New Lightsaber RPG-Rules

by Travis Stout
 combat - design - construction - repair

 

SITE EDITORS NOTE:  

Mr Stout's rules fit within the WEG SW:RPG system, and as a result make several assumptions that are NOT supported by the research presented elsewhere in this saber site.  

I do NOT support a "Jedi only" rule for saber usage, I do NOT accept the idea that crystals are the main reason for variable length and color (I am unconvinced as yet that variable lengths even exist!) Crystals are but a small component of the timing and regulation mechanism of the blade generating field - not the MAIN component of the whole device! 

HOWEVER, I must say, that these are a ''kick ass'' set of enhancements to the rather dull WEG lightsaber combat rules ... they may take a little practice to learn, but you'll find it WELL worth the effort! :) 
 

Saber Statistics

All Lightsabers now have two statistics: Damage and Responsiveness.
Damage is unchanged, it is rolled when a successful hit is made.
Responsiveness is a measure of how quick and agile a saber is, this code is added to your Lightsaber skill during a battle.

Each lightsaber is given 5D to split among Damage and Responsiveness.

     Note: The custom Lightsabers presented at the end of this article use their own special statistics; as such, they may not exactly follow this formula. This formula is designed for PCs with sufficient skill who wish to design their own weapons.

    Optional Rule: The GM may allow a character’s lightsaber to increase Damage at the cost of Responsiveness; up to 3D of Responsiveness may be sacrificed to give a saber extra damage.
     

      Example: Gryyshukk, the Wookiee Jedi, decides to build a customized lightsaber. He chooses to sacrifice 2D of Responsiveness to increase his damage, thus making his saber's stats: Damage: 7D, Responsiveness: -2D.

Saber Skills

West End Games’ STAR WARS RPG lists only one skill for using Lightsabers: The Lightsaber skill itself. However, this is by no means the only skill Jedi Knights use, in fact, there are at least four other, less common, skills. It is even rumored that, of old, each Jedi’s lightsaber was unique unto itself; not just in color and design, but in its fundamental nature. There may well be other combat styles out there, but it will be up to enterprising PCs to find them.
    Notes: None of the specialty skills may ever have a higher rank than the characters Basic Lightsaber skill. In addition, other than Advanced Lightsaber, these skills cannot be learned without a teacher, and all Character Point costs for learning them are doubled, even with a competent teacher. Without a teacher, Advanced Lightsaber costs four times normal to learn.

    VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
    Using these optional rules, Lightsabers themselves no longer have a base difficulty; difficulty is determined by adding (or subtracting) a maneuver’s Difficulty Modifier to the skill’s base difficulty.

Basic Lightsaber Base Difficulty: 15
Prerequisite: None
This is the basic Lightsaber skill described in the SW:RPG by West End Games. Note: This skill does not grant access to any Maneuvers listed later in this section except Basic Cut, Basic Parry, and the three guards.

Advanced Lightsaber Base Difficulty: 15
Prerequisite: Basic Lightsaber skill > 5D
This is a more advanced form of the standard, one fighting-fighting style. It is roughly the equivalent of “black belt” combat expertise, and is usually learned only by those Jedi who plan on becoming primarily warriors. Usage of this skill grants the following bonuses:

Fast Attack:
The Jedi may opt to go whenever he chooses in a round. He only loses initiative to characters using the Combat Sense Force skill. If he also has Combat Sense “up,” he beats even other characters with that skill, provided they are not using this benefit. The Jedi must have his weapon drawn (but not ignited) and ready to use this skill. In addition, using this skill counts as three non-saber actions for that round (see “Actions,” later.)

Harder Self-Wounding:
If the Jedi’s attack roll is a Mishap, he may opt to spend a Character point to negate any self-inflicted damage (the attack is still considered a miss). Using Character Points in this manner does not need to be declared at the beginning of the round. Saber Bond: The Jedi becomes attuned to his saber, able to easily reach out to it through the Force. Any Force skills which directly affect the saber (i.e. Telekinesis to throw it, Farseeing to locate it, etc; but not Lightsaber Combat; because that skill affects the wielder.) gains -2D to its difficulty (roll 2D, then subtract from the base difficulty number).

Twin Saber Base Difficulty: 16
Prerequisite: Basic Lightsaber skill > 6D
This skill allows a Jedi to learn the subtle (and difficult) art of battling with two Lightsabers at once. Using Twin Saber confers the following benefits over regular saber combat:

Free Action:
He suffers no penalty to any two actions during the round if they involves the use of his two Lightsabers. However, additional actions (even with the sabers) are penalized normally.

    Example: Boc decides that he will make one normal move, then attack twice with his Lightsabers. Since he is taking three actions this turn, Boc takes a -2D penalty to his move, but his lightsaber attacks suffer no penalty. If Boc decided to take a third lightsaber action, his move would be at -3D, one of his saber actions would also be at -3D, and his other two would be penalty-free.
Multi-Strike:
He may attempt to strike (or parry) simultaneously with no multi-action penalty. This bonus negates the “Free Action” described above, and may only be used once per round. The character only makes one roll which, if successful, either inflicts double damage or parries two attacks.

Easier Self-Wounding:
If the character fails an attack roll by five or more, he suffers damage himself, as opposed to the normal effect; which only occurs on a Mishap.

Matched Sabers:
If the Jedi does not have a matched set of Lightsabers (see “Equipment,” below), he may not utilize any of the benefits of this skill. He may still attack and parry normally, but gets no special bonuses. Naturally, all penalties still apply.

