Fallout 5: Sticky Grenade Arsenal
Sticky grenades should look improvised, dangerous, and unmistakably Fallout—built from pre-war industrial equipment, military salvage, household junk, creature parts, and faction technology. Each type needs a unique silhouette, attachment method, blinking pattern, sound cue, and detonation behavior so players can identify it instantly.
1. Military Adhesive Grenade
Appearance:
A compact olive-drab grenade wrapped with a thick band of black military adhesive. Four spring-loaded gripping claws unfold when thrown.
Attachment: Magnetic clamp plus adhesive resin.
Effect: Standard high-explosive blast.
Visual cues:
A red military light flashes faster as detonation approaches. The claws visibly dig into armor, robots, doors, or vehicles.
Best use: General-purpose combat, armored enemies, turrets, and machinery.
2. Vault-Tec Suction Bomb
Appearance:
A polished blue-and-yellow disc shaped like an oversized Vault-Tec maintenance tool. The face displays a smiling Vault Boy giving a thumbs-up.
Attachment: Powerful rubber suction ring.
Effect: Focused directional explosion that sends most of the blast through the attached surface.
Visual cues:
The Vault Boy display changes from smiling to frightened during the countdown.
Special behavior: Extremely effective against doors, walls, robot plating, and power armor.
3. Bottlecap Clinger
Appearance:
A handmade metal canister covered in bottlecaps, wires, nails, and sharpened scrap. The sticky surface is made from melted tire rubber and industrial glue.
Attachment: Tar-like adhesive.
Effect: Fragmentation blast that launches bottlecaps and scrap in every direction.
Visual cues:
Loose bottlecaps shake and rattle before detonation.
Special behavior: Cheap to craft, but occasionally fails to stick cleanly or slides down smooth surfaces.
4. Plasma Adhesive Charge
Appearance:
A glowing green energy capsule enclosed in a three-pronged metal cage. The rear has a luminous gel pad.
Attachment: Superheated plasma gel bonds to surfaces.
Effect: Plasma explosion with a chance to liquefy targets into glowing residue.
Visual cues:
The cage becomes increasingly transparent as the plasma core intensifies.
Special behavior: The attached area remains dangerously hot after the blast.
5. Pulse Leech
Appearance:
A flat electromagnetic device resembling a mechanical tick. Copper legs grip the target while a blue capacitor pulses in the center.
Attachment: Magnetic legs.
Effect: Electromagnetic pulse that disables robots, turrets, energy weapons, powered doors, and power armor components.
Visual cues:
Blue electrical arcs travel from the grenade into the target.
Special behavior: When attached to power armor, it can temporarily shut down individual systems such as the helmet, targeting display, fusion-core regulator, or one powered limb.
6. Cryogenic Barnacle
Appearance:
A frosted silver sphere surrounded by translucent blue chemical sacs. Small gripping hooks resemble the legs of a mutated sea creature.
Attachment: Freezing adhesive that instantly hardens.
Effect: Releases cryogenic gas, freezing the attached target and nearby enemies.
Visual cues:
Ice spreads outward from the grenade before it explodes.
Special behavior: Frozen armor becomes brittle and takes increased physical damage.
7. Incendiary Tar Bomb
Appearance:
A blackened fuel canister covered in bubbling asphalt-like material. A cloth wick burns from the top while fuel leaks through cracks.
Attachment: Burning tar.
Effect: Sticks to enemies and spreads fire across their clothing, fur, or armor.
Visual cues:
The tar slowly runs down the target before ignition.
Special behavior: Enemies may panic, roll on the ground, remove armor pieces, or run toward water.
8. Radroach Egg Sack
Appearance:
A disgusting stitched leather pouch filled with translucent radroach eggs and radioactive fluid.
Attachment: Organic mucus.
Effect: Bursts open and releases aggressive irradiated hatchlings.
Visual cues:
The sack visibly writhes while attached.
Special behavior: The hatchlings attack whoever is closest, including the original target, nearby enemies, or the player.
9. Bloatfly Larva Bomb
Appearance:
A swollen biological pod held together with surgical staples and injector tubing.
Attachment: Barbed biological spike.
Effect: Injects parasitic larvae before rupturing.
Visual cues:
The target’s skin or exposed flesh visibly twitches around the attachment point.
Special behavior: Living targets suffer delayed internal damage. If they die while infected, additional bloatfly larvae may emerge.
10. Mirelurk Resin Charge
Appearance:
A rough shell fragment packed with explosives and coated in glossy mirelurk resin. Crab-like pincers close around whatever it strikes.
Attachment: Resin and mechanical pincers.
Effect: Heavy concussive blast with high stagger damage.
Visual cues:
The shell cracks progressively before exploding.
Special behavior: Works especially well underwater and can be attached to aquatic creatures.
11. Super Mutant Meat Bomb
Appearance:
A crude explosive bundle wrapped inside raw animal hide, chains, hooks, and bloody cloth.
Attachment: Large butcher hooks.
Effect: Powerful but unstable fragmentation explosion.
Visual cues:
The bomb grunts through a damaged voice box, repeating phrases such as “STAY THERE!” or “BIG BOOM!”
Special behavior: Can become lodged in large creatures. Super mutants may throw these farther than ordinary humans.
12. Raider Facehugger Charge
Appearance:
A crude mask-shaped explosive with straps, barbed wire, teeth, and spray-painted eyes.
Attachment: Spring-loaded straps wrap around heads, limbs, pipes, or weapon barrels.
Effect: Localized explosive damage.
Visual cues:
A mechanical jaw repeatedly snaps while the timer counts down.
Special behavior: A head attachment causes severe head damage; attaching it to an arm may cripple that limb. Skilled enemies may try to cut the straps.
13. Railroad Ghost Charge
Appearance:
A thin, matte-black disc made from covert Institute salvage. It has almost no visible lights and bears a tiny lantern symbol.
Attachment: Silent molecular adhesive.
Effect: Low-noise directional blast designed for sabotage.
Visual cues:
Nearly invisible except through certain scopes, Perception perks, or specialized eyewear.
Special behavior: Ideal for stealth assassinations, generator sabotage, and planting traps without immediately alerting an area.
14. Institute Molecular Anchor
Appearance:
A white ceramic device with three articulated arms and a cold blue central light.
Attachment: Molecular bonding field rather than physical glue.
Effect: Causes a localized energy implosion followed by a sharp concussive burst.
Visual cues:
The target’s outline flickers as if partially destabilized.
Special behavior: Briefly prevents teleportation, cloaking, or rapid movement before detonation.
15. Brotherhood Breaching Charge
Appearance:
A heavy rectangular block marked with Brotherhood insignia, hazard stripes, and a reinforced magnetic backplate.
Attachment: Industrial magnet and locking spikes.
Effect: Armor-piercing directional explosion.
Visual cues:
A laser line shows the direction of the blast cone.
Special behavior: Designed for power armor, bunkers, robots, sealed doors, and armored vehicles. It produces little damage behind the charge, allowing tactical breaching.
16. Enclave Blackstar Charge
Appearance:
A sleek black metal sphere with red optics, retractable needles, and advanced microthrusters.
Attachment: Active target-seeking clamp.
Effect: High-energy blast combined with radiation and electronic interference.
Visual cues:
Red scanning beams sweep across the target while the grenade identifies weak points.
Special behavior: If it initially misses, small thrusters allow it to redirect once toward a nearby target or surface.
17. Tesla Coil Grenade
Appearance:
A compact copper coil mounted on a ceramic base with magnets underneath.
Attachment: Electromagnetic clamp.
Effect: Repeated electrical discharges before a final explosion.
Visual cues:
Lightning branches toward nearby metallic enemies and objects.
Special behavior: Attaching it to one robot can turn that robot into the center of an electrical chain attack.
18. Nuka-Cola Quantum Gum Bomb
Appearance:
A glowing blue glass capsule surrounded by sticky chewing-gum-like polymer and bottlecap detonators.
Attachment: Expanding radioactive gum.
Effect: Powerful Quantum radiation explosion.
Visual cues:
The blue gum stretches and inflates like a bubble before bursting.
Special behavior: Leaves a glowing radioactive patch that damages anything standing in it.
19. Nuka-Cherry Popper
Appearance:
A red soda-can bomb with a spring-loaded bottlecap and sticky syrup leaking from its seams.
Attachment: Concentrated Nuka-Cola syrup.
Effect: Small initial explosion followed by several popping submunitions.
Visual cues:
The can shakes violently and makes carbonated fizzing sounds.
Special behavior: Submunitions stick to nearby surfaces, creating several smaller secondary detonations.
20. HalluciGen Panic Bomb
Appearance:
A transparent chemical canister with swirling green, purple, and yellow gas. A rubber medical pad sticks it to the target.
Attachment: Chemical adhesive patch.
Effect: Releases hallucination gas instead of causing major physical damage.
Visual cues:
Nearby characters appear distorted through the cloud.
Special behavior: Affected enemies may attack allies, flee, fire at nonexistent targets, or believe the attached victim is a monster.
21. Vertibird Fuel Charge
Appearance:
A repurposed aviation fuel filter wrapped in detonation cord, pressure valves, and magnetic clamps.
Attachment: Strong vehicle-grade magnet.
