Fallout 4 traps

Traps in Fallout 4 can be found all over the Commonwealth.

Types of traps
Randomly around the Commonwealth there will be land mines on the ground and sometimes hanging from chains. These will explode when touched.

Vehicles
Vehicles sometimes explode due to gunfire bouncing off of them, grenades or other explosions, or melee weapons. They can pose a serious threat to the Sole Survivor if not careful, but generally will not kill the player. Car explosions will inflict radiation damage and leave the area around the explosions irradiated for a certain time. A car explosion indicator, similar to the grenade indicator, will appear on-screen if the player character is too close to a vehicle that is about to explode.

Natural traps
Traps formed naturally from both flora and fauna, generally emitting radioactive clouds.

Barnacle
The barnacle, a crustacean, is an unusually large barnacle found in coastal regions generally clinging to rocks and other vertical surfaces next to the sea.

For example at Neponset Park, Nahant Oceanological Society and an unmarked location northwest of Breakheart Banks. Upon approaching it, the barnacle releases a radioactive cloud that irradiates the Sole Survivor at a rate of +30 rads/s for a few seconds.

Irradiated thistle
A spiky-leafed, purple colored plant growing in open grassland and around shrubs. Typically it will release a visible, green tinged radioactive cloud producing 30 Rads/s when the player character moves close to the plant. They tend to grow in groups which can increase the potential dosage.

A group of two specimens can be seen growing next to the wooden electricity pole just west of the Red Rocket truck stop near Sanctuary. A larger group of five-six grow a little way north of USAF Satellite Station Olivia in a dry clay patch by a wooden basket.

Makeshift bomb
Makeshift bombs can be found in various places such as Hugo's Hole and have the appearance of a cigar box with a small circuit board with some diodes in it and duct tape holding it to a wall. Upon disarming a makeshift bomb, the player receives a spring, steel & copper.

Jury rigged guns
There are numerous types of guns jury rigged to fire at an entrance way when triggered. These include double-barrel shotguns, pipe pistols, laser rifles and missile launchers. These are usually very weak and, furthermore, normally miss their targets.

Gas trap
Rooms which are filled with a flammable gas, causing a wavy effect in the air. Firing a weapon inside the gas cloud ignites it. One can be found in the diner in Easy City Downs. Another can be found in a shed at Saugus Ironworks.

Gasoline trap
Rainbow colored discoloration on the ground indicates gasoline. Firing a weapon at the fuel ignites it. Gasoline can be found in the Hopesmarch Pentecostal Church, the basement of the Shamrock Taphouse, Sublevel 21-D of the Institute, and the Tucker Memorial bridge is covered in it.

Flamethrower trap
A flamethrower jury rigged to shoot fire at the player. Typically activated by opening the door they are found behind. This trap can be crafted at player-owned settlements.

Grenade bouquet
The grenade bouquet is one to three frag grenades being held by a small wire or string that, upon triggering, pulls the pin and drops them to the ground. Upon disarming a bouquet the player receives a number of grenades corresponding to how many were in the bouquet.

Radiation trap
Often set by Children of Atom, these small devices emit radiation when triggered by tripwires. They act much like barnacles when they release a small cloud of radiation, but unlike barnacles, can be ignored or even skipped with high enough of a sneak skill.

Weak plank
Typically one or two wooden planks forming part of a makeshift bridge will give way as the player character moves over them, potentially causing them to fall and possibly take fall damage. These planks can sometimes be identified by a shallow v-notch carved or worn into the boards near the middle.

An example of this type of trap can be found on the south elevation of Saugus Ironworks where a small plank bridge joins two sections of steel stairway. The outer two planks will creak then break away when walking or running across.

Tesla trap
This trap is generally located on the ceiling inside buildings, and looks like a large metal smoke alarm with electrodes protruding from its sides. Activation from a pressure plate or trip wire causes the trap to emit lightning bolts in random directions that will cause energy damage. This occurs for a short period of time, after which the trap goes inactive and will not trigger again unless the location it is in is reset. This trap can be crafted at player-owned settlements.

Spotlights
Spotlights are lights which scan across an area and can detect intruders, alerting nearby enemies by beeping loudly. They will continue to follow intruders with their light as long as they are in the light's line of sight.