Saber Baton Base Difficulty: 17
Prerequisite: Basic Lightsaber skill > 7D
A “sabre baton” (also known as a “double-bladed saber”) is a standard lightsaber handle (usually about 60 cm long), with a blade emitter on both ends. When activated, this forms a rod of pure energy about 1.3 m long, with the grip in the center. While this weapon is very deadly, it is also difficult to use, incurring some dangerous penalties. Usage of Saber Baton incurs the following bonuses (and penalties):

Extra Actions:
The Jedi may make one additional attack (not a parry) against a second target at no penalty. However, both targets must be flanking the Jedi, one on each side.

Feint Bonus:
She may also elect to take a +1D bonus to the Feint special maneuver. This bonus is applied to the attack roll, not the opposed Perception roll. If the Jedi elects to use this bonus, she may use no other benefits bestowed by this skill that round. Naturally, all penalties still apply.

Phasing Blade:
She may, by making a Moderate Dexterity roll, rapidly activate and deactivate alternating ends of the blade, causing the energy blade to oscillate from one side to the other. The number rolled on this check (assuming it succeeded) may be divided any way the character chooses (as bonuses) among any attack or parry rolls she makes during the round. If using the Enhance Attribute Force skill to increase speed, the difficulty of the roll drops to Easy. This skill counts as two non-saber actions, and may only be used if the Jedi is using a Saber Baton built with two power supplies, two emitters, and two crystals (see Lightsaber Construction, below).

Easier Self-Wounding:
If the character fails an attack roll, he suffers damage himself, as opposed to the normal effect; which only occurs on a Mishap.

Lightstaff Base Difficulty: 14
Prerequisites: None
Not actually a true lightsaber, this weapon is a 1.3 m metal rod with saber emitters at each end. When activated, these emitters each create 30 cm blades (raising the weapon’s total length to 2 m), and a glowing forcefield surrounds the remainder of the staff. This forcefield is safe to touch, and resists lightsaber attacks well enough that it can be used to block normal sabers. Please note that, except for the small blades on each end, this weapon has no cutting power whatsoever. Using a lightstaff incurs the following bonuses and penalties: Saber blocking: The lightstaff’s forcefield can block a Lightsabers impact almost entirely; though extremely large amounts of damage can destroy it. Each time a lightstaff parries a saber, roll damage against the weapon’s Body Strength. If the damage is wounded or incapacitated, the lightstaff is broken and must be repaired. If the damage is mortally wounded, the staff is destroyed completely and beyond repair. Harder Self-Wounding: Due to the unique nature of this weapon, it is virtually impossible to damage oneself with this weapon. If the initial attack roll is a Mishap, the Jedi must roll another attack roll (which counts as a free action). Only if that roll succeeds does the Jedi take damage.

Non-Jedi Usage:
Due to the exact same conditions as above, non-Jedi characters may learn this skill.

No Requirements:
Again, due to the simplicity of this weapon, Lightsaber is not a prerequisite for this skill.


LIGHTSABER COMBAT

Lightsaber combat is an elegant art that has been honed to lethal perfection over more than a thousand generations. While the simplified version found in the SW:RPG Rulebook are more than adequate, some players (and GMs) may prefer the following, more advanced method. Author’s Note: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Robert Brown, whose excellent article on Lightsabers inspired most of the guards and maneuvers in these rules. The article I’m referring to may be found at  www.synicon.com.au/sw/ls/sabres.htm for those interested.

New Rules

There is one and only one change to the basic combat rules in the core rulebook: The addition of “saber-” and “non-sabre” actions. Perhaps the fact that I’ve never wielded a sword in my life causes me to be incorrect, but it does not seem logical that a swordsman is expected to clairvoyantly sense his opponent’s attack strategy before it occurs (Okay, maybe it’s not quite so ludicrous when one is talking about Jedi, but. . .) Combat is basically a series of split-second, life-or-death decisions crammed into a few short seconds with a dash of random probability thrown in. Why would a Jedi attempt to parry an opponent’s strike if the opponent is planning on only parrying his assault?

For this reason, during lightsaber combat only (i.e. this does not apply to blaster duels or brawling combat), actions are divided into the saber and non-saber categories.

Saber actions include any attacks, parries, and guard changes. Saber actions need not be declared specifically, only the number must be declared for bookkeeping purposes.

Non-saber actions are any, well, non-saber related actions including moves, dodges, attacks with other weapons, etc.

Non-saber actions must be declared like any other action: specifically and at the beginning of the round. Certain non-saber actions, such as moves, may be aborted, but all penalties incurred for multiple actions are still applied.

    Example:
    Gerrick, the Young Jedi, is face to face with the evil Lyrana Anagro. When the GM asks for action declarations, Gerrick’s player elects to take 2 saber actions and 1 move, a non-saber action. As per the standard multi-action rules, Gerrick suffers a -2D penalty to all his rolls this round. He now has two actions which may be used for any strike or parry he chooses, but he is committed to making one move which cannot be changed. Should he later elect not to take that move, he may do so, but the -2D penalty remains.

