Provisioner

A provisioner is a variant of settler encountered in the Commonwealth in 2287. They are residents assigned to a supply line, tasked with hauling cargo between settlements to facilitate the sharing of resources and inventory across the supply network.

Background
Provisioners are appointed by the Sole Survivor to run supply lines between owned settlements. They will travel between two connected settlements, usually leading a pack brahmin, and will engage any hostile creatures or enemies they encounter along their route.

Other interactions

 * The Survivor must appoint settlers from owned settlements to provisioner by tasking them to run supply lines between two settlements. Like any other settler, a provisioner's gear and weapons can be changed by initiating dialogue and trading items with them, and can be equipped with whatever armor and weapons the player desires. A provisioner may elect to wear unoccupied power armor if caught in combat near an unoccupied suit.
 * A well-armed/armored provisioner can also double as a patrol if they are given the proper gear to engage enemies in battle. If the Survivor is in combat, nearby provisioners will rush to their aid, and will even fight any enemies that obstruct their routes and fight alongside members of factions allied to the Survivor, such as Minutemen or the Brotherhood of Steel.
 * If a provisioner is within a settlement's boundaries they can be reassigned to another activity within that settlement using the workshop interface. If the provisioner was sent from another settlement they will effectively move to the new settlement, their name will not change back to 'Settler' but their pack brahmin will disappear.

Appearances
Provisioners appear only in Fallout 4.

Bugs

 * Provisioners and their brahmin can become stuck on top of the Mass Fusion building and will remain there indefinitely.
 * Provisioners may not count towards the number of assigned settlers in a settlement. Therefore, having four provisioners from a single settlement will stop that settlement from attracting more settlers.