If you avoid the beaten path there is plenty of other things you can do in Fallout 4. You can complete side quests, main quests, faction quests, and random encounters. There are a handful of random encounters in Fallout 4. Below you will find a complete guide for all Fallout 4 random encounters.

Advertisements

Fallout 4 Random Encounter

In total, there are 8 types of random encounters in the game:

  1. Static Encounters
  2. Fluid Encounters
  3. General Encounters
  4. Campsite Encounters
  5. Animosity Encounters
  6. Treasure Hunt Encounters
  7. Chockpoint Encounters
  8. Companion Encounters

Static Encounters

Encounter Name  Details
Deceased Fellow  You have a chance to come across a random dead guy. Loot his body for a treasure location. 
Raiders v Farmers  A farmer comes to ask for your help as you witness a fracas. 
Wounded Dog  When you come across a wounded dog, help her and she might return the favor later on. 
Mole Rate Ambush  Kill the rats when they come out of their holes. 
Dead Meat  Often you will come across dead Brahmin, Yao Guai, and other bodies to loot. 
Wild Pack of Dogs   While exploring you will stumble upon a pack of resting dogs. 
Gene the Reluctant Dog Vendor  If you have a settlement with a workshop, you have a chance to come across this vendor. 
Super Mutants and Prisoners  A greenskins raiding party has a prisoner. Free the prisoner. 
Deathclaws Duel  Two Deathclaws are fighting for supremacy. 
Vicious Dogs and Farmer  Three dogs are attacking a farmer who can’t defend himself. 
Traveling Vault Merchant  When you come across a guard and a merchant traveling to the vault, talk to them to get the vault’s location. 
Raiders and the Pink Paste  Some dead bodies you come across have a pink paste on them, the paste comes from Suffolk County Charter School. Pay a visit to get to the bottom of this. 
You’ve Got Crabs  Mirelurks will randomly attack you sometimes, take them down. 
The Postman  A dead postman has letters you can read and know of new locations. 
Stingwing v Radscorpion  Two mutants are seen fighting for supremacy. 
Pickman’s Prey  A pile of Raider bodies is pointing to the Pickman Gallery. 
Vertibird v Raiders  If Prydwen is here and the Brotherhood of Steel are active, it isn’t good news for Raiders. 
Vertibird Patrol Drop  If Prydwen is here and the Brotherhood of Steel is active, two Brotherhood of Steel members or a member and scribe will arrive. 
Super Mutant Raiding Party  Four greenskins are going back to a Super Mutant stronghold. Kill them and check the leader’s body for a note. 
Roving Eyebot  An Eyebot plays an advertisement for a job at the Cambridge Polymer Labs. Head over there. 
Unfriendly Deathclaws  Watch out for the hostile Deathclaws. 
The Return of Manta Man  Complete the Silver Shroud side quest. You’ll get a chance to meet a wanna-be superhero trying to kill Mole Rats. 
Jack Is Back  If you sided with Jack in The Secret of Cabot House, you will see him with Edward Deegan and can sell him stuff. 
Lorenzo Is Undying  If you sided with Lorenzo in The Secret of Cabot House side quest, you can catch him investigating ghouls. 
Vault 81 Dead Dweller  There is an interesting note on the body of a Vault dweller inside Vault 81. 
Mutant Hound v Yao Guai  Two mutants are fighting it out. 
Bloated Animal Corpse  Bloatflies are feeding off of a dead Radstag Doe, Yao Guai, or Brahmin. 
Super Mutant v Stingwings  Two mutants are fighting for supremacy. 
Feral Ghoul Ambush  A Feral Ghoul is using a dead farmer and Brahmin as bait for anyone in the area. 
Resting Radstags  Two Radstags are sleeping in the woods. 
Eyebot Advertisement  Eyebot showing Prewar ads 
Two Faces One System  Two men with the same face claim the other one is a synth, figure it out! 

