Craig Boone

Craig Boone is a retired NCR First Recon sharpshooter living in Novac where he serves as the night watchman in 2281. He is a possible companion of the Courier .
==Background==
===Early life===
Born around , Boone is a man with a troubled past. He was once a soldier of the New California Republic Army together with his best friend, Manny Vargas,The Courier: "What did you and Boone's wife argue about?"Manny Vargas: "Man, you name it. See, I grew up in North Vegas. Me and my cousins. We were some bad seeds. Got in with a gang. I loved it. Then something happened, and I couldn't handle it anymore. So, I enlisted. Earned my future. Brought down my best friend to share that future with me. And here was this woman who was too good for it, trying to take him away. So yeah. I didn't see eye-to-eye with the bitch."(Manny Vargas' dialogue) both joining the prestigious First Recon after being picked out at the firing range for their exceptional marksmanship skills. As part of the NCR's annexation campaign in the Mojave, Boone was deployed to Camp Golf.The Courier: "What outfit did you serve in the military with?"Craig Boone: "First NCR Recon. It's a sniper battalion. Sees a lot of action. They moved us around a lot. I was stationed at Camp Golf for a while. Last I heard they were at Camp McCarran."The Courier: "How did you happen to join First Recon?"Craig Boone: "They pick you out if you do well at the firing range. Pays a little better, so I said okay."(Craig Boone's dialogue) At 22 years old, he fought during the First Battle of Hoover Dam in 2277, stationed at the frontline camp when it was hit by Legion attacks.The Courier: "What was Camp Golf like?"Craig Boone: "It was on the front line for a while. Only resort in New Vegas no one wanted to get sent to. Doesn't have that kind of importance anymore, though. They pulled most of the troops out of there after we took the Hoover Dam."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
===The tragedy at Bitter Springs===
The NCR's first big skirmish with the Legion affected him little. What marked a turning point in Boone's life and worldly outlook came a year later, in 2278. He was sent with his First Recon squad to join an army expedition to retaliate against the Great Khans, the third incarnation of a longtime enemy of the NCR. Following several attacks on NCR settlements, the army tracked down the Khans to Bitter Springs, a suspected stronghold of theirs. What they did not know until it was too late is that it was also the Khans' main settlement, occupied not only by their warriors but a civilian population including children and the elderly as well. Boone's fireteam was deployed on Coyote Tail Ridge, overlooking a rear exit from Bitter Springs.Craig Boone: "This is the place. We got sent from Camp Golf, looking for some Khans who'd been making trouble with one of our settlements. I guess one of the settlers was connected, because we sent everything we had. We figured this was a gang hideout, but... they'd led us to their home. There's a ridge called Coyote Tail on the south side. That's where we set up."(Craig Boone's dialogue) Their orders were to cut off any Khans attempting to escape down Canyon 37, to prevent them from flanking the main force.Craig Boone: "Canyon 37. That's what the NCR calls the pass down there. It was the Khans' only escape, so we set up here to guard it while the main force attacked from the front. Standing orders were to shoot on sight."(Craig Boone's dialogue) However, when First Recon spotted people coming through the canyon, they immediately noticed that the group was mostly non-combatants: women, children, the sick and elderly, with wounded Khan warriors in tow. Communication with NCR command failed to correctly identify the situation and they ordered the troopers to fire on all targets until they were "out of ammunition." Forced to follow their orders, Boone and the rest of First Recon opened fire.The Courier: "What happened?"Craig Boone: "Main force got spotted too soon. We heard shooting. Then Khans started coming through Canyon 37 in bunches. It was all wrong, though. Women, kids, elderly. Wounded started coming through, too. We radioed to confirm our orders but command didn't get what we were seeing. They told us to shoot till we were out of ammo. So that's what we did."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
===A new light in the dark===
The event, becoming known as the Bitter Springs Massacre, would break Boone. It turned him into a murderer, if not in the eyes of the NCR, then in his own. He left the army when his tour of duty ended, sick of war and suffering, seeking some way to try and start again, though he didn't really believe it.The Courier: "Maybe you can make up for your mistakes."Craig Boone: "A murderer who does good deeds is still a murderer. And he'll still get his judgment. I left the NCR when my tour was up. Had enough of war. Decided I was gonna start over. None of it made a difference in the end."(Craig Boone's dialogue) While on leave at the New Vegas Strip, he met a woman named Carla. She was talkative, charming, proud and everything Boone wasn't, but most importantly, she had helped him forget. When Boone was with Carla, everything about Bitter Springs left his mind. For a time, he was happy.
