It is my understanding that the only guaranteed places are in fusion generators, otherwise they are random loot like everything else. Also, vendors will sometimes sell them. I am level 18 at the moment, and I have found about 9 I think... I have only depleted 1 completely before I really knew what was going on. Now I only use my PA for special occasions. There have been 3 so far. One I don't think I could have done without PA and a Fat Man.

Hmm, that makes sense. Does that mean that websites that are listing locations to find the cores are blowing smoke? I guess that would explain why my friends suggestions have come to nothing. But I should still be able to find one in the generator room in Fort Hagan but I just can't find the generator room. Again, if anyone can help me do that that would be terrific.

Besides fusion generators which are static spawns, fusion cores in any other location is likely going to be random and based on your level. I didn't find many fusion cores early on in the game. However, as I increased in level, the frequency of fusion cores has escalated a lot. I'm not sure if joining the Brotherhood of Steel and the Pyrdwen showing up leads to an even higher escalation, but fusion core drops definitely seem to be contingent on the player character level. I'm level 33, myself, and I have 40 fusion cores currently and I'm able to use my power armor 24/7 without any issues. I'm also quite meticulous in searching every nook and crany and you may be surprised where some fusion cores are located. I can tell you having your lockpicking and hacking at master level is a must. There are definitely fusion cores in locked areas as well.

I've got about 30 now, they are about, sometimes in 3's or 4s.

OK. Thanks again for all the replies. I think I'm just going to quit worrying about it since it's clearly not a bug in the game! I'll just wait and hope they turn up. I'll check out the counsellor. So frustrating not being able to find the generator room at Fort Hagan.

Worst fusion cores ever, so we invent fusion and they die faster than an iphone battery, that is just a sad future. Someone needs to get on a patch to upgrade those fusion cores over at Bethesda.

I have never seen them 'lying around' on a table , and very rarely in a container. They are usually in one of those generators which makes a loud, hissing sound. And sometimes vendors carry them.

I've been playing for 25 hours or so and I don't recall finding any as loot in containers (then again, I'm not a PA guy, so I'm not looking for them). Every one I have seen are installed in a generator or are for sale by a merchant. I'm not saying they are not lying about, I just don't recall specifically seeing them like that.

don't rush, take your time to snoop around^^

got over 30 fusion cores too and explored about a third of the game...

They are definitely in containers (I've found stacks of three or four multiple times) and I even occasionally have seen them laying on the ground, although that's not as often. There are certain locations they are likely to be more prevalent, such as military facilities, raider encampments, even any point of interest has a chance of having a fusion core. You'll also usually find them with respect to the main quests, BoS quest, or side quests in general. I've found probably about 50 so far and I'm about level 34. I will say that quite a few I have found locked behind doors, so having lockpicking and hacking perks is necessary for some of these fusion cores. Keep an attentive eye and you'll find plenty along the way.

I have one character who has joined the BHS and uses his PA exclusively and energy weapons. The FC can be found in generators, discarded PA, vendors (quite expensive), and in random loot. I have found quite a few doing the BHS questline. It is also quite useful taking the Nuclear Physicist perks as they make the cores last much longer.

Vendor in bunker 81 had lots as I recall.

if you have the nuclear physicist perk maxed out like i do fusion cores last 50% longer which means i can have 6 fusion cores and run around in my BOS V T-60F power armour hours on end up to around 10hrs without having to buy new ones.

Nuclear physicist MAX= saving money= more running and gunning.

i'm a level 48 on xbox one with 22114 bottle caps here's my gamertag

Bonetrail69

you start finding more later in the game or maybe higher level? I maxed out nuclear physicist early on and started saving cores. I had around 30 when I first started the 'real' brotherhood questline... then in their base I found like another 20+

I have about 30...but they are everywhere even found one on a dead mutant.

Behind the Red Rocket truck stop there's a hole in the slope...it's a mole rat den and there's a fusion core that respawns in the same chamber that the glowing rat is. It's also a good spot to gather up glowing fungus for nuclear material.

I'll check it out. Thanks! Although that would suggest that they DO spawn randomly. Ah me.

I don't trust the ghost of Lenny Henry so you can just gwapple me gwapenuts.

High luck helps to find them more often. Since they're considered ammo, it's speculated that the Scrounger perk affects the quantity when you find them. I have a point in scrounger and I've ran into situations where I find 4 or 5 of them at once in a container. If you have INT 9, you can max out Nuclear Physicist which effectively doubles the amount of cores you have, or to put it another way, when you find/buy one, it's sort of like getting two.

I've found them in three types of places:

-Singles in generators

-For sale at vendors. Pretty expensive especially early game, like 650+ ish caps each.

-Singles and multiples in Ammo containers.

Skylanes 1981 has several near the lavatories, and they respawn. But there have been variously ghouls, supermutants, and crazy robots there too.