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Message no. 1
From: Martin Steffens <BDI05626@***.RHIJ.NL>
Subject: Mono-whips
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 12:37:19 +0100
On Sat, 14 Jan, Steve wrote:

[stuff about the squirt gun deleted]
> But when the sh** really hit the fan he just popped the end of his
> right index finger off, uncoiling a meter of monofilament. Now THAT
> was deadly. He was a real min/maxer, and with all the wares inside
> him, he could roll up to 23 dice for a melee action if he used all his
> Dice Pools. That means he could take 4-5 opponents in a SINGLE melee
> action (and to hell with the 10+ target numbers, with 20 dice you're
> BOUND to get some of them) and do 10D damage... you watched their
> heads roll on the floor in a single action. Fumbles? Who can actually
> roll 21 aces in a single roll? No way!

I think there is something completely wrong with the rules for the
mono-whip, and its existance as a weapon. The monofilament will be
nearly weightless, and the top of your index finger doesn't weight
much also.
Ergo, point 1: the whip cannot be given much momentum e.g. the
whipping action (try to whip with a piece of thin thread and a small
thing and the top, then you see what I mean).

Point 2: the weapon would be absolute hell to use in windy
situations. The whip would flop around somewhere in the direction of
the wind, and any attempt to use it would be useless.

Tip 1: tie a ventilator to your forearm and, presto mono-whip shield
:-)

Just my thoughts,

Martin
Message no. 2
From: "Bracket <la7hfw@*****.ucc.hull.ac.uk>"
Subject: Re: Mono-whips
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 13:43:12 +0000
On Mon, 16 Jan 1995, Martin Steffens wrote:

> I think there is something completely wrong with the rules for the
> mono-whip, and its existance as a weapon. The monofilament will be
> nearly weightless, and the top of your index finger doesn't weight
> much also.
> Ergo, point 1: the whip cannot be given much momentum e.g. the
> whipping action (try to whip with a piece of thin thread and a small
> thing and the top, then you see what I mean).
>
> Point 2: the weapon would be absolute hell to use in windy
> situations. The whip would flop around somewhere in the direction of
> the wind, and any attempt to use it would be useless.
>
> Tip 1: tie a ventilator to your forearm and, presto mono-whip shield
> :-)

8) I agree with your sentiment. From what I can see, the monofilament
whip idea comes from "Burning Chrome", which features a Yak equipped with
one in his finger, if I remember rightly. Didn't he end up killing
himself with it?

Re your points:
1 - it could have a lot more momentum if a weight was on the end of it.
For example you can't whip normal string too well, but stick a conker on
the end........ and you have the standard playground weapon of a
generation!

2 - I agree

How about this for a trap! Room with strong fans in, and monowhips strung
inside the door - door opens, allowing the air currents to escape blowing
the whips out into the corridor! Slice'n'dice!

-----------------> Thats right!
----------------------> You've been Bracketed!
((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))
Bracket: H.F.Wolverson@***.hull.ac.uk
Message no. 3
From: "Nat C." <natc@*****.net>
Subject: Mono Whips
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 15:24:07 -0500 (EST)
I was wondering a few things about monofiliment whips with all this new
talk of shotgun pellets and bolos with with mono whips worked in. The
first question is how strong is a mono whip? Would it support a person's
weight or is it extreemly brittle? The only possible way of breaking
would be from extreem verticle stress I understand but how much stress is
that?

Another question I have about mono whips is if the same mono whip would
cut it self in half? This, if true would cause much more strict means of
storing the whip then the conventional coil. If this is false, then does
that mean that other materials could be made that would block a mono whip?

I have also wondered if anyone has ever heard about a mono sword or
knife? It would not be a fiber like the whip but it would come to a edge
only a few atoms in width and the broad side would be extreemly smooth. I
know this would be more dificult to construct but maybe it would be like
a crystal like a diamond or some other stone. This would be very deadly
because it would probibly have a strength bonus like a knife the nasty
damage of the whip without the chance that it might swing back and hit
you, but it would probibly not do as much damage as the whip because it
would not just slice through the body but would spread the cut halfes apart.

