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I Put a Spell on You
I Put a Spell on You
Captain Curtis, caught spying for the Legion
Quest data
LocationCamp McCarran
The Fort
Given ByColonel Hsu
Vulpes Inculta
Reward600 XP
250 caps
NCR fame
OR
550 XP
250 caps
Caesar's Legion fame
Technical
Editor IDVMS08
Base ID000e790f
 
Gametitle-FNV
Gametitle-FNV

On top of everything else, I can't send a squad to a bathroom break without someone ambushing them. So someone's getting the word out.

— Colonel James Hsu

I Put a Spell on You is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Synopsis[]

Colonel James Hsu is concerned that there is a spy somewhere around Camp McCarran leaking vital information to Caesar's Legion, and asks for an outsider's help in finding the culprit.

Walkthrough[]

New California Republic[]

  1. Talk to Captain Curtis or Colonel Hsu about problems around Camp McCarran.
  2. Talk to Lieutenant Boyd about the break-ins.
  3. Check out the control tower during the night (between 1:00 and 2:00 AM) and listen in on the spy.
  4. Defuse the bomb on the NCR monorail with an Explosives check of 35, a Science check of 45, or with the activation code that can be pickpocketed from Captain Curtis.
  5. Report back to Colonel Hsu.

Caesar's Legion[]

  1. Talk to Captain Curtis or Colonel Hsu about problems around Camp McCarran.
  2. Talk to Lieutenant Boyd about the break-ins.
  3. Check out the control tower during the night and confront Curtis. With an Intelligence of 8, or having completed The Finger of Suspicion, the Courier can help Curtis in his sabotage.
  4. Pick up the items in the garbage bin.
  5. Plant the bomb on the monorail.
  6. Put the items (Abraxo cleaner, conductor, fission battery, wonderglue and monorail sabotage plans) into Davey Crenshaw's footlocker in the concourse's upper story.
  7. Report to Colonel Hsu and tell him about the evidence in the footlocker.
  8. Report to Captain Curtis and tell him he's in the clear.

Quest stages[]

New California Republic[]

StageStatusDescription
1 Talk to Captain Curtis.
2 Ask around about suspicious activity at Camp McCarran.
3 Investigate the late-night break-ins at the Camp McCarran control tower.
4 Eavesdrop on the radio transmission.
5 Find and defuse the bomb on the McCarran monorail before it leaves the terminal.
6Quest finishedReport to Colonel Hsu

Legion[]

StageStatusDescription
1 See if you can assist Captain Curtis with his operation at Camp McCarran.
2 Offer to help Colonel Hsu to find the spy.
3 Report Colonel Hsu's refusal to Captain Curtis.
4 Pick up the explosives and bomb ingredients in the trash can by the ticketing counter at the Camp McCarran terminal building.
5 Pick up the explosives in the in the trash can by the ticketing counter at the Camp McCarran terminal building.
6 Plant an explosive charge in a vent at the back wall of the McCarran monorail car.
7 Get off the train and watch it depart.
8 Plant a fission battery, conductor, Wonderglue, a box of Abraxo Cleaner, and the plans inside Private Crenshaw's footlocker.
9 Kill Private Crenshaw.
10 Report to Colonel Hsu and frame Private Crenshaw.
11Quest finishedReturn to Captain Curtis.

Notes[]

  • If the NCR has branded you a terrorist for working with Caesar, Captain Curtis will attack you on sight, even if you are dressed as a member of the NCR. This can be quite common if you are doing the quest Render Unto Caesar and you received the quest from Vulpes Inculta. This will render the quest impossible to complete. Also, killing him then traveling to The Fort, all Legion members will be hostile. Wait three in-game days and they should not be hostile anymore.
  • If you are labeled shunned by the NCR you can convince Col. Hsu that you are worthy of another shot, you can gain an unlimited amount of experience points.
  • Once you collect the explosive charge, you are committed to the Legion arc of the quest and can't use the monorail even if you fail the mission by killing Curtis.
  • During The Finger of Suspicion, you need to tell Martina that it was the Legion who sent you to protect her, then tell Vulpes that she reports to Curtis, in order to get this quest from Vulpes.

Behind the scenes[]

The title of the quest is a cultural reference to the song "I Put a Spell on You", written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1956.

Bugs[]

  • PCIcon pc PlayStation 3Icon ps3 Xbox 360Icon xbox360 If you help the Legion blow up the monorail but do not have a high enough Speech or reputation level with the NCR for them to help you, you have to go back to Curtis and say "Hsu won't let me help". Curtis then tells you to rig the monorail to explode regardless. However, a glitch may mean that you can't plant the bomb, making the quest impossible to complete. The monorail can still be used to travel to The Strip.
  • PCIcon pc PlayStation 3Icon ps3 Xbox 360Icon xbox360 If you're on bad terms with the NCR and initiate this quest as a Legion supporter, then get on good terms and speak to the Colonel about completing the quest for the NCR, the explosives in the trash can become non-existent and the Control Tower becomes vacant.
  • PCIcon pc PlayStation 3Icon ps3 You may not be able to enter the monorail because of a invisible wall glitch before you inform Hsu.
  • PCIcon pc Xbox 360Icon xbox360 There is a chance that the explosives will not be in the trash can by the ticket counter.
  • PlayStation 3Icon ps3 Xbox 360Icon xbox360 Sometimes no matter what time or day you're there, the spy will never show up. A possible solution is to reload an earlier save.
  • PCIcon pc Upon entering the tower, followers get stuck in an endless loop of appearing a few feet above the ground, settling on the ground, and then reappearing back in the air again.
  • PlayStation 3Icon ps3 After successfully entering and eavesdropping on the spy, leaving the control tower causes any followers to stop following. They will wait in front of the tower until you talk to them and tell them to stop following and then to follow you again.
  • PlayStation 3Icon ps3 If you end this quest without saving the monorail, Hsu will not grant you the reinforcements for Bitter Springs, thus making the Quest No, Not Much unsolvable. However, reaching Liked status with the NCR allows Hsu to send the reinforcements before completing this quest.
  • PlayStation 3Icon ps3 If you started the quest from Hsu, you can still "start" Inculta's side of the quest, effectively exposing the plan to blow up the monorail long before you would normally find out (if you are following the NCR's side of the quest). By the end of the quest, attempting to disarm the bomb will instead force you to plant it, regardless of a bomb already clearly being there. The vent then can be clicked again, ultimately disarming the bomb. Leaving the train will cause it to speed off and explode but you can return to Hsu and tell him of Curtis' "attempted" plot, regardless of the fact that the monorail just exploded.
  • Xbox 360Icon xbox360 The monorail will not permit entry in order to diffuse/plant the bomb and instead only show 'Take monorail to the Strip'.
  • Xbox 360Icon xbox360 After you start the quest make sure to get the key to the control room from Boyd before starting the interrogation; interrogating Silus and killing him will make Boyd impossible to talk or pick-pocketable, making this quest impossible because she gives you the key to the control room.
  • Xbox 360Icon xbox360 If you are helping the Legion, sometimes after you plant the bomb on the monorail, the monorail will not leave the station rendering the quest useless.
  • Xbox 360Icon xbox360 When you disarm the bomb on the monorail, you will not have the dialogue option with Colonel Hsu to finish the quest.
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 contentIcon cut 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
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