Introduced in the original Mass Effect, Conrad Verner is quite possibly Commander Shepard’s biggest fan. He’s definitely the most determined, appearing again in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. While Shepard seems to find him more frustrating than amusing, he proves unexpectedly useful in the third game.
Technically, the player only needs to speak to him each game and have Konrad survive every encounter. However, that results in a pathetic 1 point of Military Strength. This guide will explain how to unlock his full potential and reveal some rarely seen dialogue in Mass Effect 3.
In Mass Effect
If players want to gain Conrad as a War Asset, they need to complete several seemingly unrelated quests in the first Mass Effect. The first is simply talking to him three times on the Citadel. Players can find him across from the stairs on the upper level of the Wards Market. Shepard will need to leave and return twice to unlock all his dialogue. Humor his requests until Conrad asks to become a Spectre. Then, use either a Charm or Intimidate speech option to convince him to go home.
That will complete Citadel: The Fan, but that’s only one of the four steps needed to unlock his full Mass Effect 3 War Asset. The player can complete the next step in the very same room. Walk to the nearby Kiosk and buy the Elkoss Combine License from the Volus merchant Expat. Most players will do this anyway to unlock more items from the Normandy Requisition Officer, but it’s still a crucial step.
The following two steps require a bit more legwork. During the Mission on Feros, the player may encounter Gavin Hossle hiding out with the other survivors from the ExoGeni building. He’ll ask Shepard to retrieve some data from a terminal in the Geth-controlled skyscraper. While assaulting the ExoGeni building, Shepard will pass a room where a small number of Geth are worshiping at a shrine. In the next room, climb the stair directly across from where Shepard enters. The terminal is at the end of a hallway guarded by Krogan mercenaries.
The final step in Mass Effect is by far the most time-consuming. Players need to complete the side quest UNC: Asari Writings by collecting all 16 of Matriarch Dilinaga’s Writings. Shepard can find them by scanning or exploring these Mass Effect planets:
- Tuntau in the Phoenix System of the Argus Rho cluster
- Junthor in the Gagarin System of the Armstrong Nebula
- Solcrum in the Grissom System of the Armstrong Nebula
- Matar in the Hong System of the Armstrong Nebula
- Porolan in the Macedon System of the Artemis Tau Cluster
- Sharjila in the Macedon System of the Artemis Tau Cluster
- Paravin in the Han System of the Gemini Sigma Cluster
- Ploba in the Antaeus System of the Hades Gamma Cluster
- Three on Chohe in the Cacus System of the Hades Gamma Cluster
- Veles in the Pax System of the Horse Head Nebula
- Klencory in the Newton System of the Kepler Verge
- Pataiton in the Vostok system of the Maroon Sea
- Altahe in the Acheron System of the Styx Theta Cluster.
While it’s not necessary, players may also want to complete Citadel: Rita’s Sister, as it alters Konrad’s final scene in Mass Effect 3. Players can obtain the quest from Rita in the Citadel’s Flux nightclub. The quest itself is relatively simple but requires a bit of running around in the Wards.
Mass Effect 2
Players can find Konrad unsuccessfully shaking down the Asari bartender in Eternity on Illium. Talk to him until he reveals being sent there by an Asari “detective.” Shepard must then confront the fake investigator at the Gateway Personal Defense kiosk. Dealing with Conrad in any other way results in his very embarrassing off-screen death.
Mass Effect 3
Konrad crops up one final time in Citadel: Medi-Gel Sabotage. After completing Priority: The Citadel II, speak with the doctor in the Docks: Holding Area. He will complain about a man shouting Cerberus propaganda. The man turns out to be Konrad, who once again finds himself manipulated into criminal activity. During the conversation, Shepard is surprised to learn that their annoying fan holds a Ph.D. If Shepard completed all the necessary steps in the first Mass Effect, Konrad adds the Dark Energy Dissertation War Asset under the Crucible category.
The full Dark Energy Dissertation still only grants a measly 5 points of Military Strength. That may not seem like enough given the amount of work required to get there. However, it’s arguably worth it for the extra scenes concluding Konrad’s story. That is especially true for players who finished Rita’s quest way back in the first Mass Effect.
Mass Effect 3 is available on PC, PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It’s included in the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.