Energy Weapons

Energy Weapons is a Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, and Fallout 3 skill.

The care and feeding of energy-based weapons. How to arm and operate weapons that use laser or plasma technology.

Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics
Initial Level: Starting Energy Weapons skill is equal to 10% + (1% x Agility). Average characters will have a 15% skill.

Energy weapons, depending on the character, are the most versitile and powerful weapons in the Fallout universe. Unfortunately, they're also rare, hard to get and/or expensive. Ammo is rare and pricy so usually an Enclave or supermutant patrol needs to be sacrificed (if you can do it) to feed your hungry gun. However, a character wielding a laser gatling gun, alien blaster or other energy weapons whilst encased in power armour is a walking tank, all but undefeatable. If you can survive the early game until you can get an energy weapon, a PC can be a very happy person as they crisp/melt/vaporize all who stand in their way.

Tactics
Energy weapons almost always must be tagged to be effective. There are no books or other easy ways to raise Energy Weapons in Fallout (In Fallout 3, there is a book called "Nikola Tesla and you" which raises your Energy Weapons skill however.). So a good combination is Energy Weapons, Small Guns and a non-combat skill. With this configuration, the PC can defend themselves until an energy weapon is found (try the Glow or Sierra Army Depot). Remember, like all weapons, energy guns come useful and useless so find one that suits you and stick to it. Remember, a character doesn't have to aim energy weapons as they are devastating even prior to a critical hit. To really make a fight one-sided, take perks such as sharpshooter and more criticals to really start the plasma flying.

The bottom line
Energy weapons are rare, expensive and require (usually) that energy weapons be a tag skill. A PC must set aside perks and skill points early in anticipation for these superweapons early or else be unable to use them. This runs the risk of premature termination if the player has no other combat skills. However, an upgraded plasma rifle, gatling laser, alien blaster, or similar is usually capable of vaporising most enemies (including Brotherhood of Steel & Enclave) in one hit. So, in a fight, properly prepared and armoured, it will be the PC in a field of ash and fried enemies. Power to the plasma!

Fallout 3
Initial Level: Starting Energy Weapons skill is equal to 2 + (2 x Perception) + Luck/2 (rounded up). Average starting characters (Per 6, Lck 5) will have a Energy Weapons skill of 17%.

Energy Weapons have become more commonplace by Fallout 3, with the smaller Laser Pistol available early on, between Megaton and GNR. Making friends with the Brotherhood of Steel (and then robbing them blind) and making scrap out of Protectrons should net you some ammo, although the Alien Blaster is still the paragon of Energy Weapons everywhere.

In addition to assigning Skill Points at level up, Energy Weapons can be permanently raised by taking the Cyborg Perk, finding the Energy Weapons bobblehead, and reading Nikola Tesla and You. Energy Weapons can be temporarily raised by wearing various clothing which enhances Perception.

Broń energetyczna