Permafrost Enemies: Wildlife, Bandits and the Moon Cult
Updated:
Quick answer: threats come in three classes — wildlife (mostly avoidable, some aggressive), bandits (armed humans at loot sites) and the Moon Cult (story enemies who attack in waves during certain quests). None of them kills as many new players as the cold does.
Wildlife: who runs, who fights
| Behavior | Animals |
|---|---|
| Flee when approached | Rabbits, foxes, deer |
| Flee, but fight back when angered | Moose |
| Attack on sight | Boars, wolves, bears, bison, muskoxen |
- Wolves hunt in packs and matter for the Skinwalker's "Hour of the Wolf" challenge (seven wolves for the wolf-head hat). A paw-shaped point of interest far north reportedly guarantees wolf spawns.
- Bears guard important places — including the bone cave where your dog waits — and a boss bear exists. Fight them in the open, not in a cave mouth.
- Moose look like free meat; anger one and it charges. Bison and muskoxen are similar: tough, territorial, not worth it early.
Wildlife: HP and damage (game files, build 0.44.2)
| Animal | HP | Damage | Behavior | Notable drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear (alpha) | 1,200 | 45 | Hostile | meat ×3, fat ×4, bones ×7, bear pelt |
| Bear | 500 | 50 | Hostile | same drops, smaller ranges |
| Bear (wounded) | 250 | 35 | Hostile | — |
| Muskox | 360 | 25 | Hostile | meat, fat, pelt |
| Bison | 270 | 25 | Hostile | meat, fat |
| Boar | 180 | 15 | Hostile | meat, fat, pelt |
| Moose | 180 | 20 | Fights back | meat, fat, pelt |
| Red deer | 100 | — | Passive | deer pelt, meat |
| Wolf | 75 | 50 | Hostile | wolf pelt |
| Fox | 25 | 5 | Hostile | fox pelt |
| Rabbit / Rat | 1 | — | Passive | meat, pelt |
"Threat" is the AI's aggression weight; passive animals never attack and are the safest early meat.
Fighting animals
- Bows are silent and arrows are recoverable — the economical choice. A crude bow plus wooden arrows is hand-crafted once you've unlocked rope.
- Early firearms change the math: players report an early rifle dropping an elk in one shot, while a bow needs several on big animals.
- Skin your kill with a shiv or knife (the crosshair icon turns white when the tool is right). Pelts go to the tanning rack (1 pelt + 2 animal fat → treated hide; rabbits need 2 pelts); fat feeds candles and tanning.
- Rabbit traps (wood + rope) on animal paths provide passive meat.
- Animals respawn over time; if an area stays empty, clear it fully and sleep.
Bandits
Armed humans hold military locations and some facilities. They carry real firearms and will shoot you off a ridgeline — the day-one military-loot route is deliberately risky. Bandits currently have exploitable pathing (an Early Access quirk): they try to path through entry points instead of shooting down from ridges, which makes bottlenecked bases defensible.
The Moon Cult
The cult that worships the shattered moon ("the moon sees all") is the story's human antagonist: they destroyed house camp's long-range radio tower and attack in waves during the wall-renovation quest at house camp. Their clothing sets (jacket/helmet/pants/boots) drop as loot and recipes, offering both cold resistance and armor.
The deadliest enemy
The cold. Falls cause internal bleeding, hypothermia drains health, and blizzards trap the unprepared — the music cue tells you a living threat is near, but the weather never announces itself. Read how to stay warm before worrying about wolves.
Defending your base
- Build near resources but away from faction patrol routes.
- Bottleneck entries; add under-snow traps and the windchime decoy.
- Expect occasional bandit and wildlife raids on built bases.
FAQ
Is there PvP? No — Permafrost is PvE only, solo or co-op.
Do enemies scale? No level-scaling evidence so far; difficulty comes from gear tiers and the environment.
What should I craft first for defense? The crude bow, then a firearm from the weapon bench once the story unlocks it.
Related: Stay warm · Food & hunting · Walkthrough
Related guides
- Permafrost: How to Stay Warm and Survive the ColdThe cold is the real enemy. How body warmth, gear ratings, cold zones, campfires and heaters interact — and how to loot cold zones without dying.
- Permafrost Food Guide: Cooking, Healing and HuntingCooked food heals. Get the kitchen stove from Anna's quest, combine meat with edible roots for a 50-HP healthy dish, and never eat raw meat.
- Permafrost Walkthrough: Main Quest Route (Early Access)The full main quest route through the Early Access region — Horizon, the bone cave, New Home, Hunter's Glade, House Camp and the Solar Fields — with quest-gating gotchas.
- Permafrost Beginner Guide: Survive Your First DaysA practical opening route: pick a background, craft stone tools, master campfire discipline, rescue your dog, build a first cabin, and learn how blueprint points and saving actually work.