With a great main story and hundreds of side quests to discover, it is almost impossible for the Sole Survivor to run out of things to do in Fallout 4. While some quests involve the fate of the Commonwealth, or rebuilding a faction from the ground up, there are others that leave their mark in different ways. Although not shaping the wider world in the same way as the main questline, these quests still force the Sole Survivor to make big decisions with impactful outcomes.

Even as the Sole Survivor focuses on finding their son and helping their chosen faction in Fallout 4, other issues in the Commonwealth need their attention. Ssome of these problems are fairly straightforward, but others are literally a matter of life or death, with each option needing to be carefully considered. All the quests here will change the face of the Commonwealth or could even cost a character their life depending on the choices of the Sole Survivor.

10 The Grand Tour - Assign Nuka-World Zones To Raider Gangs

Raider Gangs Aren't Great At Sharing

The raider gangs in Nuka-World play a large part in the main questline of the DLC, with the Sole Survivor sent to the different zones of the theme park on their behalf. Each area can be given to one of the three gangs once it is cleared of enemies or obstructions as new territory for them to occupy as part of the quest “The Grand Tour”. After this is complete, along with the quest “Home Sweet Home”, the Sole Survivor will be sent to turn on Nuka-World’s power in the final quest, “Power Play.”

However, with five park areas to share between three gangs, one raider crew will be left with less territory than the other two. This will mean that one of the raider groups will turn on the Sole Survivor with the other two providing assistance while pushing through Nuka-World’s power plant. As the loyal gangs reward perks specific to their group once “Power Play” is finished, it’s important to plan ahead of time which gang is worth losing.

9 Home Sweet Home Vs Open Season

Should The Minutemen Or Nuka-World Raiders Build Commonwealth Settlements

When the Sole Survivor arrives at Nuka-World, they are forced into becoming the new raider Overboss during a battle with Colter. From there, they can choose to help the raider gangs at the theme park or turn on them and kill them all. Helping them requires sharing out Nuka-World territory as explained above, but it also involves actively invading the Commonwealth, a step some might not be willing to take.

There are multiple ways to gain “Open Season,” with both Preston and McKenzie Bridgeman acting as quest givers. Another way is to kill any named gang member to automatically start the quest.

The quest “Home Sweet Home” is the penultimate quest in the Nuka-World main questline, with the Sole Survivor tasked with conquering a minimum of three Commonwealth settlements by any means necessary. Doing this will make them the enemy of the Minutemen, with Preston's affinity immediately dropping to its lowest value. However, there is an alternative, which comes in the form of “Open Season”, where all gang leaders must be killed and the park must be cleared of raiders.

8 Duty Or Dishonor - Brotherhood Of Steel Questline

Decide The Fate Of A Misguided Brotherhood Initiate

As part of the Brotherhood of Steel questline in Fallout 4, the Sole Survivor will be asked to look into a series of missing goods by Captain Kells. Investigating the logistics department and following the clues will eventually lead them to Initiate Clarke, a young man shaken during the Brotherhood's battle to claim Boston Airport from feral ghouls. In a misguided attempt to help the other ferals still there, Clarke has been stealing food to stop their attacks.

There are ultimately four options to choose from as the Sole Survivor tracks down Clarke below the airport. These break down to killing him, telling him to run, lying to cover him, or convincing him to turn himself in. Each of these has its own rewards and outcomes, such as encountering Clarke later in the wasteland if he leaves the Brotherhood. However, the best outcome for all parties is for Clarke to confess and face his punishment.

7 Last Voyage Of The U.S.S. Constitution

Help The Robot Crew Or Profit With The Scavengers

The side quest “Last Voyage of the U.S.S. Constitution” is one of the funniest and most memorable in Fallout 4 and can be started after finding the USS Constitution east of Bunker Hill. The first part of the quest is simple enough, focusing on the Sole Survivor aiding the robots with the repair of their ship. However, once they are sent to retrieve the guidance chip from the scavengers, a decision will need to be made between helping Captain Ironsides or the scavengers.

The Sole Survivor can continue to help the robot crew of the Constitution and finish the repairs of the ship. This will result in the scavengers attacking before the ship launches to its new home on the Baxter building. The other option is to help the scavengers, providing some bearings for the scavengers to sabotage in their effort to dismantle both the ship and the robots. However, this outcome results in the death of all robots and scavengers after the latter betrays the Sole Survivor.

6 Human Error - Investigate The Strange Settlement

Choose Between Honest Dan Or Dr Chambers' Experiment

The settlement of Covenant stands out in the Commonwealth, partly due to its walls and preserved buildings and partly because of the strange test everyone must take to gain entry. Once inside the town, the Sole Survivor can speak with Honest Dan and begin the quest “Human Error” as the caravan guard searches for a missing person. Following the clues leads the Sole Survivor and Dan into an underground compound, where Covenant has been experimenting on people they suspect are Synths.

Fighting through the compound, the Sole Survivor will eventually meet the head scientist Dr Chambers, who will explain her motivations. From there, the Sole Survivor has a choice between siding with Chambers or Honest Dan, who wants to free the remaining captives. Regardless of which path is taken, Covenant will be available as a settlement at the conclusion of the quest.

