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For an overview of Tesla cannon models in the Fallout series of games, see Tesla cannon. |
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The Tesla cannon is a weapon in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel.
Background[]
A military design from the pre-War era, the shoulder-mounted "Tesla cannon" heavy directed energy weapon was created for the purpose of replacing and surpassing conventional anti-tank weapons.[1] Based on the mechanical and electrical engineering designs of Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla (for whom it was named),[RPG 1] the weapon entered limited production for military use prior to the Great War, with many intact units becoming a rare sought-after find in the post-nuclear wasteland. Age has not reduced its effectiveness either, remaining a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled user, as the focused energy blast will not only deliver massive damage to the target, but the nature of the blast will also deliver a potent electric shock to organic and synthetic targets alike.
The first known combat deployment of Tesla cannons occurred at the tail-end of the conflict between the Capital Wasteland chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and remnant groups of John Henry Eden's division of the Enclave in the Capital Wasteland in 2277. Brotherhood scribes under the Order of the Sword endeavored to supply a weapon that could effectively counter the Enclave's vertibird fleet and air support advantage. To do so, they sent an allied wastelander to retrieve a pre-War piece of experimental technology, a PPE Tesla coil from an old factory in the town of Old Olney outside Washington, D.C..[2][3]
After obtaining the tech, at least one unit was produced and deployed in the hands of the Brotherhood's ally, where it proved to be far more powerful than the pre-War design during the Battle of Adams Air Force Base and the destruction of the mobile base crawler. This Tesla cannon was capable of discharging an electrical pulse upon impact with a much larger area of effect, demonstrating the Brotherhood model as far more suitable for anti-aircraft tactics.[4]
Characteristics[]
The Tesla cannon is a shoulder-mounted energy weapon that fires powerful blasts of electricity, powered by electron charge packs. It can be fired only once before reloading.
The questline of Broken Steel includes having to find a Tesla coil for this weapon in order to help the Brotherhood of Steel build it.
Durability[]
The Tesla cannon can fire a total of about 563 shots from full condition before breaking.
Variants[]
 | The following is based on Fallout 3 cut content. |
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| End of information based on Fallout 3 cut content |
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Locations[]
Locations of Tesla cannons at Adams AFB
There are a total of thirteen standard Tesla cannons, but only a maximum of eleven can be obtained in one play-through.
- The first Tesla cannon can be acquired upon the Lone Wanderer's initial arrival at Adams Air Force Base. There will be a resupply crate directly to the player character's left near the wall upon exiting the Presidential metro.
- Once one leaves Adams Air Force Base, if they did not blow up the Citadel and return there, two Tesla cannons can be found in the Citadel laboratory after finishing the quest Who Dares Wins, on a table in front of Liberty Prime's docking bay.
- If one blew up the Citadel, they can find two Tesla cannons in the Citadel armory. If one did not blow up the Citadel they can pick the lock to get into the armory but there are no Tesla cannons there.
- If one returns to Adams Air Force Base after Who Dares Wins, they can acquire eight more Tesla cannons (four in perfect condition, four in poor condition):
- The first pair are before the Lone Wanderer reaches the hangars. Traveling northeast from the Adams Air Force Base entrance towards the hangars, the fourth open-topped military truck in their path has a resupply crate in the back with a good and poor condition cannon and electron charge packs.
- The second pair of cannons (along with some electron charge packs) is in a resupply crate between the first and second hangar on the way toward the mobile base crawler by the base of an Enclave barricade. To be clear, these two hangars are to the player character's right once they reach the airfield portion of the base, near two parked vertibirds.
- The third pair are in a resupply crate by the ramp leading to the covered catwalk between the second and third hangar on the way to the crawler.
- The fourth pair are at the base of an Enclave barricade, between the crawler and the air control tower. The crate is inside the ring of sandbags underneath a Brotherhood of Steel paladin.
Related quests[]
- Shock Value
- Who Dares Wins - Given during quest.