Guards

There are three basic guards which a lightsaber duelist can use, these remain essentially the same for each weapon.
    Note:
    if a character has the Twin Saber skill, he may opt to take a -1D base penalty for the round and actually be in two guards at once.
These guards determine which moves a character may launch, as well as the effective refigured he can offer to various attacks. For each guard removed a character is from an attacker’s guard, he suffers -2D to all parry rolls.
    Example:
    Kalla Salir is in the Gedan guard (low guard). His opponent launches a Basic Strike from Jodan (high guard). Since Kalla is two guards removed (Gedan to Chudan, Chudan to Jodan), he suffers a -4D penalty to his parry roll. This isn’t for amateurs!
A character’s guard usually changes after each action he takes. Alternatively, he may spend one action to switch guards throughout the round. One action can move you one guard in any direction (up or down). If a character wishes to execute a maneuver which requires a specific guard, he must enter that guard either before he plans on striking (by using saber actions), or by default at the beginning of the round.
    Example:
    Kalla Salir begins combat in the Gedan guard, and as his first attack he makes an Uppercut Swing. At the beginning of the next round (assuming he makes no more attacks), Kalla is in Jodan, the high guard (see the moves chart at the end of this section). If he wished to attack with another Uppercut Swing, he would have to spend two actions to move back to Gedan (Jodan to Chudan, Chudan to Gedan), then he could Uppercut Swing a second time. If he wanted to follow up with a Face Cut, he could launch immediately, because an Uppercut Swing ends in the Jodan guard.
 The Chudan guard
Chudan, the middle guard, aims the saber's blade at your opponent’s throat. It is the strongest defense, and grants +2D to all parry rolls. However, it is the most basic, widely used guard, so any hit bonuses gained (or parry penalties applied to the opponent) by any maneuvers are halved.

 The Gedan guard
Gedan, the low guard, aims your point at your opponent’s knees. It causes a -1D penalty to all parries, but certain attack maneuvers have hefty bonuses when launched from this guard.

 The Jodan guard
Jodan, the high guard, is very rarely used with Lightsabers, because the weapons are so swift they can easily slash across the unguarded belly while the saber is held high overhead.. It gives a -2D penalty to all parries, but most of the extremely deadly moves may only be launched from this position.

''Out of ----- Guard ''
This is a special condition in which a character’s blade is in the general vicinity of a guard stance, but not able to adequately control his weapon. This is usually the result of a Hard Parry or Fight for the Center maneuver, but other adverse conditions may cause it. (For example, Luke Skywalker being severely beaten by Darth Vader’s telekinetic assault in ESB.)

A character is never described as “out of guard,” rather, he is “out of chudan guard,” etc. A character who is out of any guard may only attempt Basic Parries against attacks launched from his own guard; he may not attack, nor may he parry an attack launched from a different guard. At any time he may use one saber action to get back “on guard.”

Maneuvers

While there is certainly nothing wrong with simply standing there and trying to pound the living daylights out of an opponent, Lightsabers are far more elegant weapons. A Jedi is a refined warrior, with many tactics at his disposal.
These moves are described with five basic statistics:
  • Difficulty Modifier,
  • Effect,
  • Description,
  • Launched From, and
  • Ends In.
Maneuvers are divided into two types:
Offensive Maneuvers and Defensive Maneuvers. Offensive Maneuvers are variants on a standard attack, many of them grant hit or damage bonuses. Defensive Maneuvers are just what they sound like; they keep you from dying long enough to launch your own attacks.

Difficulty Modifier is added to the Base Difficulty for the Jedi’s specific skill type.

Effect is a brief, game-mechanics description of the maneuver’s results.

Description is simply a little colorful flavor text designed to help you get a mental picture of the maneuver, as well as a more detailed explanation of the maneuver’s effect.

Launched From indicates which of the three guards one can launch an attack from.

    For Example:
    C, G means that an attack can be launched from Chudan and Gedan guards, while C, J+2D indicates that while an attack can be launched from Chudan or Jodan, but when launched from Jodan the attack roll gains +2D. Launched From bonuses are always to hit.
Ends In tells you where you will be at the beginning of the next round. Certain moves (such as the Uppercut Strike) can end in more than one guard; if so, it is the player’s choice where the move ends.

Some moves have either a bonus or penalty to damage depending upon the guard a character chooses to end in.

    Example:
    Face Cut can be ended either in Gedan or Chudan, but because of the lack of follow-through, damage suffers a -1D penalty if the move is stopped in Chudan.
Ends In bonuses are always to damage. “Same” indicates that whichever guard the move launched in is where it ends as well. “Opposite” indicates that, when there are two choices for a starting location, the move ends in the guard which the move did not start in.

Offensive Maneuvers

Basic Cut
Difficulty Modifier: +0
Effect: You hit (hopefully).
Damage is calculated normally.
Description: This is just an average, run-of-the-mill saber swing.
Launched From: G, C, J
Ends In: C

Thrust
Difficulty Modifier: +2 Effect:
Damage -1D;
Effect: all Basic Parries -2D
Description: A quick, short jab with your saber's tip. Because you don’t have the swinging power or cutting area of a swing, you lose 1D on damage, but Basic Parries suffer -2D because it’s so much harder to stop. Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Same

Uppercut Swing
Difficulty Modifier: +4 (+6 for Saber Baton)
Effect: Parries not from starting guard -1D+2; dodges must go backward
Description: Starting low, you arc your saber up and across, aiming to split your opponent from hip to shoulder. Due to the sweeping nature of this attack, if an opponent declares a dodge, he has no choice but to step or tumble backwards. Also, if this attack isn’t stopped quickly, it’s difficult to stop it at all, as reflected by the additional parry penalty if the parry is not in the same guard as the maneuver itself.
Launched From: G+1D, C
Ends In: C, J+1D

Belly Cut
Difficulty Modifier: +2
Effect: Cannot be blocked from Jodan
Description: You take advantage of the speed of the mass less lightsaber blade to slash across your opponent’s belly. This strike may not be blocked from the high Jodan guard; as such it is commonly used immediately before an enemy sets up a Face Cut.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: G

Face Cut
Difficulty Modifier: +5
Effect: +1D damage, Incapacitated counts as Mortally Wounded.
Description: You raise your blade high above your head and bring it crashing down, aiming for the face and hoping for a kill. Due to your extreme leverage, you manage to do some extra damage, and the vital target area bumps all Incapacitated strikes up to Mortally Wounded. Note, however, that because this must be launched from Jodan, it leaves you wide open for a Belly Cut.
Launched From: J
Ends In: G, C-1D