Clapping cymbal monkey
These monkey dolls will raise their head to look at nearby intruders with green eyes. Should the intruder remain in their line of sight too long, their eyes will begin flashing red, and they will begin clapping their cymbals together. This will alert nearby enemies to the intruder.

They may also be rigged to trigger nearby traps; this is indicated by a spinning antenna behind its shoulder. The cymbal monkey can be quietly disarmed by shooting off its head with a silenced weapon (any shot connecting with any part of the monkey will cause its head to fall off, disarming it; it is not necessary to hit the head per se).

Tin can chimes
A string of tin cans suspended from a doorway or ceiling. They will chime upon contact and alert nearby enemies to one's presence if the Sole Survivor or a companion runs into them. Collecting them will also cause the chimes to sound.

Handmade trip wire
The handmade trip wire appears to be a green thread or fishing line that's put across walkways to make a trap go off. Upon disarming the tripe wires the Sole Survivor is awarded a gear and a spring
 * Three can be found in Hugo's Hole

Laser tripwire
The laser tripwire is a fairly obvious tripwire as it emits multiple red lights that are easily seen.
 * Two can be found in the Taffington boathouse
 * 49 can be found in the Jamaica Plain Town Hall basement
 * Upon disarming a laser tripwire you get a fiber optics and a crystal. These traps can be crafted at player-owned settlements.

Tension trigger
The tension trigger appears to be a small box with short range radio capabilities as it has antennae and no physical connection with what they activate. They are triggered by opening the door or container they are attached to.
 * One can be found in Revere Beach station.
 * Upon disarming the Sole Survivor is awarded a spring and a gears.

Bathroom scale
The bathroom scale appears to be a normal bathroom scale with the word "Dead" written on the numbers. They tend to trigger nearby traps, and are sometimes rigged as land mines.
 * Found in multiple locations, such as Poseidon Reservoir and Dunwich Borers.
 * Upon disarming the scale the Sole Survivor is awarded a copper, spring & steel.
 * A large number of these can be found in the Milton parking garage.

Trap door
Requirements:
 * 6 Wood
 * 2 Steel
 * 4 Screw

Trap doors are large, flat wooden floor sections with a small trapdoor in the center, about the size of a regular small floor section. When an NPC or something heavy is placed on top of the trap door, it automatically opens up, causing them to fall through the hole, after which the trap door closes itself. It requires no power source and does not directly harm NPCs (though they can suffer fall damage or be hurt by any other traps placed below). The platform snaps to floors and foundations.

Due to the small size of the trap door, humanoid NPCs can have difficulty successfully falling down the hole.

Spring trap
Requirements:
 * 5 Aluminum
 * 3 Screw
 * 2 Spring
 * 2 Wood

A trap consisting of a pressure plate connected to a spring-loaded sheet of jagged, rusty metal, serving as a blade. When the pressure plate is stepped on by an NPC, the blade jumps forward, stabbing whoever activates it before resetting itself back into place. It requires no power.

Powered spring trap
Requirements:
 * 5 Aluminum
 * 1 Circuitry
 * 3 Screw
 * 2 Spring
 * 2 Wood

Same as the spring trap, but it requires a power source (the amount doesn't matter; only that it is connected) and provides 1 point of Defense for settlements. It can only be activated by connecting it to a switch of any kind, such as a laser tripwire. After activating, it must be manually reset via the connected switch.

Sawblade trap
Requirements:
 * 10 Aluminum
 * 2 Circuitry
 * 4 Gears
 * 4 Spring
 * 2 Wood

The sawblade trap consists of six circular sawblades stacked on a seven-foot-tall metal pole, held upright and running along a set of rails on the ground. When connected to a power source, the pole rapidly spins around and slowly runs back and forth along the rail, slicing up anyone who gets too close. Like the powered spring trap, it only requires a direct connecting to power.

The rail itself is about one and a half floor squares long, so care must be taken to ensure it has room to move.

Spike trap
Requirements:
 * 6 Concrete
 * 3 Gears
 * 3 Spring
 * 9 Steel

The spike trap resembles a concrete floor foundation with a large pressure-sensitive platform covering most of its area. When stepped on, large spikes (made from sharpened steel girders) shoot up from holes in the platform, stabbing any NPCs that walk on it. It resets when weight is removed.

The spike trap snaps to floors and foundations, making placement easier.