Fallout 3 random encounters

==General information==
Random encounters in Fallout 3 take the form of unique situations, friendly and/or hostile encounters, or small tasks for the player to perform which are randomly drawn from a broad list of possibilities, and occur in various predetermined encounter areas across the Capital Wasteland. They should not be confused with scripted events that only occur in certain pre-defined locations. Once a random encounter has been activated in a particular area, no other random event will occur in that area. The game can be saved before entering a triggering area, allowing the player to reload the prior save if an activated encounter occurs that is less than desirable.
===Unique vs. repeatable===
Encounters can be unique or repeatable. Unique encounters can only occur once per play-through whereas repeatable ones can occur at multiple locations.
===Encounter types===
Random encounter locations are divided into two groups. Some encounters occur only in one group of locations (A in the location table's "Group" column); others occur only in the second group of locations (B in the location table's "Group" column). Very few encounters are available in all locations.
'Type A' encounters, in practical terms, have only one spawn point in the area they can appear, and will usually not leave the immediate area around it unless drawn or forced away from it. The few 'Type A' encounters not set to stay near their spawning point will eventually move to predetermined destinations or patrol routes far across the map. Such movement, however, is often limited to the player being within the same map cell, resulting in the encounter being lost or misplaced when the player leaves the area.
'Type B' encounters are slightly more complex. Though Type B encounters always follow a predetermined patrol route at an encounter location, they have multiple, sometimes less than apparent, spawning points. They can also cover the distance of up to two full-sized map squares (as seen in one's Pipboy). Additionally, due to terrain features, the AI pathing between spawning points (which are also way-points) can create a broad and sometimes elaborate patrol route. 
The location information provided in this article is by no means the sole triggering method for the listed encounters. Trigger zones can be as far-reaching as the distance between spawning points, which can result in accidentally and unknowingly triggering and locking an encounter. Most spawn points for encounters are positioned in such a way as to have the encounter appear from around blind corners so as not to have the encounter appear out of thin air, and to have opposing factions appear at the farthest spawn points from one another. Using the wait feature along an encounter's patrol route within view of a spawn point can cause an encounter to be seen appearing abruptly as it moves to where the player is. 
==List of encounters==
The encounters are grouped by living characters or creatures they contain. There are no duplicate listings; if you are looking for an encounter that involves multiple parties, make sure to check all potentially relevant sections. 
There are encounters not described below which involve the Talon Company, the Enclave, raiders, and super mutants which are scripted events occurring at specific locations. These encounters are not random. See individual location pages for encounters outside of what is listed below.
===Karma-related===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	repeatable	A & B 	A Regulator ambush if one has a Karma rating of Evil or Very Evil, with the "Bounty notice" note.
 	repeatable	A & B 	A Talon Company ambush if you have a Karma rating of Good or Very Good, with the "Private contract" note.
Note: If the Lone Wanderer happens to have changed their Karma orientation during the game (either by losing Karma when Karma was positive, or by accomplishing positive acts while Karma was negative), it is possible, although rare, to be attacked by both Regulators and Talon Company mercs, and sometimes even both at the same time.
===Quest-related===
Title 	Type 	Locations	Description
 	unique 	A 	Trouble on the Homefront (after completion forcing the residents out of home): Amata being questioned by two hostile Enclave soldiers and a non hostile Enclave officer; they will ask her where she obtained her Pip-Boy, and then ask for the location of her Vault:
Enclave soldier: "Sorry, miss, but we need to ask you a few questions. We need to know where you got that suit."
Amata Almodovar: "I'm from Vault 101! Please, you've got to help me."
Enclave soldier: "Of course. We are always ready to assist American citizens in distress. Can you tell us where your Vault is?"
Amata Almodovar: "I've got the location right here on my Pip-Boy. Why?"
Enclave soldier: "Excellent. That's all we need from her. Open fire."
After telling them, however, the officer will simply tell the troops to open fire, killing her; the player can save her for no reward or dialogue options, but she will only say "Stay away from me, this is all your fault."
 	repeatable	A 	Tenpenny Tower (after completion): A group of ghouls on their way to Tenpenny Tower either to live there or take revenge for Roy Phillips, depending on your actions during the quest. They carry the ghoul note.
 	repeatable	B 	Those! (during the quest, but before killing all fire ants in Grayditch and Marigold station): Several hostile fire ants from Grayditch.
 	unique 	A 	Big Trouble in Big Town (after completion saving Big Town): A scavenger is headed there to trade with the inhabitants. His dialogue depends on the option you chose to save the town:
* "Guns": he tells you that Big Town has made a large order for guns, and he is headed there.
* "Robots": he will tell you that they ordered a bunch of robot parts.
* "Sneak": he tells you that the residents have placed an order of a few Stealth Boy units.
* "Explosives": he tells you that the residents have placed an order for a lot of mines.
