Bowcaster/Legends

The bowcaster was a weapon developed by the Wookiees of Kashyyyk. It used a magnetic accelerator to fire explosive quarrels, charged with an envelope of plasmoid. (The two orbs at either side of the "bow" are polarized, creating the field responsible for this acceleration.) Although short range (optimal 30 meters, maximum 50 meters), this comparatively low-tech weapon was considerably more powerful than a typical blaster. Such a high amount of "stopping power" was essential for Wookiees faced with the many large predators native to Kashyyyk.

A traditional bowcaster was cocked manually by the user. This required a great deal of strength. (Some variants were fitted with automatic re-cocking mechanisms.) If a bowcaster's magnetic mechanism ran out of energy or broke, it could be replaced with a length of vine. Standard explosive quarrels could also be used in this configuration, and would detonate on contact despite the lack of an energy sheath.