Powder Gangers

The  are packs of criminals from the eastern parts of the New California Republic.

Background
When NCR attempted to expand east, they needed railways to carry supplies to distant locations, especially places ripe for colonization. For this task, The New California Republic used criminals from their Black Canyon prison who were approaching the end of their sentences. Unfortunately, when NCR started to have financial problems, payments to the workers started coming up late or short. Eventually, the workers decided to take matters into their own hands, seizing the work stations and all the blasting powder they could find. They became powder gangs, blowing up any and all caravans and railways they came across.

Fallout: New Vegas
In the town of Goodsprings, a powder gang member (Joe Cobb) is seen threatening to burn down the town if Trudy at the Prospector Saloon does not hand over Ringo. If the player does not ally with the Powder Gangers then the player will be asked by Ringo to recruit Sunny Smiles. Once this is done, she tells him to try and recruit Trudy because a lot of people look up to her; and if she joins the gang then so will others. She then tells the player to talk to Easy Pete and Chet, then to Doc Mitchell. The player doesn't have to get Chet, Easy Pete or Doc Mitchell. He can return to Mitchell with two options: to take on the Powder Gangers or get ready to face them. Either way the player takes on the Powder Gangers and the result is: he is idolized in Goodsprings and shunned by any Powder Ganger. Cheyenne, Sunny Smiles dog, is likely going to die in the battle. If Ringo survives he promises to repay you, he can later be found at the Crimson Caravan Company. In some cases, he will pay you immediately after the battle in Red Caravan dollars.

When the player heads to Primm, the NCR officers and troopers will send him to Hayes. Hayes will tell the player that some convicts escaped from the NCRCF (NCR Correctional Facility) and have killed guards in Primm that weren't able to escape. Since then they began ransacking the area. He tells them that they call themselves Powder Gangers because they've taken to using explosives meant to clear boulders as weapons. They have taken Primm's deputy, Deputy Beagle hostage in the Bison Steve hotel. Courier defeats the escaped convicts in the hotel. The Powder Ganger leader is wearing a hockey mask, protecting his face from gun attacks and leather armour, he wields a meat clever and moves fairly fast. Due to the fact the player is not bound to have gone up many levels the leader is in boss status. The player will successfully rescue Beagle if he survives the Powder Gangers. Beagle will explain how he got trapped or give information on the Khans that Benny was with.

Locations

 * Black Canyon Prison
 * Bison-Steve Hotel appear as Convicts but described by townfolk and NCR Rangers as Powder Gangers.
 * New California Republic Correctional Facility

Appearances
The Powder Gangers appear in Fallout: New Vegas. They were going to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3.