Scorchbeast

Scorchbeasts are creatures found in Appalachia in 2102.

Background
Beneath the entirety of Appalachia lies a vast colony of these draconic bat horrors. After a period of time, the colony becomes overcrowded and the scorchbeasts dig to the surface to destroy settlements and devour humans, leaving large rifts in the landscape. The only way to shut them is to launch one of the few remaining nuclear I.C.B.M.s from one of three silos scattered across Appalachia, collapsing the rifts and killing those scorchbeasts that remain. This is only a temporary measure, however, as the scorchbeasts will once again overpopulate and breach the surface somewhere else after a period of time, necessitating repeated strikes by vigilant humans to prevent the surface from being fully overrun.

These creatures were originally created and studied by the Enclave when a bat was exposed to a biochemical test.

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 have evolved from an unknown species of bat, presumed to be pygmy bats by the Free States. The gargantuan creature has pointed ears and membranous wings, allowing it to fly and soar through the air. The scorchbeast's body is laced with ultracite, which can be extracted from their hides, bones, and wings. Strong and aggressive, it attacks with razor-sharp teeth, claws, a powerful sonic blast capable of shattering wood and metal structures, and by dousing the player character in an acidic, radioactive mist that permeates through cover.

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 second attack is a radiation fog, commonly referred to as crop-dusting due to it dispersing from its wings much like a crop duster, and travels through roofs and walls. The scorchbeast will continue to dust an area, even if the player character is in caution status. 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 other sheltered area, 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. The 2/19/2019 update "increased the timer between successive Sonic Scream volleys to 10 seconds for Scorchbeasts and the Scorchbeast Queen in order to reduce the frequency of these attacks. Dev Note: This change should help players have some more time to react between Sonic Scream volleys."

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 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 25 minutes. During this engagement, waves of lesser enemies, including other scorchbeasts and scorched variants of most enemies (alongside the rare non-scorched enemy) will attack the player characters in addition to the danger of the queen herself. The resistances of the scorchbeast queen like all other creatures in 76 are determined by a level curve table, however even before her resistances take effect, she reduces all incoming damage by 70%.

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 Gamma - Savage Divide - Northeast of Lake Eloise in the far south.
 * 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 a 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 - probably 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 heath bar. If attacked, their name and health bar will turn red and they will fight back but if the player breaks off their attack, after a minute or two, the scorchbeast will stop it's attack and return to it's 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, Horizon's Rest

Appearances
Scorchbeasts appear only in Fallout 76 and its add-on Nuclear Winter.