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We're gonna check out the police and fire stations. They were the buildings used most by the NCR so they're our best chance of good shit.Logan

Wheel of Fortune is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Wheel of Fortune 
Reach Camp Searchlight and speak with Logan in the NCR storage room beneath the west-side church;
agree to help the prospectors get radiation suits to explore Searchlight. 
Hack the Average-locked terminal in the storage room to learn about the radiation suit package taken somewhere close to Nipton, then tell Logan;
pass a 50 Speech skill check to negotiate increased payment. 
Speak with Boxcars in the general store to locate the hidden supply cave containing the package. 
Bring the package to Logan. 
Follow Logan and his men into the police station and fire station;
locate and acquire each piece of old NCR gear in both buildings. 
Survive the attack from Logan and his men. 
Reward: 100 XP
(Optional) Various loot carried by Logan's group 

Detailed walkthrough[]

The leadup to the quest is started by traveling to Camp Searchlight south-southeast of Novac and west of Cottonwood Cove and finding the trapdoor in the back corner of the church sitting on the west side of the irradiated former NCR base. In the NCR storage room one enters, they will find a group of prospectors led by Logan. After initial aggression and refusing to speak about his reason for being there, one can offer to help with the problem, to which he offers them the chance to by getting through the security encryption on the nearby terminal, which has an Average-level lock; one is required to hack the terminal in order to trigger the quest, so having at least 50 Science or temporarily achieving it via equipment bonuses or consumables is advisable before entering the storage room. He says that it contains the location of some radiation suits his crew needs to survive in the irradiated town. One can also ask additional questions from Logan including that his crew was hired by Alice McLafferty of the Crimson Caravan to salvage whatever they could find in Searchlight now that the NCR had abandoned it. After hacking the terminal, the player character will learn that the package with the suits in it had been intercepted coming from the west, near Nipton. One must then take this information to Logan, and he will offer to cut them in on the profits if they can bring back the suits for his crew, triggering the quest; passing a subsequent 50 Speech skill check leads to negotiating a better share of the loot only after Logan has the suits.

Following Highway 95 to the west into Nipton, if one is entering the town for the first time, an encounter with Vulpes Inculta of Caesar's Legion occurs outside the town hall on the north end. The one to talk to about getting help finding the suits is Boxcars, the crippled Powder Ganger residing in the general store. Speaking with him, asking about supplies being taken from the town gets him to direct the player character to the location of the hidden supply cave, found north of Nipton nestled amongst the rocky cliffs; the door will have an Average-level lock on it, so having at least 50 Lockpick or temporarily achieving it via equipment bonuses or consumables is advisable. Inside the cave, the package is found in one of two footlockers sitting on the ground in the center, with a spare suit in case the player character can use it.

Upon returning the package to the mercenaries, Logan will thank them and then lead the equipped prospectors out of the storage room into the town. Their first objective will be at the Searchlight police station, in the northeast corner of the town. A small amount of feral trooper ghouls will spawn and attack the prospectors on sight in the streets two times before and after searching the police station. Inside the police station, one will encounter multiple feral trooper ghouls as well. The NCR salvage parts must all be found before giving them to Logan, otherwise he will remark that there's still more to find. The requested parts and their respective locations in the police station are as follows:

  • One NCR 9mm submachine gun: Located in the right hand jail cell.
  • One NCR 10mm pistol: On the desk located in the northwest corner of the office.
  • Two NCR computer parts: In the office. In both the second and fifth desks from the left in the semi-circle of desks in the center of the office.
  • Three NCR frag grenade: On the bottom, middle shelf on the east wall of the storage room.
  • One NCR grenade rifle: On the stack of boxes next to the aforementioned shelves along the east wall of the storage room.
  • Two NCR radio parts: In the office. In the third desk from the left in the semi-circle of desks in the center of the office. The second radio parts are found in the leftmost desk in the cluster of three desks in the northeast corner of the room.

After handing over the salvaged parts to Logan, he will lead the crew to next travel to the heavily irradiated Searchlight fire station. In the truck bay right after the entrance, a colossal radscorpion queen will be encountered; it is advisable to help the prospectors kill the creature, otherwise if she manages to kill Logan, the quest will be rendered incomplete. Inside the upper level of the fire station, Logan will send the player character to find more NCR salvage parts; because access to the fire station is only possible during this quest (or taking the key from Logan's body), the upper level contains a couple of unique items to find unrelated to the quest:

The requested parts and their respective locations in the fire station are as follows:

  • One NCR 9mm submachine gun: Located on the shelves in the room with the Chief Fire Officer terminal.
  • Two NCR frag grenade: On the shelves in the room with the Chief Fire Officer terminal. Same room as the 9mm submachine gun.
  • Two NCR radio parts: On top of a small table in the room with the beds.
  • Four NCR computer parts: Split between two duffle bags in the room with the beds.
  • One NCR 10mm pistol: On top of a table in the kitchen.

