Plasma Rifle (Fallout 3)

The urban plasma rifle is a semi-automatic energy weapon found in Fallout 3.

Background
Created for the US Army shortly before the Great War, this plasma rifle variant is a lightweight urban warfare weapon. In contrast with the P94, it does not have a superconducting barrel nor the electromagnetic claws - just the plasma bolt chamber and a discharge coil.

It was developed by REPCONN Aerospace for the pre-War Enclave sometime between 2076 and 2077, as part of a weapons research programme initiated by Colonel Moretti of the US Army. After buying out the company, RobCo used REPCONN's rocket related plasma technology and repurposed it into energy weapon research, the project took off because Poseidon Energy's similar research into plasma weapons, Project SEMELE, failed.

Characteristics
The plasma rifle uses microfusion cells, the same type of ammunition used by the laser rifle and commonly found throughout the Capital Wasteland, and can discharge up to twelve green, self-illuminated plasma bolts before requiring a reload.

The plasma rifle fires projectiles that inflict potentially heavy damage at a fairly quick semi-automatic rate of fire. The plasma bolts moves at sub-sonic speeds, giving enemies the chance to dodge the plasma bolts. Because of this, the plasma rifle is most effective in close to medium range combat, as opposed to the laser rifle which is better suited to long range. Due to its fast semi-automatic rate of fire, it empties its 12-shot magazine rather quickly, and its reload time is somewhat longer than most other small guns/energy weapons. Maintenance is a combination of perks and drawbacks: Like other energy weapons, it has a high maximum condition compared to small guns, but is expensive and/or difficult to repair. A plasma rifle in poor condition (under 10%) can cost over 1000 bottle caps to repair. The plasma rifle has twice the chance of inflicting a critical hit than most other weapons, and can turn enemies into piles of green goo if the killing blow is a critical hit. Like all energy weapons, the plasma rifle's plasma bolt can ignite gas leaks.

A fully-repaired plasma rifle can fire 666 bolts, or 55 and a half full cells, before breaking.

Variants

 * A3-21's plasma rifle - Obtained from Harkness at the end of The Replicated Man, A3-21's plasma rifle is one of the most powerful energy weapons, rivaling Lincoln's Repeater in damage per shot.

Locations

 * Fort Independence, inside a weapons armory (the key to the armory door is inside one of the foot lockers in the quarters).
 * The Citadel Laboratory, on the table.
 * Issued to many Enclave soldiers wearing Tesla or Enclave Hellfire armor. Some wearing hellfire power armor will have heavy incinerators instead of plasma rifles; these will be noted by the name Enclave Hellfire Trooper rather than Enclave Soldier.
 * In Broken Steel, Brotherhood soldiers may frequently be armed with plasma rifles, presumably captured by the Brotherhood and re-issued amongst the ranks. Officer Lepelletier is also armed with one. It is possible to obtain it passing a speech check.
 * In Mothership Zeta, at least two plasma rifles can be found; one in the Weapons Lab and the Cargo Hold.