All Fallout Mutations and What They Do
Here’s everything you need to know about Fallout 76 mutations.
The wasteland in Fallout 76 is full of all sorts of deranged enemies, but one of the most deadly aspects of the world is radiation. If survivors accumulate too much radiation, not only will it damage their health, but it can also cause them to change in weird and unexpected ways.
These changes are referred to in-game as mutations, and they offer beneficial and negative effects for your survivor.
What are Mutations?
These are conditions that can be bestowed upon your survivor and offer unique effects. Though not represented physically in-game, they are persistent effects that will alter your stats or other in-game elements.
Most of these provide a positive buff and a negative debuff, and some perk cards, like the Strange in Numbers perk (which strengthens positive effects by 25% while party members are also mutated), also work off mutations.
You can view your mutations anytime by opening your Pip-Boy and going to the STAT tab and scrolling over to the EFFECTS header.
How to Get and Remove Mutations
Starting at level 5, your survivor has a chance to gain one these anytime you take radiation damage. This can be from irradiated enemies, radiation zones, or even from eating food or drink that increase your radiation levels.
If you wear anything that gives you radiation damage protection (such as a Hazmat suit) you will decrease the chance of gaining a mutation as well.
If you are seeking out a mutation, you can find serums scattered around the world of Fallout 76. These are items that, once consumed, will grant you a specific mutation automatically. If you are already afflicted with the one contained within the serum, you will instead weaken the negative effects while strengthening the positive ones.
As of right now, there is no sure-fire method to get rid of mutations. Anytime you consume RadAway, you’ll have a small chance to remove mutations you may have, but it is not guaranteed. The perk card Starched Genes prevents you from gaining new ones but also stops your mutations from getting removed by RadAway.
All Mutations in Fallout 76
The following is the list of known mutations in Fallout 76, along with their positive and negative effects.
- Adrenal Reaction – +Weapon DMG and quick health regen at low HP, but Max HP -50
- Bird Bones – AGI +8, fall from heights is more gradual, but STR -4
- Carnivore – Meat provides x2 benefit and no disease, but cannot eat vegetables
- Chameleon – Invisibility while crouched, unarmored, and standing still
- Eagle Eyes – Critical Damage +25%, PER +4, but STR -4
- Egg Head – INT +6, STR -3, but END -3
- Electrically Charged – Chance to shock melee attackers
- Empath – Damage taken by teammates -25%, but damage you take +33%
- Grounded – Energy Resistance +100, but -20% Energy Damage
- Healing Factor – Health Regeneration +300%, but Chem Effects -55%
- Herbivore – Vegetables provides x2 benefit and no disease, but cannot eat meat
- Herd Mentality – All SPECIAL stats +2 when grouped, but all SPECIAL stats -2 when solo
- Marsupial – Carry weight +20, extra jump height, but INT -4
- Plague Aura – Poison aura that scales with your diseases
- Scaly Skin – Damage and Energy Resistance +50, but AP -25
- Speed Demon – Movement speed +20, faster reload (no negatives)
- Talons – Punching attacks do 25% more damage and give bleed damage, but AGI -4
- Twisted Muscles – Melee damage +25%, better chance to cripple limbs, but gun accuracy -50%
- Unstable Isotope – Chance to irradiate melee attackers
Mutations may be a risky aspect of Fallout 76, but if you are careful about your radiation intake, you can minimize the chances of gaining one. However, if you learn to live with your mutations, you may just be able to use them to your benefit and downplay the negative side effects.
If you need even more helpful strategies for making your way through the strange and terrifying West Virginian wasteland, you can check out our Fallout 76 guide wiki.
About the author
