Scorchbeast

Scorchbeasts are creatures found in Appalachia in 2102.

Background
The first scorchbeast was accidentally created when Enclave scientists exposed irradiated bats to biochemical experiments in early 2083. Although it would have been a wiser choice to exterminate them, Secretary Eckhart ordered further study of the creatures in controlled habitats at the abandoned AMS mining complexes, while keeping the officer corps in the dark. The future President wanted - needed - a way to fool the region's monitoring systems into believing that they were under immediate threat, raising the alert level to DEFCON 1 and giving him access to the nuclear arsenal. Although kept in isolation, theoretically, individual beasts made it to the surface at disturbingly regular intervals, as early as 2084. Despite increasing opposition from the officer corps, Eckhart finally unleashed them on the region in 2086, unintentionally releasing a pestilence that threatened to render the human race extinct on a continental scale.

The people of the wasteland first learned about the Scorchbeasts from reports issued by the Brotherhood of Steel under Paladin Taggerty. Although they dismissed them as pure stories to give Taggerty an excuse to commandeer ammo and supplies, they were soon proven wrong by their appearance and the plague that followed in their wake. The Scorched, terrifying, warped creatures created out of humans afflicted by the scorchbeast plague, have become an existential threat to the people of Appalachia. The situation is made worse by the fact that their breeding cycles are off the charts, limited only by the available nest space in the mining tunnels below Appalachia.

Since then, the scorchbeasts established a vast colony of these draconic bat horrors beneath the entirety of Appalachia. They would regularly dig to the surface to destroy settlements and devour humans, leaving large rifts in the landscape. The only way to safely close the rifts was to launch nuclear missiles from one of three automated silos scattered across Appalachia, collapsing the rifts and killing those scorchbeasts that remain. None of the factions in Appalachia managed to achieve this feat, either due to a lack of means (Responders and Free States) or ideological opposition to the use of nuclear weapons (Brotherhood of Steel). Only the Vault 76 dwellers, entering Appalachia after humans were wiped out from the area, managed to push back the scorchbeasts and destroy them in nuclear attrition, preventing an extinction-level event.

Scorchbeasts are partially responsible for the creation of the Scorched, as according to research by the Vault 76 overseer, their underground colony contains a fungus responsible for the Scorched Plague, causing the crystalline growths seen on the Scorched.

Biology
Scorchbeasts are a species of enormous, mutated bats, presumed to be pygmy bats. The gargantuan creature has retained its ancestors' pointed ears, membranous wings, allowing it to fly and soar through the air, and echolocation. However, it has grown to a tremendous size, developed an extra pair of functional legs, and evolved to become the carrier of a plague which converts any infected living being into the Scorched. Despite their size, scorchbeasts possess considerable agility, and even when grounded they can leap several times their body length in one bound. Despite the behavior of their progenitors, scorchbeasts are not averse to daytime hunting and are known to cooperatively hunt in groups.

Strong and aggressive, it attacks with razor-sharp teeth, claws, the beasts are potent foes, as lamented by the Responders, whose anti-scorchbeast tactics boil down to doing everything in their power to keep away from it and finding an enclosed space to fire from, as scorchbeasts are simply too big to fit into small spaces. Coupled with the radiation they emit, Rad-X is also recommended. Scorchbeasts are also notably capable of using powerful ultrasonic echolocation as a means of navigating or commanding their Scorched servants on the ground. In addition to this, they possess the ability to emit a powerful sonic blast capable of shattering wood and metal structures from their mouths much like mirelurk kings and Mothmen, but on a far larger scale. Their other non-conventional attack includes flying over an area and saturating it with an acidic, radioactive mist that permeates through the cover. The scorchbeast's body is laced with ultracite, which can be extracted from their hides, bones, and wings.

Gameplay attributes
The scorchbeast summons many Scorched enemies while fighting. It utilizes three different attacks, the first being a long-range sonic attack, which is performed while flying. The interval between these attacks is at least ten seconds.

The second attack is a radiation fog, commonly referred to as crop-dusting due to its dispersing from its wings much like a crop duster, this fog will travel through roofs and walls. The scorchbeast will continue to dust an area, even if the player character is in caution status. The scorchbeast queen uses a variant of this attack that deals poison damage, rather than the standard radiation damage.

The third attack style is a sweeping attack which it utilizes while on the ground.

The scorchbeast also has a tendency to heal itself when left alone for a while, similar to other creatures. They have also been seen to attack and infect other enemies, usually, those that are in combat with it. Scorchbeast attacks are relentless but not as powerful as some others. It is possible to run a considerable distance while under attack. It is also possible to enter a building, gully, or another sheltered area, then go into sneak mode and wait out the attack although the player character may be attacked by other scorched creatures.

