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Fallout 76 mutations: the best and worst mutations

How to find mutation serums

Dave Irwin avatar
Guide by Dave Irwin Former Guides Writer
Published on

Not even an apple a day can prevent mutations in Fallout 76. While the mutations here are hyper-unrealistic, you'll still need to take precautions to prevent them appearing or reverse any mutation you may contract. Some mutations are worth keeping though.

Fallout 76 mutations guide

To that end, I've prepared this Fallout 76 mutations guide that will go over the best and worst mutations, and how to get rid of them if you wish.

Those looking for a beginner's guide to get started with Fallout 76 should have a look at our Fallout 76 guide.

What are mutations in Fallout 76?

Mutations are effects that are inflicted on a player when certain conditions are met. They can introduce debilitating effects that the player must manage until they find a cure, but they also introduce some positive effects. For example, while the Adrenal Reaction reduces your maximum HP by 50, it gives you a bonus to weapon damage while at low HP.

Avoiding mutations may be ideal for some people that want to keep their human as pure as possible, but for those who wish to alter their DNA, there are certain ways that you can expedite that process. These include:

  • Standing close to any hazardous waste.
  • Interacting with any of the petrified corpses.
  • Eating unpurified food or drinking water.
  • Swimming or standing in pools of water.
  • Breathing in noxious gasses.
  • Being attacked by toxic enemies or Feral Ghouls.

How long does a mutation last?

Mutations are almost permanent once you obtain them, with the only way to remove them entirely being to chug some Radaways. You can of course just expose yourself to more radiation to change your current mutation, however this just replaces one with another. Dying won't remove your mutations, so if you have any mutations that you were hoping to keep, an untimely death won't be a worry.

There is a perk however that allows you to keep your mutations. Starched Genes is unlocked at level 1 in Luck and when upgraded to its second rank, it will ensure that you never mutate from rads and Radaway will never cure mutations. If you wish to have mutations in your build and want to ensure you never lose them, grab this perk and upgrade it.

Where to find mutation serums

Sometimes, you'll purposely want to have a certain mutation or suppress the negative effects of your current mutation. To do this, you'll need to obtain serums, which are only able to be crafted with the use of serum recipes.

All of the serum recipes are found in The Whitespring Bunker and are sold by the "MODUS" science terminal in the science wing. They do cost a lot of caps though, 24,000 per recipe to be exact.

Fallout 76 mutations and their effects

Now you know how about how to obtain mutations in Fallout 76, here is a table with all the mutations, as well as any positive or negative effects.

MutationPositive effectsNegative effects
Adrenal ReactionIncreased weapon damage and quick health regeneration at low HP.Maximum HP -50
Bird Bones+4 Intelligence. Falling from heights is more gradual.-4 Strength.
CarnivoreMeat provides double the benefits and no diseases.Cannot eat vegetables.
ChameleonWhile unarmoured and standing still; gain invisibility.N/A
Eagle EyesCritical damage +25%. +4 Perception.-4 Strength.
Egg Head+6 Intelligence.-3 Strength. -3 Endurance.
Electrically ChargedChance to shock melee attackers upon being hit.Small amount of damage is inflicted to the player.
Empath-25% damage taken by teammates.+33% damage taken by player.
Grounded100 Energy Resistence.-20% Energy damage.
Healing FactorHealth regeneration +300%.Chem effects -55%.
HerbivoreVegetables provide double the benefits and no diseases.Cannot eat meat.
Herd Mentality+2 to all SPECIAL stats when grouped.-2 to all SPECIAL stats when solo.
MarsupialCarry weight +20 Improved jump height.-4 Intelligence.
Plague WalkerPoison aura scaling with your diseases (up to a ceiling of 4).Only active when diseased.
Scaly Skin+50 damage and energy resistance.-50 AP.
Speed Demon+20 movement speed. Faster reload speed.Hunger and thirst rates increased while moving.
TalonsPunching attacks deal 25% more damage and Bleed damage for 5 seconds. -4 Agility
Twisted Muscles+25% melee damage. Better chance to cripple enemy limbs.-50% gun accuracy.
Unstable IsotopeChance to irradiate melee attackers with a small explosion when struck.Inflicts a small amount of damage to yourself. Some enemies are immune to the radiation effect.

Fallout 76 guide

Fallout 76 guide series

That is everything about Fallout 76 mutations. We hope you'll check back soon as there's the many quests that the game has throughout the ruined world of Appalachia, what each perk card does, and what you need to craft certain weapons. But for now, do check out the rest of our guides below:

Fallout 76 Wasteland guides

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About the Author
Dave Irwin avatar

Dave Irwin

Former Guides Writer

Dave was a guides writer for Rock Paper Shotgun from 2018-2020. He previously worked as a freelancer for TheSixthAxis, Tech Advisor and Kotaku, producing hundreds of guides to help people get better at their favourite games. He now writes guides for PCGamesN.

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