After handing over the second batch of salvage to Logan, he will thank the player character before betraying them to keep more of the profit, turning hostile along with his crew, who must all be killed to complete the quest.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Speak with someone in Nipton about the missing radiation suits.
15 Find suits in a nearby cave.
20 Return with the suits to Logan.
30 Go with Logan to the Police Station.
40Quest finishedGo with Logan to the Fire Station.

Notes[]

  • Even if all the ghouls in the area were killed before taking the quest, new instances will still spawn in the camp twice: upon leaving the storage room and heading to the police station, and upon leaving the police station and heading to the fire station. However, if one reactivated the automated turrets around the town before leaving the storage room with the mercenaries after bringing the package, they will assist in killing the new ghoul enemies.
  • If one takes the NCR parts from Logan's corpse at the end of the quest, no weight is added to the player character's inventory despite what it says, but they will permanently be retained in their inventory. PC users can use console commands to remove them.
  • Killing Logan or Boxcars prior to obtaining this quest will cause it to fail.
  • After talking to Boxcars and before getting the suits, Logan can be killed with a silenced weapon while hidden in the supply room and the quest will be completed. The other people in the room will not turn hostile.
  • If the quest cannot be completed due to a glitch, and the player character still needs the keys to the Searchlight fire and police stations, Logan can be killed for the keys. However, they cannot be pickpocketed, as they will not appear in his inventory.
  • If one has a negative reputation with the Powder Gangers, Boxcars can still be spoken with to complete this quest.

Behind the scenes[]

  • The quest name is a reference to the 1951 standard "Wheel of Fortune" famously recorded by Kay Starr.
    • It also serves as a reference to the mythological concept of the "Wheel of Fortune," or Rota Fortunae, associated with the Roman goddess Fortuna (known as Tyche in Greek mythology), and originating from the concept of the Zodiac. Fortuna who owns the wheel but cannot control it would spin it at random, changing the positions of mortals whose finite lives are positioned on the wheel, with some suffering great misfortune and others gaining great fortune, all as a representation of the fickle and capricious nature of destiny.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, Logan will keep telling the player character that there must be more NCR parts in the police station, even though they collected everything. [verified]
    • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 To complete this quest, just kill Logan and all NCR items will be removed from one's inventory, marking Wheel of Fortune completed. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If the player character kills Logan and loots the NCR radio and NCR computer parts, these will be marked as quest items and cannot be dropped from one's inventory. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, after giving or not giving Boxcars Med-X doses, he will no longer have a dialogue option other than "Goodbye," thereby breaking the Wheel of Fortune quest. [verified]
    • PCPC This can be fixed by opening the command console and typing resetquest 131E7C, this will reset his dialogue regarding giving him Med-X and allows for advancing the quest.
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Logan and his cronies can be killed in the fire station and quest will be completed. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Exploring the Hidden Supply Cave just outside Nipton prior to this quest can cause the dialogue option relating to it to become unavailable when speaking to Boxcars, thus preventing the quest from progressing. Walking outside and coming back in can fix this. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Sometimes, the footlocker supposedly containing the radiation suit package is inaccessible, leaving the radiation suit package impossible to obtain. This can be fixed by reloading the autosave. [verified]
    • PCPC To advance the quest to the proper phase, where the footlocker containing the "radiation suit package" spawns, you can use the console ('~' key to open the console) and type: setstage 0014050D 15.
  • PCPC If Boxcars is bugged and does not provide the radiation suit dialogue, one can try resetting the Booted quest with the console command resetquest 131E7C. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 In some cases, the NCR 9mm submachine gun or the NCR grenade launcher will not be where it is supposed to be. In this case, Logan will persist in telling the player character there must be more NCR equipment. Nothing can induce him to move on to the fire station, so the quest must be abandoned. A suggested solution is to use an explosive in the room where the grenade launcher should be, and the resulting blast will make it appear. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If the player character has already given Boxcars the maximum number of Med-X prior to this quest, they are only given the goodbye option when talking to him, resulting in the quest being bugged and cannot be completed. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 If one speaks to Boxcars, the dialogue box will open, but there will be no dialogue option to find the supply cave. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 When having ED-E and Arcade Gannon as an active companion and Boone in the Lucky 38 Casino, Boone will sometimes randomly appear asking if "its time" when entering the NCR Storage room.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 While the group is following the player character, using the Big Mountain Transportalponder! will cause Logan and the prospectors to be teleported onto the sink's balcony.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The player character may not be able to initiate dialogue with Logan, thus making the quest impossible to start. [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 · 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
Cut contentCut questsAuto-Inject Quest · Bright and Shiny · Chip Provenance · Debug Topics · Exploring Vault 74 · Jailhouse Rock · Meat of Champions (quest) · TempMan · Underpass Water Purifier · Viva Las Vegas! · Welcome to Fabulous New Vegas · World Changes Post-Endgame
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 · Return to the FountainCut content
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