Regulator (Fallout 3)

The Regulators are a group of vigilantes who wear cowboy style hats and Regulator dusters after the fashion of gunslingers. In the Capital Wasteland they are led by Sonora Cruz and operate out of a farmhouse. Unlike the corrupt Regulators seen in the original Fallout, the (non-related) Regulators of the Capital Wasteland are truly just-minded and seek to punish evil.

If the player has the Lawbringer perk, he/she can trade fingers taken from the corpses of evil humans or (non-feral) ghouls killed by the player, for good karma and bottlecaps. The Regulators will also attempt to claim the bounty on the player's head if he or she has bad karma by committing serious crimes, such as destroying Megaton or enslaving people in the Capital Wasteland.

Members
Regulators wear Regulator dusters, and use laser weapons (laser pistols and laser rifles) although more commonly they are equipped with combat shotguns, Chinese assault rifles and combat knives. In terms of damage output, they are about equal to a Talon Company Merc, although they are easier to drop because their dusters have between 2-5 DR while Talon Company Mercs wear 16-26 DR armor. Regulator patrols typically operate in 3-man squads when searching the Wasteland for the player character if that player is evil or very evil. They are no more deadly or effective than their evil counterparts Talon Company Mercs and it would be wise to take out the one with the longest range weapon first and then backpedal (whilst firing) to some cover and take potshots at the one with the combat knife or combat shotgun.

If you have the Lawbringer perk, a dead Regulator will be found outside of the entrance to Arlington/Wasteland Metro in Arlington Cemetery North. He will have a bounty note for Junders Plunkett. It says he was last seen in Canterbury Commons, but is found in the Arlington House. You can kill him and take his finger. It is worth 1,000 caps back at the Regulator HQ.

Lucas Simms, the sheriff of Megaton, is a Regulator.

Locations
If you have bad karma, the Regulators will come for you. They will usually spawn nearby your location. Below is a list of where they may appear if you fast travel to that location. Regulators will not respawn after they have spawned in one of these locations, their bodies will also lie there indefinitely.
 * Sewer Waystation, almost directly east of Megaton.
 * Anacostia Crossing, right north of Rivet City.
 * Flooded Metro, directly west of Arlington Library.
 * Flooded Metro, south of Wilhelm's Wharf.
 * Meresti Trainyard, almost directly east of Arefu.
 * Northwest Seneca Station, north of Arefu.
 * Jury Street Metro Station, almost directly west of Vault 101.
 * Warrington Station, a bit southeast of Tenpenny Tower.
 * MDPL-21 Power Station, directly north of Paradise Falls.
 * Farragut West Metro Station, a bit northeast of Super-Duper Mart.
 * Unmarked shack on hilltop, slightly west of Rockbreaker's Last Gas. (Sniper Shack)
 * Unmarked rundown shack, slightly northwest of F.Scott Key Trail &amp; Campground.
 * VAPL-84 Power Station, north of Tenpenny Tower.

Bugs

 * If the player has access to the Regulator HQ and murders all of its Regulator inhabitants, Sonora Cruz will still remain friendly towards you and act as if nothing has happened.
 * Sometimes the Regulators will go through their dialogue as if they are hostile, but upon completion, they do not fire and appear friendly. They do not move or in any way pursue the player. If fired upon they do become hostile and return fire.
 * Sometimes when entering the Regulator HQ, the Regulators run around as if they are fleeing from you but dont attack. Sometimes Sonora Cruz disappears and requires you to either wait or leave and re-enter for her to appear. If she runs outside (and she has sometimes) you can probably interact with her once, then while outside she disappears like she has walked off or has been killed and dosen't seem to ever reapear back at the Regulator HQ (which makes the lawbringer perk useless as she isn't there to give the fingers to).

Behind the scenes

 * The regulators of Fallout 3 are a separate entity than that of the Boneyard Regulators met in the first Fallout.
 * Regulator is the actual term for an official who maintains control and supervision of an area of public interest. As a result, many armed groups, both vigilante and official, have been named "Regulators" throughout American history. One of the most notable groups in American history were the Regulators of the Carolinas around the time of the American Revolution.

Appearances
Sonora's Regulators appear only in Fallout 3.