As far as post-apocalyptic nuclear dystopian video games go, it’s hard to get weirder than Fallout 76. Long-term fans of the Fallout franchise love the unpredictability that the post-nuclear war environment can bring. In addition to the mutated people and animals caused by massive doses of radiation, there are hideout shelter “vaults” that weren’t always kind to the survivors. In the franchise, some vaults were built for people to simply live and wait out the apocalypse, while others were constructed to experiment on the very people stuck within. The technology that survived to assist players is a strange combination of 1950s optimism and alternative nuclear tech.
This combination of circumstances leads to a game environment where players can run into zombie-like human survivors, psychopathic robots, secret societies, and all manner of horrific monsters with mysterious origins. Nuclear war has not been kind to anyone involved, and it will take more than just some great weapons and protective suits to survive. Fallout 76 is a prequel in the timeline of the Fallout franchise, which takes place in the region we call West Virginia. It’s set about 25 years after the great nuclear war. It’s Reclamation Day, a day to emerge from the vaults and try to recolonize what’s salvageable in the aftermath. Like other games in the Fallout franchise, exploring the landscape will bring both insane and delightful surprises.
We’ve curated some of the coolest hidden items based on the gameplay and research of players that have already spent hundreds of hours playing the game. Here are 20 Hidden Items in Fallout 76 (And How to Find Them).
20. Scarecrow With Delightful Assortment of Explosives
Total destruction of everything must have taken a toll on survivors’ minds. Just like in pre-apocalyptic days, arts and crafts help alleviate anxiety and channel violent rage into harmless art projects. You know, like a pumpkin head scarecrow guarding over crates that house a delightful assortment of explosives. Someone had to do it, right?
This impressive find is in the hills to the Northeast of the National Isolate Radio Array. You can only find ol’ Pumpkin Head if you travel from uphill to downhill along the hill, not the other way. In the rocks, you’ll find a weird altar or shrine that resembles a scarecrow with a pumpkin head. As an added bonus, you’ll find an explosive cache of pulse mines, Molotov cocktails and frag mines. In an environment where everything is trying to harm you, this is a pretty sweet find.
19. Fat Man Rifle on the Monorail
A “Fat man” rifle is an incredibly potent weapon that delivers a mini-nuke charge, shot in an arching trajectory from fairly far away. Unless you like instant incineration, this is not a close-range gun. It is not an easy weapon to find, and you won’t be able to use it unless you are at least level 45.
It makes sense that whoever stashed the weapon wanted to make sure it would be difficult to locate. It can be found next to the Garrahan mining headquarters in the Southwest of the map. Take the stairs up the monorail ruins, all the way up to the rounded roof. You’ll find a monorail track. Jump down on the track and follow it up the hill until the final ring and you’ll find a Fat Man Rifle resting on top.
18. Giant Cockroach With Bowler Hat and Cane
It’s a surreal experience exploring abandoned homes. By whatever you find there, you can sometimes find clues about what kind of life the survivor must have lead in the years following the nuclear apocalypse. It is rarely a happy scene and, quite often, nightmarishly bizarre.
Such is the case when you wander into an old bathroom in an abandoned house and find a giant cockroach wearing a bowler hat and sporting a cane. Was this a fancy cockroach in his day or was the owner of the home into weird taxidermy projects? Either way, it’s enough to make you want to draw a weapon and back up slowly. You can find the gentlemanly roach in a house at the top of the hill, near a road north of Camden Park. If you must, you can also harvest it for roach meat. Ew.
17. The Phantom Device
The Phantom Device can be found as part of one of Fallout 76’s coolest series of side quests related to “The Order of the Mistresses of Mystery.” This multiple part quest involves you discovering a secret society and its hideout and uncovering clues that help you ascend the ranks. As part of the quest, you will collect several special items along the way.
The Phantom Device is a portable cloaking device that renders you temporarily invisible and “frenzies” creatures that are nearby. Once you fabricate the device, you will be able to craft more, though not easily. You’ll be able to find the device in Riverside Manor. You can start looking for the Phantom Device by finding a tape in another mission, “Chasing Shadows.” From there, you’ll be instructed to gather some parts to create the device.
16. Romantic Skeletons With Comrade Chubs the Teddy Bear
For those unprepared for when the missiles started to fall, we can only imagine what their last moments were like. But sometimes we don’t have to imagine because they leave behind sad reminders.
You can find this unlucky couple at the top of a roof the Torrance house. They are embracing each other, next to a table with building blocks and a teddy bear which has the unlikely name of Comrade Chubs. Comrade Chubs is one of four teddy bears that can be found in the game and can be harvested to craft other supplies. Looks like this couple was already on the top of the roof when the explosions happened or decided to watch the world go out with a bang. Tough luck, kiddos.