* Fought super mutants alone: he tells you that it is safe to trade there.
 	unique 	A 	Big Trouble in Big Town (after completion abandoned Big Town): A scavenger is headed there to loot the town because it was destroyed and left deserted by super mutant attack.
 	unique 	A 	Stealing Independence (after completion): Sydney and her friend Emaline attack the player. Occurs if Sydney is still alive and the player did not team with her or double-crossed her.
 	unique 	B 	Those! (before starting): A wastelander fleeing from Grayditch (giving you the location).
 	repeatable	A 	Oasis (before starting): Two to four wastelanders wearing merc outfits and carrying mid-level weapons, who are planning to raid Oasis. If you approach and ask them what they're discussing, they will accidentally reveal the location of Oasis and turn hostile. If you act like it's none of your business, they'll brush you off and you can no longer initiate a conversation with them; they will then remain in that location indefinitely. Killing them before they turn hostile results in negative Karma.
 	unique 	B 	Trouble on the Homefront (after completion): Encounter with Susie Mack if you made Amata the overseer of Vault 101. She will tell you that the Vault is doing fine and gives you purified water.
 	repeatable	A 	The Nuka-Cola Challenge: A scavenger seemingly on his way to Girdershade accompanied by a pack brahmin and/or a dog or trained yao guai will, upon first meeting, offer to sell the player a Nuka-Cola Quantum, which, through a successful Speech challenge, can be reduced in price. He also provides the location of Girdershade. If the player does not buy the Quantum when first encountered, the scavenger paces a short patrol route near where he is spawned and will no longer offer to sell it. If the player does buy it, the scavenger will walk back to the original spawn point for the encounter and remain there until death. The scavenger does not respawn if killed; however, his pack brahmin and pet do respawn if killed. The scavenger will never actually go to Girdershade regardless of the player's actions.
"Gee, Mister, You Look Super!"	unique 	A 	The Superhuman Gambit (after completion): A child will walk up to you and ask for your signature. This occurs when wearing either one of the superheroes' armor.
 	repeatable	A 	The Wasteland Survival Guide (after completion): A wastelander hunting a mole rat or mirelurk with varying success. He has different dialogue options depending on whether or not the player character completed all bonus objectives given by Moira and partially depending on chance (different wastelanders may say slightly different things). If the player character says he or she has helped with the book, a congratulatory or a mocking response is received. If the player character says he or she has never heard of the guide, the wastelander will provide them with a copy of the book. If the Lone Wanderer kills the wastelander and searches him or her, the player character will find the Wasteland Survival Guide in their misc items list in their Pip-Boy 3000 with the picture of a pre-War book and it cannot be used. If dropped, it will look like the wasteland survival guide.
 	unique 	B 	Reilly's Rangers (after completion): Donovan from Reilly's Rangers engaged in battle with three super mutants. Save him and he will give you a mini nuke. It only occurs if Donovan survived the battle at the hotel.
 	unique 	A 	Oasis (before starting): Player encounters the wasteland merchant. After talking about the Great One, he'll collapse and die. You'll find a wasteland merchant note on his body about him going to Oasis the next day. You may find him already dead as well.
 	repeatable	A 	Trouble on the Homefront (after completion): If you drove the Vault 101 dwellers out of the vault, you'll find dead residents (provided these residents survived your vault visit). In order: Freddie Gomez, Pepper Gomez, Herman Gomez.
 	unique 	A 	The Power of the Atom (after completion detonating the bomb): Megaton refugees will be after you.
 	unique 	A 	The Power of the Atom (after completion disarming the bomb): Mister Burke sends hitmen after you.
 	repeatable	B 	The Superhuman Gambit (after completion): The AntAgonizer and three giant worker ants attacking two or three wastelanders with another one cowering nearby. Though the AntAgonizer may not be otherwise hostile, her ants are. She will attack any person or creature that she sees her ants in combat with.
===Hunters and robbers===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	unique 	B 	Sam Warrick shooting at a wastelander. If he kills the wastelander, he'll turn on you.
 	repeatable	A & B 	Up to three hunters attacking a giant worker ant, giant soldier ant, mole rat, vicious dog or yao guai. If they manage to kill the prey, they will take the meat from it. They will sell various sorts of meat to the player if asked to. The animal respawns every 72 hours. The hunters themselves do not respawn if killed.
 	unique 	B 	
Cannibal hunters hunting their "prey".
 	unique 	A 	Mel, a mugger who will demand caps and items from you.
 	unique 	A 	Laszlo Radford attacks you with a railway rifle. It only occurs if you have at least one of the schematics for the railway rifle.
 	unique 	B 	Three cannibal hunters selling strange meat.
 	repeatable	B 	Three hunters chasing and attacking a wastelander. Killing the hunters results in positive Karma, and they carry strange meat, indicating they are roaming cannibals. These are the same hunters as in the unique encounter "Hunting the Most Delicious Flesh of All", i.e. if you kill one (or more) of them in the unique encounter, they will not be present in this one.
 	unique 	B 	A running wastelander tells you that raiders have strapped a bomb to them. Talking to the wastelander after this will allow you to attempt to disarm them, requiring an Explosives skill of 75, but even then there is a chance of failure. If not disarmed, the wastelander explodes 10 seconds later. Three raiders, including one armed with a heavy weapon, follow the wastelander.
