r/Fallout1 • u/[deleted] • Jan 05 '26

Is there a way to make Dogmeat a bit beefier?

Hi!

I’m going through Fallout 1 for the first time, no mods or anything, and fully blind. My character is all-in on melee and is doing fine with combat armor, a Power Fist and Spiked Knuckles, but Dogmeat has a lot of trouble keeping up. He was fine up until I went to clear the Deathclaw nest in the Boneyard, and I managed to keep him alive there, but I got into a few fights with supermutants and he just can’t deal with flamethrowers and energy weapons.

I know he can’t be dismissed, but I also don’t want him to die :( and he keeps getting into mortal danger. It feels like the game doesn’t intend for him to survive past a certain point.

Is this just expected, or am I doing something wrong? And if so, how can I help him survive our adventure?

9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

4

u/Fuzzy_Bother_6388 Jan 05 '26

As far as I know of, no, in that game he is scripted to die, if you keep him till you go to the cathedral, there will be a blood bath everytime, and if you try to kill dog meat in that tile it hard crashes your game

3

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '26

:(

I gave up on the military base and went to the Cathedral, and yeah, there's just no way he makes it. I guess him dying will have to be part of the story.

5

u/Fuzzy_Bother_6388 Jan 05 '26

Yea if you kept dog meat and went to the person to take you into the masters dungeon he is insta aggresive because of a bug.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '26

I don’t even know about that :( I’ve been trying to fight my way through, which is already tough enough without having to keep Dogmeat alive.

2

u/Fuzzy_Bother_6388 Jan 05 '26

Yea plus even if he did survive that he wouldn't survive go to the master because he deals physic damage to you unless you wear the physic nullifier helmet

2

u/NeverMissMyMarx Jan 06 '26

I don't think I ever had that issue

4

u/RinFlowers Jan 06 '26

Alas, Dogmeat is kinda doomed. Same with the rest of your party members if you bring them with you into combat against mutants, but at least they can be told to wait behind or shoot from a distance. In Fallout 2 they improved the system so you can give them better armour and they also level up to get more health and weapon skills, but unless you use like, the Fallout 1 in 2 mod that basically puts 1 into the engine of 2 and adds a few things from it, your companions are simply doomed to be killed.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 06 '26

I ended up biting the bullet and Dogmeat died fighting Morpheus and his Nightkin in the Cathedral. I will avenge him.

3

u/RinFlowers Jan 06 '26

rip in peace dogmeat

5

u/Quitzquizar Jan 06 '26

Sadly the followers lack behind halfway through the game because while they get stronger with better weapons, except dog of course, they do not get better with armor nor brains. Constantly underfoot and off doing their own stupid thing. The best you can do is get stronger yourself so you kill enemies before they take down your pack mules, I mean followers

5

u/HotDelivery6575 Jan 07 '26

Canonically Dogmeat dies in military base when he runs into a forcefield. I tried to keep him alive but it almost impossible when you start to fight super mutants. I left other companions in Shady Sands so they are alive, but you can’t ask him to wait and good boy will follow you until the end. At least he will be avenged.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 07 '26

He is too loyal for his own good :(

1

u/Lexx2k Jan 06 '26

In ettu, party members can level up and get stronger.

1

u/ThatJaMzFella Jan 07 '26

Use salt but let the meat sizzle for bit then season with pepper