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Bug Verification Project
This article is within the scope of the Bug Verification Project. This project is dedicated to increasing the validity of game bugs. If you want to participate, please check the project page.
Charon is Ahzrukhal's personal bodyguard and soldier. He's quiet and scary. Every couple of days, Ahzrukhal sends Charon out to run some kind of errand. He always leaves packed with weaponry, and returns with a bag of caps. He's loyal to Ahzrukhal beyond question, and will do whatever his employer orders. Charon never sleeps - a strange trait even for a ghoul - and when he's in Underworld, he hangs out in the bar. There are rumors that he is unhappy with his position but can't leave Ahzrukhal's employ.[1]
Although little is said about Charon's past, Ahzrukhal will tell you that he was raised by a group of people who brainwashed him into obeying whomever has his contract. Ahzrukhal insists that he isn't a slave, and implies that Charon did something in the past to deserve his "employment" with Ahzrukhal. While the terms of the contract are never shown, if you ask Charon to retrieve the G.E.C.K. in Vault 87, he says that he's only good for combat services, and that he's "nobody's errand boy."
Hired Help: One can receive Charon's contract for free by killing Greta for Ahzrukhal, or by paying a large amount of caps.
Take it Back!: With Broken Steel installed, Charon can be ordered to activate the purifier, despite his previous refusal to retrieve the G.E.C.K. in Vault 87.
The player can purchase his contract for 2,000 caps from Ahzrukhal, or, with a Barter skill of 50 or more, for 1,000 caps. They can also ask him to make a deal with you that involves killing Greta, after you kill Greta he is yours. After acquiring his contract, he will become a companion. His very first act as your new employee will be to have a "chat" with his former employer. You won't get your caps back after their "conversation".
Charon follows a personal moral path. Stealing in Underworld results in him attacking the player. If the player kills a good non-player character in Charon's presence, Charon will become upset and, if subsequently fired, become hostile.
When his contract is purchased, Charon says he must "chat" with his former employer: he walks to the bar, speaks briefly to Ahzrukhal, then shoots and kills him. If questioned about it, Charon replies, "Ahzrukhal was an evil bastard."
Charon will join the player regardless of Karma.
Charon's employment contract in the Pip-Boy reads, "Note - A piece of paper with some writing on it."
Charon is about a foot taller than the Lone Wanderer and most human/ghoul non-player characters.
Charon cannot be recruited if Ahzrukhal is killed before his quest is completed, as Charon's contract can only be obtained through completion of the quest. Charon will simply tell you talk to Ahzrukhal, even if Ahzrukhal is dead.
Charon's combat shotgun has to be cocked exactly like a BB gun or lever-action rifle, and even has the same reload animation, although combat shotguns are normally semi-automatic and magazine fed.
Charon will be let into Tenpenny Tower with you before you even complete the Tenpenny Tower quest.
In Greek mythology, Charon (or Kharon) is the ferryman of Hades who carried souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron, which divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.
Charon will occasionally remark that he finds happiness in a warm gun, alluding to a song called 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' by The Beatles.
pcps3xbox360 When buying Charon's contract from Ahzrukhal, a bug can occur during their interaction that leaves one, or both of them, unable to respond to the player (i.e. Charon will not follow you and/or Ahzrukhal will not talk to you). This bug may happen if Ahzrukhal is asleep. When Charon goes to wake him, Ahzrukhal will say his first line of dialog and Charon will stay in place. Ahzrukhal will then go to the area he is in originally when you walk in during the day. It can be solved on the PC by using the in-game console command "resurrect" to reset the problematic non-player characters. On the Xbox 360 this bug can sometimes be solved by exiting and re-entering the game. [verified]
pcps3xbox360 If you hire Charon as a follower, he may not follow you through the concourse but will appear again outside the museum entrance. [verified]
pcps3xbox360 Sometimes Charon will not follow you outside of underworld but will still appear outside of the Museum of History. This can be fixed by saving out side of underworld then loading the save game and he will appear. [verified]
ps3 Charon may not be able to leave the Ninth Circle, even into Underworld. [verified]
xbox360pc If you equip Charon with only the Chinese stealth armor and leave the dialogue, he will equip it and be able to become cloaked. If while cloaked you talk to him and give him power armor (possibly any armor) while he is cloaked and leave the trade equipment screen, he will put the power armor on and still be able to sneak allowing you to grab the now unequipped Chinese stealth armor and wear the Chinese stealth armor yourself. [verified]
ps3 Sometimes, after he is hired, when you ask him to follow you he will say a random line and it will show that you need neutral Karma to hire him. [verification needed]
xbox360pc At times, he may shoot dead bodies the same way he shoots Ahzrukhal. [verified]
ps3xbox360 If fired he may become stuck on something while walking and be unable to return to the Ninth Circle. [verified]
pc If Charon is equipped with a power armor helmet, his dialogue options 'cut out' due to a bug related to the sound files of Charon's voice and the voice modulation of the power armor helmet. (requires further confirmation for xbox 360) [verified]
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