===Slavers and slaves===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	repeatable	A 	Four slavers seeking to eliminate you as competition because you have made them look bad - if you capture a large number of slaves (three or more).
 	repeatable	A 	A hitman ambush, composed of wastelanders instead of Talon Company mercs, who call you "slaver scum" and attack you to avenge their friends. This encounter only occurs if the player has enslaved non-player characters using the Mesmetron.
 	repeatable	B 	Three slavers looking for escaped slaves. You can lie for positive Karma, or you can charge them for information and they'll give you 50 caps. However, they will become hostile no matter the dialogue if they have to give you caps. Killing these slavers will not turn Paradise Falls hostile.
 	repeatable	B 	Two slavers with two or three slaves trying to escape from them.
 	repeatable	B 	A few escaped slaves who have a few dialogue options if you talk with them: if you know where the Temple of the Union is, you can give them the correct directions for some positive Karma, or lie to them for negative Karma, or just say goodbye.
 	repeatable	B 	Three slavers with three slaves. Freeing the Slaves (using high Science or Explosives skill to disable their collars) earns you positive Karma, but makes the Slavers hostile towards you.
===Scavengers and wastelanders===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	unique 	A 	A scavenger with his malfunctioning Mister Handy. If you repair it, the scavenger will give you two energy cells; with a speech check you can convince him to give you 100 caps as well. Another option is to destroy the robot (no reward), or with a speech check convince the scavenger it was about to explode (for reward and experience). After fixing his robot, he will begin to travel the same route as the traders until he is killed. However, unlike the caravan merchants and Ben Canning, the Mister Handy scavenger will only travel if the player is in the same active map cell. Otherwise, the Mister Handy scavenger will remain frozen in his map cell. Waiting an hour while in the same active map cell as the Mister Handy scavenger will cause him to instantly travel to the next "trading stop" on the Caravan route (i.e. in front of Megaton, Rivet City, Agatha's house, etc.)
 	repeatable 	A 	A dead scavenger dressed in typical scavenger apparel, still carrying trader inventory items. Randomly carries either a Chinese assault rifle or a random big gun, up to and including a Fat Man with a mini nuke. The weapon found will be in a poor state of repair.
 	unique 	A 	A group of wastelanders fleeing from a deathclaw with a crippled leg. When you speak to a non-player character after killing the deathclaw he/she gives you the location of Rock Creek Caverns. The "map" he gives you is listed in the "Notes" of your Pip-Boy with the description: "mirelurk king's treasure chamber!"
 	unique 	A 	Ben Canning. He is dying of thirst and asks for water. He will accept purified water or dirty water. If you help him, he will join the caravan merchants' rounds around the wasteland (but not selling anything).
 	repeatable 	A 	Two wastelanders pondering an Enclave eyebot that hovers around them consistently (as opposed to a long patrol like most). There is no dialogue possible with them, but they nevertheless hold a long dialogue with one another, discussing the eyebot.
 	repeatable 	A 	Four ghoul wastelanders encountered around a burning barrel. Engaging any of them in conversation will result in them telling you they were headed for Underworld but couldn't make it because of super mutants (this contradicts Willow's statement that super mutants don't attack ghouls, unless these ghouls simply don't know that the mutants will leave them alone). They will tell you how to get to Underworld and mark it on your map if you ask them about it. Other speech options are to threaten them and "I don't have time for this now." Their numbers may decline as they fall afoul of various dangers.
 	repeatable 	A 	A wastelander attacked by mole rat. If you save him/her, he/she will give you a small number of caps.
 	unique 	A 	Two wastelanders near frag mines; one wastelander will unsuccessfully try to grab one of the mines.
 	repeatable / unique	A 	Dead wastelander with one living and two dead vicious dogs nearby. He carries the wastelander note and John's key, which opens an ammunition box in the north-western part of the scrapyard (see scrapyard for the location of the box). The box contains three skill books: a Grognak the Barbarian, a U.S. Army: 30 Handy Flamethrower Recipes and a Guns and Bullets.
 	repeatable 	B 	A scavenger (possibly with pet) heading towards a car which he then guards.
 	unique 	A 	A group of Wasteland wanderers who are trying to get water from a refrigerator guarded by an abnormally large giant radscorpion. If the player kills the giant radscorpion, the wasteland wanderers will allow the player to take the water. Killing the wasteland wanderers will result in negative Karma.
 	repeatable 	A 	Radscorpions attacking a wastelander. If the wastelander is killed, the radscorpions turn on you.
 	repeatable 	B 	Raiders attacking a scavenger with a robot buddy.
 	repeatable 	B 	1-3 raiders attacking 1-3 wasteland settlers.
 	repeatable 	A 	A scavenger and his pet (either dog or yao guai) around a dead random robot (usually a Protectron or robobrain). He will tell you to stay away from his loot and will attack if you persist on "stealing" from him. Even pointing your sights too long at the dead robot may make him hostile. The robot spawns alive but weakened and usually is quickly killed by the scavenger before you arrive. Even if you kill the robot before the scavenger can, he will claim it and become hostile if you loot it. Speak to him before he becomes hostile to get the vendor options. Killing him while he is hostile will result in negative Karma, regardless of his reason for going hostile.
