For an overview of deathclaw variants, see deathclaw.
“Despite the best efforts of well-equipped hunters, deathclaws continue to establish nests across the Mojave Wasteland.”— Fallout: New Vegas loading screens
Originally engineered before the Great War by the U.S. government as a cheap replacement for human troops during combat operations, deathclaws were derived from a mixed animal stock, primarily the popular Jackson's Chameleon. Although the project was successful in creating a ferocious predator capable of surviving on its own in the wild, no references exist of them ever being deployed on the battlefield. After the Great War, deathclaws escaped into the wild and quickly spread across the continent. The Enclave had no hand in the deathclaw's creation, so far as the Appalachian Enclave's research division knows, but they do note that the genetic manipulation looks similar to their own projects.[1] Eventually, they were refined by the Master through genetic manipulation and the Forced Evolutionary Virus.[Non-game 1] Because initial reports were limited to a series of isolated nests, deathclaws were viewed as legendary creatures by the various inhabitants of southern California.[2] However, the population in the Boneyard was keenly aware of their existence, as a single den mother and her offspring claimed the area between Downey and Norwalk around 2161, keeping the Gun Runners in a checkmate while terrorizing other communities in the region.[3] Also, a single deathclaw was found living near the outskirts of the Hub.[4]
Their gradual spread throughout the wasteland raised awareness of their existence, until they entered common consciousness as a lethal predator. As stated above, the Enclave eventually continued their research project started before the war, developing intelligent deathclaws for use in hostile environments around 2235.[Non-game 2] On May 17, 2242, the first successful pack was dropped into Vault 13 to cloak the presence of the Enclave and their abduction of the dwellers within. Following their first combat test, the deathclaws broke free of their Enclave masters, becoming far more intelligent than anyone could foresee.[Non-game 3] They began developing a unique culture, as the first known non-humanoid sentient beings in history.[5] However, their intelligence was discovered by Dr. Schreber of Navarro, whose report led to the extermination of intelligent deathclaws with extreme prejudice.[6] Subsequent experimentation involved the aforementioned domestication units, although by the end of the 23rd century.[7]
Deathclaws are a large, carnivorous,[8] bipedal reptile species, designed for maximum lethality. The choice to make them bipedal was natural, as bipedalism raises the head, providing a greater field of vision and thus improving the ability to detect targets or resources. The upper limbs were also freed by this choice and could be fashioned into extremely dangerous weapons. The caveat is that the deathclaw is not as fast as a quadrupedal animal, though this is a largely academic concern. The rippling musculature of the deathclaw provides it with superior strength, excellent speed, and incredible resilience in most combat situations.[9][Non-game 1][10] Deathclaws communicate with each other in a pack using growls and body language, though they are also capable of mimicking human voices like a parrot if their intelligence is artificially increased.[10]
Their strength is further magnified by their claws. Owing to their lineage, the deathclaw has opposable thumbs, though an additional two fingers were coded into the genome, for a total of five fingers on each hand. Each terminates in a sharp talon that allows the reptile to wound and kill with frightening efficiency; a single swipe is capable of bisecting an unarmored human[11] in seconds.[12] Deathclaw hide is extremely tough, providing an excellent defense against blunt and edged weapons. Firearms and energy weapons are reliable tools for killing a deathclaw, though lower powered variants are very likely to have trouble penetrating it. The defense is enhanced by horns and dorsal spikes, making melee combat a very dangerous proposition.[13][10]
However, while they are difficult opponents, their keen senses can be used against them. Loud noises and bright light, such as that emitted by flares, can be used to deter a deathclaw's advance or even keep it at bay.[14]
Gameplay attributes
Deathclaws really live up to their name in Fallout: New Vegas. The game introduces several new variations of the creature, and they are found in much larger numbers. However, unlike in Fallout 3, deathclaws are never encountered randomly, and always appear in specific locations. Most deathclaw variants are armored, making them more resilient against attacks. Their Damage Threshold is 15, equal to that of a suit of combat armor.
The largest group is found at deathclaw promontory, an unmarked location on the east side of the Colorado River, across from the cliffside prospector camp. The largest group on a marked area of the map is found in Quarry Junction, northwest of Sloan. There are two larger deathclaws called the "deathclaw alpha male" and the "deathclaw mother" as well as a number of smaller baby deathclaws and three to four deathclaw eggs.
There is also a deathclaw-filled cave by the name of Dead Wind Cavern. Here, one can find the unique legendary deathclaw, the most powerful creature in the Mojave Wasteland, along with other variants of generic deathclaws. Another location with a high number of deathclaws is the Gypsum train yard. Depending on the Courier's level, they will either be regular, young, or blind.
Variants
Deathclaw
A standard deathclaw with most of the attributes mentioned above.
Name
Statistics
Behavior
Abilities
Items
Deathclaw 0014F42C
20
50
7
500
15
0%
Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.
The deathclaw alpha male is similar to the legendary deathclaw in appearance, but with darker skin. Although not as fierce as the legendary deathclaw, they are still much faster and twice as strong as a regular deathclaw. They travel in packs with other deathclaws. One can be found at Quarry Junction, and several cluster together on the deathclaw promontory.
