Tri-beam Laser Rifle (Broken Steel)

The tri-beam laser rifle is a weapon in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel.

Characteristics
The tri-beam laser rifle fires three laser beams with each shot and expends three rounds per shot. Since each pull of the trigger consumes three microfusion cells, it has an effective magazine size of eight shots.

This weapon has an object effect that allows it to do 40 additional points of damage when targeted against the player character. The + 40 damage is for each beam, thereby increasing its damage potential to 120 per shot, and this value is not mitigated by the player character's damage resistance, nor the condition of the gun itself. Therefore, even one with a high level can be devastated by an opponent wielding this weapon within 4-5 hits.

Unlike other energy weapons, tri-beam laser rifles do not ignite trapped gas.

Durability
The tri-beam laser rifle can fire a total of about 333 shots, the equivalent of 42 reloads, from full condition before breaking.

Variants
Variations of the AER9 exist in Fallout 3 and its add-ons:
 * Laser rifle - Standard version found throughout the wasteland.
 * Wazer Wifle - This unique variant of the AER9 has lower damage than the tri-beam, but higher durability and a larger magazine. It is obtained from Biwwy in Little Lamplight for five hundred caps (250 with Barter skill) or free with the Child at Heart perk.
 * Metal Blaster - This unique variant of the AER9 fires nine beams at once, using one microfusion cell similar to the Protectron's Gaze laser pistol. This feature, coupled with its remarkably high damage-per-shot, makes it a devastating short to close-range weapon, though its effectiveness greatly diminishes at a range with the "shotgun effect". It can be obtained by bringing fifty steel ingots to Everett in The Pitt.


 * Operation: Anchorage add-on includes an unused add-on-specific version of the laser rifle. It is identical to the normal laser rifle in both statistics and appearance. Its intended purpose in the add-on is unknown and it was cut from the final release, rendering it accessible only through the use of console commands.
 * A "demo" version of the laser rifle is included in Fallout 3, presumably left from the game's E3 demo. It does one point less damage per shot and less than half the critical damage than the standard variant but has a much higher critical chance percentage. It is not used anywhere in the game and is only accessible through the use of console commands.

Locations

 * Super mutant overlords often carry one. The weapon is more common later in the game since the overlords are more likely to be encountered then.
 * Talon Company mercs may carry them at higher levels.
 * Every three days there is a super mutant overlord that spawns at the Capitol building with a tri-beam laser rifle. Another one always spawns somewhat close to the Citadel and the riverboat landing should Point Lookout be installed.