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You hear something like a chainsaw, you've found Motor-Runner. Put a bullet in his head, and you'll have some new friends around here.Colonel Hsu

Bounty Killer[1] is an unmarked quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Unmarked Quest: Bounty Killer 
Talk to Colonel Hsu in Camp McCarran about the Fiends
Hear him mention Motor-Runner
Go to Vault 3. 
(Optional) Speak to the injured Ranger Bryce Anders in the recreation area *through* the living quarters. 
Enter the Maintenance Section. 
Kill Motor-Runner and take his helmet OR Pay Motor-Runner to give you his helmet. 
Return to Colonel Hsu for reward. 
Reward: NCR fame (if you save Bryce Anders)
NCR fame
300 caps 

Detailed walkthrough[]

This unmarked quest is "obtained" from Colonel Hsu, the leader of the NCR's main base, Camp McCarran. No prior interaction with McCarran is required for the Colonel to mention that the Fiends are causing a lot of trouble for the NCR, and this can occur by simply trying all the Speech paths possible when talking to Hsu, as long as the player is not an enemy of the NCR.

Once Hsu mentions Motor-Runner (who can also be mentioned by Major Dhatri) as well as a Ranger who went missing, you can go to Vault 3 to continue the quest. Going to Vault 3 goes very well in conjunction with the Brotherhood of Steel quest Still in the Dark, as one of the parts for the air filtration system is located in the Vault. Also, the Great Khans quest Aba Daba Honeymoon requires you to deliver some jet and psycho to Motor-Runner in Vault 3.

At Vault 3, which is located in Fiend territory to the west of Camp McCarran (and may be marked on the player's map by either Dhatri, the Brotherhood of Steel, or the Great Khans), the player has two options upon entering. The first is to fight your way through the Fiends' main headquarters, which is not an easy feat considering that Motor-Runner is well protected by a vault-full of Fiends armed with flamers and other heavy weapons. The second, more diplomatic action is to pass a Speech check of 64 with a female Fiend at the vault door to convince her you are a Khan selling chems or simply put on Great Khans clothes and you can then enter peacefully.

After passing through the main area of the Vault, turn left and continue following signs until you reach the door marked "Living Quarters." Immediately upon entering the living quarters, take the first left down a hallway and open the last door. This should reveal a dead Fiend (apparently killed by a booby trap) and a hallway with a land mine and a tripwire to a grenade booby trap with one last mine at the top of the stairs. The player must go through this hallway to reach the missing ranger.

  • Note: You may hear the screams of a dying Fiend as the non-player character spawns and dies; this should indicate that you've located the correct hallway.
  • Note: you can avoid the grenade trap by, when the grenade is deployed, running as fast as you can down the hall, up the stairs to the left, and through the door (which leads back to the Recreational Area, so if the grenade has not exploded you will not be harmed).

Through the door is a hidden area of the entrance hall to the Vault, in which the missing ranger Bryce Anders is hiding. He will say he just needs more time to kill Motor-Runner and that you should leave. From here the player has several options:

  • Help the Ranger complete his mission by:
    • Using one of your doctor's bags to heal his broken limb Medicine (35).
      • Telling him he is healthy enough to help you kill Motor-Runner. Speech (75) convinces him to work with you.
      • Convincing him he is too hurt to complete his mission and telling him that you will kill Motor-Runner yourself, which will send the Ranger back to Camp McCarran but will not complete the quest
  • You can receive both the Medicine and Speech check by selecting the Medicine option first, saying you don't have a spare doctor's bag, and then complete the Speech check.
  • You can also betray the ranger by
    • Immediately killing him, or
    • Convincing him that he is healthy enough to fight Motor-Runner alone (this must be done BEFORE giving him the doctor's bag) which will kill him and grant you negative Karma

If Anders is convinced to leave and healed by the bag he will open a passage from the room he was in, directly to the Vault 3 entrance chamber, and sneak out of the Vault. This allows you to go directly from talking to him to the Maintenance Room of the Vault, which is relatively easy to find (just follow where the heavy troops are) and is where Motor-Runner is located. There are several ways to kill Motor-Runner:

  • Battling your way past Fiends with flamers and heavy weapons into Motor-Runner's throne room, which houses him and his dogs BoneGnash and GhashBone. This is by far the most inconvenient way to complete the quest and is the only way to kill him if the Ranger is with you, as the entire Vault becomes hostile
  • Telling the Ranger to leave the Vault, then (as long as you passed the speech check at the beginning) simply applying a Stealth Boy, hiding in a corner of the throne room, and killing Motor-Runner with either a silenced or melee weapon (or a regular weapon, but this will turn the Vault hostile unless you are very well hidden). Alternatively, you can pickpocket Motor-Runner and plant a C-4 charge on him. Detonate it while hidden and the Fiends will not turn hostile.
  • If you have already completed Aba Daba Honeymoon, the Fiends may remain non-hostile to you, and it is possible to stealth kill them with silenced weapons in and out of V.A.T.S. without them turning on you. This even works in groups of them, as long as you are hidden when you attack.