Effect: Moderate initial blast followed by an intense fuel fire.
Visual cues:
Fuel sprays from the casing before ignition.
Special behavior: More powerful when attached near engines, fusion systems, fuel tanks, generators, or vertibird components.
22. Fusion-Core Tapper
Appearance:
A long metal spike connected to a compact capacitor and yellow warning lights.
Attachment: Armor-piercing spike.
Effect: Drains energy from powered machinery before releasing it in an explosion.
Visual cues:
The grenade glows brighter as it steals power.
Special behavior: The damage depends on the target. A nearly depleted machine creates a small blast; a fully powered robot or fusion generator creates a devastating one.
23. Gravity Clamp
Appearance:
A rare pre-war experimental device shaped like a thick silver ring with floating inner components.
Attachment: Local gravitational field.
Effect: Pulls nearby objects and enemies toward the attached target before detonating.
Visual cues:
Dust, shell casings, debris, and loose weapons begin sliding toward it.
Special behavior: It can pull raiders into a deathclaw, draw enemies toward an explosive barrel, or bunch a group together for another attack.
24. Sonic Screamer
Appearance:
A circular speaker unit with adhesive pads and a cracked emergency siren casing.
Attachment: Industrial acoustic sealant.
Effect: Emits increasingly powerful sonic bursts before exploding.
Visual cues:
Nearby glass vibrates, dust falls from ceilings, and characters cover their ears.
Special behavior: Disorients humans, interferes with creature senses, disrupts stealth, and can attract enemies from surrounding areas.
25. Hunter’s Scent Bomb
Appearance:
A glass jar filled with blood, pheromones, and mutant-gland extract, reinforced with leather straps and hooks.
Attachment: Barbed dart.
Effect: Marks the target with a scent that attracts nearby predators.
Visual cues:
A visible vapor trail rises from the victim.
Special behavior: Deathclaws, yao guai, mutant hounds, mirelurks, and other creatures may prioritize the marked enemy. Different gland recipes attract different species.
26. Mini-Nuke Limpet
Appearance:
A terrifying compact nuclear charge with four robotic legs, a radiation symbol, and a tiny Fat Man warhead embedded in the center.
Attachment: Robotic claws and a magnetic base.
Effect: Small tactical nuclear detonation.
Visual cues:
A rising Geiger-counter pulse replaces a normal beeping timer.
Special behavior: Extremely rare, very heavy, and dangerous to use at close range. Enemies who recognize it may panic and attempt to flee immediately.
27. Time-Delay Ambush Charge
Appearance:
A battered alarm clock attached to a shaped explosive and sticky mounting plate.
Attachment: Adhesive plate.
Effect: Player-programmed detonation delay.
Visual cues:
The clock hands visibly move toward the selected detonation time.
Special behavior: The player can set it for several seconds, minutes, remote activation, proximity activation, or environmental triggers.
28. Remote Command Grenade
Appearance:
A compact charge with a radio antenna, numbered display, and blinking receiver.
Attachment: Magnetic or adhesive backing.
Effect: Detonates only when the player activates the assigned radio channel.
Visual cues:
A tiny numbered light identifies which charges are connected.
Special behavior: Multiple charges can be linked into groups, allowing synchronized ambushes, bridge collapses, minefields, and structural sabotage.
29. Magnetic Ricochet Grenade
Appearance:
A reinforced steel puck with an illuminated magnetic ring around its edge.
Attachment: Activates only after bouncing from one or more surfaces.
Effect: The grenade ricochets through a room before locking onto a metallic surface or armored target.
Visual cues:
The ring changes color after each bounce.
Special behavior: Skilled players can bank it around corners, under vehicles, through windows, or behind cover.
30. Adhesive Decoy Bomb
Appearance:
A small speaker box covered in duct tape, wires, and a blinking microphone.
Attachment: Sticky foam.
Effect: Mimics gunfire, footsteps, creature cries, radio chatter, or a human voice before exploding.
Visual cues:
Its speaker grille moves as it reproduces sounds.
Special behavior: The player selects the sound profile. It can lure enemies toward traps, separate patrols, or create the illusion of reinforcements.
Important Gameplay Systems
Location-Based Attachment
Sticky grenades should recognize where they land:
Head: Greater perception disruption or head damage.
Weapon: May destroy, jam, overheat, or force the enemy to drop it.
Arm: Increased limb damage and reduced accuracy.
Leg: Slows movement and raises knockdown probability.
Torso: Maximum general damage.
Back: Harder for the victim to remove.
Power armor fusion core: Massive energy damage.
Robot sensor array: Disables targeting.
Vehicle engine: Increased mechanical damage.
Creature shell or armor plate: May break that protective section.
Enemy Reactions
Enemies should not passively wait for death. Depending on intelligence, courage, armor, and remaining fuse time, they might:
Tear the grenade off.
Rub against a wall to dislodge it.
Throw it toward the player.
Run toward the player before it explodes.
Dive into water.
Remove an attached armor piece.
Ask an ally for help.
Panic and run into their own squad.
Freeze in fear.
Sacrifice themselves to protect allies.
A particularly ruthless enemy might grab a weaker companion and press the grenade against them.
Attachment Quality
Not every surface should provide the same grip.
Excellent attachment: Metal, exposed flesh, cloth, leather, power armor, robots.
Moderate attachment: Wood, concrete, creature hide, painted walls.
Poor attachment: Wet surfaces, ice, oily machinery, loose dirt, heavy fur.
Damaged adhesive, rain, radiation storms, underwater use, and extreme cold could affect reliability.
Crafting Components
Sticky grenades could use interchangeable components:
This would allow players to convert ordinary grenades into sticky versions rather than requiring every explosive to be a completely separate item.
Perk Integration
Demolition Expert: Larger blast and better fuse control.
Science!: Advanced plasma, pulse, gravity, and Institute variants.
Robotics Expert: Charges identify robot weak points.
Chemist: Stronger biological, incendiary, and hallucination grenades.
Sneak: Quieter planting and harder-to-detect charges.
Pickpocket: Place sticky grenades directly onto unaware targets.
Blacksmith: Better hooks, spikes, and mechanical clamps.
The best design would make sticky grenades more than ordinary explosives that simply stop moving. They should become a full tactical system built around placement, enemy behavior, environmental interaction, sabotage, creature manipulation, and localized damage.
Fallout 5: Stealth Magnetic Bombs
Magnetic bombs should be especially dangerous because some enemies can secretly attach them to the player, companions, robots, power armor, weapons, or vehicles without triggering an immediate warning. The terror comes from realizing that the strange clicking sound was not environmental noise—the bomb has been riding on your armor for the last thirty seconds.
1. Magnetic Tick Bomb
A small, flat bomb shaped like a mechanical tick. It has folding magnetic legs, a dark metal shell, and almost no visible lights.
It can be secretly attached by:
A raider brushing past the player.
A concealed attacker reaching through a doorway.
A small robot crawling along the floor.
A magnetic dart fired from a suppressed weapon.
Walking too close to a trapped metal surface.
The bomb remains dormant until the player enters a crowded room, approaches a settlement, gets inside power armor, or moves within range of its owner.
There should be no immediate HUD warning. Subtle signs include:
A faint metallic click.
Slight controller vibration.
An irregular electronic chirp.
Companions occasionally staring at the player’s back.
Radio interference.
A small shadow visible while turning in third-person.
2. Dead-Signal Bomb
This bomb emits no beeping, blinking, or radio signal until its final few seconds.
It can remain attached for several minutes and may be programmed to detonate when:
The player opens the Pip-Boy.
The player begins using a workbench.
The player sleeps.
The player enters a settlement.
The player approaches a designated individual.
The player enters an elevator or narrow room.
The player fast-travels.
The player activates power armor.
This makes it an assassination and infiltration device rather than a normal combat explosive.
A sophisticated enemy could attach one and deliberately allow the player to escape, hoping the player unknowingly carries it back to their allies.
3. Power-Armor Limpet
A heavy magnetic charge designed specifically for power armor.
It usually attaches to:
Because the wearer cannot easily see these areas, they may not realize it has attached.
Possible effects depend on placement:
Fusion-core housing: Core rupture or rapid energy drain.
Knee joint: Leg lock and movement impairment.
Helmet: Sensor blackout and hearing distortion.
Torso plate: Direct armor penetration.
Exhaust system: Heat buildup and temporary shutdown.
The player may hear a new rattle while walking, but it could easily be mistaken for damaged armor.
4. Magnetic Parasite Mine
This device does not immediately explode. It attaches itself to the player and slowly steals energy.
It can drain:
The stored energy increases the eventual explosion.
The longer it remains unnoticed, the more powerful it becomes. Removing it early may produce only a small electrical discharge. Ignoring it can create a devastating pulse explosion.
5. Magnetic Tracking Charge
This device primarily functions as a tracker. The explosive is secondary.
Once attached, it broadcasts the player’s location to:
The player may continue traveling without understanding why enemy groups keep finding them.
The bomb might detonate only after the hunters arrive, turning the tracker into both a beacon and an ambush weapon.
6. Proximity Betrayal Bomb
This bomb does not target the person carrying it. It targets whoever they approach.
An enemy might secretly attach one to the player and program it to explode near:
The player could unknowingly become a delivery system.
