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Permanent companions[]

The base game offers 13 unique permanent companions, each with their own quirks and storyline. Add-ons introduce four additional companions; Automatron adds two fully customizable robot companions; Far Harbor and Nuka-World introduce a single, narrative-focused companion each. With all add-ons installed, the total number of permanent companions in the game is 17.

FO4 charactercomp thumb01
Cait
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Codsworth
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Curie
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Paladin Danse
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Deacon
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Dogmeat
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John Hancock
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Robert MacCready
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Nick Valentine
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Piper Wright
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Preston Garvey
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Strong
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X6-88
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Ada Automatron (add-on)
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Automatron Automatron (add-on)
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Old Longfellow Far Harbor (add-on)
FO4NW Porter Gage
Porter Gage Nuka-World (add-on)
Companions
Companion Location Acquire
Cait Combat Zone Complete The Combat Zone
Codsworth Sanctuary Hills Visit Concord during Out of Time
or reach Diamond City before Concord, starting Jewel of the Commonwealth
or meet Nick Valentine in Vault 114 before Concord or Diamond City, starting Unlikely Valentine
Curie Vault 81 Complete Hole in the Wall
Paladin Danse Cambridge Police Station
The Prydwen (after Shadow of Steel)
Listening Post Bravo (after Blind Betrayal)
Complete Semper Invicta followed by Reunions followed by Shadow of Steel, starting Tour of Duty
Deacon Railroad HQ Complete Road to Freedom followed by Tradecraft
Dogmeat Red Rocket truck stop Talk to him and ask him to follow
John Hancock Old State House in Goodneighbor Complete The Big Dig (followed by Recruiting Hancock if siding with Bobbi No-Nose)
Robert MacCready The Third Rail in Goodneighbor Hire him for 250 caps, or 200 with a yellow Charisma check.
Nick Valentine Vault 114
Diamond City (after Unlikely Valentine)
Complete Getting a Clue
Piper Wright Diamond City Complete Story of the Century
or complete Dangerous Minds
Preston Garvey Museum of Freedom
Sanctuary Hills (after When Freedom Calls)
Complete The First Step
Strong Trinity Tower Complete Curtain Call
X6-88 The Institute Complete Mankind - Redefined
Ada
Automatron (add-on)
Near Wattz Consumer Electronics
Red Rocket truck stop (default location if dismissed)
Complete Mechanical Menace
Automatron
Automatron (add-on)
Any settlement Build a robot workbench and construct one
Old Longfellow
Far_Harbor_(add-on)
The Last Plank in Far Harbor Complete Walk in the Park
Porter Gage
Nuka-World_(add-on)
Fizztop Grille in Nuka-Town USA Complete An Ambitious Plan

Temporary companions[]

The game has a number of temporary companions that will only be available during certain quests.

Name Quest Location
Honest Dan Human Error Covenant
High Rise Boston After Dark Church close to Bunker Hill
H2-22 Boston After Dark Church close to Bunker Hill
Travis Miles Confidence Man Diamond City
Jack Cabot The Secret of Cabot House Cabot House, Parsons State Insane Asylum
Mel The Big Dig Goodneighbor
Bobbi No-Nose The Big Dig Goodneighbor
Sonya The Big Dig Goodneighbor
Glory Memory Interrupted Malden Center
Rex Goodman Curtain Call Trinity Tower
Brotherhood squire Leading by Example The Prydwen, Boston Airport
Brotherhood scribe Learning Curve The Prydwen, Boston Airport
Allie Filmore Mass Fusion The Institute
X4-18 The Battle of Bunker Hill Bunker Hill
Arthur Maxson The Nuclear Option The Prydwen
Paladin Brandis* The Nuclear Option The Prydwen
Knight Lucia The Nuclear Option The Prydwen
Proctor Ingram Spoils of War The Prydwen
Billy Peabody Kid in a Fridge Peabody house
Settler Kidnapping
Trapper Attack Far Harbor (add-on)
Variable
Pearl Far Harbor (add-on) Brain Dead Cliff's Edge Hotel
Cito Nuka-World (add-on) Safari Adventure Safari Adventure
Cleansed Nuka-World (add-on) Trip to the Stars Hubologist's camp

Interests[]