Basically, if you passed the speech check at the beginning you should send the Ranger on his way and kill Motor-Runner yourself with no resistance from the Fiends, and if you are fighting your way through you should take the Ranger with you to fight your way through the vault and kill Motor-Runner. The latter grants a slight bit more XP (52 XP as opposed to 50 XP for doing it by yourself).

If you retrieve Motor-Runner's helmet and deliver it to Colonel Hsu, he will grant you NCR fame as well as caps.

Quest stages[]

None, this is an unmarked quest.

Notes[]

  • The quest Still in the Dark may be completed in conjunction with this one, some parts needed for the air filtration system can be found in a locker in Motor Runner's throne room.
  • Bryce Anders will die if he is struck even once, regardless of what conversation options have been used to get him moving, this is due to him being scripted that if he is damaged at all by a member of the Fiends he dies spectacularly. This was done to ensure he dies if you lie to him and say he should be able to kill Motor-Runner by himself, but the effect remains active always. To keep him alive, it's best to either send him back to base or murder every Fiend prior to enlisting his aid with Motor-Runner.
  • If the player hasn't yet started Aba Daba Honeymoon (and wants to at some point) it is recommended to refrain from entering the maintenance wing with Motor-Runner due to a bug with Motor-Runner that causes him to initiate his dialogue options with the courier only once. Rather, it is recommended that the courier first initiates the quest Aba Daba Honeymoon first and progress to the point of delivering the package to Motor-Runner, otherwise that quest may fail.
  • Upon killing Motor-Runner, if the quest Aba Daba Honeymoon has not been completed by the player it will immediately be marked as failed. This can be solved by getting that quest before doing this one and speaking to Motor-Runner as directed. Once that is done, he is fair game. Alternatively, faking Motor-Runner's death by getting his helmet will avoid the need to kill him.
  • If you kill Motor-Runner before starting this quest, Anders may appear at the vault entrance (in the Wasteland) and will begin walking back to Camp McCarran. This may also occur if the player takes Motor-Runner's helmet to claim the bounty and leaves him alive.
  • Bryce Anders may also be killed while making his way back to Camp McCarran from Vault 3.
  • Bryce Anders can be killed by Fiends in the entrance area of the vault after you meet him and tell him to wait. It appears that although there is a wall between the room where Bryce stays and the entrance area, the Fiends can actually shoot 'through' the wall. Thus it's important to clear the Fiends as quickly as possible if you want him to survive.
  • Colonel Hsu may thank you for saving Anders even if you didn't meet him.
  • If you've previously entered Vault 3 dressed as Great Khan from Aba Daba Honeymoon, the Fiends won't be hostile the next time you enter even if you're not wearing the outfit. Upon killing Motor-Runner, only the Fiends in the adjacent area will become hostile, not the entire vault.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If you proceed straight to Motor-Runner after passing the initial speech challenge and kill Motor-Runner while hidden, you will be unable to find Anders, who is gone when the Courier reaches him. He will reappear at Camp McCarran. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If you fight your way through the vault and kill Motor-Runner, and then backtrack to free Anders, the panel will be open and he will already have left. When you report back to Colonel Hsu, he will tell you that Anders arrived back at the base a little while ago, and thank you for freeing him. (This may also depend on having fought your way into Vault 3 in the first place, in the process killing all Fiends in the area.) [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 When you claim the bounty on Motor-Runner by bringing Colonel James Hsu the Fiend's helmet as proof of the deed, the helmet does not get removed from the inventory, and cannot be dropped (since it is a quest item), although it does not retain its 1 weight. It can be removed with the player.removeitem f3797 1 console command. (This is fixed with the patch 1.4.0.525.) [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If encouraged to leave, Anders will 'sneak' past any neutral Fiends, but will still pause to exchange pleasantries with them as he passes. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If you convince Anders to leave then kill Motor-Runner, but don't take his helmet and return to Hsu, he will thank you for freeing him. Upon speaking with Anders, who is now at Camp McCarran, he will still believe he is at Vault 3, with the same original speech options, and will not be able to realize he is at McCarran, even if you convince him to go back a second time. If you go back to take the helmet then return and finish the quest, Anders dialogue remains the same.[verified]

References[]

Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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