statting a lightsaber

[Sanctaphrax]

Okay then, weapon 3 + Strength might be better.

I've seen the movies, but that's it for me and Star Wars. So I've got to bow to your superior knowledge.

[Katarn]

I am guessing either

a) typographical error on knn's part.
b) possibly stands for Dresden Verse Roleplaying Game

I am leaning towards the former myself, but it could be the latter just as easily.

I agree, someone should ask him....

I'm not sure about the zero strength bonus to weapons with lightsabers most of the Extended Universe stuff implies stronger lightsaber wielders are harder to fight for a given value of hard and lightsaber is still a fulcrum of force. There are several examples of Jedi's basing thier whole fighting style on their strength the obvious example being Darth Vader. Darth Vader used the strength of his strikes to make up for his lack of manoeuvrability in his tank like suit by just overpowering his enemies defences. So at the very least lightsaber fighting should gain some advantage from strength though perhaps this would be better shown by allowing might modification of lightsaber weaponry rolls than actually adding the damage rating.

This is a good point- but normal swords don't account for this either (I think, really tired).  I would re-allocate that modifier into Weapons Roll, or possibly Might.

[Becq]

I don't see how strength would figure into basic lightsaber dueling; it's largely agility and precognition.  When your lightsaber cuts through armor, flesh, and bone like butter to begin with, pouring on the strength would be like pouring on the strength ... when cutting butter.

I'd say that strength might well play a role in powering through blocks made by another lightsaber.  So when one duelist puts up a block, then various strength-related bonuses might come into play if the attacker wants to simply power through the block.

[Belial666]

What lightsabers can do? (the powers inherent in the item itself)

_{1) Can deal considerable damage - higher than most melee and ranged personal weaponry.
2) Can cut through most armor.
3) Can be easily concealed.
4) Physical objects parried are destroyed - energy attacks are deflected.}

How do force-users use lightsabers? (the powers available to the force-user, not the weapon itself)

_{1) Parry normally unparriable attacks and redirect them through precognitive defense. Still can't use it vs area attacks such as explosions, grenades and flamethrowers.
2) Exceptional accuracy.
3) Throwing and other exceptional maneuvers (such as TK combat).}

Given the above, here are some stats;


[-1] Lightsaber
    It is What It Is: weapon 3 energy weapon
    Small IoP rebate (+1)
    Crystal Focus: lightsabers use force-crystals to focus their beams. +1 weapon rating and armor penetration 1. (-1)
    Destructive Parry: objects parried by lightsabers take stress based on the lightsaber's damage. Energy attacks are simply deflected.
    This ability says what happens when the lightsaber parries - what it can actually parry is up to the user's skill. (-1)

[-8] Jedi Template
       Inhuman Speed
       Inhuman Toughness
       Inhuman Recovery
       The Catch: rare natural poisons and electric shock (+3)
       Force Telekinesis: may perform physical maneuvers and blocks at range at Conviction+2.
       Some Jedi start with Incite Emotion At Range instead of Force Telekinesis. They still use Conviction.
       Lightsaber Defense: +1 to dodge when wielding a lightsaber and may parry targeted ranged attacks.
       True Aim
       Echoes of the Force: may sense emotions with Alertness rather than reading with
       Empathy. Danger Sense; use initiative modifier rather than base Alertness vs ambushes.

[BumblingBear]

Just my .02, I think a lightsaber would have to be at least a weapon 6.

A lightsaber can cut through a solid steel door with barely any effort at all.  A .50 cal (weapon 4) would have a hard time making a hole in a 3 inch thick, solid steel door.

Also, strength /would/ play a part in lightsaber duels.  This was a trade off for Jedi who chose to use a two weapon style instead of one two handed lightsaber.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Just my .02, I think a lightsaber would have to be at least a weapon 6.

A lightsaber can cut through a solid steel door with barely any effort at all.  A .50 cal (weapon 4) would have a hard time making a hole in a 3 inch thick, solid steel door.

Also, strength /would/ play a part in lightsaber duels.  This was a trade off for Jedi who chose to use a two weapon style instead of one two handed lightsaber.

In the duel, but not in how much damage the lightsaber does.  Strength would be used to break a block, not to increase the amount of damage you'd do. 

[devonapple]

Strength would come into play when dueling *other* lightsaber-wielding opponents, if nothing else. When both weapons can be used as levers against the wielder, Might comes back into relative importance.

In the duel, but not in how much damage the lightsaber does.  Strength would be used to break a block, not to increase the amount of damage you'd do. 

Exactly!

That said, dueling Might and overall Might may comprise thematically similar but ultimately different things. And after a certain point, we are trading the granularity of the FATE system for another combat-focused ruleset.

