History Main / ChainLightning

* The Amprex from ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' is a Corpus-produced LightningGun whose beam of electricity chains between enemies if it hits one, making it a very effective crowd control weapon. Even if doesn't kill them in seconds, it's guaranteed to paralyse them. Also, Volt's [[ShockAndAwe Shock ability]] can launch a bolt of lightning that can arc through multiple enemies if they're close enough to each other for a combo chain of damage as well as temporarily stunning them if the damage is not lethal.
* Some of the pins in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' allow you to make lightning bolts that hit multiple targets.

* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}} WMD'' has the "cell phone battery" weapon, which electrocutes a worm and spreads to nearby worms.

* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': Using [[ShockAndAwe Electro attacks]] on a group of Hydro-afflicted enemies (either due to [[WeatherOfWar environmental conditions]] or [[MakingASplash your Hydro units]]) will result in the lightning traveling between enemies, rapidly gnawing through their HP.
* ''VideoGame/ToontownCorporateClash'': Zap gags are powerful attacks that can jump twice to hit up to three cogs, as long as they have been soaked with Squirt gags beforehand.
* ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'': The Teps Oceus shard allows Miriam to hit multiple enemies one after the other. The more you upgrade the shard, the more the "chain" extendsd, hitting more enemies.

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* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The Chain Lightning spell. After hitting its primary target it arcs to the nearest target (losing 1d6 of damage), doing so again and again until it runs out of energy. In 3rd edition this was simplified to the spell having a fixed number of secondary targets who all take half damage. 3rd edition also added the Chain Spell metamagic feat, allowing any ranged single-target spell to be imbued with similar properties... though the reduced damage tends to make it AwesomeButImpractical on anything other than {{Status Buff}}s.

* The hero Tempest in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' has a card called Chain Lightning (no relation to the Magic: The Gathering card of the same name) the art of which features Tempest blasting three guys with lightning. Mechanically speaking, it allows you to hit three targets with lightning damage with the damage decreasing with each target you hit.

* ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'': The various lightning weapons have electricity that arcs throughout multiple enemies.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} 3'': The Far Seer hero has this as one of his abilities. It launches a lightning bolt that deals damage to the initial target, then bounces to several others for reduced damage.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft '':
** The Shaman class has chain lightning. After hitting its initial target, it will jump to the nearest enemy, but each jump reduces the damage it does. Shaman players also have access to a Glyph that causes their Chain Lightning attacks to jump through five targets rather than the usual three, but do 10% less initial damage.
** Some of the mobs and bosses have lightning abiltiesi in which each jump does more damage to encourage players to spread out. In particular, C'thun, one of the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]], is infamous for his beam attack. If the entire group is standing together, the last unlucky sap to get hit by the beam can sustain up to ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill seven million]]'' damage[[note]]This was at a time when top raid geared tanks barely pushed 10k HP, and DPS topped out around 5k or less.[[/note]]. Watch the carnage [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJVRgun7M7c here]].
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'''s Adept-level Destruction spell [[http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Chain_Lightning Chain Lightning]] arcs between enemies on a direct hit, and can also arc off the environment on a miss, making it easier to hit with than other similar spells.

* The Lightning spell in ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' hits an extra enemy for each level beyond the first.

* Some of the pins in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' allow you to make lightning bolts that hit multiple targets.
* ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}: Fall of Man'' has the Arc Charger, a gun that shoots a bolt of energy that jumps from enemy to enemy, and gets ''stronger'' with each body it passes through.
* Numerous weapons in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series have an arcing electricity effect, or can be enhanced with such. The ones that really spring to mind include:
** The Plasma Coil/Plasma Storm (a small electric shot that arcs on impact, and upgrades to fire a bouncing lightning ball that zaps everything in range).
** The Spitting Hydra/Tempest produces powerful lightning arcs that coarses through multiple targets it locks on.
* In ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'', this a basic power from the Electricity set. Many/most of the Electricity powers have this chaining-to-another-target as a possible effect actually, but the Chain Lightning power itself can leap every time and to multiple targets if possible. This power is not so great on single enemies, but can bounce back and forth within a small group for some NICE damage by the time it actually finishes.

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' has a number of "beam combos" which combine a ChargedAttack from one of your elemental beams with missiles. The beam combo for the Wave Beam is the Wavebuster, a stroke of lightning which arcs between multiple enemies and can be fired continuously.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'', Ashe's secondary shot in Model A form shoots one stream of electricity that arcs between every enemy you lock onto.