Wrist Cut
Difficulty Modifier: +4 (+6 if opponent is using both hands, +7 if using a Saber Baton, +10 if using a Lightstaff)
Effect: Severs the opponents wrist on Incapacitated or better; Mortally Wounded and Killed results are considered Incapacitated.
Description: With this extremely difficult shot, you try to twist your blade around under (or over) your opponent and then slice off his hand at the wrist. Needless to say, this usually ends a fight pretty quickly! This attack works best when combined with the Hard Parry: Sideways Result or the Fight for the Center maneuver. Launched From: G, J
Ends In: C

Pin
Difficulty Modifier: +3
Effect: Holds an opponent’s blade at bay.
Description: Note: This maneuver may only be used if the attack is successfully blocked. You make a fake swing at your opponent, who blocks (hopefully), allowing you to catch and hold his blade. If your opponent elects not to block, treat this as a Basic Cut. If he does parry, you and your adversary roll an opposed Strength check; if you are victorious, you have his blade pinned for one round. At the beginning of the next round, you may disengage the Pin, or you may attempt to keep it in effect by rolling another opposed strength check.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Pin (no guard until disengaged)

Feint
Difficulty Modifier: +4 (to attack roll)
Effect: Free attack
Description: You lunge toward one spot on your target, then quickly move to exploit a weak spot brought on by his parry attempt. You and your opponent make an opposed Perception roll. If you win, your opponent falls for the feint and you may roll your free attack; she cannot parry. If your opponent wins, she is not psyched out and may parry normally.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Opposite

Defensive Maneuvers

Basic Parry
Difficulty Modifier: +0
Effect: Prevents damage
Description: You interpose your saber between your opponent’s and his target (usually you).
Launched From: G, C, J
Ends In: Same

Hard Parry
Difficulty Modifier: +2
Effect: Prevents damage and forces an opponent into a different guard.
Description: You call upon all of your strength to swat your foe’s weapon away. You may apply three different results to this parry: Upwards, Downwards, and Sideways. If your normal parry roll (with the +2 difficulty modifier) succeeds, make a Strength roll. Your opponent then rolls his Strength with your total as his difficulty. If he succeeds, he is simply forced into a different guard (Up one for an Upwards result, down one for a Downwards result, and no change for a Sideways result.) However, if your opponent fails the roll, he is forced out of guard (see Out of Guard, later), and must spend one action to recover his guard. This will get him back into whatever guard he would have been in had he passed the Strength check (i.e. Jodan for an Upwards Result, Gedan for a Downwards Result, etc). He must then spend another action if he wishes to shift to a different guard. Additionally, a Sideways result causes an out of guard character to lose one hand’s grip on his saber, making him especially vulnerable to a Wrist Strike
Launched From: G (upward+1D), C (all), J(downward+1D)
Ends In: C

A Sweep defense employed against a Thrust Sweep
Difficulty Modifier: +2
Effect: +2D when parrying a Thrust
Description: By sweeping your blade in a circular pattern, you throw your opponent’s blade off center, nullifying his thrust. This is really the only effective way to counter a thrust effectively without losing ground in a backward dodge.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Same

Retreat & Parry
Difficulty Modifier: +2
Effect: Parry bonus based on move
Description: You fall back under your foe’s relentless assault, parrying madly as you retreat. Depending upon how much you move during this round, you get a certain bonus to your parry roll and additional actions which may be used only for parrying. These parries come free, with no multi-action penalty. A half move grants a +1 bonus, one move grants +1D and one additional parry, and two moves grants +2D and two additional parries. This maneuver may not be used if a character makes more than two moves in a round. However, you may take no other actions this round, remaining purely defensive until the beginning of the next round. In addition, you lose a lot of ground, which can be dangerous if you are fighting in close quarters.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Same

Fight for the Center
Difficulty Modifier: +4
Effect: Maneuvers into favorable position to strike.
Description: Your sabers clash, and each warrior twists his weapon about the other’s trying to get a favorable strike. In game terms, the character initiating this move first rolls a skill check for the relevant Lightsaber skill. (Twin Saber specialists earn +2D to this roll if they elect to use both sabers.) The opponent then rolls his own Lightsaber skill, with the first character’s roll as his difficulty. If he beats the roll by 7 or more, then he has “gained the center.” If he beats the roll by a lesser margin, then on the first character’s next action he again rolls his Lightsaber skill with his opponent’s last roll as his difficulty. During a Fight for the Center, neither warrior may perform any other actions, unless using two sabers. Each character alternates rolling; this continues until either a) the round ends or b) one character beats the other’s roll by seven or more. If the round ends with no victor, the combatants have disengaged from each other with no penalty. If one character or the other “wins the center,” he may implement one of the following effects: He may knock a character off guard as per a Hard Parry: Sideways result. He may force the character back one step. He may attempt to knock his opponent’s weapon from his hand by making an opposed Strength roll (this counts as a free action). Success indicates that his foe is disarmed. Note: This maneuver may also be used offensively.
Launched From: C
Ends In: Special (roll 1D: 1-2 Gedan, 3-4 Chudan, 5-6 Jodan)

Blade Flash
Difficulty Modifier: +6
Effect: Escape Pin maneuver, activate new Pin.
Description: While your opponent has your blade Pinned (see above), you quickly deactivate your saber, move it clear, and reactivate it. Furthermore, if you are using the Force skill Enhance Attribute you may now attempt a Pin maneuver as per the normal rules.
Launched From: G, C
Ends In: Same

Wall of Light
Difficulty Modifier: +7
Effect: Block multiple attacks
Description: By whirling your saber about the handle, you create a dizzying “rotor effect” in front of yourself capable of parrying up to two attacks coming from in front of you. This skill may only be used while Lightsaber Combat is “up,” and only once per round.
Launched From: C
Ends In: C

Learning Maneuvers

A character may know one of these advanced maneuvers per die he possesses in one of the advanced Lightsaber skills listed in the “New Skills” section. Basic Cut and Basic Parry are considered free, but Wall of Blades and Wrist Cut count as two maneuvers.
    Note:
    if the character possesses more than one advanced skill, each maneuver must be purchased for each skill (i.e. knowing Thrust with Advanced Lightsaber does not mean you know Thrust with Saber Baton).

