How To Trigger Random Encounters In Fallout 76

Fallout games are well-known for their random encounters, and Fallout 76 has taken random encounters to the next level. There are lots of different possible encounters that players can trigger as they make their way around the ruins of post-war Appalachia. Some encounters are dangerous, others interesting, and some are outright bizarre.

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There are also a handful of encounters that are pretty rare. These rare encounters can be quite beneficial to the player, as some of them are centered around traders who have a small chance to sell some rare items. This guide will go through all there is to know about random encounters in Fallout 76.

The 7 Types Of Random Encounters

There are 7 core types of random encounters that players can come across while exploring the wasteland:

• Assault
• CAMP
• Object
• Scene
• Travel
• Other Encounters
• Whitespring Encounters

Each type has many variations. For example, a random Assault could see the player happen across Deathclaws, Raiders, or almost any other type of enemy in the game. There are lots of locations dotted around the map that are random encounter trigger points. Some locations will only trigger specific encounters, such as Assault encounters, while other locations have the potential to trigger one of many encounter types.

Random Encounter Locations

There are random encounter trigger points all over Appalachia. Thankfully, there are also plenty of websites that have specially made maps showing all the random encounter locations. Websites like Fallout.Fandom are very useful when it comes to finding random encounters.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to triggering a random encounter is that there is a cooldown period. If you are playing on a public server, then there’s a chance that someone may have already triggered the random encounter in a specific region. If you load up a server and attempt to trigger an encounter, and it doesn’t work, it’s probably because someone else has beaten you to it. Simply hop to another server and try again. Alternatively, try heading to another random encounter trigger point on the map.

Assault Encounters

There are over 50 different Assault encounters that players can come across while exploring the wasteland. When you trigger one of these encounters, you have a few options. First, you can fight the enemies. Second, you can run away from the fight. And the final and most interesting option is that you can hide and watch the encounter unfold. For the most part, Assault encounters consist of two enemy types fighting each other. This can be anything from Ticks vs Settlers to Yao Guai vs Super Mutants. Some of the most interesting assault encounters can be seen below:

Some assault encounters can be triggered at any random encounter spot on the map, while others can only be triggered in certain regions. For example, Liberators vs Scorched encounters can happen in all regions, while Super Mutants vs Raiders can happen in almost all regions, but not the forest. Because the forest is the beginner region, high-level enemies tend not to spawn there.

CAMP Encounters

As the name suggests, these encounters have a chance to take place at the player’s CAMP. These are more random than Assault encounters because there’s no way for the player to trigger them. The encounters can be good, strange, and sometimes dangerous.

Some encounters will see a friendly traveling vendor walk by your CAMP. These can be good for selling any unwanted goods. In other encounters, you will see a bunch of enemies trying to destroy everything they see. There are also a couple of storytelling encounters. These are a bit rarer than the other two encounter types, but they are by far the most interesting, as you get to hear the stories of other people who roam the wasteland.

Object

There are quite a few Object encounters. These encounters, as the name suggests, involve the player stumbling across various objects, bodies, or a couple of robot NPCs. In true Bethesda form, most of the encounters involve a dead body. Object encounters are designed to leave the player thinking ‘What just happened?’ Some of the more interesting Object encounters can be seen below:

Scene Encounters

These encounters are small, often bizarre NPC situations that the player can encounter. From robots advertising local businesses to ants ruining a picnic, these encounters are usually injected with Bethesda’s dark sense of humor. For the most part, you don’t really need to get involved with these. You can simply sit back and watch the encounter unfold. This is especially true for the encounter that sees two Mister Handy robots talking in a seemingly endless loop.

One other noteworthy encounter is the story of Killer Moe. There’s a chance that you’ll stumble across Moe in the Skyline Valley region. He is hostile, makes Mole Miner noises, and wears a Tattered Mole Head. It’s one of the more bizarre encounters that players can stumble across.

Travel Encounters

Traveling encounters are easy to miss. They are mostly made up of a variety of NPCs making their way to a specific location. Some, like the Eyebot Evangelist, try to spread a message, while others, such as the Eyebot Pied Piper, are strange and entertaining encounters that are bound to leave players scratching their heads.

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Out of all the Travel encounters, the Eyebot Pied Piper is among the most memorable. It sees an Eybot playing a recording of a flute while being followed by a handful of non-hostile Radrats. Some of the other noteworthy travel encounters can be seen below:

Whitespring Encounters

When you enter the Whitespring Refuge, there’s a chance that a miscellaneous quest will start. These quests can usually be completed without needing to travel anywhere. For the most part, someone inside the Whitespring Refuge will need your help. Whether you are asked to give your thoughts on an argument between two settlers or are tasked with fixing up a broken robot, here are 18 different possible encounters. Completing one of these encounters will net you some basic rewards and a small amount of XP.

Other Encounters

There are a few other encounters that fall outside of the previously mentioned categories. These encounters can be anything from Blood Eagles guarding a Collector to an injured Raider who needs some help. You’ll also get Request encounters. These encounters involve an NPC coming to you and asking for some specific items. They’ll ask for things like Bobby Pins and Stimpaks. The more you give, the happier they’ll be. They may even throw a few rewards your way for helping them out.

Raider And Settler Encounters

In each of the encounter types listed above, there are quite a few variations that involve Settlers and Raiders. These encounters are great, since you can earn some Faction Reputation from them, and the encounters are typically easy to deal with. They usually require you to help out in a small firefight, offer some medical assistance, or just give away a few basic supplies. No matter what the objective is, these encounters are always worth doing as they are great for ranking up with both factions, allowing you to unlock new Gold Bullion plans.

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November 14, 2018

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