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Mole miners are creatures found in Appalachia.
Contents
- 1 Background
- 2 Characteristics
- 3 Variants
- 3.1 Mole miner
- 3.2 Mole miner scraper
- 3.3 Mole miner digger
- 3.4 Mole miner rockbreaker
- 3.5 Mole miner foreman
- 3.6 Mole miner supervisor
- 3.7 Glowing mole miner
- 3.8 Mole miner sapper
- 3.9 Mole miner dredger
- 3.10 Mole miner skullcrusher
- 3.11 Deadly mole miner
- 3.12 Scorched mole miner
- 3.13 Treasure hunter
- 4 Locations
- 5 Notable mole miners
- 6 Notes
- 7 Appearances
- 8 Gallery
- 9 References
Background[edit | edit source]
A bleak remnant of Appalachia's storied past, the mole miners are a mutated form of human that make their homes in the many caves, mines, and above-ground mining locales of the region, trapped within their deteriorating mining suits. The mole miners are frenzied combatants who attack anything they perceive as a threat.[1]
Despite their suffering, almost all of their cognition and human-like behavior remains, with mole miners frequently carrying things they considered important in a previous life, such as keys to their old mining lockers.[2] A unique mole miner named Purveyor Murmrgh has even gone so far as assembling vending machines, opening up a trading post at Berkeley Springs Station prior to relocating to the Rusty Pick. Here, she sells her wares for a price. The mole miners were first encountered in Welch and experimented upon by the Appalachian Enclave and its Research Division prior to their collapse in 2086.[3] There are no additional known records of another encounter until the Fire Breathers engaged mole miners in a firefight in March 2095.[4]
The particular cause of their significant degeneration is unclear, whether it is caused by radiation, the toxic atmosphere of their underground dwellings in the Ash Heap, or a combination of both. However, it is significant enough to prevent them from breathing normally without their Filter-O-Matic respiration device and breathing apparatus. Mole miners are highly communal and are rarely (if ever) encountered outside of their organized groups. Their hierarchy follows the organizational structure of pre-War mining operations, with the actual miners (including scrapers, diggers, and rockbreakers) led by foremen and supervisors, a testament to their pasts as coal miners.
At some point, the Vault 76 overseer was seriously injured by a mole miner at the Mountainside Bed & Breakfast and left a holotape log detailing the experience.[5]
Openly hostile to nearly everyone (save for Purveyor Murmrgh, the only known exception), the mole miners are highly aggressive, well-armed, and have even managed to domesticate mole rats.[6] They make use of a variety of shotguns, assault rifles, missile launchers and improvised weapons to attack their enemies while using their mole rats as anything from standard attack animals to mobile landmines.
Characteristics[edit | edit source]
Biology[edit | edit source]
Once human, the mole miners have since degenerated into stout, squat, and hardy humanoids that display an extreme hostility towards those outside of their groups. Their limbs are extremely short and thick and what can be seen of their face is grossly disfigured beyond the confines of their mining equipment. Their eyes unnaturally bulge, with little in the way of recognizable facial structure. They stand affixed in a permanent hunch with their limbs tucked closely to their body.
Though only moderately intelligent, mole miners require their breathing apparatus and respiration device to survive, suffocating without it.[7] They communicate in proper English,[8] though it is garbled due to the mining breathing equipment, giving the impression of mindless mumbling.
Their mutations have endowed them with powerful strength that allows them to wield heavy weapons frequently and effortlessly. Their aggression and hardiness render them capable of warding off staggers and their fast speed allows them to close the gap between themselves and enemies fairly quickly.
Gameplay attributes[edit | edit source]
Mole miners often live in organized groups and are usually led by a foreman or supervisor. They are immediately hostile to anyone who approaches them except for mole rats that are friendly to them, joining alongside to fight opponents together to gain an advantage.
They often mobilize against their target with weapons of great damage such as shotguns or missile launchers. They can easily and quickly mow down low-level player characters. They are mainly located near mining areas in groups, although they can be seen everywhere.
Variants[edit | edit source]
Mole miner[edit | edit source]

A basic variant of the mole miner, equipped with a variety of shotgun weapons.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner 003D14DB |
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Mole miner scraper[edit | edit source]
The mole miner scrapers have similar resistances to the base variant but with increased melee damage and health.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner scraper 003D14DC |
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Mole miner digger[edit | edit source]

The mole miner diggers have similar resistances to the scrapers but with increased melee damage and health.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner digger 003D14DD |
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Mole miner rockbreaker[edit | edit source]

The mole miner rockbreakers are a significant step above the diggers in terms of health.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner rockbreaker 003D14DE |
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Mole miner foreman[edit | edit source]

The foremen often come equipped with two weapons. It is not uncommon for them to have missile launchers, and fire two to three missiles before trying to engage with a shotgun, rifle, or even a mole miner gauntlet.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
---|---|---|---|
Mole miner foreman 003D14DF |
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Mole miner supervisor[edit | edit source]

These mole miners were previously supervisors of their mines, and have similar resistances to the foremen, but with increased melee damage and health.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner supervisor 003D14E0 |
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Glowing mole miner[edit | edit source]

