Name: Destructo Discs™ Description: Destructo Discs are weaponised spinning tops that can be used for close and mid range combat. They are highly customisable and modular, with spare parts available in numerous designs. Standard sizes are comparable to circular saws in diameter, but they can come in larger and smaller variations. Destructo Discs are launched at extremely high speeds by users, and sent towards targets wearing soft to medium armor. They kill by rebounding off walls and redirecting themselves mid-flight, in order to reach exposed parts of an enemy. Due to the unpredictability of a high-speed spinning object, it’s extremely difficult for opponents to counter them while warding off the user at the same time. Abilities: Let It Rip: Users use Destructo Disc Hyper Dynamo Launchers™ to rev up their Discs. These launchers are as varied as the Discs themselves, and possess some means of rotating Discs multiple thousands of RPMs (Rounds Per Minute). Some examples of launchers are simple hand motors, ZPEM field rotation, and Toybox Hyper Dynamo™ technology, which is an incredibly efficient dynamo that allows the user to match other forms of electrical rotation simply by pulling on a ripcord as hard as they can. These launchers have negligible differences when launching a Destructo Disc for combat purposes. When partaking in Disc battles, however, they offer various benefits, such as improved launch control, higher base RPM, or reduced friction, all depending on the launcher. Spin To Win: Destructo Discs are capable of possessing cutting efficiency that rival vibroblades, via sheer rotational speed. Their constant spinning makes them deadly combat tools that excel at catching enemies off guard, and they can even get around shields and cover through a mixture of ricochets and particle thrusters. They’re ideal as semi-autonomous weapons that naturally chase down enemies without requiring the user to micromanage their use— much like an attack drone. Customisation: Due to their nature as artisan collectibles, Destructo Discs are incredibly diverse. They can be made with all manner of built-in functions and features, and are often crafted with different materials to change their spinning behaviour. A Disc may have a thick, blunt blade, designed to smash helmets and concuss wielders. They may have slicing edges that are capable of rapidly cutting flesh. They may have bulky and angular contact points to smash rock. It’s even possible to turn them into plasmablades, at the cost of severely diminishing their ricochet capability. These parts are easy to swap out, only requiring the user to detach the connection points and put them all back together. A standard Destructo Disc consists of A: Bit: The Bit is a decorative plate on the upper face of a Destructo Disc. They often house a Virtual Intelligence that aids in navigation. Official parts can be recognised by the bit, allowing the Destructo Disc to perform course corrections and account for the weight distribution of its respective components. It’s responsible for processing the information picked up by the various sensors throughout the Disc. Changing out a bit can completely transform the behavior of a Disc, allowing users to change them from swift attackers to steady defenders Blade: The Blade is the part of the Destructo Disc that’s primarily responsible for offense. There are countless variations of blades, and they can be made from any feasible material to change the properties of the Disc. In the time since the public release of Destructo Discs, there have been numerous rotating ‘seasons’ of parts, resulting in a truly massive pool of stock options and designs. Blades typically possess particle thrusters on their underside, and low-resolution ENDI emitters within their core. As they spin, the neutrino beams are rapidly rotated through surrounding matter, mapping out the surroundings for the Bit and allowing it to detect denser points it can ricochet off, or softer places it can cut. Ratchet: Arguably the least important piece of a Destructo Disc. The ratchet usually does not make direct contact with targets, and is used for weight distribution or to house additional technology. A Destructo Disc can remain completely functional with a plain ratchet that has no particular features. Other ratchets may be used to hold secondary sets of particle thrusters, or even secondary blades to increase offense. Most of the time, however, they just serve as a connector to the Tip. Tip: As the point of contact with the ground, the tip of the Destructo Disc is usually what determines its movement. Ones meant to be stable are built to possess high friction. Flat-bottomed tips are meant for high-speed offensive motion. Lighter and thinner tips may encourage Discs to lift themselves airborne and ricochets. Certain tips are built to remain stationary and drill downwards into the ground, to either get through armor or wreck other discs. Conditional Abilities: Fighting Spirit: Most Destructo Discs have a navigational aid in their Bit Chip. However, highly advanced and expensive ones can come with themed VIs that possess heightened upgrade potential. The most common feature