The Outer Worlds companion guide: Locations, abilities and… romance options?

The Outer Worlds has a total of six companions, or party members, you can work with. Here’s where to find them and their abilities.

In The Outer Worlds, you won’t be spacefaring alone. Obsidian’s latest sci-fi roleplaying game features a total of six companions, each with their own unique personalities and abilities, who will assist you on your journey.

Companions are incredibly useful in The Outer Worlds, offering you combat support and skill enhancements, as well as the ability to carry more items. Some of them will even offer special side missions revealing more backstory.

Follow this guide to unlock all six companions in The Outer Worlds.

But before we can continue, let’s get this out of the way right now; you can not romance any of the companions in The Outer Worlds, at least not in the traditional Mass Effect way you’re thinking of. Parvati does have an interesting side story regarding romance, but don’t expect to woo or sleep with any of them.

Now onto the real information.

Parvati

Parvati is located in Edgewater and will likely be the first companion you meet.  You can find her inside of Reed Thompson’s office at the top floor of the Cannery. The quest “Stranger in a Strange Land” will lead you to her. You don’t actually have to complete any quests to recruit her.

Parvati’s Companion Perks grants bonuses to your Engineering and Persuasion stats and offer the following bonuses:

• Bonus Support Engineering: +10 Engineering
• Mod Finder: +10% Chance to extract Mods in the Field
• Synchronicity: +25% Tactical Time Dilation Meter

Ability

Overload: Parvati slams down her hammer creating a blast wave that shocks enemies and stuns automechanicals.

Vicar Max

Vicar Max will almost certainly the second companion you’ll recruit on your adventure. He is located inside the Edgewater Church in the Emerald Vale. Parvati will suggest you speak to him during the quest “Comes Now the Power.” He’ll tell you about a book that he wants you to retrieve; completing the quest “The Illustrated Manual Quest” will lead to Vicar asking to join your crew.

Once a part of your crew, Vicar will offer bonuses to Hacking and Intimidation:

• Bonus Support Hack: +10 Hack
• Sermon: +20% Dialog Combat Effect Duration
• Mad Max: +20% Science Weapon Damage

Ability

Trickshot: Max examines and evaluates his target and spiritually enlightens them with a blast from his shotgun.

Ellie

Ellie is a medic you can find aboard the Groundbreaker. Head to the medical bay and speak with her to begin the “Worst Contact” quest which will ultimately lead to her joining your crew.

During this mission, you’ll be presented with two choices when speaking with Udom: Persuade Udom to offer Ellie to you as an indentured servant or pay her debt of 3,000 bits. She’ll join your party with either option.

Once a part of your crew, Ellie grants bonuses to Engineering, Lie and Medical skills and will offer the following Companion Perks:

• Bonus Support Medical: +10 Medical
• First Responder: +20% Heal amount granted by Medical Inhaler.
• CPR: Recover 25% Health when fatally wounded.

Ability

Quick Draw: Ellie quickly draws her pistol and fires off a series of precision shots at her target.

Felix

Felix is found when you first land on Groundbreaker, talking to a cop in the shipyard. You can join the conversation and defend Felix, but there’s no requirement to complete any mission to have him join your crew. After completing the quest “Passage to Anywhere,” Felix will be waiting for you at the Unreliable, wanting to join you.

Once a part of your crew, Ellie grants bonuses to Sneak, Persuade and Lockpicking skills and will offer the following Companion Perks:

• Bonus Support Persuade: +10 Persuade
• Bootlickers!: +20 Damage to Cowering Enemies
• Rebellion: +20 Damage to Corporate Military

Ability:

Dropkick: Felix charges his target, leaps into the air and slams into the target with both feet.

SAM

SAM is located on the second floor of the Unreliable, next to Parvati’s room. Investigate him and speak to ADA to obtain the mission “The Cleaning Machine,” which requires you to acquire a missing piece from the Roseway area of Terra-2.

Once you complete it, SAM will join your team and offer bonuses to your Intimidate and Hackin skills as well as these perks:

• Bonus Support Intimidate: +10 Intimidate
• Cleaner: -20% Negative Reputation Kill
• Bad Samaritan: +20 Damage to Automechanicals
• Clean Sweep: Harmful Status Effect Duration: -25%

Ability:

Decontaminate: Sam jumps in the air and slams down near his target spewing out caustic cleaning fluids all around to get out those really tough stains.

Nyoka

The sixth and final companion, Nyoka is found when you reach the planet Monarch. You’ll run into her during the “Radio Free Monarch” main campaign quest and she will give you the “Passion Pills” side quest. Complete it, and she’ll join your crew, offering bonuses to your Lie, Sneak and Medical skills as well as perks:

• Bonus Support Lie: +10 Lie
• Hunter: -20% Radius of Footstep Sounds
• Exterminator: +20 Damage to Creatures

Ability:

Barrage: Nyoka uses her personally modified LMG to deal damage to her target and set enemies near it ablaze.