 | For the character, see Mysterious Stranger (Character). For a cross-game overview of this perk, see Mysterious Stranger. |
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“Who is he? Why does he help? Who cares! The Mysterious Stranger will appear occasionally in V.A.T.S. to lend a hand, with deadly efficiency...”— Rank 1 description
Mysterious Stranger is a perk in Fallout 4.
Effects
When attacking an enemy in V.A.T.S., either from range or in melee, there is a chance for the Mysterious Stranger to appear and fire a single shot from his .44 revolver to instantly deal a massive amount of damage to a single target. The first rank grants a 10% chance, with the second and third rank each increasing the chance by 2%, for a total of 14%. Luck has no influence on the percentage.
Ranks
| Rank | Requirements | Description | Form ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LCK 4 | Who is he? Why does he help? Who cares! The Mysterious Stranger will appear occasionally in V.A.T.S. to lend a hand, with deadly efficiency... | 0004C929 |
| 2 | LCK 4, LVL 22 | The Mysterious Stranger appears more often in V.A.T.S. | 001D2493 |
| 3 | LCK 4, LVL 41 | The Mysterious Stranger appears more often in V.A.T.S. When he kills an opponent, there is a chance your Critical meter gets filled. | 001D2494 |
| 4 | LCK 4, LVL 49 
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The Mysterious Stranger appears more often in V.A.T.S. When he kills an opponent, there is a high chance your Critical meter gets filled. | xx029B26 |
Notes
- The jingle for the Mysterious Stranger is a similar version of the one heard in Fallout 3 although more high-pitched. There are several variations of the Mysterious Stranger's appearance jingle and disappearance chime, which are randomized when he appears.
- The Mysterious Stranger will have vanished from the map by the time the player character exits V.A.T.S., meaning that it is impossible to interact with him, though some companions will comment on his brief appearance. Nick Valentine especially will react to an appearance of the Mysterious Stranger if he is the Sole Survivor's companion at the time, and has the Mysterious Stranger marked as an open case. A briefing of the case can be found under Nick's bed in his office.
- Unlike in previous games, the Mysterious Stranger's face is mostly obscured by his worn fedora.
- The damage dealt by the Mysterious Stranger is affected by a perk called MysteriousStrangerDamage, which has a magnitude of 1000.
- The Mysterious Stranger will only appear at the end of the sequence of queued V.A.T.S. attacks (including if the sequence is canceled after one or more attacks).
- Though the Mysterious Stranger is always depicted with a .44 revolver, the death animation for the target will be based on the weapon the Sole Survivor is wielding, so they may be disintegrated if they have an equipped laser weapon or gooified if they have an equipped plasma weapon.
- The Mysterious Stranger is marked as a Ghost, and Essential, and cannot be killed.
- Some enemies, like feral ghouls, will sometimes attempt to attack the Mysterious Stranger during his brief appearances.
Sounds
| Mysterious Stranger Appears | Mysterious Stranger Vanishes |
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Behind the scenes
- The Mysterious Stranger perk was originally designed by Scott Bennie.
- The Mysterious Stranger wields a revolver and wears a fedora and overcoat, like a protagonist of 1950s film noir.
- There were several unfinished drafts of a book by Mark Twain titled "The Mysterious Stranger," in which the title character claims to be Satan's nephew, and which contain various references to the number 44.
Bugs
If the Mysterious Stranger is hit by an attack that makes him stagger before he has fired his weapon, he might not end up getting a chance to fire. This appears to happen more often in confined spaces. This does not adversely affect his future performance.-
On occasions, the Mysterious Stranger will appear too close to the target, preventing him from taking a shot and killing the target. This is related to the game trying to place the Mysterious Stranger on the same level as his target. This does not adversely affect his future performance. - If one targets a Vertibird in V.A.T.S., the Mysterious Stranger may appear, but will not shoot at the Vertibird.
- If the Mysterious Stranger appears while using V.A.T.S. on a ceiling turret, he will appear in the ceiling and will not damage the turret, This may also sometimes cause game crashes.
