I’d like some feedback on a couple of weapons statblocks I put together, especially regarding their prices (I don’t have much sense of how to balance price with mechanical qualities):
Name: Tapani Lightfoil
Skill: Lightsaber
Damage: 5
Crit: 3
Range: Engaged
Encumbrance: 1
HP: 1
Price: 1200 credits
Rarity: 7
Special: Defensive 2
Name: Velmorian Energy Sword
Skill: Lightsaber
Damage: 6
Crit: 3
Range: Engaged
Encumbrance: 3
HP: 5
Price: 800 credits
Rarity: 8
Special: None
These are essentially intended to be additional cheap lightsaber alternatives for starting F&D characters. They both exist in Legends. To clarify, the Tapani Lightfoil is a weaker version of the already-statted Lightfoil, using inferior but less finicky crystals. I primarily considered other budget-lightsabers for these (notably the Ancient Sword and the Training Lightsaber).
I’d recommend a few points of pierce to both of them. For comparison the vibrosword has a pierce of 2 and the vibrorapier has a pierce of 5. You are totally right to not give them breach.
Two other things come to mind. First also look up the blastsword from Adumar. Might be a fun one to toss in. The second is that these are all weapons favorited by nobility and you should add a few points of “Obligation” that means some random noble brat shows up, sees the beam sword on your belt and demands a duel. Will make these weapons high profile in a way that doesn’t immediately bring down the Inquisitorius.
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The Tapani “knock-off” versions are not as relevant to the Force, which is a large component of the special Lightsaber skill. I would recommend giving them a high Pierce quality (anything over 4 is de facto Breach against most non-PCs) and the Melee skill instead of Lightsaber. I’d also drop its crit to 2, which is standard for lightsaber and vibroswords. I struggling to think that it would have a higher crit than vibroswords.
If you object to changing the skill because it’s intended as a cheap/knock-off lightsaber, there’s no problem with that. It’s really more a matter of personal preference, because (as demonstrated with the Ancient Sword) there aren’t many rules about what makes a weapon the Lightsaber skill.
I’d put the price at about 2,500cr, a quarter the price of FFG’s lightfoil and the same price as Wookieepedia’s listing… I also recommend giving it a special ability, such as a bonus to certain social checks. After all, it’s essentially a ceremonial sword. That makes it more expensive than “a cheap alternative,” but I think it’s more narratively appropriate.
Velmorian Energy Swords are listed as “1,000 credits, though some prices may vary” on Wookieepedia, for whatever that is worth.
I would also make them Melee rather than Lightsaber, though for a different reason; this because they are actually physical constructs charged with plasma rather than being purely plasma blades. Again, do what you will. Same caveat as the other.
Rather than giving them Pierce, I would increase their damage. The metal blade to me says that it won’t be nearly as good as a lightsaber at piercing armor, and so it needs to compensate for that with higher damage. Maybe 9 damage, no Breach, compared to 6 damage with Breach 1.