Floater

Floaters are a unique mutant of unknown origins and known terrifying appearance.

Background
A likely offshoot of West Tek experiments on flatworms from 2075, floaters are unique creatures that were widely deployed alongside Unity forces, together with centaurs. Following the death of the Master, floaters became ubiquitous in the Central Valley in New California, preying on unwary travelers entering the regions. Fortunately, they are quite scarce elsewhere in the wasteland, apart from Appalachia.

Biology
The floater is a large, soft-bodied invertebrate, named after the flotation sacs (frequently abbreviated to just float sac) that, contrary to its name, allows it to hover in the air. Noxious, flammable gases are generated by the creature's tissues, then stored in these large bladders, giving it its distinctive appearance. The sacs surround a mouth, which contains a tentacle terminating in a primitive, cross-shaped maw. When the floater attacks its prey, the maw is launched forwards, spiraling through the air and attempting to bite down on the target. Despite its ungainly appearance, the floater is fast, using its flexible tail to slither along the ground. Finally, they are oviparous, equipped with an ovipositor to lay eggs. Fortunately, floaters lack any meaningful intelligence: Their rudimentary ganglia are enough for them to recognize prey and members of its pack, but they are unable to work together as a pack, simply swarming whatever target they come across. However, that simplicity also makes them tenacious and difficult to put down. Their one disadvantage is that the flotation gases are flammable, making energy and flame weapons highly effective against these combustible creatures.

Floater


Only one variant of the floater exists across New California and Appalachia, frequently encountered in packs. The Unity harnessed floaters for use as war animals, accompanying patrols across the wasteland and protecting key locations in their domain. After the fall of the Master, packs of floaters and centaurs began to appear across the Central Valley, with another used by the Enclave to deny access to the navigational computer onboard the PMV Valdez.

Appearances
Floaters appear in Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout 76. The Art of Fallout 3 includes concept art for a Lamprey floater, Manowar tendril floater, and Needle tooth floater. Creatures named floater budding and floater evolved also appear in Fallout: New Vegas, though they use the centaur model, a legacy of development.

Behind the scenes


Floaters are the creation of Jason D. Anderson. Notably, the creature was known as the "Sphincter Monster" during development after Anderson had used a pornographic image for its mouth. 