Carl's Fallout 4 Guide

A Spoiler-free Gameplay Strategy Site

About the Guide & Navigating It

See My Plans for the Site if you're interested in the direction this is heading. Cheats are just below, as they belong in no category and are only for PC players. For now, I've got to have readers lean on this main page to get a feel for where to find things in the guide, though some things like Perks are found deeper (on their SPECIAL pages). We also have search but I cannot guarantee you'll find what you're looking for - I'm one man on a mission to make a huge Fallout 4 Strategy Guide and that takes time. The Guide is currently broken into four categories, as you can see below. Click to jump to the section you need help with:

Character Guides - Customizing your character in Fallout 4 - from SPECIAL, Perks, and basic understanding of Pip-Boy stats to making a build.

Gameplay Mechanics - Stealth, hacking, difficulty settings, and VATS. I go into AP usage of weapons mods, and will add more to this category

Settlements and Crafting Information - Settlements Tutorial, making Adhesive and where to find things. This goes into how to power Settlements and what Brahmin do for them. You should find plenty of helpful info here.

Quest & Misc Walkthroughs - Something I've covered only lightly, a few quest walkthroughs that are important such as Battle of Bunker Hill and some simpler things like side quests you may not know about. Needs heavy expansion but will come together with time.

Cheats

Probably the only page on this site that just won't work for consoles. These are very handy for me as a guide writer, but generally just fun for messing around and testing perks. Always make a backup save before you cheat in case you regret it and want to return to your unmodified game. On this page, you'll find infinite money, crafting materials, weapons and armor cheats, as well as general commands to help struggling players - you can look up item and Perk ids, boost your carry capacity, reveal the entire map, or walk through walls. I've listed only the most useful cheats, because I personally hate looking through huge lists of console commands in order to find the ones I really want.

Character Customization Guides

Bobblehead Locations Guide - Maps to Help Find All 20

All 20 of Fallout 4's SPECIAL and Skill Bobbleheads listed, with maps to help you find the building in which they are located. Descriptions will help you to avoid wandering buildings trying to get them. I've also provided quick navigation so you can jump to the Bobblehead you need.

SPECIAL & Perk Guides

Coverage of the seven main stats in Fallout 4, which determine the Perks your character can unlock. Their additional effects are minor compared to the power of most perks, but it's far from nothing - they all grant minor bonuses to multiple things and help define your build. The Bobbleheads will give you a free point in each of them, should you find them all.

Strength - Strength increases carry weight and raises melee damage. This guide covers its effects and Perks.

- Strength increases carry weight and raises melee damage. This guide covers its effects and Perks. Perception - Perception improves VATS accuracy, helping you to nail those head shots. This guide covers its exact gameplay effects and the Perks in the Perception tree.

- Perception improves VATS accuracy, helping you to nail those head shots. This guide covers its exact gameplay effects and the Perks in the Perception tree. Endurance - Endurance gives your character more life (HP) and enhances their ability to run. There is a full list of Endurance Perks and their usefulness on this page.

- Endurance gives your character more life (HP) and enhances their ability to run. There is a full list of Endurance Perks and their usefulness on this page. Charisma - Charisma affects bartering prices, speech checks, and even determines how many Settlers can live in your Settlements. Check this guide for information on Charisma Perks.

- Charisma affects bartering prices, speech checks, and even determines how many Settlers can live in your Settlements. Check this guide for information on Charisma Perks. Intelligence - Intelligence boosts your XP gain - that's it. It does however have some great Perks, which are detailed in this guide.

- Intelligence boosts your XP gain - that's it. It does however have some great Perks, which are detailed in this guide. Agility - Agility gives your character higher AP and an improved ability to sneak around the Commonwealth. Agility Perks are listed and many are covered in detail.

- Agility gives your character higher AP and an improved ability to sneak around the Commonwealth. Agility Perks are listed and many are covered in detail. Luck - The Luck stat reduces the number of hits it takes to score a critical and helps your character to find more loot. Read this guide to learn about the awesome Luck Perks that can be found in this section.

Full List of Perks

This is a list of every Perk in Fallout 4, extracted from my individual pages in the SPECIAL Stats guide, so that you can have all Perks handy on one page. I've included the mechanics info from each page (along with my opinions), but left the images out to keep it tight.

