Double Bladed Lightsaber Skill

[Stule]

Hey Guys!

I got to keep my PC for a few more days!

I gotta question.

I have a player that wants to use a double bladed lightsaber (groan).

I checked The Rebellion website for the saber and rules for it.

I am not quite happy with it being a Specialty Skill.

I think it should be an Advanced Skill (with a prereq of Lightsaber 5D).

But the only benefit is that the Double Bladed Lightsaber gives you a +1d6 to parry.

Does anyone have a better set of rules for this?

Do you think it should be a specialty skill?

Should it only be +1d6 Parry for the saber?

Maybe it should do more dg?

What do you guys think?

[Esjs]

I think the Advanced skill makes more sense but it would probably be too expensive for a starting character.

In this case, I'd use the lightsaber skill, but definitely change some difficulties. Increase the difficulty to use above that of a normal lightsaber.

Also, it may be easier to parry, but I think it's also easier to hit yourself with. You might want to change the "miss-by-10" rule (where if you miss the attack difficulty number by 10, you injure yourself). For a double-bladed, the number should probably be like 5-8 (I don't know what's more balanced).

Just some thoughts.
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"Esjs" == "Jess"

[Allst Beamem]

This is my take on it.

Use light saber skill, raise one diff., and get two free actions a round, instead of one. I.e. an attack and a parry with full dice.

[Hellcat]

We discussed this in another thread, and I agree that using a double-bladed lightsaber should be an advenced skill.
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[KageRyu]

I agree, the rules for double bladed lightsaber's are poor at best. I do feel that, since Lightsaber is already an advanced skill, it should fall under the lightsaber skill, but as Allst Beastman, and other rules sources indicate, it also should be slightly more difficult. It would definately be easier to Parry with such a weapon, or to attack and still parry, or to create a whirling dervish of destruction (multiattack). So, here are my thoughts on ways to handle it:
•Raise the base difficulty to hit by 1 level (the weapon is slightly more Unwieldy)
•The character get's a bonus +1D6 on all parry rolls (Reactionary & Full)
• (Optional) The character may make a full parry and still make one attack in the round (a riposte') but loses the bonus 1D to Parry that round. This MUST be declared in the declaration phase.
• (Optional) The character may may 2 attacks for one without a -1D penalty, but loses the Bonus 1D to parry.

Now, I realise that this makes the weapon a lot more dangerous, and valuable, and therefore I would also recommend the following:
• The character may not start out with such a weapon without the ability to construct it himself. The player must make the rolls to construct it, otherwise must settle for a regular lightsaber (it should also be more difficult and take longer to construct, as it is essentially 2 sabers in one).
• Such lightsabers and similar weapons are rare indeed, Having only seen or heard about 2 myself in what is now considered official sources (Exarch Kun's and Darth Plot Complication's...err...Darth Maul's), and as such finding one should be the focus of not just an adventure, but a mini-campaign (2-3 adventures at least).

By keeping this in mind, it will help keep some balance to the game, so as not to allow every Tom, Dick, and Jedi to have a twin bladed saber. Be with me next time for my thoughts on uses of two handed lightsabers

[Argamoth]

Pehaps the crystals in the lightsaber have a dendancy to mess with eachother's performance...

[KageRyu]

yes, excellent point Argamoth. Or even the circuitry that generates the magnetic bottle to contain the blades energy (though this thought brings to mind the comicle seen in Space Balls with the 2 blades twisted together). Also, let's not forget power supply. Numerous reasons to make a construction roll harder for such a weapon, and likely why the weapon is more rare.

[Hellcat]

Where is lightsaber listed as an advanced skill? In my copy of the second edition, revised and expanded, there is no A listed before the lightsaber skill to denote that it is an advanced skill.
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[KageRyu]

You're right, it's not listed as advanced, I thought it was. Most GM's in local games who run 2nd treat it as advanced, so I guess I just got it in my head that it was. Even so, I feel a dual edged Lightsaber is still a lightsaber, increasing the difficulty should suffice.

Now, Lightwips, lightboomerangs, and lightscythes, as I have seen in other sources fan made, should definately be a different skill of some sort.