Thanx and ignore the typos,
Xyphius
Message no. 4
From: "A Halliwell" <u5a77@**.keele.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 23:07:28 +0000 (GMT)
|I have also wondered if anyone has ever heard about a mono sword or
|knife? It would not be a fiber like the whip but it would come to a edge
|only a few atoms in width and the broad side would be extreemly smooth. I
|know this would be more dificult to construct but maybe it would be like
|a crystal like a diamond or some other stone. This would be very deadly
|because it would probibly have a strength bonus like a knife the nasty
|damage of the whip without the chance that it might swing back and hit
|you, but it would probibly not do as much damage as the whip because it
|would not just slice through the body but would spread the cut halfes apart.

Check out the street sam catalogue.
I'm pretty sure there's a mono-sword in there (or at least a
pseudo-mono-sword).
It's basically a sword with a monofibre bonded to the edge of the blade...

(I don't have the book with me at the moment, so I can't remember the
Damage)
--
______________________________________________________________________________
| |What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crackin |
|u5a77@**.keele.ac.uk |the ground beneath a giant bolder, which you can't |
| |move, with no hope of rescue. |
|Andrew Halliwell |Consider how lucky you are that life has been good |
|Principal in:- |to you so far... |
|Comp Sci & Visual Arts | -The BOOK, Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 5
From: TopCat <topcat@******.net>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 17:16:16 -0600
>...The
>first question is how strong is a mono whip? Would it support a person's
>weight or is it extreemly brittle? The only possible way of breaking
>would be from extreem verticle stress I understand but how much stress is
>that?

About the same that it would take to pull a diamond apart, I would guess.
It would support a person's weight, but would most likely not be able to
wrap around anything in order to do so.

>Another question I have about mono whips is if the same mono whip would
>cut it self in half? This, if true would cause much more strict means of
>storing the whip then the conventional coil. If this is false, then does
>that mean that other materials could be made that would block a mono whip?

No, it will not cut itself. I seem to remember (though it may've been
hallucination or munchkin planning) something along the lines of
monofilament being run up and down the front of a runner's boots so that
monowire wouldn't cut through it.

>I have also wondered if anyone has ever heard about a mono sword or
>knife?

Ares Monosword. Damage is (STR + 3)M, reach is 1. A personal favorite
armed combat weapon, if for any reason because I don't want to use a katana
like everyone else I know. But it doesn't have any special effects.

A "true" monosword would be exactly like a monowhip, if not less damaging.
No matter how hard you swing it, it's going to do the same damage every time
due to the physics of monofilament itself.

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Bob "TopCat" Ooton <topcat@******.net>
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"Outside they are gathering and their fangs are bared, for
the bigger your fangs, the bigger your share."
-- Sol Invictus "Here Am I"
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Message no. 6
From: TopCat <topcat@******.net>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 17:21:59 -0600
Some more interesting info on this magnificent piece of armament. Don't
know how many of you out there know of this, but it caught my eye.

Awakenings, Pg. 102 Under the headings Spirit & Combat

"In game terms, technological enhancements to melee weapons such as
monofilament edges, laser attachments, Dikote, and so on do not allow the
character to inflict additional damage when fighting a manifest spirit".

Since a monofilament whip is nothing more than a monofilament edge, the
magic munchin' toy is worthless against spirits.

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Bob "TopCat" Ooton <topcat@******.net>
------------------------------------------------------------
"Outside they are gathering and their fangs are bared, for
the bigger your fangs, the bigger your share."
-- Sol Invictus "Here Am I"
------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 7
From: "Paul J. Carmen" <odin@*********.educationconnection.k12.ct.us>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 18:44:13 -0500
At 05:49 PM 1/24/96 -0500, you wrote:
>I was wondering a few things about monofiliment whips with all this new
>talk of shotgun pellets and bolos with with mono whips worked in. The
>first question is how strong is a mono whip? Would it support a person's
>weight or is it extreemly brittle? The only possible way of breaking
>would be from extreem verticle stress I understand but how much stress is
>that?


>Another question I have about mono whips is if the same mono whip would
>cut it self in half? This, if true would cause much more strict means of
>storing the whip then the conventional coil. If this is false, then does
>that mean that other materials could be made that would block a mono whip?
>
>I have also wondered if anyone has ever heard about a mono sword or
>knife? It would not be a fiber like the whip but it would come to a edge
>only a few atoms in width and the broad side would be extreemly smooth. I
>know this would be more dificult to construct but maybe it would be like
>a crystal like a diamond or some other stone. This would be very deadly
>because it would probibly have a strength bonus like a knife the nasty
>damage of the whip without the chance that it might swing back and hit
>you, but it would probibly not do as much damage as the whip because it
>would not just slice through the body but would spread the cut halfes apart.