Main Character Guide - Stats, Inventory, Menus, and More

Understanding the various stats of your character in Fallout 4, as well as the numerous Pip-boy screens. This guide is great for newcomers to help them manage their inventory, quests, and gives some tips to finding components and favoriting weapons, armor, healing items, and drugs.

Leveling System and HP Gains

This guide goes into detail on Fallout 4's level up system. Each level you gain a perk point and an amount of HP based upon your character's endurance stat. Though Perks entirely replace Skills in this game, it's a great system and there are many other ways to improve your character as you explore the huge Commonwealth. Magazines you find will give you hidden perks, as will bobbleheads that grant bonuses or raise your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats.

Making a Build: Perk Choice Tips

This guide is an overview of how to make a strong build in Fallout 4 for high-difficulty play. It doesn't tell you WHEN to take Perks, but gives you some guidelines to help you choose the best ones to make your character strong.

Major DLC

Automatron DLC Guide

The Fallout 4 Automatron DLC will pit us against an evil mechanist who is creating robots that are marauding the commonwealth. The motives behind this are shrouded in mystery, but we are able to make our own robot companions out of the scrap we gain from destroying his creations! See here for a guide to getting started, along with a walkthrough to the third quest: Headhunting, and final quest Restoring Order (to deal with Mechanist). Rewards after Mechanist (Spoilers): The Lair, Eyebots, and Rogue Robots. Learn more about Building good robot companions.

Far Harbor

The Far Harbor DLC released May 19, 2016. This is the largest addon to date and features a massive area that is said to be the largest DLC area Bethesda have created. Featuring a story revolving around the Children of Atom, Synths, and a lone settlement's conflict with them, it offers a deep main quest and story. Players will find new weapons, armor, and enemies lurking in the area of Far Harbor. Here are walkthroughs to Quest 1: Far from Home, Walk in the Park, Quest 2, and Quest 3: Acadia, DiMA and Where you Belong with more to come!

Nuka World

Fallout 4 Nuka World released August 29. This DLC allows players to conquer settlements by leading raiders. Its central location is a run-down theme park. First, you must pass a significant challenge only available at level 30. Here is a list of the current guides to Nuka World:

Gameplay Mechanic Guides

Companion Perks & Affinity Guide - List of Likes & Hates

A guide to getting Companion Perks, which are permanent hidden perks gained by reaching maximum affinity with each companion. Lists the major things that each companion likes and dislikes for your character to do, so that you can get the Perks faster.

Difficulty Settings and What Changes in Each Mode

Fallout 4's difficulties explained. The main changes are damage dealt, damage taken, and the rate that Legendary Enemies spawn, but these have some major implications on your gameplay. Survival Difficulty is particularly nasty, with healing items greatly reducing the rate of regeneration. This effectively makes them less useful during combat, should you find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Gameplay Tips and Things that Aren't Obvious for New Players

Helpful tips for new players. This list is ever-expanding as I myself go through the game and think of things. Have a tip? See my contact info above.

Fallout 4's Vault Assisted Targeting System (VATS) and AP Cost from Weapon Mods

Use this guide to learn the basics on V.A.T.S. and get tips to modify your weapons to minimize AP cost while maximizing utility. Weapon type and mods greatly impact the amount of AP it costs to fire a weapon in VATS. I've analyzed scopes, sights, barrels, and receivers to help you figure out what type of mods would be best for your guns.

Weapon Mods & AP Cost: Sniper Rifles - Taking the above guide, I made two distinct weapons - one with high AP/damage, and one with low AP cost but higher potential damage in VATS at medium range.

Action Points, Boosting AP, and Regeneration

A guide to Action Points and how its regeneration works. Also looks at the various things you can do to raise your character's AP or increase its regeneration in some way.

Radiation

Radiation works a bit differently in Fallout 4. This Guide explains its effects on your character, rad resistance from various sources, and how you can remove radiation damage done.

Fighting Legendary Enemies & Their Spawn Rates

This guide looks briefly at Legendary enemies' spawn rates, but its priamry purpose is to give you some pointers in fighting Legendaries in order to get their loot!

