Aspen

**Aspen** is a location in *Wasteland 3*.

## Background

In the late 1800s, Aspen was America's most productive silver mining town. Then, it became a playground for the rich and famous, many of whom kept second homes there. No one knows what happened to the original inhabitants of Aspen. Evidence suggests they simply walked off into the snow and disappeared.

Aspen is reached by travelling up the remains of Interstate 82. In times past, the Hundred Families took turns on “82 duty” guarding the road and keeping it clear. Once a year, the Patriarch and representatives of the Hundred Families would gather at the lodge in Aspen for a summit on Colorado affairs.

That was before the psychotic Victory Buchanan and his crew of drugged out Breathers showed up.

## Points of interest

* Upon arrival in Aspen, you will receive a call from Riley Woodson, one of the Rangers held at Aspen (and brother of General Wade Woodson, so no pressure there). He will reveal the known locations of hostages to you and ask you to save them from Little Hell. He doesn't know where La Loca and Rook were taken, but is aware that there are three Hundred Families members being tortured, including members of the Reed and Ward families.
* There will be a lot of fighting Breathers in this scenario, so hope you brought guns and ammo. Your first group consists of seven breathers of various types, who will drop keys to the Welcome Lodge. Loot the level 7 locked truck for keys to the Employee Lounge. You may want to put off storming the main entrance for later.
* Head for the employee lounge instead (mind the door there, which has a Lockpicking 6 lock and provides a collectible holotape). Opie is next door, behind a level 7 lock, and is the local seller. Down the stairs (watch for a level 7 mine buried at the top of the stairs) is a computer room, where you can acquire a key for the administration offices and hack the security computer with Nerd Stuff 6. You can use it to turn the turrets on the enemies at the Welcome Lodge, greatly reducing the difficulty there. Be sure to raid the gift shop for the level 7 broken toaster and the gold plated nichrome wire, part of the Golden Toaster!
* Either way, use the computer to lower the bridge outside and head over to the gondola building to get the keys to the door. You have two ways about it: The hard and the harder. The former takes you to the south, through the heavily trafficked construction zone with plenty of enemies, loot, and experience. Going through the construction zone also gives you access to the Hundred Families bunker with a LOT of high level weapons in exchange for killing off some robots. You can get a better vantage point by using Mechanics 8 to repair the generator by the crane and then using the crane to open access to the bunker.
* The other is the gauntlet set up by Vic, where you can flex your skills and make it through, much to the psycho's chagrin. The gauntlet has a good amount of loot, locked doors, buried goods (especially by the growler cage), explosives and so on, making it a good place to practice your skills and get the experience in.
	+ There's a notable grave by the growler cage - if you study the map in the Patriarch's bedroom in Little Hell, you'll be able to dig up the corpse and identify the body as Cleo Buchanan, one of his wives. Note the cause of death: A single gunshot to the forehead.
* The final confrontation is at the Gondola Building, where you run into Federico, the local Breather leader. After disposing of him, raid the gondola building and head straight up. See Little Hell.

## Notable loot

* Tank helmet: Dropped by the first group of breathers.
* Aspen Radio Ad 1: Inside the locked level 6 locker, behind a locked level 6 door, in the locked employee lounge.
* Aspen Radio Ad 2: Buried in the pile by the Welcome Lodge.
* Pup Scout Funtime Camping Guide: Sold by Opie.
* Veteran's Ranger Star: On the dead body of the Ranger at the bar, at the Welcome Lodge.
* Gold plated nichrome wire: Broken toaster at the gift shop.
* Nidhogg, Wasteland Hawk, Death Sifter, Cold Comfort, Hearty Henry: In the Hundred Families bunker.
* Crossfire recipe: In the locked level 9 safe near Opie.