Main article: Affinity
General behavior
EventCaitCodsworthCurieDanseDeaconHancockMacCreadyPiperPrestonStrongValentineX6-88LongfellowGage
Being generousDislikesLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionLikeLikeLikeNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikes
Being meanNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesLikeNo reactionLike
Being niceNo reactionLikeLikeLikeLikeNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeDislikesNo reactionDislikes
Being peacefulDislikesNo reactionLikeDislikesLikeDislikesDislikesLikeLikeDislikesLikeNo reactionLikeDislikes
Being selfishLikeDislikesDislikesNo reactionNo reactionDislikesNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikesNo reactionLikeLikeLike
Being violentLikeNo reactionNo reactionLikeDislikesLikeLikeDislikesDislikesLikeDislikesNo reactionDislikesLike
Flirting with someone else if romancedHatesNo reactionHatesHatesNo reactionHatesHatesHatesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reaction
Miscellaneous actions
EventCaitCodsworthCurieDanseDeaconHancockMacCreadyPiperPrestonStrongValentineX6-88LongfellowGage
Get addicted to a chemvariesDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesLikeDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikes
Use a chemvariesDislikesNo reactionDislikesDislikesLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikes
Give away an itemDislikesLikeLikeNo reactionLikeLikeDislikesLikeLoveNo reactionLikeDislikesDislikesDislikes
Drink alcoholvariesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeDislikes
Eat a corpseDislikesNo reactionNo reactionDislikesDislikesNo reactionNo reactionDislikesDislikesLikeDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reaction
Use power armorNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reaction
Board a VertibirdNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reaction
Hack a terminalNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeLikeNo reactionNo reaction
Heal DogmeatLikeLikeLikeNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionDislikesLikeDislikesLikeNo reaction
Modify armorNo reactionLoveNo reactionLoveNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reaction
Modify a weaponNo reactionLoveNo reactionLoveNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionLike
Commit a murderHatesHatesHatesHatesHatesHatesHatesHatesHatesLoveHatesNo reactionDislikesLike
Pick an unowned lockLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLike
Pick an owned lockLikeDislikesNo reactionDislikesLikeNo reactionLikeDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesNo reactionNo reactionNo reaction
Ask for extra capsNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionDislikesNo reactionLikeNo reactionLike
Steal an itemNo reactionHatesDislikesDislikesNo reactionDislikesLikeDislikesHatesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionLike
Pickpocket an itemNo reactionHatesDislikesDislikesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesHatesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reaction
Walk around nakedLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reaction
Faction activities
EventCaitCodsworthCurieDanseDeaconHancockMacCreadyPiperPrestonStrongValentineX6-88LongfellowGage
Help the BrotherhoodDislikesNo reactionLikeLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesNo reaction??
Help the MinutemenDislikesLikeNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionLikeLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reaction??
Help the RailroadDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionLikeNo reactionNo reactionNo reactionNo reaction??
Help the InstituteDislikesNo reactionDislikesHatesDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesDislikesLike??
Accept a settlement questDislikesLikeLikeLikeLikeLikeNo reactionLikeLoveLikeLikeNo reactionLikeHates
Refuse a settlement questLikeDislikesDislikesNo reactionDislikesDislikesNo reactionDislikesDislikesNo reactionDislikesNo reactionDislikesLike

Essential status[]

Unlike Fallout 3, companions in Fallout 4 are marked as "essential" when serving as the active companion, meaning they cannot be killed no matter how much damage they incur. If incapacitated, they will automatically heal to full HP after combat ends. Unlike in Fallout: New Vegas, if one has at least one stimpak in their inventory, it can be used to immediately rejuvenate an incapacitated companion instead of them being rendered unconscious and forced to wait until they wake up after combat has ended.

However, if one is playing in Survival mode, the companion must be healed when incapacitated, even after combat. If they're not healed within a set period of time, or when the player travels beyond a certain distance, they will leave and return to their last used home base.

Some companions lose their essential status when dismissed. They do, however, remain protected like other settlers and cannot be killed by NPC attacks (only by the player or their active companion or related action). Some companions also lose their essential status upon reaching the lowest level of affinity and leaving the player character permanently.

Radiation[]

Piper, Cait, Preston, MacCready, Old Longfellow and Porter Gage, though classified as human, do not have their HP affected by environmental radiation like the player character, i.e. taking any of them into irradiated locations like the Glowing Sea without power armor or a hazmat suit equipped will have no in-game effect. However, they will still take radiation damage if hit by any weapon that inflicts it, such as gamma guns, radium rifles Far Harbor (add-on), and/or any legendary weapon with the Irradiated weapon effect.

Using weapons and armor[]

Humanoid companions can be equipped with weapons and armor of any choice. To do so, go to the trade dialogue option and place whatever items the player character wants them to use or wear in their inventory. Then, in their inventory, press the button to "equip" the item(s). Weapons equipped must also have an ammunition supply, so they must be provided with the ammo type the weapon requires. Even weapons that use the same ammunition as a companion's default weapon must have ammunition supplied.

There are some exceptions to this with certain companions: Paladin Danse for example cannot wear anything other than headgear as long as he has his power armor; Codsworth can only wear the bowler hat and its variant the Triggerman bowler; Nick Valentine will only wear his trenchcoat (although an extra one is given to the player character; this one can be modified and equipped on Nick; he can also wear the High Confessor's robes from Far Harbor); Strong can only wear super mutant armor; and Dogmeat can only wear dog armor, bandanas and certain types of eyewear.

