Firelance

Firelance is a lightweight, yet powerful, weapon of "alien origin".

Tips
With the Pyromaniac perk, the maximum damage is raised to 120. However, since most hits are critical, it has a good chance to do a whopping 360 points of damage per shot. Combine this with the Better Criticals perk, and your damage with this weapon is increased to a colossal 540 damage, making it a viable emergency weapon replacement for the Fat Man if your Energy Weapons is high enough, since it's significantly lighter, you normally have more ammo for it, it fires faster, it is easier to aim, and you will not accidentally kill yourself or any allies with it.

With the right Perks and enough skill in Energy Weapons -- or at least a high number of Action Points -- the Firelance can reduce the usually difficult Super Mutant Behemoths to a smoking pile of dust in a single combat round in VATS.

Star Paladin Cross is likely to pick this weapon up, as she does with most energy weapons.

Appearances
The Firelance appears only in Fallout 3. It can only be obtained through the UFO random encounter.

The random event has a better chance of happening with a higher luck stat. There will be a sound like a jet flying overhead, followed by an explosion. Then something crashing and skittering across the ground will be heard, similar to knocking over a large object.The explosion looks similar to a plasma rifle shot impacting.


 * The explosion is a random encounter and can happen in any location of the game.

After the explosion, the immediate area will be strewn with Alien Power Cell ammo and the Firelance. Unfortunately, it is in no particular pattern, and the player will have to search the immediate area to find the ammo (there are 24 total) and the Firelance on their own.

The Firelance will need some careful searching for (best by daylight) as it is small and blends in with the surroundings. Dogmeat is incredibly useful for this situation, as he can be told to search for a weapon and he'll fetch the Firelance. Dogmeat can also search for ammo and retrieve the alien power cells. Alternatively, wait until night time and look for the ammo, which glows blue in the dark. It is important to note that if an NPC discovers the Firelance during a combat situation they will pick up and equip the weapon. Confirmed NPC's include Raiders, Enclave and wasteland scavengers.

The items can sometimes become stuck in the sky, you can turn off clipping (console command: ) to get them.

Unfortunately, the weapon is likely to get stuck on buildings like a water tower in the wasteland. Your best bet is to try and blast it off with explosives, ideally frag grenades

In Wasteland, which served as an inspiration for the Fallout games, the Firelance is a weapon mentioned in the Paragraph Book included with the game.

In the event that a raider DOES pick up the Firelance, dodge as much as you possibly can. For lower levels one hit of the Firelance will kill you. Aim for the head as it will damage their accuracy considerably.

The Firelance Event
(See the video section for demonstration)


 * The Firelance Event is a unique encounter limited to one and only one occurence per player-character.


 * Once a random encounter has occurred at a specific random encounter location, a different random encounter will not occur in the same location for the rest of the game. (See Fallout 3 random encounters for more details)


 * It is possible to miss the sound effects or visual clues to indicate that the Firelance has fallen. If you find yourself approaching a random encounter location, there are no creatures on radar, and your Geiger counter starts registering trace amounts of radiation, start looking for the power cells.

Finding the Firelance and power cells

 * Dogmeat (Fallout 3) is very helpful for locating both the Firelance and the alien power cells: simply ask him to scavenge for a weapon or ammo in the area where the event triggers. It may be a good idea to follow him closely, however.


 * Star Paladin Cross is helpful too, she can pick it up and you can just take it from her inventory.


 * If you do not find the weapon and all the ammo on PC, and do not have Dogmeat with you: and   console commands can help as some of the cells might be invisible because of their placement. Using  you can find and get those cells too.


 * The Firelance may be found on NPC's: it has been found on Enclave Soldiers, a Raider in front of Super-Duper Mart, and in perfect condition on a Talon Company Mercenary at Fort Bannister, along with 1 Alien Power Cell. Be careful should this be the case; it could prove deadly should you be attacked, and even a 1-hit-kill if you're a low level.


