Difference between revisions of "Psychic shock lance"

Revision as of 22:44, 15 March 2023

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 0.5s 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 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 disabling 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.
To capture and recruit new pawns. Psychic shock bypasses the automatic death on down chance. Psychic shock lances can be used to recruit amazing pawns that appear as raiders, or just pawns in general. Note that the chance of brain damage is significant; it can ruin previously good potential colonists unless bioregeneration , healer mech serum, or luciferium is used to heal them.
To protect solo colonists against caravan ambushes, predator attacks
To acquire equipment for use. Using shock will avoid tainting their apparel and only causes a small amount of damage if it causes burning. It also avoids the empire's death acidifiers.
- As each charge effectively costs 275 , good target selection can give a value return significantly exceeding the cost. Raiders wearing marine armor worth 2,035 are ideal targets, as are Imperial Cataphracts .

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, instanity 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 caravan amubush.

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.

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

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 == Analysis ==
-{{Stub|section=1}}
+Psychic shock lances can be used in a variety of ways:
-As it has a significantly smaller warmup time (just 0.5s vs 4.5s) and comparable range (35 vs 36), it can be useful for downing pesky [[triple rocket launcher]] and [[doomsday rocket launcher]] raiders before they can fire.
+* To disabling enemies, especially those with [[doomsday rocket launcher]]s or [[triple rocket launcher]]s. 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.
+* To capture and recruit new pawns. Psychic shock bypasses the automatic [[AI Storytellers#Enemy death on downed|death on down]] chance. Psychic shock lances can be used to recruit amazing pawns that appear as raiders, or just pawns in general. Note that the chance of brain damage is significant; it can ruin previously good potential colonists unless [[biosculpter pod|bioregeneration]] {{IdeologyIcon}}, [[healer mech serum]], or [[luciferium]] is used to heal them.
+* To protect solo colonists against [[Events#Caravan ambushed / (manhunters)|caravan ambushes]], predator attacks
+* To acquire equipment for use. Using shock will avoid [[Tainted|tainting]] their apparel and only causes a small amount of damage ''if'' it causes burning. It also avoids the empire's [[death acidifier]]s.
+** As each charge effectively costs {{#expr:{{P|Market Value Base}}/2}} {{Icon small|silver}}, good target selection can give a value return significantly exceeding the cost. [[Raiders]] wearing [[marine armor]] worth {{Q|Marine armor|Market Value Base}} {{Icon small|silver}} are ideal targets, as are [[Empire#Cataphract|Imperial Cataphracts]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}.
-Psychic shock lances bypass the game's "auto-death on down" chance, meaning they almost always leave the target alive.  This makes them good for capturing specific enemies, however the chance of brain damage can ruin previously good potential colonists unless [[biosculpter pod|bioregeneration]] {{IdeologyIcon}}, [[healer mech serum]], or [[luciferium]] is used to heal them.
+Of these uses, [[psychic insanity lance]]s are equally, if not more, effective at disabling pawns with rocket launchers. However, as they do not down pawns, instanity 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 caravan amubush.
-It can also be useful in acquiring equipment for use or sale - the lance downs pawns without killing them, and thus avoids [[Tainted|tainting]] any [[apparel]], and only damages apparel if it causes burning and even then only by a small amount. As each charge effectively costs {{#expr:{{P|Market Value Base}}/2}} {{Icon small|silver}}, good target selection can give a value return significantly exceeding the cost. [[Raiders]] wearing [[marine armor]] worth {{Q|Marine armor|Market Value Base}} {{Icon small|silver}} are ideal targets, as are [[Empire#Cataphract|Imperial Cataphracts]] {{RoyaltyIcon}}.
 ==Gallery==