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:

Adhesive
Wonderglue
Tar
Mirelurk resin
Magnets
Suction cups
Barbed hooks
Robotic clamps
Molecular bonding emitters
Pheromone glands
Cryogenic fluid
Nuka-Cola syrup

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:

The back plate.
The fusion-core housing.
A knee joint.
The helmet.
The torso exhaust system.
The underside of a shoulder plate.

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:

Fusion-core charge.
Robot power.
Energy-weapon ammunition.
Stealth Boy charge.
Pip-Boy power.
Settlement generator output.

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:

Raiders.
Bounty hunters.
Enclave patrols.
Mercenaries.
Assaultrons.
Faction kill squads.
Automated artillery systems.

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:

A faction leader.
A settlement generator.
A companion.
A merchant.
A quest character.
An ammunition stockpile.
A Brotherhood checkpoint.
A Vault entrance.

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:

A backpack.
Metal armor.
A robot chassis.
A weapon.
A belt buckle.
The underside of a shoulder pad.

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:

Vault entrances.
Military checkpoints.
Subway tunnels.
Raider compounds.
Armories.
Power plants.
Enclave laboratories.
Security screening areas.

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?”