ The Chosen One: "{184}{}{'Fluent?' Can he legally ask you to do that to a computer?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{188}{}{Uh...'fluent' means proficient, skilled, well-learned.}"
The Chosen One: "{189}{}{Huh. Well, if that makes you feel better to put it that way, fine. What was this about a medical database?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{192}{}{Yes, several of the computers on the first floor of the Vault contain a vast array of medical information. It's all quite fascinating, though the jargon can be confusing if you don't have medical training.}"
The Chosen One: "{193}{}{Jargon? Is he the one in charge of the computers?}"
Parlor Room bartender: "{196}{}{Uh, no. 'Jargon' refers to lingo, terminology, usually related to a particular profession.}"
The Chosen One: "{197}{}{Uh, sure it does, sure it does. Just testing you. Say, I was looking for some information...}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ Parlor Room bartender: "{166}{}{Are you okay, sir? Drinking all that 'alcohol-Z' looks like it has had some sort of effect on you. Are you sure you want more?}"
The Chosen One: "{169}{}{I don't feel so good...I'm just going to pop out of dialogue for a second and check my max hit points.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue) - ↑ Parlor Room bartender: "{167}{}{Are you okay, sir? Drinking all that 'alcohol-Z' looks like it has had some sort of effect on you. Are you sure you want more?}"
The Chosen One: "{170}{}{No, no, I feel great! I'm just going to pop out of dialogue for a second and check my max hit points.}"
(Parlor Room bartender's dialogue)
