The cosmic knife is a weapon in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Dead Money.
Background[]
Made from a "space age" Saturnite alloy in the Big Mountain Research and Development Center, cosmic knives were advertised to be super-sharp, all-purpose kitchen knives that would not chip or dull. A surplus was shipped to the Sierra Madre Casino & Resort kitchens in preparation for the Gala Event. Though lightweight and durable, they proved to be too sharp for their own good, able to cut a person's thumb off if they were careless and even slice through cutting boards with no effort.[1] Concerns were raised about the safety and necessity of having so many of these knives lying about, but Frederick Sinclair insisted that only the best equipment be used in his resort.[2]
Accidental negligence by the staff revealed that the knives have incredible heat retention, able to stay super-hot for hours after being heated over a stove. However, they are much more brittle when heated, and if left on an uninsulated surface, they would melt right through.[3]
In between the Great War and the arrival of the Courier in 2281,[4] many of the intact cosmic knives were scavenged and repurposed by the ghost people who inhabit and stalk the streets of the Villa, assembled into makeshift spears to use as weapons against any unfortunate visitors.
Characteristics[]
Compared to the more common knife, the cosmic knife deals higher damage per strike at the same attack speed, thus having a higher damage=per-second (DPS) value. It deals higher critical hit damage, costs the same amount of AP, has the same durability, and shares a lack of a Melee Weapons requirement and a requirement of 1 Strength. The primary element of the cosmic knife is that it inflicts higher damage against an enemy's limbs, increasing the chance of crippling them.
Visually, the unclean cosmic knife has been stained a dark purple due to years of exposure to the Cloud and aside from the handle and tip, they appear similar to the knife.
In terms of crafting, the cosmic knife is required in making the knife spear, the knife spear clean, the cosmic knife clean, and the cosmic knife super-heated.
Special attack[]
The cosmic knife has a special Back Slash attack, which does 70% damage in V.A.T.S. at the cost of 4 fewer Action Points (requires a Melee skill of 50).
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | - Type of attack |  | - Skill required | |
 | - Damage per attack in V.A.T.S. |  | - Action point cost | |
 | - Damage per action point |  | - Additional effects | |
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0 | 24 | 20 | 1.2 |
| Back Slash | 50 | 16.8 | 16 | 1.05 |
- Note: Melee weapons do double normal damage in V.A.T.S.
It is possible to execute Back Slash outside of V.A.T.S. (without the required Melee skill of 50 to perform the move) by initiating a power attack (hold attack button) while moving forward.
Durability[]
The cosmic knife can successfully strike about 745 times from full condition before breaking.
Variants[]
- Cosmic knife clean - a rare variant that must be crafted at a workbench using a single unclean cosmic knife and two Abraxo cleaner.
- Cosmic knife super-heated - a rare variant that must be crafted at a workbench (after finding the requisite recipe) using a single unclean cosmic knife, a hot plate, a pilot light, and forceps.
Comparison[]
| Legend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | - Weapon name (melee or unarmed) |  | - Attacks in V.A.T.S. | |
 | - Weapon name (gun, energy or explosive) | | - Action point cost | |
| - Damage per attack (damage per projectile) | | - Damage per action point | |
 | - Damage per second |  | - Weapon spread | |
 | - Area of effect damage |  | - Magazine capacity (shots per reload) | |
| - Effect damage & duration |  | - Durability (number of attacks before breaking) | |
 | - Bonus effects |  | - Weight | |
| - Attacks per second |  | - Value in caps | |
 | - Critical chance % multiplier |  | - Value to weight ratio | |
 | - Critical damage | | - Skill required | |
 | - Critical effect damage & duration |  | - Strength required | |
 | - With all mods attached | |||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmic knife | 12 | 36 | x1.5 limb  | 3 | x1 | 12 | 20 | 1.2 | 745 | 1 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| Cosmic knife clean | 15 | 45 | x3 limb | 3 | x1.2 | 15 | 20 | 1.5 | 995 | 1 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 1 |
| Cosmic knife super-heated | 14 | 42 | x1.7 limb | 3 | x5 | 14 | 20 | 1.4 | 745 | 1 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 1 |
- Note: Melee damage is doubled in V.A.T.S.
Locations[]
- One can be found stabbed into a cutting board in the Villa police station.
- One can be found stabbed into a bed next to an assassin suit in the Villa clinic.
- One in a small room in the southwest of the Sierra Madre casino.
- Many can be found in desks in the rooms on the top floor of the Villa clinic.
- One in the northeast of the Medical District, covered in Cloud.
- One can be found in the kitchen of the executive suites in the Sierra Madre Casino & Resort.
- One can be found right next to the exit from the Villa to the Mojave, next to one Sierra Madre chip.
- One can be found in the eastern part of the Villa. It is located in the gift shop on a display rack next to a cosmic knife advertisement.
- One can be found in a cafe with a radio in the Salida del Sol courtyard next to a cutting board.
- Two can be found in the Cantina Madrid on or next to a cutting board.
- Salida del Sol south, in a house near the the north exit, next to an electric hot plate.
Notes[]
- Despite being originally developed at Big MT, none can be found there during Old World Blues.
- Despite the fact cosmic knives proved capable of cutting open the hazmat suits after the Cloud corroded the locks,[5] attacking with the regular or clean version has no visible effect when used on the ghost people.
Behind the scenes[]
 | The following is based on Fallout: New Vegas cut content. |
|---|
Shape and texture resources for the cosmic knife, its clean, and super-heated variant are all present in the files of the Old World Blues add-on, but not used. Though present, no objects in the add-on use these resources. The resources are stored within the nvdlc01 folder used by the Dead Money add-on, rather than the nvdlc03 folder allocated to Old World Blues.
| End of information based on Fallout: New Vegas cut content |
|---|
Bugs[]
The cosmic knife is not affected by the Cowboy or Super Slam! perks.[verified]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Sierra Madre Casino & Resort terminal entries; Cafe Madrid terminal, These Knives!
- ↑ Sierra Madre Casino & Resort terminal entries; Cafe Madrid terminal, Another Shipment?
- ↑ Sierra Madre Casino & Resort terminal entries; security control panel, Download Recipe: Super-Heated Knife!
- ↑ Events of Dead Money
- ↑ Puesta del Sol switching station terminal entries; terminal, Suit Damage
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