Name
Statistics
Behavior
Abilities
Items
Deathclaw alpha male 00167EC1
25
50
8
750
15
0%
Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.
Matriarchs of the deathclaw broods and mates to alpha males, deathclaw mothers are second only to the legendary deathclaw in ferocious might and can run faster than the alpha males, though they do slightly less damage and have slightly less health.
Deathclaw mothers are taller and heavier-built than regular deathclaws, with greenish-blue skin, a thick dewlap, long backwards-sweeping horns, short back-spikes, and a long tail ending in six sharp spines similar to a Stegosaurus. They lay their eggs in dark, secluded holes, and protect them fiercely. If anything kills one of their babies, deathclaw mothers will go into a blind rage, killing everything in sight that is not a deathclaw.
Deathclaw babies are the youngest and smallest of the deathclaw species. They can be found throughout the Mojave Wasteland. While they are no real threat by themselves, they are always found following a deathclaw mother. If one of them is killed in the mother's presence, she will be driven into a frenzy. If their deathclaw mother is killed, they will simply stay near her corpse.
Name
Statistics
Behavior
Abilities
Items
Deathclaw baby 000E601F
10
50
6
100
5
0%
Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.
Brave: Will avoid/flee from threats only if severely outmatched.
These immature deathclaws are about the size of a human. Their horns are not fully grown and their skin is much lighter than grown deathclaws. This makes them easy to pick out among regular deathclaws. Although normally easy to kill for higher level players, they tend to cluster near the adults.
Name
Statistics
Behavior
Abilities
Items
Young deathclaw 0014F42D 000E5850
10
50
6
350
5
0%
Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.
Brave: Will avoid/flee from threats only if severely outmatched.
Blind deathclaws have a higher Perception than regular deathclaws, with the rest of their heightened senses more than making up for their lack of sight. However, their attacks are weaker. Even though they cannot see, their alertness to the presence of threats will in fact alert all other deathclaws nearby of their target's position.
One of the most dangerous creatures in the Mojave Wasteland, the legendary deathclaw is found in Dead Wind Cavern and has distinctively long horns, a light olive coloration, and striped tails. It is also one of the largest enemies in the game (along with the X-42 giant robo-scorpion and the giant ant queen), towering over other deathclaws (themselves roughly 10 feet) with its massive 15–17 foot stature.
The legendary deathclaw also deals enormous damage (twice as much as ordinary deathclaws), and can bring down even the hardiest player character in just a few hits, all while having the third largest amount of Hit Points in the game, behind the X-42 giant robo-scorpion and the legendary bloatfly. Despite its size, the legendary deathclaw can move faster than its normal counterparts and has been known to make successful leaping attacks from great distances.
Name
Statistics
Behavior
Abilities
Items
Legendary deathclaw 00167EFF
30
50
10
1,000
15
0%
Very aggressive: Will attack enemies and neutrals on sight.
Deathclaws found in the Divide level with the Courier, increasing in power at levels 30, 40, and 50. At higher levels, they are noticeably more powerful than deathclaws from the Mojave Wasteland, with higher health and a much more damaging melee attack, surpassing even the legendary deathclaw in damage (but not in health), at maximum level.
These variants are introduced by the add-on Lonesome Road, and can only be found along the Courier's Mile and among the ruins of Hopeville. Their statistics are varied according to the Courier's level, making them very dangerous if the Courier is near the level cap. Appropriately so, irradiated deathclaws also deal radiation damage. Unlike other variants, irradiated deathclaws have zero Damage Threshold.
In the Old World Bluesadd-on, Higgs Village houses a miniature alpha male deathclaw called Stripe inside Gabe's doghouse if the Courier has the Wild Wasteland trait. Despite his size, Stripe has the same attack power as the legendary deathclaw.
The recent patch has made all deathclaws in the Mojave Wasteland (except those in the Thorn) as tough as the ones in Quarry Junction. As a result, non-Quarry Junction deathclaws have 500 HP, compared to just 250 HP prior to the patch. Some of the other deathclaw variants have also had their HP increased (i.e. young deathclaws now have 350 HP, and the legendary deathclaw's HP have been increased to 1,000 compared to 850 prior to the patch).
The flare gun causes abominations, such as deathclaws, to flee.
Following the recent patch, it seems that deathclaws will stop respawning in certain areas. These areas include Gypsum train yard, the outskirts of Quarry Junction, as well as other locations.
Crippling a deathclaw's leg will both reduce their speed to a limp and prevent them from performing their leaping attack.
Young deathclaws and baby deathclaws will run away from the Courier when severely outmatched.
Deathclaws will give up chasing the Courier when they enter deep water.
Deathclaws are able to detect the Courier while sneaking with a Stealth Boy activated from farther away, due to their high Perception.
While deathclaws are no longer randomly encountered like in Fallout 3, they have a tendency to gather in "colonies" of ten or more. If one is seen, there are likely more around.
Young deathclaws still drop deathclaw hands, even though their actual hands are significantly smaller than the item.
