Miss Launcher

Miss Launcher is a unique weapon found in Fallout 3.

Background
The miss launcher is an unique weapon created by accident by J. J. Browne of the Brotherhood Outcasts. While attempting to improve the accuracy of the standard missile launcher, he has broken three units. The last one, the Miss Launcher, became a grenade launcher, activating the missile warhead and launching it from the tube, except it fails consistently to activate the missile's motor.

Characteristics
Miss Launcher is a unique version of the missile launcher. It is more comparable to a grenade launcher than a rocket launcher, as it has an arcing flight similar to the Fat Man. Standard missiles fired from this weapon do not fly; instead, the missile-tube itself has been converted to propel them pneumatically. In doing so both the missile's explosive warhead and unused solid rocket fuel are free to detonate together, increasing the missile's explosive damage potential by 30%. A side-effect is this also reduced the chances of giving away your position if fired from hiding as compared with a regular missile launcher. If used non-V.A.T.S. it is excellent practice for the Fat Man, as you won't kill yourself with a badly placed shot, most of the time.

The damage bonus comes at the cost of range; Miss Launcher's drastically underpowered propulsion system renders it incapable of hitting targets farther than 30 feet away, half the range possible with thrown grenades. Because of the nature of the weapon's sharp ballistic trajectory it can be an extremely challenging weapon to aim in real-time. Using this weapon outside of V.A.T.S. isn't recommended. However, even in V.A.T.S., this weapon is horribly inaccurate. The game fails to take into account projectile arc, meaning any shots fired usually fall completely short at medium ranges. In conclusion, practice and experience will help a player determine when to fire real-time or when to use V.A.T.S.

Unlike regular missiles, missiles fired from Miss Launcher will not explode on impact and instead are triggered like grenades, i.e. when hitting a target in V.A.T.S. or after a specific time limit. The Explosives skill determines how long it will take for the missile to explode after hitting the ground. 100 explosives will cause the missile to explode a few short milliseconds after landing.

The Miss Launcher is just as durable as the regular missile launcher; it can fire 83 missiles before breaking.

Variants

 * Missile launcher, the common variant.

Location
The Miss Launcher is located in a weapons storage room inside Fort Independence. You will always have to pick the lock on the front door (unless you pickpocket Defender Rococo Rockfowl, Defender Anne Marie Morgan, or Protector Henry Casdin). Once inside you need to go down to the lower level. There are two entrances into the basement. The first way is through an entrance outside that leads directly to the lower level. It, like the main entrance, is a hard locked door. The other way is to go through the main entrance and then proceed down to the lower level from the ground level. However, the second method will lead to a locked door that can only be opened with a hard locked terminal. The password is in the desk next to the door if the player does not wish to or cannot hack it. Once through the door, there are two Outcasts guarding it. Go to the research room with several computers in it. In here go to the computer in the corner; there is a file on the computer called "Research - Missile Launcher". Read the note and you will learn that the Miss Launcher is in the storage room (lockpick level 75 needed). You can get the key from one of the footlockers in the bedroom (room full of beds).

Bugs

 * Sometimes at close range, V.A.T.S. is exited before the missile detonates, negating the benefit of temporary 1/10 damage and potentially killing you. This close-range bug may also lead to freezing issues, the controller will remain rumbling and the console will freeze.