This should have serious narrative consequences. Survivors may believe the player deliberately carried out the bombing unless evidence proves otherwise.
7. Magnetic Hush Bomb
A covert faction bomb covered in sound-dampening material. It produces almost no noise when it attaches or activates.
Instead of a large explosion, it creates a directional blast designed to kill one target while minimizing nearby damage.
It is useful for:
Political assassinations.
Silencing witnesses.
Destroying specific robot components.
Damaging power-armor fusion cores.
Breaching secure terminals.
Killing a passenger without destroying an entire vehicle.
This bomb may be nearly impossible to notice without specialized equipment or high Perception.
8. Magnetic Swarm Bomb
A larger bomb releases several tiny magnetic charges after attaching.
The smaller devices crawl or slide toward:
Weapons.
Grenades.
Armor joints.
Robots.
Nearby metal objects.
Ammunition containers.
The player may discover and remove the main bomb but fail to notice the smaller charges spreading across their equipment.
During detonation, several pieces of carried gear could malfunction simultaneously.
9. Magnetic Decoy Bomb
This device imitates ordinary equipment noise.
It may produce sounds resembling:
Power-armor servos.
A loose rifle sling.
Pip-Boy static.
A rattling bottlecap.
A damaged robot motor.
A Geiger-counter click.
A companion’s footsteps.
Players who become accustomed to background mechanical noises may overlook it.
Some versions could attach a false device as a distraction while the real bomb attaches elsewhere.
10. Magnetic Burrower
After attaching, the bomb slowly moves across metal surfaces, searching for a vulnerable location.
For example, it might attach to a power-armor shoulder but then crawl toward:
The fusion core.
The neck seam.
The helmet electronics.
An exposed joint.
A damaged armor plate.
The player may hear faint scraping as it moves.
The bomb’s intelligence should depend on its technological origin. A crude raider version may move randomly, while an Enclave version actively scans for structural weak points.
11. Magnetic Weapon Bomb
This tiny charge attaches directly to a firearm or energy weapon.
It may be planted while the weapon is:
Holstered.
Resting on a workbench.
Stored in a settlement chest.
Being repaired by an untrustworthy technician.
Temporarily confiscated at a checkpoint.
Dropped during combat.
Possible activation triggers include:
Pulling the trigger.
Reloading.
Firing a certain number of rounds.
Charging an energy weapon.
Aiming at a designated target.
The explosion could destroy the weapon, injure the user’s hands, or discharge the remaining ammunition.
12. Magnetic Ammunition Charge
A miniature device attaches to an ammunition magazine, missile, fusion cell pack, or grenade belt.
Rather than exploding immediately, it causes carried ammunition to cook off.
Consequences could include:
Random rounds firing inside the inventory container.
Grenades detonating.
Fusion cells releasing radiation.
Missiles becoming unstable.
Flamethrower fuel igniting.
This bomb would make ammunition management and equipment inspection more important.
13. Magnetic Companion Bomb
Enemies may attach bombs to companions rather than the player.
A companion might not notice because the device is attached to:
Companion behavior should vary:
A perceptive companion notices unusual weight.
A nervous companion panics.
A technically skilled companion safely removes it.
A reckless companion throws it toward the enemy.
A loyal companion runs away from the player to protect them.
A hostile or compromised companion hides the discovery.
A companion might say:
“Don’t move. Something’s attached to your back.”
Or:
“Why is your armor making that sound?”
14. Magnetic Corpse Trap
A bomb is hidden beneath armor on a dead body.
When the player loots the corpse, the device transfers magnetically onto:
Their weapon.
Pip-Boy.
Armor.
Backpack frame.
Power armor.
The player may believe they safely disarmed the corpse, unaware that the bomb has simply moved.
This makes looting enemy soldiers more dangerous, particularly in areas controlled by professional mercenaries or advanced factions.
15. Magnetic Doorway Transfer Trap
A magnetic charge is concealed inside a narrow metal doorway, ladder, vent, elevator, or turnstile.
When the player passes through, the bomb detaches from the frame and clamps onto their equipment.
Unlike an ordinary mine, it does not explode at the trapped location. It travels with the victim.
These traps could be placed at:
16. Magnetic Drone Delivery Bomb
Small flying or crawling drones secretly attach bombs during combat.
Delivery methods include:
A fly-sized surveillance drone.
A rolling eyebot attachment unit.
A mechanical radroach.
A ceiling-mounted robotic arm.
A miniature hovering disc.
A disguised maintenance robot.
The drone may distract the player with gunfire while a second unit approaches from behind.
Killing the drone does not necessarily remove the bomb it already planted.
How the Player Discovers One
The system should avoid instantly announcing every attachment. Detection should depend on equipment, awareness, companions, and player behavior.
Passive Warning Signs
The player may notice:
A faint ticking that stops when standing still.
Metallic scraping behind them.
Radio static when the bomb transmits.
An unexpected weight increase.
Reduced fusion-core efficiency.
A small blinking reflection on nearby walls.
A companion acting concerned.
Sparks near the edge of the screen.
A distorted Pip-Boy display.
An unfamiliar object visible in third-person.
Settlement security suddenly sounding an alert.
No single sign should always confirm a bomb. This preserves suspense.
Perception Checks
High Perception may trigger messages such as:
You feel something clamp onto your armor.
You hear a mechanical device moving behind you.
Your Pip-Boy detects an unknown magnetic field.
Something is interfering with your fusion core.
Low-Perception characters might receive no warning until the final countdown.
Equipment Inspection
The player should be able to perform a manual inspection through:
The Pip-Boy equipment screen.
A mirror.
A companion inspection command.
A settlement security scanner.
A power-armor station.
A weapons workbench.
A medical scanner.
A robot diagnostic unit.
Inspection takes time, meaning it cannot always be performed safely during combat.
Removing an Attached Bomb
Removal should involve more than pressing one universal button.
Pull It Off
Fast but dangerous. Strong magnets may cause the bomb to arm immediately when forcefully removed.
Disarm It
Requires Explosives, Science, Robotics Expert, or specialized tools.
A successful disarm may allow the player to keep and reuse the bomb.
Jam the Signal
Stops remote detonation but may not stop a timer or proximity trigger.
Freeze It
Cryogenic damage temporarily slows its mechanism.
Shoot It Off
Possible when attached to a companion, robot, or large creature, but a missed shot can injure the target or detonate the bomb.
Remove the Armor Piece
The player can discard a contaminated helmet, shoulder plate, backpack, or weapon.
Transfer It
A highly skilled player can attach it to:
An enemy.
A robot.
A vehicle.
A door.
An explosive barrel.
A pursuing creature.
Electromagnetic Purge
Power armor or settlements could have an emergency pulse that ejects magnetic devices, but it also temporarily shuts down nearby electronics.
Enemy Tactics
Enemies should use magnetic bombs intelligently.
A saboteur may:
Secretly attach a tracker.
Follow the player remotely.
Wait until the player reaches a friendly settlement.
Activate the bomb near critical infrastructure.
Attack during the confusion.
A raider may deliberately attach a bomb to one companion, knowing that companions usually remain close to the player.
An Enclave soldier might attach a fusion-core bomb, retreat, and wait for the player to enter power armor.
A bounty hunter may plant a bomb that activates only when the player uses a Stimpak, sleeps, or begins dialogue with the protected target.
Player Uses
The player should also be able to secretly attach magnetic bombs through:
Pickpocketing.
Sneak attacks.
Melee grappling.
Suppressed magnetic dart launchers.
Robot companions.
Trained creatures carrying delivery harnesses.
Hidden traps.
Reverse-pickpocketing equipment.
Hacking maintenance drones.
Planting bombs on vehicles or armor racks.
A successful covert attachment should not automatically make enemies aware of the player. They may continue walking, return to their base, meet their commander, or enter a vehicle before the player detonates it.
The Best Design Principle
Magnetic bombs should create paranoia, sabotage, and delayed consequences. The player should occasionally finish a fight, loot the area, and move on—only to hear a faint click several minutes later.
The frightening question should not simply be:
“Where is the bomb?”
It should be:
“How long has it been attached to me, who put it there, and what is it waiting for?”
# Fallout 5: The Sticky Grenade Launcher
A sticky grenade launcher should not feel like an ordinary grenade launcher with adhesive added to its ammunition. It should be a dedicated **demolition, trapping, and target-marking platform** built to fire specialized payloads that stick, bounce, scatter, crawl, magnetize, or wait for remote commands.
The weapon family could be officially called the **Limpet Launcher**, while wastelanders give different models names such as:
* The Sticker
* Gum Gun
* Boom Spitter
* Tar Lobber
* Wall Crawler
* Clinger Cannon
* The Barnacle
* Bouncing Betty
* Scrap Stapler
## Overall Visual Design
The basic launcher should look like a combination of:
* A pre-War industrial rivet gun
* A grenade launcher
* A pneumatic construction tool
* A compressed-air harpoon gun
* A bulky adhesive dispenser
Its ammunition should be visibly larger and stranger than ordinary 40mm grenades.
### Major visual features
**Wide reinforced barrel**
The barrel needs enough space to fire round, flat, clustered, and irregular sticky ammunition. Different barrel attachments could visibly alter its profile.
