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Power armor is a unique form of external armor in Fallout 4.

General information[]

Fo4 power armor concept art

T-45, T-51, T-60 and X-01 power armor

Power armor is a multi-component armor unit, comprised of a base frame, with assorted armor pieces mounted on it. For power armor to function it requires a fusion core as a source of power, which drains over time and actions that consume AP will increase the rate of depletion. Once the fusion core is drained the user will still be able to slowly walk in the armor but will be over-encumbered and unable to use V.A.T.S. or hold breath when aiming with scopes. [1][2] Power armor in Fallout 4 requires no training to use.

Power armor is capable of boosting the Sole Survivor's strength beyond the normal S.P.E.C.I.A.L. limit of 10 to 14 with modifications. Wearing power armor negates any bonuses given by standard armor. Power armor helmets have headlamps that are used in place of the Pip-Boy lights, which are disabled while wearing the armor. While in power armor, the player character is incapable of swimming, with the user instead walking across the bed of any given body of water. Handheld or wrist-mounted weapons such as knuckles cannot be equipped.

While wearing helmeted power armor, the Sole Survivor can remain underwater for an extended period, but after several minutes submerged the drowning animation will play, and the player character will lose health rapidly and die. Power armor completely negates all fall damage, with or without any pieces of armor attached, enabling the wearer to jump or fall from any distance and land without any harm to either health or the armor itself.[3] This will however alert any nearby enemies of the Sole Survivor's position. The aftershock of jumping from high distances and landing on--or in close proximity to--any nearby NPCs (friend, neutral, or enemy) will cause a great deal of damage to them, which usually results in that character and/or their affiliated factions becoming hostile towards the Sole Survivor.

Companions[]

Companions can be instructed to enter power armor via the companion command system. This is done by selecting Talk when facing a companion, then instructing them to Enter power armor when the player character's crosshair is over the power armor suit they wish for them to occupy. Certain companions (e.g. Nick and Hancock,) will remove the helmet by default. One can force them to wear the helmet by equipping it from the companion's inventory, as with standard armor pieces. To have a companion exit power armor, select the Talk dialogue option and Relationship will have been replaced by Exit Power Armor. Some companions however are unable or will refuse to use power armor. Paladin Danse will refuse to exit his power armor and cannot be assigned to another suit. His power armor also does not degrade from combat or fall damage. Companion worn power armor does not drain the fusion core if it has one installed and can use core-less frames without penalty.

Maintenance[]

The parts may be repaired and modified at power armor stations located around the Commonwealth, where a power armor frame is installed at, or within proximity of the station. The armor and frame can neither be renamed nor scrapped for component materials. Power armor stations can be built at settlement locations under the crafting tab in workshop mode, if the player character has the necessary perks.

There are six tiers for each power armor piece, each granting higher damage resistance and health. The amounts of materials required for upgrading power armor pieces are fixed for each specific item, which means improving an armor piece from tier E to F has the same material cost as upgrading it from tier A to F. Depending on the player character's current situation, it might sometimes be wiser to postpone the next upgrade until higher (or the maximum) ranks of Armorer and Science! have been unlocked in order to save resources. This is especially true for the more advanced power armor models as they require much larger quantities of increasingly rare and specialized materials for their upgrades than for example T-45 or raider power armor. The helmet's lamp can even be customized with different colored light filters or a more intense white light in place of the default one.

