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Still in the Dark (Part 1)
Fallout: New Vegas

Still in the Dark (Part 1)

Guide to Fallout: New Vegas's 'Still in the Dark (Part 1)' quest. Learn how to deal with Ranger Dobson, interact with the Brotherhood of Steel, and progress through Hidden Valley Bunker.

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Guide to Fallout: New Vegas's 'Still in the Dark (Part 1)' quest. Learn how to deal with Ranger Dobson, interact with the Brotherhood of Steel, and progress through Hidden Valley Bunker.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Head south-west down stairs, through a door, and activate an Intercom near a locked door. Use the password “Lives to fight another day.”
  2. 2
    Three Brotherhood of Steel Paladins will escort you inside the bunker. Surrender your gear.
  3. 3
    Meet Paladin Ramos. If you answer him satisfactorily, you’ll gain an audience with Elder McNamara.
  4. 4
    Alternatively, pick the locked door [Very Hard] to enter Hidden Valley Bunker L1 and encounter Paladin Ramos, who will escort you to Elder McNamara.
  5. 5
    You will be stripped of your gear and given an explosive collar. You are tasked with getting rid of NCR Ranger Dobson in a nearby bunker. This starts the quest Still in the Dark.
  6. 6
    Grab your loot from a nearby crate outside the inhabited part of the Brotherhood bunker.
  7. 7
    Enter the southern bunker and head downstairs. Ranger Dobson may confront you.
  8. 8
    You can succeed at a [Speech 30] check to banter with Ranger Dobson.
  9. 9
    Talk to Dobson to learn about the Powder Ganger and his activities.
  10. 10
    Succeed at a [Speech 50] check to convince him to move off, or kill Ranger Dobson.
  11. 11
    Alternatively, interact with his Ham Radio: rig it to explode or smash it.
  12. 12
    If you rig the radio to explode and Dobson is in the room, he’ll question you. Succeed at a [Speech 40] check to convince him you fixed it.
  13. 13
    If you sabotage the radio without him noticing, or rig it to explode and kill him, you'll be rid of Dobson.
  14. 14
    Alternatively, you can tell Ranger Dobson about the Brotherhood of Steel. He will remove the explosive collar.
  15. 15
    You will then be attacked by four Brotherhood of Steel Paladins. This fails the quest Still in the Dark and likely earns you a “Vilified” reputation with the Brotherhood.
  16. 16
    If you defeat the Paladins while keeping Dobson alive, you gain NCR Fame but Brotherhood of Steel Infamy. The rest of the bunker will be hostile.
  17. 17
    After dealing with Dobson, loot his bunker (food items, .308 Ammo, a Journal). You can pick a locked door [Hard] for XP.
  18. 18
    Return to McNamara. He will be critical if you killed Dobson.
  19. 19
    Succeed at a [Speech 65] check to convince him of the tactical necessity of killing Dobson, otherwise he’ll call you a brute.
  20. 20
    If you persuaded Dobson to leave, McNamara will be impressed.
  21. 21
    McNamara will remove the explosives collar and invite you to talk for more details.
  22. 22
    If you brought Veronica with you, she can get you into the bunker via the intercom, bypassing the Ranger Dobson encounter and the collar. You can then talk to McNamara directly.
  23. 23
    Make your way to Hidden Valley Bunker L2 and talk to McNamara. He explains that several Brotherhood squads investigating technology have gone missing.
  24. 24
    As you leave the second level, Head Paladin Hardin approaches you with a proposal to oust McNamara.
Tips
  • Bringing Veronica with you bypasses the Ranger Dobson encounter and the explosive collar, allowing direct access to Elder McNamara.
  • If you choose to kill Ranger Dobson, McNamara may be critical. A [Speech 65] check can mitigate this.
  • Angering the Brotherhood of Steel early on is generally less lucrative than working with them.
  • Quest Still in the Dark begins.
  • Explosive collar removed (upon reporting back to McNamara).
  • NCR Fame (if you side with Dobson against the Brotherhood).
  • Brotherhood of Steel Infamy (if you side with Dobson against the Brotherhood).

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