**Adhesive reservoir**
A transparent or partially exposed tank holds industrial bonding gel. The gel coats certain ammunition immediately before launch.
**Pressure gauge**
A mechanical gauge shows launch pressure. Higher pressure produces flatter trajectories, while lower pressure allows arcing shots.
**Rotating ammunition cylinder**
A six-round cylinder could hold different grenade types. The player can visually see which payload is loaded.
**Manual seal lever**
After reloading, the player pulls a large lever that seals and pressurizes the launcher.
**Scrap-metal blast shield**
A curved shield protects the shooter from premature adhesive or explosive discharge.
**Visible ammunition markings**
Each grenade type has a distinct silhouette and warning pattern, helping the player identify rounds without relying only on menus.
## Launcher Handling
The Sticky Grenade Launcher should have three firing behaviors.
### Direct-Fire Mode
The grenade travels quickly and sticks to the first valid target.
Best for:
* Humans
* Robots
* Power armor
* Large creatures
* Vehicles
* Settlement equipment
### Lob Mode
The launcher fires in a high arc.
Best for:
* Firing over barricades
* Attaching grenades to ceilings
* Reaching rooftops
* Dropping traps behind enemies
* Launching bouncer rounds
### Placement Mode
The launcher fires at low velocity, allowing precise placement without immediate detonation.
Best for:
* Traps
* Breaching charges
* Settlement defense
* Remote-detonation networks
* Stealth sabotage
The player should be able to tap the fire-mode control to switch between these settings.
# Sticky Grenade Launcher Variants
## 1. Standard Limpet Launcher
The basic pre-War military model.
It fires a single sticky grenade that uses a magnetic and chemical attachment system.
### Behavior
* Sticks to enemies, robots, armor, walls, ceilings, and vehicles.
* Can use impact, timed, proximity, or remote fuses.
* Direct hits cause minor impact damage.
* Grenades attached to limbs deal localized damage.
* The grenade makes an audible warning beep unless fitted with a stealth fuse.
### Appearance
* Thick military-green body
* Revolving four- or six-round cylinder
* Small adhesive tank beneath the barrel
* Folding stock
* Mechanical pressure gauge
* Large selector dial marked **IMPACT, DELAY, PROX, REMOTE**
This is the balanced all-purpose version.
---
## 2. Cluster Sticker Launcher
This launcher fires a carrier grenade that breaks apart into several smaller sticky explosives.
The main projectile may stick first and then distribute its submunitions, or split in midair before reaching the target.
### Cluster firing modes
#### Impact Cluster
The carrier hits a target and throws smaller charges across nearby surfaces.
A direct hit on a power-armored enemy could result in:
* One grenade on the torso
* One on the arm
* One on the leg
* Several scattered around nearby terrain
#### Airburst Cluster
The carrier breaks apart above a targeted area.
The player can hold the trigger to control the distance before separation.
#### Crawling Cluster
The carrier lands and deploys several small robotic sticky bombs that crawl toward nearby enemies.
#### Cascade Cluster
The first charge detonates, launching the remaining submunitions farther outward before they explode.
### Visual design
The launcher should have:
* A wider barrel
* A rotating drum with oversized segmented grenades
* Four small muzzle channels surrounding the primary barrel
* A cluster-programming screen
* Warning lights showing how many submunitions remain
### Advantages
* Excellent against groups
* Covers doorways and corridors
* Can tag several enemies simultaneously
* Useful against large creatures with multiple vulnerable body parts
### Drawbacks
* Expensive ammunition
* High friendly-fire risk
* Less precise than a single limpet
* Submunitions may attach to unintended objects
---
## 3. Bouncer Launcher
The Bouncer Launcher fires reinforced grenades that ricochet before activating their adhesive.
These rounds should not stick immediately. They enter an armed state only after a chosen number of bounces or after traveling a set distance.
### Bounce programming
The player can select:
* Stick on first impact
* Stick after one bounce
* Stick after two bounces
* Stick after three bounces
* Continue bouncing until near an enemy
* Detonate during a bounce
* Stick only after hitting a living target
### Tactical uses
A bouncer round could:
* Bounce around a corner
* Skip underneath a vehicle
* Strike the floor and attach to a ceiling
* Ricochet behind a shield
* Skip across water
* Enter a room through a narrow opening
* Bounce between hallway walls
* Reach enemies hiding behind cover
### Specialized bouncer ammunition
#### Corner-Seeker
Uses a small guidance system after its first ricochet.
#### Floor Skipper
Travels low and fast, targeting ankles and legs.
#### Ceiling Hopper
Bounces upward and attaches above the enemy.
#### Pinball Cluster
Each bounce sheds one small sticky explosive.
A single round might leave bombs on:
* The first wall
* The floor
* A doorway
* The final target
#### Unstable Rubber Round
Bounces unpredictably and causes a larger explosion with every ricochet survived.
### Appearance
The Bouncer Launcher should look more compact and mechanical than the standard model.
* Reinforced square barrel
* Internal spinning wheel that adds rotation
* Adjustable ricochet-angle sight
* Rubberized muzzle sleeve
* Small analog counter showing programmed bounces
* Hazard-striped receiver
The weapon should make a distinctive **thunk—whirr—ping** sound.
---
## 4. Sticky Buckshot Launcher
This is a shotgun-like model that fires several miniature sticky charges in a spread.
It could be called the **Boom Blunderbuss** or **Adhesive Scattergun**.
### Behavior
* Fires six to twelve small charges.
* Each charge causes modest damage.
* Multiple charges on one target combine into a larger detonation.
* Charges that miss remain attached to the environment as traps.
* The spread narrows when aiming down sights.
### Ammunition types
* Fragmentation pellets
* Incendiary gel pellets
* EMP pellets
* Cryogenic pellets
* Tracking pellets
* Pheromone pellets
* Armor-eating acid pellets
This would be extremely effective against fast creatures, swarms, and enemies moving through tight spaces.
---
## 5. Sticky Mortar Launcher
A heavy launcher designed to fire grenades high into the air and drop them onto distant targets.
### Features
* Long-range trajectory computer
* Settlement-defense mounting option
* Large adhesive shells
* Remote observation through binoculars or a scope
* Programmable airburst or surface-attachment behavior
### Payloads
* Cluster limpet shells
* Sticky napalm
* Radioactive tar
* Cryogenic foam
* Smoke-marking rounds
* Creature-attracting pheromones
* Delayed demolition charges
A settlement version could automatically fire sticky mines onto roads and defensive approaches when an attack begins.
---
## 6. Magnetic Harpoon Launcher
This variant fires long metal projectiles with a sticky explosive mounted behind the spearhead.
The harpoon physically penetrates a target before the explosive activates.
### Best targets
* Deathclaws
* Mirelurk queens
* Behemoths
* Power armor
* Sentry bots
* Vehicles
* Large structural supports
### Special behavior
* Harpoons can pin enemies to walls.
* The explosive remains attached even if the target has an adhesive-resistant surface.
* The player can connect cables between two harpoons.
* An electrified cable can damage enemies crossing it.
* A winch modification can pull smaller targets toward the player.
Its appearance should resemble a jury-rigged whaling gun crossed with a railroad spike launcher.
---
## 7. Hopper Mine Launcher
This launcher fires small sticky mines that hop or reposition after landing.
The mines remain dormant until they detect a target.
### Mine behaviors
#### Wall Hopper
Attaches to a wall and leaps onto the first enemy passing nearby.
#### Ceiling Dropper
Sticks overhead, then drops onto a target.
#### Leg Hunter
Moves along the floor and attaches to the nearest leg.
#### Ambush Hopper
Waits until several enemies enter the area before activating.
#### Retreat Mine
If discovered, it jumps away and hides somewhere else.
#### Pack Hunter
Several mines communicate and divide targets among themselves.
These mines should make unsettling mechanical clicking sounds while searching.
---
## 8. Breaching Launcher
A low-velocity industrial model designed to place shaped demolition charges.
### Uses
* Breach locked doors
* Destroy barricades
* Collapse weakened walls
* Open safes
* Disable generators
* Damage support columns
* Break vehicle armor
* Create new entry routes
The charge sticks flat against a surface and directs most of its force inward.
### Breach options
* Circular personnel-sized hole
* Narrow firing slit
* Door-hinge cutter
* Lock-breaking microcharge
* Full structural demolition
* Silent thermite burn
This weapon should support exploration and alternate routes, not just combat.
---
## 9. Magnetic Swarm Launcher
An advanced military or Institute weapon that fires a cloud of micro-limpets.
### Behavior
The microcharges seek metallic objects after leaving the barrel.
Against power armor, they could attach to:
* Helmet sensors
* Shoulder plates
* Weapon mounts
* Knee actuators
* Fusion-core housing
The player can choose whether the swarm:
* Detonates simultaneously
* Detonates one charge at a time
* Disables electronics
* Tracks the target
* Transfers to another nearby metal target
The launcher should resemble a futuristic rotary weapon with several small launch tubes.
---
## 10. Junk Cluster Launcher
A wasteland-manufactured model that can fire improvised ammunition.
It should be unreliable, ugly, loud, and highly customizable.