Modification[]

There are several mods that can be installed in various pieces. Each model of power armor (except the raider power armor), can be modified with a unique paint scheme, most of which are acquired by progressing through the questlines of the four main factions. Some paints (Minutemen, Railroad) unlock after only a handful of quests while others like the Institute Paint require the completion of the entire corresponding questline. All of them grant the wearer a bonus to a specific SPECIAL stat if all six armor pieces are painted the same:

Variants[]

Power armor variants Fallout 4
FO4 Power Armor Frame
Power armor frame
FO4 Raider Power Armor
Raider power armor
FO4 T-45 Power Armor
T-45 power armor
FO4 T-51 Power Armor
T-51 power armor
FO4 T-60 Power Armor
T-60 power armor
FO4 X-01 Power Armor
X-01 power armor


Empty frame[]

Main article: Power armor frame
FO4 Power Armor Frame

Empty power armor frames are rare to find in the Commonwealth but can be purchased from several merchants. These are the base units on which all power armor types are mounted. They also have the secondary function of acting as a stand within power armor stations for the Sole Survivor to repair and upgrade power armor pieces.

Description Form ID
Empty frame 0002079E
Ingram's frame 00225A5F

Raider power armor[]

FO4 Raider Power Armor

Raider power armor is a makeshift suit made from scrap metal and other salvageable components. Due to the nature of its design, raider power armor is weak compared to its counterparts and has limited scope for modification.

Description Form ID
Boomer's armor 0021E09C
Cutty's armor 00137B81
Slag's armor 001A94EB
Full armor 00153392
Full armor - No helmet 00140EA6Cut content
Overboss power armor Nuka-World (add-on) xx00DC2E

T-45 power armor[]

FO4 T-45 Power Armor

T-45 power armor was the first set of armor manufactured for military and to a lesser degree domestic and commercial use. It is often the first suit to be encountered in the Commonwealth during the quest When Freedom Calls. It is relatively weak compared to its more advanced counterparts.

Description Form ID
Full armor 0017FB09Cut content
Full armor - Damaged with no fusion core 0019DED9
No helmet 0004A9C1Cut content
0004A9C2

T-51 power armor[]

FO4 T-51 Power Armor
Description Form ID
Full armor 00034309Cut content
00108EA0Cut content
0017FB09Cut content
Full armor - No helmet 00162AC7Cut content
Clint's 001A9077
Tessa's 001A9078
Vim! paint job Far Harbor (add-on) xx026FA2
Vim! Refresh paint job Far Harbor (add-on) xx043C80
Nuka T-51 power armor Nuka-World (add-on) xx01152E

T-60 power armor[]

FO4 T-60 Power Armor
Description Form ID
Atom Cats' 000498B0
BoS Elder 00181505
BoS Elder - No helmet 00198533Cut content
BoS Initiate 00181503Cut content
BoS Knight 00181520
BoS Knight - No helmet 0019E76ACut content
001D9046
BoS Knight Captain 00181522Cut content
BoS Knight Sergeant 00181521Cut content
BOS Paladin 00181504Cut content
001D9047
BoS Paladin - No helmet 00198534Cut content
BoS Paladin - No helmet and permanent fusion core 000BBFCCCut content
BoS Sentinel 00182F19Cut content
Danse's 00249849
Duke's 001865CA
Varham's 00061D9BCut content
Full armor 0017FB0ACut content
Full armor - No fusion core 00061D9BCut content
Full armor - Damaged with no core 0018980ECut content
Full armor - Military paint 00185D62
Full armor - Jetpack modification 0012B408Cut content
Full armor - No helmet 000D12B0Cut content

X-01 power armor[]

FO4 X-01 Power Armor
Description Form ID
Danse's 0022B5E5
Full armor 001681E2Cut content
Full armor - No fusion core 00170446Cut content
Quantum X-01 power armor Nuka-World (add-on) xx031723

Leveled power armor[]

Most power armor located around the Commonwealth is level scaled, up to maximum level of an area. For example, at lower levels, one will find T-45 power armor though at higher levels it can range from T-51 power armor up to X-01 power armor. Leveled frames spawn with T-45 pieces at levels 1-13, T-51 pieces at levels 14-20, T-60 pieces at levels 21-27 and X-01 pieces at level 28 and above. The upgrade level of armor pieces also increases within these ranges, e.g. T-45b armor will spawn starting at level 11. The armor pieces generated do not include previous levels, e.g. a leveled frame encountered at level 26 will only have T-60 pieces.

