The Scribe and Smiling Larry

[Tavman (4)]

Does anyone know where the Scribe and Smiling Larry can reliably be found?

[the_british_kiwi]

They are all random encounters, but heres a list if random encounter places that you could find them
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.reddit.com/r/fo4/comments/3u5zwv/random_encounter_hot_spots/&ved=0ahUKEwj1lfC-i47NAhVj5qYKHWWxCqEQFggYMAA&usg=AFQjCNEcYG4gjWFyam2VNBJ8cWBjoVyN4w&sig2=8wHrup_FDQb4M2aOsxVsFg

[Hobo Misanthropus]

The Scribe I find most often South of Tenpines Bluff, on the road to Covenant, and along the Charles river in Cambrige, by the broken advertising sign/Cambrige Polymer Labs.

I don't think I've ever seen Smiling Larry.

[Tavman (4)]

Originally posted by the_british_kiwi:

They are all random encounters, but heres a list if random encounter places that you could find them
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.reddit.com/r/fo4/comments/3u5zwv/random_encounter_hot_spots/&ved=0ahUKEwj1lfC-i47NAhVj5qYKHWWxCqEQFggYMAA&usg=AFQjCNEcYG4gjWFyam2VNBJ8cWBjoVyN4w&sig2=8wHrup_FDQb4M2aOsxVsFg

Looks great although I do suspect that some random encounter locations are different from others. I just wish I knew which was which.

[Tavman (4)]

Originally posted by Hobo Misanthropus:

The Scribe I find most often South of Tenpines Bluff, on the road to Covenant, and along the Charles river in Cambrige, by the broken advertising sign/Cambrige Polymer Labs.

I don't think I've ever seen Smiling Larry.

I have never been to that particular area in Cambridge in all the time I played although I don't have much hope for it but I suppose it's worth a shot.

[CaptainSarcastic]

I found Smiling Larry somewhere random, and the bartender guy, too. Found Rylee in her normal first encounter point, and found the Scribe near the Old Gullet Sinkhole. If you get really stuck you can summon them using the console - the Wiki has instructions. Had to do that when Rylee bugged badly at the first settlement I sent her to and disappeared after a while.

[Tavman (4)]

Originally posted by CaptainSarcastic:

I found Smiling Larry somewhere random, and the bartender guy, too. Found Rylee in her normal first encounter point, and found the Scribe near the Old Gullet Sinkhole. If you get really stuck you can summon them using the console - the Wiki has instructions. Had to do that when Rylee bugged badly at the first settlement I sent her to and disappeared after a while.

Cannot use console. Currently on Survival mode.

[Tavman (4)]

On another note, do they need to be encountered at certain times of the day?

[Bored Peon]

I have seen Smiling Larry only twice. Both time he was traveling the road closets to Watts that passes by the Cambridge Park.

I have found The Scribe there as well.

You also have to keep in mind that the chance to see some NPCs can be REALLY rare.

The random encounter tables also change for act two when the BOS arrive. This is because the BOS will be added to the encounters. It can also fix any broken or dead NPCs that bugged or died in act one.

[Tavman (4)]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

I have seen Smiling Larry only twice. Both time he was traveling the road closets to Watts that passes by the Cambridge Park.

I have found The Scribe there as well.

You also have to keep in mind that the chance to see some NPCs can be REALLY rare.

The random encounter tables also change for act two when the BOS arrive. This is because the BOS will be added to the encounters. It can also fix any broken or dead NPCs that bugged or died in act one.

Should this also reduce the number of encounters with the Rust Devils and the Scrapbots?

[Doombringer]

Larry and The Scribe are random road encounters. Any spot that can spawn monsters (dogs, super mutants, deathclaw, etc.) on the road can also spawn them. It took me over an hour of fast travel spawn point resetting to get him to show up, so it is a very low chance to spawn.

Time of day doesn't matter for most recruitable NPCs. (Not sure about Ron Staples, but it doesn't matter for the rest of them.)

Rylee (if you don't get her the first time you meet her), the doctor, and Ron spawn at campsites (like behind the museum of freedom) instead of on roads.

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Tavman (4):

Should this also reduce the number of encounters with the Rust Devils and the Scrapbots?

The rust devil and scrapbot encounter remain really high while The Mechanist quests are active. Before listening to the distress call you could have the old normal spawns. After the DLC is completed the spawns decrease and settlment attacks stop.

The big thing about The Scribe, Larry, and Gene is the fact once you pass near their location they activate. Once activated they have some AI path they follow. The path is probbaly REALLY predictbale however learning what that path is requires the NPC to spawn.

The road by Watts/Cambridge Park is the one that has the downed telepohone pole with the ramps over it. With the old survival I could fast travel to Watts and meet them on the road. If you were to save scum i would suggest sleeping at Covenant or Taffington Boathouse.

I would also suggest if you see either that you run to the bed in the broken house (has a safe there too) by the park. Since you are playing survival and have a fallback point for a save.

Originally posted by Doombringer:

Any spot that can spawn monsters (dogs, super mutants, deathclaw, etc.)

Not necessarily true. The NPCs tend to favor certain random encounter locations. The "standard" ones that are always active. Some locations go inactive after a spawn or two. These "floating locations" can be different every game.

Also keep in mind the Longneck Lukowski settler will "eat" a random encounter location. Meaning he will always be at that location every time you come near it. My current game the bastard ate the location right near the museum.

[Tavman (4)]

Thanks guys! I just came across the Scribe at 4:47 AM in-game time. Maybe he only appears in the night like Ron Staples?

Now I just need to get Smiling Larry (and an extra 50 caps for his stall) and I am all set.

As for the other four, I am deliberately avoiding them for now as they all seem to be in fixed locations (I am also staying far away from Longneck Lukowski's so that the trader will always be there).

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Tavman (4):

Thanks guys! I just came across the Scribe at 4:47 AM in-game time. Maybe he only appears in the night like Ron Staples?

Now I just need to get Smiling Larry (and an extra 50 caps for his stall) and I am all set.

As for the other four, I am deliberately avoiding them for now as they all seem to be in fixed locations (I am also staying far away from Longneck Lukowski's so that the trader will always be there).

Rylie is inside until you enter. It is kinda worth getting out of the way because the jerkytown vendor mag and the bater bobblehead is inside.

As for the day/night thing. I would chalk that up to pure coincidence. I had seen him near the combat zone during the day.

I do have to say I think Smiling Larry and The Scribe are the second most rare NPC to find. Ness being the rarest, I have played almsot 1800 hours and sitll never seen her. I think this has to do with their locations they spawn at are really limited.

[the_british_kiwi]

And here i am, still looking for the dog merchant..

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by the_british_kiwi:

And here i am, still looking for the dog merchant..

Gene is all over the Commonwealth. He is also obsolete if you own Wasteland Workshop DLC.

Funny thing about Gene is I had him wander right into Starlight Drive In on my current game.