Lightsaber wannabe

[Arkhandus]

IcyCool, your original point was off; a Brilliant Energy weapon bypasses several defenses, it's nothing like jaker's original Force Blade concept.

I don't think force effects automatically bypass Damage Reduction. Spells and energy effects, certainly, but force effects aren't considered to be in the same class as Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, and Sonic damage, which are what stuff generally means by 'energy effects'. Force effects aren't defined as 'force energy', just as 'magical force', so I see no reason to assume that a force effect would necessarily bypass Damage Reduction automatically.

 

[IcyCool]

Is there a spell with the [Force] descriptor that doesn't?

 

[jaker2003]

Is there a spell with the [Force] descriptor that doesn't?

Could you find the rule that say it does?
I haven't found one.

 

[Enamel_32]

All mundane weapons exert a force upon their targets, so why should the force blade act differently?

 

[IcyCool]

Could you find the rule that say it does?
I haven't found one.

It's untyped damage from a spell. Which bypasses all damage reduction. Just like energy damage bypasses damage reduction. The only problem is, while there are energy resistances (Fire resistance, for example), there isn't a "Force Resistance".

At any rate, better safe than sorry, which is why I specifically called it out in the description above.

Edit - The SRD includes this bit in the description of Damage Reduction:

Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction.

Also, I was wrong earlier, it looks like at least some [Force] spells (Magic Missile, Mordenkainen's Sword) deal force damage.

At any rate jaker2003, what do you want the sword to be able to do?

Just be a neat looking +1 sword? Or do you want it to have other abilities?

 

[jaker2003]

The Whole Point

Basically, its a sword hilt without a guard. When its activated, the sword blade springs into existance from the hilt. The whole blade is translucent and glows a decorative color, sheding light as a candle. It strikes as the sword used to create it, so an adamantine sword still ignores hardness. The blade can't be sundered, but the hilt (rod) can be. I figured for all the lightshow, it should be at least +1, and I did want it to be able to carry other weapon special abilities, such as (but not necassarily) flaming (though the flames would be concealed by the glow). An enhancement bonus might not be necessary and would be at least 2k gp cheaper without.

Yeah, basically, a cool-looking and cool-storing sword.

 

[IcyCool]

Basically, its a sword hilt without a guard. When its activated, the sword blade springs into existance from the hilt. The whole blade is translucent and glows a decorative color, sheding light as a candle. It strikes as the sword used to create it, so an adamantine sword still ignores hardness. The blade can't be sundered, but the hilt (rod) can be. I figured for all the lightshow, it should be at least +1, and I did want it to be able to carry other weapon special abilities, such as (but not necassarily) flaming (though the flames would be concealed by the glow). An enhancement bonus might not be necessary and would be at least 2k gp cheaper without.

Yeah, basically, a cool-looking and cool-storing sword.

So, sheds light like a candle and is immune to sundering? The shedding light like a candle is pretty much free (there's a % chance that a random magical weapon does it already, and it doesn't increase the cost). I'd call immunity to sundering a +1 bonus and be done with it. Otherwise, it sounds good to me. So a +1 Force Blade is the equivalent of a +2 weapon, when all is said and done.

How does that sound?

 

[jaker2003]

sounds quick and clean.
Looks like the Energy Sword would be 8,000 gp (cost of a +2 weapon) plus the masterwork sword used to create it?

 

[IcyCool]

sounds quick and clean.
Looks like the Energy Sword would be 8,000 gp (cost of a +2 weapon) plus the masterwork sword used to create it?

Yep.

 

[jaker2003]

Sounds like we've got a winner:

Energy Blade: This metal rod is shaped like a sword hilt. When the rod is activated, a blade springs forth from the base of the hilt, forming a sword. The particular blade is determined at creation. The sword blade is translucent and glows a decorative color, sheding light as a candle. It strikes as the sword used to create it, so an adamantine sword still ignores hardness. The blade can't be sundered, but the hilt (rod) can be. This weapon can still gain weapon special abilities and weapon enhancements. A standard energy blade has no enhancement bonus. The energy blade is usually activated as it is being drawn, but can be activated as part of another action.
Moderate evocation and faint transmutation; CL 15; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, shrink item, wall of force, creator must be a caster of at least 9th level; Price 8,000 gp plus the masterwork cost of the sword used.

The rod is composed of the same metal as the blade.