I'm pretty sure 1,000 caps for that merc is a typo in the Wiki. 1,000 caps for a minigun merc is completely out of place with all the other merc prices. You could take its weapon and resell it for more than that.
I'd say it's 7,000-8,000 base price, in reality.
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My own questions:
If you have Lockpick 300%, will Expanded Lockpicks add an extra 50% to that (for purposes of crafting strong locks and etc.) or is it basically capped at 300%? How about Repair and Super Tool Kit, same principle?
Also, does adding more Outdoorsman beyond 150% increase speed any further, or just the rate of previewing encounters?