The Fallout universe is filled with all manner of dangerous individuals. Some, like raiders and Super Mutants, should always be kept at arms-length. Others, however, keep their real motivations hidden. Whether for good or ill it's undeniable that some NPCs in Fallout: New Vegas seek to manipulate the Courier.
Not everyone's hidden agenda involves grandiose schemes and plots. In fact, many turn out to be quite petty, motivated as they are by pure survival. It's up to the player to decide how to deal with these rather deceitful individuals. After all, staying one step ahead is important for the Courier. Wouldn't want to get shot in the head twice, right?
10 Barton Thorn
Barton Thorn has a pretty good story for the player upon meeting him just outside of Goodsprings. He will approach the Courier in a panic, exclaiming that "his girl" is trapped on a nearby ridge in danger of being eaten by geckos. Naturally, the Courier is obliged to come to the rescue.
Fighting up the hill through the handful of geckos will yield some loot. However, Barton's girl is nowhere to be found. When the Courier returns to Thorn's shack the latter will be thrilled that the geckos are gone. He plans to claim the treasure for himself....after disposing of the Courier. There was never anyone in danger. Thorn simply manipulates the player into doing his bidding. Showing him the error of his ways is the proper way to end this little quest.
9 James Garret
Now, this is a bit of a weird one. The Garrett twins, James and Francine, run the Atomic Wrangler casino in Freeside. They will offer the Courier some work and if accepted, starts the quest "Wang Dang Atomic Tango." The task involves hiring a few "escorts" for the casino's clientele.
Oddly enough, one of these "escorts" is a robot named Fisto. James Garret is positively thrilled when informed of the robot's acquisition. His dialogue implies that the robot's sexual services aren't necessarily for the customers, but rather for himself. It's a naughty little secret for an already shady character.
8 Cachino
The Omertas are some of the most vicious thugs on the Strip. Cachino, a rather disgruntled lieutenant, operates out of the Gomorrah casino. His superiors, Nero and Big Sal, are unaware of Cachino's extracurricular activities. It's revealed that Cachino has been going behind the backs of his bosses, striking illicit deals on the side for his own benefit.
This information actually proves useful to the player when completing the "How Little We Know" quest. The player can choose to side with Cachino, which results in the murder of both Nero and Big Sal. Alternatively, the traitor can be turned over to his superiors, which results in Cachino's death.
7 Ronald Curtis
To an outside observer, Captain Ronald Curtis appears as an upstanding officer of the NCR. At Camp McCarran, Curtis is in charge of Bravo Company, where he has earned a reputation as a tough disciplinarian. It turns out that his sterling career as an NCR officer is nothing but a sham.
Captain Ronald Curtis is actually Frumentarius Picus, a deep-cover operative for Caesar's Legion. He proves to be a huge asset for Caesar due to his advantageous position within Camp McCarran. Curtis is able to collect vast quantities of important intelligence for the Legion as a result. Only Colonel Hsu seems to suspect this rather talented spy.
6 Jeannie May Crawford
For all intents and purposes, Jeannie May Crawford seems like a decent and caring individual. She possesses homespun hospitality as well as a grandmotherly affection. She is also fiercely proud of Novac. Nevertheless, behind the pleasant exterior, Jeannie May Crawford is quite a vindictive and callous woman.
Craig Boone's former wife, Carla, often found it difficult to get along with others. Jeannie May Crawford, in particular, thought Carla was ungrateful and a nuisance to the town. To get rid of her, Jeannie May allowed slavers of Caesar's Legion to surreptitiously enter Novac and abduct Carla, as well as her unborn baby. It's a pretty monstrous act for a woman who pretends to be protective of her neighbors.
5 Mortimer
The Ultra-Luxe casino prides itself in providing the pinnacle of luxury to its customers. On the surface, everything looks on the up-and-up. However, there's a dark secret that lies at the heart of the "respectable" White Glove Society. The quest "Beyond the Beef" reveals some interesting morsels concerning the casino's beef supply and its proprietor, Mortimer.
The Courier comes to the frightening realization that the "meat" isn't always what it seems to be. Mortimer is actually a cannibal who masquerades as a decent (yet haughty) individual. The White Glove Society as a whole are a collection of cannibals, although most members, like Marjorie, want to abandon that practice. Mortimer doesn't entertain any such ideas.
4 Heck Gunderson
Heck Gunderson is a semi-famous brahmin rancher of the Mojave Wasteland. When the Courier encounters Gunderson inside the Ultra-Luxe casino he will explain that he's trying to find his missing son, Ted. He suspects the White Glove Society is behind it but is cagey about the details.
With a little digging the player discovers that Heck Gunderson has been forcing the Ultra-Luxe's beef suppliers out of business. He seeks to corner the market on beef so he can set his own prices. Unsurprisingly, the White Glove Society isn't too thrilled with this new arrangement. It's ultimately why Heck suspects the secretive group for the kidnapping in the first place.
3 Victor
Victor is one of the first characters the player meets in Goodsprings after being shot by Benny. He's a pretty friendly and talkative Securitron robot, denoted by his unique cowboy personality. Victor pulls the Courier out of his grave, saving his life in the process. Why Victor rescues the Courier is initially a mystery. Trudy, a Goodsprings resident, admits the robot has never helped anybody before.
It turns out that Victor is one of the many agents of Mr. House. Victor, through Mr. House's orders, actually oversaw the delivery of the Platinum Chip and its decoys. The whole endeavor hit a snag with Benny's unexpected intervention. Unable to intervene directly due to programming restraints, he instead decided to stage a rescue attempt once the danger had passed.
2 Orris
There's plenty of con men to be found in New Vegas. Orris, a freelance bodyguard who operates in Freeside, is one of those men. Orris claims that anyone who hires him will be perfectly safe while traversing Freeside. When hired, the player may notice something not quite right with Orris' services.
The thugs that Orris fights off are actually part of a phony, stage-managed show. Orris simply pretends to protect those who hire him, never inflicting any real harm. His assailants are part of the scam, earning a cut of the money that Orris makes from his "business." This finely tuned swindle has proved quite lucrative for the disingenuous bodyguard.
1 Martina Groesbeck
Martina Groesbeck has experienced some tough times. Her professional gambling career fizzled out after losing most of her money. She now mostly hangs around Vault 21 chatting up the hotel's patrons and visitors. However, few people realize that Martina's new occupation is as a spy for the NCR.
The information she collects is then sent to Captain Ronald Curtis. What Martina fails to realize is that Ronald Curtis is himself a spy....for Caesar's Legion. Thus, Martina unwittingly aids Caesar's Legion by passing on valuable information to Curtis. She never suspects her true status as a pawn in a much larger game.