This help file is oriented to players with a PC keyboard, not a
controller.
I restarted playing this in April 2026, after quitting in 2021. A lot
has changed to make it more fair to earlier players.
Especially helpful for beginners.
Follow the complete quest line you get from the Wayward Inn. You
will eventually get plans to build a bed off the ground, a water
purifier, and some other core useful things.
New players can start at level 1 or level 20.
Join a Casual team right away. It boosts
intelligence which increases XP you earn. While in game hit CTRL-TAB to
go to the teams menu. It appears that if you join a casual team, quit
the game, and go back in to the game, you might be on another server and
there are no team mates there. Just join another casual team there.
Turn on Pacifist mode to prevent starting PvP by
accidentally shooting others. Bring up the world map with "M". Access
main menu with "Z". Go to Game Settings. Toggle Pacifist Mode to On.
This is enabled until level 5 and then you have to make sure it is set
to on. Being in a workshop area automatically enables Pacifist
Mode.
Do not sleep on sleeping bags on the ground, you have a chance to
get a disease. Instead sleep for free in the mobile home next to the
Wayward Inn near where you start. Diseases will cure themselves
eventually but they have debuffs while they are active.
Scrap armor and weapons to learn mods.
Join public events marked with "!" on the map. If
you just hit an enemy once you still get full XP when they die.
1.1 More tips
Take loot from containers. Save it in your stash. Your stash is
located all around the map including in train stations.
Manage weight carrying carpacity with perk cards like "Traveling
Pharmacy", "Thru-hiker" (lowers weight of food and drink). Increase
strength to carry more also. You might also be able to upgrade your
backpack at some time.
Don't fear high-level players. If a high-level
player approaches you and starts shooting at the ground or waving, they
are likely trying to give you a "gift drop" of stimpaks, ammo, or plans
to help you out.
The letter "H" is bound to a stimpak for healing by default, it will
use a diluted, normal, then super stimpak in that order)
Numbers 1-0, and - an =, are for quickly choosing weapons. Use the
Favorites wheel (hit F) to put an item in a specific numbered slot.
Get more caps.
Get more caps when selling items. Get the "Hard
Bargain" card, and rank it up. Some say stay away from this, there are
better ways to get caps.
Boost your charisma to get better prices; use Grape Mentats,
alcohol. Don't sell common weapons, they are not worth much, scrap them
instead.
Sell glowing meat, stimpaks, RadAway, cooked meat, ammo. You'll get
plenty of RadAway.
Use player vendors to get more caps.
Make a vending machine at your camp and sell hard to find items, not
common weapons. (I assume common weapons don't sell well.) Ammo sells
well.
Build a purified water farm at your camp. Then sell purified water.
(I had lots of trouble building a camp.) Build a water purifier.
Join "Moonshine Jamboree", tag as many gulpers as possible, get
their innards, make Gulper Slurry, and sell these.
Raise your Charisma in the SPECIAL stats.
Make a vending machine at your camp and sell items like ammo. Do not
price ammo more than 1 cap.
Sell duplicate plans and recipes. Even common ones can get a few
caps.
Place CAMP near high traffic areas like Whitespring resort. This can
be hard to do since many CAMPs may already be there and the CAMPS cannot
overlap.
Join public events which can award several hundred caps when
done.
Go Super Mutant hunting. They carry some caps and better guns.
Pick all berries. They take up little weight? Sell them.
Build a tato farm.
Clear out Blackwater Mine and sell their loot. This can take up lots
of weight.
Before building an item you must read the plan in your inventory.
Open Pip-Poy inventory. Go to Notes. Find a plan that starts with
"Plan:". Hit ENTER to read it.
You can Scrap parts, weapons, armor and junk but
only at an armor station, weapon station, and a tinker station.
You can scrap any item, including junk, at any armor, weapon, or
Tinker station. Scrap your junk and it will take up less space.
Fast travel costs a few caps. The further the distance, the more
caps it costs. A typical cost is 4-8 caps for one fast travel.
1.2 Perk cards
1.2.1 Apply Perk points to SPECIAL
stats.
Open the Level-Up Menu: Open your Pip-Boy and press the Level Up key
(T on PC, Y on Xbox, Triangle on PS).
Step 1: Pick the SPECIAL Stat: The first screen that appears will
show the seven SPECIAL categories. Select the one you want to increase
(e.g., Strength if you want more carry weight). Clicking it permanently
adds 1 point to that stat for your current build.
Step 2: Pick the Card: After selecting the stat, the game will move
you to the Perk Card selection screen.
To reallocate SPECIAL points use a Punch Card machine often found in
train stations. But this is not available until level 25.
