Quill Rifle

The Quill Rifle is a re-engineered bioweapon that converts Exor quills into fully automatic homing bolts. It functions as an organic ranged weapon that fires lightweight, needle-like projectiles which stick into targets and leave acidic residue, combining direct piercing damage with a chance to inflict an acid burn that deals damage over time.

Firing behavior resembles that of other automatic weapons such as the Montese SMG, Grinder, or Patois Rifle: sustained fire produces noticeable recoil and upward crosshair drift. Quill projectiles possess a homing behavior that curves their trajectory toward the center of mass of the enemy closest to the crosshairs. This homing is effective at correcting some aim error but has clear limits; the curving trajectory also makes precise hits on weakpoints harder to achieve than with straight, non-homing projectiles. Each quill deals 35 sharp impact damage and can apply an acid status that continues to damage the target after impact.

A distinct feature of the Quill Rifle is its Seeker Quill ammunition. Many fired quills can be recovered from surfaces or from corpses after combat, although some will break on impact and disappear. Harvesting a corpse will return any bolts still lodged in it in addition to the normal butchering loot. Players who invest in the Throwing skill will eventually gain Projectile Pickup at level 5, which automatically retrieves fired quills when possible. Despite being classified as a rifle, the Quill Rifle can be wielded while using a shield.

Practical notes and tactics:

• Use sustained bursts rather than long continuous fire if you want to control recoil and crosshair rise; the weapon behaves like other fast-firing rifles with noticeable vertical drift.
• The homing effect helps track moving enemies and can correct minor aim errors at medium range, but do not rely on homing to land headshots or other weakpoint strikes.
• Acid burns provide ongoing damage that is useful against armored or regenerative foes; prioritize follow-up fire on targets already inflicted with acid to exploit the damage-over-time.
• Recover spent quills from the environment and corpses to conserve ammunition. Investing in Throwing to reach Projectile Pickup (level 5) greatly reduces the need to manually scavenge bolts.
• Some quills will be unrecoverable after impact, so keep an eye on your ammo reserves during prolonged engagements.
• The weapon’s organic nature and homing projectiles draw a deliberate parallel to other franchise inspirations that use living or semi-living ammunition, but the Quill Rifle is mechanically distinct in its combination of piercing damage and acid application.

The Quill Rifle is best used as a mid-range, high-rate-of-fire option for builds that can handle recoil and want sustained pressure plus incidental acid damage, while scavengers and skill-focused characters can maximize its efficiency through retrieval mechanics.