[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Acc 6 Dv 13 Ap -5 reach 2 Claymore/Nodatchi via Str 5(6) Agility 6 human blade adept with crit strike blades, and custom grip. Could get damage higher if I used an orc. So, yeah, you can get higher damage, with the right investment. Also, his power effect an entire weapon class and none are shoot on sight level response that a monowhip will cause. One of the few weapons that has similar level of response as "Geek f@$king mage!"

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

That said, Monowhips are niche, but fun for high agility, no strength elf faces.

[Duellist_D]

I know that it's possible to go higher.

The relevant part is how much resources you have to spend to get there and what comes with it.

The whip is a Tool that gives a very high reward for very low investment.
You only ever need High Agility + the Skill, with high Agility being useful for everybody.
So this route comes with a very low cost of opportunity.

Sure, you can build a stronger melee character, but the points needed for that would usually be even more effective when spend on something else than raising strength and a weapon you can all but forget to carry around.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

Depends, I don't have to worry about my blade killing me on a critical glitch, or a decker jacking up my wireless so it kills me on a critical glitch. Plus, no wireless means my blades when hidden can't be found via a nosey decker. And again, mines not an immediate go to jail/get gun down by cops.

[PeterSmith]

For a good inspiration for such moves, go watch some of the videos of Bruce Lee doing demonstrations with nunchucks.

I prefer the heavy from Johnny Mnemonic myself.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

The book that Johnny Mnemonic is based off of is where monowhips came from actually.

[Hobbes]

I think the one reason this thing isn't widely used is mostly the big "makes GMs super salty" sign attached to it.

All about the target market size.

Low resource Adept characters have a tough time with the cost and aren't a fan of the 'ware.  And many folks building melee characters build adepts.

Katanas and Spurs are more Iconic for a Sami so they usually wind up with Unarmed (cyber) or Blades.

Most non-combat focused characters are usually just grabbing a gun and calling it good.  Monowhip is still a bigger investment than a pistol. 

So scratch a majority of Adepts, Non-Combat characters, and Sami's.  Monowhips cater to a very thin slice of the melee weapon market.

[Sendaz]

  Monowhips cater to a very thin slice of the melee weapon market.

We saw what you did there.

[FancyDerek]

The book that Johnny Mnemonic is based off of is where monowhips came from actually.

Molecular wire was in Dune which was published before Johnny Mneumonic- it was called shigawire.

Larry Niven's Known Space series featured it as Sinclair Molecular Chains.

There are several short stories from various authors in the early 60's that featured it also.

Don't know what the earliest reference is, but Johnny Mneumonic isn't it.

[Rift_0f_Bladz]

I said monowhip, not wire. None of the other stories used it as a "whip" like weapon.

[Blue Rose]

Damage is high enough that you don't need to bother increasing it (try reaching the same Code with other melee weapons), you really have to try hard to kill yourself with this between Wifi and Edge and its a super concealable Weapon.

*Looks at her 20P/-5 claymore adept.*

Yeah, I'll try and hit that damage code.

[bangbangtequila]

Meh. This thing serves quite well as a primary melee weapon for ranged combatants. My various gunslinger elves would all benefit from 2 or 3 points into it, to gain a massively powerful weapon fully capable of shredding lower-health enemies for minimal investment. Using aerial drones to smuggle one into areas MAD would render otherwise inaccessible also gives you a super awesome Luke in Return of the Jedi style game plan.

[Reaver]

Meh. This thing serves quite well as a primary melee weapon for ranged combatants. My various gunslinger elves would all benefit from 2 or 3 points into it, to gain a massively powerful weapon fully capable of shredding lower-health enemies for minimal investment. Using aerial drones to smuggle one into areas MAD would render otherwise inaccessible also gives you a super awesome Luke in Return of the Jedi style game plan.

+1 for thought

AND

+1 for SW:RoTJ

[Tarislar]

I created a Pixie a while back who's street name was Darth Smauls.
He used Lightning Bolts & a Monowhip-Foci with Elemental-Weapon-Fire as his 2 weapons of choice.
/snicker.   

[PJ]

Don't have my book right now, but is it in the description that extra successes don't translate into more damage levels for it?

I'm working on an idea for a mono whip user, as the weapon does have a cool niche.  But if you can't increase damage, hmmm...