1.2.2 Using Perk Cards
Earning Cards: Every time you level up, you pick a SPECIAL stat to
increase (up to level 50) and choose one new Perk Card. You also receive
Perk Card Packs (containing 4 random cards) every 5 levels. IGN: Perk
Card Guide
Ranking Up: If you have two of the same card (e.g., two Rank 1
"Action Boy" cards), you can combine them to create a Rank 2 card with a
stronger effect. Reddit: Leveling Up Perks
Equipping: Each card has a cost (the number in the top left corner
which I call "perk card points"). You can only equip cards if you have
enough points in that specific SPECIAL category. For example, if you
have 5 Strength, you can equip one 3-cost card and one 2-cost card.
1.3 Get more water
To sell or use. Water purifiers require power. Purified water can
heal you with no effects and satisfy the body's water requirements.
Get a small water purifier after completing "Bureau of Tourism"
quest early in the game. A smaller purifier needs 8 power. So you might
need plans for a bigger power supply. A small generator is granted to
you for free.
Get the standard water purifier in Overseer's Cache at Camp
McClintock.
Water Filter Plan: This is often found early in the
game at Grafton Station or inside the Pioneer
Scout Camp. You can also find it randomly in containers or as a
reward for the "Tentative Plans" quest. Fallout 76
Wiki: Plan: Water Filter
Small Water Purifier Plan: You can obtain this plan
by completing the quest "Personal Matters" (found in
Welch) or "Bureau of Tourism" (found at Grafton). It
can also be purchased from various Vendor Bots at train stations. Fallout
76 Wiki: Plan: Water Purifier - Small
Water Purifier Plan (Medium): This plan is commonly
found inside the Overseer's Cache at Camp
McClintock. It allows you to build a purifier that must be
placed in water. Reddit:
Where to find Water Purifier Plans
Large Water Purifier Plan: Similar to the medium
version, this is often found in the Overseer’s Cache at
Charleston Fire Department or awarded for completing
the "Earth Mover" event. Fallout
76 Wiki: Plan: Water Purifier - Large
Vintage Water Cooler Plan: This is a highly
sought-after plan that allows you to generate purified water without
needing a water source or power. It is a rare reward from the
Festive Scorched seasonal event or can be purchased
from other players' CAMP vendors. Reddit:
How to get Vintage Water Cooler
Industrial water purifier: buy at Responders Vendor at Whitesprings
Mall or found in Overseer's Cache at Charleston Capital Building.
Collect some purified water from others' water purifiers. This water
goes fast so it takes some luck to find water in them.
Most players will leave their water purifiers unlocked. If they are
unlocked it is ok to take the water. If they are locked, do not pick the
lock or you will be marked as "Wanted". Some players have a sign that
says "Open" or "Free water".
Make your own water purifier. You can buy plans or find them.
Small purifiers can be placed on dirt or grass and can hold a max of
2 bottles of water. When they reach that limit they stop generating
water.
Standard and Industrial purifiers must be place on a body of water,
like a pond or stream. Mud or puddles do not work. They can hold up to 5
bottles of purified water.
1.3.1 How to lock water
purifier.
Normally done by players who need water. You will need plans for this
first.
Select a Lock Level (0 through 3). Higher levels
are harder for other players to pick but require the same amount of
resources. YouTube: Defending
Your CAMP
Confirm the lock by spending 1 Copper. The purifier
will now display a padlock icon when viewed. Reddit:
CAMP Security Tips
1.4 Leveling enemies
Enemies level up with you. Sometimes they are a little higher than
you. If the enemy is much higher than you their name will have a crown
next to it.
If you travel with a player of a different level, the enemies' level
is the average of the 2 players so be careful when travelling with a
much higher level player.
If a high level player walks by and a monster spawns, it will span
at that player's level and you may find it too much to handle.
1.5 Learning plans or recipes
When you get a plan or recipe you still cannot make the item. You
must read the plan/recipe to learn it.
Go to Pip Boy inventory, Notes, open "Recipe book". Click on the plan
or recipe to learn it.
1.6 Making recipes
There are recipes for stimpaks, food items, and more. But you must
find and learn the recipe first. Make sure to save caps to buy a
critical item, like a disease cure.
In general you must "learn" the recipe or plan by reading it. It is
in your Pip-Boy under Notes, then under Recipe Book. Open the "Recipe
Book" and read the plan to learn it.
Sometimes a schematic is under Notes in the Pip-Boy. Read the
schematic there before making the item, and make sure you have all
ingredients.
Disease Cure. Blood leaf, firecap, snaptail red.
Ammo: Make gunpowder at a chemistry bench. Then make ammo at a
tinker bench. Unrefined Gunpowder can also be used at a Tinker Bench to
make ammo.
1.7 Where's my Stashbox?
Your stashbox can be used to hold extra items that will not be in
your pack. You can access your stashbox in many locations like: each
train station, major points of interest like Fort Atlas, the Overseer's
Camp by the Wayward Inn.