 	repeatable 	B 	A normal scavenger roaming the Wasteland with his/her pack brahmin and possibly a pet (dog, robot, or yao guai). He/she has no unique dialogue, and instead has the standard scavenger dialogue tree (offering to sell from his random inventory, or to repair the player's items).
 	repeatable 	A 	Wasteland junkie who can sell you chems.
 	repeatable 	A 	A scavenger in camp. A scavenger spawns standing stationary near a burning oil barrel. There is usually a nearby pack brahmin and pet (either dog or yao guai). He usually has a limited number of items and small cash reserves. The inventory is randomized in each encounter.
 	repeatable 	A 	Wasteland doctor who provides medical services and sells medical Aid items. After appearing he/she will immediately begin wandering the wastes, and will not usually be seen again where they first appeared.
 	unique 	A 	Two wasteland settlers and two escaped slaves fighting over a refrigerator of 10 purified water. Opening the refrigerator will turn them hostile to the player, but sometimes just standing near it for too long can make them attack you. You can also convince them with a Speech check to share the water.
===Brotherhood Outcasts, Enclave and Talon Company===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	repeatable	B 	Three Brotherhood Outcasts (or two Outcasts and a robot) patrolling the Wasteland. This squad will leave the encounter area never to return, exploring the Capital Wasteland on a wide ranging patrol. These characters are the same as those that spawn at predetermined Outcast spawn points.
 	repeatable	B 	Three Brotherhood Outcasts (or two Outcasts and a robot) patrolling the Wasteland. In contrast to the other patrol, these non-player characters will remain within the random encounter patrol zone.
 	repeatable	B 	Three Brotherhood Outcasts (or two Outcasts and a robot) fighting raiders.
 	repeatable	B 	Two or three Outcasts fighting three Enclave soldiers (or 2 Enclave soldiers and an Enclave-controlled deathclaw).
 	repeatable	B 	A Brotherhood Outcast being chased by one or more deathclaws; two additional Outcasts rush to aid the first Outcast.
 	repeatable	B 	Enclave eyebot on patrol. After The Waters of Life, attacking it may cause a Vertibird to appear and investigate.
 	repeatable	B 	Three Enclave soldiers fighting four Talon Company mercs.
 	repeatable	B 	2-3 Enclave soldiers with 0-1 Enclave-controlled deathclaw.
 	repeatable	B 	3-5 Talon Company mercs on patrol. Occurs only if player's level is at least 8.
 	repeatable	B 	2-5 Talon Company mercs, depending on your level: 2 mercs if level 7 or lower, 3 mercs if between level 8 and 11, 4 mercs if between level 12 and 15, 5 mercs if level 16 and higher.
 	repeatable	B 	A Vertibird landing, dropping off a combination of Enclave soldiers and/or sentry bots, and then flying away. In certain areas, will repeat over and over again, dropping off endless armies of Enclave.
===Super mutants===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	repeatable	A* 	A group of super mutants has set up camp with a couple of captives. Occurs only at "group A" locations in the vicinity of Germantown Police HQ and Vault 87.
 	repeatable	B* 	Three wastelanders fighting a super mutant or centaur. If at least one survives, they'll thank the player and hand over an item. Occurs only at "group B" locations in the vicinity of Vault 87 or Germantown Police HQ.
 	repeatable	B 	Uncle Leo, a friendly super mutant. If you tell him you're going to rob him, he'll give you a dirty pre-War businesswear as a present. If you attack him he'll run away instead of fighting.
===Creatures 'n' Critters===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	repeatable	A 	A friendly giant radscorpion fighting 1-4 giant worker ants. It will become hostile if you get too close to it. Dogmeat will attack it even while it is friendly. This encounter is almost guaranteed to occur just outside Vault 106.
 	repeatable	A 	One to four giant ants around a toxic barrel with one being bigger than the others.
 	repeatable	B 	2-5 brahmin.
 	repeatable	A 	A pack of dogs guarding a corpse.
 	repeatable	B 	A pack of vicious dogs on patrol.
 	unique 	B 	2-5 mad brahmin attack anyone in the vicinity. Animal Friend perk makes them friendly. If not attacking you, they can be tipped like most brahmin.
 	repeatable	A 	2-7 radroaches around a dead wastelander. The wastelander is carrying lots of food. Occurs only at night (between 20:00 and 05:00).
 	unique 	A 	A wounded deathclaw stalking a wastelander. The wastelander carries schematics - deathclaw gauntlet, and is dead when you get to him.
===Other===
Title	Type 	Locations	Description
 	unique 	A 	You receive the signal of a Chinese radio beacon and find a dead Chinese commando at the spawning point.
 	repeatable	A 	Five frag mines placed in a square shape, with one in the center. Initially they cannot be disarmed but after fast traveling away and coming back you can disarm them.
 	repeatable	A 	Five raiders with four of them beating the fifth one (with Melee Weapons), who is in undergarments. It seems to be an initiation. If the player gets close enough to the party while remaining undetected, the raiders can be heard saying "You think you're good enough to run with us?", "Pain is your friend.", "Don't flinch, you coward!" etc. This dialogue will loop indefinitely.
 	unique 	A 	Exploding UFO overhead, leaving Firelance and 24 alien power cells scattered on the ground
==Locations==
===Random encounter map===
* Yellow dots denote 'Type A' encounter locations.
