Star Wars Campaign Lightsaber Technology

The origin of lightsaber technology is largely unknown during the years following the fall of the Galactic Empire. Indeed, some believe stories of these glowing blades of pure energy to be little more than fairy tales and an artifact of outdated religious beliefs. More learned beings know that these weapons once existed in great numbers, but even they are likely to doubt their supposed ability to sever bone, carapace, flesh, leather and metal with equal ease. Some conservational institutions or very wealthy individuals will pay a high premium to collect even non-functioning examples if they can be authenticated and the fabrication of counterfeits has become an exiguous but highly lucrative illicit trade.  

As beings who lived through the Clone Wars can attest, lightsabers are real and can be used to perform amazing deeds in the hands of a proficient wielder. To those with long memories or a more thorough knowledge of history, the lightsaber is virtually synonymous with the Jedi Order and is a symbol of the former Galactic Republic and pleasant remembrances of peace and plenty it has come to represent.

Despite this association, other persons or groups have been known to wield and even construct lightsabers. The most famous lightsaber duelist with no known connection to the Jedi was the Separatist general known as Grievous. There are also persistent accounts of Mandalorian warriors using laser swords both during and after the Clone Wars. Rumors surrounding the ruling class of the Tapani sector suggest that an insular handful of skilled craftsman can construct lightsabers, or at least a serviceable facsimile while a legendary guild referenced as the Bomerwrights of Sullest was said to craft laser swords in the ancient past. It is unknown if these Bomerwrights are connected to Sullust in anyway and the Sullustans deny any knowledge of such an organization.

Lightsaber

◊Descriptors – Energy, force, light

◊Effect – Damage • 1 point per rank

Laser Weapon (Damage)

◊Action – standard

◊Requirement – close attack check

◊Range – close

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

A blade of glowing plasma extends from a metallic hilt emitting light and a menacing hum.

A standard lightsaber consists of plasma focused into the shape of a blade by a kyber crystal contained within a metallic hilt. The blade’s color depends upon that of the crystal used to construct the lightsaber with blues and greens being most common among naturally occurring crystals.

Lightsabers have the potential to cut through nearly anything and may have ranks of the Penetrating extra. Penetrating lightsabers typically exchange the force descriptor with heat. Lightsabers can also deal Strength-based damage and double-bladed lightsabers may have the Split extra.

Against most living opponents, lightsaber cuts do not result in ongoing blood loss as the wound is cauterized by the plasma blade’s heat. Lightsabers stop when coming into contact with another lightsaber blade, ray shields and a few materials which are resistant to lightsabers (such as Zillo Beast hide).

All sorts of lightsaber variants can result in additional modifiers or alternate descriptors. Such deviations are usually the result of design choices made by the weapon’s creator which can include the type of crystal embedded in the hilt, the power source used to emit energy, or the properties of the plasma blade containment field.