     


LIGHTSABER CONSTRUCTION

Now that players have newer, more involved rules for saber usage, many will want to construct their own Lightsabers, with custom features and abilities. The following rules will allow them to do so easily. Well, for the players it will be easy, GM’s are encouraged to make lightsaber construction hell on earth for the characters.

New Skills

Since there are no rules for lightsaber construction or repair in Star Wars: The Role-playing Game 2nd Edition, I have taken the liberty to provide my own rules for these skills. Following are 3 new skills for the discriminating Jedi wordsmith: Lightsaber Design, Lightsaber Construction, and Lightsaber Repair. Naturally, all three are Technical skills.

Lightsaber Design
Time Taken: 4-5 hours
Every construction job starts somewhere, and in the case of Lightsabers, that somewhere is here. Lightsaber Design is actually a mishmash of a variety of electrical, mechanical, and scientific skills which give the Jedi a working knowledge of the physics and properties of the lightsaber.

    Note:
    this skill could allow a character to determine the exact size and shape of crystal necessary to produce blades of varying lengths. Possession of this skill is not necessary for the construction of a lightsaber, but it certainly helps.
In designing a saber, total up all difficulty modifiers for saber construction (listed below), and roll just as if building a normal lightsaber. Take the amount by which the roll succeeded and subtract it from the difficulty of the Lightsaber Construction roll. If the roll succeeded, that means the character has drawn up a good set of blueprints, making his life easier. Failures are also subtracted, but since, by definition, failing means “succeeding” by a negative number, the difficulty is actually increased due to poor planning and/or incorrect data.
    Example:
    Gerrick has a Lightsaber Design skill of 5D, and his player has designed a saber which has a base difficulty of 23. Gerric rolls his Lightsaber Design skill, and gets an 18, which will change the difficulty to 28 (23-(-5)=28). Time to break out the character points, Gerrick!
Lightsaber Construction
Time Taken: 3-4 days
After designing the lightsaber (with or without the Lightsaber Design skill), the character now rolls his Lightsaber Construction skill versus the construction difficulty. Success indicates a perfect, working saber which will serve the Jedi faithfully for many years. Failure indicates a short in the wiring or some similar, minor effects. The Jedi may attempt to re-build the saber at +2 to his difficulty. GMs are encouraged to be very creative with Mishaps on this roll (for example: the lightsaber explodes with the force of a concussion grenade, or the crystal and some other rare and valuable component fuse and become useless, etc).
    Optional Rule:
    The GM may allow the Jedi to activate the Lightsaber Combat Force skill during construction. Success allows the character to add his Sense skill to his Lightsaber Design roll, and his Control skill to his Lightsaber Construction roll.
Lightsaber Repair
Time Taken: 30 minutes, then two hours, then four hours
The cost and difficulty to repair a lightsaber depends upon how damaged it is.

Damage Repair ~ Difficulty ~ Repair Cost
Lightly ~ Moderate ~ 50-100 credits
Heavily ~ Difficult ~ 100-200 credits
Severely ~ Very Difficult ~ N/A, must replace crystal.

 Lightsaber repair is a difficult and exacting task, and without the proper tools (Found in the Equipment section), the Jedi suffers a -2D penalty to repair a damaged saber. This skill may also be used to alter the saber's statistics, based upon the following chart. The character may also add new parts into to the lightsaber, the base difficulty is 7, modified by the new component’s difficulty (see below)

Statistic Shift (either way)
Difficulty
+1D  Very Easy
+2D Easy
+3D Moderate
+4D Difficult
+5D Very Difficult

Building a Lightsaber

Now, then, on to the saber building. The following list gives detailed rules for putting to use the Lightsaber Design and Lightsaber Construction skills listed earlier. But first, a few important things to know:

Space Points
Every lightsaber has a certain number of space points with which to purchase special abilities. This was done in order to prevent the inevitable munchkin gamer from building a “Swiss-Army Saber” complete with twelve crystals, two power packs and built in blaster cannon (not to mention power windows and door locks).

A normal lightsaber has 15 space points when empty, a saber baton has 30, twin sabers have 10 each, and a lightstaff has 15 (it’s mostly solid plasteel).

Altering Saber Statistics
By default, Lightsabers start with Damage 5D and Responsiveness 0D. Every die shifted into Responsiveness from Damage costs one Space Point and adds +1 to the difficulty of the construction roll. Please note that only the base 5D can be shifted around, any bonuses or penalties incurred through special materials may not be moved.

On Using Multiple Components Some Jedi may wish to add a little extra power to their weapons by using multiple components. As long as the GM doesn’t mind, this is fine, but there are a few special things to be remembered.