Frames sometimes spawn with incomplete sets of armor. Randomized frames can spawn with raider pieces at any level, T-45 pieces starting at level 15, T-51 pieces starting at level 25, T-60 pieces starting at level 35 and X-01 pieces starting at level 45. The armor pieces generated include all previous levels, e.g. a randomized frame encountered at level 26 can spawn with any combination of T-51, T-45, and raider armor pieces.

Description Form ID
Full armor 0018AE55
Full armor - No fusion core 0018AE57
Partial armor 0018AE56
Partial armor - No fusion core 0018AE58
Torso only 00219C2D Cut content
Randomized parts* 00154ABC

* This version is cut in the main game, however it is used in the Nuka-World add-on.

The leveled power armor list (LL_Armor_Power_Set) adds additional armor sets at following player character levels:

T-45 T-51 T-60 X-01
Variant A Variant B Variant A Variant B Variant A Variant B Variant A Variant B Variant C
1 11 14 18 21 25 28 32 36

The only exception to this is the suit of randomized parts, which have their own separate pool (per component) to draw from:

Raider T-45 T-51 T-60 X-01
1 15 25 35 45

Locations[]

The parts of armor (ex. body, head, etc.) are in a fixed number and type for each spawn point. Some frames appear to spawn different parts by loading a save from before ever entering that area, but the type of armor (e.g. T-45, T-51, X-01, etc.) depends on the player character's level when entering the area for the first time.

Additional power armor pieces of any type can be purchased from Rowdy at the Atom Cats garage.

Notes[]

