Fallout 4: Hancock [Our Expert’s Take]

It’s almost traditional at this point that each new entry in the Fallout franchise will feature one singular new Ghoul companion. Fallout 4 is no different in this regard, with the companion this time around being the extremely charismatic John Hancock. He is affiliated with the small community of Goodneighbor and essentially serves as its mayor. And like every other companion in the game, he has his own unique set of likes and dislikes that affect your reputation with him.

Hancock Companion Guide

The first time you visit Goodneighbor, an NPC named Finn will attempt to extort some money from you. If you don’t kill this character yourself, then Hancock will walk up and brutally murder him for you. This will then be followed up with a proper introduction.

From here, you have to head to the backstreets and talk to another NPC named Bobbi No-Nose. She gives you the quest ‘The Big Dig,’ which has to be completed in order to recruit Hancock as a companion. Follow the course of this quest as usual, but you will have to make an important decision towards the end.

If you side with Bobbi, you must do a follow-up quest for Hancock. Choose to betray Bobbi instead, and the companion becomes available instantly. Regardless of your choice, you will receive a legendary minigun named Ashmaker from another NPC named Fahrenheit.

Hancock Details

As with all companions, Hancock has some things that he likes and others that he dislikes. These influence your affinity with him and even affect his attitude in the long run.

So we’re going to go over all of his preferences in the lists below:

Hancock Likes:

• Peace And Generosity – Hancock likes it when players are charitable in their decisions when dealing with NPCs. He also really wants peaceful solutions to problems and prefers it when you make choices that end without any conflict.
• Violence – Alongside his peace-loving nature, Hancock also enjoys a bit of action. Specifically, he likes when you make decisions that end in combat encounters. The thing to note here is that he does not prefer this as a first option; he only likes it when you actively make decisions that end in violence.
• Item Donation – This character also likes when players give items to NPCs who ask for them. So if you get the chance to complete a fetch quest, having Hancock in your party is an excellent way to raise affinity.
• Chem Use – Unlike most other companions in Fallout 4, Hancock enjoys it when you use drugs. You’re likely to have accumulated many of these in your journey, so use them to level up your bond.

Hancock Dislikes:

• Selfishness And Cruelty – Hancock has an aversion to selfish decisions and unnecessary cruelty. Making choices that fall within these categories will cause you to lose affinity with him.
• Nudity – Walking around without any clothes on is disliked by this companion.
• Murdering NPCs – Hancock despises killing non-hostile NPCs. If a quest requires this, then dismiss the companion first.
• Stealing – Stealing items from any source is not appreciated. Once again, if you have to take an item, then send Hancock home beforehand.

Once you make enough decisions that he likes and get his affinity up to the maximum value of 1000, then Hancock will grant you the Isodoped perk.

With this active, the V.A.T.S critical hit meter fills up 20% faster, but only if you have 250 Radiation built up. This essentially takes away 25% of your total health but replaces it with a higher chance to deal critical damage.