15. Blade of Bastet
This blade can be acquired during the side quest “Forging a Legend”, which is part of a subset of quests for the “Order of the Mistresses of Mystery.” Though the Blade of Bastet has a fancy name, in reality, it is based on a Chinese Officer’s sword. In the mythology of the Fallout franchise, the Chinese invade and occupy Alaska and cause massive devastation on the rest of the country with a plague. Before the missiles fall, of course. So it makes sense you might find Chinese weapons or artifacts in gameplay.
The Blade of Bastet is one of the most powerful one-handed melee weapons in the game, delivering 53 hit points worth of damage. Its specialty is penetrating armor and making you look super cool while you do it.
14. Giant Metal Head
Some of the beautiful things about Fallout 76 is that not every mystery you encounter is explained. You’re not necessarily going to know how every mutated creature came to be that way, nor why certain mysterious items end up in the most unlikely of places. Such is the case of the giant metal head.
Deep in Tanagra Town, far east in the map, you’ll find a tree-like structure that you can climb. It looks partially man-made but surrounded by thick, twisty roots. Climb the twisted path that corkscrews around the structure. Eventually, it will take you inside a cavern guarded by giant crickets. You’ll find a giant metal head partially submerged in the dirt, surrounded by glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. Shrine? Robot? Statue? Who knows.
13. The Garb of Mysteries
Who doesn’t want to look fabulous while slashing and blasting their way through the irradiated Appalachian landscape? Another reward as part of the “Order of the Mistresses of Mystery” side quests, The Garb of Mysteries is a war-ready cocktail dress that acts as both armor and a stealth enhancer. You can wear the dress as armor, or your regular armor, but not both at the same time.
Wearing the dress will make it slightly harder for enemies to detect you, by about 5%. Its armor effect will make you slightly less susceptible to damage. However, it should be noted that if you wear the Garb of Mysteries in combination with the Eye of Ra, the stealth and armor effects are boosted dramatically.
12. The Eye of Ra
If you want to be super fancy, you’ve got to get the Eye of Ra. The Eye of Ra only functions if you are also wearing the Garb of Mysteries. It’s a gorgeous red brooch that “powers up” the Garb of Mysteries to make you 20% harder to detect while sneaking around the place. Also, it boosts your resistance to damage by 20%, if wearing the Garb of Mysteries.
It also slightly enhances the damage of the Blade of Set and The Voice of Set pistol. You can find the Eye of Ra on the corpse of Shannon Rivers on Seneca Rocks. It will have zero effect on other forms of armor or clothing, so if you acquire this item, make sure you get the Garb of Mysteries to make it useful.
11. The Secret Tentacle Monster in the Creepy Shrine
Turns out a major event like total nuclear annihilation is great for jump-starting cults all over the place. Why not? Society has obviously failed, time to make your own gods and rituals. The particular cult in question seems obsessed with a tentacle monster that appeared to alive and dangerous at one time.
This monster is surrounded by lit candles and other strange half-human, half-animal skeleton structures hanging on the wall. This indicates that the shrine is still visited and kept going by someone. At the bottom of the Lucky Hole mine in the far southeast of the map, you’ll find the remains of a tentacle monster surrounded by a creepy shrine. Getting to the bottom of the mine is quite the journey, so have patience.
10. Voice of Set
The Voice of Set is .44 pistol you can only find in the side quest “Prototypical Problems”, one of the side quests related to “Order of the Mistresses of Mystery.” Though there are other .44 pistols that come standard in the game, this one is enhanced with special abilities. It does 60 damage with additional special electrical damage against robots. You can use it after you reach level 25.
In order to fully power the weapon, you’ll need to gather additional data from Sugar Grove. The weapon is very effective against drone defense robots, turrets, and other automated nasties that might get in your way. Its effects also get a slight boost when used in combination with the Garb of Mysteries and the Eye of Ra.
9. Alien Blaster and Rusted Key
The alien blaster has made multiple appearances in the Fallout franchise, most recently in Fallout 4. In that game, the alien blaster came from an alien living in a cave near a crashed UFO. Since Fallout 76 happens chronologically before Fallout 4, it can’t be exactly the same weapon. It is possible, however, it may have come from the same UFO, or at the very least the same alien race that has been visiting the planet. The alien blaster is a powerful weapon that packs quite the punch.
Northeast in the map, west of Philippi Battlefield Cemetery, you’ll find a submerged box in a pond that contains the alien blaster with a rusted key. The rusted key gives you access to a location with a stolen passcode, which will lead you to another secret item, the Secret Wall Safe.
8. Secret Wall Safe with TNT Dome 2 Key
Stick with us - this one’s complicated.
Using the rusted key you find in conjunction with the alien blaster, travel to Freddy’s House of Scares in the Northern Mire. Go to the roof and you’ll find a shack which the key unlocks. Inside the shack is a Stolen Terminal Passcode. The passcode corresponds with Mike Green’s terminal at the top of the apartments in Morgantown. Once you go there, you’ll get a holotape that you need to take to a house in Pleasant Valley Cabins. Use the holotape at a terminal inside the house to get another code, then go under the house, and use the terminal to enter the code and get the TNT Dome #2 Key. This will get you into Bunker 2 in the Black Ordinance Mountain Works. Got all that? Inside Bunker 2, you’ll find alien blaster rounds and a mysterious frozen pod.
