My stomach still isn't sitting right after completing this quest for the first time tonight. I wasn't able to complete the speech checks, so I had to do something I didn't enjoy one bit. This quest is incredibly difficult for me. I guess they did a good job on making this one to make me feel so...conflicted. But I'm doing a BoS play through ending, and I will fight on in Danse's memory. At least he was at peace with the decision. So i drank a lot of Bourbon back at the Prydwen after being named Paladin. Slept on it. Tomorrow's a new day. I'm off to Bunker Hill as per Maxson's orders.

What did you guys and gals think of this quest?

"speech" or rather charisma is kinda important FO skill. You will miss alot if you fail "speech check" often, so I begin this game with rather high charisma and some dresses/sunglasses with bonus also helps. I rather want to be able to max out friendship with Danse much earlier in the game since after this quest Danse is wanted dead by BoS. Cannot take Danse nearby any BoS folks now so I let him stay in one of mine settlements.

Cheers,

-Klevs

I'm not sure if you knew this, but you can quicksave before every speech check and if you fail you can reload the game and try it again. I ended saving Danse by charming Maxson, but I ended up siding with the institute anyways, so Danse refuses to talk to me now. He might as well be dead.

In terms of what I thought about the quest -- it is easily the most emotionally compelling quest in the entire game. The entire scenario made me cringe. My pure hatred for Maxson was taken to a whole new level when I saw exactly how over-zealous he was in his beliefs. I still have a hard time believing that someone as fanatical, young and arrogant as him runs such a powerful force like the BoS.

I only did this quest once and that was on my last play through. Previous play through I sided with the Institute and on this last play through, BoS. When confronted by Elder Max to hunt down this traitor and kill it, I accepted. Spoke with the scribe and learned his whereabouts.

I managed to pass all speech tests. but what bugs me is Danse gives me his holotags as evidence of his "death" yet he then leaves the bunker instead of hiding and of course we get discovered by Elder Max. I managed to pass the speech checks with Max and Danse was allowed to live but officially an enemy of the BoS. I think had Danse remained hidden this should not have been an issue.

Also I had to do a lot of work arounds to get Danse out of his power armor. You'd think with him expelled from the BoS and me being given his power armor suit, he wouldn't be in another set. but no... he is in one. I managed to max out his affinity but that was hard. Could hardly take him anywhere without bumping into a BoS patrol.

I think the idea is that he found an X-01 suit in that old bunker. That's how I took it anyway.

I feel sorry for anyone who fails the speech checks, i think the speech Maxson gives in return one of the most powerful, well acted moments of the entire game.

I saved prior to starting this, and reloaded a couple times using the graqe mentats to pass the charisma checks, just to see the outcome. But it feels like cheating to keep re-loading a save to get the outcome you want. So i accepted the first instance, and Danse wanted me to excecute him for the greater good of the brotherhood. Was hard to accept doing, but its the right thing to do from a BoS perspective. Don't like it personally though.

I'll be doing strictly a railroad playthrough next. Won't be supporting the BoS again.

I had a lot of fun with that quest, and also felt quite conflicted as well. Luckily, I Quicksave before attempting any speech check, and continue to reload until I succeed (any amount of XP is better than none, anyway, so I'd rather earn it). By then, I had just about maxed Danse's affinity and had flirted with him, so after the confrontation with Maxson I immediately got Danse romanced and acquired his perk - which, based on every other companion I've seen so far, Danse's romance opportunity seems to make the most sense. But, ugh, it sure is frustrating to see how much of a jerk Maxson is (I really wanted to challenge his authority at that point, holy crap...), and knowing I can't take Danse near the BoS bases. This is the main reason why I am postponing the main story ending, and considering siding with the MM (but keeping BoS alive) so that there aren't BoS patrols in every corner of the Commonwealth. Got to look out for my buddy/lover!