### Possible ammunition
* Tin cans packed with nails
* Bottles filled with adhesive and fuel
* Baseballs wrapped in explosives
* Modified lunchboxes
* Teddy bears hiding charges
* Hubcap mines
* Paint cans filled with radioactive sludge
* Adhesive-covered bowling balls
* Grenades tied together with wire
* Explosive garden gnomes
The ammunition’s shape affects how it moves.
A bowling-ball charge rolls before sticking. A lunchbox skips. A teddy bear tumbles unpredictably. A hubcap flies like a disc.
This would give the launcher a humorous Fallout identity while remaining mechanically useful.
# Bouncer Ammunition Family
Because bouncers could become a major weapon class, they should have several distinct physical behaviors.
## Soft Bouncer
* High bounce
* Low impact damage
* Can clear tall cover
* Sticks after losing momentum
## Hard Bouncer
* Fast, shallow ricochets
* Effective in hallways
* Can injure enemies before detonation
* May break fragile objects
## Roller
* Bounces once, then rolls
* Searches for low ground
* Ideal for stairs and trenches
* Can roll under doors
## Wall Runner
* Temporarily clings to a wall
* Crawls or slides along the surface
* Drops behind enemies
## Boomerang Round
* Returns toward the shooter if it misses
* Can be caught and reused
* Dangerous if armed too soon
## Split Bouncer
* Divides into two grenades on its first impact
* Each half moves in a different direction
## Pop-Up Round
* Rolls beneath enemies
* Launches upward
* Sticks to the torso or detonates beneath them
## Burrowing Bouncer
* Bounces once
* Buries itself in soft ground
* Jumps onto a later target
# Cluster Ammunition Family
## Spider Cluster
Deploys small mechanical bombs that crawl outward.
## Flower Cluster
The shell opens like a metal flower and fires sticky charges in every direction.
## Chain Cluster
Submunitions are connected by explosive wire. When one detonates, the blast travels along the chain.
## Magnetic Cluster
All submunitions seek separate metal targets.
## Creature Cluster
Each charge releases a different pheromone or biological agent.
## Sequential Cluster
One charge explodes every second, forcing enemies to keep moving.
## Crushing Cluster
Submunitions attach around a target and detonate inward simultaneously.
## Decoy Cluster
Some projectiles explode while others produce sound, smoke, or holograms.
# Fuse and Detonation Controls
The launcher should have more control than a standard explosive weapon.
### Trigger tap
Fires the round.
### Hold trigger
Programs airburst distance or launch pressure.
### Secondary fire
Detonates remote charges.
### Reload plus direction input
Selects ammunition type.
### Aim button plus secondary fire
Changes fuse type.
### Double-tap secondary fire
Detonates only the currently targeted grenade.
### Hold secondary fire
Opens a charge-management display showing every deployed explosive.
The player should be able to assign charges to groups:
* Group A: Door charges
* Group B: Enemy-attached bombs
* Group C: Escape-route traps
* Group D: Settlement defenses
This allows complex ambushes without detonating every charge at once.
# Sticky Grenade Launcher Modifications
## Barrel Mods
**Long Pressure Barrel**
* Greater range
* Flatter trajectory
* Slower handling
**Ricochet Barrel**
* Improves bouncer accuracy
* Shows predicted bounce lines
**Scatter Barrel**
* Fires clusters and sticky buckshot
* Reduced long-range precision
**Mortar Barrel**
* Extreme firing arc
* Long-range targeting
**Silenced Pneumatic Barrel**
* Quieter launch
* Lower projectile velocity
## Adhesive Mods
**Military Bonding Gel**
Sticks to nearly every surface.
**Magnetic Coating**
Strong against metal but weak against organic targets.
**Biological Glue**
Excellent against flesh and creature carapaces.
**Cryogenic Sealant**
Freezes the grenade to the target.
**Smart Adhesive**
Activates only when touching a chosen target category.
## Targeting Mods
**Bounce Predictor**
Displays ricochet paths.
**Limb Targeter**
Highlights valid attachment points.
**Metal Detector**
Causes magnetic rounds to curve toward machinery.
**Thermal Seeker**
Tracks living targets.
**Friend-or-Foe Sensor**
Prevents charges from activating near allies.
**Structural Scanner**
Highlights walls, supports, and machinery vulnerable to demolition.
# Enemy Counterplay
Enemies should not simply ignore the grenades until they explode.
They may:
* Pull a grenade off and throw it back
* Scrape it against a wall
* Remove an attached armor plate
* Run toward the player
* Dive into water
* Use an EMP device
* Shoot the grenade
* Ask an ally to remove it
* Abandon a weapon with a grenade attached
* Cut away contaminated clothing
* Retreat from a cluster-covered area
* Trick the grenade into sticking to another target
Elite enemies could recognize different fuse sounds.
A trained soldier might distinguish a proximity charge from a remote charge. A raider might panic and run into his own allies. A super mutant might pick up a tagged companion and throw him toward the player.
# Companion and Settlement Uses
The launcher should support more than direct player combat.
## Companion commands
The player could order a companion to:
* Mark a target with a tracker round
* Place a breaching charge
* Fire a cluster behind cover
* Prepare an escape route
* Detonate only after the player gives a signal
## Settlement defense
Settlers could use mounted Sticky Grenade Launchers to:
* Coat roads with mines
* Tag attackers for turrets
* Fire cryogenic rounds at choke points
* Attach explosives to enemy vehicles
* Seal breaches with expanding foam
* Launch smoke rounds to guide reinforcements
A settlement may need dedicated **demolition specialists** because untrained settlers could cause disastrous friendly-fire incidents.
# Legendary Sticky Launcher Effects
## The Last Laugh
Charges detonate when the attached enemy dies.
## Second Bounce
Every bouncer produces a duplicate after its first ricochet.
## Misery Loves Company
A grenade attached to one enemy launches submunitions toward that enemy’s allies.
## Don’t Touch That
Attempting to remove the grenade causes immediate detonation.
## Return to Sender
Removed grenades automatically seek the enemy who threw them.
## Heavy Attachment
Every attached grenade progressively slows the target.
## Snowball Effect
Damage increases for each unexploded charge already attached to the target.
## Pinball Wizard
Every successful ricochet increases explosion damage.
## The Collector
Unexploded ammunition can be remotely recalled to the launcher.
## Bad Neighborhood
Grenades stuck to environmental surfaces periodically attract hostile creatures.
# The Ideal Weapon Family
The best approach would be to divide Sticky Grenade Launchers into four broad chassis:
| Chassis | Main Role | Signature Ammunition |
| ----------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Limpet Launcher** | Precision attachment | Magnetic and shaped charges |
| **Bouncer Launcher** | Ricochet attacks | Skippers, rollers, corner-seekers |
| **Cluster Launcher** | Area coverage | Swarms, spider bombs, sticky buckshot |
| **Demolition Launcher** | Structures and traps | Breaching slabs, thermite, heavy mines |
This makes each weapon recognizable and tactically distinct. The player is not merely choosing how much explosive damage to inflict. They are choosing **where the explosive travels, what it sticks to, how it behaves after impact, and when the battlefield is allowed to erupt**.
# Fallout 5: The Sticky Grenade Launcher
A sticky grenade launcher should not feel like an ordinary grenade launcher with adhesive added to its ammunition. It should be a dedicated **demolition, trapping, and target-marking platform** built to fire specialized payloads that stick, bounce, scatter, crawl, magnetize, or wait for remote commands.
The weapon family could be officially called the **Limpet Launcher**, while wastelanders give different models names such as:
* The Sticker
* Gum Gun
* Boom Spitter
* Tar Lobber
* Wall Crawler
* Clinger Cannon
* The Barnacle
* Bouncing Betty
* Scrap Stapler
## Overall Visual Design
The basic launcher should look like a combination of:
* A pre-War industrial rivet gun
* A grenade launcher
* A pneumatic construction tool
* A compressed-air harpoon gun
* A bulky adhesive dispenser
Its ammunition should be visibly larger and stranger than ordinary 40mm grenades.
### Major visual features
**Wide reinforced barrel**
The barrel needs enough space to fire round, flat, clustered, and irregular sticky ammunition. Different barrel attachments could visibly alter its profile.
**Adhesive reservoir**
A transparent or partially exposed tank holds industrial bonding gel. The gel coats certain ammunition immediately before launch.
**Pressure gauge**
A mechanical gauge shows launch pressure. Higher pressure produces flatter trajectories, while lower pressure allows arcing shots.
**Rotating ammunition cylinder**
A six-round cylinder could hold different grenade types. The player can visually see which payload is loaded.
**Manual seal lever**
After reloading, the player pulls a large lever that seals and pressurizes the launcher.
**Scrap-metal blast shield**
A curved shield protects the shooter from premature adhesive or explosive discharge.
**Visible ammunition markings**
Each grenade type has a distinct silhouette and warning pattern, helping the player identify rounds without relying only on menus.
## Launcher Handling
The Sticky Grenade Launcher should have three firing behaviors.
### Direct-Fire Mode
The grenade travels quickly and sticks to the first valid target.
Best for:
* Humans
* Robots
* Power armor
* Large creatures
* Vehicles
* Settlement equipment
### Lob Mode
The launcher fires in a high arc.