Chems in Fallout 4: Drug Effects and Crafting

All you need to know about chems, addiction, and stacking the buffs provided by these. Lists all craftable chems, and a few of the rare ones that you may find.

Does Loot Respawn, or Do Enemies Come Back to Cleared Areas?

This page goes over the types of items you can expect to reset - and how long - after you've cleared an area. It's mainly to address a common FAQ from newcomers to the series or Bethesda games in general.

Dogmeat

Dogmeat is the first follower many players get in Fallout 4. Learn all about this faithful companion, her level, carry capacity, combat capabilities, commanding her, and where to find her some dog armor to look a bit more vicious.

Stealth in Fallout 4

All about the stealth meter and how that works, while providing you some tips to help you avoid detection, pull off more sneak attacks, and improve as a sniper or melee blitz machine.

Hacking Tutorial

A step-by-step example showing how to guess the correct password on a terminal in Fallout 4.

How to Join the Railroad: Road to Freedom

A simple step-by-step for joining the Railroad Faction in Fallout 4. Joining them and at least working with them for a bit can get you the Ballistic Weave Clothing Mods to give Energy and Damage Resistance to certain item types.

How to Wait in Fallout 4

For many, advancing time isn't obvious. Use a chair or bed to sit or sleep until the time of day suits you. Using a bed grants a well-rested XP bonus, so long as you're the owner! I guess I too would be a light sleeper if I were snoozing in someone else's bed without permission.

Settlement & Crafting Guides

Settlements Tutorial

A guide to settlements and how to manage them, attract more people, and bringing in food, water, resources. Also goes over how to power things, supply lighting and defense. You can also learn to get the Benevolent Leader Achievement.

Supply Lines in Fallout 4

Supply lines transfer food and water between Settlements. They also let you craft things without the materials in your inventory so long as a connected Settlement has the necessary materials. The Local Leader Perk is necessary to establish Supply Lines.

Water and Food

Water and Food in Settlements and how it is deposited into the Workshop Inventory. This guide shows you a good place to get food early in the game, and describes how you can get ample amounts of purified water to use for healing or selling for caps.

Scavenging Stations and What They Do

A guide to Scavenging Stations and the scavengers you can assign to them. Includes information on how often supplies are deposited and how to make best use of Settlers once you have enough food and water.

Where to find Things: Crafting List to Help you Get Items You Need.

Advice on using Tag for Search to find components, as well as a list of various crafting materials that are useful to you. Listed by component, so that you might find an item that has what you're missing.

Adhesive: Finding it and Making it for Crafting

This guide details how to make Vegetable Starch from Mutfruit, Tatos, Corn, and Purified Water in order to get 5 Adhesive each. A good location (graygarden) is mapped, so that you can travel there and get the required vegetables. You then only need an excess of water to get the Purified Water you need to get the Adhesive.

Weapon Guides

Pistols in Fallout 4

A list of all Pistol-class weapons in the game, along with their base stats (including AP Cost). This is a section I intend to expand over time, covering every weapon type and giving individual weapons a page that describes select modifications and how they affect weapons. You can see examples of this project below:

10mm Pistol: Base Stats and Weapon Mods

Gives you info on a standard 10mm and hidden information about its various weapon mods and how they affect stats like Recoil, and AP Cost in VATS.

Gives you info on a standard 10mm and hidden information about its various weapon mods and how they affect stats like Recoil, and AP Cost in VATS. .44 Pistol: Base Stats and Weapon Mods

Information on a standard .44 Revolver and includes any hidden information about its various weapon mods and how they affect stats like AP Cost in VATS.

Information on a standard .44 Revolver and includes any hidden information about its various weapon mods and how they affect stats like AP Cost in VATS. Combat Rifles: Uses in Sniping and as Automatic Weapons

Includes information on hidden modifiers and an example of a close-range weapon a rifleman could wield.

Includes information on hidden modifiers and an example of a close-range weapon a rifleman could wield. Gauss Rifles: Maximizing Damage via Mods and Perks

Info on finding a gauss rifle (mainly by waiting until 35-40) and the effects its mods have on the weapon. Includes info on good perks to use this rifle in a sniper build.