He and Carla got married sometime in 2280,The Courier: "No."Craig Boone: "I don't know who you think you're kidding. I've lived here for more than a year. Anyway, I need someone I can trust, and you may be a liar, but you're also a stranger. And that's a start."(Craig Boone's dialogue) after which they moved and settled in Novac, down Route 93. Boone found a job as town watchman, together with Manny, who followed him out of the army and joined him in the protection of the town as his spotter.The Courier: "Tell me about your wife."Craig Boone: "I met Carla while I was at the Strip on leave. She said I looked lost. She talked a lot. Suited me fine - I never know what to say. And listening to her, it could... make you forget. She stuck out, pretty much everywhere we went. Like she was from a different time. A better time. I never met anyone like her."(Craig Boone's dialogue) It soon became apparent, however, that Carla was not pleased with living in Novac and she made her opinions known to everyone. Jeannie May Crawford describes Carla as a "cactus flower," in that she is pretty to look at, but hard to get close to. She was never content with the ordinary life of the small town. Carla's attitude toward the town caused distance between Boone and Manny, one that never recovered. Boone never told Carla about Bitter Springs, though he wished he had done so when he had the chance.The Courier: "Did you ever tell your wife about what happened at Bitter Springs?"Craig Boone: "No. I wanted to. I just couldn't."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
===The last straw===
Then, life handed Boone another dose of cruel reality. One night, Legion slavers snuck into Novac while he was on watch, and took Carla, who was already pregnant with their unborn child at the time, but no one else. When he looked into it, Boone realized that they knew exactly when and how to sneak past him undetected and had a specific target in mind, and he knew right then that he was set up and someone who knew him and his habits helped them.The Courier: "What do you want me to do?"Craig Boone: "I want you to find something out for me. I don't know if there's anything to find, but I need someone to try. My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers one night while I was on watch. They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up. I don't know who."(Craig Boone's dialogue) He talked to Manny about the disappearance, hoping to get help finding her, but Boone's trust evaporated quickly when his friend couldn't mask the fact her disappearance actually pleased him.The Courier: "Not anymore?"Craig Boone: "When Carla went missing he was the first person I told. He tried to hide it, but I could tell right away. He was glad."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
Left on his own, the distraught marksman took to the road to track Carla down and save her. He eventually found her at a Legion outpost in the southeast Mojave, near the Colorado River. She was being sold off, with many men bidding on her. The entire area was locked down, guarded by legionaries in the hundreds. Bereft of any other options, Boone could only see one solution. He knew he would never find her if she crossed into Legion lands and that he could never abandon the woman he loved to the Legion. In that moment, Boone came to a soul-crushing decision as he took aim with his rifle and killed Carla with a single headshot.The Courier: "You're hiding something. Spit it out. You owe me."Craig Boone: " "(Craig Boone's dialogue)The Courier: "Better for her to die than live a Legion slave."Craig Boone: "Yeah. What they do to women... that's worse than death. There was no choice in what I did. It was more like... being forced to watch something you can't stop. All this was only ever going to play out one way. It still is. I don't have any say. All I can do is wait for it to be done with me."(Craig Boone's dialogue)The Courier: "You should've tried to rescue her. Even if it meant your death."Craig Boone: "There was never any saving her. They'd have taken her where I couldn't follow. What I did... that was the only rescue."The Courier: "You had no right to make that decision."Craig Boone: "There was no decision. I was meant to pull that trigger. It was a mistake to think I could escape it. You take out a debt, it's only a matter of time before someone comes collecting. Things just finally caught up with me."(Craig Boone's dialogue) Forced to flee immediately, chased by Legion attackers, Boone never knew what they did with Carla's body or the baby she carried; perhaps he never wanted to know.