* Red dots denote 'Type B' encounters locations (the red lines are way-point connections).
* Green dots denote Outcast Patrol spawn points (these locations, though not random, duplicate the characters from the Outcast Patrol random encounter with unique characters).
===Trigger approaches===
Approaches that will trigger the encounters are listed below.
Closest map marker 	Directions 	Group	Trigger Zone
Dunwich Building 	West of the building there is a radioactive pool. North of it there is a canyon which can be accessed only from the pool. You must approach it on the road from the building, jumping down the cliffs will not trigger. 	A 	
VAPL-84 power station 	From any directions, the event is at just west of the gates. 	A 	
Jocko's Pop & Gas stop 	Head east in the direction of the large advertisement board on top of hill then E-SE. The location of the event is southeast of the board. 	A 	
Jocko's Pop & Gas stop 	NW of it, up on the highway. 	A 	
MDPL-16 power station 	From any directions, the event is at the back of the building. 	A 	
Chaste Acres Dairy Farm 	West of it at the Red Rocket, from any directions. 	A 	
Greener Pastures disposal site 	West of it there is a broken bridge. The event location is exactly south of the alien crash site, from any directions. 	A 	
Clifftop shacks 	North of it there is a radioactive pool, the event is there. You must approach it on the lower canyon road. Going simply north then jumping off the cliffs will not trigger, so jump down the suspension bridge then go north. 	A 	
Clifftop shacks 	Continue north from the previous pool then go W-NW until the next pool with another event in the canyons. 	A 	
Regulator HQ 	W-NW of it there is a large group of dead trees. The event is just before them, down in the canyon. 	A 	
Regulator HQ 	Head east for the large tree. Quicksave and head exactly east. The event is at the fallen part of the highway. 	A 	
Minefield 	Head west then north on the road for MDPL-13 power station. Quicksave just before reaching the pylon on the left. The event is at the water tower. Alternate approaches exist from the east and north of the tower. 	A 	
Super-Duper Mart 	Right in front of it. Approaching from Farragut West Metro Station will not trigger. Best approach: from southwest direction. There is a fence at the back of the Super-Duper Mart. Quicksave at the southernmost point of the fence then go northeast. 	A 	
Relay tower KX-B8-11 	Go approximately Southeast for the water tower. When you get to the half-destroyed telephone pole, go East. The encounter will spawn below the cliff. 	A 	
Relay tower KX-B8-11 	Approach the tower from any direction. The event will occur on the east side of the tower, directly between the fence and the rock wall. 	A 	
Temple of the Union 	Go exactly west for the small gap in the highway and stop just as soon you have left the fallen part of it. Then head north for the larger gap. 	A 	
Temple of the Union 	Go south staying on the road. Pass the advertisement board, the truck, and quicksave after the pole on the road before the car wrecks. The event will be at the 4-way crossing. 	A 	
Temple of the Union 	Going to the entrance will trigger an event inside, in front of Hannibal's door. 	A 	
Canterbury Commons 	Go east, then follow the road between the buildings to north. Keep north, cross the brahmins. Go down, the event is in the narrows northeast. 	A 	
Robot repair center 	Approach from Canterbury Commons following the road to east then south between the buildings. Just as soon the road would turn west, quicksave, then go to the Robot Repair Center. 	A 	
National Guard depot 	Locate the water tower in front of National Guard depot and head exactly north from there passing the car wreck under the highway until you are halfway between the highway and elevated railroad lines (should be a whirlwind there). From there go exactly northeast. If successfully triggered, the event is under the railroad gap, exactly north. 	A 	
Corvega factory 	From the factory go W for the two large advertisement boards next to the highway. Then follow the highway S-SE, the event is under the highway near the Red Rocket. 	A 	
Corvega factory 	Go east to the car advertisement board and continue east. The event triggers almost immediately at northeast in the narrows. 	A 	
F. Scott Key Trail & Campground	There is a wood shack up in the rocks. Head west from the campground for the brain fungus, then you should be able to climb up at the southern part of the rocky wall. Quicksave before start climbing. The shack is N-NW from there. 	A 	
Shalebridge 	Follow the elevated railroad line northwest until you find the gap right after the train. From the gap go south to the top of the hill. The event is downwards, southwest of the highest point of the hill. 	A 	
Vault 101 	On the top of the hill westwards near the highway, there is a farmhouse with the event. Any approach will work. 	A 	
Jury Street Metro station 	Go south for the broadcast tower, then go exactly southwest. The event is down in the canyon. 	A 	
Meresti trainyard 	Approach from southeast, quicksave at the corner of the fence. The event is between the tunnel exits. 	A 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	any approach should work, the event is there. 	A 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	N-NW, under the turning highway. 	A 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	NW, up on the hill with a lot of trees W of turning highway. 	A 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	Even more northwest, west of the train wreck. The event is there where the whirlwind is. 	A 	
