Ok, I know from previous questions that the whole reputation and karma thing of FA:NV is a bit wierd but now I can't make heads or tails from it. I have been vilified with Caesar's Legion pretty much from the start. Today I bumped into Cottonwood Cove from the south. It made for excellent sniping and sniped I did. Picked off any Legion member I could see. Then I started moving into the cove and got stopped by a guy who wanted to know what I was up to. An swift speech check later and I'm now waltzing about and no one cares. I could even buy some slaves their freedom. And I'm NOT wearing any Legion armor at all, just plain neutral power armor.
I thought that vilified status made that affiliation attack you on sight.
Best Answer
Passing the Speech check when you approach Cottonwood Cove will allow you to get inside without hostilities, even if your faction reputation with the Legion would have otherwise prevented it. Although it seems like everyone in the Mojave can identify the Courier by sight, apparently the Legion in the Cove are more the "ask questions and be easily deceived" type.
If Boone is with you, or if you're wearing NCR armor, I don't believe you can bluff the guard outside the Cove.
This isn't mentioned in the Wikia article for Cottonwood Cove, although I experienced a similar set of events when I approached this location.