Fallout Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Fallout Wiki

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

Background[]

Main article: Plasma rifle

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]

This plasma rifle is a lightweight urban warfare weapon created as part of a desire to replace the aging Winchester P94 "Plasma Caster" design.[6] This design was produced and fielded in number prior to the Great War of October 23, 2077. This however was not the end of the design nor manufacture[7] of this weapon platform. Prior to the nuclear Armageddon, REPCONN Aerospace (as a subsidiary of RobCo Industries) would successfully develop an improvement from their spaceflight research, with significantly advanced factions tinkering with the design post Armageddon.[8]

Characteristics[]

Compared to the standard plasma rifle, the Van Graff plasma rifle does significantly less damage per shot and has the same rate of fire, thus a lower damage-per-second (DPS) value. It deals less critical hit damage, costs the same amount of AP, has the same spread, the same magazine capacity, the same durability, the same weight, and the same caps value. Like most unique weapons, modifications cannot be applied to it.

While the standard plasma rifle requires 25 Guns and 3 Strength to use efficiently, the Van Graff plasma rifle has no Guns requirement.

Durability[]

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

Ammunition typeDurability
ShotsReloads
Standard37031
Bulk43737
Optimized33628
Over charge24521
Max charge14513

Variants[]

Comparison[]

Legend 
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)- Weapon name (melee or unarmed)Attacks in V.A.T.S.- Attacks in V.A.T.S.
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)- Weapon name (gun, energy or explosive)Action point cost- Action point cost
Damage per attack (damage per projectile)- Damage per attack (damage per projectile)Damage per action point- Damage per action point
Damage per second- Damage per secondWeapon spread- Weapon spread
Area of effect damage- Area of effect damageMagazine capacity (shots per reload)- Magazine capacity (shots per reload)
Effect damage & duration- Effect damage & durationDurability (number of attacks before breaking)- Durability (number of attacks before breaking)
Bonus effects- Bonus effectsWeight- Weight
Attacks per second- Attacks per secondValue in caps- Value in caps
Critical chance % multiplier- Critical chance % multiplierValue to weight ratio- Value to weight ratio
Critical damage- Critical damageSkill required- Skill required
Critical effect damage & duration- Critical effect damage & durationStrength required- Strength required
With all mods attached- With all mods attached
Weapon name (current weapon is highlighted)Damage per attack (damage per projectile)Damage per secondAttacks per secondCritical Chance % multiplierCritical damageAction Point costDamage per action pointWeapon spreadMagazine capacity (shots per reload)Durability (number of attacks before breaking)WeightValue in capsValue to weight ratioSkill requiredStrength required
Plasma rifle 47
65.81.4x247301.60.224(12)37081300162.5253
Q-35 matter modulator 40
962.4x262281.40.212124573000428.6252
Van Graff plasma rifle 32
44.81.4x232301.10.224(12)37081300162.503
Multiplas rifle 105
(35x3)
1051x1343531.530(10)24572500357.1504

Locations[]

  • The weapon is given to the player character by Simon during Birds of a Feather when given the choice between a plasma rifle or a laser rifle to use as a guard outside the Silver Rush. It is marked as a quest item and cannot be dropped from the inventory. Once all visitors have been screened, Simon takes the armor and chosen rifle away from the player character.
  • One way to obtain this weapon is to let the unnamed suicide bomber enter the Silver Rush during Birds of a Feather, resulting in the Van Graffs being killed. When the quest fails, one will be able to drop the rifle whenever you want to as it will not be marked as a quest item.
  • Another way to obtain this weapon permanently is to personally kill Simon and then the rest of the Van Graffs once the weapon is obtained, failing Birds of a Feather.

Notes[]

  • The weapon is still marked as a quest item even after completing Birds of a Feather, and therefore if it is acquired through theft or the console, it may only be removed from the player character's inventory through console commands.
  • If this weapon is chosen during the quest Birds of a Feather, Simon will comment to the player character that plasma rifles are fine, just so long as you hit whatever you're aiming at.

Sounds[]

SingleShotVB ReloadVB
JamVB

References[]

  1. 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)
  2. Fort Independence terminal entries; research terminal, research log - plasma rifle
  3. Research note - plasma rifle
  4. Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net
  5. 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)
  6. 6.0 6.1 The cover of the Future Weapons Today periodical as seen in Fallout: New Vegas has a section prominently promoted entitled "Urban Plasma Rifles."
  7. Energy weapon forge
  8. In Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 both the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel are origins of such designs acquirable by the player character. See the variations list on the overview article.
Advertisement