Lightsaber

Lightsabers

Lightsabers — the rare and highly-prized weapons of the Jedi Knights — are small, hand-held weapons that project an energy blade capable of cutting through the densest of materials. Each weapon was custom-made by a Jedi and no two are alike. Because the energy blade produces no resistance and has virtually no weight, it is very dangerous for beginners to use, and those without any formal training are as dangerous to themselves as to their opponents. In the hands of a Jedi Knight, these weapons are truly formidable, capable of deflecting blaster bolts in addition to their formidable melee combat capabilities. The weapons are extremelyrare artifacts — they are very rarely found for sale and possession of a lightsaber was highly illegal in the Empire.

Lightsaber
Type: Melee weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Lightsaber
Cost: Unavailable for sale
Availability: 4, X
Difficulty: Difficult
Damage: 5D

Game Notes: in an attacking character misses the difficulty number by more than 10 points (the base difficulty; not their opponent's parry total), the character has injured himself with the lightsaber blade. Apply normal damage to the character wielding the lightsaber.

Lightsaber Construction

Jedi apprentices spend a great deal of time and effort constructing lightsabers, an elegant weapon of ancient technologies. The blade helps the Jedi focus, attuning him to the Force so that it more easily flows through him. It is used for combat only when other methods of conflict resolution have ended in failure.

Most Jedi build several lightsabers over a lifetime, each saber more powerful and well balanced than the last. These improvements reflect the Jedi’s increasing prowess in his use and understanding the Force. The loss of a lightsaber can so demoralize a Jedi that he momentarily stumbles in his ability to access the Force (losing 1D from all Force skills until he constructs a new blade).

A lightsaber must have the following parts: a power cell, a handgrip, and activation plate, an emitter matrix, a recharge socket, a lens assembly, a focusing crystal, and a power conduit. Most handgrips have a length of 24 to 30 centimeters, with the blades themselves extending up to 1.5 meters.

The type of crystal used to focus the energy from the power cell determines the harmonic resonance and lethality of the weapon. Jedi Knights use Adegan crystals almost exclusively, as they have done for millennia. The Adegan family includes the following crystals in order of rarity (the die code in parentheses the blade’s base damage when using the crystal): Kathracite (3D+2), Relacite (4D), Danite (4D+2), Mephite (5D), and Ponitite (5D+2).

To construct a lightsaber from its components parts a minimum of one month and requires a successful lightsaber repair roll against a Very Difficult difficulty. Decrease the difficulty one level for each extra month spent building the saber, to a minimum of Easy.

Jedi characters may adjust a lightsaber’s base damage die code through modifications ( as indicated in the “Improving Vehicles, Vessels, and Weapons” section in Chapter Two. Characters rely on their lightsaber repair skill to make such improvements.