Deathclaw

An apex predator wherever they are found, the species found living in the Great Dust Bowl are no exception. Scarcity of food has caused them to become even more ferocious, but also more cunning. They prefer to stalk and carry off their prey in hit and run tactics, sometimes following the same group for days until they wear them out with attrition. With an armored hide capable of shrugging off small arms fire and low powered energy weapons, it is near impossible to counter this offensive with brute force.

Instead, survivors have developed their own deterrents, turning the beasts’ strengths into weaknesses. Flash grenades can temporarily blind a deathclaw’s sensitive eyes, just as a gas grenade can spoil their sense of smell and leave them confused. These tricks usually only cause temporary retreats, though once they have expended more calories than they can consume they may choose to simply abandon the hunt.