Stalker 2 – Budmo! Quest Guide

“Budmo!” is a side quest you can do pretty early on in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

This quest has two drinking buddies asking you to deliver some vodka to their friend’s stashes. The vodka kills the radiation, after all! However, you can do more than just slip vodka into the stashes… you can also take the items within for yourself!

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know for the “Budmo!” quest and all of its potential outcomes.

Budmo! Quest Guide | Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

You can start the “Budmo!” quest in Stalker 2 by talking to Misha and Grisha at the Slag Heap, in the Garbage region. We’ve marked their location on the map above.

They’ll ask you to find 3 stashes belonging to someone called Panas in the nearby areas and slip some vodka into them. All 3 stashes are marked for you on the map upon accepting the quest. However, you have to decide what to do before you go to them.

Your first option is to put the vodka in the stashes without taking anything, as you were told to. Doing so will earn you 1300 Coupons upon turning in the quest and nothing more.

Alternatively, you can be a real stalker and steal from 2 of the 3 stashes. This will let you get your hands on some pretty sweet loot early and effortlessly. However, Panas will become aggressive toward you at the end of the quest… and for good reason!

If you decide to loot the stashes, make sure you go to the ones you want first. You can only interact with 2 of the 3 stashes, as you will encounter Panas at the location of the 3rd every time.

Personally speaking, we recommend stealing from 2 of the stashes. It’s by far the most rewarding option if you’re thinking purely about what you get from the quest. However, you’ll have to kill Panas as well at the end of the quest, so keep that in mind. It’s definitely not a nice thing to do…

As an extra note, you cannot go back to get the unique loot from the stashes after completing the quest the “good” way! They’ll only have ammo inside.

Either way, decide how you plan to approach the mission, and let’s get to finding the stashes!

Finding All of Panas’ Stashes

Power Transmission Pylon

The first stash we recommend going to is the one at the Power Transmission Pylon. It’s directly east of where the quest starts. You’ll find the backpack stash embedded halfway into the pylon. Use the nearby trees to reach it.

This stash has the following items:

• Hilka Detector
• Moonlight Artifact
• Flash Artifact

If you’re planning to loot the stashes, this one is a must. This is a guaranteed location for the Hilka Detector, which is one of the upgraded Artifact Detectors. It has a much better detection range than the standard Echo Detector!

Concrete Blocks

You can find this stash to the west of the Slag Heap, in an area full of concrete debris. Follow the quest marker to the central part of the concrete blocks to find a sort of concrete cylinder. Break the planks blocking it to reach the hidden stash.

Looting this one will get you the following items:

• .45 ACP FMJ Ammo Box (30)
• Pistol Suppressor Attachment
• RNBW 2X Scope Attachment
• PTM Monolith Submachine Gun

The gun and attachments can certainly come in handy here, which is why we list this as the second most important of the stashes… if you’re planning to rob Panas, that is. Otherwise, just leave the vodka bottle and move on.

Poisonous Hole

Last but not least, the stash in the cave near the Poisonous Hole. It’s northwest of the concrete blocks stash. Go directly south of the quest marker, as we show in the map above. Then just enter the cave and go all the way to the back to find the backpack at the dead end.

This stash has the following items:

• 1 Grenade
• 9X18mm PST Ammo Box (20)
• BUKET S-2 Submachine Gun
• Optician Gas Mask

The BUKET S-2 and gas mask are certainly enticing, aren’t they? Either steal the items or leave the vodka bottle to continue.

Dealing with Panas

As we mentioned before, you’ll meet with Panas once you approach the 3rd stash location for you. He will always be at the 3rd stash, no matter the order.

If you looted any of the stashes, he’ll be aggressive and will attack you. This happens even if you only take a single item out of one stash, so you might as well grab everything you can in that case. He doesn’t pose much of a threat, so you can just shoot him down quickly.

If you instead put the vodka in the stashes without taking anything, Panas will talk with you. He’ll complain that he doesn’t want the vodka, since he quit drinking. He wants Anti-Radiation Drugs instead. You now have two choices:

• Give him Anti-Radiation Drugs – He’ll thank you and pay you 1300 Coupons. Panas will say he will go to Duga or some other place, as well. However, he seems to disappear from the game at this point.
• Give him Cossacks Vodka – Panas will complain about it, but he’ll take it. However, he won’t give you anything as a reward. Return to the Slag Heap after some time to find Panas drinking with Misha and Grisha. Talk with them there to receive around 1800 coupons and share a drink.

Whichever of the three outcomes you choose, that’s everything you need to know about the “Budmo!” quest in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. For help with another quest, check out our guide on the “Ad Astra, Per Aspera” quest.