Sydney

 is a relic hunter the player will meet when hunting for the Declaration of Independence, during which the player has the option of recruiting her as a temporary follower. If she survives the quest and gets to Rivet City, she will retire from relic hunting and become an ammunition vendor in Underworld. If you get into a fight in the Underworld, Sydney will fight alongside you.

Related Quests

 * Stealing Independence
 * A Note from Little Moonbeam's Father

Equipment

 * Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG (unique SMG, 59 DAM at 100% CND)
 * Combat Armor
 * Several Frag Grenades (she has a limited supply, and will quickly use them up after her first few combats).
 * There is also an ammo supply in the Ninth Circle that belongs to Sydney. It requires her key. The items contained are whatever she has for sale as well as her current amount of caps.

Statistics

 * Level: 5 &rarr; 15 (2 times current player level)
 * Health: 115 &rarr; 165
 * SPECIAL: 6ST, 5PE, 4EN, 4CH, 4IN, 6AG, 4LK


 * Skills
 * Melee Weapons: 49 &rarr; 96
 * Small Guns: 49 &rarr; 96
 * Sneak: 49 &rarr; 96

Sydney typically has better combat skill and health than a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin. While she is not as powerful as any of the 7 permanent NPC companions, she is the strongest temporarily follower that the player can acquire.

Sydney's Father Quest
In the Statesman Hotel (Mid Level) (rescuing Reilly's Rangers) you'll find A Note from Little Moonbeam's Father, which is directed to Sydney from her father. Show the Holodisk to her and she will give you her Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG and a supply of ammo.

Appearances
only appears in Fallout 3.

Trivia
is based on character Sydney Fox from the TV show Relic Hunter.

Sydney may be a former BoS Paladin. If you assault her she will say things that indicate affiliation with the BoS. It has also been reported that she even says she is from the BoS. (confirmation needed)

Bugs

 * On the Xbox360 Version, two players reported that Sydney was nowhere to be found, not in Anacostia, the Archives, roaming the Wasteland, or in DC.


 * Even after giving Sydney the holotape from her father, she still hopes he "got what he deserved" in the wastes.


 * One random glitch (confirmed Xbox 360 & PS3) is when Sydney is following you on the search for The Declaration of Independence, her SMG will be hanging upside down about one foot in front of her body. It seems to do it when she holsters her weapon after a firefight.


 * On one occasion, after first encountering her in the Archives, her hand, especially her fingers, had become strangely elongated. This was corrected once she was taken out of the building.

Keeping Sydney as a Follower
If you wish to keep her as an extra NPC you can do so easily. She will stay with you as long as you do not complete the Stealing Independence Quest. So do not return to Abraham Washington.
 * A few drawbacks with her as an NPC:
 * She cannot be equipped with any new weapons or armor (although her default 10mm SMG and Combat Armor are pretty good equipment).
 * She cannot be given any items to hold.
 * She can die permanently (which has the benefit of your being able to pick up her 10mm SMG and Combat Armor).
 * She cannot be told to change tactics.
 * Although she can initially be told to wait, she will refuse to obey this order if you are holding the Declaration of Independence.
 * Although she has more health than a Talon Company Merc or Brotherhood of Steel Paladin, she's still less durable than a normal NPC companion and can be downed relatively easily.
 * Unlike real followers, she does not heal to full at the end of a successful battle. You can still give her stimpaks by talking to her, which she will use immediately. Your medicine skill doesn't affect the amount of damage she heals, so use them sparingly (needs confirmation).
 * Her limbs cannot be healed with stimpaks, so if she gets crippled (which is inevitable after she takes enough damage), she'll be so permanently.
 * Unlike with permanent NPC followers, the game will not inform you if Sydney dies. It is possible to lose track of her and not realize she has been killed, especially in large firefights or if she gets separated from you by a large distance.
 * Sydney remains in Vault 87 if she is following the player when they are captured by the Enclave, which forces you to return to Vault 87 and retrieve her after escaping. It's best not to bring her into Vault 87, instead asking her to wait somewhere you can easily retrieve her (i.e. inside your house in Megaton/Tenpenny Tower, or simply in front of the Little Lamplight entrance).