Psychic shock lance

Psychic shock lance

A limited-use psychic effector. It shocks the target's mind with chaotic images, blocking coherent perception and dropping him into a state of psychic shock. There is a risk of brain damage. It has a long range, but requires line of sight.

Base Stats

Type

Gear – Utility

Tech Level

Archotech

Market Value

550 

Mass

0.5 kg

HP

80

Flammability

100%

Apparel

Clothing For Nudity

False

Lifestage

Adult

Coverage

Waist

Layer

Belt

Ranged Combat

Warm-Up

30 ticks (0.5 secs)

Range

35 tile(s)

Technical

thingCategories

ApparelUtility

thingSetMakerTags

RewardStandardHighFreq

tradeTags

Artifact

A psychic shock lance is a two-use artifact that can be equipped by pawns in the Utility slot and manually activated to inflict psychic shock on a target, rendering them unconscious.

Acquisition

Psychic shock lances cannot be crafted. Instead they must be purchased from Exotic Goods traders or faction bases.

Summary

When equipped, a psychic shock lance is worn in the waist utility slot. Pawns that are incapable of violence can equip, but not use, the lance. Once the wearer is drafted, it can be manually activated by the player to target a pawn within 35 tiles and within line of sight. The lance has 2 charges and cannot be recharged - when both charges are expended, the item disappears completely and no resources be salvaged from it.

After a 30 ticks (0.5 secs) warm-up, the target will immediately be affected by psychic shock, setting their consciousness to a maximum of 10% and rendering them unconscious and downed. The warmup time before firing is affected by the Aiming Time stat of the wearer. This shock lasts for 7,500 ticks (2.08 mins). There is also a 30% chance that the target will be set on fire and given brain damage in the form of a burn scar. When targeting colonists, this 30% chance is multiplied by the Friendly Fire Chance in the difficulty settings.

Pawns with 0% psychic sensitivity, such as those with the psychically deaf trait, cannot be targeted by the lance. Sensitivity does not otherwise modify the effect. The three mechanoid commanders and the dreadmeld are also immune to psychic lances.

If used on a non-hostile faction's pawn, it will decrease goodwill with that faction by 200 points.

Like all utility items, a psychic shock lance is treated largely like any piece of apparel, however some exceptions exist. Utility items are worn on the waist and are mutually exclusive only with each other, regardless of the layer or coverage of other apparel worn. Additionally, utility items never become tainted, deteriorate from being worn, or inflict a worn-out or tattered mood debuff when damaged.

Analysis

Psychic shock lances can be used in a variety of ways:

• To disable dangerous enemies, especially those with doomsday rocket launchers or triple rocket launchers. The lance has a significantly smaller warmup time (just 0.5s vs 4.5s) and comparable range (35 vs 36), meaning it can down pawns before they can fire rockets.
• To protect solo colonists against caravan ambushes or predator attacks.
• To capture specific pawns alive, such as for recruitment, organ harvesting, gene extraction, or faction leader release goodwill or execution bonuses. Psychic shock bypasses the chance of automatic death on down through regular combat. Therefore, these lances can be used to reliably capture amazing pawns from other factions, or just capture pawns in general. Note that the chance of brain damage is significant; it can ruin previously good potential colonists unless a healer mech serum, luciferium, bioregeneration, or the Scarless gene is used to heal them.
• To acquire equipment for use or resale. Downing by shock avoids tainting their apparel and only causes a small amount of damage if it causes burning. It also avoids activating the death acidifiers present on all Empire combatants and some mercenaries.

As each charge effectively costs 275 , good target selection can give a value return significantly exceeding the cost. This tactic can be combined with organ harvesting for even more profit, if so desired. Raiders wearing marine armor (worth 2,035 ) are ideal targets, as are Imperial Cataphracts . Obtaining one or more shock lances before opening ancient shrines is also advisable as recon and marine armor is fairly common among ancients and can make a significant difference economically or in combat in the early game.

Of these uses, psychic insanity lances are equally, if not more, effective at disabling pawns with rocket launchers. However, as they do not down pawns, insanity lances cannot be used to capture enemies or recover apparel. In addition, insanity lances are useless if there is only a single enemy, such as in a small caravan ambush.

Gallery

• 

  Shock lance victim burning

Version history

• 0.12.906 - Added
• 1.2.2719 - Changed from a single-use artifact that occupied the pawn's weapon slot, and had to be activated by selecting a colonist, then right-clicking the artifact and selecting 'Activate' manually. It now also has a limited range and no longer works through walls.
• 1.4.3555 - Mechanoid commanders now immune to psychic lances.

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Utility

Utility

Firefoam pop pack • Orbital bombardment targeter • Orbital power beam targeter • Psychic shock lance • Psychic insanity lance • Shield belt • Smokepop pack • Tornado generator • Low-shield pack • Jump pack • Orbital mech cluster targeter • Bandwidth pack • Control pack • Tox pack • Biomutation lance • Biomutation pulser • Deadlife pack • Disruptor flare pack • Shard animal pulser • Shard insanity lance • Shard shock lance • Turret pack