Main & Side Quest Walkthroughs

While my primary focus is to make guides for Fallout 4, quest walkthroughs will come over time as I will inevitably enjoy sharing some of the quests you can find off the beaten path, as well as detailing how main quests work when possible. Expect spoilers in this area, because it's impossible to have pages on these things and NOT spoil something. However, I will not write anything too revealing about the story in the walkthroughs or the descriptions on this page.

When Freedom Calls and the Museum of Freedom

While such an early quest hardly deserves a walkthrough, I wanted to point some things out to newcomers while trying to minimize spoilers. This walkthrough offers some tips to players who are new to Fallout 4 and emphasizes that the Minutemen Quests are optional.

Mystery Meat - Cheaper Prices from one Quest

Do the Mystery Meat quest and you can get one copy of Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor along with a Barter Bobblehead, both in one location and with an easy-to-complete quest that offers lots of free meat, bones, a fusion core and some ammo.

Secret of Cabot House: Charisma Bobblehead and Lorenzo's Artifact

This Quest is the only way to enter Parsons State Insane Asylum and get to Jack Cabot's office where the Charisma Bobblehead is located.

Vault 81

The benefits of traveling here are plenty - a medicine bobblehead, Curie (companion), the ability to buy the powerful Overseer's Guardian combat rifle, and the below quest.

Hole in the Wall (Vault 81)

Allows Curie as a companion. You'll get a Syringer for your trouble, and along the way may contract a disease that permanently lowers HP. Thankfully, there is also a Medicine Bobblehead as a reward.

Finding the Agility Bobblehead on the FMS Northern Star

There's no quest for this, but you can journey to the Wreck of the FMS Northern Star to get the Agility Bobblhead, perhaps one of the most desired in Fallout 4, and kind of hard to spot.

Where to Find Serum for Virgil

This side quest confuses many players, so I wrote this small guide to direct you to the serum within the Institute

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Who do you inform about this battle, should you? This quest describes the few outcomes and how to come out of it with everyone still liking you.

Mass Fusion

This Institue Quest gives you the opportunity to side with the Brotherhood. This walkthrough details the quest, outcomes of your choices, and things you can find along the way.

Beginning Guide: Skipping Quests, the Minutemen, and Rescuing Nick Valentine

This Guide lists some of the options you have on a second playthrough of Fallout 4. You do not require the Minutemen to use Settlements, you don't have to go to Diamond City to eventually track down Nick Valentine, and can quickly get to the Getting a Clue and Reunions Quests.

Endings Guide: Which Quests Trigger Faction Hate and How Far You Can Go

This page summarizes the consequences of endings of Fallout 4 without giving story details. It is a guide to which quests you can do without upsetting each faction, so that you feel more comfortable to press on with them. It is not a true summary of endings - but who would want to be told how the game ends in every way? Experience it yourself!

Finishing Fallout 4 with the Minutemen Ending (SPOILERS)

This guide will help you if you're not friends with X and can't work with Y. Only use this if you want to finish the game with the Minutemen, and it'll tell you how to proceed.

Useful Fallout 4 Sites

The Fallout 4 Wiki

This is a great site to lookup quests, for when you want to know everything about a topic and don't mind to experience spoilers. I don't see our sites as competition, mine is an entirely different style of writing and this community-driven wiki is useful for many things.

Build Planner

This is great for planning a build ahead of time, because it does the math for you - wanting multiple level 50 skills, and certain stats set to 10 can require your build to go well into the 60s. This may help you prioritize certain perks, and let you determine which are more important for you.

Fallout 4 Map

Want to track down every nuka cherry, nuka quantum, or just see what a certain location might have to offer you? This excellent Fallout 4 map site will help immensely with that.

Future Plans for the Guide

I've got much more to come. I can only do one or two pages of this size daily. Next I plan to make a guide to SPECIAL stats, one for each category of Perk, list all Bobblehead locations with detailed instructions on finding them, and write more gameplay guides to help players navigate the Wasteland of the Commonwealth as the Lone Survivor.

Suggestions

If you like my style of guide-writing and have any article suggestions, send them along to [email protected]! You may have an idea I did not think of - yet - I'm still playing this awesome game. It's all I wanted it to be, and millions of people seem to agree.