Fluid Encounters

Encounter Names  Details 
Smiling Larry  If you have a level 3 weapons shop at one of your settlements, you invite Smiling Larry to come live with you. 
Mister Gutsy  Mister Gutsy is looking for Chinese invaders. 
Workshop Armor Vendor  If you have a level 3 armor store at one of your settlements, you can invite the armor vendor to live with you. 
Brotherhood of Steel v Raiders  If Prydwen is here, these two factions will often be seen at each other’s throats. 
Brotherhood of Steel v Deathclaw  Brotherhood of Steel members are often seen attacked by Deathclaws. 
The Gossiping Trader  There is a chance to come across a trader that shares rumors about the Commonwealth. 
Super Mutant  v Raider  Raiders are often seen attacked by the Super Mutants. 
Deathclaw Hunting  You’ll stumble upon Deathclaws. 
The Brahmin Vendor  Chance to come across a Brahmin vendor for your settlement workshop. 
The Brahmin Farmer  Chance to come across a Brahmin farmer doing well for himself. 
Ness Encounter  You will come across a woman named Ness. More information about her is available in Skylanes Flight 1981. 
Radstag Herd  You can see up to 4 of these. 
Preston Garvey  Finish the Minutemen quest When Freedom Calls for a chance to meet a person asking for donations for the Minutemen. 
Feral Ghoul Pack  Doing the night you will often come across Feral Ghoul Pack. 
Sated Radscorpion  Mutated stingers try to harm you. 
Dogs v Mole Rats  Both of these creatures are seen fighting it out. 
Revenge of the Forged  Complete location quest Out of the Fire and you might be attacked by the Forged. 
Bobbi’s Recruiter  In side quest The Big Dig, a Ghoul named Bobbi needs your help. 
One Man and His Robot  Chance to meet Mel at the end of The Big Dig side quest. 
Swanson’s Revenge  If you played Human Error side quest, there is a good chance Swanson will appear pissed at you. 
Vault 81 Prisoner  Raiders are holding a vault dweller hostage, care to help in exchange of the vault’s location? 
Darla Goes Home  If you completed Unlikely Valentine and Darla isn’t dead, you may see her going home. 
Heading to Trinity Tower  Super Mutants are moving hostages to the Trinity Tower. 
The Exile  If you finished Duty or Dishonor Brotherhood of the Steel side quest, you may see Clarke running from Feral Ghouls. 
Gruel’s Recipes  Kill a Raider who has a chef’s hat on to loot the recipe. 
Escaped Synth  If you haven’t played Boston After Dark Railroad quest and the Institute is active, you may come across a synth in a janitor’s outfit asking for Bunker Hill’s location. 
Radstags v Dogs  A battle for the ages between these two. 
Super Mutant v Mister Gutsy  A must-see encounter between the two. 
Kat and Gus  Child vendor Kat and her Sentry bot Gus are wandering around the Commonwealth to trade. 
Predator’s Lunch  Chance to come across a Yao Guai or Deathclaw chasing a dog. 
Radscorpion’s Lunch  A Radscorpion is seen munching on a Raider. 
Stash, Lexa, and Simon  If you come across Stash and her bodyguards, talk to her about Simon’s chem addiction. Don’t attack them or steal from them during a previous encounter. 
Simon’s Side  Simon sided with the Raiders. 
Paranoid Scavengers  A group of hostile Scavengers attack, note on leader’s body is interesting. 
Wattz Electronics Protectron Barker  An interesting vendor you might come across. 
Gunner Petrol  Two Gunners and an Assaultron are patrolling the Commonwealth. 
Brotherhood of Steel Patrol  If Prydwen is here and Brotherhood of Steel is active, expect to see patrols. 

