Street Custom 'Cigarette' Pen Gun

improvised firearm

Arcturus Defense Solutions Crowd Control SMG ACSM-3 'Shepherd'

smg

Tessera Neural Assault System TNAS-1 'Puppeteer'

assault_rifle

Ablative Charge Disruption Rifle ACDR-2 'Sandpaper'

cyber

Acoustic Cavity Resonance Pistol ACRP-2 'Hollowpoint'

exotic

Acoustic Marrow Shear Rifle AMSR-6 'Tutor'

exotic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Concussive Breach Charge CBC-3 'Knocker'

explosive

Arcturus Defense Solutions Cryogenic Projector CP-4 'Frostbite'

energy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Directed EMP Rifle DER-5 'Blackout'

electromagnetic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Graviton Shield Projector GSP-1 'Aegis'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Kinetic Denial System KDS-4 'Bouncer'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Kinetic Impactor Round KIR-10 'Hammerfall'

rifle

Arcturus Defense Solutions Pulse Carbine PC-6 'Heartbeat'

electromagnetic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Orbital Strike Designator OSD-1 'Finger of God'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Microwave Area Denial MAD-3 'Sunburn'

energy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Magnetic Accelerator Rifle MAR-8 'Longbow'

rifle

Autonomous Swarm Dispersal Unit ASDU-3 'Locust'

drone

Autonomous Ferrofluid Denial Platform AFDP-2 'Tidemark'

drone

Arcturus Defense Solutions Thermal Lance TL-9 'Sunstroke'

energy

Autonomous Adhesive Denial Drone AADD-2 'Barnacle'

drone

Axiom Systems Biometric Lock Rifle BLR-3 'Personal'

rifle

Autonomous Swarm Dispersal Unit ASDU-4 'Locust'

drone

Axiom Systems Cognitive Grenade CG-1 'Brainstorm'

electromagnetic

Axiom Systems Perception Filter Rounds PFR-1 'Blind Spot'

exotic

Axiom Systems Synapse Interruptor SI-3 'Stutter'

electromagnetic

Axiom Systems Cortical Bomb CB-1 'Leash'

cyber-integrated

Axiom Systems Neural Disruptor ND-2 'Migraine'

electromagnetic

Ballistic Resonance Carbine BRC-6 'Kettledrum'

firearm

Axonal Stretch Resonance Lance

firearm

Bioelectric Cascade Charge

explosive

Barometric Implosion Carbine BIC-5 'Sinkhole'

cyber

Bioelectric Induction Lance BIL-3 'Lamprey'

melee

Biometric Denial Charge BDC-1

explosive

Bioluminescent Acoustic Disruptor BAD-2 'Choral'

exotic

Capillary Disruption Pistol CDP-2 'Bruiser'

firearm

Biophotonic Retinal Cascade Emitter BRCE-5 'Flashpoint'

energy

Carrion Defense Works Bone Saw BS-3 'Butcher'

melee

Capacitive Nerve Induction Lance CNIL-1 'Threadneedle'

energy

Carrion Defense Works Fragmentation Sleeve FS-2 'Shrapnel Hug'

explosive

Carrion Defense Works Entropic Shotgun ES-4 'Ragnarok'

shotgun

Carrion Defense Works Hemorrhage Rifle HR-6 'Bloodletter'

rifle

Carrion Defense Works Nerve Agent Micro-Dart System NAMDS-1 'Whisper'

exotic

Carrion Defense Works Miasma Projector MP-5 'Plague Bearer'

chemical

Carrion Defense Works Marrow Drill MD-7 'Dentist'

pistol

Carrion Defense Works Necrotizing Agent Sprayer NAS-2 'Rot'

chemical

Carrion Defense Works Ricochet Pistol RCH-1 'Billiard'

pistol

Carrion Defense Works Neural Lash NL-3 'Agony'

cyber-integrated

Carrion Defense Works Pathogen Delivery System PDS-4 'Typhoid'

chemical

Catalytic Aerosol Mortar CAM-3 'Lungful'

explosive

Catalytic Vapor Dispersal Charge CVDC-5

explosive

Cavitation Pulse Carbine CPC-2 'Bends'

