Radroach

Great American Cockroaches, colloquially called radroaches or simply giant cockroaches are obviously giant versions of the regular cockroaches mutated by radiation - there was never any doubt that they would survive a nuclear war. Found mainly in underground areas and sewers, these creatures can usually be found in fairly large groups. They feed on the dead, but will go after living creatures if isolated. Their numbers are usually their greatest advantage. Radroaches live mostly in the areas east of California.

It is said that cockroach guts are actually useful in the treatment of radiation poisoning, and are widely used by tribals for that purpose.

Capital Wasteland
Radroaches looks similar to real life roaches in the Capital Wasteland, the only mutations they experience being through size, in which they become the size of a housecat. They are typically the weakest enemy in the game, dying from one hit from most weapons, save from a BB gun with very low skills. They are one of the few 'hostile' creatures that will not charge a player, initially, even though marked such on the compass and reticule. In fact, when sneaking, if a Radroach spots the player, the HIDDEN notifier will, more often than not, change to DETECTED, rather than DANGER or CAUTION.

Radroaches will attack, however, if the player seems to threaten them, either by having a weapon drawn, invading their territory (which is limited to less than a foot around the creature), or attacking them. Generally, they will spread their wings in warning when they're about to attack. Companions will not attack them until they attack or provoke the player.

Two named cockroaches appear in Fallout 3: Fluffy and Jitters.

Midwest
In the Midwest, cockroaches are a common sight in the wasteland. Like in the Capital Wasteland, they can be encoutered nearly everywhere, from old buildings to plains. However, they are drastically different and more dangerous than those met in Capital Wasteland. They have a big, protected main body and small legs, and their juice is incredibly poisonous. They are very agressive and attack every human unlucky enough to encounter them.

The Midwestern radroaches are more varied than their Capital Wasteland cousins. Three variations are known:

Small cockroach
The weakest of the cockroaches, they can be easily killed even by a tribal. However, their bites can poison an opponent, and when they are in large groups, they can kill even a prepared combatant. This type of roaches is nearly the same size as their "relatives" in Capital Wasteland.

Large cockroach
They are very similar to their small cousins, but are larger (being approximately the same weight as human) and have an ability to spit their poisonous juice.

Roachor
Roachor is a unique mutant cockroach encountered by the Warrior of Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel. He is an "advanced" version of a large cockroach, who lived in Peoria facility. It appears Roachor was affected by the high amount of radiation coming from a strange production device which was used in manufacturing fission batteries. He is even bigger than any large cockroach, being the same size as a car, his body being radioactivly-greenish and his poison even deadlier. However, the warrior succeeds in killing him.

Texas


In Texas, a bizzare cockroach mutation can be found. They have an orb-like main body with a small head and six limbs with a claw on the end of each. When attacking, they leaps towards and claw or bite a targeted creature - dodge quickly to avoid these pests, as they are very mobile. Their appearance is not very cockroach-like and they apparenly have a set of human-like teeth and two fish-like eyes. In fact, these creatures somehow look like spiders. Another strange fact is that they also have an appendage somewhat resembling a tail. These bugs are known to roam the wastes, many of them could be found in such radioactive place like Carbon crater, but their "home" is probably the Secret Vault, where the majority of them could be found. A possible explanation of their existence is that they were made by modified strain of FEV located in Secret Vault, being a result of biological weapon experiments conducted by the Vault scientists and now, after the Vault's downfall, they found their way to the wasteland.

They are devided in two main sub-species:

Small Radroach
These are most common of them. Beside Secret Vault, some of them made their home in Carbon crater, while other are found in the Carbon Mill and later in Los. They are roughly the same size as a dog. Some of these critters has a green exoskeleton and could be carried inside their bigger comrades.

Big Radroach
These are bigger versions of their smaller counterparts, being the same size as Brahmin. Aside from the Secret Vault itself, these pests are found near their home, in Vault-Tec Warehouse, guarding the Secret Vault and participating in battles between the Super Mutants and the Church of the Lost. In Secret Vault, some of them have a sort of web and spikes generated around their limbs and body and, more important, are portected by a green exoskeleton shell. Some of them also could carry a number of their smaller relatives inside themselves.

Appearances
Giant cockroaches appear in Fallout Tactics, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, and were to appear in Van Buren. They were also mentioned in Fallout Bible 1. Radroaches appear in Fallout 3.