Humanoid companions can and will use all types of grenades when equipped with them. While they possess remarkable skill and are fully capable of hitting even moving targets with astounding accuracy, they are completely oblivious of any collateral damage they might inflict on allies caught in the blast radius, the player character included. Taking at least rank 1 of the Inspirational perk (companions' attack no longer damage the player character) is therefore recommended before equipping companions with grenades or any explosive weapon like Spray n' Pray.

Wearing power armor[]

Humanoid companions (excluding Strong) can be ordered to use power armor; to do so one needs to "command" the companion to simply enter the armor. Whether the armor is racked or not, they will walk up to it and enter it. One has to be standing a bit away from the armor; if too close, the command option will change to "enter" and if hitting the activate button, the Sole Survivor will mount the power armor instead. To get a companion out of power armor simply talk to them and there will be a dialogue option to ask them to get out of it.

When the companion is dismissed they will return to the designated "home" wearing the armor and will continue to wear it until telling them to exit their power armor suit. Sometimes one may find the dismissed companion in the settlement sent to without their power armor. In that case, one must look around the settlement for the power armor suit as the companion may have exited it and left it somewhere in the settlement. The larger the settlement, the longer or more difficult the search for the lost armor suit may be. To make a companion not leave the power armor at the settlement, make sure both the power armor and the companion is equipped with a fully charges fusion core. (It might also help to assign them guard duty, so they don't go to sleep)

Companions can wear power armor without needing a fusion core. If removing the fusion core from the suit, they may still enter it and never need a fusion core. It is unclear if this is intended behavior.

Carrying capacity[]

All companions have a minimum carrying capacity of 150, except Strong with 200, and Danse with 210.[1] This is changed substantially in Survival mode, causing many companions to be able to carry little more than their own armor and weapons.

It is possible to make companions wear pocketed or deep pocketed armor to increase their carrying capacity by +30 or +60, respectively. Companion carry capacity can also be increased by +10 by acquiring Live & Love Issue #3.

A trick can be used to push a companion past their carry capacity. Companions can always be commanded to pick up items or loot containers & bodies, even when at or beyond capacity. Note when commanding them to loot containers & bodies they will only grab one item at a time, so one may need to command them repeatedly. Once at or beyond capacity, it will not be possible to give them items any other way. This will not work with Dogmeat.

Committing crimes[]

If the player character murders an innocent, their affinity with their current companion will drop by 10% and will trigger dialogue with the player character expressing anger and warning them to never do it again. They may also leave the player character instead of speaking to them. They will refuse to speak to the player character at first, but after a few days, the companion will be able to travel again. Should the player character ignore this warning and repeat a murder, companions will permanently leave. This applies to every companion except Strong (as he likes murder) while Dogmeat, Ada, and any automatrons are neutral about murder.

Additionally, depending on where a crime is committed, the companion may even become hostile towards the player character. For example, Piper and Nick will turn hostile if a DC guard/civilian is assaulted/killed, or if one trespasses or steals. Hancock and MacCready will do the same if the listed crimes are done in Goodneighbor.

Affinity[]

When serving as the active companion, they will give different thoughts and relationship statuses depending on their relationship with the player character. They will also differ in attitude when dismissing them or asking them to join. These comments can be hateful, disdainful, neutral, admirable, generous, and for romantic companions, affectionate.

Raising or dropping a companion's affinity to a certain amount will trigger a unique dialogue with the player character. Positive affinity will reveal some of the companion's background and how they ended up as they presently are. When reaching the maximum "idolize" status, the companion will admit to considering the player character as their best friend. Negative affinity results in disappointed companions asking them to change their ways. When reaching the lowest "hatred" status, the companion will threaten to leave for good. An orange Charisma check can convince them to give the player character one more chance. If the persuasion was successful, but later the affinity still goes down, the companion will eventually condemn them again and this time leave for good, permanently unable to be recruited again. This applies to every companion except for Dogmeat, Ada, and automatrons.

