Ripper

About the Ripper

The ripper is gutter engineering at its meanest, a crude ranged weapon that flings a spray of jagged metal fragments or spinning blades at a target rather than a clean bolt. Cheap to make and cheaper to arm, it's the sort of thing that turns up in the hands of gang enforcers, pit-world scavengers, and anyone who wants to hurt someone badly at short range without paying for a proper blaster. The shredding projectiles tear rather than burn, leaving ugly wounds and a mess that discourages the next person in line. It's light enough to draw fast and conceal under a coat, which is exactly how its owners like to use it, up close and by surprise. It lacks the range and reliability of an energy weapon, but as an instrument of intimidation and sudden brutality, the ripper does its ugly job well.