5 Plugging A Leak - Institute Questline

Help The Institute Find A Traitor

As part of the main questline, the Sole Survivor can eventually ally themselves with the Institute, choosing to help them make the Commonwealth a better place. After siding with the Institute during the Battle of Bunker Hill and being named the next Director by Shaun, the Sole Survivor will be called to speak with Dr Ayo. Ayo is the acting head of the Synth Retention Bureau and wants assistance finding who has been helping Synths escape, starting the quest “Plugging the Leak.”

“Plugging the Leak” can only be obtained if the Railroad quest “Tradecraft” has not been completed.

Following the clues will lead to Liam Binet, a teenager who feels sorry for how the Synths are treated by the Institute, who can then be turned in to Ayo. When confronted, Liam will offer an alternative solution to handing him over, pointing out that Ayo is bullying others and that he can frame Ayo with the Sole Survivor's help. Turning Liam in will result in his banishment and death along with 1000 caps. However, framing Ayo changes who runs the SRB and has Liam's Glasses as a reward, which give a plus two boost to Intelligence.

4 Virgil's Cure - Help Or Harm The Institute Runaway

Repay Virgil For His Help Or Condemn Him To Death

As part of the main questline, the Sole Survivor will meet Dr Brian Virgil, a former Institute scientist who is hiding out in the Glowing Sea. What makes Virgil stand out as a character is that, as part of his escape from the Institute, he purposely transformed himself into a Super Mutant while managing to keep all his mental faculties intact. In his for assisting the Sole Survivor, Virgil asks that they retrieve a cure for his condition from his old lab.

A third option is for the Sole Survivor to tell Virgil that they no longer intend to look for the cure. This will result in Virgil becoming hostile.

The quest “Virgil's Cure” is entirely optional, but it offers insight into how the Institute created the Gen 3 Synths and where the Commonwealth's Super Mutants were coming from. The Sole Survivor has two choices once the cure has been found: either cure Virgil or let him die by convincing him that it was destroyed. Curing Virgil will see him return to his human form. while lying to him sends him into a depressive spiral where he will beg the Sole Survivor to end his life or accept persuasion to do it himself.

3 The Way Life Should Be & Reformation

There Are Multiple Ways To Conclude Far Harbor's Storyline

Far Harbor is a fantastic DLC that adds a new spooky island for the Sole Survivor to explore, all while being thrown head-first into the middle of a power struggle between three new factions. While investigating DiMA, the Sole Survivor will uncover that they murdered Captain Avery and replaced her with a Synth, beginning the quest “The Way Life Should Be.” From there DiMA's actions can be exposed to Far Harbor, prompting an attack on Arcadia, DiMA can be convinced to stand trial or keep DiMA's secret.

If DiMA's secret is kept, then the Synth will conclude that the only path to peace for the Island is to replace High Confessor Tektus with a Synth, just like they did with Avery. This starts the quest “Reformation” and involves luring Tektus to a remote spot in his base, where the Sole Survivor can then choose to either kill Tektus or convince him to run. Replacing Tektus is considered the ‘good’ ending for Far Harbor as it keeps all three factions alive, albeit at a cost.

2 Blind Betrayal - Paladin Danse Personal Quest

Choose Between Danse's Life Or Maxson's Orders

Progressing through the Brotherhood of Steel questline and repairing Liberty Prime will eventually lead the Sole Survivor to the quest “Blind Betrayal.” This serves both as part of the faction questline and Paladin Danse's personal quest, as Maxson will summon the Sole Survivor to the Prydwen to reveal that Danse is really a Gen 3 Synth. Maxson orders Danse to be found and killed, with Scribe Haylen speaking up on Danse's behalf privately.

Tracking Danse is easy, with the hardest part of the quest being the decision of what to do next. Danse initially agrees with Maxson's orders and can be killed, but he can also be convinced that his life is worth sparing. This will result in a stand-off as Maxson arrives and demands Danse's death, offering another chance to kill the loyal companion. The reward for “Blind Betrayal” will be the same regardless of how the quest is completed, however, keeping Danse alive allows his excellent companion perk to be unlocked.

1 Hole In The Wall - Vault 81

What's More Important — Caps, Yourself, Or A Young Boy's Life?

Finally, after the Sole Survivor discovers Vault 81 and either donates blood, finds the lost cat Ashes, or leaves the Vault for 24 hours, then the quest “Hole in the Wall” will begin. Vault residents will be distraught that Austin, a young boy, has been bitten by a mole rat and appears to be dying. The Sole Survivor will then discover a secret area in Vault 81, and upon exploring, will find Curie and a cure for Austin.

If the Sole Survivor contracts the mole rat disease, their max health will be reduced by 10 permanently without the cure found in Vault 81.

While this might seem like a happy ending, Fallout 4 never misses a chance to throw a difficult choice at the Sole Survivor. While the morally right thing to do is hand over the only cure to save Austin and gain a room to rest in Vault 81, that isn't the only option. There is a chance the Sole Survivor has been bitten and, if they want to, they can keep the cure, angering almost all the residents of Vault 81 and causing Austin to die.