Notes[]

  • If the Sole Survivor fires a weapon in a settlement, any companions present in that settlement will often become annoyed and make backbiting comments on how that is best saved for another time. This does not count as a disapproval.
  • Dogmeat does not count as a companion for the purposes of the Lone Wanderer perk, therefore the Survivor can adventure with him and keep the benefits of the perk.
  • Traveling with a companion bestows the player character with an inherent 5% bonus to all Experience gained. This bonus can be further increased by acquiring Live & Love Issue #8. These bonuses are multiplicative with other experience bonuses such as Intelligence and Piper's companion perk Gift of Gab.
  • When choosing a location to send a dismissed companion, selecting 'Cancel' will not cancel the dismissal, but will instead send them back to the last location they were sent to when dismissed. If no settlement has ever been selected, the companion will be sent to their original location rather than a settlement, e.g. Piper returns to the Publick Occurrences office, Nick to the Valentine Detective Agency, Hancock to the Old State House in Goodneighbor, etc.
  • If one accidentally dismisses a companion, unlike in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, they do not immediately despawn, forcing traveling to the location they were dismissed to reacquire them. Instead, they begin walking in the direction of the location they are dismissed to. If one wants to recruit them again, they can simply talk to them and ask them to re-join.
  • Danse, Deacon, Gage, Old Longfellow, and X6-88 are the only companions who can be killed as a result of questline choices or if they're not recruited as companions.
  • Perks gained from companions are permanent, meaning they cannot be lost if a companion's affinity drops down again and they leave the player character permanently after reaching the maximum and gaining their perk.
  • It is impossible to complete the main story of Fallout 4 and keep all companions (so if one wants to get all companion perks a few must be done before completing the main quest). Choosing the Railroad questline will leave everyone alive, though Danse will refuse to interact with you.
  • If one cannot remember where a dismissed companion was sent to, with the Vault-Tec Workshop add-on and the Vault-Tec Population Management System added with it, one can simply access the "VIP" option, select the name of the desired companion, and start Overseer's Most Wanted which essentially serves as an active quest marker pointing to where they currently are. This applies to all companions including Ada, Old Longfellow, and Porter Gage, but excluding Codsworth (possibly a developer oversight) and automatrons.
  • Some pacifist companions, like Curie and Piper, will still have their affinity raised when asking them to wait while fighting enemies alone in that same area. In contrast, aggressive companions, like MacCready, will only have their affinity raised if they are directly in contact with the enemies together with the player character.
  • Most companions complain when picking up junk, however, Old Longfellow will praise the player character and even have his affinity raised. Piper will complement the player character's ability to find a use for junk but does not gain any affinity.
  • When the player activates an elevator that takes them into a different location, all companions will seem to disappear for a short period, and then reappear, although it is still possible to locate them with the reticle. An example is the elevator to reach the Secret Vault 81 from Vault 81, where Curie will follow the player character to the last quest marker.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 A companion may become stuck in a reference pose position, flying around unanimated about 1-2 feet off the ground following the player character. The companion can be spoken with and interacted with in a normal manner, however, the companion will not fight. Even loading a new area by going through a door will not fix this behavior.[verified]
    • One potential fix is to fast travel to another location.
    • Another fix is to dismiss the companion. The companion can be re-recruited back.
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Certain sound effects can get "stuck" to companions and continue to play after said companion quit performing the respective action. Known examples include the sound of wielding a Ripper, firing a Gauss rifle, Dogmeat's bark and using the weapon bench's drill. When the bug occurs it follows the companion around, waxing and waning depending on their distance, and can neither be stopped by fast-traveling, reloading, or taking the weapon away from them. It can, however, be fixed by closing and restarting the game. It is currently unknown what exactly causes the bug.[verified]
    • Should the Ripper sound be playing over and over, having the companion use the weapon again may fix the bug.[verified]
    • If a companion has the drilling-sound glitch from an armor workbench or weapon workbenches, allowing them to re-use the corresponding workbench from where the glitched sound is and let them end its use by themselves without interruptions, the sound glitch should stop and be fixed.
    • Even after dismissing Dogmeat, he may continue barking. A possible fix for this is to turn on Classical Radio and then turn it off.
  • Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One Ada may remain with you even though you have just selected dismiss in dialogue, as well as the option of the settlement won't pop up.[verified]
    • One solution is to restart the game.
    • Another solution is to acquire a different companion.
  • Playstation 4Playstation 4 When sending a companion to another settlement using the workshop he/ she will not go there straight away, and bringing the settlement choices back up will show the place still has an option to where they can be sent.[verified]
    • A fix for this is to turn the game off, then reloading the save.
    • Another fix is to fast travel to a different place and sleep in a bed and return.
  • Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One If a companion is down while changing zones, they may remain "downed" permanently, only changing areas along with the Sole Survivor. This can be fixed by damaging their HP until they go "down" and regenerate again while out of combat.[verified]
  • Xbox OneXbox One Having a romanced companion giving the Lover's Embrace perk, while they are wearing power armor, can result in a bug, where fusion cores are being completely drained upon exiting any power armor.[verification overdue]

Behind the scenes[]

Another unnamed, unspecified companion was planned to be included in the Nuka-World add-on, voiced by Orion Acaba, though he was ultimately cut from the final release.[2]

References[]

  1. Companion information, Reddit
  2. Orion Acaba on Twitter: "It was just Operators and a companion that never got released"
Companions in Fallout 4
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