* Zapper in ''VideoGame/{{Purple}}'' looks like a joke, until you get at least two enemies of the same type, then it will shoot lightning that connects enemies for massive damage.
* SubvertedTrope in ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'' - the Empire's Celestial Wizards can use a spell actually called Chain Lightning, but it really doesn't work in the expected "jumps to other people" manner. The spell is of the "vortex" category, which basically means it summons a ball (in this case of course, an electric one) onto a location that then roams around for a bit, hitting anyone that's close enough to it during the time it persists.

* One of the best weapons in ''VideoGame/RapidReload'' is a gun which fires powerful blue bolts of electricity which automatically homes in on enemy mooks, frying one enemy after another in blasts which spreads out from the weapon's barrel. It's also ''very'' useful in battling the boss of the jungle level, a Chameleon mech who can turn invisible and attack the player from literally anywhere - with this weapon the player can instantly damage the boss without even needing to aim.
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront II'', the primary weapon of the Empire's jetpack-equipped Dark Trooper is a lightning cannon which, to make up for its short range, can charge its shots in order to chain up to two additional nearby targets.
%%* The Arc Cannon for Titans in ''VideoGame/{{Titanfall}}'' can obliterate mooks and pilots alike if the weapon is charged enough.

* The electric beam weapon in ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon''. The beam spreads to nearby enemies, and it can also [[StatusEffects shock]] them, so they stop or move more slowly.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Deus Ex|HumanRevolution}}'' promo for ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' came with the Short Circuit secondary for the Engineer, which fires electricity and hits targets in front of Engineer, AND targets near those, even teammates. In a twist, it's extremely weak (it only does 5 damage), and its main purpose is instead to destroy enemy projectiles such as rockets, grenades, and {{Sticky Bomb}}s.
* Lightning spells in ''VideoGame/{{Magicka}}'' can hit several nearby enemies at once.
* In ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'', there's a spell called Chain Lightning that arcs between enemies, limited to four units attacked in chain and they must be at a certain distance from node to node.
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'': In the Tiny Tina DLC, Chain Lightning is a Legendary Grenade Mod that functions more like a magic spell (including [[CallingYourAttack shouting the name as you cast it]]) than an actual grenade. The player "throws" a lightning bolt that can explode on surfaces, targets, or in mid-air, arcing another bolt to a nearby target.
* ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'' has the E.D.K. Techvolt, a LightningGun that will gladly jump from one enemy to another or even seek them around corners if you're near enough to them. Sadly, while its accuracy is high, its damage is extremely low, and as a result it is a fairly niche weapon in both the singleplayer and multiplayer communities.
* ''[[Videogame/Vigilante8 Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense]]'': Lord Clyde's special weapon is literally called Chain Lightning. It shoots a bolt of lightning at the nearest car, and if multiple cars are within range, the lightning will arc from one to another and deal equal damage to each vehicle.
* The Ion Disruptor in the ''Videogame/{{X}}-Universe'' is an energy-hog and has very short range, but has the ability to arc between dozens of targets to deal continuous shield damage to them all, provided they're relatively close to each other. It's the best way for dealing with the copious amounts of [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile spam]] from Missile Frigates and Bombers, as it can arc between the [[RecursiveAmmo multi-warhead missiles]]. But beware its tendency to hit friendly ships, as it cannot distinguish between friendly or enemy targets.

