D&D 5E The Sun Blade is a Lightsaber?

[Dragonhelm]

In prior editions, the sun blade seemed like a regular sword that had the ability to light up. In 5e, it's very much a lightsaber.

Nothing wrong with that, of course.

However, I have to ask - was my original assumption that the sun blade was an actual sword correct, or has it been a lightsaber all along? I've looked back to the 2e and 3e descriptions, and I could see it going either way.

Thoughts?

 

[TarionzCousin]

Does it make the "Vvvvrrrmmvvvvhhh" sound when activated?

 

[Joe Liker]

Umm, no ... light sabers are technology. This is magic. Like in Thundarr the Barbarian.

 

[ExploderWizard]

A light saber is good enough for Thundarr the Barbarian so it's good enough for me.

 

[Tormyr]

"No, that would be copyright infringement. This is a psionic spirit blade."
-Cass

 

[Lidgar]

I thought the 3.5 sun blade had the energy quality (or whatever it was called). That is, was light saber-ish. But maybe I am getting it confused with just a plain old energy blade.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

What are the 5E stats? The sunblade was always a bastard sword that handled like a short sword, with the ability shed daylight and do extra damage to undead (it debuted in the original Ravenloft adventure, remember, and was very much a vampire killer). So I can see where the lightsaber comparisons come in. The Brilliant Energy Sword, on the other hand, has always been a lightsaber - it even debuted in Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, IIRC (or something very akin to it did - there were a lot of Force effect magic items in that adventure).

 

[Boarstorm]

The sunblade was always a bastard sword that handled like a short sword, with the ability shed daylight and do extra damage to undead (it debuted in the original Ravenloft adventure, remember, and was very much a vampire killer).

Picking nits...

That would be the sunsword.

Is there a difference between the sunsword and the sun blade?

 

[Plane Sailing]

In my head it always was.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Picking nits...

That would be the sunsword.

Is there a difference between the sunsword and the sun blade?

I don't think so - what I posted was true for the "Sun Blade" as it appeared in 3.5 (per the SRD), but I think the Ravenloft original was called the Sunsword. The Sunsword of 1E was a unique weapon, and Sun Blade is a more generic version. They're pretty close to identical, with some minor variations from edition to edition (the original unique weapon was very powerful, I think the daylight it created was considered actual daylight for purposes of destroying vampires, for example).