Want a loyal animal companion at your Fallout 76 camp? Taming creatures to become your pets is a unique and rewarding feature in the game. It’s not quite as simple as befriending every wasteland critter you come across, but with the right knowledge and perks, you can have a mutated friend guarding your base in no time. This guide will break down everything you need to know about how to get pets in Fallout 76.
Understanding Pet Taming in Fallout 76
First, it’s important to understand that “taming” in Fallout 76 isn’t about making every animal your permanent buddy. It’s a specific mechanic that allows you to pacify and then tame certain creatures under very particular circumstances. These tamed creatures will then travel to your C.A.M.P. and act as defenders. Think of it less like traditional pet ownership and more like recruiting a temporary, wild guardian.
Requirements for Taming Creatures
To even begin your pet-taming journey, you’ll need to invest in specific Perk cards. These are crucial for unlocking the ability to tame creatures in Fallout 76:
Animal Friend Perk
This is the foundational perk for taming. You absolutely need the Animal Friend perk card maxed out to 3 stars. The 3-star rank of Animal Friend is what unlocks the “Tame” option when interacting with eligible creatures. Without this, taming is simply not possible.
- Animal Friend (3-Star): Pacify creatures of level 30 and below (Rank 1), level 40 and below (Rank 2), and tame creatures (Rank 3).
The Animal Friend perk alone allows you to tame a base roster of creatures, which includes:
- Beaver
- Brahmin
- Dog
- Fox
- Mole rat
- Mongrel
- Mutant hound
- Opossum
- Radrat
- Radstag
- Wolf
- Yao guai
Wasteland Whisperer Perk
To expand your menagerie of potential pets and tame more challenging creatures, you’ll want to consider the Wasteland Whisperer perk. You need at least 1-star in Wasteland Whisperer in addition to the 3-star Animal Friend perk to tame the creatures listed under its influence.
- Wasteland Whisperer (1-Star or more): Pacify wasteland creatures of level 20 and below (Rank 1), level 40 and below (Rank 2), level 50 and below (Rank 3).
With both a 3-star Animal Friend and at least a 1-star Wasteland Whisperer, you can tame a much wider variety of creatures, including:
- Angler
- Ant
- Behemoth
- Bloatfly
- Bloodbug
- Cave cricket
- Deathclaw
- Feral ghoul
- Firefly
- Floater
- Gulper
- Hermit crab
- Honey beast
- Mirelurk
- Mirelurk hunter
- Mirelurk spawn
- Mole miner
- Radroach
- Radscorpion
- Stingwing
- Super mutant
- Tick
Rules of Taming: Finding the Right Creature
Even with the correct perks, not every creature in Fallout 76 is tamable. There are specific rules governing which creatures can become your pets. Understanding these rules is key to successful pet hunting:
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Solo Spawn Creatures: The creature must have spawned alone, not as part of a pre-set group or mob. If you see a group of creatures together, none of them are likely to be tamable. You need to find lone wanderers in the wasteland.
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Non-Storyline and Non-Permanent Spawns: Creatures that are part of a questline or those that always spawn in the same location are not tamable. For example, the Deathclaw on Deathclaw Island, which is often featured in early player experiences, cannot be tamed because it’s a fixed spawn. Similarly, named creatures or those tied to specific locations are off-limits. You’re looking for random encounter spawns in the open world.
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Initiating Taming: When you encounter a creature that you believe fits the above rules, approach it cautiously. Equip a gun that does not have a lensed scope. Aim down your sights at the creature. If the creature is tamable and you have the necessary perks active, you should see two command options appear: “Pacify” and “Tame.” If you only see “Pacify,” it means you might not have the full 3-star Animal Friend perk, or the creature is not eligible for taming but can be calmed temporarily. Choose “Tame” to attempt to make it your pet.
Finding Your Perfect Pet
With the perks equipped and the rules in mind, the next step is exploration! Wander the diverse regions of Appalachia and keep an eye out for lone creatures. Areas with random encounters are your best bet. Remember, patience is key. Finding a tamable creature can sometimes take time and a bit of luck.
Once you successfully tame a creature, it will despawn from its current location and, after a short in-game time, reappear at your C.A.M.P. as a pet. Keep in mind that pets can be killed, and they are not immortal guardians. However, they add a unique element to your camp defense and provide a fun, personalized touch to your wasteland homestead.
So, gear up, grab those perk cards, and head out into the wilds of Fallout 76 to find your new pet companion!