* Several units in ''Videogame/EndlessLegend'' have chain lightning attacks. The Ended, ghosts of the [[BrainUploading Virtual]] [[PreCursors Endless]], augment their {{BFS}} strikes with chain lightning arcs, allowing them to damage entire enemy armies.
* The Elder Kraken in ''Videogame/{{Evolve}}'' replaces Aftershock with a chain lighting attack. Unusually for this trope, the bolt ''increases'' in damage with every jump. The result is a potentially devastating attack that needs to be carefully maneuvered to get the best results.
* A number of lightning-elemental skills in ''Videogame/PathOfExile'' behave like this, such as Arc (an electric arc that chains between enemies up to 7 times at max level) and Lightning Arrow (empowered arrows that each zap the enemy they hit and 3 other nearby foes), and they can be made to chain even more times with a Chain Support gem.
* ''[[Videogame/BlasterMaster Blaster Master Zero]]'' has the Blaster Rifle's level-6 mode, Striker. It fires a single slow-moving lightning bullet, which on impact chains an electric beam to every nearby enemy even on opposite sides of the screen.
* ''VideoGame/Dota2''
** The Maelstrom and Mjollnir items give the holder's attacks a chance to unleash a bolt of lightning that bounces between multiple enemies.
** Zeus's ''Arc Lightning'' spell, which deals relatively low damage but arcs between a lot of enemies, does not lose damage on each jump, and has a [[SpamAttack ridiculously short cooldown]], letting him spam it for as long as he has mana to mow down groups of enemies.
* ''VideoGame/Bioshock2'' gives the player the potential to upgrade the Electrify Plasmid, letting its user hold to charge the bolt for both a stronger stun and for chain lightning. Curiously, potential targets don’t have to be in the immediate area of the first victim when Electrify 2 was used: if they wander in while the target is convulsing, then the electricity will arc towards them. This upgrade works amazingly well with Melee / Drill builds, which allow the player to take their sweet time smashing Splicers away as the whole room is stunned helpless.
* ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans'' has chain lightning as a potential upgrade to be purchased for the Zap-O-Matic across all games. There are stronger guns to use to more dramatic effect, but many of them lack the convenience and ease of use that just simply shocking a group of humans to death brings, with no worries to ammo thanks to the weapons rechargeable battery.
* The Amprex from ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' is a Corpus-produced LightningGun whose beam of electricity chains between enemies if it hits one, making it a very effective crowd control weapon. Even if doesn't kill them in seconds, it's guaranteed to paralyse them. Also, Volt's [[ShockAndAwe Shock ability]] can launch a bolt of lightning that can arc through multiple enemies if they're close enough to each other for a combo chain of damage as well as temporarily stunning them if the damage is not lethal.
* ''VideoGame/TheBannerSaga'': Eyvind has a chain lightning spell that does more damage the more enemies (or allies) it goes through.
* ''VideoGame/IntoTheBreach'': The lightning mech has a chain lightning weapon that damages enemies and allies alike, and with an upgrade can also travel through buildings, thankfully leaving them unharmed. Its entire team is built around getting enemies in place to be electrocuted, and making extra links for the chain.
* Chain Lightning is a spell in ''VideoGame/WarDragons''. A dragon using this spell when attacking a base will still target a single tower, but the lightning will spread out and chain to hit surrounding towers as well.
* In the ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'' series, some towers (The Monkey Apprentice in the fifth game, and the Druid in the sixth) can have chain lightning as an upgrade, causing every few attacks to zap several bloons at the same time with arcing electricity.
* ''VideoGame/{{Infinitode}}'': Tesla towers fire a lightning which bounces off to hit other targets, with upgradable damage dealt by the chain effect and length that goes up when the tower levels up.
* In ''VideoGame/ArmiesOfExigo'', the Fallen faction are physically the weakest of the 3. However trying to invade their land is a death sentence, unless you have artillery. The Fallen's powerful Chain Lightning Spires are defence towers that will fire streams of lightning that'll jump from enemy to enemy, killing many foes in an extremely short time.

* ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'': Some of the boons you get from Zeus give your attacks this effect

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': As a high-level Wizard who believes firmly in the law of superior firepower, Vaarsuvius makes sure to add this spell to their arsenal. Best [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0921.html demonstrated]] when Vaarsuvius changes the tide of a battle with a few spells, including electrocuting a full squad of {{Ptero Soarer}}s.

* In ''VideoGame/Majesty'': The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, specifically ''The Northern Expansion'', building the Sorcerers Abode will give the player access to the spell "chain lightening," which launches a ball of electricity that will bounce from one enemy to the next, and then the next, doing more damage the more enemies are in range.

A LightningGun may have this ability. Not to be confused with the song by Music/SteelyDan, or the other song by Music/{{Rush}}. Is not necessarily the same as LightningLash but can overlap.

* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' features an [[AnAxeToGrind axe]] modification named Chain Lightning that has this effect. The Drowning Doom's Lightning Rod unit has a double-team ability that does this too.

[[caption-width-right:322:Shocking!]]

* The hero Tempest in TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse has a card called Chain Lightning (no relation to the Magic: The Gathering card of the same name) the art of which features Tempest blasting three guys with lightning. Mechanically speaking, it allows you to hit three targets with lightning damage with the damage decreasing with each target you hit.

* The hero Tempest in VideoGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse has a card called Chain Lightning (no relation to the Magic: The Gathering card of the same name) the art of which features Tempest blasting three guys with lightning. Mechanically speaking, it allows you to hit three targets with lightning damage with the damage decreasing with each target you hit.

* The electric beam weapon in ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon''. The beam spreads to nearby enemies, and it can also [[StandardStatusEffects shock]] them, so they stop or move more slowly.

* ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'': The various lightning weapons have electricity that arc throughout multiple enemies.