I just want to make sure of this before I go further: Is it legal, rules-wise, to attach a scope to a panther cannon?

I'm asking because, in one game I'm playing, my character is considering using a panther cannon as a sniper rifle.

sure

I don't see why not.
I see a lot of potential for fluff and sense to get in the way (i.e. You can mount a scope but your ork can't use it while he's firing the cannon from his hip), but generally speaking, I don't see any reason why you couldn't.

p. 302 Heavy weapons have a top mount, barrel mount and under barrel mount.

Image Scopes use a top mount. Shouldn't be any problem putting a scope on.

Okay, second question: Is it perfectly legal, in the rules, to mount a panther cannon on a bipod? If so, I think I have my sniper rifle.

I go by the maxim that, after the first shot as a sniper, you're exposed anyway.

Edit: I'm also asking because, in SR3, it wasn't legal, while it apparently is in SR4 from all answers. I want to be perfectly sure.

Edit 2: Nope. Confused it with the Vindicator.

Scope is a top mount, Bipod is a bottom mount. Shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks. Like I said, just making sure.

heh, in theory one could even silence this beast now...

That's kinda the angle I'm going for. We're going to try to convince a bunch of Yaks that we have a tank under the influence of invisibility and sound dampening spells. My character's job is to make that bluff convincing.

ye gods...

Well, if the bluff fails, we still have someone on a roof using a panther cannon as a sniper rifle.

The sad thing is, one of our characters could get out of this mess by simply paying back the 2500 they borrowed, and then the rest of the team would be left alone.

Top mounted Smartgun link with Camera (with Image magnification and other mods). Bottom mounted Tripod and Silencer.

Give the orc a pair of cool shades with imagelink and Smartlink and you are ready to go.

Now you have an EVIL cannon.

Wouldn't adding a smartgun to a weapon that already has it be kinda redundant?

YOU WANT TO BACKSTAB HIM WITH A FUCKING BALLISTA ?

I believe the point of using the assault cannon is to trick someone into thinking her team has an invisible tank at their disposal; using it to reinforce the "illusion".

Now, I know that all the fluff descriptions of assault cannons having "punishing recoil" haven't mattered for much since on the crunch side of things recoil doesn't mean anything on a Single Shot weapon, but I think in this case, it should drive the type of scope you pick.

Do you really want to be sticking your eye right up to an eyepiece of something mounted to a weapon that's supposed to kick like a team of mules?

Hathcock's most famous shot (2,500 meters) was with a scope-mounted Browning M2 .50 BMG.

the scope is wireless silly. it can just transmit what it sees to your image link =P

That's always how I viewed the PAC firing (broken collarbone style). If they're going to give it flavor text huge recoil without a rule to back it up, it's up to the players to devise that rule. Obviously the recoil doesn't affet your shot, so it must affect something else. I opt for the collarbone, should, etc.

There is always the (RL) austrian 15,2mm rifle. Also, there are at least prototypes for 25mm rifles.

I think the Barret XM-109 is well into the prototype stage, as they were suppose to start deploying them into combat a couple years ago for field tests. It isn't my thing to keep track of it, but there are people here that like to do that, so maybe someone that is can chime in on what the latest word is. Anyway, check out size of the muzzlebrake.

That said the barrel length of the PAC looks a lot closer to that of an M82. The M82, a 12.7mm / .50 cal weapon, is pictured for comparison on page 3 of the linked PDF. A significantly longer barrel not only is going to give higher muzzle velocity, but it would tend to up the recoil, although a lot of recoil compensation has already been put into the XM-109 to start with.