Best for:
* Firing over barricades
* Attaching grenades to ceilings
* Reaching rooftops
* Dropping traps behind enemies
* Launching bouncer rounds
### Placement Mode
The launcher fires at low velocity, allowing precise placement without immediate detonation.
Best for:
* Traps
* Breaching charges
* Settlement defense
* Remote-detonation networks
* Stealth sabotage
The player should be able to tap the fire-mode control to switch between these settings.
# Sticky Grenade Launcher Variants
## 1. Standard Limpet Launcher
The basic pre-War military model.
It fires a single sticky grenade that uses a magnetic and chemical attachment system.
### Behavior
* Sticks to enemies, robots, armor, walls, ceilings, and vehicles.
* Can use impact, timed, proximity, or remote fuses.
* Direct hits cause minor impact damage.
* Grenades attached to limbs deal localized damage.
* The grenade makes an audible warning beep unless fitted with a stealth fuse.
### Appearance
* Thick military-green body
* Revolving four- or six-round cylinder
* Small adhesive tank beneath the barrel
* Folding stock
* Mechanical pressure gauge
* Large selector dial marked **IMPACT, DELAY, PROX, REMOTE**
This is the balanced all-purpose version.
---
## 2. Cluster Sticker Launcher
This launcher fires a carrier grenade that breaks apart into several smaller sticky explosives.
The main projectile may stick first and then distribute its submunitions, or split in midair before reaching the target.
### Cluster firing modes
#### Impact Cluster
The carrier hits a target and throws smaller charges across nearby surfaces.
A direct hit on a power-armored enemy could result in:
* One grenade on the torso
* One on the arm
* One on the leg
* Several scattered around nearby terrain
#### Airburst Cluster
The carrier breaks apart above a targeted area.
The player can hold the trigger to control the distance before separation.
#### Crawling Cluster
The carrier lands and deploys several small robotic sticky bombs that crawl toward nearby enemies.
#### Cascade Cluster
The first charge detonates, launching the remaining submunitions farther outward before they explode.
### Visual design
The launcher should have:
* A wider barrel
* A rotating drum with oversized segmented grenades
* Four small muzzle channels surrounding the primary barrel
* A cluster-programming screen
* Warning lights showing how many submunitions remain
### Advantages
* Excellent against groups
* Covers doorways and corridors
* Can tag several enemies simultaneously
* Useful against large creatures with multiple vulnerable body parts
### Drawbacks
* Expensive ammunition
* High friendly-fire risk
* Less precise than a single limpet
* Submunitions may attach to unintended objects
---
## 3. Bouncer Launcher
The Bouncer Launcher fires reinforced grenades that ricochet before activating their adhesive.
These rounds should not stick immediately. They enter an armed state only after a chosen number of bounces or after traveling a set distance.
### Bounce programming
The player can select:
* Stick on first impact
* Stick after one bounce
* Stick after two bounces
* Stick after three bounces
* Continue bouncing until near an enemy
* Detonate during a bounce
* Stick only after hitting a living target
### Tactical uses
A bouncer round could:
* Bounce around a corner
* Skip underneath a vehicle
* Strike the floor and attach to a ceiling
* Ricochet behind a shield
* Skip across water
* Enter a room through a narrow opening
* Bounce between hallway walls
* Reach enemies hiding behind cover
### Specialized bouncer ammunition
#### Corner-Seeker
Uses a small guidance system after its first ricochet.
#### Floor Skipper
Travels low and fast, targeting ankles and legs.
#### Ceiling Hopper
Bounces upward and attaches above the enemy.
#### Pinball Cluster
Each bounce sheds one small sticky explosive.
A single round might leave bombs on:
* The first wall
* The floor
* A doorway
* The final target
#### Unstable Rubber Round
Bounces unpredictably and causes a larger explosion with every ricochet survived.
### Appearance
The Bouncer Launcher should look more compact and mechanical than the standard model.
* Reinforced square barrel
* Internal spinning wheel that adds rotation
* Adjustable ricochet-angle sight
* Rubberized muzzle sleeve
* Small analog counter showing programmed bounces
* Hazard-striped receiver
The weapon should make a distinctive **thunk—whirr—ping** sound.
---
## 4. Sticky Buckshot Launcher
This is a shotgun-like model that fires several miniature sticky charges in a spread.
It could be called the **Boom Blunderbuss** or **Adhesive Scattergun**.
### Behavior
* Fires six to twelve small charges.
* Each charge causes modest damage.
* Multiple charges on one target combine into a larger detonation.
* Charges that miss remain attached to the environment as traps.
* The spread narrows when aiming down sights.
### Ammunition types
* Fragmentation pellets
* Incendiary gel pellets
* EMP pellets
* Cryogenic pellets
* Tracking pellets
* Pheromone pellets
* Armor-eating acid pellets
This would be extremely effective against fast creatures, swarms, and enemies moving through tight spaces.
---
## 5. Sticky Mortar Launcher
A heavy launcher designed to fire grenades high into the air and drop them onto distant targets.
### Features
* Long-range trajectory computer
* Settlement-defense mounting option
* Large adhesive shells
* Remote observation through binoculars or a scope
* Programmable airburst or surface-attachment behavior
### Payloads
* Cluster limpet shells
* Sticky napalm
* Radioactive tar
* Cryogenic foam
* Smoke-marking rounds
* Creature-attracting pheromones
* Delayed demolition charges
A settlement version could automatically fire sticky mines onto roads and defensive approaches when an attack begins.
---
## 6. Magnetic Harpoon Launcher
This variant fires long metal projectiles with a sticky explosive mounted behind the spearhead.
The harpoon physically penetrates a target before the explosive activates.
### Best targets
* Deathclaws
* Mirelurk queens
* Behemoths
* Power armor
* Sentry bots
* Vehicles
* Large structural supports
### Special behavior
* Harpoons can pin enemies to walls.
* The explosive remains attached even if the target has an adhesive-resistant surface.
* The player can connect cables between two harpoons.
* An electrified cable can damage enemies crossing it.
* A winch modification can pull smaller targets toward the player.
Its appearance should resemble a jury-rigged whaling gun crossed with a railroad spike launcher.
---
## 7. Hopper Mine Launcher
This launcher fires small sticky mines that hop or reposition after landing.
The mines remain dormant until they detect a target.
### Mine behaviors
#### Wall Hopper
Attaches to a wall and leaps onto the first enemy passing nearby.
#### Ceiling Dropper
Sticks overhead, then drops onto a target.
#### Leg Hunter
Moves along the floor and attaches to the nearest leg.
#### Ambush Hopper
Waits until several enemies enter the area before activating.
#### Retreat Mine
If discovered, it jumps away and hides somewhere else.
#### Pack Hunter
Several mines communicate and divide targets among themselves.
These mines should make unsettling mechanical clicking sounds while searching.
---
## 8. Breaching Launcher
A low-velocity industrial model designed to place shaped demolition charges.
### Uses
* Breach locked doors
* Destroy barricades
* Collapse weakened walls
* Open safes
* Disable generators
* Damage support columns
* Break vehicle armor
* Create new entry routes
The charge sticks flat against a surface and directs most of its force inward.
### Breach options
* Circular personnel-sized hole
* Narrow firing slit
* Door-hinge cutter
* Lock-breaking microcharge
* Full structural demolition
* Silent thermite burn
This weapon should support exploration and alternate routes, not just combat.
---
## 9. Magnetic Swarm Launcher
An advanced military or Institute weapon that fires a cloud of micro-limpets.
### Behavior
The microcharges seek metallic objects after leaving the barrel.
Against power armor, they could attach to:
* Helmet sensors
* Shoulder plates
* Weapon mounts
* Knee actuators
* Fusion-core housing
The player can choose whether the swarm:
* Detonates simultaneously
* Detonates one charge at a time
* Disables electronics
* Tracks the target
* Transfers to another nearby metal target
The launcher should resemble a futuristic rotary weapon with several small launch tubes.
---
## 10. Junk Cluster Launcher
A wasteland-manufactured model that can fire improvised ammunition.
It should be unreliable, ugly, loud, and highly customizable.
### Possible ammunition
* Tin cans packed with nails
* Bottles filled with adhesive and fuel
* Baseballs wrapped in explosives
* Modified lunchboxes
* Teddy bears hiding charges
* Hubcap mines
* Paint cans filled with radioactive sludge
* Adhesive-covered bowling balls
* Grenades tied together with wire
* Explosive garden gnomes
The ammunition’s shape affects how it moves.
A bowling-ball charge rolls before sticking. A lunchbox skips. A teddy bear tumbles unpredictably. A hubcap flies like a disc.
This would give the launcher a humorous Fallout identity while remaining mechanically useful.
# Bouncer Ammunition Family
Because bouncers could become a major weapon class, they should have several distinct physical behaviors.
