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Gives you your own personal guardian angel... armed with a fully loaded .44 Magnum. With this perk, the Mysterious Stranger appears occasionally in V.A.T.S. mode to lend a hand, with deadly efficiency.— In-game description

Mysterious Stranger is a perk in Fallout 3.

Effects[]

At the end of a V.A.T.S. sequence, if the last target has 150 health or less, there is a 10% chance that the Mysterious Stranger will appear to finish off that target using his unique .44 Magnum before disappearing.

Additional dialogue options[]

In the add-on Mothership Zeta, when first arriving aboard Zeta, having the Mysterious Stranger perk opens up a new line of dialogue with Somah, with the option "If we're lucky, a friend of mine might show up to help."[1]

Notes[]

  • The Lawbringer, Contract Killer and Grim Reaper's Sprint perks will not grant their benefits if the Mysterious Stranger takes credit for the kill.
  • "Mesmerizing" non-player characters with a Mesmetron in V.A.T.S. will sometimes make the Mysterious Stranger appear, resulting in him killing the victim.
  • The Mysterious Stranger will sometimes seek out other hostiles while in V.A.T.S., after he has killed the targeted one.
  • His appearances have a counter ("Mysterious Stranger Visits") that is displayed randomly during the loading screens, and on the Pip-Boy 3000 under the "Stats tab - General."
  • It is possible to attack and even cripple the Mysterious Stranger by accident in V.A.T.S., but this seems to have no effect whatsoever.
  • The Mysterious Stranger can be incapacitated by nearby explosions, sending him flailing about.
  • There is a chance for the Mysterious Stranger to miss all 6 shots from his .44 Magnum and the target will be completely unharmed.
  • He may be seen reloading his weapon if he runs out of ammo. However, the Mysterious Stranger is never given the chance to finish.

Sounds[]

Mysterious Stranger Coming Mysterious Stranger Missing

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The Mysterious Stranger will sometimes be positioned unfavorably. This can include being stuck in a wall, being placed in water, being placed near a cliff, etc. This can result in his "death" (unconsciousness) or inability to effectively attack the enemy, or even in some cases to kill the player character if they are between him and his target. Because the Mysterious Stranger never attacks, even if all enemies have died, he will be forever trapped inside the level geometry and the trigger to return the game to normal never happens. The only choice is to load a previous save.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 During V.A.T.S., it is common to hear the Mysterious Stranger jingle, even if he does not appear. This most likely happens at times when he would have appeared to finish off your enemy, but you killed the enemy instead. He may also have been affected by the bug above in some of these cases.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, when the Mysterious Stranger appears, he does not shoot. He will just stand there, leaving you helpless. Another variant makes the Mysterious Stranger reload his Magnum for the duration of his attack. If it jams, he may not attack at all. This also happens if his target is killed prematurely by an explosion, by you or a companion. V.A.T.S. will remain active for an extended time, leaving you open for attacks by any surrounding enemies.[verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 While in the Operation: Anchorage simulation, the Mysterious Stranger will sometimes appear and then lie unconscious. When the V.A.T.S. sequence ends, gameplay will return to normal.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 At times, the Mysterious Stranger will aid you during V.A.T.S., but there will be a 5-10 second delay between killing the target and returning to normal gameplay. This can pose problems when fighting multiple enemies, as they will continue to attack both you and your companions during the delay. On occasion, this bug may cause normal play to not resume.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, the game can freeze in the zoomed-in style of V.A.T.S. when the Mysterious Stranger appears, making him stand there and watch.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Occasionally, the game may register that the Mysterious Stranger has appeared (you receive a progress update) but he does not, nor does the opponent die. You remain frozen in V.A.T.S. unable to move or die.[verified]
  • PCPC In Fallout 3, when being dressed as the Pint-Sized Slasher in the Tranquility Lane simulation, the game may soft-lock if the Mysterious Stranger kills somebody in V.A.T.S.[verification overdue] This can be avoided by not using V.A.T.S.

References[]

  1. The Lone Wanderer: "[Mysterious Stranger] If we're lucky, a friend of mine might show up to help."
    Somah: "Uhh... okay... So, does that mean you're in?"
    (Somah's dialogue)
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