WKML Broadcast Station 	Event is in front of station, approach it from the stairs. 	A 	
Roosevelt Academy 	To the west, where train wreck is. 	A 	
Sewer waystation 	After completion of "Those!" quest. Go southwest to the Talon Company camp, then continue south. The event is in the next - destroyed - building. 	A 	
Wilhelm's Wharf 	Go northwest, the event is behind the building W of Wilhelm's Wharf. 	A 	
Anchorage Memorial 	Any approach will do, in front of the statues. 	A 	
Fort Bannister 	East of it, nearly in line with the northern fence of Fort Bannister. N-NW of Enclave Camp. 	A 	
Tenpenny Tower 	There is a Red Rocket east of it. South of the rocket there is an abandoned building, the event is there. 	A 	
Alexandria Arms 	In front of it. Approaching it from Arlington Library will not trigger, so come from Citadel or Flooded Metro. 	A 	
Flooded metro 	Approach it from W, event is next to the escalators. 	A 	
Red Racer factory 	Between the factory and the building W of it. Any approach will do. 	A 	
Evergreen Mills 	South of Evergreen Mills, northwest of VAPL-84 Power Station, north of the ruined part of the highway. Any approach will do. 	A 	
MDPL-05 power station 	In front of it. Approach it only on road, descending on cliffs will not trigger. 	A 	
Raven Rock 	Southwards on the road. Event is about southwest of MDPL-05 power station. 	A 	
Chryslus Building 	At the ruined building southeast of it. Approach from Farragut West Metro Station! 	A 	
Broadcast tower KB5 	Approach from northwest! 	A 	
Deathclaw sanctuary 	Go due west from the Dickerson Tabernacle Chapel building. Activates upon entering the canyon. Quicksave before passing under the first rope bridge. The encounter occurs where the canyon turns north. 	A 	
SatCom Array NW-05a 	Go Northeast and before you get to the top of the hill, go North-Northwest. Go towards the pylon in the distance and save before you go up the hill. Right before you get to the pylon, turn left. The encounter will spawn by the destroyed pylon. 	A 	
Fort Constantine 	The event spawns North-Northeast, but you need to go East and around the Bomb Storage buildings. Make your way up the cliffs and go West to the middle of the border of coordinates X:5, Y:17 and X:6, Y:17. 	A 	
MDPL-21 power station 	Go north following the power lines until you find a bent power pylon. Keep north in the canyon jumping down. After passing the suspension bridge, keep northwest through the water. 	A 	
SatCom Array NW-07c 	Go south from the scavenger's fallen dish, then keep southwest direction. The event is about halfway between the Array and the destroyed elevated railroad, S-SW from the dish. 	A 	
SatCom Array NW-05a 	Go Southwest to the radioactive pool. The encounter will spawn below. This encounter might not spawn after the Waters of Life quest because an Enclave checkpoint spawns there. 	A 	
VAPL-66 power station 	South of the station, W of a Dot's Diner, where the radioactive pools are. 	A 	
Jalbert Brothers waste disposal	Any approach will do. Event is in front of the eastern building. 	A 	
Yao guai tunnels 	Go northwest, up the hill. Event is in the canyon at the radioactive pool. 	A 	
Rockopolis 	Right in front of it, any approach will do. 	A 	
Megaton 	Go W until the road under the fallen highway. Then follow that road southwest until the Enclave advertisement board (quicksave before the tree). Event is behind the board, down there. 	A 	
Megaton 	Get to the southernmost outer part of Megaton. Then go southwest, the event is between the highway remnants and the other road above in the rocks. 	A 	
Nuka-Cola plant 	Approach from Andale. Event is W of the plant, E of the blue car. 	A 	
Vault 106 	S of the entrance, upwards. 	A 	
Bethesda ruins 	West at the Red Rocket. Fast travel to Bethesda ruins then go W. 	A 	
Vault 108 	Head S to the two trees then keep heading S-SE until you can climb up through a short ridge. After climbing up, go back down and go E, the event is there at the whirlwind. 	B 	
Arefu 	Go to the boat under Arefu, then head northwest. Event is on the left bank after a while. 	B 	
Broadcast tower KB5 	Go southwest where the road turns by the water near the pond. Cross between the pond and the water, then head W-SW under the highway, go up a bit then turn back, the event is between the pond and the highway. 	B 	
Broadcast tower KT8 	Descend the canyon N of it, try heading northeast. When crossed the narrows and could go N and E, turn back, and go N to the bent tower, the event is there. 	B 	
Broadcast tower KT8 	Head exactly E until you find a N-S path. Follow it to north; when it forks, keep right where the event is. 	B 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	Go far up north where the last white train wreck is. Descend W in the canyon, and head northeast, the event is there, under the railroad line. 	B 	
Broadcast tower LP8 	Head exactly N until there are two small patches of rad brain fungus. Go under the highway to northwest, then turn northeast, cross the bridge and head N to the event. 	B 	
AntAgonizer's lair 	Head up the trail to the North. Follow it around the cliff and the event will spawn to the northeast behind the rocks. 	B 	