General Encounters

Encounter Names  Details 
Vertibird Pick Up  If this faction is active and the Prydwen is here, you might see a Brotherhood of Steel woman airlifted at the end of her patrol. 
The Minefield  Pick up the mines you come across and use them against your enemies. 
Atomcats Scavenger  A geaser from the Atomcats Garage is looking for and invites you as well. 
Tire Fire  Chance to come across burning tires and annoying gas. 
Safe Landing  Find a small crate laying inside a crater. Unlock it for some goodies. 
Radioactive Barrels  You see a group of leaky radioactive barrels. 
Giddyup Buttercup   A toy found alongside Arlen Glass. 
Radio and Refuse Pile  A radio is blasting from a pile of trash alongside a toolbox and safe. 
Vault-Tec Van  If you see Larry in near the Commonwealth Vault, inform Documentation Department. Larry has a note on him regarding the Vault. 
Scavenger Guard  Some items needed to complete Molecular Level are guarded by some scavengers. 
Deathclaw Mother  A giant Deathclaw is guarding a cluster of eggs. 
Brahmin Corpse and Mines  Some valuable items are hidden near a Brahmin corpse. Watch out for mines. 
Gunners and Tank  Gunners are removing scrap from a tank. Kill them all. 
Commonwealth Funeral  Some settlers are burying a friend. 
Mac’s Bar  Mac is setting up a bar in a strange place. 
Poisoned Gal  Help an irradiated girl with some Radaway. 
Thirsty Guy  A thirsty guy begs for some water. Offer him if you have any. 
Glowing Anomaly  A glowing creature found near radioactive barrels. 
Feral Ghoul Ambush  When you come across a suspicious-looking rusting car, prepare for a Feral ambush. 
The Hatch  A Scavenger blasts open a bomb shelter, kill him and loot the shelter. 
The Locked Fridge  Chance to come across a person trying to open a fridge. 

Campsite Encounters

Encounter Names  Details 
Deserted Campsite  You see a deserted campsite with some items to loot. The Raiders will return between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Dead Scavengers  Some scavengers have been killed by Bloodbug. Loot their camp. Only occurs between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Merchant of Dreth  A camp is occupied by Dreth and her guards. Buy arms from her. 
The Walking Wounded  A wandering doctor just finished treating someone. 
Time to Party  There is a party going on at a camp and you’re invited by a bartender. 
Chems Vendor  You’ll come across a wandering chem vendor. 
Dirty Laundry  A Raider is seen boiling his clothes between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Drug Overdose  Some Scavengers have overdosed on chems. Occurs between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Daddy and Daughter  A father and his daughter share a campsite. 
That’s Not a Sandwich  Two settlers are seen over some food. 
Synth Attack Aftermath  A scavenger camp is attacked and destroyed by Synths. 
Synth Ambush I  An empty camp, a container, an ambush. Occurs after you complete Hunter/Hunted main quest. 
Synth Ambush II  Three settlers are inside their camp and Synths attack. Occurs after Hunter/Hunted main quest is completed. 
Super Mutant Camp  Some greenskins are camping out between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Mirelurk Bake  Some Raiders are enjoying  Mirelurk Bake. 
Exiled Scientists  If you exiled Scientists Lawrence Higgs and Max Loken in A House Divided main quest, they can be seen at a campfire between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Skinny Malone, All Alone  If you exiled Malone during Unlikely Valentine you can meet him near a campsite. 
Sick Scavenger, Mystery Meat  A scavenger ate some bad meat from Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery. Check out what’s going on. 
Rylee the Trader  Go to Longneck Lukowski’s Cannery and meet Larry between 20:00 to 06:00 at night. 
Deserted Feral Camp  A deserted camp might be a Feral trap. 
Occupied Feral Camp  Two dead Scavengers are food for four Ferals. 
Vicious Dog Camp  A dead Raider and his dog are spotted. 
Deserted Camp with Mines  A deserted camp has mines, watch your steps. 
Yao Guai Camp  A beast entered a Scavenger camp. 
Raider Camp and Dogs   Wild dogs have attacked a Raider camp. 
Stash and Lexa’s Camp  If you came across these two traders before, you will see them both fighting it out. 
Runaway Synth Camp  A group of settlers is suspicious of one of their own. You must not have played The Nuclear Option main quest. 