firearm

Catalytic Interstitial Desiccation Drone CIDD-3 'Husk'

drone

Catalytic Spore Dispersal Drone CSDD-3 'Mulch'

drone

Cavitation Pulse Knuckles CPK-5 'Bloodwater'

melee

Cerulean Phosphene Projector CPP-3 'Phantom Light'

exotic

Cochlear Resonant Hemorrhage Projector

cyber

Coherent Thermal Excitation Rifle CTER-7 'Ashmaker'

energy

Coherent Radiation Scalpel CRS-7 'Suture'

energy

Corneal Piezoelectric Delamination Pistol

cyber

Cryogenic Dendrite Scatter Cannon CDSC-4 'Frostbite'

exotic

Coronal Discharge Projector CDP-9 'Sunburn'

exotic

Cortical Bleed Emitter CBE-4 'Lacuna'

cyber

Counter-Personnel Loiter Munition CPLM-7 'Patience'

drone

Crystalline Synovial Pressure Rifle CSPR-2 'Kneemaker'

exotic

Cryogenic Fracture Disbursement Mine CFDM-4

explosive

Dermal Induction Flayer DIF-2 'Saltwater'

exotic

Cryogenic Pressure Emitter CPE-2 'Frostbite'

energy

Dielectric Filament Anchor Drone DFAD-1 'Cobweb'

drone

Dielectric Hemorrhage Emitter DHE-4 'Blister'

energy

Dielectric Phase Inversion Glove DPIG-4 'Secondskin'

exotic

Dielectric Vitreous Humor Agitator DVHA-2 'Snowglobe'

exotic

Electrochemical Dissolution Sprayer EDS-2 'Lacquer'

exotic

Directed Overpressure Charge

explosive

Directed Oxidation Lance DOL-3 'Rustmaker'

cyber

Electrokinetic Pulse Drone EPD-3 'Thunderhead'

drone

Electrochemical Vapor Seeding Drone EVSD-4 'Rainmaker'

drone

Electrolytic Bone Density Projector EBDP-4 'Chalk'

energy

Electrostatic Adipose Polarization Drone EAPD-2 'Render'

drone

Electromagnetic Overpressure Charge EOC-8

explosive

Electrostatic Dermal Adhesion Projector

exotic

Electromagnetic Pulse Grenade EPG-5 'Deadstop'

explosive

Electrothermal Chemical Carbine ETCC-5 'Flashpoint'

firearm

Electrothermal Compression Lance ETCL-9 'Ironlung'

energy

Electrostatic Needle Array Rifle ENAR-3 'Porcupine'

firearm

Electrostatic Flensing Projector EFP-1 'Skinreader'

energy

Endolymphatic Pressure Cascade Rifle

exotic

Endothermic Synovial Disruption Rifle ESDR-1 'Lockjaw'

energy

Endocrine Cascade Volatilization Lance ECVL-5 'Burnout'

cyber

Ferroelectric Shatter Sidearm FESA-2 'Gravel'

exotic

Ferrofluid Induction Cannon FIC-6 'Ironbloom'

energy

Ferrofluid Dermal Infiltration Drone FDID-6 'Ironblush'

drone

Entropic Dielectric Pulse Emitter EDPE-5 'Candle'

energy

Galvanic Myofibril Lash

melee

Galvanic Marrow Projector GMP-1 'Marrowbone'

cyber

Galvanic Interstitial Fluid Displacement Lance

exotic

Galvanic Disruption Gauntlet GDG-2 'Palsy'

melee

Galvanic Periosteal Fatigue Emitter GPFE-4 'Hairline'

exotic

Galvanic Vapor Diffusion Pistol GVDP-1 'Saltlick'

exotic

Gauss Flechette Repeater GFR-3 'Needlerain'

firearm

Gravimetric Induction Pistol GIP-4 'Undertow'

energy

1 / 11

Electrokinetic Pulse Drone EPD-3 'Thunderhead'