Charnel house 	Head N-NE, until you are on the road, and follow it N. Pass the blue car but go exactly W after it and before the shack. Event is on the top of the hill. 	B 	
Chaste Acres Dairy Farm 	Go northwest to the Red Rocket, then follow the road starting eastwards, leading northeast. As soon as you are seeing the blue car, the event is right of you, W of the building. 	B 	
 	Fast-travel to the place and turn 90-degrees to your right towards the parking lot. From there, take the road to the North. At the crossing, turn left and the event will be at the bottom of the road next to the destroyed building on the right. 	B 	
Chryslus Building 	Follow the road to the Red Rocket, event is behind the building N of it. 	B 	
Cliffside cavern 	Head up E, then leave the path to N when you are able to do it. Go N-NW, and follow that path leading to a canyon with the event. 	B 	
Clifftop shacks 	Cross the bridge and go southwest almost until the highway. Descend and go north into the canyon. (That will likely trigger an A-type encounter further north in the canyon, too.) 	B 	
Clifftop shacks 	Descend to the canyon near the bridge and go southwest, west, northwest, north so you are almost at the bridge again. 	B 	
Corvega factory 	From the factory, go northwest until you get to a stop sign. Take a left and take another left before the blue car. The encounter will spawn behind the last house on the left. 	B 	
Corvega factory 	Go the E wall of the building where the blue truck and car is. From the car go S to the white truck under the railway. Follow the road; the event is behind the destroyed building right of another blue car. 	B 	
Dickerson Tabernacle Chapel 	Go to the shack at the 3-way crossing, then follow the road north. 	B 	
Dunwich Building 	Go northeast then northwest until you are east and a bit north of F. Scott Key Trail & Campground. The event is there. 	B 	
F. Scott Key Trail & Campground	Head exactly north, and just as you have passed the narrows, go E, the event is there. 	B 	
Fairfax ruins 	East of the fast travel arrival point. Head east up the road to the south edge of the fence around the water tower. The encounter will spawn on the east side of the car dealership and proceed east toward the scavenger's bridge. (If coming from Grayditch, a separate encounter will spawn nearer the Red Rocket.) 	B 	
Farragut West Metro Station 	Head east, it is just around the corner. 	B 	
Fordham Flash Memorial Field 	Go S-SE where the whirlwind is behind the big rock, cross the road, then head back W by the road until the gap, where the event is. 	B 	
Fort Bannister 	Go to Bannister crater, descend the crater and go to the front of the truck. Then exit the crater eastwards through the canyon, the event is at the end of it. 	B 	
Grayditch 	Proceed south out of Grayditch to the scavenger's bridge. Head west across the bridge toward the car dealership. The encounter will spawn between the dealership and the Red Rocket station(nearer to the Red Rocket). It will advance north to the ruined house.(If coming from the Fairfax ruins, a separate encounter will spawn at the dealership, then proceed east.) 	B 	
Girdershade 	Follow the highway westwards until it touches the rocky cliffs, and cross between its pillars. Event is at north, left of trees. 	B 	
Grisly diner 	Follow the road with the wrecks N, event is in the highway gap. 	B 	
Greener Pastures disposal site 	Head south from Office building, then up west at the second truck. After going up go back and go southeast until the whirlwind. 	B 	
Greener Pastures disposal site 	Head E-SE from Office building until the southeastern pool. From there go southeast and S near the rocky wall. 	B 	
Hallowed Moors Cemetery 	Go Northwest to the road and follow it to the crossing. Jump over the girder and the encounter will spawn by the destroyed house. 	B 	
Jalbert Brothers waste disposal	Follow the road E, event is behind the "Stop the red menace" billboard near the power station. 	B 	
Jury Street Metro station 	Go exactly S for a long time until you find a rad pool with shacks and a lot of car wrecks. N-NE of it there is a crater-like place with a tree in the center, go there. The event is upwards at the cliffs, in northwest. 	B 	
Jury Street Metro station 	Take a circle around the metro entrance, then head to the destroyed house with a car and a sewer entrance in S-SW direction, the event is behind it. 	B 	
MDPL-13 power station 	Go to the East side of the Power Plant, overlooking the Wasteland and align yourself with the center smokestack. Go East and around the rock formation. Continue East until you're just about between the coordinates X:12, Y:13 and X:13, Y:13. Head Northeast ( there should be a rock formation on your left and two thin trees on your right ) and the event will spawn below.	B 	
Minefield 	Follow the road Southwest until you see a blue car. Circle it and follow it back towards Minefield. The encounter will spawn just around the curve. 	B 	
National Guard depot 	Go North Past the street and the destroyed yellow car and onto the next street. Turn East and cross the circular road. The event will spawn on top of the cliff to your left. 	B 	
Northwest Seneca Station 	Head west by southwest, until you find a lot of car wrecks near the water. Then go northwest by the water until the boat. Then enter the canyon under the highway N-NE, the event is at the wrecked train. 	B 	
