Just because there are atoms that can do that doesn't mean it occurs naturally that way. And really, you'd want carbon nano tubes. They'd at least be stable.

1 molecule thin handwavium or however that magical mineral is called . .

Phlebotinum.

Phle(m). Bot. In-um.

He means orichalcum.

yah, dat wun!

It's precisely the overpoweredness that's not to like. It's basically better than everything in every way, except for destroying barriers. The fingertip monowhip *was* cool in the movie, but it's just copied after that. I'm not saying you shouldn't get one, just that you're not cool for it.

Well I think the Shadowrun writers play a little game of ripping off as much as possible from William Gibson just to annoy him.

So they need to make sure the monofilament whip remains popular, I guess, for maximum effect.

Fair enough on it being overpowered. You would have to have what? 12 str to make a katana equally damaging?

Plus reach, AP, concealability…

A katana is (str/2+3)P and -1 AP.
A monofilament whip is 8P and -4 AP.

So you would need 10 strength to match the damage. 12 str would negate the probability of an extra damage soak from your target getting 3 extra armor.

You could always take the Specialization: Called Shots...

Keep the Faith

lol
nothing like whipping out peoples eyes and crotches....

Handheld, Implanted, Called Shots, Up-Close? Admittedly, these could be considered rather iffy and potentially abusive at best, it's certainly not an easy skill to develop specialties for. But then, some specialties, even in the books, are just 'better' than others in general. I mean, what's the difference, really, between being a gunbunny with a pair of custom-made semi-automatics that they use 90% of the time who takes the Semi-Automatic specialty in pistols and someone with a custom-made concealed monofilament whip who takes the Handheld specialty? The GM can take them away from you, but short of doing that, they're not much different in the scope of how broad the specialty can be considered to be.

Yes, but Exotic weapon skills list specialisations as not availebul(or apliaple) so for those you cant make up your own.

That was pretty much the reason I said you don't get a specialization. It lists "N/A" for Specializations, which means not available or not applicable. I can't think of any common use definition of applicable or available that would indicate that specializations are allowed for the exotic weapons.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't abuse the hell out of it if I could.

Well, it could mean N/A as in 'because this covers so many different things, we can't provide any.'

I could see plenty of argument for a spec like parry in particular. Or maybe even something as simple as offensive/defensive spec, one applies only on attacks, and the other only on defense. Like Eimi said, it really isn't any different that the pistol gunbunny taking an SA spec for pistols since 90% of production pistols are SA, and the gunbunny is only going to be forced to use a non SA pistol under very extreme circumstances.

Personally I think Exotic weapons should get more bonuses because they represent such a limited field, as opposed to losing bonuses such as specialization. I mean someone who takes automatics is competent with all assault rifles and such ever made, but taking an exotic weapon means your proficient with one particular weapon, of which there are likely only a few hundred likely to be in use. Basically you're crippling your versatility in order to use a weird weapon, which in most cases are very weak compared to anything of similar size and cost. And of course if no specs are allowed, you're also crippling your combat ability as well by giving up 2 dice on offense, 2 dice on defense, and 4 dice on full defense (Or just 2 on offense for ranged weapons).

If the question is RAW, no specializations at all are allowed. If the question is houseruling, then Exotic Weapons (just like D&D) should never have existed.

That is a very loose interpretation that really stretches it to justify a specialization for Exotic Weapons.

Not Applicable - Applicable (Able to be applied; appropriate). Not able to be applied. Not appropriate.
Not Available

Neither of those usages of N/A would really lend credence to an interpretation that a specialization for Exotic Weapons is intended.



I'll be honest. I think the specializations list for Pistols ispartially bullshit. They are vastly different from any other weapon specializations. I'm okay with the hold-outs and taser specialization since that falls in line with the specializations described for other weapon skills. Revolvers and Semi-Automatics is retarded. No other ranged weapon group breaks it down like that with the exception of carbine under automatics. Pretty much every other weapon skill breaks it down by a weapon group. It would be saner if Pistols broke it down by heavy/light pistols rather than revolvers/semi-autos.



I would be for a description text in the weapons that says "Individuals skilled in this weapon gain an additional +1 to all test with the weapon."

They can get that. Just pay for another rank in it. Can you even parry with a monowhip? Bleh.

The real fix is to remove Exotics. Replace with 'Personal Lasers', 'Whips', 'Cyber Implant Weapons (inc. odd places)', etc. etc.

Penile Implant with a Monofilament Whip in it . . doesn't get more odd in terms of placement and gives whipping it out a whole new meaning . .

Not odd?

How about a drake's breath weapon? That's an "exotic ranged weapon" too.

What about it?

It'd be tough to come up with a good spec explanation for breath weapons. What could there be after Called Shots even if you were making up specs? Left nostril, right nostril and through the mouth?

Out yer arse.

Its a natural* ability yet training in it doesn't get you as good as you could be with any common fire arm because you can specialize with the Ares Predator over all other pistols.

*Or supernatural, if we consider it being (semi)magical.

Oh. Is that a problem?

Is it a problem that a drake has fewer dice to an innate ability than he does using a gun?

Yes, yes it is.

Only if he invests equally in both skills. It's not like they *always* do. Besides, *tons* of critters and people have fewer dice in 'innate' abilities than 'learned' ones, *and* you're not born knowing how to spit fire, either. It's just as learned.

*shrug*. Maybe flaming snot is harder to point-and-click guns. If it's ruining your entire game, houserule it.

I'm tempted to ingore 90% of them blades in odd place uses blades ect. And the few out there wacky enought to no mesh with other treat them as knowledge skills cost wise.

Even the reptiles that absorb oxygen through what amounts to anal gills don't actually inhale/exhale that way.

Though, now I'm wondering if it's possible to reroute the path of a drake's fire to the, ah, back door, via surgery.

Does it even come out of their mouth in the first place? It's just the Elemental Attack power, right? Could be anything.

Well, there's the precedent of the little swamp dragon in Terry Pratchets: GUARDS! GUARDS!
Won't be long now, untill we have jet-engine-powered drakes . .

That book was awesome. Though I may be slightly biased as it was my first introduction to Terry Pratchett (two Ts on the end, there).

Most of his Stuff is awesome, and i still would prefer it if shadowrun had been a mix between gibson and pratchett <.<

I don't think anyone would have been able to make sense of the world if Pratchett had been involved. We'd have trolls made out of rock (with diamonds for teeth) and anthropomorphic personifications of Death (as well as other things).

No, all ShadowRun needs to be is a mix of Gibson and generic fantasy. Figure out how you want to define "dragon" and then drop it into a modern setting. How does it "get by"? Why, it invests in large corporations and eats dissenters ("I own the company and the company owns you. You're going to be served with a side of mashed potatoes and you're going to enjoy it.")

Magic is mysterious and powerful, and generally freaks people out ("Geek the mage, geek the mage!") but has its price ("Ooohh...I don't feel so well...Is that blood? At least I'm safe...")

I've seen more than a couple character builds who probably thought of themselves as much

THEN AGAIN, THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE NEARLY AS HUMOROUSLY STYLISH ABOUT IT.