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For an overview of plasma rifles, see Plasma rifle. |
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The plasma rifle is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.
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.
Bulky, industrial plasma casters manufactured by Winchester Arms were once popular. While they performed admirably, they were expensive and required specialized training to use.[Non-game 1] Later developments by the United States Army would lead to a more compact design that was cheaper to produce and easier to train for, suitable for urban warfare.[6]
This plasma rifle is a lightweight urban warfare weapon created as part of a desire to replace the aging Winchester P94 "Plasma Caster" design.[6] This design was produced and fielded in number prior to the Great War of October 23, 2077. This however was not the end of the design nor manufacture[7] of this weapon platform. Prior to the nuclear Armageddon, REPCONN Aerospace (as a subsidiary of RobCo Industries) would successfully develop an improvement from their spaceflight research, with significantly advanced factions tinkering with the design post Armageddon.[8]
Characteristics[]
Compared to its counterpart from Fallout 3, the plasma rifle in Fallout: New Vegas has a much lower damage-per-second rating with only a slight improvement in damage. Factoring in the transition from the Damage Resistance system to the Damage Threshold system, the plasma rifle is vastly underpowered compared to in Fallout 3. Unlike in Fallout 3, the plasma rifle uses 2 microfusion cells per shot.
Durability[]
The plasma rifle can fire a total of about 370 times using standard cells, the equivalent of 31 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
| Ammunition type | Durability | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | Reloads | |
| Standard | 370 | 31 |
| Bulk | 437 | 37 |
| Optimized | 336 | 28 |
| Over charge | 245 | 21 |
| Max charge | 145 | 13 |
Modifications[]
- Plasma rifle mag. accelerator - Increase the speed of the plasma bolt by 200%.
Variants[]
- Van Graff plasma rifle - a rare variant temporarily given by Simon when guarding the Silver Rush during Birds of a Feather.
- Q-35 matter modulator - a unique variant found behind a sealed door in the REPCONN headquarters.
 | The following is based on test content from the Fallout: New Vegas files. |
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| End of information based on test content from the Fallout: New Vegas files |
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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 rifle | 47 | 65.8 | 1.4 | x2 | 47 | 30 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 24(12) | 370 | 8 | 1300 | 162.5 | 25 | 3 |
| Q-35 matter modulator | 40 | 96 | 2.4 | x2 | 62 | 28 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 12 | 1245 | 7 | 3000 | 428.6 | 25 | 2 |
| Van Graff plasma rifle | 32 | 44.8 | 1.4 | x2 | 32 | 30 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 24(12) | 370 | 8 | 1300 | 162.5 | 0 | 3 |
| Multiplas rifle | 105 (35x3) | 105 | 1 | x1 | 34 | 35 | 3 | 1.5 | 30(10) | 245 | 7 | 2500 | 357.1 | 50 | 4 |
Locations[]
- Durable Dunn's sacked caravan - Two of the thugs' bodies have plasma rifles.
- Hidden Valley bunker L1 - Sold by Knight Torres.
- Hidden Valley bunker L2 - One can be stolen from a room near the command center.
- Horowitz farmstead - One can be found simply lying on the ground southwest at the Griffin Wares sacked caravan.
- Jacobstown - During the quest Unfriendly Persuasion, some of the mercenaries carry this weapon.
- Nipton - One may be found in the town hall, in a gun cabinet in the room with an Average lock, behind the mayor's desk. Another one can be found in a gun cabinet downstairs, in the basement.
- One in an Average locked gun cabinet in the NCR CF administration.
- Novac - One can be bought from Cliff Briscoe.
- Powder Gangers in the various farmsteads south of Vegas and near Vault 19 may carry plasma rifles.
- REPCONN headquarters - One can be found on the main floor, northeastern side of the building, behind a couple of Average locked doors, and in a small room with a lot of microfusion cells and three ammunition boxes.
- Silver Rush - Purchased from Gloria Van Graff.
- Several Van Graff thugs have plasma rifles if one chooses to exterminate them.
- The Fort - One can be found in the underground bunker, leaning up against the wall by the ammunition boxes.
- Yangtze Memorial - A plasma rifle sometimes spawns in one of the graves nearby the memorial.
- Dead Bright followers scattered across the wasteland can sometimes be found with them.
- Greasy Johnny occasionally carries one.
- Fiends sometimes carry this weapon.
Can be found on Y-17 trauma override harnesses.
Notes[]
- A slight humming sound can be heard when it is equipped.
- An unmodified plasma rifle's bolts travel at 7500 units per second, which is about 117 yards (~107 meters) per second or 240 mph (386 km/h). This is much slower than typical bullet muzzle velocities.
- The weapon will use the same aiming animation regardless of if true iron sights is turned on, however with true iron sights off it will have the cursor displayed.
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) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 The cover of the Future Weapons Today periodical as seen in Fallout: New Vegas has a section prominently promoted entitled "Urban Plasma Rifles."
- ↑ Energy weapon forge
- ↑ In Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 both the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel are origins of such designs acquirable by the player character. See the variations list on the overview article.
Non-game
- ↑ Fallout 2d20: NPC Pack 4 - Mariposa Military Base, pg. 26: "An early form of plasma weapon, the plasma caster was regarded as an effective weapon, but the US Army disliked how costly the weapon was—and the specialized training it required to operate. As Plasma weapons technology developed further, it resulted in a variety of other, smaller, and easier-to-use weapons. However, some examples of the older Plasma Caster remained to be rediscovered after the War. This weapon is more damaging, and has a superior fire rate to a typical Plasma Rifle, but pays for these advantages with a higher weight and far less accuracy."
