Thermic lance

The thermic lance is a weapon in Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics
What used to be an industrial metalworking tool is now used as a devastating melee weapon. Though it is one of the heaviest weapons in the game, it deals considerable damage. Moreover, it is considered a piercing weapon and therefore ignores the target's Damage resistance and Damage Threshold. Unlike most melee weapons, holding down the attack button when wielding the thermic lance will cause continuous damage to targets in contact with the tip. Although the thermic lance has a relatively low critical damage rating and critical chance multiplier, both are offset by its automatic operation, which gives approximately 5 chances per second to inflict a critical hit.

The thermic lance is very durable, and also resists damage to itself if hit when used defensively (taking only 0.5% of normal durability damage). However, due to its automatic attack-type it will degrade at a faster rate than other weapons when used.

It has a special "Scrap Heap" V.A.T.S. attack; a powerful forward thrust adding +25% damage, at the cost of 5 extra AP. This requires a Melee Weapons skill of 50.

Locations

 * Can sometimes be found on Legionary assassins.
 * Crimson Caravan Company, sometimes available from Blake
 * Great Khan armory, sometimes available from the Great Khan armorer
 * Gun Runners, sometimes available from the Vendortron
 * Hidden Valley bunker, can be purchased from Torres
 * Hoover Dam, they can be found in the armory
 * Hoover Dam, can be purchased from Bardon
 * Hoover Dam, found on some centurions of Caesar's Legion during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam
 * Mick & Ralph's, sometimes available from Mick's special stock
 * Sometimes carried by marked men in the Divide.

Behind the scenes

 * Thermic lance is another name for the thermal lance, a real-world metalworking tool.