The Vault - Fallout Wiki

We've Moved! Just as Gamepedia has joined forces with Fandom, this wiki had joined forces with our Fandom equivalent. The wiki has been archived and we ask that readers and editors move to the now combined wiki on Fandom. Click to go to the new wiki.
Nukapedia on Fandom

READ MORE

The Vault - Fallout Wiki
Advertisement
I Fought the Law
Quest data
LocationNCR Correctional FacilityPowder Ganger camp south, Jean Sky Diving, Primm
Given ByEddie
Reward200 experience points, Powder Gangers fame, 100 caps, various chems
or
300 XP, New California Republic fame
Technical
Editor ID?
Base ID0008d0e3
Related quests
previous:
Eddie's Emissary
leads to:
-
 

I Fought the Law is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Synopsis[]

The freshly-minted gang boss, Eddie, has a few tasks for the Courier, ones that the rest of the powder gangers are too stupid to carry out effectively.

Walkthrough[]

  • To accept the quest, the player needs to talk to Eddie at the NCRCF warden's office. The first task will be to eliminate one of the minor powder ganger bosses who refuses to accept Eddie's authority.
  • Chavez is located at the Powder Ganger camp south. He will attempt to shake down the player, who can convince him to quit while he's still ahead with a Speech check of 30 - he will accept, as the pickings were starting to get slim at that spot - or just gun him and the three other gangers down.
  • After thanking the player for dealing with Chavez, Eddie will give another assignment: Investigating a suspicious merchant who seems like he is deliberately trying to catch the powder gangers' attention.
  • The merchant is located at Jean Sky Diving. The player can use Speech 30 or Intelligence 6 to point out that a real merchant would be more worried about powder gangers or that he's traveling light for a merchant, with no brahmin, or just try to shake them down. The merchant will divulge that he's actually a bounty hunter proactively seeking out powder gangers to collect on. The player can then kill the hunter or tell him to quit in advance. The bounty hunter will agree.
    • If the player tried shaking the merchant down, the conversation will play out a little differently and they will have the option to use Speech 30 to convince the hunter that gangers are on their way. He will quit.
  • The final task involves a little espionage. Eddie sends the player to Primm to learn why they haven't pacified the NCRCF yet.
  • The information can be obtained from either Johnson Nash for 100 caps (50 with a Barter 30 or free of charge with Speech 30) or by stealing military orders from Hayes (he will not divulge any information otherwise). At this point, the player can return to Eddie, who will reward them for the information. The NCR storms the prison right as the player exits the administration building and the player will have to fight their way out.
  • Alternatively, the player can speak to lieutenant Hayes about aiding in the assault on the prison. They will be referred to Sergeant Lee just a short distance north of the prison, who will lead the attack, culminating in an assault on the administration building and killing Eddie. Soldiers will automatically sweep the external areas before entering the admin building en masse to kill Eddie and his cohorts.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
1 Deal with Chavez.
2 Tell Eddie that you dealt with Chavez.
3 Track down the suspicious merchant and get rid of him.
4 Return to Eddie.
5 Talk to the locals in Primm and learn what – if anything - the NCR is planning for the correctional facility.
6Quest finishedReport back to Eddie with information on the NCR's planned attack.
7 (Optional) Betray Eddie by offering Lieutenant Hayes assistance in retaking the Prison.
8 Rendezvous with Sergeant Lee.
9Quest finishedKill Eddie.

Behind the scenes[]

  • The title of the quest references "I Fought the Law by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and recorded in 1959. It became popularized by a remake by the Bobby Fuller Four, in 1965 and was also recorded by the Clash in 1979.
  • A number of cut and partially completed dialogue options exist which point towards the final portion of the quest having had additional options for helping out. In particular, a number of incomplete topics would have allowed the Courier to offer suggestions as to how Eddie could better defend the facility, including posting more guards and placing snipers on the guard towers.

Bugs[]

  • PC PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Completing this quest for the NCR might not register, triggering the incorrect news reports and ending.
  • PlayStation 3Saving before starting the attack on the prison is advised, as Sergeant Lee might freeze at any point in the quest. Or the explosive might not go off. Or the scripts might break. In general, it's one of the most heavily bugged quests in the game.
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 · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · 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 · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Getting a Leg Up from Andy · 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 · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Of Boomers and Education · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Poor Meat Never Makes Good Soup · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Proper Burial · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · Stocking Up · Suits You, Sarah · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Team Spirit · The Thorn Mayhem · 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 (I, II, III, IV) · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Cut content Cut questsAuto-Inject Quest · Bright and Shiny · Chip Provenance · Debug Topics · Jailhouse Rock · Meat of Champions (quest) · TempMan · The Thorn Mayhem · Underpass Water Purifier · Viva Las Vegas! · Welcome to Fabulous New Vegas
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
Advertisement