Notes[]
- It is also possible to obtain an unlimited amount of Tesla cannons from Adams Air Force Base. This can only be done before one destroys the mobile base crawler. Simply observe the battle between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave and at some point, a paladin will bring out a Tesla cannon. Go around the force field and loot his body when he dies, then go back and wait for another. The other Brotherhood of Steel soldiers may loot him before the player character gets there leaving only armor or ammunition.
- The Tesla cannon has a "shocking effect" much like Jingwei's shocksword. After hitting an enemy with a blast from the cannon, they will be surrounded by an electrical effect for a few seconds which will cause damage.
- The Tesla cannon has a splash effect when the projectile strikes any hard surface, damaging all near impact. It is entirely possible and quite common for this weapon to strike multiple enemies. Be aware, though, that this effect will also harm the player character or any companion.
- If one looks into the barrel, they can clearly see the Tesla coil, which is its main component.
- Star Paladin Cross and Clover will equip the Tesla cannon when given with ammunition, and it will degrade as normal. By stunning her with Paralyzing Palm, Sydney will equip the Tesla cannon when given with ammunition and it will not degrade.
- When in V.A.T.S., if one uses two shots, and the first shot does not kill an enemy, but the shocking effect does, one will still fire it again even though the enemy is already dead.
- Killing an enemy with the shock effect does not count as a kill for the purposes of the Grim Reaper's Sprint perk. The player character's AP will not be refilled unless the enemy dies from the initial blast.
- This weapon's laser, or rather its shock effect, passes through walls and other solid barriers (i.e. one can shoot the Citadel Laboratory wall next to the map and Rothchild may be knocked unconscious).
- Even though the Tesla cannon looks like a big gun, it is actually an energy weapon, and rather light; it is the same weight as the laser rifle.
- The Tesla cannon has a scripted effect attached to it that allows it to destroy airborne vertibirds with a single shot, regardless of actual damage done.
- The Tesla cannon tends to kill a stronger enemy (Enclave Hellfire trooper for instance) in one or two shots (one with shock). Surrounding enemies will also be damaged while focusing on these targets.
Behind the scenes[]
A weapon called the Tesla cannon was originally intended to appear in the canceled Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2. As described, it would have been completely different from the weapon that appeared in Fallout 's Broken Steel add-on. Described as a "high-powered mass-cannon throwing tessellated plasma forward in an orgy of death and destruction" in the Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 design document, it was to be the so-called "uber-weapon" of player character Maxus, with "uber-weapons" being unique weapons for each player character which had to be assembled from 5 parts over the course of the game, or the player could have an NPC assemble one for them. One of the five parts for this weapon was a Tesla coil.
Bugs[]
If the player character kills an enemy with the splash damage effect alone, they may not earn XP for the kill, but this can use this to one's advantage. If a good character is killed by the shock damage after-effects it will result in no karma loss or hostility from nearby non-player characters. One will also not receive any fingers or ears for enemies killed by the cannon's splash damage. [verified]- Occasionally while in third person the Tesla cannon will float off of the Lone Wanderer's back and stay suspended in mid-air. This makes it impossible to use in the third person and V.A.T.S. and the Tesla cannon will still work in the first person. (This will fix itself after a while. However, there is nothing that one can do to fix it manually.) [verified]
- The Tesla cannon will not destroy a vertibird in a single shot, unlike the console versions of the game. [verified]
Sounds[]
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Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Future Weapons Today
- ↑ Events of Shock Value in Broken Steel.
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Olney Powerworks? What's there?"
Tristan: "Hopefully you'll be able to find a Tesla coil, an experimental device from before the war. Our scribes need it to complete a little surprise they've been preparing for the Enclave. Get there, get the coil, and get back as safely and quickly as possible. Any questions?"
(DLC03Tristan.txt) - ↑ Gameplay differences between the Brotherhood-model Tesla cannon seen in Broken Steel and the pre-War-model Tesla cannon seen in Fallout: New Vegas; Paladin Tristan in Broken Steel also confirms this as the modification necessitating the Tesla coil.
Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
- ↑ "The Tesla cannon is a shoulder-mounted directed energy weapon using technology based on designs by Nikola Tesla."
(Wanderer's Guide Book, p. 73)
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