[Hellcat]

The double-bladed lightsaber is actually even more dangerous for the handler to user than a regular lightsaber. You make a mistake with a regular lightsaber and you could loose your life. But with a double-bladed lightsaber, there is virtually no room for error when both blades are active as there is always going to be a blade that can come at you even though one is going to be pointing away from you.

As for the lightwhip, it's not a mere fan creation. WEG did do some material for the old TOPPs Star Wars Galaxy Magazine, and in the third issue they did stats of Lady Lumiya. She appeared first in the old Marvel run of the SW comics and in one or two of her last appearances there she fought against Luke using a lightwhip. In Lumiya: Dark Star of the Empire, WEG gave her the Dexterity skill lightwhip, the Control and Alter Force power Lightwhip combat, lists the lightwhip as doing 5D damage with a five meter range which increases the target's parry difficulty by one level unless they are using one weapon to counteract the energy nature of the lightwhip and one to counteract it's physical.
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[KageRyu]

[Hellcat]

But the point for making the double-bladed lightsaber an advanced skill over increasing the difficulty is that the double-bladed lightsaber requires a whole different set of movements in order to use it when both blades are on. You don't hold it the same and you don't use it in the same way, making it a wholely different beast.
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[Stule]

Ok how is this.....

(Btw, I made this up so it's not official.)

Two Weapon Fighting

If a character uses two melee weapons, he has two choices.

#1: He may use the extra weapon for parrying; he thus gets a +1D to his parry roll

or

#2: He may use the extra weapon for attack; He takes a -1D penalty for his main weapon
and a -3D penalty for his off weapon. Note that this only counts as one action.

When a Character uses two weapons, his difficulty with both weapons goes up by one.

A Character using ranged weapons (like Blasters) can not do #1 but may do #2

Example:
1) A Swordsman has two vibro-blades. He has Melee 8D. He has Melee parry 7D+2.

If he used his other blade to parry, he could get an attack at 8D, and he would get
7D+2 to parry. The +1D bonus to parry would cancel out -1D for multiple actions.

If he used it to attack, he would get 7D on the first attack and 5D on the second. This
would count as one action. The Difficulty of the Vibro-blades would go up to Difficult.

So if someone with Melee 8D declared 3 Attacks with two swords, it would be as
follows:
Difficulty: Difficult with both Blades
Right Hand: 3 Attacks at 5D.
Left Hand: 3 Attacks at 3D.

As you can see, you would need about 10D to 12D to become truly proficient with this style.

Weapon Master
Melee 12D

Declares 3 Attacks….

Difficulty: Difficult (20)
Right Hand: 3 Attacks at 9D
Left Hand: 3 Attacks at 7D


Advanced Skills
Two-Weapon: Blaster
Two-Weapon: Brawling
Two-Weapon: Lightsabers
Two-Weapon: Melee

Prerequisites:
To purchase a Two-Weapon Advanced Skill,
user must have Dex 3D+1, 7D in Skill they are seeking.

Ex: I want to purchase Two-Weapon: Lightsabers,
I have to have a Dex of 3D+1, and Lightsaber Skill of 7D.

Advanced Skills cost 2 points for 1D.
They follow all rules for standard Advance Skills.

Advanced Skills will remove all penalties associated with Two Weapon Fighting.

So a Weapon Master with Advanced Two-Weapon Melee Fighting of 8D could use both hands equally with melee weapons.

He declares 3 Attacks….
Difficulty: Difficult (20)
Right Hand: 3 Attacks 6D
Left Hand: 3 Attacks 6D

A Jedi Knight with Two Weapon: Lightsabers 8D, Control 6D,

He declares 3 Attacks….
Difficulty: Very Difficult (30)
Right Hand: 3 Attacks 8D
Left Hand: 3 Attacks 8D

I made these rules up to kinda explain why someone would use two weapons.

I'm still play testing them.

Tell me what you think.

I am still trying to find out why someone would want to use a Double Bladed Lightsaber besides just getting a +1D to Parry.

[KageRyu]

[KageRyu]