Power Armor Frame

The power armor frame is the basis for all power armor in Fallout 4.

Characteristics
Contrasting with previous games any combination of power armor parts can be equipped on the frame. It does not exist in the inventory, instead being an object in the world that can be used. A power armor station may be used to modify power armor components.

The base frame provides 60 Damage Resistance, and Energy Resistance, but will negate all effects of other apparel and armor worn underneath. It also sets the base Strength to 11, this can result in negative affects to carrying capacity. The weight of worn apparel and armor, however, is not ignored. On the other hand, any Power Armor plate segments attached to the frame have no weight for carrying capacity purposes.

Power armor requires a fusion core to function and the fusion core's power drains over time. Actions that consume AP deplete additional power. Once the fusion core is drained, the Sole Survivor will be over-encumbered and unable to use V.A.T.S.. Falling in power armor negates all damage to the wearer that normally would be received from falling, but can damage the armor if jumping from a sufficiently high altitude, and triggers an impact landing, which damages other creatures and people near the point of impact.

Comparison to previous portrayals
This interpretation of power armor in Fallout 4 is unique in the series so far. First is the frame upon which separate armor segments are mounted, as compared to previous suits which existed as holistic entities which were worn whole aside from the helmet. Additionally, the player character interacts with the frame in the world to use the power armor, instead of equipping the power armor via the inventory. Second, the use of fusion cores as 'fuel' for power armor is at odds with previous lore descriptions of late-generation power armor &mdash; even within Bethesda's own game series. Apart from the earliest variants of the T-45 (which were noted to use disposable power cells at an alarming rate), suits like the T-51b are noted for having personal fuel systems capable of lasting centuries. By contrast fusion cores even in mass numbers can only grant a few hours of usage. Third however, is the most 'accurate' rendition to date with regards to the size of the armor, its general movement and abilities. Unlike the descriptions regarding Power Armor from previous Fallout games, the power armor frame does not appear to make use of any recognizable form of unified hydraulics system for strength enhancing purposes (unless they are somehow hidden inside the armor segments or the base frame itself). It instead appears to solely derive its strength boosting abilities entirely from servo motors strategically placed within key points of the frame. The frame does not include armored gloves but rather entirely separate mechanical hands controlled by the operator inside. On top of which; the frame is capable of boosting the Sole Survivor's strength beyond the normal S.P.E.C.I.A.L. limit of 10, potentially going as high as 14 with proper mods. Last but not least; power armor helmets have fully functional headlamps that are used in place of the Pip-Boy lights and the lamp can even be customized to feature different colored light filters or use a particularly bright light in place of the default one.

In Fallout 4 power armor has had alterations done in-regards to it's physics, mainly being prohibition of swimming, instead walking across the bottom. This makes wearing power armor at places like Libertalia risky as if falling off the walkways one will sink to the bottom and have to walk to shore.

Locations
The level of armor on any frame found is determined when the player character comes within range for the first time, regardless if the player character sees or interacts with the armor at all. The following are ordered roughly by those the player character will encounter soonest, and those further out or in harder to reach places last.