He returned to Novac and resumed his duties as the town's watchman, but Boone was yet again a changed man, and not for the better. Apathy consumed every part of him, save for one emotion: hate. Boundless hatred for the Legions of Caesar, combined with a burning desire to exact revenge on the person who helped orchestrate the abduction and ultimately the death of his wife. Despite knowing that he would need the help of someone else to succeed, Boone always believed that he could never let anyone get close to him as Carla was again, lest the suffering owed to him for Bitter Springs comes to them too.The Courier: "You make it sound like your wife's death was inevitable."Craig Boone: "It was gonna be something. If I'd never met Carla, it would've been something else. I should've never gotten close to her. I've got bad things coming to me. You'd better keep your distance, too."(Craig Boone's dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* One for My Baby: Help Boone take care of the person responsible for his wife's kidnapping. The successful completion of this quest makes him available as a companion for the Courier.
* I Forgot to Remember to Forget: Help Boone deal with the psychological trauma still haunting him. The successful completion of this quest upgrades his armor.
* Beyond the Beef: One can offer Boone, or any other human companion, as a substitute to Mortimer for the banquet.
* You'll Know It When It Happens: Boone will tell the player character three ways in which President Aaron Kimball can be assassinated. Two of his suggestions are attempted by the Legion.
===Effects of player's actions===
* If one has Boone kill Manny Vargas during One for My Baby and passes a Speech check to convince him that Manny was guilty, he will tell the Courier to "Never say that name again." when asked about Vargas again.
* If one arranges for Boone to kill someone who is "responsible" for the death of his wife, he will ask what gave them away. If the Courier responds with "I had a hunch," and that it was the closest proof they had, he will angrily dismiss them and won't talk to them anymore. He will also do this if the Courier tells him that Jeannie May Crawford's story "just didn't add up" and then fails the Speech check.
* If Boone kills someone during the aforementioned quest and then the player character tells him that they just wanted him to kill the assigned target, he will immediately turn hostile and attack.
* If the player character has not yet recruited Boone, he will refuse to speak to them if their overall NCR reputation is significantly below neutral, or if they have a significantly positive reputation with Caesar's Legion. The reputation can be temporarily swayed by wearing any NCR armor, enabling that faction's relations and reputation. Though, Caesar's Legion armor (or any other faction armor) works just as well.
* Gaining NCR infamy with Boone as a companion will cause him to demand that "this stops now." One has the option of attacking Boone or persuading him to stand down and agree with him on stopping the killings. Afterward, if the player character again kills NCR troops, with Boone following them, he will immediately turn hostile.
** Sneak killing NCR soldiers in Boone's presence without being seen by other non-companion NPCs won't cause his immediate hostility.
* At the Bitter Springs supply cave visited in Climb Ev'ry Mountain inhabited by the Great Khan, Oscar Velasco, Oscar will attack the Courier after shouting "Die NCR Scum!" if Boone is their companion. The Courier must make Boone wait outside the cave if they do not want to kill Oscar.
===Other interactions===
* If asked if he ever takes off his beret, he will say "No."
* If the player character takes his beret, Boone says "I would really like my beret back, please." However, not returning it causes no significant results. He will still say this even if it is traded back to him before closing the inventory window.
* If the Courier enters the Fort with Boone, all Legion members will immediately become hostile, regardless of the one's previous standing with them.
* If the player character enters Boone's hotel room after sending him back to Novac, Boone says "You need to leave." However, staying in the room or stealing items while being noticed by Boone causes no hostility, but one will still lose Karma.
===Companion===
* Boone will return to Novac after a few days if "lost."