  • There is no drain on a power armor's fusion core during fast travel.
    • Fast travel is possible even without a fusion core.
  • In very rare cases these frames may spawn with no armor attached at all. Also, on other occasions nothing at all will be found at the expected site, e.g. even the power frame will be missing.
  • The "drained core" over-encumbered state supersedes that of exceeding the carry weight limit and prevents the intermittent damage normally applied to survival players wearing an unpowered frame while carrying more than their listed weight limit.
  • Because power armor uses fusion cores as a power source, removing it by any means (stealing it, or dealing a sufficient amount of damage) will force it to power down, forcing its pilot to exit, unless they have a spare fusion core in their inventory. This will allow the Sole Survivor to obtain an essentially unlimited number of power armor suits, although all of them obtained through this method will be considered stolen.
  • Shooting off an enemy's fusion core will often cause the core to become unstable and eject and eventually explode with a destructive force similar to that of a Fat Man's projectile.
    • Having the Penetrator perk or the Yellow Belly syringe for the Syringer makes it easier to target.
    • Danse and Ingram have special "locked cores" which are hidden and cannot be stolen or shot out.
    • When destroyed, the fusion core will drop to the ground, tick for a moment, then explode with a magnitude similar to a nuke mine.
    • The player can acquire a unique power armor frame called "Elder Maxson's Power Armor" by damaging Maxson's fusion core in combat. The only other named frame belongs to Knight-Sergeant Gavil.
  • Looting armor pieces from dead NPCs will not prevent the armor from respawning later if the location resets. However, removing the power armor frame itself from the location can prevent it from respawning later. This is more likely if the frame is free-standing (i.e. placed in the world, not on an NPC), but can occur if the frame is stolen from an NPC using one of the above methods.
  • Certain bodies of water feature very steep banks and can't be walked out of, like the flooded shaft at the bottom of Dunwich Borers where Kremvh's Tooth is found. Escaping such a location is possible only by exiting the power armor underwater. While the armor pieces and the fusion core can be salvaged from the power armor frame, the frame itself will become unrecoverable, unless the player character instructs a companion to enter the power armor and fast travels away.
  • Power armor makes the player character invulnerable to all forms of instant-kill attacks, including the brutal pick-up kills used by deathclaws.
  • Some NPCs will comment on the player character wearing power armor, including several companions, the guards at Diamond City, and children. Comments range from confusion and suspicion to amazement and comments of impression or even more rarely, mild disdain.
  • Using the console to spawn a power armor frame via player.placeatme will spawn it at an angle. Attempting to enter the armor in this state can crash the game. After spawning it, click on it in the console and enter the two following commands: setangle X 0 and setangle Y 0 (spawning with code 00225A5F requires no additional adjustments.)
  • Power armor pieces spawned through the console will have a random model number tied to them.
  • The light of a mining helmet may be used in place of the power armor helmet light. The Pip-Boy light is unavailable in power armor.
  • After finishing the Brotherhood of Steel, Commonwealth Minutemen or Railroad ending, the respective faction will guard some of the power armor locations on the map at several military checkpoints.
  • Friendly characters can and will take power armor frames from settlements with fusion cores in them. This can be prevented by keeping power armor stored in enclosed spaces that they cannot reach or by removing the fusion core upon exiting the armor. Idle characters also won't use power armor frames that are stored at a power armor station. However, if they are stored with active fusion cores this won't prevent them from being used in a raider attack or being stolen.
    • Inhabitants of a player character's settlements will automatically get in nearby power armor frames if the settlement is under attack. They will get out of the frames if talked to by the player character. Merchants such as clothing vendors and doctors will not get out of the power armor when talked to. They will instead do their normal dialogue options. Though the power armor pieces can be traded from them after their store is closed for the day.
    • Settlers and companions may abandon their power armor when they decide to use a bed or man a guardpost.
  • Unequipped suits should not be left in a settlement with settlers that are equipped with Gatling lasers. The settler's AI prioritizes the armor over the Gatling laser, which means in case of an attack they will immediately use the weapon's fusion core to appropriate the armor instead of shooting the attackers. They will then proceed to fight with their Gatling laser if there is more than one fusion core in their inventory, but it still puts the armor at risk of sustaining heavy damage or even getting lost somewhere in or around the settlement.
  • While in combat or in the Glowing Sea, exiting and entering power armor will take a noticeably shorter amount of time, as well as having different animations, showing the player character leaping in or out of the power armor. When entering, the player character will only use one arm, and may look around nervously, before leaping into the suit. The suit also takes a shorter amount of time to close around the player character.
  • Each power armor piece equipped by player offers 5% damage reduction and 14% radiation reduction. Both reductions apply to the player character, NPCs benefit only from the radiation reduction.
  • Power armor pieces equipped on NPCs take triple damage when compared to equipped on the player.

Behind the scenes[]

Power armor in Fallout 4 was primarily designed by art director Istvan Pely.[Non-game 1]

Bugs[]