Multiple Power Sources
If you can fit multiple power sources into a standard lightsaber, you may add +1D to Damage. This can either increase the damage bonus from the S&K Mk-77 battery, cancel the Mk-77F’s damage penalty, or give the hand-built Jedi battery a bonus of its own. In a saber baton, twin power sources do not grant damage bonuses, instead each end may be activated or deactivated separately. Note, however, that if this approach is taken each end of the weapon must have its own crystal's) and emitter.

Multiple Crystals
Each crystal can focus only a certain amount of power, i.e. the saber's Damage statistic. If the saber's Damage is higher than the crystal’s ability to focus, multiple crystals must be used in sequence. Any extra damage focusing capacity is lost.

If the crystal cannot handle the saber's damage,
1) damage is reduced to the crystal’s maximum focusable damage, and
2) every time the saber is activated, roll 1D. On a 2-6, the saber works perfectly, but on a 1 the crystal melts and is useless.

If the Jedi does not immediately disable the saber, it will explode in 1-6 rounds (determine randomly on 1D), doing however much damage the GM feels is just reward for that level of idiocy.

Multiple crystals may also allow the Lightsabers blade to vary:
one extra crystal allows it to either extend or shorten (not both) up to 50 cm from its base length of 1 m.
Two extra crystals allow the blade to both lengthen and shorten 50 cm.
All Damage focusing requirements must be paid for first!

    Example:
    if a Lightsabers damage totals 7D, 2 Adegan crystals (focusing capacity of 5D) are needed. The extra 3D of focusing power is lost. Only then could the character begin adding extra crystals. If only 1 crystal were used, the weapon’s damage would be reduced to 5D (the maximum Adegan can focus), and the extra power would put the crystal at risk of melting.
    Note:
    Should a character choose to use more than one variety of crystal, all benefits (and penalties), of each individual crystal are applied, but the weapon suffers -1D to its Damage and Responsiveness due to the conflicting harmonics.
Multiple Emitters
Only saber batons and lightstaves may use multiple emitters, one on each end. If two emitters with different effects are used, roll 1D after each successful attack. On a 1-3 the right side blade hits, on a 4-6 the left side blade hits.

What the Numbers Mean
Cost & Availability is pretty obvious.
The availability codes (originally found in the Star Wars Sourcebook) are:
1 Readily available throughout the galaxy
2 Available only in large cities and spaceports throughout the Empire/Republic
3 Specialized item, available only on planet of origin.
4 Rare item, difficult to find anywhere
F Fee or permit required for purchase
R Restricted, may not purchase without local or Imperial/Republic license.  License may require background checks and/or high fees.
X Illegal. Possession or use violates local or Imperial/Republic law. Punishments severe.

For your convenience, I have provided these numbers for campaigns set in the Old Republic (OR), Galactic Empire (GE), Early New Republic (ENR) and Late New Republic (LNR). This was done to reflect the prominence of Jedi and, therefore, Lightsabers. Jedi characters in an Imperial campaign will have it tough; the Emperor knows what is required to build Lightsabers, and most of these parts are highly illegal.

Space Points is the amount of space a component takes up in the Lightsabers casing.

Difficulty Modifier is the number added to the Lightsaber Design or Lightsaber Construction roll’s difficulty. The base difficulty for lightsaber construction is 10. That may not seem like a lot, but some parts have hefty additions to this number.

Description details any special bonuses (or penalties) the use of this particular component entails.

Lightsaber Parts List

Like it or not, all of these parts are necessary for the construction of Lightsabers. Coincidentally, these are also some of the rarest and most difficult to build pieces of machinery in the galaxy. Funny how that works out, isn’t it?

Batteries
Every technological device needs a power supply, and Lightsabers are no exception. Here are some of the most common batteries used by the Jedi Knights in their Lightsabers.

Slayne & Korpil Mk-77 Micro-Fusion Reactor
Cost & Availability: OR: 500 credits (2); GE: 600 credits (R), ENR: 600 credits (2); LNR: 600 credits (2)
Space Points: 6
Difficulty Modifier: +6
Description:
The Mk-77 is one of the few publicly available power sources available that can power a lightsaber. Few Jedi who plan to take the time and energy to construct their own Lightsabers use this reactor, which was designed for fusion welders, but during the Clone Wars when new weapons were in great demand, many Jedi weapon smiths used these to speed production time. Its major drawback is its size, which takes up a great deal of room which could better be used for other components. However, because it was designed for a fusion cutter, the lightsaber receives +1D to its Damage statistic.

Slayne & Korpil Mk-77F “Force” Micro Fusion Reactor
Cost & Availability: OR: 750 credits (R, Jedi only); GE-LNR: Does not exist.
Space Points: 4
Difficulty Modifier: +5
Description:
After seeing their reactors put to use by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars, Slayne & Korpil designed and manufactured this smaller variant of the Mk-77. Nicknamed the “Force,” this reactor was designed to fit easily into a Lightsabers without the excess bulk of the Mk-77. S&K would have made a fortune with this device, except that the Empire came into power shortly after the Clone Wars and ordered production halted. The company was also forced to destroy all schematics of the device, and the company never had the funds later to restart the line. If a character acquires one of these, his lightsaber loses 1D from its Damage statistic because of the power sacrificed to shrink In addition, both of the S&K reactors need to be replaced every 2-3 years, depending upon the amount of use.

Jedi Battery
Cost & Availability: Must be built by hand, no cost or availabilities.
Space Points: 5
Difficulty Modifier: +4 (Lightsaber Construction difficulty to build: Very Difficult-Heroic, depending upon available materials.)
Description:
The most preferred power source, the hand-made battery has a limitless energy supply based on ancient technology, long since forgotten by all save the Jedi. While slightly larger than the S&K “Force,” it does not suffer the damage penalty due to weak power. Coupled with its unlimited lifespan, this becomes the best all-around choice for a Jedi’s lightsaber. However, it should be noted that this power source must be built separately, it cannot simply be “plugged in” like the other power supplies. Fortunately, it requires few unusual parts, but GMs should (naturally) have those few rare parts heavily regulated in an Imperial era campaign.

