Random encounters are things the player may or may not come across while exploring the various post-apocalyptic wastelands of the Fallout series. These occurrences are usually the result of the player meeting some sort of unmentioned criteria or stumbling across an unplanned event spawned by the game's RNG.

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Every game in the main Fallout series holds a large variety of fun and sometimes outlandish scenarios that one can experience. Many exist to expand the world lore or be short and comical in a way that can break up the monotony of exploring. Though, many of these are not found too easily as predicting when and where they will happen are nearly impossible.

Updated May 16, 2022, by Jason Van Duine: The apocalypse of the Fallout franchise wouldn't be nearly as interesting without the random encounters. They not only flesh out the world with curious surprises, but also provide the player with an incentive to go out and explore rather than simply go from quest to quest. While there are many encounters that are common, there are just as many encounters that may prove difficult to find. These can range from dangerous and deadly to quirky and amusing. Regardless, these are unique encounters in Fallout that not every player will be able to find.

14 Patrick The Celt

Picture Of Music Notes

In the very first Fallout game, each time the Vault Dweller enters a new area there is a chance for a random encounter to occur depending on the type of terrain being traversed. This is the basis for all random encounters in this franchise and all games in the series follow this logic.

One such happening is that Patrick the Celt may show up on mountain tiles in the north and south areas of the map. If stumbled across, one can talk to him for a chance to pass a Speech skill check and be serenaded with a Celtic melody. This will increase the Vault Dweller's Charisma stat by one point.

13 Gang War

fallout 2 building interior building showing npcs

Fallout 2 is a bit different from its predecessor in that most of the random encounters are combat-related, with the more humourous and lore-friendly ones being designated as "special encounters" that act a bit differently. There are many mixes and matches of what kinds of enemies show up.

One of the more dynamic matchups is when enemies spawn and start fighting each other instead of the player. Sometimes when in the New Reno area of the map, the player will find mobsters, Yakuza members, as well as other gangs shredding each other with Tommy guns. Simply hang back and save action points while they slaughter one another to pick off the survivors and harvest a bunch of free loot.

12 Double Ambush

left: regulators standing near a farm. right: the talon company in a bunker

Depending on one's karma in Fallout 3, the Lone Wanderer will sometimes get ambushed by factions aligned to the opposite end of the spectrum from where they reside. If one has evil karma, the Regulators may pop up to try and end the player's sinister ways, and if one has good karma, the selfishly brutal Talon Company might appear to take out a goody-two-shoes.

However, if one switches from good to bad karma, or vice-versa, there is a small chance that the game's delay in reading one's karma alignment may result in an ambush from both factions at once. This may be another reason to stick to a specific playstyle instead of flipping between two. That is unless one is looking for a more challenging and chaotic fight.

11 Flight Of The Jackals

memnbers of the jackal gang in fallout 3 standing together

Fallout: New Vegas has quite a few groups and gangs one can bump into, though sometimes these encounters have nothing to do with the Courier. Of all the tribes that spawned from the former citizens of Vault 15, the Jackals are definitely the weakest, as can be seen from one specific occurrence.

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In a rare instance, while exploring, the player may see a group of four Jackals members running in a straight line, though not at the Courier. These wastelanders are being chased by a mole-rat. A single regular mole-rat.

10 Treasure Map

corpse of an npc from fallout 4 lying on the ground

Many corpses litter the wasteland of the Commonwealth in Fallout 4, though some are more worthy of looting than others. The body of Hadrian can be found in a random location and has a holotape that starts the miscellaneous quest "The Treasure of Jamaica Plains."

This will even mark Jamaica Plains on the map of the Sole Survivor, leading one to some great items and a fair bit of cash.

9 Eyebot Pied Piper

an eyebot following rats in fallout 76 wilderness

If seen from a distance and out of audio range, this encounter may look like a few enemies that just happen to be moving in the same area, though upon closer inspection will reveal one of the more interesting random findings in Fallout 76.

Once in a while, an Eyebot will follow some non-hostile Radrats while playing a tune from their speaker. This song is "The British Grenadiers" and is a marching rhythm, leading players to believe that this Eyebot is encouraging these rodents on some sort of mysterious journey.

