Firelance

The Firelance is a weapon in Fallout 3. It is the unique variant of the alien blaster.

Characteristics
In addition to its 100% critical chance and high damage, the Firelance sets its target on fire upon strike, causing 2 points of damage every second for 5 seconds. Both the Pyromaniac and Xenotech Expert perks affect this weapon and it uses the rare alien power cells as ammunition.

The Firelance can fire 63 shots, about 6 cells, before burning out.

Variants

 * Alien blaster, a "normal", but still unique, blaster of alien origin.
 * Captain's sidearm, a shotgun-pistol used by the alien captain in charge of Mothership Zeta.

Locations
The Firelance can only be obtained in the "Unidentified Flying Debris" random encounter or through console commands. See Fallout 3 random encounter locations (type A) for locations where this event may take place. The encounter only occurs once per player character. This event can happen anywhere in the game. (when you are outside) Also known to be found at the Bethesda Ruins, wherein upon arrival, several of the raiders guarding the perimeter may in fact be in possession of the weapon.

Behind the scenes

 * This unique alien blaster, specifically refereed to as "Firelance," is a cultural reference to the identically named Martian weapon appearing in the Wasteland Paragraphs, in the red herring Mars plot.
 * Both the Firelance and the alien blaster resemble Commander Adams' pistol from the 1956 movie the Forbidden Planet, both in design and firing. The "bullets" disperse in a very similar way when they hit solid objects, such as walls.

Bugs

 * If the event occurs while passing through a rocky part of the Wasteland, the Firelance may drop onto rocks and not be retrievable by Dogmeat, as he often gets stuck in them. (the same with ammunition)
 * It is possible that the spacecraft can glitch and leave 24 power cells and a Firelance stuck in the sky in addition to the regular 24 power cells and a Firelance on the ground.