“Can't believe I let McDonough boss me and the boys around for so long. We just kept looking the other way...”— Danny Sullivan
In Sheep's Clothing is a side quest inFallout 4.
Contents
- 1 Quick walkthrough
- 2 Detailed walkthrough
- 3 Quest stages
- 4 Companion reactions
- 5 Notes
- 6 Behind the scenes
- 7 Bugs
Quick walkthrough[]
| Side quest: In Sheep's Clothing | |||||||||||||
| Talk to Danny. | |||||||||||||
| (Optional) Heal Danny with a stimpak, or fetch a doctor to heal him, or ask Curie to heal him. | |||||||||||||
| Go to Mayor McDonough's office. | |||||||||||||
| Press the button under Geneva's desk. | |||||||||||||
| Talk to Mayor McDonough. | |||||||||||||
| Convince McDonough to free Geneva. | |||||||||||||
| Kill McDonough | Let McDonough leave. | ||||||||||||
| Reward: 150 XP | |||||||||||||
Detailed walkthrough[]
This quest begins when the Sole Survivor travels to Diamond City after they have completed Political Leanings and have been banished from the Institute, or if this condition is not met, after completing The Nuclear Option and finishing the main storyline.
Gatekeeper Danny Sullivan will be seen dying in front of the walkway leading to Mayor McDonough's office. He will explain that he was shot twice in the stomach by McDonough before falling off the elevator when he saw the mayor conversing with a synth from the Institute. Upon reaching the office's front doors, Piper or a security guard will be seen attempting to gain entry to apprehend him.
- Chase McDonough to his office. (Optional) Talk to a doctor and bring them to tend to Danny's wounds. One can also choose to use a stimpak to heal him. If Curie is the current companion, she can be asked to take care of him, which she will be happy to do.
- Break into McDonough's office and confront him with Piper. One can either choose to lockpick the door, which is a Novice lock, or use a button located underneath the secretary's desk. If using power armor with the jetpack mod, one can also enter through the window. Piper, Nick and Danse will dislike picking the lock because the door is marked as owned, making lockpicking count as trespassing.
- Decide how to deal with McDonough. Passing a medium difficulty speech check will convince him to release his hostage. He will then request that the Sole Survivor allow him to safely leave the city, giving them three options: comply with McDonough's request to leave, kill McDonough or sentence him to stand trial, which results in McDonough making a last stand.
Quest stages[]
| Quest stages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Status | Description | Log Entry |
| 10 | Confront Mayor McDonough | ||
| 20 | (Optional) Save Danny Sullivan | Mayor McDonough has been revealed to be a Synth and an Institute spy. He shot Danny Sullivan, who is now bleeding out on the street. | |
| 500 |  | It's over. McDonough is no longer the mayor of Diamond City and won't be a threat to its citizens any more. | |
Companion reactions[]
| Event | Cait | Codsworth | Curie | Danse | Deacon | Hanco*ck | MacCready | Piper | Preston | Strong | Valentine | X6-88 | Longfellow | Gage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giving Danny a stimpak |  | ? |  | | | |  |  | | | | | ? | |
| Leaving Danny to die | | ? | | ? | ? | ? | |  | ? | | | ? | ? | ? |
| Being sarcastic to McDonough | | | | | ? | | | | ? | | | ? | ? | ? |
| Attempt to convince McDonough to release Geneva | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? |
| Attempt to make McDonough stand trial | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Attack and kill McDonough | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? | ? |
| Allow McDonough to leave | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? | |
Notes[]
- Ending the game by siding with the Institute causes the quest to become unavailable.
- If Geneva is killed, the Sole Survivor will not be able to acquire Home Plate as their home if they have not already acquired it.
- If Piper is with the Sole Survivor as a companion, then a Diamond City security guard will replace her at the door of the mayor's office.
- Danny Sullivan can be found and talked to behind the counter, near the elevator to McDonough's office at the main entrance of Diamond City, should the player choose to enter Diamond City from the outside instead of fast traveling to the market. Upon entering the market area, Danny will be inside and is already wounded.
- Pacifying McDonough with the Intimidation perk does not make Piper stop attacking him.
- If Hanco*ck is with the player, he will express regret over his animosity towards his brother.
- If the Sole Survivor puts themselves between Piper (or the security guard if Piper is the companion) and the door while they are trying to bust it open, they will be pushed through the door.
- A terminal entry in the Synth Retention Bureau shows that Alana Secord had decided to disavow Mayor McDonough as a result of Piper's article The Synthetic Truth, which identifies Mayor McDonough as a synth.
- After completing In Sheep's Clothing, Diamond City residents will occasionally give the Sole Survivor caps, chems, or rarely ammunition.
- If Piper was stationed at a settlement, she will disappear and not return until this quest is complete.
- With Curie as an active companion, there is the option to have her tend to Danny's injuries.
Behind the scenes[]
The phrase "a wolf in sheep's clothing" is an idiom used to describe those playing a role contrary to their real character, with whom contact is dangerous.