8 Weary Fisherman

silhouette of a man fishing

While adventuring along the coast in the first Fallout game, it is possible to stumble across a man and his son doing some peaceful fishing. When spoken to, the man will talk to the Vault Dweller about a variety of topics. He will give the player information about certain locations, offer advice on the main quest, and even pontificates on the benefits of living off the land while avoiding politics.

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Wisdom like this is not often found in the wasteland, so be sure to treasure the fisherman's words if one ever comes across him, as some of his dialogue is not only great in-game advice but can be applied to the real world as well.

7 Ticking Timebomb

a group of humans and ghouls in fallout 3 standing together

This encounter is one that will make players consider increasing their Explosives skill the next time they play Fallout 3. Rarely, a nondescript citizen of the wasteland will approach the Lone Wanderer and inform them that raiders have strapped a bomb to them and that it will explode very soon.

If the player tries to disarm this bomb there is always a chance of failure, even if one's Explosive skill is above the threshold of the game's stat-check. Be quick in deciding whether to help this poor fellow or not, as the bomb will automatically go off after ten seconds have elapsed.

6 Wasteland Gourmet

unique non-hostile raider the gruel in fallout 4's wilderness

If one thinks this guy just looks like a raider with a chef's hat, they would be correct. Gruel is a character that can be found wandering about the Commonwealth in Fallout 4 searching for rare ingredients.

Strangely, Gruel does not have any voiced dialogue and does not engage the player. Though, if the Sole Survivor decides to take him out, they will find a disgusting list indicating what this gourmand considers the wasteland's culinary best.

5 Rude Robot

unique non-hostile protectron from fallout 76

Protectrons are relatively common in Fallout 76, though there are non quite like Insult Bot. This machine was designed to wander West Virginia's wastes for the sole purpose of poking fun at any players they find.

As their name implies, they will dish out insults of a great variety, often implying one's lack of intelligence or making fun of a player's appearance, though all in the name of good fun. Afterward, they will even issue their insult target a little note that acts as a souvenir to remember the sick burn that the player was just scorched with.

4 Preston Garvey Impersonator

Fo4-Fake-Preston_Garvey (1) (1)

Preston Garvey, leader of the Minutemen, is one of the first major characters that players will come across while traversing the Commonwealth of Fallout 4. Players should look closely, however, to be sure that the Preston Garvey they're talking to isn't an impostor. One random encounter in Fallout 4 has the player run into a man pretending to be Preston Garvey and asking for a bottlecap donation to the Minutemen.

Players could hand over the cash, or they could talk their way out of doing so by telling him they know the real Preston Garvey. Players could even convince the man that they're Preston Garvey if they're far enough in the story. Interestingly, if the players have the real Preston Garvey as a companion during the encounter, neither will acknowledge the other.

3 Lemonade Stand

Fallout 4 lemonade stand (1)

Just because it's the apocalypse doesn't mean survivors can't enjoy a refreshing drink. While exploring the Appalachia of Fallout 76, players may come across a friendly Mister Handy named Mister Squeeze running a sweet little lemonade stand.

He'll sell a variety of items, most notably recipes for lemonade and hard lemonade. This is also the only location in the game where players can acquire either item. During the encounter, Mister Squeeze will refer to his master Jimmy, who has yet to return to the robot with fresh lemons.

2 Kat & Gus

Fallout 4 kat and gus (1)

Traveling merchants are common across Fallout 4 and can be a convenient means of buying and selling items while adventuring. One of the rarest and most memorable merchants in the game would have to be Kat & Gus, the former of whom is a young girl and a merchant.

If it seems odd that a young girl would be traveling the dangerous Commonwealth on her own, fear not, because her sentry robot Gus is there to protect her everywhere she goes. A clear reference to the BioShock franchise, players can kill Gus in combat. Just don't expect Kat to be in the mood to trade with the Sole Survivor afterward.

1 Mister Gutsy's Curfew

Fo4_Mr._Gutsy%27s_Curfew (1)

Curfews suck. Who should be telling the Sole Survivor when they should stop adventuring? Apparently, it's a Mister Gutsy robot that players can stumble upon while traversing the wasteland. Here, a Mister Gutsy robot will approach the player and inform them that a curfew is in effect, ordering the player to return home.

The player can leave the area, though staying behind instead will initiate combat. However, if players have a Luck score of 7, they can repeatedly ask the Mister Gutsy robot "Will You Comply?" which will eventually result in the robot malfunctioning and self-destructing.

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