U.S. Covert Operations Manual (Fallout 76)

U.S. Covert Operations Manual is a perk magazine in Fallout 76.

Background
U.S. Covert Operations Manual is a training handbook produced by the United States Department of the Army to train its personnel in the art of subterfuge. The manuals were not intended for public circulation and were marked "Authorized Eyes Only."

Characteristics
Reading an installment of U.S. Covert Operations Manual will temporarily give the player character a unique bonus, such as increased damage resistance while sneaking or increased damage to others. All bonuses expire after 30 minutes (60 minutes with Curator), and the magazine is consumed once read.

Installments of U.S. Covert Operations Manual are affected by Pannapictagraphist and will emit directional audio when the player character is in range.

Locations

 * The magazines are randomly found throughout Appalachia, including a selection of potential spawn points.

Behind the scenes

 * The collection of manuals is based on real world Field Manuals issued by the US Department of the Army, particularly those issued in the 1960s.
 * Some of the issue titles also refer to common phrases and to real world pop culture:
 * "Whistling in the Dark" is a common idiom meaning "to put on a brave front."
 * "Not the Soldiers You're Looking For" is a reference to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where Obi-Wan Kenobi says "These aren't the droids you're looking for."
 * "Who Goes There?" is the name of a science fiction novella by John W. Campbell, Jr., written in 1938 and made into several films, the best known of which is John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).
 * "Squeaky Floorboard, Sudden Death" is a Splinter Cell reference, in particular to the third game in the series, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
 * "Bushes, Boxes and Beehives Camouflage Special" is a nod to the Metal Gear Solid game series, of which hiding in a cardboard box is a signature, and where Snake may hide behind bushes, under boxes and use beehives as a method of distraction.
 * "Look Better in Black" alludes to a quote from City of Bones, part of the Mortal Instruments series of novels. The quote is as follows: "It means 'Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of our Enemies Since 1234'."
 * "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" is a reference to the song of the same name.

Cover images
Manuel d'opérations secrètes de l'armée américaine (Fallout 76)