Street Samurai catalog: Monofilament Sword
concealability:3 Reach:1 Damage:(str +3)M Weight:2 Cost:1000

Its on like the first page.

-Paul
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/_/ Paul J. Carmen _/_/
_/_/ odin@*******************.k12.ct.us _/_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Message no. 8
From: "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 11:59:08 +0100
TopCat said on 24 Jan 96...

> "In game terms, technological enhancements to melee weapons such as
> monofilament edges, laser attachments, Dikote, and so on do not allow the
> character to inflict additional damage when fighting a manifest spirit".
>
> Since a monofilament whip is nothing more than a monofilament edge, the
> magic munchin' toy is worthless against spirits.

I noticed that too, if I'm not mistaken it also mentions something about a
centuries-old sword being just as useful as a monosword. Problem is, what
do we use as the damage of "a generic sword"? (Str+2)M? But then why
doesn't a knife do the same damage, seeing that it resembles a sword but
is just a bit shorter?

Or is this another case of WYTIWYG? :)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
They're watching my every sound
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Character Mortuary: http://huizen.dds.nl/~mortuary/mortuary.html <-

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Message no. 9
From: "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 11:59:08 +0100
Nat C. said on 24 Jan 96...

> I was wondering a few things about monofiliment whips with all this new
> talk of shotgun pellets and bolos with with mono whips worked in. The
> first question is how strong is a mono whip? Would it support a person's
> weight or is it extreemly brittle? The only possible way of breaking
> would be from extreem verticle stress I understand but how much stress is
> that?

If you mean whether someone could stand on it, it wouldn't support a
person's mass because the person would slide down and get cut in half...
OTOH, I think you could hang onto the end like a rope, yes.

I think there's a bit about monowire on Paolo's page (Chopper wrote it up,
I believe, somewhere last year), and that pretty much contains all that's
known about monowire from the SR books, and speculates about the things we
don't know for sure.

> I have also wondered if anyone has ever heard about a mono sword or
> knife? It would not be a fiber like the whip but it would come to a edge
> only a few atoms in width and the broad side would be extreemly smooth.

There's a Monosword in the Street Sam Cat, which seems to have a length of
monowire(-like material) along its cutting edge. Damage is (str+3)M.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
They're watching my every sound
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Character Mortuary: http://huizen.dds.nl/~mortuary/mortuary.html <-

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GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+ PE
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Message no. 10
From: Vagen <vagen@*****.COM>
Subject: Mono Whips
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 21:29:28 -0500
I know i'll regret this later, but here goes.

I know that a mono whip can be stopped by ceramics(right?), but what's to
stopping it from continuing straight thought the victim, through the
street, etc...?
Just one of those random thoughts of mine.
"What kind of idiot asks rhetorical questions?"
-Raymond Lanning
Member of T.I.M. (The Immortal Mages)
http://www.ncweb.com/users/b312
Message no. 11
From: Droopy <droopy@*******.NB.NET>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 16:27:18 +0000
> From: Vagen <vagen@*****.COM>
> Subject: Mono Whips

> I know that a mono whip can be stopped by ceramics(right?), but what's to
> stopping it from continuing straight thought the victim, through the
> street, etc...?

The Little Tip (TM) on the end. It won't go through anything.
Imagine being the guy who has to thread the mono wire through that
little hole.


--Droopy
droopy@**.net
Message no. 12
From: L Canthros <lobo1@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Mono Whips
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 18:22:24 EST
On Fri, 7 Mar 1997 21:29:28 -0500 Vagen <vagen@*****.COM> writes:
>I know i'll regret this later, but here goes.
>
>I know that a mono whip can be stopped by ceramics(right?), but what's
>to
>stopping it from continuing straight thought the victim, through the
>street, etc...?

Ummmm...length, momentum, inertia, etc, etc. It's only a meter long,
after all, and the little weight on the end _isn't_ monomolecular, so, if
nothing else, the weight should do it.


>Just one of those random thoughts of mine.
>"What kind of idiot asks rhetorical questions?"
>-Raymond Lanning
>Member of T.I.M. (The Immortal Mages)
>http://www.ncweb.com/users/b312
>

--
-Canthros
If any man wishes peace, canthros1@***.com
let him prepare for war. lobo1@****.com
--Roman proverb
http://members.aol.com/canthros1/

Further Reading

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