## Soft Bouncer
* High bounce
* Low impact damage
* Can clear tall cover
* Sticks after losing momentum
## Hard Bouncer
* Fast, shallow ricochets
* Effective in hallways
* Can injure enemies before detonation
* May break fragile objects
## Roller
* Bounces once, then rolls
* Searches for low ground
* Ideal for stairs and trenches
* Can roll under doors
## Wall Runner
* Temporarily clings to a wall
* Crawls or slides along the surface
* Drops behind enemies
## Boomerang Round
* Returns toward the shooter if it misses
* Can be caught and reused
* Dangerous if armed too soon
## Split Bouncer
* Divides into two grenades on its first impact
* Each half moves in a different direction
## Pop-Up Round
* Rolls beneath enemies
* Launches upward
* Sticks to the torso or detonates beneath them
## Burrowing Bouncer
* Bounces once
* Buries itself in soft ground
* Jumps onto a later target
# Cluster Ammunition Family
## Spider Cluster
Deploys small mechanical bombs that crawl outward.
## Flower Cluster
The shell opens like a metal flower and fires sticky charges in every direction.
## Chain Cluster
Submunitions are connected by explosive wire. When one detonates, the blast travels along the chain.
## Magnetic Cluster
All submunitions seek separate metal targets.
## Creature Cluster
Each charge releases a different pheromone or biological agent.
## Sequential Cluster
One charge explodes every second, forcing enemies to keep moving.
## Crushing Cluster
Submunitions attach around a target and detonate inward simultaneously.
## Decoy Cluster
Some projectiles explode while others produce sound, smoke, or holograms.
# Fuse and Detonation Controls
The launcher should have more control than a standard explosive weapon.
### Trigger tap
Fires the round.
### Hold trigger
Programs airburst distance or launch pressure.
### Secondary fire
Detonates remote charges.
### Reload plus direction input
Selects ammunition type.
### Aim button plus secondary fire
Changes fuse type.
### Double-tap secondary fire
Detonates only the currently targeted grenade.
### Hold secondary fire
Opens a charge-management display showing every deployed explosive.
The player should be able to assign charges to groups:
* Group A: Door charges
* Group B: Enemy-attached bombs
* Group C: Escape-route traps
* Group D: Settlement defenses
This allows complex ambushes without detonating every charge at once.
# Sticky Grenade Launcher Modifications
## Barrel Mods
**Long Pressure Barrel**
* Greater range
* Flatter trajectory
* Slower handling
**Ricochet Barrel**
* Improves bouncer accuracy
* Shows predicted bounce lines
**Scatter Barrel**
* Fires clusters and sticky buckshot
* Reduced long-range precision
**Mortar Barrel**
* Extreme firing arc
* Long-range targeting
**Silenced Pneumatic Barrel**
* Quieter launch
* Lower projectile velocity
## Adhesive Mods
**Military Bonding Gel**
Sticks to nearly every surface.
**Magnetic Coating**
Strong against metal but weak against organic targets.
**Biological Glue**
Excellent against flesh and creature carapaces.
**Cryogenic Sealant**
Freezes the grenade to the target.
**Smart Adhesive**
Activates only when touching a chosen target category.
## Targeting Mods
**Bounce Predictor**
Displays ricochet paths.
**Limb Targeter**
Highlights valid attachment points.
**Metal Detector**
Causes magnetic rounds to curve toward machinery.
**Thermal Seeker**
Tracks living targets.
**Friend-or-Foe Sensor**
Prevents charges from activating near allies.
**Structural Scanner**
Highlights walls, supports, and machinery vulnerable to demolition.
# Enemy Counterplay
Enemies should not simply ignore the grenades until they explode.
They may:
* Pull a grenade off and throw it back
* Scrape it against a wall
* Remove an attached armor plate
* Run toward the player
* Dive into water
* Use an EMP device
* Shoot the grenade
* Ask an ally to remove it
* Abandon a weapon with a grenade attached
* Cut away contaminated clothing
* Retreat from a cluster-covered area
* Trick the grenade into sticking to another target
Elite enemies could recognize different fuse sounds.
A trained soldier might distinguish a proximity charge from a remote charge. A raider might panic and run into his own allies. A super mutant might pick up a tagged companion and throw him toward the player.
# Companion and Settlement Uses
The launcher should support more than direct player combat.
## Companion commands
The player could order a companion to:
* Mark a target with a tracker round
* Place a breaching charge
* Fire a cluster behind cover
* Prepare an escape route
* Detonate only after the player gives a signal
## Settlement defense
Settlers could use mounted Sticky Grenade Launchers to:
* Coat roads with mines
* Tag attackers for turrets
* Fire cryogenic rounds at choke points
* Attach explosives to enemy vehicles
* Seal breaches with expanding foam
* Launch smoke rounds to guide reinforcements
A settlement may need dedicated **demolition specialists** because untrained settlers could cause disastrous friendly-fire incidents.
# Legendary Sticky Launcher Effects
## The Last Laugh
Charges detonate when the attached enemy dies.
## Second Bounce
Every bouncer produces a duplicate after its first ricochet.
## Misery Loves Company
A grenade attached to one enemy launches submunitions toward that enemy’s allies.
## Don’t Touch That
Attempting to remove the grenade causes immediate detonation.
## Return to Sender
Removed grenades automatically seek the enemy who threw them.
## Heavy Attachment
Every attached grenade progressively slows the target.
## Snowball Effect
Damage increases for each unexploded charge already attached to the target.
## Pinball Wizard
Every successful ricochet increases explosion damage.
## The Collector
Unexploded ammunition can be remotely recalled to the launcher.
## Bad Neighborhood
Grenades stuck to environmental surfaces periodically attract hostile creatures.
# The Ideal Weapon Family
The best approach would be to divide Sticky Grenade Launchers into four broad chassis:
| Chassis | Main Role | Signature Ammunition |
| ----------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Limpet Launcher** | Precision attachment | Magnetic and shaped charges |
| **Bouncer Launcher** | Ricochet attacks | Skippers, rollers, corner-seekers |
| **Cluster Launcher** | Area coverage | Swarms, spider bombs, sticky buckshot |
| **Demolition Launcher** | Structures and traps | Breaching slabs, thermite, heavy mines |
This makes each weapon recognizable and tactically distinct. The player is not merely choosing how much explosive damage to inflict. They are choosing **where the explosive travels, what it sticks to, how it behaves after impact, and when the battlefield is allowed to erupt**.
Exactly. A remotely armed sticky bomb should remain part of the world until it detonates, is disarmed, destroyed, recovered, or deliberately abandoned. Leaving the area should not erase it.
# Fallout 5: Persistent Remote Explosives Across the Entire Map
Sticky bombs, planted charges, mines, traps, tracking devices, and demolition equipment should use a **persistent world-explosive system**. Once the player deploys a charge, the game should remember its location, condition, target, fuse mode, ownership, and radio frequency—even when the player travels to another region, enters an interior, sleeps for several days, or reloads the game.
A bomb should not disappear merely because its world cell unloaded.
## Detonate It From Anywhere
A player should be able to plant a sticky bomb in one part of the map, travel miles away, and activate it remotely.
Examples:
* Attach a charge to a raider vehicle and detonate it after the vehicle reaches its base.
* Plant explosives inside an enemy stronghold, escape, and destroy it from a distant settlement.
* Tag a caravan, follow its map signal, and detonate the bomb when it meets another hostile group.
* Attach a bomb to a Vertibird and trigger it while watching from another district.
* Place charges under a bridge and detonate them when an enemy convoy crosses.
* Leave mines around a settlement and receive a notification when one activates days later.
* Hide a bomb on a faction courier and use the blast to expose a secret headquarters.
* Plant demolition charges throughout a building and collapse it after safely leaving the area.
The remote detonator should work across the map unless something logically interferes with the signal.
## Persistent Explosive Data
Every deployed explosive should create a lightweight persistent record containing:
* Explosive type
* World-space coordinates
* Interior or exterior location
* Attached target
* Attachment point or limb
* Fuse type
* Radio channel
* Armed or disarmed state
* Remaining battery power
* Damage condition
* Ownership
* Detection status
* Trap trigger conditions
* Friend-or-foe settings
* Time since placement
* Whether the charge has been moved
* Whether an NPC has discovered it
* Whether the explosive remains recoverable
The physical object does not need to remain fully simulated while the area is unloaded. The game can store its state and restore it when the location becomes active again.
## World-Cell Unloading Should Not Delete Charges
When the player leaves an area, the game can unload detailed graphics, physics, animation, and AI. However, the explosive record must remain active.
The system should separate:
### Visual simulation
Only active near the player.
### Strategic simulation
Continues across unloaded areas.
This means a charge can still:
* Travel with an NPC
* Travel with a caravan
* Remain attached to a vehicle
* Change locations
* Be discovered
* Be disarmed
* Be sold or transferred
* Trigger from proximity
* Detonate from a radio signal
* Damage simulated NPCs
* Start a faction event
* Affect a settlement
* Destroy a tracked object
The world should acknowledge that the bomb still exists even when the player cannot see it.
## Remote Detonator Interface
The Pip-Boy should include an **Explosives Network** menu.
Each deployed device could show:
| Information | Example |
| ----------- | ---------------------- |
| Device | Military Sticky Charge |
| Location | Gunners Plaza |
| Target | Gunner Commander |
| Status | Armed |
| Signal | Strong |
| Fuse | Remote |
| Group | Alpha |
| Condition | 84% |
| Detected | Unknown |
| Last update | 12 seconds ago |
The player could select:
* Detonate
* Detonate group
* Disarm remotely
* Change radio channel
* Activate proximity mode
* Delay detonation
* Track device
* Rename device
* Mark for recovery
* Abandon device
Charges could be grouped by mission or purpose:
* Alpha: Bridge demolition
* Bravo: Raider vehicles
* Charlie: Settlement perimeter
* Delta: Tracking devices
* Emergency: Last-resort traps
## Global Detonation Groups
The player should not have to activate every bomb individually.