Due to the sonic attacks counting as explosive damage rather than energy damage, equipping a full set of armor with the dense modification is very effective at reducing incoming damage. Equipping the Fireproof perk will also help significantly. Automated surface to air missile batteries can be repaired at several of the BOS firebases if a player character is close to one of the locations. The ASAM(s) can help fight the scorchbeast or provide a diversion. Otherwise, the player should only try to attack it when it's on the ground, or at least when it's not flying erratically.

Scorchbeasts are seldom friendly, and will almost always chase the player if they attempt to make an escape. However, they are very easy to detect due to the distinct sound of their wings when they are flying.

Scorchbeast
A standard scorchbeast, these fearsome creatures can range in level. When they are diseased, their sonic blasts will affect the player character in the form of the Blight, a disease which will lower all SPECIAL stats by 1 point.

Extra crispy scorchbeast
A weakened scorchbeast encountered in the Nuclear Winter mode.

Scorchbeast queen
The scorchbeast queen is spawned by dropping a nuclear missile on Fissure site Prime and is considered to be the final boss of the game. Eight or more participants are recommended for this difficult server-wide event, in which she must be killed within 30 minutes. During this engagement, waves of lesser enemies, including other scorchbeasts and scorched variants of most enemies will attack the player characters, on top of the ever-present danger of the queen herself. The resistances of the scorchbeast queen, like all other creatures in Appalachia, are determined by a level curve table, however even before her resistances take effect, she reduces all incoming damage by 70%. Her strafe ability deals poison damage and she is shrouded by a radiation damage cloak.

Locations

 * Scorchbeasts spawn at active fissure sites:
 * Fissure site Alpha - Cranberry Bog - Southeast of Survey camp Alpha.
 * Fissure site Beta - Savage Divide - East of the Bailey family cabin in the far north.
 * Fissure site Epsilon - Cranberry Bog - South of Firebase Major.
 * Fissure site Lambda - The Forest - Cuts through Highway 62 just west of the junction with 83-A between Bleeding Kate's Grindhouse and the miners monument.
 * Fissure site Omicron - The Mire - On a hill in a clearing west of Mosstown.
 * Fissure site Sigma - Savage Divide - North of Hopewell cave, west-southwest of the Pumpkin House.
 * Fissure site Omega - Ash Heap - Northwest of and very close to Striker Row, south of the AMS testing site.
 * Fissure site Prime - Cranberry Bog - South-southeast of drop site V9, northwest of Forward Station Delta, and southwest of the glassed cavern. This area always has scorchbeasts flying. It is where the scorchbeast queen spawns when the site is hit with a intercontinental ballistic missile.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - Immediately southeast of Firebase LT. This site has no map or compass marker. The rising smoke is clearly visible from Firebase LT.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - Northeast of Quarry X3. Scorchbeasts from here patrol the central Cranberry Bog, north of Watoga.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - Northwest of drop site V9. Scorchbeasts from here patrol the southeastern Cranberry bog.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - North-northwest of Appalachian Antiques, just south of monorail support with a monorail car at the top. The scorchbeast that spawns here frequently patrols Appalachian Antiques and other nearby locations.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - Northeast of Ranger lookout, southeast of Creekside sundew grove. The scorchbeast from there routinely patrols those locations and the Bootlegger's shack.
 * Unmarked fissure site - Cranberry Bog - Next to the third monorail pylon north of Pylon V-13 on the monorail line that went from there to the RobCo Research Center. The pylon is the one that has stairs to the top. Verified as a scorchbeast spawn site. Two spawned a minute or two apart.
 * Glassed cavern - Scorchbeasts spawn inside the cavern.

Scorchbeasts can frequently be found at these locations, usually following player characters or a succession of other targets from their spawn points:
 * The southern Ash Heap drawn from fissure site Omega.
 * Abandoned mine shaft 2.
 * Beckley.
 * Lewisburg.
 * The Whitespring Resort - Potentially drawn up from fissure site Lambda.
 * Watoga - Following player characters or other creatures from fissure sites Alpha and Prime.

There are one or more non-aggressive scorchbeast(s) flying around the Forest. These have a light yellow name and health bar. If attacked, their name and health bar will turn red and they will fight back but if one breaks off their attack, after a minute or two, the scorchbeast will stop its attack and return to its patrol. It or they have been sighted:
 * North of Morgantown Airport.
 * At a hilltop picnic area west of Helvetia and south of Arktos Pharma.
 * South of White Powder Winter Sports and north of Cliffwatch.
 * North of the plane crash site at Horizon's Rest.

Appearances
Scorchbeasts appear only in Fallout 76 and its updates.