Paladin Brandis

Paladin Brandis is a paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel living in the Commonwealth in 2287.

Background
Paladin Brandis was assigned as the commander of Recon Squad Artemis, with the objective of traveling to the Commonwealth to gather technology and intelligence from the region. Shortly after their arrival, they were ambushed southeast of Malden Center, as raiders outnumbered them five to one. In the fighting, they lost several solders, including Knight Varham, and they were forced to scuttle their power armor. Paladin Brandis then ordered the survivors to make for the local National Guard training yard as their fallback point. Once there, they made camp for a short time, before Brandis ordered Knight Tara Astlin to hold the position until their return, though she was soon overrun by feral ghouls. At some point after she started her distress beacon, Paladin Brandis and Scribe Faris were separated. While Paladin Brandis was quickly trying to reach Knight Astlin, Scribe Faris was attacked by super mutants. In the firefight, a bullet to a vital artery caused Faris' eventual demise at the Revere satellite array. Unable to reach either Knight Astlin or Scribe Faris in time, Paladin Brandis, now alone in the Commonwealth, made his way north to a previously discovered bunker where he would take shelter.

Now alone and shocked by survivor's guilt, he would attempt to continue his mission, but after three years in isolation and no hope in sight, his paranoia and fear bested him, losing all hope of rescue.

If Brandis is convinced to return to the Prydwen, then upon talking to him there, he will thank the Sole Survivor and give them his gun, the Survivor's Special. Later on, Brandis will assist the Brotherhood with the assault on the Institute during Ad Victoriam and The Nuclear Option. Alternatively, he will participate in the raid on the Railroad HQ in the quest Precipice of War if the Sole Survivor follows the Railroad line of quests.

Quests

 * The Lost Patrol - The Sole Survivor will need to succeed in three increasingly difficult Charisma checks to get him to return to the Brotherhood or he can be killed.
 * Precipice of War or Airship Down - Paladin Brandis needs to be killed among all the other named Brotherhood of Steel characters.
 * Ad Victoriam and The Nuclear Option - He will assist the player character during the assault on the C.I.T. ruins and the Institute.

Appearances
Paladin Brandis appears only in Fallout 4.

Bugs

 * Brandis can be killed after convincing him to return to the Brotherhood and he will still turn up at the Prydwen later, alive and well. This is because the Brandis aboard the Prydwen has a different editor id to the Brandis at the bunker.
 * Despite successfully completing three speech checks to convince Brandis to return to the Prydwen, he still refuses to return and will remain in his bunker.
 * If convinced to return to the Prydwen, he might not give the player his Survivor's Special, he will instead say his lines.
 * If one convinces Brandis to rejoin the Brotherhood and completes The Lost Patrol through Paladin Danse before completing Shadow of Steel, Brandis may not appear on the Prydwen or in the bunker. This might be related to Shadow of Steel not triggering after Reunions.
 * Interrupting the initial dialogue with Brandis might cause him to become unresponsive.