* If the Courier travels near Cottonwood Cove or Nelson with Boone, he will mention his grudge against the Legion and the option will be given to continue on with him or not.
* When near the boat in Cottonwood Cove, Boone will say that this would "probably be the last boat you take."
* Boone is automatically hostile to any Legion faction members. Likewise, Legion members are always hostile to Boone, as well as to the Courier while Boone is serving as a companion. This only applies if the Legion can see him, however; if told to wait out of sight, Legion members will not turn hostile.
* Boone will not talk to the Courier if they are Shunned or worse by the NCR unless the Courier is wearing NCR gear that turns their reputation to Neutral. Once recruited, Boone will follow unless the Courier puts on Legion gear.
* Boone will give the Courier one warning before leaving permanently (similar to when Caesar sends Vulpes Inculta to the Strip to wipe their infamy slate clean) if they work with the Legion and gain a positive reputation with them. Even leaving Boone in the Lucky 38 presidential suite will still cause him to leave, if enough Legion quests have been done and fame acquired; as speaking to him will trigger the warning and his choice to leave upon speaking again. If one elects to follow the Legion path through the end, it will be impossible to take Boone to the battle at Hoover Dam. If aiming to gain a reputation reward, for instance, the Caesar's Legion safehouse, one can dismiss Boone, raise their reputation with the Legion to Liked (ideally through turning in dog tags to Aurelius), acquire the key, and immediately kill members of the Legion to lower their reputation to below Neutral before speaking to Boone again. Doing so allows for access to both the Lucky shades and Boone as a long-term companion.
===Comments===
* After wiping out the Legion at Cottonwood Cove, Boone will say, "Wish there was more of them, I wasn't done yet."
* After killing Oscar Velasco, Boone will say, "Great Khan looks like. Guess he fought at Bitter Springs, or saw it happen."
* After killing Caesar, Boone will say, "Thumbs-down, you son of a bitch!", in reference to the gladiatorial games. He will also talk about the kill next time the player character speaks to him.
* Boone has unique comments for a variety of game locations and situations:
** Boone will say "I need a bigger caliber" or "I'm not punching through" if his weapons aren't getting through the enemy's armor DT.
** When the Courier shoots while not engaged with a target, he'll say, "Let me aim that for you next time." This comment can occur when attacking a target at long range, even if the Courier hits it.
** When entering the REPCONN test site basement with Boone for the first time, he will mention that it's "dark here" and that if the Courier plans on using a weapon with a scope, he was trained as a spotter, and he could help them find their targets.
** When freeing NCR soldiers at Nelson from the crucifixes during the quest Restoring Hope, Boone remarks "Mercy killing is a last resort. Glad you recognized we had options." If the player character speaks with Boone after this, he will go more in-depth about how he was told to kill NCR troops on crucifixes as a "mercy killing" when he was still part of the NCR First Recon. He laments that "sometimes following orders is what kills men."
===Non-player character comments===
* The First Recon are known throughout the wastes. When Boone is a companion:
** Boomers: "Keep your distance, soldier."
** Brotherhood of Steel: "Why is your friend there glaring at me like that? Did I bump into him or something?"
** Followers: "That's a First Recon beret. They're the best marksmen in the NCR military."
** Freesiders: "Keep your guns to yourself and there won't be any trouble."; "You're not doing yourself a favor by having him tag along. NCR aren't welcome here."
** Great Khans: "You know you're traveling with a fucking murderer?"
** Gun Runners: "First Recon is a top-notch unit. They're always buying sniper rifles from us."
** NCR civilians: "NCR Rangers deserve all my praise."
** NCR troopers: "I wish I had a First Recon guy looking out for me."; "That red beret's looking good, soldier."
** NCR tourists: "Is your friend one of those elite troops we've been hearing about?"
** Nightkin: "Head voices say quiet man knows more than he says about horns!"
** Omertas: "Big tough ranger better not start any trouble in here."
** Outer Vegas denizens: "Keep the Ranger on a leash around here."; "Make sure the NCR dog behaves, you're in the Mojave now."