7. Cultist Ritual Outfit and Ritual Mask
This lovely ensemble is an especially creepy outfit you can wear which includes a human skull and real deer antlers. You’ll get the full-length costume that matches the mask separately. Start at the Wilson Brother’s Auto Repair. Enter the red house at the top of the hill and find the basement. You’ll find a shrine of bones and most of the costume, except the mask.
To find the mask, go to the Sons of Dane compound. Go through the rusted gate and approach cautiously - there may be a few glowing Wendigos hanging around. Go up to the top of the hill into the shack with the sign “The Buck’s Den.” You’ll find what looks like the aftermath of a raging party. On the table to your right is the ritual mask.
6. Secret Power Armor Stash
First, you need a key you can find in Camden Park. There’s an old mostly intact roller coaster there. Climb the tracks of the roller coaster and find a car that rests on the tracks. Inside the roller coaster car is a key. Grab that. Then you’ll head to New River Gorge Bridge. Get on the bridge, follow it until you can go to the lower level, and look for a door with a red light. Unlock the door and find the Power Armor Stash.
This Power Armor looks to have been refurbished from at least a few different types, so it won’t be quite as tough as the official models that are completely intact. But still, it’s Power Armor and a great find.
5. Nuka Cola Power Armor Paint Job
To get this gorgeous Nuka Cola armor paint job (als0 seen in Fallout 4) you’ll have to get inside Dome 3. Get inside the Kanawha Nuka Cola plant. Once you picklock the door, you’ll find a locked locker with the key to Dome 3. You’ll find two notes: one from Clara who went to Sutton, and one from Rich who went to Watoga.
Head over to Watoga and find a body with a locked toolbox next to him. Go to Pylon V-13 on the map, and find another body with a duffel bag with a key to the toolbox. Open the toolbox, and you’ll find the key to Clara’s box in Sutton. Find the box in a doghouse in Sutton, use Clara’s key, and you’ll get the locker key for the Nuka Cola Plant, which gives you the key to Dome 3. Whew!
4. The Salvaged Assaultron Head
This is the severed head of an Assaultron robot that has been repurposed into a pistol. You can charge the weapon by reloading it. The more you charge it, the more damage you can dish out. This is a powerful weapon, but it irradiates the user so be careful when you use it!
You can find the Salvaged Assaultron head in Watoga, in the southeastern corner of the map. On the west side of Watoga, you’ll find an elevated walkway. Here will run into some aggressive Assaultron robots. Hey, this is Fallout 76, aggressive robots are par for the course. Blast or hack away at these robots and they will leave pieces you can use in the remains. Eventually, you can farm the scavenged Assaultron head. It might take a while, so be patient.
3. Assaultron Blade
The Assaultron blade comes in two varieties—the regular Assaultron Blade and the Electrified Assaultron Blade. Of course, the Electrified Assaultron Blade is slightly more powerful and deals additional damage. It’s the most powerful one-handed melee weapon of Fallout 76. You can farm the Assaultron blade in the same place where you can find the salvaged Assaultron head, on the raised walkway in Watoga.
You can also craft the Assaultron blade yourself by finding Assaultron blade plans. If you head north on the road from Dyer Chemical, you may get a random encounter with an enemy that will drop the plans for an Assaultron blade when you defeat him. The blade isn’t as fast as others, but does pack quite a wallop.
2. The 50 Caliber Machine Gun
The 50 Caliber Machine Gun is a belt-fed heavy artillery weapon that is a potent force to be reckoned with. However, use caution with this weapon because it blows through rounds very quickly. If you’re not careful you’ll run out of ammo. Also, you’ll need to be at least level 25 to be able to wield the gun.
You can acquire the 50 Caliber Machine Gun relatively simply. Start at the Clarksburg Shooting Club, just north of Base 76. Look around for a destroyed pick-up truck on the road with some items in the back. It’s pretty easy to find. Mounted to the bed of the pickup is the 50 Caliber Machine Gun, which you can just take.
1. The Black Powder Pistol or Rifle
The weapons in Fallout 76 are an amusing mixture of refurbished weapons, future tech from a 1950s post-war perspective, and advanced stuff that doesn’t use traditional ammo, like the Salvaged Assaultron Head. But in a retro-twist, one of the most powerful weapons in the game is the black powder pistol or rifle. The guns themselves are ancient and low-tech and must be loaded one shell at a time with a ramrod. But the shells you load are .50 caliber balls that will make short work of anything you shoot them at.
Both the Black Powder Pistol and the Black Powder Rifle can be found at Phillipi Battlefield Cemetary. Just head to the museum, press the red button near the counter and raid the weapons from the display cases upstairs.
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Which of these do you want most? Let us know in the comments!
