Ulysses
Ulysses serves as the final antagonist of the Lonesome Road DLC and is the only other individual to have held the title of Courier Six. Throughout your journey across the Divide, he communicates via ED-E, acting as a philosophical foil who blames You character for the nuclear destruction of the Hopeville and Ashton silos. Encountering him marks the culmination of the overarching narrative teased throughout Dead Money, Honest Hearts, and Old World Blues. Unlike standard NPCs, Ulysses is a high-level combatant with stats that scale with the player, making him one of the most formidable encounters in Fallout: New Vegas.
Combat Statistics and Resistance:
- Base Health: 500 (Scales up to 1025 at Level 50).
- S.P.E.C.I.A.L.: 10 STR, 10 PER, 10 END, 10 CHA, 10 INT, 10 AGL, 10 LCK.
- Damage Threshold (DT): 20 (provided by his unique Duster).
- Skills: Guns 100, Melee Weapons 100, Unarmed 100, Explosives 100.
- Notable Gear: Old Glory (Unique Melee Weapon), Ulysses' Duster, 12.7mm Submachine Gun, and Flash Bangs.
- Weaknesses: Susceptible to the Flare Gun which causes him to flee briefly, and High Explosives (25% reduction in limb resistance).
Tactical Approaches: Dealing with Ulysses at the Temple can be handled through diplomacy or high-intensity combat. If your Courier has collected all of Ulysses' logs or maintains a high enough reputation with certain factions (NCR, Legion, or Strip), specialized dialogue checks become available. A Speech check of 100 is the most reliable way to convince him to side with you against the oncoming Marked Men waves. If peaceful resolution fails, the battle requires immediate attention to the Sentry Bots and repair drones circling the area. Focus on destroying the Medical Eyebots first, as they provide Ulysses with near-instantaneous health regeneration. Using AP (Armor Piercing) rounds or the Industrialist melee weapon will help bypass his high DT.
Dialogue and Outcomes: Ulysses represents the ultimate consequence of the Courier's past. Your interactions with him determine the fate of the Mojave. You may choose to launch the missiles at the NCR (Long 15), Caesar’s Legion (Dry Wells), both, or neither. If you convince him to stand down, he survives the DLC and relocates to the entrance of the Canyon, where he can be found after the main quest concludes to craft unique items like the Flag Mantle and provides additional lore regarding the "Big Empty" and the "White Legs" tribe. His survival allows You to gain the Divide Survivor perk, whereas his death provides access to his unique gear, including the Ulysses' Mask (providing +5 Radiation Resistance and Water Breathing) and his version of the Courier Duster, which features a custom emblem based on your faction reputation.