[Belial666]

@BumblingBear;
A steel door has a border value of +6, can't dodge and, barring special attacks that can damage such barriers, you must use "might" to break it. A .50 cal bullet cannot use the shooter's "guns" skill against the door as it is not a weapon that can be used to break such barriers. Being only weapon 4, it can't do squat to destroy it; it just makes a tiny hole at best. A lightsaber IS capable of working against objects. The Jedi uses his weapons skill of +6 (superb+true aim) plus the lightsaber's weapon rating of 4 and AP rating of 1 vs the door's dodge of +0 and border value of +6. The steel door is toast in a single blow.

[ways and means]

I am going to have to side with Bumbling Bear hear lightsabers have been shown to cut through several meters worth of unamed superalloy for example cutting through security doors on a star destroyer and even cutting through ship hull material, considering blaster bolt just pinged off these doors in the fiction  a Weapons 4 bazooka would probably do nothing but scorch the door and possibly leave a dent and anything at weapons 3 or under would have no effected what so ever (other than possible death by richoche). Though I have to admit this may be more due to the fact that lightsabers are a very effective welding torch than because they are effective weapons, pretty much any physical barrier can be cut with a lightsaber with enough time other than barriers made  specially made with cortosis a super expensive super rare material.

[EldritchFire]

I am going to have to side with Bumbling Bear hear lightsabers have been shown to cut through several meters worth of unamed superalloy for example cutting through security doors on a star destroyer and even cutting through ship hull material, considering blaster bolt just pinged off these doors in the fiction  a Weapons 4 bazooka would probably do nothing but scorch the door and possibly leave a dent and anything at weapons 3 or under would have no effected what so ever (other than possible death by richoche). Though I have to admit this may be more due to the fact that lightsabers are a very effective welding torch than because they are effective weapons, pretty much any physical barrier can be cut with a lightsaber with enough time other than barriers made  specially made with cortosis a super expensive super rare material.

Even then, Luke was able to cut through a cortosis-lined cave wall in a matter of hours, with Mara looking on in awe. For lightsabers, it's just a matter of time when the barrier is cut through.

Another thing to keep in mind is that blaster bolts only ping off of doors that are magnetically sealed (EpV, trash compactor). All other instances of blaster fire meeting walls had the wall absorb the bolt and nothing more.

-EF

[Silverblaze]

Jedi shouldn't have recovery or toughness.

They should have ritual biomancy. Also channeling spirit with excuses to use lightning as well as Tk effects.

Hibernation Trance
Sleeping powers
Poison powers
healing powers

all biomancy.

[Silverblaze]

Just my .02, I think a lightsaber would have to be at least a weapon 6.

A lightsaber can cut through a solid steel door with barely any effort at all.  A .50 cal (weapon 4) would have a hard time making a hole in a 3 inch thick, solid steel door.

Also, strength /would/ play a part in lightsaber duels.  This was a trade off for Jedi who chose to use a two weapon style instead of one two handed lightsaber.

bingo!

[Discipol]

in the dresdenverse Jedi are lawbreakers, power-wise.

i would give the sword stacking Claw for more damage,
Give the user supernatural speed when using the lightsaber, on top of his already inhuman speed, which would cost -2 on the sword by putting a prereq, you can't use it unless you have at least inhuman speed.

non jedi would cut their faces off with ls.

Easy to conceal? that sounds like a veil to me, or some sort of glamour. That would be a -2 for a small one, however there should not be any roll since its on/off. How about you put 2 points for a -1 for a +4 to stealth? its not defensive or offensive and very specific.

[JustADude]

Easy to conceal? that sounds like a veil to me, or some sort of glamour. That would be a -2 for a small one, however there should not be any roll since its on/off. How about you put 2 points for a -1 for a +4 to stealth? its not defensive or offensive and very specific.

Honestly, I'd just give the deactivated 'hilt' of a Lightsaber it the same roll to conceal as a pistol or a collapsed ASP baton, whatever that might be, and be done with it.

[BumblingBear]

Honestly, I'd just give the deactivated 'hilt' of a Lightsaber it the same roll to conceal as a pistol or a collapsed ASP baton, whatever that might be, and be done with it.

Me too.

I'm actually thinking about statting a Jedi now and all of his/her gear.  I think a Jedi would be a fairly high refresh character too.

I don't know how comfortable I am with making a lightsaber an item of power, though.

A lightsaber is just a piece of machinery.  It's a weapon that anyone can use - not just a Jedi.

In fact, some Jedi/Sith used swords instead of lightsabers because they liked the feeling of blade hitting flesh.

So.... that's something I am hung up on.