With the right selection of cages, you can capture everything from house pets to apex predators. The types of creatures you capture (and what you do with them) can significantly affect a settlement’s productivity and security. Before you build a cage, consider the impact a potential captive may have on your settlers.
Friendly Creatures
Some creatures are inherently friendly and will join your settlement as soon as they’re released from their cages. Capturing friendly creatures can be a fast and simple way to improve a settlement’s happiness and productivity.
Friendly Workshop Creatures
| Type | Required Cage | Commonly Dropped Items | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brahmin | Brahmin Cage | Brahmin Meat, Brahmin Hide | Produces Fertilizer. Increases food production. |
| House Cat | Cat Cage | Cat Meat | Increases Happiness. |
| Junkyard Dog | Dog Cage | Mongrel Dog Meat | Produces 5 Defense. Increases Happiness. |
Tamable Creatures
Most hostile creatures can be tamed upon their release. Unless they’re provoked, tamed creatures refrain from attacking settlers and friendly creatures. However, very few tamed creatures will tolerate the presence of other predators within the settlement. For example, releasing a mole rat near a mongrel will always result in a fight, even while both creatures are under the effect of a Beta Wave Emitter. Virtually any tamed creature can be used to boost a settlement’s Defense rating, but some creature types are much more effective than others.
Tamable Workshop Creatures
| Type | Required Cage | Commonly Dropped Items | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloatfly | Insect Cage | Bloatfly Meat, Bloatfly Gland | Produces 2 Defense (while tamed). Non-hostile toward radroaches, bloodbugs, and stingwings. |
| Bloodbug | Insect Cage | Bloodbug Proboscis | Produces 3 Defense (while tamed). Non-hostile toward radroaches, bloatflies, and stingwings. |
| Deathclaw | Deathclaw Cage | Deathclaw Meat, Deathclaw Hand | Produces 10 Defense (while tamed). |
| Feral Ghoul | Feral Ghoul Cage | Junk items, ammo | Produces 4 Defense (while tamed). |
| Glowing One | Feral Ghoul Cage | Junk items, ammo, Irradiated Blood | Produces 8 Defense (while tamed). |
| Mirelurk | Mirelurk Cage | Mirelurk Meat, Mirelurk Egg | Produces 6 Defense (while tamed). |
| Mole Rat | Mole Rat Cage | Mole Rat Meat, Mole Rat Teeth, Mole Rat Hide | Produces 4 Defense (while tamed). Sometimes carries pressure-sensitive explosives. |
| Mongrel | Dog Cage | Mongrel Dog Meat | Produces 4 Defense (while tamed). |
| Mutant Hound | Mutant Hound Cage | Mutant Hound Meat | Produces 5 Defense (while tamed). |
| Radroach | Insect Cage | Radroach Meat | Produces 1 Defense (while tamed). |
| Radscorpion | Radscorpion Cage | Radscorpion Meat, Radscorpion Stinger | Produces 7 Defense (while tamed). |
| Radstag | Radstag Cage | Radstag Meat, Radstag Hide | Produces 2 Defense (while tamed). |
| Radstag Doe | Radstag Cage | Radstag Meat, Radstag Hide | Produces no Defense while tamed. Usually flees from combat. |
| Stingwing | Insect Cage | Stingwing Meat, Stingwing Barb | Produces 8 Defense (while tamed). Non-hostile toward radroaches, bloatflies, and bloodbugs. |
| Yao Guai | Yao Guai Cage | Yao Guai Meat, Yao Guai Hide | Produces 7 Defense (while tamed). |
Enemy Humanoids
Captured Gunners, raiders, and super mutants are always hostile—even when your settlement has an active Beta Wave Emitter. Upon its release, a humanoid enemy typically uses the weapon it’s carrying to attack the nearest available target. This also means that any nearby settlers, turrets, or companions will attack a captured enemy the moment it emerges from its cage.
