Plasma caster (Fallout: New Vegas)

The plasma caster, formally the Winchester P94 plasma caster,Anonymous: "whose idea was it to include the plasma caster its awesome!"Joshua Sawyer: "Mine, but it's just the P94 Plasma Rifle from the original Fallout, so I can't take any real credit for it. Paul Fish modeled and textured it."(J.E. Sawyer on Formspring March 3, 2011)The Courier: "What kind of prototypes?"Arcade Gannon: "Plasma rifles. They were intended to replace the P94 plasma caster. There was some corporate espionage going on between Poseidon Energy's Project SEMELE and whatever was going on here."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue) is a weapon .
==Background==
==Characteristics==
A powerful plasma-based energy weapon with a rather low AP cost and a high rate of fire. Compared to its rifle-based counterpart, it outclasses it in both damage and fire rate as well as ammunition consumption, using only one microfusion cell instead of two per shot. Finally, it is slightly more durable. It pays for these advantages however in weight and accuracy: its far larger base spread is compounded by the high skill and Strength requirements to handle this weapon.
At 20 pounds, it is the heaviest energy weapon in the base game, only surpassed by Cleansing Flame from Gun Runners' Arsenal. It is rare to find at even a moderate level, very expensive, and not very durable, so repairing it may be difficult without ready access to weapon repair kits or the caps to use a repair vendor.
===Durability===
The plasma caster can fire a total of 395 times using standard cells, the equivalent of 40 reloads, from full condition before breaking.
===Modifications===
* Plasma caster high-speed electrode - Increases rate of fire by 25%.
==Variants==
* The Smitty Special - a unique variant sold by Gloria Van Graff in the Silver Rush in Freeside.
===Comparison===
==Locations==
* Freeside - One can be bought in very poor condition from Gloria Van Graff in the Silver Rush. It can also be stolen in very poor/perfect condition (see: Silver Rush bugs for more information on how to get the perfect condition one). 
* Orion Moreno - Can be equipped with one during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam if the Enclave remnants supported the Legion or supported the NCR and he was convinced to stay during For Auld Lang Syne.
* Y-17 trauma override harness - May rarely carry them at higher levels, becoming the most apparent around 40-50.
* - Sometimes carried by marked men in the Divide.
* - Can be found in high-tech gun cases.
* - Carried by Colonel Royez and his irradiated NCR heavy troopers in the Long 15 (requires setting the missiles to target NCR territory during The Apocalypse).
==Notes==
* Without any add-ons, the one sold by Gloria Van Graff is the only instance of the weapon in a fixed location.
* The plasma caster in Fallout: New Vegas is ostensibly the same weapon as the plasma rifle found in Fallout and Fallout 2. Their design and functionality are nearly identical.
** Despite its name, the original plasma rifle was a heavy two-handed weapon.
** When the plasma caster is outfitted with the HS electrode, it effectively becomes the turbo plasma rifle from Fallout and Fallout 2.
** The Winchester P94 is explicitly identified as a plasma caster by Arcade Gannon.
** In Fallout 3, Elder Lyons mentions the P94 when lamenting the Brotherhood's callousness towards humanity.The Lone Wanderer: "I thought the protection of humanity was a part of the Brotherhood's oaths."Owyn Lyons: "Only in a very broad sense. The Brotherhood's oaths are to protect humanity's progress, but not necessarily every human. "(Owyn Lyons' dialogue)
* In Fallout 76, an earlier model of plasma caster can be acquired,Tumblr, collected by JCB2077, retrieved 2/4/2024 and the iconic three-pronged appearance is available by modifying the barrel. 
**This model was originally an industrial tool, modified for use as a weapon. 
** A paintjob for the plasma caster in Fallout 76 bears the H&H Tools logo. An Army skin also exists.
** A plasma caster based on the basic Fallout 76 model was added to Fallout Shelter in a 2022 update.
*In Fallout 4, the Sentinel's Plasmacaster is a legendary plasma rifle with a name alluding to this weapon.
*When the plasma caster jams, the player character will adjust a non-existent dial, due to reusing the Gatling laser's animations.
*When viewed in third-person, depending on what armor is worn, the plasma caster may not be visible on the player character when holstered. Halfway through the holstering animation, the weapon model simply disappears, similar to the incinerator and heavy incinerator. If visible, the player character holds it in one hand with the pronged tip clipping through the ground.
==Behind the scenes== 
*Joshua Sawyer was also responsible for the inclusion of the weapon. It was implemented by model artist Paul Fish. 
**Sawyer identified the plasma caster as "just the P94 Plasma Rifle from the original Fallout."
**Joshua Sawyer mentioned that it was renamed because Fallout 3 had introduced a different plasma rifle, and the weapon didn't look like a rifle in the first place.Anonymous: "Why did you guys change the Winchester Plasma Rifle to Plasma Caster? Was it because of F3's PR to not repeat the name or because you didn't agree with the 'rifle' classification? I understand why you removed the Winchester but not why the rifle part."Joshua Sawyer: "Fallout 3 already had a Plasma Rifle. Additionally, it doesn't really look like a rifle, but it was mostly because of the existing name."(J.E. Sawyer on Formspring September 3, 2011)
***In the Fallout Demo, the P94 was called the Plasma Caster.Fallout demo item description: "{1500}{}{Plasma Caster}""{1501}{}{A Winchester Model P94 Plasma Rifle. An industrial-grade energy weapon, firing superheated bolts of plasmadown a superconducting barrel. Powered by Micro Fusion Cells.}"
**When discussing another weapon, Sawyer noted that some New Vegas designs were adjusted from classic designs to fit existing animations. This accounts for minor design discrepancies between this model and the plasma rifle in Fallout.J.E. Sawyer on Formspring 2013-01-11. When asked about the visual differences between the Fallout 2 Avenger and the Fallout: New Vegas CZ57 Avenger: "Yes. They look different because the CZ57 Avenger in F:NV has to work with existing F3/F:NV grip, firing, and reload animations."
*In the G.E.C.K., there is a cut critical effect for the plasma caster. In the projectiles window, the explosion effect is already set up, but is unchecked.
==Bugs==
* The weapon fails to fire a projectile properly when used in third-person view. After equipping it in third-person view, it may not work, even when switching to first-person view. Re-equipping it while in first-person view may solve this.
* Sometimes, after quick loading, the weapon is held in one hand by the handle and moves with the player character's arm movement when holstered, or appears next to the player character's arm. This can be fixed by un-equipping and then re-equipping the plasma caster.
* When using the weapon in V.A.T.S., the projectile will often not fire unless very close to the target, and if standing under a roof, the projectile may collide with the structure.
* While equipped, the weapon may become stuck to the player character's hand when changing outfits. To fix this, simply un-equip it, then re-equip.
* If one has more than one plasma caster stored in the same container, they may stack on top of each other. They can be separated but if the second one is placed back into the container, they will still stack on top of each other.
==Sounds==
	
==Gallery==
Plasma caster Silver Rush.jpg|Silver Rush
FNV Long 15 CR 1.jpg|Royez
PlasmaCasterHS.png|Plasma caster with the high-speed electrode modification
Heavyweight.png|Plasma caster in the backpack of the Heavyweight perk
Fallout magic Plasma Caster.png|Magic: The Gathering card
Fallout magic Plasma Caster Extended Art.png|Extended Art
==References==
Non-game
Category:Fallout: New Vegas Energy Weapons skill weapons
de:Plasmawerfer
es:Centro de plasma (Fallout: New Vegas)
ru:Плазмолив