Psi-Sword shapes

[darthauthor]

So a creative Cyber-knight wants to use their psi-sword ability in a variety of ways.

I am unclear how many different melee weapons the cyber-knight can make their psi-sword power/ability into.

I, personally, agree with the "Basics":
W.P. Axe
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Forked
W.P. Knife
W.P. Polearm
W.P. Spear
W.P. Staff
W.P. Sword
W.P. Tomahawk (can't be thrown)

My belief / understanding is that the Ps-Sword configuration can not be throw or part from the cyber-knights touch / body.

Other ideas entertaining and speculating about:
A bow. Those with W.P. Archery I imagine using a bow. I have no problem with using it to parry. As for firing arrows. If it worked, I imagine, the character would have to have their own wooden arrows or such. The Psi-Bow does not make Psi-Arrows. Next the player might have to have their own bow string and string their Psi-Bow. It does regular arrow damage. The only reason for doing it is you need or want a bow to fire an arrow that only does the damage of the arrow.
Maybe the characters bow was lost, stolen, or broken.

What do you think?

I also would like to allow a few other "things" but want to ask to read from you if it would not work for reasons I can't see.

For when the Cyber-Knight wants to play iron chef:
A Butcher knife
A chefs knife
A frying pan (blunt weapon)
A spatula for flipping pancakes.

When doing work:
A shovel (blunt weapon?)
A hammer for hammering nails.
Nothing that runs on electicity or such just basic tools like a wrench or a saw.

For all those times you are in a raft on a river:
An oar or paddle (blunt weapon) to row your boat. Beats using your hands.
A rudder for stearing the boat.

And I know this is to the extreme but what about a whip?
I ask because I learned that Star Wars has a lightsaber whip and I sort of think of psi-swords as lightsabers. And the Cyber-Knights as Jedi.
Personally I think it would look cool.
It is a melee weapon. Not thrown. I think of a whip as more likely to disarm an opponent and take them alive.

I ask myself how could a player abuse it?
But I haven't found any answer. It is just a different weapon proficiency. Same number of attacks. Since it is a whip they don't get any bonuses from the Fencing skill. So that is a disadvantage. The only reason I can think I would use it would be to look cool (like Indiana Jones) and disarm guys I wanted to take alive.

[Library Ogre]

For me, a Cyber-knights weapon is always the same weapon, barring major mental or spiritual change. It is a manifestation of their self and their psyche, somewhat transcending normal psionics (thus the lack of cost). I don't particularly regulate what the shape is, but it is a Shape, and remains that Shape.

For the super-psionic power, I'd have more lenience, but it is still a weapon, not a multitool. You want tools, learn the Ectoplasmic Tools power from my Rifter article.

[darthauthor]

I am certain that some Cyber-Knights created Psi-Sword "Axes" or Psi-Axes AND Psi-Swords Swords. I think they were Native American Cyber-Knights.

Personally, I sort of see the Cyber-Knights as tight on their code but flexible when it comes to their fighting. They start 1st level with something like a half dozen weapon proficiencies and gain another five or six as they level up for their O.C.C. Related skills.

[drewkitty ~..~]

I am certain that some Cyber-Knights created Psi-Sword "Axes" or Psi-Axes AND Psi-Swords Swords. I think they were Native American Cyber-Knights.

Personally, I sort of see the Cyber-Knights as tight on their code but flexible when it comes to their fighting. They start 1st level with something like a half dozen weapon proficiencies and gain another five or six as they level up for their O.C.C. Related skills.

The Psi-Tomahawks are in the spirit west gamebook.

As for the main subject of the topic, I would limit the shape of a Psi-Sword to that, a sword. Other than that nope. A different type of Psi-(weapon) is a different power.

Maybe have the Psi-Cooking implements being a new lesser psi power set. And limited only doing SD when used as weapons, and only having SDC for their DC level.
Sort of like the difference between the simple and greater magic tattoos.

[ShadowLogan]

My belief / understanding is that the Ps-Sword configuration can not be throw or part from the cyber-knights touch / body.

That would be correct.

Other ideas entertaining and speculating about:
A bow.

Technically we already have a Psi-Bow (WB9 pg144-6 for the RCC) but is partly an "illusion" going off the background fluff for the RCC in question.

However, using the CK Psi-Sword/Weapon CAN NOT create a bow. In fact, "The Cyber-Knight can create virtually any single piece Psi-weapon (no projectile weapons or weapons with moving parts, such as ball and chain, bow and arrow, gun, etc; and Psi-weapons can not be thrown)."-SoT4 pg24 when the ability was introduced (prior to that the CK's Psi-sword was fixed at level 1 in RMB), and its the same in RUE pg64. Now a bow is not single piece weapon (the bow itself and the string), and could be considered to have moving parts (the bow and string both distort), and would be the same for a whip.

For when the Cyber-Knight wants to play iron chef:
A Butcher knife
A chefs knife
A frying pan (blunt weapon)
A spatula for flipping pancakes.

When doing work:
A shovel (blunt weapon?)
A hammer for hammering nails.
Nothing that runs on electricity or such just basic tools like a wrench or a saw.

For all those times you are in a raft on a river:
An oar or paddle (blunt weapon) to row your boat. Beats using your hands.
A rudder for stearing the boat.

