If you pacify 2 or more enemies and incite them they'll fight to the death! Also incited enemies will never target you. Im quite enjoying my time among raiders and gunners, setting up death matches

Is it automatic when you point your weapon at them, or do you have to start the intimidation manually. Also, do you get the xp when they kill one another?

It's manual. When your gun is pointed at an enemy, use the activate key (defaults E on PC) to attempt it. Dialogue for it too: "STOP right there... Drop it... Don't. Move." They then put their hand above their head in surrender. (They will revert to hostilities if you holster your weapon).

Not sure about incite, as I've only ever taken pacify. My guess is that you then activate them a second time.

It's also the best role playing tool in the game.


Sure you can go around killing hundreds of people, but with Intimidation you can at least try play the good guy and get them to surrender.


Also it makes raiders smarter. I don't know about you, but attacking a walking tank with a pea shooter seems suicidal. So raiders surrendering makes sense.

Might try it, reminds me a bit about my illusionist in Oblivion.

See an warlord with the goblin tribe, cast command on warlord and eat popcorn.

The most fun part was that the warlord tend to become hostile to the goblin faction as he was hit many times by them.

However it will only work on enemies of lower level than you.

can you take their stuff if they surrender?!

I have taken these perks but didn't know how to use them. Thanks for pointing this out...

level 3 you can give them commands I think you can trade (not sure) maby need a mod for it.

I've never tried this because it always seemed easier to just kill them (and my CHA was not high enough).... but for a pacifist roleplay run, I have some questions:

Once you get a foe to surrender, presumably his friends are still attacking you. If you switch to a different foe and try to intimidate that foe, does the first one regain his courage and attack you again? Or is there a grace period where they remain cowed?

Once you make a foe surrender, does he run away? Drop his weapon and cower? At some point you have to lower your weapon to loot, or read a terminal or just leave the area... if you cannot issue him commands (one of which would presumably be: Your clothes - give them to me!) then what's to stop him from attacking you again in a little while? Even if you disarm him, he could presumably pick up someone else's weapon. Just seems like a very temporary effect, unless the effect IS more permanent than it seems. Surely surrendered foes don't just despawn.

This is one perk I have considered to take. Now you have me intrigued.

I wish we could knock them out, sort of like how it works in Metal Gear Solid, sneak up on them from behind and order them to lie down, then knock them out for being secure.

Incite seems a bit wierd to use though, I mean why would they try to kill their friends all of a sudden ?

In New Vegas there was a mod that added the ability to handcuff (or duct-tape) foes. You had to HAVE duct tape or handcuffs, and you could choose to tie their hands, their feet, both, and also whether or not to tape their mouths shut. The mod also introduced a lot of stunning weapons, including (if memory serves) a perk that let you knock out foes that you could otherwise have used a Sneak Attack on (had to have a blunt weapon equipped, or something). THAT mod let you play pacifist well.

Although, one time I ran out of duct tape and did not realize it, so I ended up taping one raider's hands and taping his mouth but his feet were free. He woke up later on and starting running around with his hands taped behind him, his mouth taped shut, and buck naked because I'd stolen all his crap while he was tied up.

In my (limited) experience with the perk, I've had difficulty pacifying multiple targets at once. It could be by design, but if I attempt pacification (from stealth), I tend to get into a caution state with other nearby enemies, and the pacify option was no longer available for the enemies in caution/danger status.

Once Incited that particular enemy wont attack if you holster your weapon. Also yes you get experience for their kills.

So essentially we can turn Raiders to Companions with Intimidation 3! Trade and everything!

This suddenly made that perk interesting. I never thought about getting it cause it seemed kinda lame (and it's also easier to kill them). Maybe someday =)

Its awesome. Im amazed more people haven't noted this.Also works with Wasteland Whisperer and Animal Friend. If they take friendly fire they'll return hostile though

the perk is best used on keyboard controls. im using it with xbox controller and in a heavy fight, there isn't much time to do it without getting nuked or blown up by a missile.

Although I agree, I have managed just fine. Im in love with these 3 perks. Gonna go find me a deathclaw asap!!!

Hopefully once the GECK is released someone will add more options, like the ability to send them to one of your settlements as a settler or even as a slave.

+1 and hopefully that mod gets console approved

Yes you can loot them of all there stuff. I have a screen shot of the first time I used it on someone. I took all her gear from her and left her there in her dirt stained undies. It's an interesting perk tho imo a bit broken at times.


My favorite moment was a bear was coming at me and I pacified it and he traveled with me for a decent amount of time slaying enemies around the area including a raider camp. once the fighting ended he just wandered off and I did too. It has it's moments but I find it a bit buggy to often.


Bonus I gave the bear a bunch of meats before we went on a murder rampage together so he had gotten paid for his services.

With rank 3 I recently managed to get a power armored raider veteran to follow me from one end of Boston to the other. It was pretty sweet.

I wonder if there is a limit to how many can follow us.

Enemies will stay pacified as long as your weapon is drawn regardless of numbers. If there is a timer, it is hella long - I explored a Vault full of pacified Gunners and strolled out. (Not sure about zone changes.)

Once surrendered, their weapons are holstered (still in inventory), and they hold their hands above their head, muttering bitterly. They will hold this state until they return to hostilities.

Reading a terminal might count as lowering your weapon and make them attack again, but using your Pipboy is fine iirc.

Yes, surrendering is temporary. Once you are considered no longer an immediate threat (you leave, or holster your weapon) they will return to normal. Use this to control combat against multiple opponents to make large fights easier to handle, or on your way out of a dense area. If you have incite, you can also use them to 'rebalance' a fight in your favour.

You can return later to murderlerise them if you so wish.