Conrad Verner

Conrad Verner is an enthusiastic and self-proclaimed "huge fan" of Commander Shepard. He can be found in the Citadel, at the top of the stairs in the upper Markets on the Wards. Talking to Conrad will initiate the Citadel: The Fan assignment.

Conrad Verner is voiced by Jeff Page.

Mass Effect

“What if you signed me on as another Spectre?”

After talking to Conrad, it becomes clear that he has a romanticised view of what life as a Spectre is like, and is more interested in the tall stories of Shepard's achievements. If Shepard tells him to get lost, Conrad will march off, determined to prove he too can represent humanity, after which he will not be seen again. An elevator announcement later explains his absence: Conrad picks a fight with a group of turians and is killed as a result.

If Shepard is courteous, and agrees to give him an autograph, and then a photo, Conrad eventually convinces himself that he can be a hero as well, and asks Shepard to sign him on as a fellow Spectre and member of the squad. Shepard can Charm Conrad and convince him to stay at home with his wife, in which case he leaves quietly. Alternatively, Shepard can Intimidate him, to show him what it is like to have a gun in your face. Conrad will then renounce Shepard as his hero, and leave.

Mass Effect 2

“Sometimes I poke through crates, too. You know, for extra credits.”

Conrad can be found in the Eternity bar on Illium, impersonating an Alliance officer wearing replica N7 armor. Regardless of Shepard's choices in the first game (due to a save file import bug), he remembers Shepard putting a gun in his face, even though doing so caused him to renounce the Commander as his hero. He has decided to travel around the galaxy to defeat crime, despite having no formal training. He claims that he is working for an undercover officer, but further investigation reveals he was lied to in order for the "officer" to obtain the deeds to the Eternity bar. Confronting the "officer" at Gateway Personal Defense allows Shepard to get a discount. Conrad will praise Shepard and thank the Commander for returning from the dead, then leave. After that, it is reported on the news that Conrad has formed a charity foundation, "Shepards", for refugees and orphans.

Conrad will storm off unhappily if Shepard tells him to get lost when first talking to him in the bar. Eventually, a news report will be heard reporting that Conrad has gotten himself killed attempting to capture transient youths hitching a ride on top of a bus. The report carries on detailing that Conrad fell from the bus, struck several passing cars and eventually fell into the power turbine of a bio-mass recycling facility.

Trivia

• On Illium, if you investigate what Conrad's job is, he will say he goes around righting wrongs, walking up to people who seem like they are just standing there waiting for him to talk to them. He also tells Shepard that sometimes he pokes through crates for extra credits. Conrad's behaviour is archetypical of the player character in most role-playing video games; BioWare is clearly having some fun at their own expense.
• In one of the most humourous moments of Mass Effect 2, Shepard can choose to shoot Conrad in the foot, or knee him in the crotch, when first meeting him.
• If you tell Conrad that the "cop" was a fake, he will mention she wanted to get coffee, and smiled while saying it. He says he is pretty sure this was a euphemism. This may be a reference to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's "Hot Coffee" controversy, and the Grand Theft Auto series' tendency to use "Coffee" as an excuse to enter a girlfriend's home. This is fitting considering both Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Mass Effect raised significant controversy concerning their sexual content.
• It is implied that Conrad's wife is glad to be rid of him, since she paid for his shuttle fare off-world. As he says it, the asari bartender can be seen in the background, shaking her head and making a facepalm.
• Content within Mass Effect 2 game files suggests that if Conrad was charmed in Mass Effect, he should send an e-mail thanking Shepard and never appear on Illium (news about his foundation would still be heard). However, a glitch in Mass Effect causes the Conrad encounter to be flagged both as "Intimidated" and "Charmed" in the importable save file, apparently leading to Mass Effect 2 picking the former over the latter and triggering Conrad's presence on Illium. Strangely, however, even using a save editor to remove the improper "Intimidated" flag doesn't resolve this bug.
• Audio files for the Mass Effect 2 encounter with Conrad after a "Charmed" resolution in Mass Effect are still present on the disc. Conrad is still found in Eternity, and is claiming to be a member of Shepard's squad; carrying on the Commander's work after their death. It seems the mission involving the Gateway Personal Defense clerk would then play out the same.