In any future playthroughs, I still don't think I'd be able to bring myself to kill Danse, not unless I really wanted to try siding with RR or Institute...

More quests like this are needed in the game. I don't think there are any other instances where a speech check will so dramatically change an outcome.

Yes, it svcks. But it's also the only time in the game I actually felt like my abilities influenced an important event (for better or worse).

I agree with this to a point if the delivery is done right. I like that the option exists but I personally think persuading Danse to live is one of the sloppier persuades in the game in terms of delivery. It's literally like "cha-ching! You just changed this guy's life with one sentence!" The abruptness of his turn around was *way* too fast and easy for me, especially compared to Maxson who I had to fight tooth and nail to get to come around. That's what a momentous persuade check should feel like.

Is it possible to kill Maxsom at this point? I assume not, but I wish it were. Invulnerable NPCs are fine when used to stop major players in the plot being killed in random battle, but it would be nice to be able to kill then AS plot if we wanted. This is supposed to be an RPG and this [censored] just asked me to kill my boyfriend? I tried reasoning with him and failed, now he's getting the bullet instead of Danse.

I'm pretty sure that if you kill Maxson at any time, then the BoS will become hostile to you.

Charisma is incredibly important in this game. It's always one of the stats that I jack up at the beginning, regardless of the type of character I'm trying to build. I basically always carry a charisma boosting outfit with me as well. Reginald's Suit, a Trilby Hat, and the Black-Rim Glasses are good for an extra +5 charisma. It takes 11 charisma to pass all speech checks in the game, and 10 charisma will pass the vast majority of them. Unless you've invested virtually no points into charisma, that +5 will help you pass basically any speech check in the game.

Really though, even if you don't have a charisma suit with you all you have to do is just quicksave before selecting the dialog. If you fail it, reload until you pass it. Eventually you will.

I passed the speech checks and spared Danse.

I couldn't agree more. I've made this same comment on several occasions. I really feel like the voicing behind Elder Maxson is some of the most well done dialog in the entire game, and this speech is probably the best example of it. Maxson almost, but not quite makes me sympathize with his position and question whether or not I'm doing the right thing by sparing Danse. This speech really just shows how steadfast Maxson is in his beliefs and convictions, and it's really quite moving. Even though I didn't agree with him that Danse needed to be killed, it motivated me to continue on with the BoS ending that I was working toward.

This was a really well done quest OP. And yes I had to step back from the game for a while after completing it as well.


I executed him, then felt so bad reloaded and passed the speech checks, then after hearing Maxons speech reloaded and went back and executed him again because it seemed the most "honorable" option for both Maxson and Danse.


I used VATs and aimed center of mass to be sure there was no dismemberment.

That's okay.

I hear you. The attachment I had to the situation left me cheating the Danse of death.

Sorry I couldn't resist.

Is there any way for named Brotherhood NPCs to die *without* them becoming hostile? I turned X6 loose on Kells because I hate him so much but they just got into a never-ending fight.

My BoS play-through I did as he asked. We were buds and all but he requested that he not be made the exception, and I accepted that. I'm sure Scribe H hates me, but I never talked to her afterwards. Honestly I didn't really even think about saving him. Everything, including him, told me he must die. Was it hard? Heck yeah. My character also got plastered that night.

My other play-throughs didn't have the option. RR I don't recall when he died (did he go down with the ship?) and Institute he died defending that giant bot.

About CHR. I hate that I have to stop and dress up like a freaking clown before heavy dialog scenes. And the romance scenes shouldn't be judged on CHR at all as it's the characters actions and responses that should set the tone. The game makes it all but impossible to really enjoy a game with a low CHR character unless you use all the work arounds and reloading you can. Who would have thought CHR would be the key stat this time around. And forget about managing settlements if you can't get the Local Leader Perk (CHR 6) for the trade routes. In the older games other attributes and skills generated additional dialog options, now it's basically just dress like a clown for high CHR (or pop chems, whatever).