** Powder Gangers: "That guy's got cold eyes. Definitely ex-military."
** The Kings: "That friend of yours NCR? He looks like he's NCR."
===Endings===
==Inventory==
==Notes==
* Being 26 years old, Boone is the youngest humanoid companion in New Vegas.
* Boone specializes in rifles, carrying his own scoped hunting rifle, and is one of only two First Recon members to use a scoped rifle.
* Boone head-tracks the player far less often than other companions. This is a glitch and not intentional.
* Boone has excellent Guns skill and provides the Spotter perk, while also being deadly with a melee weapon. He is also resistant to damage for a non-mutant companion.
** Though Boone states that melee isn't his "strong suit" and that he wasn't given much close combat training, Melee Weapons is one of his tag skills.
* Boone has the second-lowest Intelligence stat, tied with Lily's and smarter than Rex.
* Mortimer will comment on Boone being in good shape and looking healthy while insulting him as being a little gamey and rugged when offering to sacrifice him to Mortimer during Beyond the Beef.
* Care must be taken if bringing Boone to the Red Rock drug lab as he may start a fight (especially if Climb Ev'ry Mountain is completed, and Oscar Velasco is alive) and ruin the Courier’s reputation with the Great Khans.
* If the Courier chooses not to tell the King about the messenger during the quest G.I. Blues, Boone will sometimes attack the missionaries. The Courier will not lose him as a companion or even get a warning.
* Before completing I Forgot to Remember to Forget, where afterward he obtains permanent armor, Boone is the only companion whose clothes are an actual item that can be removed. As such, he can be made to wear any type of clothing or armor (barring most faction armor) before completing said quest.
* Although Boone claims to never remove his signature beret, he does so by giving it to the Courier when finding the culprit for his wife's slavery. Furthermore, he may swap it out for another headset if a suitable helmet is placed into his inventory.
* Boone and Dean Domino are the only companions who allow their clothes to be taken.
*If Boone dies, (i.e. being the replacement meal for Beyond the Beef), his quest will fail and Mr. New Vegas will report that Bitter Springs has been overrun by Legion forces.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Craig Boone appears , , and supplement book Settler's Guide Book.
==Behind the scenes==
* Boone and Manny Vargas are the Two of Hearts in the deck of Vault playing cards included with the Collector's Edition of Fallout: New Vegas.
* Craig Boone was written by Eric Fenstermaker.Joshua Sawyer on Twitter: "Companions: Arcade (me), Boone (Fenstermaker), Cass (Avellone), ED-E (Hooper), Lily and Raul (Stout), Rex (Farrell), Veronica (Fenstermaker)."
* Boone was voiced by Jason Marsden, but the role is incorrectly attributed to fellow actor James Marsden in the credits.Bethsoft Forums: October 27, 2010 (archived)Jason Bergman: "No, the earlier post was correct. Boone is Jason Marsden, not James. No X-Men connection. Just a quality VO actor."
* There are several placeholder voice lines found in the audio files for Fallout: New Vegas, recorded by an unknown person, which can be heard below:
==Bugs==
* After applying patch 1.2.0.31x, Boone may no longer move his head to track nearby targets, and will holster his weapon while in combat approximately every five seconds. This error is caused by a code added to his main dialogue script, which causes him to re-evaluate his current AI package every five seconds.
* Due to a glitch regarding armor stats, every time Boone switches equipment, the PER bonus from his beret gets added again and again, which leads to Boone having over 10 Perception. This can be reset by taking his beret away, and then giving it back to him.
* Boone will head-track the player far less often than other companions. Often times, he will only begin tracking the player after a fight.
* If the player takes Boone's beret, then gives it back to him, it may disappear from his inventory. If you give him the one remaining in your inventory, it will disappear upon transfer.
** This can be done by giving him any apparel that does not allow face or headgear. As such, he'll also take his sunglasses off.