Blaster Power Pack
Cost & Availability: OR: 100 credits (2, R); GE: 150 credits (2, R); ENR: 50 credits (2, R); LNR: 50 credits (2, R)
Space Points: 5
Difficulty Modifier: +2
Description:
Hey, sometimes your really desperate. Only in the direst of need should a Jedi even consider using a blaster’s power pack; it is underpowered, bulky, and awkward, not to mention that it looks utterly ridiculous to have a blaster clip sticking out of your lightsaber. Even MacGuyver would be ashamed to use this. Unfortunately, during an Imperial era campaign this is frequently all a Jedi can get his hands on. Its only other benefit is that it is cheap and easy to install. In addition to a - 1D damage penalty, this power source must have a clip of blaster gas in order to operate; each round the saber is active drains one “shot” from the clip, and igniting the weapon drains two. Any standard blaster clip can be modified to fit the saber.

Crystals

Every lightsaber needs a crystal in order to harness and focus the power emitted by the battery. The most common variety is Adegan, but some Jedi prefer other crystals which may have different effects.

Adegan Crystal
Cost & Availability: OR: 100 credits/crystal (3); GE: 5,000 credits/crystal (4, X); ENR: 5,000 credits/crystal (4), LNP: 2,000 credits/crystal (3)
Space Points: 1/crystal
Difficulty Modifier: +10/crystal
Description:
Adegan is by far the most preferred variety of crystal for usage in Lightsabers. They would be far more common if the Emperor hadn’t stockpiled or destroyed the vast majority of Adegan mines in the galaxy. In later times, however, the New Republic periodically uncovers one of these stockpiles, so Adegan has begun to become somewhat less rare. A very small crystal can focus a beam of amazing strength, up to 5D worth of Damage. Unfortunately, like all crystals, it must be placed very precisely, giving it a very high Difficulty Modifier. Lightsabers built with Adegan crystals tend to be blue, though there is a variant crystal with a structural flaw that gives it a distinctly green hue. Beyond the coloration, this variant is identical to regular Adegan.

Dalwyn Crystals
Cost & Availability: OR: 50 credits/crystal (3); GE: 50 credits/crystal (3), ENR: 2,000 credits/crystal (2, R), LNR: 2,000 credits/crystal (2, R)
Space Points: 1.5/crystal (round fractions down)
Difficulty Modifier: +10/crystal
Description:
Dalwyn crystals, found primarily on Corellia, are little-known as lightsaber foci. In fact, for quite some time they were known only as cheap Corellian jewelry, and few were exported. They are an excellent focusing crystal for Jedi in the Imperial age, as even Palpatine was unaware of their suitability. Jedi in the era of the New Republic may find them less useful, as the Corellian government discovered that they work wonders in long-range torpedo guidance systems. Dalwyn crystals are slightly bigger than Adegan crystals, but one crystal can safely focus up to 5D+2 Damage. The only drawback of Dalwyn crystals is that they have a somewhat coarse molecular structure, causing blades to lose 1D from their responsiveness. Lightsaber blades focused by Dalwyn crystals favor orange to red colorations.

Sherunshur Crystals
Cost & Availability: OR: 2,000 credits/crystal (2); GE: 2,000 credits/crystal (2, X); ENR: 300 credits/crystal (3); LNR: 400 credits/crystal (3)
Space Points: 2/crystal
Difficulty Modifier: +20/crystal
Description:
For the truly dedicated lightsaber user, there are Sherunshur crystals. During the days of the Old Republic, just selling a few of them was enough to make one rich, as many Jedi swordsmen were willing to pay through the nose for them. The fact that only the Twi’Lek knew where they came from pushed the price even higher. Later, when the Jedi died out, prices dropped, and many forgot their usefulness for a long time. Recently, though, interest in these crystals has sparked anew, and prices are steadily climbing once more. Each Sherunshur crystal can focus up to 6D of Damage safely, and, due to its near-perfect molecular organization, adds 1D to both Damage and Responsiveness. The downside is that these crystals must be placed very precisely, or they will not function. Sherunshur crystals most often give Lightsabers a red or yellow coloring.

Serys Crystals
Cost & Availability: OR: 400 credits/crystal (2); GE: 500 credits/crystal (2, F); ENR: 300 credits/crystal (3); LNR: 300 credits/crystal (3)
Space Points: 3/crystal
Difficulty Modifier: +12/crystal
Description:
The large Serys crystal is not very popular with saber builders. It is large and ungainly, and the only reason it is ever used at all is because of its unique property. Formed by the intense geological activity of Nal Hutta, these crystals were one of the few not heavily regulated by the Empire during the Jedi Purge. Aside from raising the crystal’s market value and putting a heavy tax on it, the Emperor left this misfit of the lightsaber world alone. They are very poor conductors of energy, one crystal can only focus 3D of Damage. Coupled with this limitation, their size is their chief drawback, as at least two crystals are usually required. Their sole redeeming value is their unusual ability to disrupt energy fields. Any time the blade of a lightsaber focused by a Serys crystal is placed inside an energy field (other lightsaber blades and the Force don’t count!) the field must pass a Difficult Strength check (if the field doesn’t have a specific strength, the GM is encouraged to make one up). Failure indicates that the field is disrupted based upon the following chart: Failed Roll By Radius of Hole 1-5 50 cm 5-10 1 m 10-15 2 m >15 whole field temporarily destroyed Should the roll suffer a Mishap, the field’s control mechanisms burn out and the shield generator is rendered nonfunctional. Serys crystals lend a purple hue to a Lightsabers blade.

