Sage Against the Machine: Borderlands 4 Sage Against the Machine walkthrough

The Sage Against the Machine mission in Borderlands 4 is one of the many humorous side-quests that the world of Kairos is teeming with. Found in the Terminus Range, this quest has the Vault Hunter try to attain inner peace by following the guidance of an "enlightened" Ripper bandit.

This guide explains all there is to know about the mission, including objectives, rewards, and more. Here are the details.

Also Read: Borderlands 4 Breeding Daisies Walkthrough

Borderlands 4 Sage Against the Machine step-by-step guide

Sage Against The Machine side quest location on the map (Image via 2K)

Quest giver: Brody Sattva
Location: Stoneblood Forest, Terminus Range
Prerequisites: Finish the main mission "A Lot to Progress"
Rewards: XP, Cash, Assault Rifle (Uncommon to Epic rarity), and Eridium

This side mission becomes available as soon as you unlock the Terminus Range biome after defeating the Oppressor (main story boss) and talking to Zadra in her lab. The quest is located in the Stoneblood Forest and can be picked after discovering the area via exploration.

It is given by a Ripper NPC called Brody Sattva, who is eager to help the Vault Hunter achieve inner peace. To do this, he hands them a "mood rock" and tasks them with completing several objectives. Here is a short rundown of everything that needs to be done:

Take mood rock
Find Path of Opportunities
Cultivate awareness of rippers (by killing them)
Reach Stones of Balance
Reach the highest point
Check in with mood rock
Pick up mood rock
Reach Den of Acceptance
Talk to your negative self OR Smack your negative self
Kill your negative self…and its friends
Return to Brody
Place mood rock
Turn mood rock
Loot your reward

Borderlands 4 Sage Against the Machine side quest walkthrough

Mood rock in Borderlands 4 (Image via 2K)

Talk to Brody Sattva and pick up the "Ego Prism" quest item to begin the Sage Against the Machine side mission. The first objective is to find the Path of Opportunities, meaning tracking down the nearby objective that leads Vault Hunters to a location called Crueltown, which is teeming with Ripper enemies. As with most things in Borderlands 4, the Vault Hunter must kill all Rippers that spawn in this area.

The next step in achieving enlightenment like the great Brody Sattva is to find the Stones of Balance, which leads to another nearby area. This is a platforming challenge, as you must climb the towering shack to reach the marked vantage point. Reach the upper floor, climb the ladder, and then get onto the roof. Glide across onto the hanging platform and hop over to the marked rocks.

A simple platforming challenge awaits (Image via 2K)

Place the mood rock onto the rock pile, wait for Brody Sattva to be done talking, and pick it back up. The third and final step of the Sage Against the Machine quest in Borderlands 4 is to reach the Den of Acceptance, located just a stone's throw away from this parkour challenge. Glide down to the marked area and talk to a Splice Ripper foe called Ricky Roles.

You will have two options here: talk to him or smack him (by pressing the melee button). Regardless of which approach is picked, the outcome will be the same. A swarm of Splice Rippers will spawn around the arena, and you'll need to take them down.

Talk to him or smack him, the outcome doesn't change (Image via 2K)

Now, since the Vault Hunter has completed all tasks, approach Brody Sattva, who is awaiting them at a nearby counter. Talk to him and place the mood rock and flip it over as requested. The NPC will offer a bonus reward in the form of a nearby money box, the amount of which is honestly insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Brody Sattva's next client will soon arrive, spooked by the Ripper's appearance, leading to the sagely bandit meeting an untimely death. While this wraps up the Sage Against the Machine side mission in Borderlands 4, you can talk to this new NPC (named Wayward Soul) to start another side quest, "The Next Quest thing".

Borderlands 4 is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Siddharth is an esports and gaming writer at Sportkseeda. With nearly 10 years of experience in the industry, he also contributed to renowned publications like Gameffine (formerly IndianNoob), the British retro FPS magazine E1M1, and Gaming Purists, the latter being a passion project which he founded with friends.

Holding a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Siddharth's journalistic pursuits extend beyond reporting; he throws himself into the heart of gaming communities. His positive exploits in the industry have led him to interviewing Rohit Jain, a prominent Tekken 7 player from India.

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Edited by Niladri Roy