In Fallout 76, there are two main types of spawns: Fixed Spawns and Fixed Spawn Locations with a Chance to Spawn.
Fixed Spawns:
Fixed spawns primarily apply to creatures, junk items, and certain consumables. When an item or creature is a fixed spawn, it means that unless it has already been taken or killed by you or another player, it will always be found in that specific location. For example, you can reliably find a Mega Sloth at Tangara Town or typewriters in Abandoned Bog Town.
Fixed Spawn Locations with a Chance to Spawn:
This type of spawn covers a wide range of in-game items, including creatures, plants, Bobbleheads, Magazines, Power Armor, Random Encounters, Asylum Dresses and Outfits, Nuka-Cola, and more. These spawns have designated locations where they can appear, but their actual occurrence is not guaranteed. Instead, they have a chance to spawn at those locations. For example, a Starlight Berry plant has a fixed spawn location but only has a 35% chance to spawn the Starlight Berries when you visit that location.
Understanding Leveled Lists:
Many of the spawns with a chance to occur are determined by something called a Leveled List. Leveled Lists can be simple or complex, depending on the item or creature being spawned.
An example of a simple Leveled List is the Bobblehead spawn at the top of the wooden Pioneer Scout Lookout. When the Bobblehead spawns, the game consults the Bobblehead Leveled List and randomly selects which Bobblehead to place there.
A more complex example is the Blue Cooler. It draws from the Raider Misc List, which then branches into 14 additional lists, including Chems and Pipe Revolvers. It also draws from the Cooler Leveled List, which consists of 4 lists containing Recipes, Alcohol, Non-Alcohol, and Food. The Food list further breaks down into 3 lists for Cooked, Rare, and Unique food items.
Leveled Lists for creatures, vendors, and containers can be unique to each entity or shared among multiple ones. For instance, Deathclaw Meat is part of the Whitespring Meat Raw Unique Leveled List, accessed by both Marie and Grahm. Additionally, Deathclaw meat can also be found in the Gorebag Meat Leveled List, which is accessed by Meatbags, Scorchbeast Guano, and Bearproof Trash Can containers.
Mastering the intricacies of leveled lists can take a significant amount of time and effort. For the purposes of this guide, we will mainly focus on in-world spawns and world objects.
Keywords and rules that govern how spawns work in Fallout 76
1. Pick-up History List:
Every item in the game follows certain rules for spawning. When you pick up an item, it gets added to your personal pick-up history list. This means that the item you just picked up will not respawn, and the container it came from will remain empty until you pick up another 250 items and remove them from your list.
You can use this knowledge to farm for specific items like lead or wild plants. To ensure everything respawns, complete your farming run, refresh your pick-up history list on the same server, and then switch to a different server. Make sure you're not in the same area you want to respawn before switching servers. It's recommended to return to your camp or Vault 76 before server hopping.
Please note that you can only reset your pick-up history 3 or 4 times before the game may start glitching and stops spawning items, regardless of how many times you reset your spawns.
To refresh your pick-up history list, visit the book house in Summersville. Pick up all the burnt books and textbooks on all three floors, as well as the piles of books on the back table. You only need to collect 250 books/items to refresh your pick-up history list. There are a total of 289 books in the book house, so don't worry if you miss a few burnt books. This is the easiest way to refresh your list since you don't need to keep track of the exact number of items you pick up.
2. Player Cell-Activated Spawn:
Player cell-activated spawns are affected by your pick-up history list and the number of players on the server. Fixed world objects will always spawn if they haven't been looted before, while non-fixed world objects have a chance to spawn if another player hasn't looted them.
When a player enters a cell (an area in the game world), the server decides whether to spawn non-fixed world objects for that player. If more players enter the same cell, the chances of spawning something increase because the server checks each player separately. For example, checking Watoga for magazines or Power Armor after defeating the Queen can yield better results if multiple players pass through that area.
If you're impatient, you can force-spawn non-fixed world objects. To do this, fast-travel to the cell or location and check if the item has spawned. If it hasn't, fast-travel to another location and then back to the potential spawn location. Repeat this until the item or items appears for you. Please note that if you or another player has already taken the item then you can not force it to spawn. You will need to either clear your pick-up history list or try a different server.
3. World Object Collectibles:
World object collectibles are items that spawn in the open world and can be interacted with directly. They are affected by your pick-up history list and the server's spawn rules. These items include bobbleheads, magazines, Deathclaw eggs, Power Armor frames and pieces, Asylum Dresses and Hats, Royal Jelly, Sugar Bombs, and more.
