Summary
WhenFallout 4was released, it was met with its fair share of push back from some fans of the franchise who claimed it restricted their ability to roleplay. It was felt that the dialogue options did not accurately reflect what they wanted their character to say, while others felt too confined by the main storyline. Granted, unlike previous entries in theFalloutseries, roleplaying inFallout 4can be a little trickier, but by getting creative, there is still a lot of fun to be had.
The main questline ofFallout 4sees the Sole Survivor desperately in search of their missing child, Shaun, which can often be seen as a hurdle to any true roleplay.Having such a fixed backstory for the Sole Survivor can be seen as a limitation to roleplay, all the while, the main quest with Shaun can make things feel railroaded. But whether the plan is to play the main story through to one ofFallout 4’s many endingsor ignore it and explore, these ideas are the perfect jumping off point to get some creative roleplay juices flowing.
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Forgo Human Companions & Make Robot Friends
A fun place to start is the Mad Scientist, which works well for either siding with the Institute or more of a loner playthrough. The Mad Scientist could be either Nate or Nora who, now that the world has ended, decides to indulge in their hobby of tinkering with robots. Over time, they are able to perfect this,eventually creating their own robotic companionswith the help of theAutomatronDLCrobot workbench.
Roleplaying as the Mad Scientist requires a level of detachment, and good inspiration can come from other more science-focused characters inFallout 4, such as Jack Cabot, Covenant’s Dr. Chambers and, of course, Father. High Intelligence is a must, but there is also the potential to build up Charisma too, if players opt for a more Evil Genius spin on the idea.Perks such as Science!, Robotics Expert, Hacker, and Nuclear Physicist are great choices, but a dip into Sneak at early levels will help while gathering parts and equipment.
9Brotherhood Paladin - Power Armor & Heavy Weapons
Use The Faction’s Ideology To Change The Approach To Quests
The Brotherhood of Steel offers some great opportunities for roleplay, especially for a male Sole Survivor who could easily see them as the logical replacement for the military they served in. This idea works well alongside the main story, butby leaning into the Brotherhood ideology, it can create a new way to look at each encounter and quest. Picking up Paladin Danse is essential, but otherwise not many ofFallout 4’s companionswill agree with the Brotherhood way of thinking except Cait.
Dogmeat and Ada are also good choices to travel with as they do not have any affinity levels.
Power Armor plays a key role in this character idea, as the iconic Brotherhood Paladin is never without a full suit. Luckily, there are plenty to be found all throughout the Commonwealth and a full T-60 suit will be given at the rank of Knight. A high Strength stat is advised as it will allow perks such as Heavy Gunner, Rooted, and Pain Train to be picked, but high Intelligence will also give access to Science! and Gun Nut.
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8The Raider - Chems & Violence
Murder, Mayhem & A Lot Of Booze
Fallout 4offers the Sole Survivor many chances to be a hero, by building up the Commonwealth’s settlements and helping people. However, while it’s nice to think that many would rise to the challenge of a post-apocalyptic world, there is also the chance that upon exiting Vault 111 they will give into their worst instincts. The idea behind this roleplay would be toignore everything civilized and rampage through the wasteland, taking anything the player wants.
Nuka-Worldand its raider focused content is perfect for this, but until level 30 it can be rationalized by a parent who will go to any lengths to find their son. Of course, Shaun can also be completely ignored, andthe head canon backstory could be that they never really cared about him and are embracing their true self. A Raider playthrough offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to stats and perks, but Chemist and Pickpocket are great choices.
7Grognak - Melee & Comic Books
Become The Iconic Barbarian Warrior
For a more whimsical playthrough, why not try roleplaying as Grognak, or rather a Sole Survivor who has lost touch with reality and believes they are Grognak.After witnessing the murder of their spouse in Vault 111, something inside the Sole Survivor snapsand their mind drifts back to their last happy memory, reading Grognak comics. A copy of Grognak #3 can be found on the kitchen counter in their home in Sanctuary, and each issue found will increase the critical damage of unarmed and melee attacks by 5% for a total of 50% if all 10 comics are found.
Grognak’s costume can be found in Hubris Comics, and the character’s legendary axe is also located in the same buildingin a locked display case. After finding both, the Sole Survivor can fully embody Grognak, powering through the Commonwealth as a force for good, or perhaps not. This is a melee heavy character, so Strength-based perks such as Big Leagues and Rooted along with Endurance perks like Toughness are great choices.
6The Silver Shroud - Stealth & Heroics
Fight Evildoers In Style As A Superhero
The Silver Shroud offers a similar experience to Grognak with a superhero and ranged weapon twist. The backstory and motivation would be the same asthe Sole Survivor looses touch with reality, but the Silver Shroud comes with its own side quest to get theSilver Shroud armor and save Kent Connolly. This version of the Sole Survivor might even still engage with the main story to try and find Shaun, not realizing that he is their son.
