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To the northeast is a settlement, the locals here call them "Boomers". They are sitting on a munitions stockpile that would be invaluable to us.Dennis Crocker

Things That Go Boom is a main quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Main Quest: Things That Go Boom 
Speak with Ambassador Dennis Crocker at the NCR Embassy
Travel to Nellis Air Force Base and ask Pearl how the Boomers can be helped. 
Complete the quest Volare! 
Return to Crocker at the NCR embassy and report that the Boomers have pledged their support. 
Reward: 200 XP, 300, 400 or 500 bottle caps and NCR fame. 
Leads to: Kings' Gambit 

Detailed walkthrough[]

After leaving the Lucky 38 for the first time (likely for the first part of The House Always Wins I), an NCR trooper will approach and give a message, which asks the Courier to visit Ambassador Dennis Crocker at the NCR Embassy. The embassy is in the last section of the Strip (farthest from the north gate), across the street from Michael Angelo's workshop and Vault 21, situated behind the Ultra-Luxe. The embassy itself is the building on the left when entering the front gate. Once inside, ask Liza O'Malley at the reception desk and she will direct the player character to the ambassador's office through the left door at the end of the hallway. Upon meeting him and asking about his summons, Crocker will ask that the Courier find and recruit the reclusive Boomers tribe to support the NCR against Caesar's Legion.

Follow the map to the northeast corner of the Mojave Wasteland, where Nellis Air Force Base can be found. Reaching it involves avoiding the Boomers' artillery bombardment, for which George will provide helpful instructions when first approaching. After meeting Raquel at the front gate and being brought to Pearl, she will instruct the player character to do good deeds around Nellis to gain the Boomers' favor. This triggers the Volare! quest, culminating in the raising of the bomber from Lake Mead. If it has already been completed before starting this quest, one can simply go to Pearl and ask for the Boomers' help in the coming battle, to which she happily agrees.

Once the Boomers have been rallied, return to Crocker and inform him that they have pledged their support. This will complete the quest, triggering Kings' Gambit and earning NCR fame.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
1 Ambassador Crocker has told the Courier about the Boomer quest. But it hasn't been accepted yet.
2 Convince the Boomers to help the Courier in the upcoming battle.
3 Return to Ambassador Crocker and let him know of the results of meeting with the Boomers.
4Quest finishedReturn to Ambassador Crocker and let him know the Boomers will help.
5Quest failedTell Ambassador Crocker that the Boomers will not help.
6Quest failedAmbassador Crocker found out that the Courier has already pledged the Boomer's support and is disappointed.

Notes[]

  • This quest disregards previous reputation with NCR; even if the Courier has a Vilified reputation, they are still allowed to enter the embassy and talk to Crocker. Additionally, accepting this quest will remove any infamy with the NCR. If the Courier has already met the Boomers, reporting that they will or will not help will also clear any NCR infamy.
  • Already being Idolized by the Boomers greatly reduces the time taken to complete this quest.
  • Despite Crocker requesting that the Boomers aid the NCR, the Boomers will pledge their help directly to the Courier. This is kept from Crocker, allowing him to believe that the Boomers will support the NCR regardless of the Courier's true allegiances, and completes the quest.

Bugs[]

PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 After telling Crocker about having gained the Boomers' support, an NCR MP will stop the Courier in the hallway, say something about how "you should have paid your dues" and become hostile. He and any other NCR troops in the hallway will attack, but killing them doesn't result in Karma or reputation loss (on PC and PS3, reputation may still be lost), and no other NCR troopers become hostile afterwards.[verified]

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 · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · 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 · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · 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 · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · 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 · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
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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