Smuggler

Smugglers are hostile NPC's encountered in the Fallout 3 add-on Point Lookout.

Background
They can be found all over Point Lookout, most prominently along the southern coast, and are more frequently encountered as Point Lookout's main quest line progresses. They roam Point Lookout hoping to find profit from its rumored hidden treasures.

Smugglers are surprisingly tough opponents; lower-level smugglers are on par with Talon Company mercs in terms of combat threat, while higher-level smugglers exceed all other enemies but the elite Tesla and Hellfire soldiers of the Enclave.

Effects of player actions
Smugglers will always be hostile to the player. They will usually travel in groups of 3-4, so they can prove to be trouble for lower level characters, but more of a nuisance for higher level characters.

Equipment
The equipment used by smugglers is extremely diverse.

Melee-oriented smugglers use virtually all unarmed and melee weapons from brass knuckles and power fists to super sledges and rippers. In addition, they carry frag and plasma grenades. Ranged combatants employ small guns and energy weapons, from 10mm pistols to plasma rifles, and even missile launchers. Every 72 Hours, a smuggler wearing a Wasteland legend outfit will spawn inside the Point Lookout Lighthouse on the staircase leading to the top.

Smuggler at Herzog Mine
Above Herzog Mine is the mutilated corpse of a recently-shot smuggler, which has just fallen from some wooden planks. His corpse contains leather armor, brass knuckles, and the Smuggler's Confession holotape, explaining his death in better detail. If you walk away from the mine and look up you will see two smugglers; one holding the other prisoner at gun point and then see him shoot the other in the back. You can kill the smuggler with the gun but you cannot save the prisoner (because he is scripted to die automatically), both smugglers appear friendly on your map.

Sometimes if you are at the entrance to the mine and you look up, you will see the "ghost" of the smuggler above you, only to revert to a lump of meat if you climb back up to the planks. If you approach the Herzog Mine for the first time from the water and work your way up, you can actually see him fall from the planks. Also, if you walk towards the smuggler from the Ark & Dove Cathedral, he is still standing on the planks but unresponsive. He yells out things like "Hey!" and "Stop that!" if you attempt to pickpocket him or shoot at him.

Appearances
Smugglers appear in the Fallout 3 add-on, Point Lookout.

Behind the scenes

 * The smugglers might have been called mercs in early development of the Point Lookout add-on. While talking to Haley in Haley's Hardware, he will talk to you about the smugglers, but instead of saying smuggler he says 'mercs', even though the subtitles say 'smuggler'. Also, no other NPC mentions the smugglers.

Bugs

 * Sometimes the smuggler above Herzog Mine will appear alive and friendly. If you talk with him, you will find a blank dialog box and he will say nothing. He does not fight back when attacked and you will receive experience by killing him (as much as a normal smuggler) but no karma loss/gain. He can also be pick-pocketed for leather armor, brass knuckles, and the Smuggler's Confession holotape.
 * The smugglers may never appear at the lighthouse.