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For a cross-game overview of this perk, see Robotics Expert. |
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“Machines will always serve humans, if you have anything to say about it. Hack a robot, and gain a chance to power it on or off, or initiate a self-destruct.”— Rank 1 description
Robotics Expert is an Intelligence perk in Fallout 4.
Effects[]
Taking ranks of this perk grants the ability to hack robotic enemies and make them shut down or self-destruct. Higher ranks grant the ability to incite them to attack other enemies in the vicinity similar to being frenzied as well as give commands akin to a companion.
Ranks[]
| Rank | Requirements | Description | Form ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INT 8 | Machines will always serve humans, if you have anything to say about it. Hack a robot, and gain a chance to power it on or off, or initiate a self-destruct. | 0004D889 |
| 2 | INT 8, LVL 19 | When you successfully hack a robot, you can incite it to attack. | 00065E64 |
| 3 | INT 8, LVL 44 | When you successfully hack a robot, you can give it specific commands. | 001ACF96 |
Crafting[]
With the Automatron DLC installed, ranks 1 and 2 of this perk qualify it as a crafting perk since they are required to gain full access to all available modification options in a robot workbench.
Notes[]
- Hacking a robot can be done in combat, but cannot be done at long distances.
- When powering off a robot, the player character can still initiate a self-destruct immediately after without having to re-hack it. This will not reactivate the robot; it will stay where it is until it detonates.
- Initiating a self-destruct will take some time. The robot will still continue to attack the player even as it begins the countdown to destruction; moreover, it will emit a small dosage of radiation. It is advised to shut down before initiating self-destruct.
- Legendary protectrons will explode when killed; when combined with the self-destruct explosion, the player character should flee to a safe distance to avoid being killed.
- Turrets and such cannot be hacked by this perk, and in fact require the appropriate Total Hack perk magazine to do so (via a terminal).
- Robots such as sentry bots and assaultrons will act like a personal companion until they are killed. (The player character needs rank 3 of this perk to get full access to this.)
- Combat sentry prototype MkIV cannot be interacted with this perk until the Combat sentry proto MK IV holotape is used to activate the Sentry Bot.
- Hacked enemy robots will turn hostile towards any friendly settlements when following the Sole Survivor, but any hacked friendly robots will not attack them.
- Nearby enemy robots that have been shut down will still prevent sleeping and fast traveling, however commanding them before shutting them down will treat them as friendly and avoid this behavior.
- A robot that the Sole Survivor commands with the Rank 3 perk will follow and enter a different cell (i.e. entering an interior door) but will not fast travel.
- To make a robot commanded with the Rank 3 perk stop following the Sole Survivor, just hack another robot.
- Synths and all variants cannot be hacked with this perk, instead, one requires the Wasteland Whisperer (for Gen 1 & 2) and Intimidation (for Gen 3) perk to hijack them since they are classified as humanoid enemies.
- It is not recommended to hack Percy in Diamond City or Deezer in Covenant and use the command option. This will cause them to follow the player character as a companion, potentially getting them killed. There is no way through normal gameplay to make them return to their original positions permanently.
- Rank 2 gives a 40% damage bonus against robots and synths, however, it is conditioned to stop working if you have rank 3.
With rank 1 of this perk, an easy Charisma check becomes available when talking to each of the Protectron staff members in Dry Rock Gulch during the quest High Noon at the Gulch, allowing the Sole Survivor to skip their individual tasks and acquire their pieces of the safe combination early to enter Mad Mulligan's Minecart Coaster.