If another player collects a world object collectible on a server, it won't be available to other players. For example, if someone takes a bobblehead in a location, it won't be there for you. If you're farming for specific items like bobbleheads or magazines, avoid picking up the ones you don't need. By leaving them behind, you can server-hop and check if the desired item spawns again.
To farm for world object collectibles, such as Deathclaw Eggs, there are two methods you can employ. The first method involves collecting the eggs, visiting the book house, server hopping to a new server, collecting more eggs, visiting the book house again, and repeating this cycle. This approach allows you to continuously gather Deathclaw Eggs.
The second method yields a larger quantity of Deathclaw Eggs but requires either two accounts or a friend to assist you.
In this method, Player #1 resets their pick-up history list and server hops to a new server.
Then, Player #1 travels to the first Deathclaw Egg location and stands next to it. It is crucial that Player #2 waits for Player #1 to be beside the Deathclaw Egg before fast traveling to that location.
Once Player #2 arrives, they can pick up the Deathclaw Egg.
Player #1 proceeds to the next location, and Player #2 follows the same procedure, ensuring they wait for Player #1 before picking up the egg.
This process is repeated for each subsequent location.
After server hopping, the entire process can be repeated.
It's important to note that Player #1 should avoid touching the Deathclaw Eggs during this farming method. If Player #1 accidentally picks up an egg, they must reset their pick-up history list, server hop again, and restart the run. This technique maximizes the yield of Deathclaw Eggs, despite requiring coordination between players or multiple accounts.
4. Per-Server Spawns:
Per-server spawns don't include instanced locations and are affected by your pick-up history list. If another player picks up a world object collectible on a server, it won't appear for other players. This applies to all world spawn items, except plants, crops, and containers.
Pitcher Plants are also per-server spawns. If another player has already harvested them or if they've attacked you with a toxic cloud, you won't be able to harvest them. In such cases, you'll need to server-hop and try again.
5. Farmable Plants:
When it comes to farmable plants in the game, there's a 35% chance for them to spawn when a player enters the cell. Unfortunately, you can't manually trigger the spawn of these plants. Instead, you'll have to rely on chance for their appearance.
It's worth noting that the plants that yield harvestable ingredients will be identical for all players on the same server. In other words, if only one plant of a certain type spawns on a particular server, every player on that server will only be able to harvest that same plant.
Some plants with a 35% chance spawn rate include Starlight Berries, Silt Beans, Firecaps, Ginseng Root, and Strangler Pod.
6. Container and NPC Vendor Spawns:
NPC vendors are classed as Container Spawns in relation to their inventory. In world containers that can be looted are affected by your pick-up history list.
Container loot spawns in the game are influenced by the type of container, the location and region where the container is found, and the player's level.
Each container has its own unique leveled list, which contains a diverse range of items that may appear when the container is interacted with. These leveled lists can be quite intricate, featuring multiple layers and sub-lists. When you open a container, the game randomly selects items from these leveled lists to populate the container.
It's important to note that vendor and container inventories remain fixed on the same server for each player. This means that the items available for purchase or looting will remain consistent as long as you stay on that server. However, if you decide to switch servers, whether by leaving and rejoining or creating a new private server, the inventory of vendors and containers will change, presenting you with a different selection of items.
One interesting mechanic to consider is the server's "memory" of your previous interactions. If you leave a server and wait for approximately 8 minutes before returning, the server will "forget" your previous visit. As a result, it will re-roll the inventory of vendors and containers, granting you an opportunity to discover a fresh assortment of items to explore and acquire.
Re-creating a private server offers another method to refresh the inventory. If you encounter a vendor or container with an unsatisfactory inventory, starting a new private server provides a chance for the inventory to reset or re-roll.
7. Dead Spawns for World Object Collectibles:
Dead spawns occur when a specific item has already spawned on a server. Once the item has spawned, its type will not change on that server, even for other players. In other words, if you find a Bobblehead, Magazine, Power Armor piece, or Asylum Dress, it will remain the same type for everyone else on that server. Once an item has spawned, it cannot change its type on that server.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does my pick-up history reset after a certain time period?
No, the only way to reset your pick-up history list is by picking up 250 items.
I'm trying to reset my pick-up history list at the book house, but only some of the books have respawned.
