Dobson

Ranger Dobson is an NCR Ranger surveying Hidden Valley around 2281.

Background
A Redding native, Dobson has seen plenty of action against slavers in his Ranger career. As of 2281, he is stationed at Camp McCarran, but has recently gone off on his own to assess and scout out the NCR Correctional Facility that was lost to the Powder Gangers. He set up shop in a Hidden Valley bunker, intending to use it as a safehouse. His main target has been the terrorist Samuel Cooke and his gang of roamers which he considers to be the most dangerous out of any other Powder Gangers. Though he's after Cooke's gang, he considers all Powder Gangers the lowest of the low for preying on caravans and civilians, and will shoot any Powder Ganger on sight that he finds.

His stay at the bunker has been fairly problematic, as Dobson has had trouble bringing his radio to broadcast properly. However, the area's "natural phenomena" sandstorms and the bunker's remote location still make it worth the hassle, as keep him relatively safe from any predators or troublemakers topside... At least that's what Dobson thinks.

Dobson is a confident individual and takes pride in his work protecting the innocent of the Mojave wasteland, but like any good Ranger; he isn't headstrong and knows his limits. Other than the love of his job, Dobson loves to josh around with anyone he can, even if they're a complete stranger. He's even been known to do so over the radio to HQ at McCarran, which has made the radio operators take his reports less seriously. Although he shows he kindly side more, Dobson will become deadly serious when he suspects he's in danger or being played. However, if the perpetrator admits to their wrongdoing, Dobson is willing to forgive them in the moment. That is until he sees them again at least.

Quests

 * Still in the Dark: Nolan McNamara, the Elder, wants Dobson driven away.

The Brotherhood of Steel Elder wants the Ranger out of the bunker however the Courier can manage.

Effects of the player's actions

 * Low NCR reputation precludes talking with Dobson.
 * Breaking the radio while Dobson is present will invite retaliation. Breaking it while he is away will drive him away successfully, but he will booby trap the entire bunker, leaving behind a farewell note.

Appearances
Dobson appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * According to, it was possible to fix the snooping NCR Ranger's radio at some point. It's unclear what purpose this would achieve, but the script even notes this outcome was cut from the game. There are also cut dialogue topics for this e.g. VDialogueHiddenValleyHVRangerTopic005 ("You might want to know that I fixed your radio earlier."), but the reply dialogue has been removed. There's also a cut topic where you can tell him about the Brotherhood of Steel base that was later rewritten as a new topic.

Bugs

 * Dobson may spawn outside the bunker.