Poindexter

Private Poindexter is an NCR soldier and part of the Misfits living in Camp Golf in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
Soldiers tend to be an exceptional type of human. Selfless, brave, and unafraid of hard work. Poindexter is none of these things, but he is a self-serving know-it-all with a Hoover Dam sized ego and thinly veiled contempt for his fellow troopers. To himself, he's a certified genius whom everyone at the Camp looks up to. To everyone else, he's an annoying smart-ass who cannot follow orders.

If anyone wonders what someone like Poindexter is doing in the ranks of New California's military, it's simple: He figures that the benefits offered by the Army, both in terms of money and prestige, are worth the risk of bodily harm. To minimize the risk to himself, he deliberately rides the "mediocrity gradient", doing just well enough to stay in service, but not good enough to be sent to the front lines. That way, he can eventually "work" his way to a cushy desk job back in New California as, technically, a veteran. A veteran's pension is an added bonus.

Quests

 * Flags of Our Foul-Ups: Poindexter will tell the player that altering the records in the Camp's computer system would make it seem that they're doing better than they actually are.
 * If the player is taking O'Hanrahan's advice and convincing the squad to work together, the player will need to convince Poindexter to work better with the squad with a Speech check of 40.
 * No, Not Much: The Courier is required to help the Misfits in order for Camp Golf to send help to Bitter Springs.

Effects of player's actions

 * Following Poindexter's advice and cheating the system will ultimately lead to the Misfits' laziness catching up with them when the Legion attack Camp Golf. Those who survived and fled to the Mojave Outpost will be court-martialed and hanged from the ranger monument.

Appearances
Poindexter appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes


Poindexter was intended to be a Caravan player at one point during development. The dialogue option for this, along with the associated voice clip, remains in the game, but Poindexter himself is not a member of the faction necessary to use the dialogue. Additionally, Poindexter does not carry any money, does not have a Caravan deck specific to him, and his remaining dialogue option does not include the script necessary to initiate a game of Caravan.

Bugs
Poindexter is marked as "Respawns", meaning if he is killed he will be resurrected within three days of his death.