is the ability to carry out machine learning from past fights and optimise spinning ability, gradually growing with the user. Others can analyse and adapt to illegal and modified parts, giving a user a distinct advantage in combat and unsanctioned duels. It’s even possible to host a sapient AI or program within the right Bit, and benefit from an advanced intelligence taking the wheel. Limitations: Spin Time: Destructo Discs have a finite amount of kinetic energy, that’s reduced by making contact with objects or by simply spinning in place. Once they run out of it, they turn back into mere pieces of metal. While they can compete with vibro-weaponry in terms of effectiveness, they may need to be relaunched multiple times to get through a surface that a vibroblade could saw through in one sitting. It’s difficult for a Destructo Disc to gain energy mid-flight, barring special circumstances such as colliding with objects spinning in the other direction, or being artificially rotated by ZPEM fields. Perpetually spinning discs are banned in sanctioned battles. They’re intentionally built unbalanced to encourage this, and no commercial parts exist to allow for excessive motion, even at extremely low RPM. The resting position of a disc is meant to be stationary. This aspect can be overcome through modding and illegal/unique parts, though may lose combat effectiveness past a certain point. Conditional Limitations: Competitive Spirit: Destructo Discs produced by the primary manufacturer (Toybox Holdings) naturally gravitate towards each other, and prioritise clashing against another disc before assaulting opponents. As a result, the best form of defense against a Destructo Disc is to launch your own, so that both projectiles focus on each other instead of their users. This is both a safety feature to enhance the spectacle of a Disc Duel, and a measure to create an arms race and incentivise buying a Disc to protect yourself against foes who use them. This targeting mechanic is not shared by unofficial Destructo Discs, or other forms of technology that emulate their capabilities. Potential EMP Vulnerability: Catching a Destructo Disc in an EMP disables its steering and redirection functions temporarily, but does nothing to dispel residual motion. If one is on a collision or ricochet course, it will continue unimpeded. Due to their relatively small size, it’s easy for the sensitive components of the discs to be reinforced by cerulium. By the time the user picks it up and launches it again, the electronics will be ready for use once more. However, if any Destructo Disc parts are sufficiently damaged and their internals are revealed through a breach of the cerulium layer, they’ll be destroyed by an EMP strike and require proper repairs. This can happen if a disc strikes another in just the right way, or someone directly attacks the disc in an attempt to repel it. Danger to Everyone: Destructo Discs can easily be batted back at their owners. If repelled with enough force, especially by an accurate enough strike by another Destructo Disc, the weak particle thrusters will be unable to contest with the deflection, sending it on a collision course with the user’s face. Killing the user with their own Disc counts as an instant victory in sanctioned battles. How does it work: Destructo Discs are uncomplicated in functionality. They’re simply weapons that make use of physical rotation to cut through enemies, with a vast amount of potential modifications. Only the behavioral systems and designs are proprietary of the company, and they utilise numerous forms of pre-existing tech to function. Carrying them around and using them to battle is quite similar to having a combat drone, with the advantage of being able to bring as many as you can carry. Flavor text: Destructo Discs are a semi-recent invention by Toybox Holdings, a novelty weapons and electronics manufacturer based in Civspace. As with most of their proprietary inventions, Destructo Discs are a hybrid between an entertainment tool and a weapon. They were prototyped after focus-group based ideation brought up the fact that countless alien cultures all convergently invented spinning tops at some point, and that the rapid collision of competing spinning objects is inherently pleasing to many sapient minds. Nowadays, Destructo Discs have countless designs manufactured by Toybox, and just as many discontinued editions. The company makes liberal use of random booster boxes and mystery packs, rather than selling parts wholesale, in order to encourage buyers to pull repeatedly for the perfect piece they need to optimise their Destructo Disc. However, Toybox is not alone. Many forms of weaponised spinning top technology have existed before Destructo Discs. And though none have reached the same level of widespread branding, Toybox is keen on subsuming any ancient design they can find and inducting it into their Destructo Disc intellectual property. Referenced Technologies: Particle Thrusters Vibroblades ENDI Attainability: Open. May be bought through Toybox Holdings’ site, but there are also technological equivalents throughout the galaxy. Tags: [Military] Category: Melee Armaments