A highly irradiated variant of the mole miners, they are common in the Savage Divide and sometimes in the Ash Heap as a location end boss. They usually have heavier weapons such as shotguns and missile launchers, similar to the foreman variant. They have a distinct green glow to their appearance.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Glowing mole miner 003D14E1 |
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Mole miner sapper[edit | edit source]
![]() | The following is based on Fallout 76 unused content. |
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A variant of a mole miner that was intended to be used in vault raids, but was never implemented. It has similar stats to a glowing mole miner, however, it has slightly more health.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner sapper 003F473B |
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Mole miner dredger[edit | edit source]
A variant of a mole miner that can randomly be found in Mole Miner occupied locations alongside other variations
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner dredger 003F473C |
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Mole miner skullcrusher[edit | edit source]
A variant of a mole miner that can be found in Mole Miner occupied locations at high levels.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Mole miner skullcrusher 003F473D |
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Deadly mole miner[edit | edit source]
A variant of mole miner that was intended to be used in vault raids, but was never implemented.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Deadly mole miner 003F473E |
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![]() | End of information based on Fallout 76 unused content. |
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Scorched mole miner[edit | edit source]

A charred, fleshy variant of the mole miner infected with the Scorched Plague. All regular mole miner variants have a corresponding Scorched variant with the same stats, abilities, and items. They may become Scorched when attacked by scorchbeasts or the scorchbeast queen, becoming allies with other Scorched creatures.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Scorched mole miner 003D14E4 |
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Treasure hunter[edit | edit source]

A unique mole miner variant encountered in the Ash Heap during the Treasure Hunter community event. They wear a hand truck strapped to their back acting as an oversized backpack, with various bags and other objects tied to the cart with rope. A sound machine strapped to treasure hunter backpacks emits a distinct radio-like frequency mixed with Morse code.
They always flee from combat and cannot be pacified using the Wasteland Whisperer perk. Treasure hunters will always be legendary. All regular mole miner variants may spawn as a treasure hunter variant with the same statistics and abilities.
Name (Form ID) | Abilities | Items | |
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Treasure hunter 005A7540 |
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Locations[edit | edit source]
- Blackwater mine
- Brim Quarry
- Hornwright Industrial Headquarters sublevel
- Hornwright testing site 2
- Hornwright testing site 3
- Hornwright testing site 4
- Kerwood mine
- Monongah power plant
- Monongah
- Mount Blair trainyard
- Mount Blair
- Pleasant Valley Ski Resort
- South Cutthroat camp
- The Burning Mine
- The Rusty Pick
- Uncanny Caverns
- Welch
Notable mole miners[edit | edit source]
- Purveyor Murmrgh - A vendor found at the Rusty Pick.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- Sometimes the miner's key will be found on a dead mole miner corpse, unlocking the repeatable miscellaneous quest Lost and Found.
- The treasure hunter variant's sound machine is referred to having a sound akin to a walkie-talkie in the game files.[9]
List of known phrases[edit | edit source]
Idle lines:
- Need to keep digging... We'll find it... Soon...
- Can't wait until another surfacer shows up...
- The green men... Blind as all the rest in the tunnels...
- Gotta keep the claws sharp...
- The blue suits... Just want to tear them into pieces...
Upon getting wounded/hit:
- Ugh! That all you got?
- Ugh! I'll kill you for that!
- Agh! I'll kill you!
- Ug! I'll tear out your spine!
- Agh! You're dead!
- Come on! Is that it?
- Agh! It's nothing!
- Agh! That hurt!
Into combat:
- Now!
- There!
- Kill! KILL!
- Tear them all apart!
- Fucking kill all of you!
- Dead!
- I'll peal off your skin!
- Snap every bone in your body!
To normal behavior:
- Nothing...
- It's over...
- Back to it...
- Forget it...
- Damn. Got away.
- Next time...
Becoming alerted:
- What?
- Huh?
- Hmm.
- Who?
- Something...
- Over there...
Losing the combatant:
- Over here?
- Hmm...
- Soon...
- Won't take long...
- Here?
Combat to normal behavior:
- Yeah. That's right.
- Too easy...
- And stay dead...
- That's it. Die.
- Heh. That all?
Alert idle lines:
- I'll find you...
- Can't hide forever...
- I know you're here...
- Come out...
- Annoying...
Ally killed:
- You'll fucking pay for that!
- He/She's dead. Now you're dead!
- One more reason to kill you!
- You're next!
Taunting lines:
- Going to fucking kill you!
- You're dead!
- Rip you apart!
- Tear your face in half!
- Line the tunnels with your bones!
- Never see the light again!
- Scream you piece of shit!
- Bleed! BLEED!
- Break every fucking bone you have!
- Dig straight into your eyes!
- I'll claw your teeth out!
- Go ahead! Try to run!
- I'll drag you into hell!
Upon swinging a melee weapon:
- Let's kill this motherfucker!
- How do you like me up close?
- Gonna bury you!
- Tear you apart! Spread your guts on the floor!
- Let's hear your bones snap!
- Bleed out, you piece of shit!
- Take this!
- See you in hell!
- Rip you apart!
Appearances[edit | edit source]
Mole miners appear only in Fallout 76.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Add a photo to this gallery
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Fallout 76 loading screen hints: "Trapped within their deteriorating mining suits, the Mole Miners are frenzied combatants who attack anything they perceive as a threat."
- ↑ Lost and Found
- ↑ Depiction of a mole miner on a known creatures plaque in the Whitespring bunker science wing.
- ↑ Lt. Thomas' Action Report
- ↑ Overseer's log - Mountainside
- ↑ Raider: "They keep Mole Rats as pets. Weird."
Note: This line is said during the Mole Miners v. Raiders random encounter. - ↑ Mole miners (note)
- ↑ Mole miner dialogue script notes, see examples of known phrases
- ↑ referred to as "NPCTreasureHunterWalkieTalkieLP" in sound descriptor record [SNDR:005ACFB6] in the game files