 * If by chance the event happens and Dogmeat is either dead or you have not found him yet, and you are having trouble finding the weapon, and you happen to be near a known raider area, or a village/camp/place with several NPCs (as an example, there is a random encounter near Tenpenny Tower), there is a lengthy, yet effective method that can be used. First, find an area where the ammo seems to be most abundant. Mark that spot on the map and save your game. Make any followers you have stand far away from this area, and then head for the raiders or village/camp/town/etc. Find someone who will chase you (i.e. shoot a guard, or approach a raider) and have them follow you back to the location of the ammo. Save again (on a new space) once you arrive. Make sure to kill off any other people who may have followed you leaving just one enemy and then, either attempt to shoot the weapon from their hand, or if you have it, use the Mesmetron and take all their guns. After letting them go they should proceed to try to strike you. Back away until they run off in search of a gun. With luck, the nearest weapon will be the Firelance. If they pick it up, remember EXACTLY where they picked it up, then load your first save (the one right after the event occurred). Go to the location where the enemy picked up the weapon and it should be there. While this may sound complicated, it is actualy fairly simple to accomplish and can save a lot of time.

Triggering the event
(You can also see the random encounter list for a complete list of static locations of these random events.)
 * When trying to force this event at a specific random encounter location, you may see blue or red bars symbolizing living creatures (and, consequently, a different random encounter). In this case, you can quickload immediately without checking the situation.


 * With luck, the Firelance can be discovered right after completing Escape!. Behind the entrance of Vault 101 is a small farm with a barn and a silo. The barn itself is a random encounter location and the Firelance can drop there. The benefit to obtaining the Firelance early is self evident, as it eliminates the risk that would be incurred by immediately traveling to Rivet city or the Deathclaw Sanctuary.


 * One of the fastest methods to trigger this event at Rockopolis: Travel to Smith Casey's Garage, enter and save. Then exit, and immediately turn right and go west until the building does not cover the view. You now should see big rock(s) in front of you nearby. In the distance right of it there is a group of trees around some large boulders. Go to the right side of that formation - now to your left should be two large and a small tree. If you look west-northwest you see the top of a large tree over the slope. Go there, turn SW and quicksave. Now if you head SW - there is a big rock nearby and a large tree behind it - you should arrive to the 3-way crossing in front of Rockopolis. The random event is triggered just as you arrive to/pass the big rock.


 * Another way to get this weapon is to finish the quest Head of State the good way by moving the slaves to The Lincoln Memorial, as this then makes the Temple of the Union a random encounter spot. Then save, quick travel there, go up to the second floor and see what encounter happens. If it isn't the Firelance event, reload and try again.


 * Though this event can be triggered at the Deathclaw Sanctuary, locating all of the ammo could prove difficult.


 * A very good encounter to use for this would be the Dunwich Building. It is a nice open space with few enemies (although there may be a Sentry Bot). There is a radioactive pool. North of it there is a canyon which can be accessed only from the pool. You must approach it on the road from the building, jumping down the cliffs will not trigger. When up upon the cliff, search it for two cars and get between them. Then look up (to see if the explosion happens), and then down the small space there you can see to find your prize. I only had to it about 5 times, but I found events not listed on the wiki's normal list for this particular spot, even though they are listed for other groups (e.g. Ghouls who failed to reach Underworld). It is the easiest way for PS3 users, as I have found through experience.


 * Another method of obtaining the Firelance is to travel to Chaste Acres Dairy Farm. Make a save and then head west. When you come to a road turn right and follow the road passing a nuka-cola truck to the gas station with a red rocket in the center. Passing that nuka-cola truck triggers a random encounter. If it's not the Firelance event just reload your save and repeat this process.


 * Travel to the Nuka-Cola Plant and make a save. Head east following the road. You should come up to Flooded Metro. It is at this location you should trigger a random encounter. If it's not the one firelance event, reload your save and repeat the process.


 * Travel to the MDPL-21 Power Station. Make a save, and head towards Broadcast Tower LP8. Event triggered as I reached the crest of the hill following the path to the tower. The Firelance dropped just to the left of the tower, beside a group of rocks. Dogmeat finds it quickly.


 * First, travel to Agatha's House and go inside. Save and then exit. Walk down the path and across the bridge. You should come to a cliff next to the Meresti Trainyard. Drop down and a random event should be triggered. If it's not the Firelance event, reload the save inside Agatha's House and go back. While this may not be the best place to trigger the event due to the powercells and the firelance its self landing on a bus or train, it doesn't require you to travel very far. Have dogmeat with you, he will find the powercells or the Firelance from where you can't get them.

Bugs

 * The Random Encounter with the spacecraft can glitch and drop 24 Power Cells and a Firelance stuck in the sky in addition to the regular 24 Power Cells and a Firelance on the ground.

YouTube Videos
Obtaining Firelance ipN2oa6V7ls

fallout3 how to get the firelance at start of the game

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 * If you don't feel like spending too much time, you can save at the NORTH end of the Memorial parking lot so the swimming is not needed.