While the knives and hammer technically work (cited examples), remember that these are Mega-Damage implements...

As for the others, I would say no. For the CK to create a psi-weapon, IMHO they need to have a familiarity with the weapon and would require them to have an appropriate WP (and that fits w/n the restrictions). The improvised weapons (oar, frying pan, shovel, rudder) I would say no to as there really isn't an appropriate WP. Note, I'm not saying in some of those situations you couldn't allow an appropriate Psi-weapon in an improvised manner for those tasks, just that they CK cannot create intended tools.

For me, a Cyber-knights weapon is always the same weapon, barring major mental or spiritual change. It is a manifestation of their self and their psyche, somewhat transcending normal psionics (thus the lack of cost). I don't particularly regulate what the shape is, but it is a Shape, and remains that Shape.

&

As for the main subject of the topic, I would limit the shape of a Psi-Sword to that, a sword. Other than that nope. A different type of Psi-(weapon) is a different power.

NOT by the RAW, "Thus, a Psi-weapon may depart from the traditional sword shape to appear in the form of a large or small axe, tomahawk, knife, pick-axe, hammer, club, pole, mace, morning star, etc as well as any type of sword imaginable"-pg24 SoT4 (or pg64 RUE).

NOW if we're talking RMB-era and not RUE-era, yeah by RAW then it would be limited to sword shapes.

[drewkitty ~..~]

As for the main subject of the topic, I would limit the shape of a Psi-Sword to that, a sword. Other than that nope. A different type of Psi-(weapon) is a different power.

NOT by the RAW, "Thus, a Psi-weapon may depart from the traditional sword shape to appear in the form of a large or small axe, tomahawk, knife, pick-axe, hammer, club, pole, mace, morning star, etc as well as any type of sword imaginable"-pg24 SoT4 (or pg64 RUE).

And I intentionally wrote that as stating a opinion or a GM ruling I would make. I'm sorry you didn't pick up on that.
(Though I wish more people wrote up their house rules stating that they were their opinions/GM rulings.)

NOW if we're talking RMB-era and not RUE-era, yeah by RAW then it would be limited to sword shapes.

Which is when the spirit west was written.

[Stone Gargoyle]

It's a weapon, not a tool. I would say that the shape has to be selected when creating the character and limiit it to a small number of other shapes if the power allows for that. That is just my opinion and how I would rule on it as a GM, I am not stating this as a hard and fast rule from the source material, so your mileage may vary.

[Library Ogre]

I think my statement has been misunderstood, so let me clarify.

Cyber-Knight Amy has a psi-sword shaped like a short sword. When Amy makes her psi-sword, it will always be a short sword. She's a short sword kinda gal.

Cyber-Knight Bob has a psi-"sword" shaped like a battle axe. When Bob makes his psi-"sword", it will always be a battle axe. He's a battle axe boy.
Bob undergoes a significant mental and spiritual event; it changes who he is, in many ways. His psi-sword becomes a spear. From now on it, will be a spear.

Mind Melter Charlie has the psi-sword power. He might make it a battle axe one time, and change it to a long sword the next time he activates it, and so on.

For Amy and Bob, their psi-sword is a manifestation of their psyche, so it will always be the same shape, regardless of what that shape it. For Charlie, it is a manifestation of his mastery of his mind, so it will be whatever shape he wants in the moment.

[Grazzik]

For Amy and Bob, their psi-sword is a manifestation of their psyche, so it will always be the same shape, regardless of what that shape it. For Charlie, it is a manifestation of his mastery of his mind, so it will be whatever shape he wants in the moment.

...at level 1.

RUE pg 81 - "Like the Cyber-Knight, the Mind Melter can change the shape and even the color of the sword to fit his current mood, but unlike the Knight, he can do so from day one."

So, both forms of the power can allow changing shape, just not rookie CKs.

[Nekira Sudacne]

I think my statement has been misunderstood, so let me clarify.

Cyber-Knight Amy has a psi-sword shaped like a short sword. When Amy makes her psi-sword, it will always be a short sword. She's a short sword kinda gal.

Cyber-Knight Bob has a psi-"sword" shaped like a battle axe. When Bob makes his psi-"sword", it will always be a battle axe. He's a battle axe boy.
Bob undergoes a significant mental and spiritual event; it changes who he is, in many ways. His psi-sword becomes a spear. From now on it, will be a spear.

Mind Melter Charlie has the psi-sword power. He might make it a battle axe one time, and change it to a long sword the next time he activates it, and so on.

For Amy and Bob, their psi-sword is a manifestation of their psyche, so it will always be the same shape, regardless of what that shape it. For Charlie, it is a manifestation of his mastery of his mind, so it will be whatever shape he wants in the moment.

I do agree, but at the same time, the mechanics make that kind of spritual journey suboptimal for Bob. Unless he for some reason took W.P. Spear at level 1, he will actually be worse at fighting, because he goes from having sunk 6-8 levels and enjoying a nice +3 or +4 to Strike and Parry to 0, because he has a spear, and he never had to learn how to use one before his adventure, and even if he does pick it up as part of it, he'll always be worse with his Spear than his Sword.