Artificial Crystals
Cost & Availability: OR: 20 credits/crystal (1); GE: 20 credits/crystal (1); ENR: 20 credits/crystal (1); LNR: 20 credits/crystal (1)
Space Points: 1/crystal
Difficulty Modifier: +8/crystal
Description:
Periodically, there will come a time when a Jedi needs to build a lightsaber, but he does not have access to one of the crystal types listed above. In such a case, artificial crystals can be a viable substitute. Easy to purchase or have made anywhere in the galaxy, artificial crystals are cheap, plentiful, and, in the days of the Empire, virtually impossible to regulate. Any competent jeweler can make a good one, and even an unskilled person can craft a rough one with ease. A professionally made artificial crystal can focus 4D of Damage, but because the harmonics are not “natural” the weapon loses 1D of Damage and Responsiveness. A homemade crystal can usually only focus 3D of Damage and gives an additional -1D to either Damage or Responsiveness (randomly determined.) On the upside, cheap jewelry making kits usually cost only a few credits, and can be picked up virtually anywhere (especially toy stores). Artificial crystals can be shaped so as to give a blade any color desired.

Emitters

After a power source and focusing crystal are in place, an emitter must be constructed for the new lightsaber. There are four basic types of emitter: bell emitters, bevel emitters, dish emitters and split emitters. These emitters must be custom built by hand, so no cost is given, only a Lightsaber Construction difficulty.

Bell Emitters
Space Points: 3
Construction Difficulty: Moderate
Description:
Much as the name implies, this emitter array is shaped like a bell. The crystal focused beam is forced through a narrow aperture before it is allowed to expand to fill the shape of the emitter and exit the saber. This focusing mechanism, the most commonly used, allows for an impressive amount of energy to travel through the blade in a short amount of time. The bell emitter gives a lightsaber +1D to damage, but there is usually little protecting the fingers from the naked energy of the blade.

Bevel Emitters
Space Points: 2
Construction Difficulty: Difficult
Description:
Again, as the name implies, the bevel emitter consists of a bevelled cylinder which protects the lens as well as the wielder’s hand. This is also a popular design, indeed, both of Anakin Skywalker’s Lightsabers featured this design. While it gives no Damage bonus, this emitter type can easily support a belt hook at the top end of the saber, allowing the character to draw, activate the weapon, and assume a guard in one action.

Dish Emitter
Space Points: 3
Construction Difficulty: Very Difficult
Description:
The dish-shaped emitter is a very generic device, simply a slightly concave disc set into the saber's end. Due to the unique shape of the emitter, such blades are unusually broad, and quite good at deflecting blaster bolts. This emitter’s other main advantage lies in the fact that many technological devices use a similar type of emitter, and, with a few minutes work (and a good Lightsaber Repair skill), virtually any device can be made to utilize the power of the Lightsabers power pack.

Split Emitter
Space Points: 6
Construction Difficulty: Very Difficult
Description:
This emitter is the economical choice for the saber baton and lightstaff. It does not require the expense and/or difficulty of using two power packs, at least two crystals, and two emitters. Its downside is that with this emitter, the two end- blades must be used in synch, meaning that the “Phasing Blade” special ability is not usable. Furthermore, the weapon suffers -1D to Damage because it is trying to stretch the power of a single battery over such a wide area.


EQUIPMENT

To finish off this article (which has already grown far longer than was my original intention), here is a list of equipment you may find useful in your campaign. All prices are for an early New Republic era, for Old Republic and Late New Republic, drop the price by 75%, for an Inperial campaign, double the price and add some sort of restriction (most of this equipment will be X)

Lightsaber Toolkit
Cost & Availability: 2,000 credits (2)
This item does not truly exist in one package (yet). Rather, the Jedi must acquire the necessary tools (such as micro-fusion welders, laser scalpels, miniature hydroplaned, and the like) from various other toolkit. When used in lightsaber construction, this toolkit confers a +2D bonus to all construction and repair rolls. A good place for characters to start looking would be jewelry repair shops.

Saber Baton
Cost & Availability: N/A, must be built.
Damage 6D,
Responsiveness -1D.
This is a “standard” saber baton. These weapons still are, and always will be, very rare. Few Jedi care for the Exar Kun-like image, and no non-Jedi could ever hope to learn its intricacies. Assume a difficulty of 25 to build with Lightsaber Construction.

Matched Sabers
Cost & Availability: N/A, must be built.
Damage 3D (each),
Responsiveness 2D (each).
Without a matched set of Lightsabers, none of the Twin Saber skill benefits can be applied. The matched set needn’t adhere exactly to these qualities, but they must be built the same way (i.e. same power source, emitter, and crystal). Assume a difficulty of 23 each for these “standard” sabers.

Lightstaff
Cost & Availability: 5,000 credits (R)
Damage Strength +2D,
Responsiveness 0D.
This weapon is actually being manufactured and sold, primarily on the black market. They are popular with bounty hunters, as they combine lethality with the ability to subdue a foe. Should a character wish to build a “standard” lightstaff, the difficulty is 20.
 
 

FINAL WORDS FROM TRAVIS STOUT 
 I worked on this monster for about five months, including two complete rewrites of the combat system. I sincerely hope that I have provided a set of rules that are simple enough to use, but complex enough to add depth to a campaign. If any one has any questions or comments, please direct them to travis97@gte.net

 



© Copyright Robert Brown 1997. Updated 1999.
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