Animosity Encounters

Encounter Names  Details 
Super Mutants v ghouls  Two beats are fighting it out. 
Super Mutants v Scavengers  Scavengers attacked by Super Mutants. 
Raiders v Scavengers  Raiders are facing Scavengers, who wins? 
Dogs v Farmers  Farmers have their hands full with some wild dogs. 
Scavengers v Robots  Both groups will attack you if you try to interfere. 
Minutemen v Other Faction  If you are an ally of Minutemen you will find them fighting with one of the other factions. 
Brotherhood of Steel v Other Faction  If you sided with Brotherhood of Steel, you will see them fighting with one of the other factions. 
Minutemen v Enemy  Minutemen are seen defending random locations from enemy invaders. 
Brotherhood of Steel v Enemy  Brotherhood of Steel is seen defending random locations from enemy invaders. 
Institute Relay Ambush  If the Institute is hostile and you go near their base, expect a Synth attack. 
Vicious Dogs v Bloodbugs  The battle for the ages over a corpse. 
Feral Ghouls v Raiders  Raiders might not come out of this alive. 
Active Sniper  A sniper is shooting everyone who enters this location. 
Ricky Dalton and the Raiders  End the Tradecraft Railroad quest to see Ricky fighting some raiders. 
Gunners v Children of the Atom  Both enemy factions are at each other’s throats. 
Gunners v Behemoth or Mirelurk Queen  Some Gunners are facing Behemoth or Mirelurk Queen. 

Treasure Hunt Encounters

Encounter Name  Rewards 
A Dead Raider’s Note  Caps 
A Dead Junkie’s Note  Chems 
A Dead Gunner’s Note  Gun and gun mod 
 Three Dead Scavengers  Scrap and Junk 
A Dead Farmer’s Note  Modded gun, scrap, and junk in a trunk. 
Hadrian’s Note  Treasure of Jamaica Plain Misc. Quest 

Chokepoint Encounters

Encounter Names  Details 
None Shall Pass!  Three Raiders or Gunners have created a Chokepoint. You can pay them caps to pass or attack them. 
Mister Gutsy’s Curfew  This robot wants you to head back home. Use the speech challenge to pass or kill the robot. 
Raiders Accosting Farmers  Three Raiders are extracting a toll from farmers. You can help the farmers if you wish. 
Synth Relay Choke Point  If you are kicked from the Institute and this faction is active, you will be attacked when you approach this choke point. 
Minutemen Defenses  Some Minutemen are manning a chokepoint once you ally with them. 
Brotherhood of Steel Defenses  Some Brotherhood of Steel are manning a chokepoint once you ally with them. 
Synth Defenses  Some Synths are guarding a chokepoint after you complete Airship Down. Their reaction depends on your relationship with them. 
Nervous Farmer  Farmers want you to holster your weapon. If you agree you can pass, if not, it’s a fight. 
Super Mutant Blockage  Mutants are stopping you from entering the area. 
Stash, Lexa, and Simon  Meet up with some merchants to trade. 
Choke Point Mines  Disable the mines to progress. 
Unconstitutional  After the Last Voyage of the U.S.S. Constitution side quest, expect to be attacked by some angry Scavengers. 
Bullet’s Ambush  After Kid in a Fridge and Bullet is alive, he might attack you. 

Companion Encounters

Encounter Names  Companions  Details 
Strong  Hunting for Strong  Some Super Mutants are looking for Strong after you complete Curtain Call. 
MacCready  Gunners’ Revenge  Some Gunners are looking for MacCready after you complete the Long Road Ahead side quest. 
Nike Valentine  Profuse Thanks  You will be attacked by some Raiders but once they realize you Nick is, the situation turns out OK. 
Piper  One Tough Critic  Some people attack Piper for what she wrote in an article. 
Preston Garvey  Preston’s Friend  If you own four settlement you will come across an old friend of Preston’s. Save his life. 
Cait  Drug Runner Revenge  Some Raiders will come to collect their debt from Cait. 
Hancock  Bar Room Buddy  Visit a bar inside the settlement and Hancock might meet an old friend. 

And that’s the complete list of Fallout 4 Random Encounters. If you need more help, see Brotherhood of Steel quests, Nuka World side quests, Far Harbor side quests, Legendary Armor Effects, Power Armor Frames Locations, Unique Weapons Locations.