Possible commands:
### Detonate All
Triggers every compatible charge on the current radio network.
### Detonate Group
Activates one selected group.
### Sequential Detonation
Charges explode in a programmed order.
Useful for:
* Collapsing a structure correctly
* Driving enemies toward an ambush
* Creating a rolling chain of explosions
* Destroying sections of a convoy
* Simulating controlled demolition
### Conditional Detonation
The player programs a condition such as:
* Detonate when target enters a named location.
* Detonate when three hostile targets are nearby.
* Detonate when the target enters a vehicle.
* Detonate when the target meets a faction leader.
* Detonate at sunrise.
* Detonate if anyone attempts removal.
* Detonate if the signal is lost.
* Detonate when the player fires a flare.
* Detonate after receiving a Pip-Boy command.
## Signal Range and Interference
The player should normally be able to trigger a bomb anywhere on the same map. Signal limitations should exist only when they add believable gameplay.
Possible interference sources:
* Underground bunkers
* Deep caves
* Faraday-shielded rooms
* Institute technology
* Brotherhood electronic countermeasures
* Radio jamming towers
* Severe radiation storms
* Zetan interference
* Mountainous terrain
* Damaged detonator batteries
* Faction signal scramblers
The player could overcome interference by:
* Building relay towers
* Hacking radio networks
* Using satellite uplinks
* Installing stronger transmitters
* Sending a companion closer
* Using settlement radio repeaters
* Upgrading the Pip-Boy antenna
* Placing signal boosters
* Connecting the device to faction communications infrastructure
Signal interference should create a tactical obstacle—not serve as an excuse for the game to erase the explosive.
## Explosives Attached to Moving NPCs
A sticky charge attached to a person or creature should remain attached as that target travels.
The target might:
* Return to its faction base
* Enter another settlement
* Join a patrol
* Board a vehicle
* Meet a commander
* Sleep
* Change armor
* Discover the charge
* Ask another NPC to remove it
* Sell the contaminated item
* Die before detonation
* Transfer the charge accidentally to another character
This opens emergent possibilities.
A player might attach a tracker bomb to a low-ranking raider and allow that raider to reveal a hidden camp. The player could then decide whether to detonate the charge, infiltrate the camp, or recover it.
## Explosives Attached to Items
Sticky charges should also remain attached to portable objects.
Examples:
* Weapons
* Armor pieces
* Crates
* Supply containers
* Fusion cores
* Caps stashes
* Holotapes
* Vehicles
* Robots
* Power-armor frames
* Brahmin cargo
* Shipment containers
An NPC might pick up a trapped weapon and carry it elsewhere. The player should still be able to track and detonate the explosive later.
This would make planted explosives part of the game’s economic and faction simulation.
## Offline Trap Resolution
When a proximity trap activates in an unloaded area, the game should calculate the outcome rather than deleting the trap.
The simulation could consider:
* Explosive damage
* Target armor
* Target health
* Nearby NPCs
* Environmental objects
* Structural damage
* Faction relationships
* Trap visibility
* Disarming skill
* Weather
* Cover
* Distance from the blast
* Whether the target expected an ambush
The player might receive a Pip-Boy notification:
> **Remote Charge Alpha-3 detonated near Quincy.**
>
> Two Gunners killed. One vehicle damaged. Charge signal lost.
Or:
> **Proximity Mine Bravo-2 was disarmed by an unknown individual.**
Or:
> **Tracker Delta-1 has entered an undiscovered location.**
The player should feel that deployed traps remain active parts of the world.
## Saving and Reloading
Persistent explosives must survive:
* Manual saves
* Autosaves
* Fast travel
* Sleeping
* Waiting
* Entering interiors
* Leaving interiors
* World-cell resets
* Main-story progression
* DLC transitions
* Game restarts
The game should serialize deployed explosive records into the save file.
Loading a save should recreate each device in its proper state.
A charge should disappear only when:
* It explodes
* It is destroyed
* It is disarmed
* It is recovered
* The attached target is permanently removed and the charge logically cannot remain
* The player deliberately abandons it
* A scripted event provides a believable explanation
Even then, the game should tell the player what happened.
## No Invisible Cleanup
The game should never silently delete a deployed explosive because an area reset.
When cleanup becomes technically necessary, the player should receive an explanation:
* The charge was discovered and destroyed.
* The target replaced the contaminated armor.
* A scavenger recovered the device.
* The battery failed.
* A faction technician jammed the signal.
* Floodwater carried the charge away.
* A creature triggered it.
* The structure containing it was demolished.
The explanation should be generated from the world simulation rather than hidden engine behavior.
## Explosive Deployment Limits
Technical limits may still be necessary, but they should be handled transparently.
Instead of silently removing old bombs, the game could provide:
### Base limit
A beginning character might maintain 12 active remote devices.
### Perk upgrades
Higher Demolition, Intelligence, or Science could increase the network capacity.
### Equipment upgrades
A better Pip-Boy transmitter could support additional explosives.
### Settlement servers
A settlement explosives-control terminal could manage hundreds of defensive traps.
### Warning message
When approaching the limit:
> Your explosive network is nearing capacity. Recover, detonate, or abandon a device before deploying another.
The player should choose which device is removed. The game should never make that decision secretly.
## Battery and Maintenance
Some devices could remain active indefinitely, while advanced electronic traps may require power.
Battery behavior should be configurable:
* Standard military charges: several in-game months
* Improvised radio charges: several days
* Passive pressure traps: indefinite
* Fusion-powered devices: nearly permanent
* Institute microcharges: self-sustaining
* Biological traps: decay over time
* Cryogenic traps: weaken in hot environments
Low batteries should not instantly erase the charge. The explosive could become:
* Remote-inoperable
* Recoverable
* Proximity-only
* Unstable
* Delayed
* Vulnerable to discovery
The Pip-Boy should warn the player before signal failure.
## Persistent Structural Demolition
Charges attached to structures should remain where they were planted.
The player could gradually prepare a location for demolition by attaching charges to:
* Support columns
* Generators
* Fuel tanks
* Bridges
* Gates
* Turret bases
* Radio towers
* Walls
* Pipelines
* Elevators
* Rail lines
The game should store the placement of each charge and calculate combined structural effects when detonated.
Correct placement could:
* Collapse a wall inward
* Block a road
* Destroy a bridge section
* Disable power
* Open a new entrance
* Trap enemies beneath debris
* Cut off reinforcements
* Permanently alter a location
Poor placement might damage the structure without fully destroying it.
## Quest Integration
Persistent bombs could create missions impossible with temporary traps.
### Infiltration mission
Plant charges throughout an enemy base and escape before detonating them.
### Tracking mission
Attach a radio bomb to a courier and follow its signal to a hidden faction.
### Double-agent mission
Smuggle explosives inside cargo delivered to an enemy.
### Convoy mission
Tag several vehicles at different locations and detonate them simultaneously.
### Blackmail mission
Attach a bomb to a faction leader but keep it undetonated as leverage.
### Sabotage campaign
Gradually place charges on a faction’s infrastructure over several days.
### Defensive preparation
Build hidden traps weeks before an expected settlement invasion.
## NPC Awareness and Counterintelligence
Factions should react to the player’s growing use of remote explosives.
Enemies might:
* Search recruits for sticky bombs
* Install radio jammers
* Scan vehicles
* Use bomb-sniffing animals
* Change patrol routes
* Wear removable outer armor
* Ban unknown cargo
* Deploy counter-demolition teams
* Trace the player’s radio frequency
* Send false signals
* Capture a charge and use it as bait
* Attempt to detonate the player’s own network
The player could respond by:
* Encrypting signals
* Changing frequencies
* Using dead-man switches
* Installing anti-tamper devices
* Disguising bombs as ordinary items
* Creating decoy signals
* Using wired triggers
* Employing one-time radio codes
## Player-Owned Explosive Network
Eventually, the system should become a complete strategic network.
A high-level demolition specialist could maintain:
* Traps around settlements
* Charges inside enemy territory
* Tracker bombs on faction leaders
* Demolition explosives on bridges
* Mines along caravan routes
* Emergency charges inside abandoned buildings
* Remote defenses at player-owned outposts
* Hidden supply caches rigged against thieves
The player would not merely carry explosives. The player would build an invisible infrastructure of traps, surveillance devices, and demolition points across the wasteland.
## Core Rule
The design rule should be simple:
> Once the player places an explosive, it belongs to the persistent world—not merely to the currently loaded area.
A sticky bomb should remain exactly where it was left, continue traveling with whatever it was attached to, and remain available for detonation across the map until something within the game world legitimately changes its status.
That persistence is what turns remote explosives from temporary combat props into real tools of sabotage, strategy, infiltration, and wasteland warfare.
This should also apply to ordinary mines, tripwires, bait traps, planted explosives, tracking darts, and settlement defenses, not only sticky bombs.
.jfif)
