Plasma rifles or plasma casters are high tech weapons firing superheated bolts of plasma, powered by either microfusion cells or heavy energy cells, 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,[2][3][4] propelled by, and in some models stabilized by electromagnetic claws upon exiting it.[5] However, the plasma bolt chamber can be hotwired in order to accelerate the bolt formation process, effectively turbocharging the rifle.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
Characteristics
The plasma caster is a powerful energy weapon, having a rather low AP cost and high rate of fire. Its precision in V.A.T.S. suffers if a character cannot meet the steep Energy Weapons skill requirement (100) and at 20 pounds it is the heaviest energy weapon in the game. It's extremely rare without Old World Blues or Lonesome Road and not very durable, so the Jury Rigging perk or weapon repair kits may be necessary for continuous use of this weapon. It can be fired 396 times from full condition before breaking.
Silver Rush - one can be bought in very poor condition, or stolen for very poor/ perfect condition (See: Silver Rush bugs for more information on how to get the perfect condition one).
Carried by Colonel Royez and sometimes by his irradiated NCR heavy troopers in the Long 15.
Notes
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.
The weapon's name is a throwback to its original item name from the Fallout beta.[10]
Bugs
PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 The weapon fails to fire a projectile properly when used in third-person view. After equipping it when in third-person view it may not work even when switching to first-person view. Re-equipping it while in first-person view may solve this.
Xbox 360 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.
Gallery
Plasma caster with the High-speed electrode modification.
↑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)
The weapon fails to fire a projectile properly when used in third-person view. After equipping it when in third-person view it may not work even when switching to first-person view. Re-equipping it while in first-person view may solve this.