 * One can be found during When Freedom Calls on the roof of the Museum of Freedom in Concord.
 * Northeast of Sanctuary Hills in between USAF Satellite Station Olivia and the Robotics Disposal Ground there is a crashed vertibird with power armor.
 * On train tracks just East of Tenpines Bluff under the cliff, one set can be found behind a blue cargo container. The locked cage it is in requires advanced hacking.
 * A frame can be found on the top of the double-layered overpass highway triangulated in between College Square, Graygarden and the Corvega assembly plant. If the Sole Survivor fast travels to Greygarden and heads east, they should see a small yellow lift that can take the Sole Survivor to the second layer of the overpass. There's a crashed vertibird hanging over the edge with a leveled set of power armor standing next to it. Full set of T-51 at lvl. 49 (? ..although entered Cambridge earlier at much lower level..)
 * One can be found to the South of Drumlin Diner nearby a destroyed train, behind a sealed security gate that can be opened via a terminal.
 * One can be found at the Mass Bay medical center in the radiology wing. (One of the enemies will get into the armor during combat.) Allowing the enemy to use the armor will let the player character kill and loot the armor pieces, and then have the power armor frame and new parts re-spawn later, making this one of the few places to get respawning power armor other than the Raider version.
 * One can be found underwater next to a crashed Vertibird in the Northern end of the lake outside Covenant. Most of the Vertibird is submerged, with only a small part of the tail section visible above water. The power armor is on the Right hand side of the aircraft.
 * One can be found locked inside of a cage at a military checkpoint, which is located North-East of Mass Gravel & Sand and direct West of Wattz Consumer Electronics. The cage is locked with an Advanced difficulty terminal.
 * One can be found in the Green container in front of the Federal ration stockpile. (One of the raiders will get into the armor during combat.) Allowing the raider to use the armor will let the player character kill and loot the armor pieces, and then have the power armor frame and new parts re-spawn later, making this one of the few places to get respawning power armor other than the Raider version.
 * One can be found in a locked trailer at Fiddler's Green Trailer Estates east of Fort Hagen, the trailer can be opened by the key found inside a Novice-locked safe within the Office Building near the pool or by picking the Master difficulty door lock.
 * One can be found inside a small building behind a locked door near the end of the bridge to Fort Strong.
 * One can be found in a warehouse South of Greater Mass blood clinic.
 * One can be found standing at a military checkpoint under a billboard South East of Greater Mass blood clinic and North West of Mass Pike Interchange. (Just walk straight between the 2 locations, the check point is on the road in between.)
 * One can be found on top of Mass Pike Interchange. There is a yellow elevator below that will take player character to a gunner camp, the power armor can be found near the end next to a turret. (One of the enemies will get into the armor during combat.) Allowing the enemy to use the armor will let the player character kill and loot the armor pieces, and then have the power armor frame and new parts re-spawn later, making this one of the few places to get respawning power armor other then Raider.
 * One can be found in the National Guard training yard behind a master-level locked door and a terminal that must be hacked. Full set of T60 @ level 25.
 * One can be found on the northwest outskirts of the National Guard training yard, behind an expert locked gate inside a shipping crate. (Note: Full X-01 MK2 set found here at Level 35, X-01 MK3 at Level 39)
 * To the northwest of Revere satellite array and northeast of the National Guard training yard and direct west of Finch farm, on the road there is a military convoy guarded by a Mr. Gutsy. A frame with a set of parts can be found inside the truck. (Level Dependent for armor type)
 * One can be found in one of the Revere satellite array's dishes.
 * One can be found north of the Old North Church. The power armor is located on a partially sunken barge. It is easily recognizable from the Vertibird that has been tipped on its side, as well as there being several APC-like vehicles present. Hidden among the vehicles will be a cage with a terminal on the side. Simply hack the terminal in order to unlock the security gate on the cage and gain access to the armor.
 * One can be found at a military checkpoint just south of Big John's salvage, north-west of Jamaica Plain and south-east of Relay Tower 0SC-527. (Guarded by a Mister Gusty)
 * One can be found behind an expert-level terminal at the South Boston military checkpoint.
 * One can be found in a small body of water between Jamaica Plain and Neponset Park, under the highway overpass and in front of a partially sunken APC. *Note the suit may be sunken out of sight.
 * One can be found northeast of the Poseiden Energy Turbine 18-F and directly south of West Everett Estates next to a crashed plane and broken down tank and an utility protectron.
 * One can be found during the quest The Big Dig for Bobbi No-Nose in Goodneighbor, in an optional side-passage that can be drilled by the robot. There are Mirelurks inside.
 * One can be found on the top of 35 Court, west of Custom House tower. Guarded by a sentry bot and an assaultron. The frame is in a locked room that opens when the red buttons in the room the robots came from are pressed. Both robots will automatically self-destruct if the player character gains the Hidden status after releasing them, leaving the power armor completely unguarded. (Note: Full X-01 set at level 28, MK2 at level 32, MK3 at level 58, higher models may spawn at a higher level.)
 * One can be found west of Murkwater construction site in the southernmost swamp beside a crashed vertibird guarded by a Mr. Gutsy.
 * One can be found North-northwest of Nahant Sherrif's Department, inside a locked bay inside a container on north edge of a cargo barge with military vehicles on it. At lvl. 24, a complete set of T-51.
 * Four frames can be acquired in the mechanical bay of The Prydwen, two can be acquired without stealing. The first is acquired if the Sole Survivor has aligned with the Brotherhood of Steel and been promoted to knight. Another is given after completion of Blind Betrayal.
 * Just off the road at the southwest shore of Lake Cochituate, directly south of Natick police department and Natick Banks. At the edge of the radioactive zone. Unguarded, in open. At lvl. 29 an almost full set of X-01. Beware numerous deathclaws in vicinity.
 * Inside a cave in the Glowing Sea, between the Vertibird wreckage and Skylanes Flight 1665. It's beside the corpse of an unnamed raider and is a full set of raider variant power armour.
 * One can be found in Federal surveillance center K-21B under the abandoned shack inside the Glowing Sea.
 * One can be stolen from Atom Cats garage.
 * One is located North East of Pickman Gallery on a barge/tug boat inside a terminal locked cage.


