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For an overview of plasma rifle models, see Plasma rifle. |
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The Winchester P94 plasma caster is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.
Contents
Background
Plasma rifles or plasma casters are high tech weapons firing superheated bolts of plasma, powered by either microfusion cells, heavy energy cells, plasma cartridges, or plasma cores which find numerous applications in military and industrial fields. The bolts form into toroids in the plasma chamber, which are then sent down a superconducting barrel,[1][2][3] propelled by, and in some models stabilized by, electromagnetic claws upon exiting it.[4] However, the plasma bolt chamber can be hotwired in order to accelerate the bolt formation process, effectively turbocharging the rifle.[5] The primary damage mechanism of plasma rifles is thermal transfer, causing serious burns to soft targets and melting hard ones. In extreme cases, the plasma can cause spontaneous dissolution of the target, including separation of soft tissues from hard ones or wholesale molecular destabilization that turns the target into a viscous green fluid.
Initially, the weapon was a bulky, industrial plasma caster, manufactured by Winchester Arms; while it performed admirably, it was expensive and required specialized training to use. However, later developments for the United States Army would lead to a more compact design that was cheaper to produce and easier to train for, perfectly suited for urban warfare.[6] An additional model known as the Gatling plasma, made in a similar fashion to the Gatling laser, would also come into use.
Characteristics
The plasma caster is a powerful energy weapon, having a rather low AP cost and a high rate of fire. Compared to its rifle-based counterpart, it outclasses it in both damage and fire rate as well as ammunition consumption, using only one microfusion cell instead of two per shot. Finally, it is slightly more durable. It pays for these advantages however in weight and accuracy: its far larger base spread is compounded by the insane skill and strength requirements to handle this weapon, and at 20 pounds it is the heaviest energy weapon in the game save for the GRA Cleansing Flame. Finally, it is rare and not very durable so the Jury Rigging perk or weapon repair kits may be necessary for continued use of this weapon.
Durability
The plasma caster can fire a total of 395 times using standard packs, the equivalent of 40 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
| Ammunition type | Durability | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | Reloads | |
| Standard | 395 | 40 |
| Bulk | 466 | 47 |
| Optimized | 359 | 36 |
| Over charge | 262 | 27 |
| Max charge | 155 | 16 |
Modifications
- Plasma caster high-speed electrode - Increase the rate of fire of the plasma caster by 25%.
Variants
- The Smitty Special
: A unique version of the plasma caster.
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 | |||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma caster | 65 | 195 | 3 | x1 | 65 | 1 | 25 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 10 | 395 | 20 | 7000 | 350 | 100 | 8 |
| Plasma caster | 65 | 243.8 | 3.75 | x1 | 65 | 1 | 25 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 10 | 395 | 20 | 9500 | 475 | 100 | 8 |
The Smitty Special  | 35 | 245 | 7 | x0.1 | 35 | 3 | 30 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 20 | 1095 | 20 | 20000 | 1000 | 100 | 8 |
Locations
- Silver Rush - one can be bought in very poor condition from Gloria Van Graff, or stolen for very poor/perfect condition (See: Silver Rush bugs for more information on how to get the perfect condition one).
- Orion Moreno - sometimes uses it in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam if having completed the side quest For Auld Lang Syne without killing him.
- - Y-17 trauma override harness may rarely carry them at higher levels, becoming the most apparent around 40-50.
- - sometimes carried by marked men in the Divide.
- - can occasion be found in high-tech gun cases.
- - carried by Colonel Royez and sometimes by his Irradiated NCR heavy troopers in the Long 15.
Notes
- The plasma caster, like the plasma rifle found in Fallout and Fallout 2, is a Winchester P94 energy caster, not to be confused with the urban plasma rifle found in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. When outfitted with the Plasma caster HS electrode, it effectively becomes the turbo plasma rifle from the earlier games.
- When viewed in third-person, depending on what armor is worn, the plasma caster may not be visible on the player character when holstered. Half-way through the holstering animation, the weapon model simply disappears, similar to the incinerator and heavy incinerator. If visible, the player character holds it in one hand with the pronged tip clipping through the ground.
- In the G.E.C.K. there is a plasma caster critical effect explosion that was cut out from the game. In the projectiles window, the explosion is already set but is unchecked.
- Without any DLCs, there is only one fixed plasma caster in Fallout: New Vegas.
- In Fallout 3, Elder Lyons refers to this weapon when talking about the Brotherhood Outcasts.[7]
Behind the scenes
- While the original idea to include the Winchester P94 in Fallout: New Vegas came from J.E. Sawyer, Paul Fish was responsible for modeling and texturing it.[8]
- The naming of this weapon "Plasma Caster" instead of "Plasma Rifle" like in the original games was both because Fallout 3 had already introduced a plasma rifle, and that the weapon does not look like a rifle.[9]
Bugs
- The weapon fails to fire a projectile properly when used in third-person view. After equipping it when in a third-person view it may not work even when switching to the first-person view. Re-equipping it while in first-person view may solve this. [verified]
- Sometimes after quick loading the weapon is held in one hand by the handle and moves with the player's arm movement when holstered, or appears next to the player's arm. This can be fixed by un-equipping and then re-equipping the plasma caster. [verified]
- When using the weapon in V.A.T.S. the projectile will often not fire unless very close to the target, and if standing under a roof the projectile may collide with the structure. [verified]
- While equipped, the weapon may become stuck to player's hand when changing outfits. To fix this, simply un-equip it, then re-equip. [verified]
- If one has more than one plasma caster stored in the same container, they may stack on top of each other. They can be separated but if the second one is placed back into the container, they will still stack on top of each other.[verified]
Sounds
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Gallery
References
- ↑ Fallout and Fallout 2 item description: "{1500}{}{Plasma Rifle}"
"{1501}{}{A Winchester Model P94 Plasma Rifle. An industrial-grade energy weapon, firing superheated bolts of plasma down a superconducting barrel. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells. Min ST: 6.}"
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel item description: "name_plasmaRifle = {Plasma Rifle}"
"desc_plasmaRifle = {A Winchester Model P94 Plasma Rifle. An industrial-grade energy weapon, firing superheated bolts of ionised gas down a superconducting barrel. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells.}"
(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2) and Items.txt) - ↑ Fort Independence terminal entries; research terminal, research log - plasma rifle
- ↑ Research note - plasma rifle
- ↑ Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net
- ↑ Fallout and Fallout 2 item description: "{23300}{}{Turbo Plasma Rifle}"
"{23301}{}{A modified Winchester P94 plasma rifle. The plasma bolt chamber has been hotwired to accelerate the bolt formation process. Min ST: 6.}"
(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2) and Items.txt) - ↑ The cover of the Future Weapons Today periodical as seen in Fallout: New Vegas has a section prominently promoted entitled "Urban Plasma Rifles."
- ↑ Elder Lyons' dialogue: "After all," they say, "everyone knows how to make another human, but the secrets to making a P94 Plasma Rifle are all but lost."
- ↑ J.E. Sawyer on Formspring
- ↑ J.E. Sawyer when asked on Formspring