Oasis 	Go to the edge of the map, there is a 3-way crossing on the W-E road to up south between two whirlwinds. Go up, then right at the next 3-way crossing. 	B 	
Paradise Falls 	Go the northern bounds of Paradise Falls, where a road leads to North. Follow it. After the crossing, keep going north, following the rut north, northwest directions and stop when it turns west. Turn back and go exactly in southeast direction, the event is around at the second tree. 	B 	
Reclining Groves Resort Homes 	Fast-travel to the MDPL-13 power station. Take the road West into Reclining Groves Resort Homes. The encounter will spawn up the hill at the second house from the destroyed monorail track. 	B 	
Red Racer factory 	Head north by the other building, follow the curve. The event is under the scavenger's bridge. 	B 	
Regulator HQ 	Head exactly north until you'll see a fallen tree. Head to the large rocky hill immediately in front of the Lone Wanderer. 	B 	
Relay tower KX-B8-11 	Go southeast toward the water tower. The encounter will spawn beside the rock wall by the water tower. 	B 	
RobCo facility 	Go east on the road, until the advertisement board, then go back to the southwest corner of the building. 	B 	
Rock Creek Caverns 	Go west, then north to the destroyed house, but stop on the road and follow it eastwards. The event is behind the car. 	B 	
Five Axles Rest Stop 	Follow the road northeast. The event is in the river below. 	B 	
MDPL-21 power station 	Go west-northwest and keep to the cliff's wall. Follow it up and around. The encounter will spawn under the cliff east-northeast of SatCom Array NN-03d. 	B 	
SatCom Array NN-03d 	Go west to the shack with the Outcasts, then head north. The event is at the top to the left. 	B 	
SatCom Array NW-05a 	Go to the blue car at the raider camp west of the array, then go north. The encounter will spawn by the water ahead. 	B 	
Scrapyard 	Exit Scrapyard to south and go to Enclave advertisement board. Then head west by Scrapyard's fence until the rock after the southwest corner of Scrapyard. The event is behind it. 	B 	
Smith Casey's garage 	Head N on the road, pass the trucks and the roadblocks, the event is at the car. 	B 	
Springvale school 	Go Southeast towards the road. Continue down the road and the encounter will spawn around the rock just past the destroyed house. 	B 	
Temple of the Union 	Go South and look for a fallen tree to your left. From that tree, go East to the isolated tree. The encounter will spawn to the Southeast. 	B 	
Temple of the Union 	Go South towards the car billboard and to the army truck. Go Southeast from the truck and the event will spawn up the hill. 	B 	
The Silver Lining Drive-In 	From the drive-in's fast travel arrival point, go exactly southeast toward the powerline tower, drop into the shallow ravine, from there proceed clockwise around the southwest perimeter of the drive-in. The encouter will spawn between the big screen and Faded Pomp Estates. 	B 	
VAPL-58 power station 	Go to the northwest corner of the station's fence. Then go southeast, pass the shack, the event is southeast from there. 	B 	
Arefu 	Fast-travel to Arefu and go down to the car billboard. From there, go Southwest and the event will spawn on the road. 	B 	
VAPL-84 power station 	Follow the pylons west by southwest, then turn south at the whirlwind after the broken pylon and go back to power station southeast then northeast. 	B 	
Vault 101 	Follow the road south until passing between the highway remains and the pillar, where the road turns W. Then go back on the road, the event is halfway between Vault 101 and the water tower. 	B 	
Vault 87 	Find the pond northwest of Vault 87. Go north through the canyon, then turn east, the event is there. 	B 	
Warrington trainyard 	Go W-NW by the northern fence, then up the hill a bit. There should be some enemy around. Then you can go back for the event, as it is around the rocks looking like a cavern / vault entrance (without the door) east from you, north from the broken parts of the fence. 	B 	
Yao guai tunnels 	Go S to the large lonely tree. There turn back and head to north by northeast, the event is about halfway between the tree and yao guai tunnels. 	B 	
Yao guai tunnels 	Go N, the event is not far from there. 	B 	
Megaton 	Fast-travel to Megaton and exit. Go right and around to the South end. The encounter will spawn behind the two big trees to the southeast. 	B 	
==Notes==
* Random encounters may not spawn all members of an included faction when there are already large numbers of creatures/characters in the same map cell. This is normal and occurs to prevent the game from suffering graphical slowdowns due to excessive world objects being present.
==Bugs==
* Enslaving random encounter characters can cause a serious glitch where the game may freeze when attempting to use dialogue with them to either add or remove a slave collar given to you in Paradise Falls.
* Type B encounters may lose track of assigned patrol routes when they cross another patrol route. They will begin following the waypoints from the other route. Most often seen with Outcast patrols as there are several static Outcast patrol routes that overlap Type B encounter waypoints. Any patrolling encounter can have this happen where random encounter waypoints exist in proximity.
 
de:Fallout 3 Zufallsbegegnungen
ru:Случайные встречи Fallout 3
zh:辐射3特殊事件