[Blue Rose]

When I was on an aircraft carrier, if there was any rocking, I totally didn't notice it. Granted we were in good weather too.

Yeah, rocking's definitely not a main concern on a ship that big, but you still don't want someone putting a rifle round through the JP-5 line, lighting that stuff off.

[Reaver]

Not too sure how many people would attack an air carrier... how many people onboard? 5000?

But a destroyer?  Or escort? Those ship's displacement is a lot smaller.

[Triskavanski]

People who were desperate to fly somewhere would attack an aircraft carrier. *Sage nods*

[HarshRhettoric]

Going back to the monofilament whip, it is an insanely great future weapon for lopping off parts, but the disadvantages of a monofilament whip are all where your character meets the real world.

You see, people associate greater risk with things that are shocking and unusual.  Police officer gunned down in gang shootout is probably its own section in the trid news.  In the GrimDark world of Shadowrun, people get killed by gunfire all the time.  Trolls and physical adepts have seen a resurgents in melee weapons, and melee combat.  Member of Ronin street gang lives by sword, dies by sword is probably fairly commonplace, too.

Jump to monofilament whip.  You go on a shadowrun and leave quivering chunks of some security schlub behind and suddenly, we have a media bonanza!  Heads will talk, wives will cry, footage will leak and... no one will work with your character--he's radioactive.  Monofilament whips are exposure no shadowrunner wants.

That said, you mentioned that your focus was not melee.  I would recommend saving the monowhip as a nasty surprise to use sparingly against people out of the public spotlight and in emergencies.

As a dramatic device for the game, a monowhip is kind of like a lightsaber; in the good star wars movies, it is used sparingly because the characters are trying to fly below the radar.  They come out to show the audience that the characters mean business.

[Anarkitty]

A Monowhip's usefulness is directly proportionate to the amount of pink mohawk in your game.

In a realistic black trenchcoat game it is a tool of serial killers and scary villains.  Even wetwork specialists will usually use something less distinctive.
In a full-on pink mohawk game it sits alongside the assault cannon as an iconic tool of destruction.  The wielder is protected by refuge in audacity as they cut cars and helicopters in half in the middle of a corp arcology and escape in a stolen VTOL.  Or, y'know, "Saint's Row 3: The Shadowrun Campaign".

Most games fall somewhere in between.  Talk with your GM to see what his world thinks of monowhips.

[Reaver]

love and hate the monowhip as a GM:

Hate:

Turns weak characters into melee monsters


Love:

just when a player gets used to the weapon and cocky in it's use.... CRITICAL GLITCH! And I get to hear the players heart literally stop beating.

[Blue Rose]

A Monowhip's usefulness is directly proportionate to the amount of pink mohawk in your game.

In the game I'm in right now, my character has a monofilement whip as her code brown backup weapon.

She has shoulder-length blue hair with an orange horizontal stripe.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

In a full-on pink mohawk game it sits alongside the assault cannon as an iconic tool of destruction.

Oi!!  The assault cannon is a perfectly valid tool of destruction in a black trenchcoat campaign!!  What else can you use to do 17P with a -6 AP at a frickin' mile range??  You just can't be around when the local KE patrol car shows up to find out WTF that earth-shattering kaboom was, y'know?  'Cause assault cannons, they ain't quiet ...

[Anarkitty]

In a full-on pink mohawk game it sits alongside the assault cannon as an iconic tool of destruction.

Oi!!  The assault cannon is a perfectly valid tool of destruction in a black trenchcoat campaign!!  What else can you use to do 17P with a -6 AP at a frickin' mile range??  You just can't be around when the local KE patrol car shows up to find out WTF that earth-shattering kaboom was, y'know?  'Cause assault cannons, they ain't quiet ...

I didn't say a cannon can't be useful in Black Trencoat game (and now I'm imagining a Panther with a silencer and a scope...), just that the troll hip-firing a seven foot belt-fed cannon, preferably modified to full auto, is one of those classic Pink Mohawk images, alongside the chromed up sammie cutting cars in half with a wire and the rigger's A-Team van with retractable miniguns and missile racks and a bay to work on the Face's souped-up monocycle.

It's all in how you use it, and just as importantly all in how you describe it that makes it black vs pink..

[Leevizer]

just that the troll hip-firing a seven foot belt-fed cannon, preferably modified to full auto

"Oi, this'll keep the Fragger's 'ed down!" Buster shouted into the commlink, bracing himself before letting out a spray of explosive death from his modified panther, using his gyro harness mounted under his bulky, armoured black trenchcoat to keep the massive weapon at bay. The building across the street starting to collapse from losing it's first floor whilst the opposing Renraku Samurai's hitting the deck instantly.