 * Bought from:
 * Atom Cats garage from Rowdy.
 * Commonwealth Weaponry in Diamond City.
 * KL-E-0 in Goodneighbor.
 * One can be ordered from Proctor Teagan on The Prydwen
 * It is possible to puchase more than one from the vendors. Just come back in 48 hours.

Bugs

 * Shooting off the fusion core of a NPC operated power armor might not force the operator out of the armor, especially if they have another core in their inventory.
 * If wearing a suit of power armor, one can enter another frame. But this will delete the first suit.
 * One cannot attach a piece of power armor if it has stacks. e.g. if having a stack of two X-01 torso then one would not be able to attach such piece. This is remedied by simply clearing the stack until one remains, one should be able to be attached to the power-armor piece once more.
 * If one tries to modify a power armor frame that has no pieces on or in the inventory, the Sole Survivor can become stuck in an inescapable animation loop. Loop stops after about 30 minutes if waiting. One can get out of this by using the movement button rather than the back button that would've been used to exit the modification menu, similar to getting out of chairs while sitting.
 * If one brings all companions to the Red Rocket truck stop all equipped in full X-01 power armor, calls the companions with the bell then fast travels to Sanctuary Hills, then back to the truck stop, randomly a Brotherhood knight will appear to kill X6-88. The knight who appears is also dressed in full x-01 power armor with jet pack. All companions will then kill the knight and his equipment can be taken. Danse will not dislike the act.
 * Modifying a power armor frame without armor pieces can cause a Crash to Desktop. This can occur on both the current patch and Beta patch 1.2.33.
 * Modifying an armor piece with a material mod (denoted 'X+' in the material mod menu) purchased from a merchant (tested with Prism Shielding purchased from Rowdy) and replacing the mod without backing out of the submenu will add a duplicate of the mod to the player character's inventory.
 * As of Beta patch 1.2.33, if having two power armor frames in two different power armor workshops, the "older" workshop does not seem to work anymore.
 * Sometimes power armor frames will not appear at all at some of the described locations. Whether this is a bug or a feature remains to be determined.
 * A bug has also been noted in the 24-32 level range, causing the X-01 to spawn with the appearance of a T-51 or T-60 Power armor set. In some instances, such as with the 35 Court spawn location, once the player character enters the chamber containing the armor the visual glitch will correct itself. If this glitch occurs, upon inspecting the components of the armor frame the X-01 appears to be equipped. Removing these pieces and re-attaching them to the frame has also been reported to fix the visual error.
 * It has also been seen that repeatedly entering and exiting the power armor workshop can lead to a UI glitch, causing the Sole Survivor to be unable to use the Pip-boy display or interact with objects. Thus far, the only means discovered to resolve this issue is to load a previous save.