Cryon Species 827V9R, Type-VII (Hand-Portable Weapon): Assimilator
-Concept: This idea stems from the cryon rocket launcher thread and the healing device buried somewhere on this board. It's not as much an engineered weapon as an actual living, breathing Cryon, with the ability to siphon, convert, and emit many different types of energy. This organism was discovered on a small, dark planet in the Skrith planetary system, and despite its blindness proved more than capable of sucking unwary soldiers cold and dead in seconds. Several specimens were hastily captured and transported to Cryon biologists, the genetics specialists of the Skrith empire, who wasted no time in taming and building upon this organism, turning it into another strain of Cryon weapon.
-Description: Being an actual living organism, this thing is obviously very different from any other BW fare. It's shaped vaguely like a large centipede lying on top of your wrist, dark brown in color, and ringed with pulsing tendrils running from its glowing resevoir organ near the back to somewhere near the front end. This thing is equipped with a long tentacle capable of directly transferring energy to and from other objects, and several sensory patches on the legs that cling to the wielder's wrist and hand, which are used to "fire" the weapon. The Assimilator is genetically coded to act as a weapon, so it is physically incapable of, say, getting angry and running away.
-Primary Fire: Lashes forward with the assimilator's siphoning tentacle. If you connect with an enemy, the assimilator will start leeching the various forms of energy in the victim's body (kinetic, thermal, electrical, etc.), draining around 30 hp/second. For every 3 damage done, the assimilator gains 1 unit of "ammo." Thanks to Cryon ingenuity, attaching the tentacle to a teammate will heal them for 10 hp/second, consuming an equal amount of ammo (it cannot repair vehicles or nodes, however). This tentacle has a certain amount of "bend" to it, meaning your aim doesn't have to be perfect once you land the first hit.
-Secondary Fire: During the process of taming and coding this creature, the Cryon added several biomechanical enhancements, allowing it to put the energy it leeches to use in ways other than healing allies. Switching firemodes selects what the secondary fire does. (Any ideas for these modes would be appreciated.)
-Firemodes: Cycles between the assimilator's secondary fire modes.
---------------Bioelectric: Generates a powerful electical jolt, doing minor damage to everyone in a small area around the wielder and stunning them for a moment (blurred vision, slowed movement). Can be charged up to hit a larger area, but the actual effect remains the same. Uses 2-10 ammo depending on charge. ~20 damage to everyone in range.
---------------Chemical: Mixes and spits globs of volatile chemicals that ignite on contact with air. These shots stick to the first person or other solid object they hit, burning it and anyone nearby for several seconds (think "flaming bio-rifle"). Each shot consumes 3 ammo. ~45 burn damage with a direct hit.
---------------Kinetic: Fires off a salvo of barbed spines normally hidden under the Assimilator's exoskeleton, not unlike an organic shotgun. The spines have a tendancy to ricochet and they also cause a high amount of knockback. Costs 5 ammo. ~100 damage if all shots connect.
-Special Function: Drains ammo from the assimilator at a rate of 5/second, healing you for an equal amount.
-Reload: Drains from your own life pool to recharge the assimilator. Life is drained at a rate of 5/second, generating an equal amount of ammo. Be warned that you can kill yourself by doing this, so use it with care.
-Ammo Type: This weapon is unusual in that it does not have dedicated ammo pickups. This is due to the fact that its design makes all health packs act as ammo pickups. It does however come loaded with 50 units of ammo when first picked up. The Assimilator can hold up to a maximum of 200 energy.
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This is what I think of when I remember the devs' descriptions of the Cryon as masters of genetic engineering and biological manipulation. The main function of the assimilator is obviously to leech, heal, and transfer health to wherever it is needed any away from where it isn't wanted. While the secondary fire modes are effective and can be used as the primary source of damage, they are very ammo-intensive and will quickly run the weapon dry. They are therefore intended as defensive mechanisms allowing you room to leech freely.
Constructive criticism welcome!
