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For an overview of plasma rifles, see plasma rifle. |
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The Van Graff plasma rifle is a unique 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 the standard plasma rifle, the Van Graff plasma rifle does significantly less damage per shot and has the same rate of fire, thus a lower damage-per-second (DPS) value. It deals less critical hit damage, costs the same amount of AP, has the same spread, the same magazine capacity, the same durability, the same weight, and the same caps value. Like most unique weapons, modifications cannot be applied to it.
While the standard plasma rifle requires 25 Guns and 3 Strength to use efficiently, the Van Graff plasma rifle has no Guns requirement.
Durability[]
The Van Graff 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 |
Variants[]
- Plasma rifle - the standard variant found throughout the Mojave Wasteland.
- Q-35 matter modulator - a unique variant found in a sealed room in the REPCONN headquarters.
 | The following is based on test content from the Fallout: New Vegas files. |
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- Plasma rifle always crit - a test weapon that always inflicts critical hits.
- Plasma rifle weak - a test weapon that does less damage.
| 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[]
- The weapon is given to the player character by Simon during Birds of a Feather when given the choice between a plasma rifle or a laser rifle to use as a guard outside the Silver Rush. It is marked as a quest item and cannot be dropped from the inventory. Once all visitors have been screened, Simon takes the armor and chosen rifle away from the player character.
- One way to obtain this weapon is to let the unnamed suicide bomber enter the Silver Rush during Birds of a Feather, resulting in the Van Graffs being killed. When the quest fails, one will be able to drop the rifle whenever you want to as it will not be marked as a quest item.
- Another way to obtain this weapon permanently is to personally kill Simon and then the rest of the Van Graffs once the weapon is obtained, failing Birds of a Feather.
Notes[]
- The weapon is still marked as a quest item even after completing Birds of a Feather, and therefore if it is acquired through theft or the console, it may only be removed from the player character's inventory through console commands.
- If this weapon is chosen during the quest Birds of a Feather, Simon will comment to the player character that plasma rifles are fine, just so long as you hit whatever you're aiming at.
Sounds[]
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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."