  • PCPC In the USS Constitution hold, if one is wearing power armor and decides to exit the power armor, it will turn invisible, while still being able to enter it.[verified]
  • PCPC Attempting to modify an empty power armor frame on a power armor stand will crash the game. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One If a Companion gets into a suit of power armor that has no fusion core, they will not be hindered by it and will even be able to use the light as if it did have a core.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One While in first person, the smoke from the power armor's jet-pack won't go away until re-entering the suit or removing and equiping the chest piece.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox OneXbox One While wearing power armor, it may be impossible to exit it. No known fix exists.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One Entering or exiting power armor may sometimes override the Quick Hands perk slowing down reload times, switching weapons fixes this.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Xbox OneXbox One If all armor is stripped from a frame and the frame is then left alone for a long time, it's possible that the frame will visually show random pieces still on it, despite them having no effect. This can be fixed by interacting with the armor such as inserting a fusion core. [verified]
  • Xbox OneXbox One If the player character exits their power armor to talk to Shaun in the Institute and enters it before talking to the Institute director, the power armor will deform every time the player character enters dialogue.[verified]
  • PCPC Mass Pike Interchange has a bug such that multiple sets of frame plus T-45 armor are respawned. Have seen as much as 17 sets standing around (2 lower level, 14 upper level and one on ground). Getting crowded up there. Taking one or more of these suits results in bad news: location stopped all respawning, including Gunners and all items. However, restoring to previous save will set things back to normal - multiple suits with new one appearing as a result of respawn. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 Roadside Pines Motel has a similar bug, has created 3 sets of raider power armor at location. Raider used one, leaving two behind at last count.[verified]
  • Xbox OneXbox One Sometimes, a power armor frame will appear to be a full set of any of the 5 power armors, depending on what was last equipped on the power armor. Interestingly, the only one of these that doesn't look like the base power armor paint scheme, is the T-60, which has the Brotherhood of Steel paint.[verified]
  • Xbox OneXbox One Entering a building while wearing power armor causes the compass directions displayed at the bottom of the screen to be incorrectly rotated by 180°. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox OneXbox One Sometimes when attempting to force an enemy out of their power armor by shooting the fusion core, the fusion core's health will show as depleted in VATS and a particle effect will signal its destruction but nothing will happen, and the enemy will continue to use the armor normally. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox OneXbox One Sometimes, while trying to force an enemy out of their power armor by shooting off their power armor's fusion core, it will not eject from their power armor and the ememy will stay inside. However, the fusion core will explode inside the power armor, killing the wearer and making the frame useless. When this bug occurs, load a previous save or else this will keep happening.[verified]
  • Playstation 4Playstation 4 When using power armor on the PS4 version, the Dualshock 4 controller's light bar will turn orange to match the HUD color generated from the armor. Upon exiting, it will revert to its previous color. If the player dies or reloads another save file while using the power armor, however, the light bar will remain orange until the armor is and entered and exited again. [verified]
  • PCPC Attempting to switching weapons might cause the player to end up unable to attack with any weapon (perhaps the fusion core grenade attack would work, the editor adding this bug forgot to test). In third person view, the character will look as if handling an invisible weapon. Getting out of the power armor allows the use of weapons again, but the shortcut key of the weapon that triggered the bug will no longer work, although using the Pip-Boy to select the weapon will still work. At that point, getting back into the power armor will only allow the player to look around with no movement, use of weapons, fusion core grenade attack, nor Pip-Boy available, and no ability to exit the power armor.
  • PCPC When wearing both a regular helmet and a power armor helmet, equipping a second regular helmet (in the hopes of unequipping the first regular helmet) will unequip the power armor helmet instead, and the NPC's texture won't show, as if a regular helmet was donned by an invisible person.
  • PCPC After switching a regular helmet, an NPC might not allow for a regular and power armor helmet to be donned at the same time anymore; equipping one will unequip the other. Attempting to fix this by getting the NPC out of their power armor, to don the regular helmet in the hopes the power armor helmet will be able to be equipped over it, fails as running CallFunction "Actor.SwitchToPowerArmor" None has no effect.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Jack Rockford's log, 09-18-77
  2. The Prydwen terminal entries; recreation terminal, Delecroix 05558-D
  3. Sole Survivor: "Sounds like you have a pretty full plate."
    Ingram: "Plate? Hell... I have a whole table's worth of duties around here. There isn't a day that goes by on this tub without five or six things breaking down. And since I'm stuck in this rig, I'm not quite as spry as I used to be... the work tends to pile up."
    The Sole Survivor: "You feel like telling me how you ended up that way?"
    Ingram: "That's a little personal, don't you think?"
    The Sole Survivor: "Most people in your condition would've given up. I just wanted to hear your story."
    Ingram: "Sure, what the hell. I was fighting with the Brotherhood in the Capital Wasteland. Worked at a staging area for the Power Armor troops. Our position was along a ridgeline overlooking the battlefield. I'd say it was a hundred foot drop, give or take."
    (Ingram's dialogue)

Non-game

  1. Nate Purkeypile on Twitter: "Istvan Pely, the art director"
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