Huntress Boltcaster

The Huntress Boltcaster is a harmless "weapon" found on Talos I during Prey (2017).

Overview
The Huntress Boltcaster is a plastic toy crossbow that can be found on Talos I. It feeds from a 10-round detachable magazine and fires safe Nerf-style foam darts that deal no damage to Typhon or machinery, and sometimes make a squeaky sound on impact or when picked up. This can be used to attract the attention of enemies, as well as for remotely opening/closing doors or interacting with workstations.

The earliest place it can be found is in the Talos I Lobby Sales Division, behind Kelly Randolph's desk. Fabrication plans for the weapon can be found on workstations throughout the station, including Neuromod Division level 1, locked in Caleb Hawethorne's terminal in Research and Design.

The Boltcaster was created by staff in the Hardware Labs, starting as a personal project of Franklin Goode, who eventually enlisted Clive Lawrence and Mary Malinaro to help. Notably, Franklin initially wanted to name the weapon the "Excruciator". Conversations on workstations show that a fairly large contingent of the Talos I crew was interested in playing around with it.

The Huntress Boltcaster does not accept Weapon Upgrade Kits.

Mooncrash
The Boltcasters found on Pytheas, like other weapons, are subject to a rarity system and can be found in Stock (white background), Standard (green), Advanced (blue) and Elite (gold) variants. They do not have weapon degradation and have only one stat, that being their reload speed. Unlike in the regular game, in Prey: Mooncrash the Boltcaster can actually deal damage at levels above Stock since it can spawn with an elemental effect on its bolts: this damage is, however, minimal and is primarily useful for triggering environmental effects associated with that element. For example, an electrical-element Boltcaster can disable machines such as Typhon Gates. The effect is triggered on the first impact of the bolt and does not persist. It is also used in KASMA bounties like annoy an engineer operator with the Huntress Boltcaster.

Usage
While the Boltcaster deals no damage and may at first seem to be a joke weapon, the impact of the bolts does make sound and can be used for luring or distracting Typhon organisms. It can also be used to activate out of reach buttons (such as door overrides) and screens: some doors in the game can only be opened this way without the use of Typhon Neuromods. For example, in the Shuttle Bay, a broken escape pod in the Escape Pod Bay has an upgrade chip inside, but the only way to get it is to either shoot it with the Boltcaster to knock it closer to pick it up or use the Mimic ability to morph into a small object to slip inside. While the darts deal no direct damage, the impact alone will kill a Cystoid and rupture a Cystoid Nest, and even a shot that lands near a Cystoid may make them self-detonate.

Bolts can be fired at friendly characters without consequence. However, they will express annoyance and tell Morgan to stop.

The FlexiFoam Bolts seem to be indestructible, even surviving Cystoid explosions without being destroyed, and can be retrieved after firing. The fabrication plan for FlexiFoam Bolts is found in the Repair Bay of the Hardware Labs, on a computer near where the Artax Propulsion System fabrication plan is acquired.

Material Yield: 0.75

Dismantle results: 1 Spare Part