Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ancient Armory: Rocket-Propelled Chainsaw

Weapon: RPC M1B Rocket Propelled Chainsaw
Damage: 8d6
Trigger type: Normal
Normal range/Maximum range: 1,500 ft./3,000 ft.
Weight: 60 lbs.
Battery: None
Shots: Single shot only

The Rocket Propelled Chainsaw (RPC) is an experimental device originally developed by the military for quick entrance into structures (firing at a door from a distance) or disabling of combat vehicles (firing at the tires/engine block). The RPC’s chain is diamond-encrusted, enabling it to easily slice through many surfaces and substances a normal chainsaw would never be able to get through. Although it wasn't designed for use in an actual combat situation, the RPC has since been re-purposed in the Mutant Future as a rather intimidating weapon.

The RPC works much like a grenade launcher. Flipping the forward grip into place primes the saw’s rocket motor for firing. Pressing the start button (in front of the trigger assembly) starts up the saw. Squeezing the trigger then ignites the rocket and fires the now-running saw-topped rocket. As an experimental weapon, the accuracy of the RPC is questionable. There is a -1 cumulative attack penalty for every 500 feet from the firer to the target (i.e., a target 2,000 feet away merits a -4 to hit). The RPC is also a single-shot weapon. Once fired, the saw cannot be retrieved, refueled, or reloaded. However, for sheer intimidation, the reputation of the RPC is such that just pointing it at a foe may cause them to surrender without a fight. (Any foe who sees the RPC pointed at them must make a morale check with a -2 penalty.)

(NOTE: This weapon is obviously inspired by the classic Internet meme. If you see this being aimed at your character, I suggest running like Hell.)

8 comments:

  1. Ha ha, that's friggin' awesome. I love the idea of a party finding one of these and keeping it around for ages until finally finding the one time it really deserves to be used and pulling it out.

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  2. Yup, that was the basic idea: a weapon that is powerful and intimidating, yet inaccurate and very limited. You just know a PC is gonna shlepp this around because "It's so cool!" And when they finally decide to use it in combat, well, stand back and watch the fireworks.

    (For added hilarity, make one of the rocket fins slightly bent due to damage. Once fired, the saw rocket will eventually boomerang back to the firer!)

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  3. Do you own all the rights to the image? I'd love to translate this entry to German and publish it and the image in "Abenteuer." -- a RPG fanzine along the lines of Fight On. Would you allow that? http://www.abenteuerpunkt.ch/serendipity/

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  4. No, I don't own the image. The rocket-propelled chainsaw is a quite famous Internet meme and it has been posted everywhere (kind of like "bunny with a pancake on its head"). I do not know who the original artist was who came up with it.

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  5. ADDENDUM: Here's a TinyURL link to the first place this image was created/posted. I would visit that forum and post your request. Perhaps someone there can point you to the original artist:

    http://tinyurl.com/kkbnet

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  6. Thanks. I've registered and will inquire. :)

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  7. How should we attribute you? Realname? Blog URL? Nothing at all? Feel free to send the info by email to kensanata@gmail.com :)

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  8. A blog URL attribution would be fine. Thank you!

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