In the Lonesome Road add-on, there is a unique deathclaw called Rawr, found in a cave in the Divide canyon. Its attacks are far more damaging than its legendary counterpart, and it is much faster as well. When killed, it drops its talon, which can be crafted at a workbench into a unique deathclaw gauntlet called the Fist of Rawr (or Fist of the North Rawr with the Wild Wasteland trait).
Oddly, a deathclaw egg can sometimes be looted off the body of a deathclaw alpha male.
Deathclaws will stop chasing the Courier if they stand on a rock high enough that they cannot reach them.
Sometimes, deathclaws will follow the Courier inside buildings, making it even harder to kill them.
In V.A.T.S., the head of a deathclaw mother seems to be its neck instead of its actual head. [verified]
Deathclaws do not attack the player character when they are mounted on taller rocks or machinery, even when they are in reach. (See Fallout: New Vegas exploits for more detail). [verified]
Sometimes, deathclaws may take several more shots to kill when their health is depleted. This appears to mostly affect young deathclaws. [verified]
A deathclaw may spawn in the crater at Black Mountain. [verified]
↑The Vault Dweller:"{347}{}{Do you know anything about the Deathclaw?}" John Maxson:"{262}{Gen_78}{Oh. Just another stupid rumor. Some people say it's a huge fanged monster and others say it's a vampire.}" (John Maxson's dialogue)
↑The Chosen One: "{123}{}{What are you doing here?}" Goris: {135}{}{I'm a student of sorts. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the world and the different cultures that have developed. Right now I'm studying the culture the deathclaws are forming and comparing it to human development along similar lines. I've acquired just about all the information I need here. It would help my research a great deal if I could do some traveling. However, I don't want to go it alone, if you know what I mean.}" (Goris' dialogue)
↑In the quest Stop brahmin raids, Roger Westin mentions raids for food – the principal target being the NCR's brahmin herds.
↑Gruthar: "{100}{}{You see a large deathclaw. The creature is composed of rippling muscle, sharp teeth, and claws.}" (Gruthar's dialogue)
↑ 10.010.110.2The Chosen One: "{131}{}{What can you tell me about the deathclaws?}" Joseph: "{146}{}{Well, let's see... Deathclaws appear to be mutated Jackson's Chameleons, the horned variety. There are a lot of similarities still present, but an even greater number of differences. The mutation factor is quite high. This species is highly intelligent, about the equivalent of an eight-year-old, with some individuals reaching human normal level. Their learning capacity is very high and they are capable of abstract thought and reasoning.}" "{160}{}{Although they do not have vocal chords, the deathclaws seem to mimic human speech much the same as a parrot does. I have yet to discover the exact mechanism behind this, so I am unable to say more at this time. Socially, they are pack animals with a very rigid code of ethics. They are led by an 'alpha male' who rules with the mutual consent of the pack. They appear to be extremely loyal to the pack as a whole, treating it as a family unit rather than having individual families as humans do.}" "{161}{}{Their sense of right and wrong is very well defined. They do follow a code of ethics that is enforced by the pack as a whole. Violence is never used as a solution to a problem among the pack as far as I can see. There have been no 'capital crimes' committed here, so I can't say how those are handled. Hmmm. That's about all I can think of for now. I hope this helps you.}" (Joseph's dialogue)
↑The Vault Dweller: "{141}{}{Where can I find the Gun Runners located?}" Razor: "{158}{}{The Gun Runners are over to the east and then north of here. But be careful - Death Claws are not to be taken lightly. I've seen a Death Claw tear a man in half with one swipe.}" (Razor's dialogue)
↑Fallout 4 loading screens: "No creature represents the danger of the Wasteland as much as the Deathclaw, which uses razor-sharp claws to rip apart its prey... in seconds."
↑ 1.01.1Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p. 27: "Deathclaws were originally created to replace humans during close-combat search-and-destroy missions. They were derived from mixed animal stock and then refined by the Master, using genetic manipulation. The resulting creature is almost unbelievably fast and powerful. Deathclaws are well named—they are the toughest animals that you will encounter in the Wastes." "Unless you have Combat Armor, extremely heavy weaponry, and a lot of Stimpacks, running for the exit hexes at the first sign of a Deathclaw is your best chance of survival. If you're well equipped and want to stick it out, though, get in at least one shot at long range, because Deathclaws move so fast that you're unlikely to get another long-range attack as they charge you. They'll always close rapidly so they can use their powerful claws to tear and rend you. For maximum damage, use a Called Shot to the eyes when you shoot them. However, even with Called Shots, you'll need several good hits to put a Deathclaw down—use extreme caution (and save often) when fighting them." Deathclaws being genetically engineered before the Great War and later refined by the Master is mentioned in the Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets strategy guide, written by Fallout 2 lead designer, Matt Norton, as well as in Fallout Tactics.
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2235 The Enclave experiments on deathclaws, attempting to create special fighting units for waging war in hostile environments."
↑Fallout Bible 0: "2242 May 17 Enclave animal handlers drop a Deathclaw unit into Vault 13 from a safe distance to kill anyone investigating the Vault and cloak the Enclave's presence. Other Deathclaws are sent into the desert surrounding Vault 13 to check for any escapees or witnesses."