2 Chems
2.1 Buffout
Buffout does not increase the damage from your bullets.
Buffout gives +2 strength to increase carry weight and melee
damage.
+2 endurance which increaess your total health and reduces Action
Point drainage.
It gives +25 max HP.
2.2 Overdrive
Overdrive: Increases damage by 15% and critical hit damage by
15%.
Pro Tip: If you use Overdrive first and then Psychobuff/Psychotats,
the damage bonuses can sometimes stack depending on the current game
patch, making it a favorite combo for boss fights!
2.3 Psycho
Increases all damage by 15% and adds damage resistance.
Psychobuff: A hybrid of Psycho and Buffout. It gives you the
health/strength of Buffout plus the 25% damage boost of Psycho.
Psychotats: Increases damage by 25% and boosts Perception (which
helps with VATS accuracy).
3 Questions
3.1 How often is progress
saved?
About every 10 minutes, and on log out. So progress is preserved
during events like fast traveling, resting, logging out, completing
quest steps, or entering new areas. The game forces a save immediately
upon fast traveling (especially to a CAMP), exiting the game,
discovering a new settlement, or completing specific quest
milestones.
Your location saved is the nearest fast travel point. Inside Fort
Atlas your save location is just at the exterior gates to the
compound.
For a quest with interior/instanced locations. You will get a
checkpoint message on the screen. If it's not checkpointed, then you
will have to do it again.
Or use this info:
If you are really concerned, change in Fallout76Prefs.ini or create a
Fallout76Custom.ini, and add/change
[SaveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=1.0000
3.2 Binding stimpaks and weapons to
specific keys
If you prefer to hit a specific number key (like 4) for a stimpak
instead of H, you can use the Favorites Wheel:
Open your Pip-Boy and find your Stimpaks.
Press the Favorite key (F on PC, Y on Xbox, Triangle on PS).
This opens the wheel. Assign the stimpak to a specific slot.
On PC, the slot you choose correlates to numbers 1 through 9. If you
put a stimpak in the top-right slot (often labeled '4'), pressing 4 will
now use a stimpak. Steam: Favorites Guide
Switch slots for a favorited weapon
To Switch Slots: If a weapon is already bound to 1 but you want it on
2, open the wheel (F or D-Pad Down), hover over the weapon, and press
the Change or Select key to move it to a different slot. Reddit: Hot
Swapping Weapons
3.3 How to "pause" the game and not
get attacked
Whereever you are in the Appalacians you can get attacked by enemies.
If you have Passive Mode On you will not start PvP mode accidentally
with other players. Here are ways to stay safe if you have to take a
break from a game without restarting it. There isn't an official pause
function but some places are safer than others.
Hop on a rooftop and crouch down.
Go inside a shelter inside your camp or inside a building like
Wayward Inn, Fort Atlas, or The Rusty Pick.
Go into a shelter made by someone else.
4 Water purifiers
4.1 How do I lock a water
purifier?
A person can take free water from anyone's unlocked water purifier.
But if it's locked, and they pick the lock, the player gets a "Wanted"
tag and anyone can shoot them on sight.
Confirm the lock, which costs 1 Copper from your
inventory. A small padlock icon will now appear when you look at the
purifier in the world. Reddit:
CAMP Security Tips
4.2 How do I remove the window
which says "Press to talk"?
Start FO76. Log into the game.
Before opening or starting a character go to Settings,
Accessibility.
Turn off Speech To Text.
or
Go to Settings, Audio.
Change "Voice Chat Mode" to "None" or "Area/Team", and change "Push
to talk" to off. However this leaves your mic open (always on) and
others may hear scratches or other noises coming from you all the time,
they may ask you to mute your mic.
or
Change Message Window Transparency.
Start FO76 and log into the game. Before starting a
character...
Go to Settings, Display (or Accessibility) and turn opacity all the
way down so it's invisible.
4.3 Where can I build my camp?
Open areas like a dry lakebed. Dry lakebed new New Gad, Forest
Rivers near Wayward Inn or Sunshine Meadows Industrial Farm.
It must not be too close to other player camps.
If you hold the build key (V on a PC) and it doesn't go into build
mode, you cannot build where you are.
Savage Divide cliffs east of Top of the World.
Golf Course near Whitespring.
Near Lake Eloise.
5 Error messages
5.1 "Cannot find camp" error
If you log into FO76 and get this error that just means someone else
built a camp near yours and yours is not available. Do not scrap your
camp.
5.2 I got a new item/weapon but
cannot put it in my Favorites wheel.
Log out of FO76, wait 10 seconds, and log back in. Unfavorite the new
item. Only items that are not in your Favorite wheel can be put in
there.