For an overview of plasma rifles, see plasma rifle. |
The Smitty Special is a unique weapon added with the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Gun Runners' Arsenal.
Background[]
Plasma rifles or plasma casters are high tech weapons firing superheated bolts of plasma, powered by either microfusion cells, heavy energy cells, plasma cartridges, or plasma cores which find numerous applications in military and industrial fields. The bolts form into toroids in the plasma chamber, which are then sent down a superconducting barrel,[1][2][3] propelled by, and in some models stabilized by, electromagnetic claws upon exiting it.[4] However, the plasma bolt chamber can be hotwired in order to accelerate the bolt formation process, effectively turbocharging the rifle.[5] The primary damage mechanism of plasma rifles is thermal transfer, causing serious burns to soft targets and melting hard ones. In extreme cases, the plasma can cause spontaneous dissolution of the target, including separation of soft tissues from hard ones or wholesale molecular destabilization that turns the target into a viscous green fluid.
Bulky, industrial plasma casters manufactured by Winchester Arms were once popular. While they performed admirably, they were expensive and required specialized training to use. Later developments by the United States Army would lead to a more compact design that was cheaper to produce and easier to train for, suitable for urban warfare.[6]
Characteristics[]
Compared to the standard plasma caster, The Smitty Special comes with numerous modifications to increase performance. It features a shorter barrel with larger, fan-shaped magnetic stabilizing claws on the end, and thick orange tape around the shaft. The body is also cleaner and darker green in color, with additional hardware on the side and one large yellow vacuum tube, replacing two of the tubes on the front-right side.
In combat, the weapon is far more durable and has twice the ammo capacity of regular plasma casters, as well as a much higher rate of fire, which balances out its lower damage output per shot and lower critical chance. It also has a much wider spread.
Durability[]
The Smitty Special can be fired 1095 times using standard cells, the equivalent of 55 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
Ammunition type | Durability | |
---|---|---|
Shots | Reloads | |
Standard | 1095 | 55 |
Bulk | 1290 | 65 |
Optimized | 995 | 50 |
Over charge | 729 | 37 |
Max charge | 435 | 22 |
Variants[]
- Plasma caster - the standard variant found throughout the Mojave Wasteland.
Comparison[]
Legend | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
- Weapon name (melee or unarmed) | - Attacks in V.A.T.S. | |||
- Weapon name (gun, energy or explosive) | - Action point cost | |||
- Damage per attack (damage per projectile) | - Damage per action point | |||
- Damage per second | - Weapon spread | |||
- Area of effect damage | - Magazine capacity (shots per reload) | |||
- Effect damage & duration | - Durability (number of attacks before breaking) | |||
- Bonus effects | - Weight | |||
- Attacks per second | - Value in caps | |||
- Critical chance % multiplier | - Value to weight ratio | |||
- Critical damage | - Skill required | |||
- Critical effect damage & duration | - Strength required | |||
- With all mods attached |
Plasma caster | 65 | 195 | 3 | x1 | 65 | 1 | 25 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 10 | 395 | 20 | 7000 | 350 | 100 | 8 |
Plasma caster | 65 | 243.8 | 3.75 | x1 | 65 | 1 | 25 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 10 | 395 | 20 | 9500 | 475 | 100 | 8 |
The Smitty Special | 35 | 245 | 7 | x0.1 | 35 | 3 | 30 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 20 | 1095 | 20 | 20000 | 1000 | 100 | 8 |
Locations[]
- Freeside - In the Silver Rush, sold by Gloria Van Graff.
- Gun Runners - Sold by Vendortron if Gloria Van Graff is dead.
Notes[]
- Although there are unique sounds for the weapon present in the files of Gun Runner's Arsenal, the weapon makes use of the Tesla cannon firing sounds instead.
- Unlike other plasma casters, the weapon is fully automatic. This causes it to degrade almost as fast as the Gatling laser.
- While the Smitty Special has a higher rate of fire than an un-modded plasma caster, with the HS electrode modification, the two are roughly identical in DPS, making the Smitty Special a dubious improvement in real-time combat, especially since the unique variant has a significantly lower critical rate and damage per shot, making it much less effective against heavily armored targets. In V.A.T.S., however, the Smitty Special gets an edge over the plasma caster since, as an automatic weapon, it will get three shots for every one shot from the plasma caster.
- By coincidence, the Silver Rush where the weapon is sold is situated across the street from a pre-War store named Smitty's.
Behind the scenes[]
The weapon's name is a reference to Fallout, where Smitty will upgrade the Vault Dweller's plasma rifle to a turbo plasma rifle for fixing the hydroponic farms in Adytum.
Bugs[]
Sometimes, if Gloria Van Graff is dead, the Smitty Special will not be purchasable from Vendortron. [verified]
- startquest xx00093c, then resetquest xx00093c. This could also be done in reverse order. Use this fix in the console:
Sounds[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Fallout and Fallout 2 item description: "{1500}{}{Plasma Rifle}"
"{1501}{}{A Winchester Model P94 Plasma Rifle. An industrial-grade energy weapon, firing superheated bolts of plasma down a superconducting barrel. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells. Min ST: 6.}"
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel item description: "name_plasmaRifle = {Plasma Rifle}"
"desc_plasmaRifle = {A Winchester Model P94 Plasma Rifle. An industrial-grade energy weapon, firing superheated bolts of ionised gas down a superconducting barrel. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells.}"
(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2) and Items.txt) - ↑ Fort Independence terminal entries; research terminal, research log - plasma rifle
- ↑ Research note - plasma rifle
- ↑ Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net
- ↑ Fallout and Fallout 2 item description: "{23300}{}{Turbo Plasma Rifle}"
"{23301}{}{A modified Winchester P94 plasma rifle. The plasma bolt chamber has been hotwired to accelerate the bolt formation process. Min ST: 6.}"
(PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout), PRO ITEM.MSG (Fallout 2) and Items.txt) - ↑ The cover of the Future Weapons Today periodical as seen in Fallout: New Vegas has a section prominently promoted entitled "Urban Plasma Rifles."
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