If the books haven't respawned, exit the game and do something else for 30 minutes to an hour. Usually, this will fix the spawns and return your game to normal. If the books still haven't respawned, you'll need to reset your pick-up history by farming in different locations. Check back at the book house occasionally to see if you've cleared your pick-up history list.
What is the size of a cell?
Cells are interconnected, and when a player enters one cell, it activates spawns and scenes in surrounding cells. If you're using the 2-player force-spawn method, it's advisable to stay close to the other player just in case.
Do these spawn rules apply to instanced locations like The Pitt?
Yes, these rules apply to instanced locations as well. The only difference is with per-server spawns. If you enter an Instanced location and collect a world object, another player entering a different instance on the same server can also collect that same world object. However, if two or more players enter the same instance and one player collects a world object, no one else in that instance can collect it.
Can my camp or survival tent block a random encounter spawn?
Yes, your C.A.M.P. or Survival Tent placement can potentially block a random encounter spawn in Fallout 76. Random encounters occur when specific conditions are met, such as entering a particular area or traveling to a certain location. These encounters are designed to happen in specific spots within the game world.
If your C.A.M.P. or Survival Tent is placed in one of these random encounter spawn locations, it can prevent the encounter from occurring. The game prioritizes player structures and will try to avoid spawning random encounters within their boundaries to avoid conflicts or interference with player-built structures.
It's worth noting that some locations have backup spawn points. If the initial spawn location is blocked by a player structure, the encounter can potentially spawn behind a bush or tree nearby as an alternative.
Why do enemies spawn out of my camp module?
it is not uncommon for enemies to spawn out of the camp module if your C.A.M.P. is floating or if there isn't a clear path for the enemies to reach your camp.
How does the fast travel point for camps work?
There is no exact science for this and if the server is laggy or buggy then it might spawn you in somewhere else.
The camp build radius is a circle around your camp module. Imagine another circle except slightly smaller than your build radius. The code follows a line on that inner circle, checking whether it's safe/possible to spawn at each point on that line until it finds a suitable location.
It is believed that the spawn point is approximately within a 30-75 degree angle, North of the camp module. It doesn't matter what rotation or direction your camp module is facing, as the code views the module as a complete unit.
If you move your module to the edge of your build circle, then the spawn point will move accordingly as the spawn point works off the camp module and not the build circle.
Spawn rates for common world object collectible items
Special thanks to Thaang and Gilpo from the data mining community for providing these figures.
Harvestable Flora and Plants
Item | % chance to spawn |
Soot Flower | 35% |
Starlight Creepers | 35% |
Snaptail Reeds | 35% |
Ash Rose | 35% |
Silt Beans | 35% |
Glowing Fungus | 35% |
Ginseng Root | 35% |
Tato Plant | 35% |
Firecap | 35% |
Bloodleaf | 35% |
World Objects
Item | % chance to spawn |
Bobbleheads | 20% |
Magazines | 20% |
Stealth Boy | 20% |
Clothing | 20% |
Armour Plan | 10% |
Weapon Plan | 10% |
Weapon/Armour mod plan | 25% |
Mini Nukes | 15% |
Fusion Cores | 50% |
Chems (world objects) | 50% |
Power Armour frame | 25% |
Veggies, raw meat, and prepared foods | 50% |
Loose PA pieces on frames | 40% to 70% |
Nuka Cranberry (world spawn) | 50% |
Nuka Cola (world spawn) | 50% |
Nuka Cola (Nuka Cola Vending Machine) | 7.5% |
Nuka Cherry (world spawn) | 50% |
Nuka Cherry (Nuka Cola Vending Machine) | 7.5% |
Nuka Quantum (world spawn) | 50% |
Nuka Quantum (Nuka Cola Vending Machine) | 3.12% |
Harvestable Flora (some) | 35% |
Common Drinks | 50% |
Common Ammo | 50% |
Pre-war food | 25% |
Cap Stashes
Cap Stash amount | % chance to spawn |
Standard | 73.26% |
Medium | 18.31% |
High | 7.42% |
Jackpot | 1% |
Asylum Dresses
Dress Colour | % chance to spawn |
White Dirty | 33.33% |
White Weathered | 33.33% |
White | 16.66% |
Brown | 8.33% |
Green | 4.16% |
Blue | 2.08% |
Pink | 1.04% |
Yellow | 0.52% |
Forest | 0.46% |
Red | 0.05% |
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