The EPD-3 is a medium-chassis hovering drone platform designed to project directional high-voltage electrokinetic pulses against personnel and light electronic systems. Manufactured by ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC, it draws on the company's industrial arc-discharge research to deliver a focused 80,000-volt pulse across a conductive plasma channel ionized by an onboard UV laser. The effect on an unshielded human target at close range is immediate neuromuscular incapacitation; at extended ranges, the pulse degrades to disorientation, involuntary muscle spasm, and—with repeated exposure—cardiac arrhythmia. The EPD-3 is officially classified as a non-lethal deterrence platform, a designation that field experience consistently contradicts.

name

Electrokinetic Pulse Drone EPD-3 'Thunderhead'

aliases

The Zapper
Cloudkill
Tesla Box
Headache Drone

category

drone

manufacturer

ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC

tier availability

Tier 3+

legality

Restricted — licensed non-lethal designation; repeated-discharge use against personnel classified as aggravated assault under Meridian Code 44.7

base technologies

UV laser plasma channel ionization
High-voltage capacitive discharge (arc projection)
Electrokinetic cyberware interference

specifications

dimensions: 480mm x 480mm x 220mm
mass: 3.8 kg
discharge voltage: 80,000V (peak), 12,000V (sustained arc)
effective range: Full incapacitation to 8m; disorientation/arrhythmia risk to 22m
pulse capacity: 14 discharges per capacitor cycle
recharge cycle: 88 seconds (full capacitor recharge)
secondary effect: Electronic disruption — fuses unshielded circuitry within 4m of discharge point
flight endurance: 42 minutes (active discharge operations)
acoustic signature: Audible turbine hum at close range; discharge crack audible to 200m
operator interface: Direct telemetry, AR overlay compatible, semi-autonomous patrol mode available

tactical use

Crowd control, building clearance, and anti-drone operations. Corporate security details use paired Thunderhead units to establish non-lethal perimeters around executive assets, with the understanding that 'non-lethal' is a legal rather than physiological description. Anti-cyberware enforcement units deploy them to selectively disable unregistered augmentations before detaining subjects—a tactic that has resulted in multiple deaths where the targeted cyberware included cardiac or respiratory assist systems. Counter-measures include Faraday-weave clothing (reduces but does not eliminate effect), plasma-channel scatter panels, and the crude expedient of keeping a grounded conductor between the drone and the operator's body.

cultural context

The Thunderhead occupies a specific cultural role as the face of 'legitimate' corporate violence—the weapon that says 'we're not trying to kill you' while demonstrably trying to hurt you. In augmentation-heavy communities like the Sublevel markets and the prosthetics districts around Helix Row, the EPD-3 is despised with a particular intensity. Anti-augmentation enforcement using Thunderhead units has become a flashpoint in ongoing political tensions around cyberware rights, and the drone's silhouette has appeared in protest art and propaganda from several augmentation-rights organizations. ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC's continued non-lethal classification of the platform despite documented fatalities is a recurring subject of investigative journalism in GLMZ.

known users

ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC corporate security (executive protection)
GLMZ PD crowd control units (licensed)
Anti-augmentation enforcement contractors
Mid-tier corporate facilities security
Black-market operators (modified for lethal discharge threshold)

story hooks

A modified EPD-3 with its discharge limiter removed has killed three people in the Sublevel markets. MMPD is calling it malfunction. The victims' families are calling it murder. Someone needs to find the operator and the modification source before a fourth deployment.
A ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC engineer has evidence that the company's own internal testing showed cardiac fatality rates of 12% in subjects with common cardiac cyberware—evidence that was buried before the non-lethal certification was filed. She wants out and wants the data published.
A player character with cardiac assist cyberware is told a Thunderhead unit has been assigned to their building's security detail. The building manager says it's standard. It isn't standard. Someone specifically requested it.
A protest in the Helix Row prosthetics district has turned into a standoff. Six EPD-3 units are holding the perimeter. Someone in the crowd has a signal jammer that can kill the units' telemetry—but using it will also kill the medical monitoring signals of three protesters with life-support augmentations.