Completely legit material, right there.

the chromed up sammie cutting cars in half with a wire

The rigger's message showed in the edge of his peripheral vision, something about his FlySpy noticing an armoured van heading to cut their escape route off. Sending an "on it" to the rest of the team, he readied his monowhip. Activating his wired reflexes to just leap out from behind a corner and flick his wrist, the fingertip-compartment hidden whip cutting the vehicle in half across the middle, sending the vehicle careening onto the rival bars on both sides of the street, exploding near simultaneously as the Street Sam turned on his heels to rush to the Rigger's van, his black trenchcoat whipping in the wind.

Still totally legitimate stuff.

and the rigger's A-Team van with retractable miniguns and missile racks

Watching from his FlySpy, the rigger saw the van explode in two fireballs, the Troll having emptied his magazine and jumped into the back of the van, denting the back door. The dwarf decided to make him pay for the repairs after this was done. The Samurai was on the top of the van already, kneeling down in some Japanese Bushido thing or whatnot... He wasn't too knowledgeable about that. but since it allowed the Sam to monowhip down the missiles and grenades fired at them, he wasn't going to complain. Flooring it, he turned the corner to see that the Elf face's "negotiations" hadn't succeeded and he had two more of Samurai-filled armoured vehicles after his monocycle, his black trenchcoat full of bullet holes... He wasn't going to last long. Sending a mental command, the  Two Vindicator's spun into action from the sides of the van, the Street samurai's kneeling spot rising up as the missile rack took in the heat signatures of the opposing vehicles. With the speed of thought he shot out two missiles, charring the end of the Samurai's black trenchcoat, turning the wheel and hitting the handbrake to spin the van a neat 180 degrees, the troll opening the back doors of the van...

I didn't know they even made rigger vans without weapon mods?

a bay to work on the Face's souped-up monocycle.

The modificiations he had added clearly worked in his advantage, allowing for superior mobility as rounds from assault rifles missed him... Except for that one. And that. Ouch. Looking at the live feeds on his mirrorglasses, he noticed the rest of the team heading towards his position, the van turning a corner and the weaponry coming to bear. Knowing what to do, he hit the nitro on his monocycle and was flattened into his seat, the missiles zooming past him, the sounds of the exploding vehicles distant for him as he needed to focus all his concentration on making the vehicle jump slightly, flying past the opened doors on the back of the van and hitting the Monocycle-bay on the spot, his body jerking violently as the vehicle was stopped on it's tracks, the monocycle bays suspension shaking him around whilst bringing the vehicle to stop. his head hitting the back of his cycle rather violently as he fell off the bike, coughing up blood. Staggering up, he felt his Pink Mohawk hit the roof of the van as he murmured something about hitting a bar before collapsing onto a back seat.

It's all in how you use it, and just as importantly all in how you describe it that makes it black vs pink..

I mean, if the players get hit with a lot of shit, there's no way of doing stuff undercover and keeping things simple. Drek hits the fan, and the players will NEED to use the best money can get to even survive.

Also, the things I do when I'm bored. I don't even know if this is good fiction. See how I made everything into Black Trenchcoat?

[Csjarrat]

oh mate. that was brilliant. i wish these forums had a "like" button.
+1 internet to your sir

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

Also, the things I do when I'm bored. I don't even know if this is good fiction. See how I made everything into Black Trenchcoat?

Oh, it's pretty good.  Not sure how you think it's BT ... or if that was supposed to be sarcasm or irony or some such.  But actual 'Black Trenchcoat' it ain't, no, sorry.

[Leevizer]

Also, the things I do when I'm bored. I don't even know if this is good fiction. See how I made everything into Black Trenchcoat?

Oh, it's pretty good.  Not sure how you think it's BT ... or if that was supposed to be sarcasm or irony or some such.  But actual 'Black Trenchcoat' it ain't, no, sorry.

Clearly you missed the fact that they were all wearing black trenchcoats and that they did everything by the books. Definitely.

I 'unno, I tried to think of Pink Mohawk but disguising it into something BT-ish... I mean, the following additions would make it balls to the walls pink mohawk

-The troll runs whilst firing the assault cannon with one hand instead of using a gyro harness and bracing himself.

-The Sammie stands in the middle of the street until the van is within striking distance.

-The rigger actually fires everything on his van at the opposing vans. Also there would have been atleast eight of them.

-I still am unsure of how to make the monocycle... well, anything. I mean, it's just... Weird. Or, well, I think that the face would have also been a shaman and he would have been chased by Renraky samurais riding monocycles whilst he threw a fireball at one and an ice sheet on one, making them collide with a third one coming from behind with them all exploding.

-Everyone would have had a pink mohawk.

Anyone else have any suggestions on this?

PS: I really think I should change the title of this topic.

[Anarkitty]

I mean, if the players get hit with a lot of shit, there's no way of doing stuff undercover and keeping things simple. Drek hits the fan, and the players will NEED to use the best money can get to even survive.

Also, the things I do when I'm bored. I don't even know if this is good fiction. See how I made everything into Black Trenchcoat?

That was spectacular.  Gave me chills reading it.  I can't wait to play tomorrow night!