* Boone seems to occasionally switch to melee (or if unavailable, unarmed) without prompt. This can be fixed by changing his combat style to melee in the companion wheel, and then back to ranged.
* If you fast travel after earning enough history points to unlock the quest I Forgot to Remember to Forget, but before Boone asks you to return to Bitter Springs with him, Boone will not fast travel with you. You may correct this by loading the auto-save file if you have not changed the game's default auto-save settings.
* If Boone has NCR faction armor and a better set of armor in his inventory, he will sometimes switch between them for seemingly no reason.
* If Boone is a companion and you part ways with him, say to meet up at the Lucky 38, and eventually accept him as a companion again, he will repeatedly talk to you without prompt. On the Xbox 360, he won't leave the presidential suite either, and fast traveling also causes him to disappear from the game permanently. This can be fixed only by going to the Fort and killing Caesar, although Boone will not appear. Upon killing Caesar, fast traveling to Cottonwood Cove will fix the glitch, provided there are enemies nearby.
** This may be caused by firing Boone and then gaining some fame with the Legion (to being Accepted, or a mostly positive mixed reputation) and then rehiring Boone. 
* After a fight, Boone may get stuck at reloading his weapon endlessly and not following you anymore. Letting him switch to melee and back to ranged gets him out of that loop. Yet only confirmed for PC, happened after fast traveling to the Nevada Highway Patrol station and fighting 10+ Jackal gang members.
** You can fix this bug by closing out of the game or turning off your console then back on.
* Sometimes, when giving Boone a pair of authority glasses, they turn out misshapen on his face. His rifle also will glitch out, and either disappear off his back or be inside of him. This also causes him to switch equipment. This can be fixed by taking the glasses, completely leaving the companion wheel, then going back and giving them back.
* If Boone is a companion while using the Mark of Caesar to boat your way to the Fort, Boone may appear on the dock next to you even if asked to wait far away. He will spawn in water, therefore unable to fight the boat guard.
* If Boone is wearing gear that the player has given him, and then receives another set of apparel (not necessarily better than his current armor), he may remove his sunglasses and beret despite them being the only headwear he has.
* Sometimes, during combat, Boone will randomly stop attacking enemies and will turn around. Then, he will run in a specific direction, not stopping unless he runs into a wall. To counteract this, the player must catch up with him to open dialogue, tell him to keep his distance, and then tell him to keep close again.
* If you give him armor like a radiation suit, he will remove his headgear, but he won't wear the suit.
* If Boone is following you and you are accepted with the Legion, Boone will comment on it. Afterward, he will talk to you every 10 seconds, even if you did not engage him in conversation.
* Sometimes, when the player enters the Ultra-Luxe, gives up their weapons and then steals them back from the locker, Boone will lose his rifle for the rest of the game.
* Sometimes, the weapons you give to Boone may disappear after exiting a casino.
==Gallery==
===Fallout: New Vegas===
Fnv-boone.jpg|Boone, near the gas station in Novac
FONV BooneAssaultArmor.png|Craig Boone in his 1st Recon assault armor without his beret and glasses
FNV Coll Edition 5.jpg|Concept art, Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide/Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
Craig Boone.jpg|Close-up
File:Boone and Manny Front.png|Boone, together with Manny Vargas on the 2 of Hearts.
===Fallout: Wasteland Warfare===
FOWW,Boone.jpg|Boone in Fallout: Wasteland Warfare
FOWW,BooneUnitCard.jpg|Unit card
Fallout wasteland warfare mojave companions Boone, Arcade & Cass.png
===Magic the Gathering===
Fallout magic Craig Boone, Novac Guard.png
==References==
Non-game
Category:Fallout: New Vegas human characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas companions
Category:Collector's Edition playing card characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas NCR characters
Category:New California Republic Army characters
Category:Novac characters
Category:Fallout: Wasteland Warfare characters
Category:Fallout: The Roleplaying Game characters
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