ammunition type

internal_power_system

related entities

Alper Holmberg-Dembele
Biophotonic Retinal Cascade Emitter BRCE-5 'Flashpoint'
Fanta Kato-Adomako
GLMZ
Iowan Behemoth — 'Thunderhead'
Mika Sorel
Nodar Kuznetsov-Adu
Somadina Karlsen-Sow
Street Custom 'Glass Garden' Caltrops
TESSERA ES-4 'Perimeter'
TESSERA PG-2 'Signature'
Zheng-Dao Marrow-Pulse Implant
Zheng-dao Bioelectric

physical description

visual profile	A compact quadrotor platform with an aggressive, angular chassis. The EPD-3 reads as a predatory insect crossed with military hardware—four swept-back carbon-fiber rotors mounted on articulated arms, centered on a reinforced polymer drone body bristling with exposed capacitor banks and ionization hardware. The silhouette is deliberately compact to suggest lethality compressed into minimal volume.
dimensions	480mm (width/length across rotor diameter) × 480mm (rotor span) × 220mm (height from base to capacitor stack apex). Effective visual footprint suggests a large dinner plate when hovering.
weight description	Substantial but not unwieldy—3.8 kg is heavy enough to convey engineering density without appearing cumbersome. Feels engineered rather than assembled; purposeful mass distributed through reinforced frame points.
primary material	6061-T6 aluminum frame with carbon-fiber rotor arms. Chassis body is reinforced polycarbonate composite with integrated graphite-epoxy panels to house capacitor banks. Heat-dissipation ribs are visible along the fuselage.
finish	Matte gunmetal gray with brushed aluminum accents. Capacitor housing shows anodized dark blue with metallic bronze highlights. Weathering typical of field deployment—micro-abrasions along rotor guards, scuff marks on lower chassis from repeated landings, slight discoloration around UV laser emission lens from thermal cycling.
color scheme	Dominant matte gray (RAL 7015), accent anodized blue on capacitor modules, bronze/brass coloring on conductive contact points and laser aperture surround. LED status indicators glow pale cyan (standby) or violent amber (charge state).
grip texture	N/A (aerial platform). Contact points feature knurled titanium alloy for operator handling during setup/maintenance—deliberate friction texture suggesting precision engineering.
distinctive features	Exposed high-voltage capacitor banks arranged in visible stacked modules along central fuselage Dual UV laser emission ports (front-mounted, recessed beneath polycarbonate dome) with visible lens flare during charge cycle Four articulated rotor arms with swept-back geometry and active vibration-dampening joints Conductive plasma-channel ionization grid visible as fine mesh beneath forward quarter of chassis Status LED array (cyan/amber/red) mounted asymmetrically on starboard side, displaying charge state and operational mode Heat-dissipation fins running the length of capacitor housing—visible thermal stress discoloration on veteran units ZHENG-DAO corporate seal (Φ-encircled dragon motif) stamped on port rotor guard Recessed mounting points for optional Faraday-scatter panels (visible as hardpoint sockets at cardinal positions)
manufacturer markings	ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC corporate logo (brass-colored Φ with stylized dragon) embossed on port rotor arm guard. Serial number etched into anodized blue capacitor panel (format: ZD-EPD3-[6-digit alphanumeric]). Class designation sticker (TIER-3 LICENSED) mounted on undercarriage with warning glyphs in Mandarin and English.
condition typical	Well-maintained field platforms show micro-pitting on rotor leading edges from ion discharge residue, slight corona-scorch marks around laser aperture, and minor corrosion along conductive contact points. Battle-worn units display cracked polycarbonate panels (taped or replaced), accumulated carbon scoring from repeated discharges, and occasionally crude reinforcement bands added by operators. Pristine examples are rare outside corporate stockrooms and represent recent-manufacture Tier-2+ inventory.

image prompt

Product photography of ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC EPD-3 Thunderhead drone hovering 15cm above matte black reflective surface, shot from three-quarter angle. Dramatic blue-tinted side-lighting emphasizes capacitor housing and heat-dissipation fins. UV laser apertures glow soft cyan as if mid-charge cycle. Rotor blades partially blurred to suggest active hover. Weathered aluminum frame and brushed metal accents catch sharp highlights. Dark background with subtle grid pattern suggesting industrial setting. Neo-noir urban aesthetic—neon-adjacent color temperature, precise engineering visible in every edge. Include shallow depth-of-field with rotor detail sharp, background soft. --ar 3:2 --v 6

visual prompt