Plasma Rifle (Fallout: New Vegas)

The plasma rifle is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics
It is described by Simon to be "as slow as a mule but with a kick to match," in contrast to the laser rifle.

Compared to its Fallout 3 counterpart, the New Vegas plasma rifle has a much lower damage-per-second rating with only a token improvement in damage. Factoring in the transition from a damage resistance system to a damage threshold system, the New Vegas plasma rifle is vastly underpowered compared to its Fallout 3 iteration.

A plasma rifle can be repaired by copies of itself and it's variants or any two handed energy rifle with the Jury Rigging perk.

An unmodified plasma rifle's bolts travel at 7500 velocity, which is about 117 yards per second or 240 mph. This is actually slightly faster than a tracer, but much slower than a bullet. Unlike its Fallout 3 counterpart it uses 2 Microfusion Cells and not 1.

Durability
The plasma rifle can fire a total of about 370 times using standard cells, the equivalent of 31 reloads, from full condition before breaking.

Modifications

 * Plasma rifle mag. accelerator - increase the speed of the plasma bolt by 200%.

Variants

 * Van Graff plasma rifle - A special variant given by the Van Graffs.
 * Q-35 matter modulator - A unique variant of the plasma rifle.
 * Multiplas rifle - A high-output triple shot variant of the plasma rifle.


 * Plasma rifle always crit
 * Plasma rifle weak

Locations

 * Durable Dunn's sacked caravan - two of the thugs bodies have plasma rifles.
 * Fiends sometimes carry this weapon.
 * Hidden Valley bunker - one can be stolen, in a room near the command center.
 * Horowitz Farmstead - one can be found simply lying on the ground southwest of the at the Griffin Wares Sacked Caravan.
 * Jacobstown - during the quest Unfriendly Persuasion, some of the mercenaries may carry this weapon.
 * Nipton - one may be found in in the Town Hall, in a gun cabinet in the room (locked - average) behind the Mayor's desk.
 * Novac - one can be bought from Cliff Briscoe.
 * Powder ganger members in the various farmsteads south of Vegas and near Vault 19 may occasionally carry plasma rifles or laser rifles.
 * REPCONN Headquarters - one can be found on the northeastern side of the building, behind a couple of average locked doors, and in a small room also with a lot of microfusion cells and three ammunition boxes.
 * Silver Rush - one easy way to obtain a plasma rifle is to buy one or steal one from the very easy locked crate out front, but be warned the guard will turn hostile if you choose this path.
 * Silver Rush - each Van Graff Thug carries one, if you let the Silver Rush explode (during Birds of a Feather) you will be able to receive multiple plasma rifles, as well as combat armor.
 * Simon has a plasma rifle.
 * Several Van Graff thugs have plasma rifles if the player chooses to exterminate the Van Graffs during Heartache by the Number.
 * The Fort - one can be found in the underground bunker when you help Caesar by destroying a hidden bunker from Mr. House which is in the first door.
 * Yangtze Memorial - a plasma rifle can be obtained at level 1 by buying a shovel from Chet in Goodsprings. It is buried in the middle of three graves next to the memorial (sometimes an Incinerator or a Laser rifle (Fallout: New Vegas) will spawn instead).