One of the best parts of using the Silver Shroud costume is that there are dialogue options that allow the character to speak as the Shroud, even outside the Silver Shroud quest.Sticking with Nick Valentine and helping him with his cases is very in keeping with this legendary superhero, as would helping rebuild the Minutemen with Preston. The Shroud armor gives a boost to Perception and Agility, but Gunslinger, Sneak and Armorer are excellent options.
The Mysterious Stranger perk feels especially fitting for the Silver Shroud and is especially fun when traveling with Nick as he will comment on the Stranger’s appearance.
A Strange New Approach To The Commonwealth
For a more unusual roleplay idea, roleplaying as a Synth makes for a unique playthrough. It is a popular theory that themain character ofFallout 4is a synth, and embracing this can be a lot of fun.Playing as a synth requires a little more flexibility when it comes to the main story, but it can be imagined that all the Sole Survivor’s memories are from the original human version who did not survive.
An alternative backstory could be that the Synth’s memories are from a volunteer like Nick Valentine, and that the connection to Father is simply to ensure loyalty.There are two paths for a Synth playthrough when it comes to factions, which will depend on whether synths are seen as sentient beings. One would be to side with the Institute and be their enforcer in the Commonwealth, following orders blindly. While the other would be to side with the Railroad and seek freedom for all synths.
4The Serial Killer - Misery & Subtlety
Become Pickman’s New Best Friend
For a more sinister playthrough that relies on stealth and Charisma, the Serial Killer is a creepy option. Here the backstory would be thatthe Sole Survivor was always a murderer and, with the end of the world, their crimes have been wiped away, letting them begin all over again. This is a great roleplay idea for veteranFallout 4players, as knowledge of the questlines will allow for maximum damage each time to up the body count or leave people miserable.
There are two approaches to playing a character like this, with one to be as unhinged as possible for maximum carnage where Strength and Endurance might be the main focus. The other is a calmer and more calculated attitude withhigh Agility and Charisma to stalk unsuspecting victims when quest fallout just isn’t enough. This is a very dark roleplay idea which isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea but is oddly fitting in the world alongside Pickman and Lorenzo Cabot.
3The Mandalorian - Power Armor & Honor
This Is The Way
For a far more honorable playthrough, the Mandalorian Din Djarin offers a perfect role model.With a code of honor and power armor in place of beskar, the Sole Survivor can set out into the Commonwealth as a Mandalorian warrior. The main quest works well here as searching for Shaun has parallels to the latter end of season two of the series and Djarin looking to find Grogu along with Moff Gideon.
This idea could be approached similarly to Grognak or the Silver Shroud, withthe Sole Survivor playing the role of a character from their youth. Another approach could be that they are a Mandalorian and were hiding out on Earth. Either way, honor, armor, and never showing their face are essential. And for those who want to play as Din Djarin, there is even a Pedro Pascal face preset byJaosals42available on NexusMods.
2The Detective - Trenchcoat & Hard Work
Put That Law Degree To Good Use
Using the Sole Survivor’s preset backstory when roleplaying can sometimes be a challenge, but there is the perfect opportunity for a female Sole Survivor to lean into her law degree.Playing as a Detective and becoming Nick Valentine’s full-time partner not only fits in really well with the main storybut makes working with the variousFallout 4factionsmake a little more sense, since a detective would need a lot of connections to get information. This is a high Intelligence character to level up quickly and get the Hacker perk, but Charisma and Luck also work well.
All the Detective wants is to help people, within the confines of the law, which is worryingly absent from the wasteland. TheFar HarborDLC works brilliantly with this character, with plenty of mysteries to unravel and cases to be solved.This is a very lawful good character and the polar opposite of the Serial Killer, making a playthrough with the Detective a more upbeat experience.
1Government Assassin - Stealth & Lies
It Was All A Cover
Finally, for those who want to completely ignoreFallout 4’s main story, the Government Assassin is a perfect choice.This character allows the fixed backstory for either Nate or Nora to be ignored, with the idea being it was simply a cover story. When they leave Vault 111, they may feel sad about the death of their assigned spouse, but with Shaun not actually being their son, whether they look for him is up to the player.
The Government Assassin could be played as either a Sole Survivor who was working for the US or a Chinese spy, with Agility and Intelligence being the primary stats. Working with the Railroad makes sense, especially to gain the Deliverer pistol, but the Institute also works well for a final choice.This character allows any mention of Shaun to be passed off as the Sole Survivor keeping up the actin order to manipulate information out of people, all while pursuing their own goals.
Source:Jaosals42/NexusMods
Fallout 4
Bethesda’s action RPG Fallout 4 puts players into the vault suit of the Lone Survivor, a pre-war soldier from an alternate future cryogenically frozen inside Vault 111. After their infant son is kidnapped, they venture out into the irradiated wasteland of the Commonwealth to scour the ruins of Boston for any sign of him. In doing so, they encounter various factions and companions and use an array of skills and abilities to navigate the apocalyptic remnants of society.
