RipClaw (Tech 26/Magic 10)
Just as the magically enhanced cyber claw was developed to breech blessed plate armor, when the monkeys developed kevlar and ceramic composites, a new technology was developed to defeat that as well. Using apportation magic to phase the molecular motion of metal atoms at the Thauma-quantuum level, a blade was developed that would cut through most nearly all defenses. While this made for a devistatingly efficient weapon in the war with the monkeys, it was perhaps too efficient for the Daemons fighting that war. The cuts made by the phase claw were too precise and too clean. In many cases the monkeys didnt even know they had been cut, much less that they were dead. The Law of Pain was totally circumvented, much to the horror of the Tharkoldu with phase implants. (Many of the first generation of test subjects tore the RipClaw from their beings rather than use it again and not cause pain!)
To alleviate this problem, OcculTechnicians introduced a transverse "wobble" in the Thauma-quantuum phasing, based on the Divination/Cloud model of electron position. This spread out the cutting surface of the phase blade, making it somewhat less efficient - though still quite a match for most monkey suits - but also made for a very ragged, and very painful cut. Limbs that were once cleanly severed can now be attacked repeatedly, mutilating narrow bands of flesh while leaving the surrounding areas intact and capable of feeling more pain.
One interesting side effect of the "Reciprocating Claw" (or "RipClaw", for short) is that it does damage proportinally with the density of the material being cut. It is possible to shread even the strongest armor without worry of killing the monkey inside too quickly. The only true defense against a RipClaw is forcefield technology, which does not actually stop the claw unless tuned to a specific Thauma-quantuum frequency - different for each claw - but rather can be spread wide enough to block the talon (or other limb) upon which the claw is mounted. (Due to the precise focus required to create the RipClaw "blade", it's effect rarely exceeds 5 cm in depth. Which does not bother the Tharkoldu in the least, though it as promoted thicker and thicker body armor among the Race.)
The RipClaw can be identified in the field by its hypersonic vibrations, which, although they lie outside of even the Race's auditory range, have been described as "a butterfly from Hell". (Many of the more... subtle Tharkoldu will "buzz" Race encampments, turning their RipClaw implants on and off at random, to a most unnerving effect.)
| Cyberware | Surgery Difficulty | Surgery Effect | Cyber Rating | Cost (Value) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RipClaw | 12 | Heavy | +2 | $5,000(18) | Target's TOU+2/25 |
The RipClaw remains experimental, and the Thauma-quantuum "wobble" must be precisely aligned during surgery. Like most Tharkoldu equipment, it has not been designed with ergonomics in mind (or perhaps it's obtuse bulk appeals to the Daemons' sense of aesthetics). If implanted in a non- Tharkoldu, the Surgery Effect goes up to Mortal. The RipClaw has a base Damage Value of the Target's TOU plus 2, ignoring armor. It will simultaneously (same rolled bonus) attack any physical armor worn by the target with a base DV equal to the TOU or Max Value of the armor. It passes harmlessly through most forcefields, but may cause damage to a target up to 5 cm within the outside radius of the field. If left stationary inside an object, the RipClaw will continue to do damage due to the "wobble". If turned off inside an object, it will become bonded at the Thauma-quantuum level, breaking the delicate "blades" immediately. The blades can not be removed without Apportation magics, and while they do not continue to cause more damage, any damage they had caused to that point will not heal until they are removed. The implant can be repaired as normal.