Bugs[]
A bug may occur where Piper and McDonough start shooting at each other after the door has been opened. The mayor cannot be talked to in this case.- There is a workaround on the PC version with the use of the console. First, open up the console and temporarily disable Piper with the command disable targeted on Piper. The mayor can then either be reasoned with or killed, and Piper can be re-enabled after the mayor is gone or dead with the command enable. Simply disabling combat or general AI will not work.[verified]
- Geneva may become hostile during or after dialogue, or when Piper, the player, or another companion attacks and this triggers McDonough to become hostile as well.[verified]
- If the player refuses to allow McDonough to exit the city by either option (kill or trial), he may instigate combat with Piper, but not the player. If this happens and the player engages/kills the mayor, the other NPCs (including Piper and Geneva) will become hostile.[verified]
- For the above situation, in the late portion of the fight, Geneva runs down a hallway. Piper has some scripted dialogue after McDonough dies, if the player talks to her. If the player puts themselves between Piper and the hallway and shut the doors, and spams the interact button with Piper, it is possible for the aggro to pass.
- There is a chance for the dialogue to randomly bug and have Mayor McDonough and Geneva speak normally, despite the hostage situation.[verified]
- McDonough may be hostile before entering his office. The mayor cannot be talked to if this happens.[verified]
- If Piper is being used as a supply line, she may spawn with a pack brahmin and attempt to shoot McDonough through the wall. If this happens, one may not be able to talk to the mayor.[verified]
- The compass pip may show that one must enter the Fens and use the outside elevator to continue the quest after talking to Danny. If this is done, the player will be stuck in the elevator without the ability to exit it. Using the elevator within the stadium continues the quest normally.[verified]
- If McDonough shoots Geneva during the fight, she will become hostile to everyone. This causes Piper or any other NPC to kill her, worsening the player's relationship with Piper and occasionally turning her hostile towards them.[verified]
- One can stand just to the right of Piper so that Geneva does not end up on the side of the entrance and get shot by McDonough.
- It is possible to fix this bug by opening the console and typing ResetAI 00002f0b.
- The quest may not "officially" start upon talking to Danny. Almost everything plays out as it should, but the quest neither shows up on the screen nor in the quest log. When opening the door to McDonough's office, Geneva will be found standing next to him instead of kneeling, though the results of any dialogue choices or actions undertaken remain the same regardless. Experience and material rewards as well as special dialogue with Piper will be dispensed as usual. It is possible that this bug is related to Bobbi No-Nose's presence in the market due to the quest The Big Dig.[verified]
See Also
The Story of Mentor
I'm an avid Fallout 4 enthusiast with an in-depth knowledge of the game's side quests, including "In Sheep's Clothing." My expertise is demonstrated by a comprehensive understanding of the quest's narrative, mechanics, and potential outcomes.
The quest "In Sheep's Clothing" is a Fallout 4 side quest that triggers after completing "Political Leanings" and being banished from the Institute or after finishing the main storyline with "The Nuclear Option." The quest involves the revelation that Mayor McDonough of Diamond City is a synth and an Institute spy.
Here's a breakdown of the key concepts and elements mentioned in the article:
1. Quest Overview
- Quest Trigger: Completing "Political Leanings" and being banished from the Institute or finishing the main storyline with "The Nuclear Option."
- Location: Diamond City
- NPCs Involved: Danny Sullivan, Mayor McDonough, Piper, Geneva
2. Quick Walkthrough
- Talk to Danny Sullivan: Gatekeeper Danny Sullivan is found dying near Mayor McDonough's office.
- Heal Danny: Optional steps include healing Danny with a stimpak or bringing a doctor to tend to his wounds.
- Go to Mayor McDonough's Office: Investigate the situation at Mayor McDonough's office.
- Confront McDonough: Choose how to deal with the situation—convince McDonough, let him leave, or confront him violently.
3. Detailed Walkthrough
- Quest Start: Triggered when the player goes to Diamond City after specific main quests.
- Danny's Condition: Sullivan explains he was shot by McDonough after witnessing the mayor conversing with a synth.
- Rescuing Danny: Options include using a stimpak, bringing a doctor, or asking Curie (companion) to tend to Danny's wounds.
- Confrontation with McDonough: Break into McDonough's office and confront him with Piper, potentially using a speech check to convince him.
4. Quest Stages
- Confront Mayor McDonough: Stage 10 initiates the confrontation, and Stage 20 involves optional steps to save Danny Sullivan.
5. Companion Reactions
- Various Companions: Different companions have varied reactions to the quest events.
6. Notes
- Game Impact: The quest's outcome can affect Diamond City and the player's relationship with characters.
- Curie's Role: If Curie is the active companion, there's an option to have her tend to Danny's injuries.
7. Behind the Scenes
- Title Origin: The quest's title, "In Sheep's Clothing," references the idiom describing individuals concealing their true nature.
- Bug Section: Lists known bugs and workarounds related to quest progression and NPC behaviors.
8. Bugs
- Describes various bugs and possible solutions related to NPC behaviors, combat issues, and quest progression.
In summary, "In Sheep's Clothing" is a Fallout 4 side quest with multiple branching paths, offering players choices in how they handle the revelation of Mayor McDonough's true identity as a synth. My knowledge extends beyond this quest, encompassing a wide range of Fallout 4 content. If you have any specific questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!
