help with lightsabres

[Jurble]

hi guys,
I was wondering if someone could help me with how lightsabres are managed in SWRPG as weapons? I posted in the house rules forum that im trying to do some sort of meld between the soulknifes mindblade, and give it properties like a lightsabre, but i havnt got enough info to work on that.

Anyway been searching for the info on lightsabres on the net but havnt been able to find it. I dont actually own SWRPG so i figured i should ask here.

Anyway if you have the lightsabre info or have ideas on how to meld it with a mindblade, it would be really appreciated.

thanks guys
M

 

[wingsandsword]

Lightsabers are exotic weapons, they are melee weapons that do 2d8 damage and a critical range of 19-20 (remember, there are no critical multiplers in d20 Star Wars because of wound/vitality) and ignore the hardness of objects when used to sunder or attack an object and damage reduction from armor (in d20 SW, armor grants DR, not increaes to AC), and a handful of exotic special materials like Phrik and Cortosis retain hardness against lightsabers). Jedi get Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Lightsaber) for free as a starting feat.

Jedi get class abilities that give them extra +1d8's of damage when using a lightsaber as they level up (different Jedi classes get them at different rates, the combat oriented one gets +4d8 by 20th level, while the skill/diplomacy oriented one gets +3d8 by 20th).

Jedi get a lightsaber for free as starting equipment at 1st level, as a gift from their master, and before they can reach 7th level and become a Jedi Knight, they have to have built their own at least once, which requires a lot of time and to have all 3 of the basic force feats. Generally, a 6th level or higher Jedi can automatically make one by just taking 10 on the relevant checks if they have a month to work on it.

If they lose their lightsaber, they have to build a new one (which a low-level Jedi can't do, under normal conditions they won't even have the required feats until 4th level, unless they've multiclassed into Jedi from another Force-using class or bought the feats with normal feat slots in a very inefficient move), or get a replacement from their master or the Jedi Order (which as the prequels show, is likely to come with a stern lecture).

 

[arscott]

In practice, at least from what I've seen, Lightsabers are Broken in SWRPG, especially if you're using some of the addons and options from the other sourcebooks. In the game I played in, the jedi healer was better in melee than the wookee combat monkey. If all you're doing is creating house rules, I'd definatly advise you to just go with things that follow the flavor of the lightsabers without relying on their specific implementation in d20 Star wars.

 

[genshou]

There are indeed a few issues with some of the supplements and making lightsabers too deadly. Just the basic stats for the weapon are fine, however.

In D&D I would make a lightsaber like a brilliant energy weapon that is defeated by adamantine (since D&D doesn't have a cortosis weave).

And in the game Knights of the Old Republic, I have yet to make a Jedi who is more effective than our good wookie Zaalbar with a pair of vibroblades, especially if one of them is Bacca's Cerimonial Blade. Seriously, he just runs in and hacks young rancors to bits while my main character does ridiculously low damage with his lightsabers I guess it's that Strength of 24 that does it.

 

[ValhallaGH]

And in the game Knights of the Old Republic, I have yet to make a Jedi who is more effective than our good wookie Zaalbar with a pair of vibroblades, especially if one of them is Bacca's Cerimonial Blade. Seriously, he just runs in and hacks young rancors to bits while my main character does ridiculously low damage with his lightsabers I guess it's that Strength of 24 that does it.

Well, it helps that KOTOR's game mechanics are far more balanced than any pen and paper star wars I've ever seen before. You actually have to work to turn the Jedi into a combat monkey of unparalleled power rather than getting that as a side benefit.

Truthfully, I hope this new edition plays much the same way the video games did.

Back on topic....

Lightsabres are pretty well balanced when divorced from the various class and powers rules that exist in SWd20. The only thing that makes them inheritly better than other weapons is their ability to ignore DR, and that's balanced out by the EWP. For translation to other games I'd treat them like adamantine (ignore hardness less than 20), to keep that special ability to chop down walls with a flashlight, and simply use the base stats (2d8 fire, 19-20 [x2], can be Finessed).
If you want something that simulates lightsabres, as shown by your original post, then you'll want to consider the above properties and maybe include some specials such as "can be used with deflect arrows feat" and some other cool-but-not-usually-powerful abilities.
Good Luck!

 

[Jurble]

hey wow thanks guys, some great ideas in there.

basically the concept im going for is like a "lightsabre" but without the handle, existing as a mindblade, used by a soulknife. kinda like a glowing blade flouting next to his hand whichhe can mentally move around as a weapon, with similar effects to a lightsabre.

I like the idea of making it an adamantine weapon, and hence already exists in mindblade rules. Im not sure if its in the published rules or the homebrew ones i read in the thread i posted in house rules:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2940850#post2940850

Anyway Adamantine with

"use the base stats (2d8 fire, 19-20 [x2], can be Finessed)

Also fits coz i was thinking as a psy weapon it would take a long time to get "focused" well enough to handle it so skillfully. Off the topic kinda question but does Adamantine have armour bypassing properties of any kind, or the modifiers it provides to hit/dmg include that?

I guess thats kinda a novice DnD question hehehe.

Great ideas in here tnx guys, definately helping me work this out.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Off the topic kinda question but does Adamantine have armour bypassing properties of any kind, or the modifiers it provides to hit/dmg include that?

Besides ignoring DR X/Adamantine, no. The real strength is when used to sunder anything, as it ignores harnesses of 19 or less when dealing damage to objects. This is mostly done for game balance, since the designers were trying not to have a 'supermetal' in the game; in the same vein, you'll have to be careful not to make these proposed mindblades too good.


Of course, if you're using one of the house rules that turns armor into DR, particularly DR / Adamantine, then Adamantine weapons (and these mind blades and lightsabres) would become incredibly powerful.

 

[Jurble]

thing is i dont think im going to be letting my players play these characters. In essense im probably giong to cut off the soulknife PC because it is th class for a large sect which are kinda like protectors, a LG group who are very rare and such in the world.

So im more worried about blaancing for putting an npc in than for a pc. with a npc i can pull him out any time if it gets out of balance. with a PC once he's in, owch to get rid of him.

So DR im guessing works as a seperate number than in DnD where you get an addition to your AC score?

I guess only really powerful users could control their mindblade well enough to get it to "lightsabre" type level, but maybe even more powerful ones could use it to get a bonus against AC?

your right in that i dont want to overpower it if possible, but i think theres more leaniency (cant spell that word hehe) because its for NPCs not PCs.

Still im a green DM so im kinda planning far ahead, would be interested in more experienced views on this idea. For sure not something im going to try my hand with until i have some more DMXP under my belt hehehe

 

[Dwarven Godfather]

Jurble,

Have you ever gone to SWRPGnetwork.com. It's a website for everything dealing with Star wars. There is a download for Lightsabers. You could also have the Hilt is a focus point for the Soulknife, pick-up or even look at Eberron since it's a campaign which is heavy Psionics which has different crystals for Psionics as well which could give you the Lightsaber effect as well. I was just looking into that after getting a hold of the Expanded Psionics Handbook on a trade deal and found myself very interested in Psionics again
This is just a thought for a Jedi/lightsaber idea.

 

[Jurble]

hey cool thanks for the link ill check it out right now

ven though i like the lightsabre type weapon (energy blade, cuts through most things like butter), what i really like about the soulknife is that they form the mindblade without needing a physical focus. Ill dfefiantely check out ebberon now that youve mentioned it, and have been meanign to get my hands on the expanded psionics book anyway, but id rather not use hilts for these weapons. Still maybe a focus they can get to improve their mindblade, ie. a crystal they have in their pocket or around their necks which gives their mindblade bonuses?