Plastic Explosives

Like its more primitive cousin, dynamite, plastic explosive is both a tool and a weapon. In this case, "plastic explosive" takes the form of a large wad of Cordex, a military-grade blasting agent. It has been fitted with a blasting cap, itself wired to a timer. Although an antenna projects from the detonator assembly, there is no provision for remote detonation.

Differences with Dynamite
Plastic explosive is, pound for pound, more powerful than dynamite, causing 40-80 points of damage, and sports a wider blast radius. Correspondingly, plastic explosive is more expensive than dynamite.

Applications
Plastique was used for decades prior to the War as a mining tool, and is still useful for removing inconvenient nature. As for man-made obstructions, plastique can also remove many types of doors.

Offensive Strategies
As with dynamite, plastique can be an effective weapon, although using it as such can require some patience or creativity.

If an NPC follows a set, predictable movement pattern, their timing can be analyzed and a plastique charge set in their path. The timer, set to reach zero just as the NPC reaches that zone in his or her patrol, can potentially kill a wandering NPC. However, a more reliable means of explosive removal exists.

Setting the timer for a minute or two of delay, and then planting the armed plastic explosives (via pickpocketing) on a character provides a quadruple benefit: it ensures that the NPC will be as close to the blast as possible, requires no complicated math to properly locate and delay the blast, allows the player to get well clear before the fireworks begin and it will not attract the attention of other NPCs, as it would in case an armed explosive was laid near an NPC.

Availability
Plastic explosive is harder to come by when scrounging, but military facilities often have at least a few charges in stock. Most shops do not carry plastic explosives, even if they carry dynamite. In terms of shopping, the best bet is to try higher-end weapons shops. Along with their big-ticket guns may be a few bundles of plastique.

Applicable Perks
Players disposed to using plastic explosive, as well as the more docile dynamite, would benefit from gaining the Demolition Expert perk. With this perk, the player will never have a premature detonation (which will ruin the timed-patrol tactic), and the explosive used will deal an additional 10 points of damage.