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Prototype Lightsaber: I have always liked the Star Wars movies, and in particular, I always thought it was cool that the Jedi Knights only were armed with lightsabers (laser swords) instead of blasters or similar more advanced weapons. For some time I have pondered on how to create a TW version of the lightsaber, wondering how to make it as realistic or close to the movie version as possible. Then suddenly it dawned on me, what if I were a TW living on rifts earth that got to watch one of these pre-rifts movies, would I use what I saw in the film and try to come up with my own version of the lighsaber – I think yes . Using what spells are available in Rifts, I would try to make a powerful weapon that tries to mimic and accomplish some of the same feats or effects that the lightsabers are used to accomplish in the movies. I am posting this in the GMs section because the RUE book states that it ultimately is the GM that gets to decide exactly how the device works. I am hoping some of you will offer your comments and suggestions as to what the damage/effect should be.

I aim to give the weapon two functions, one is that of a powerful melee weapon able to inflict serious damage, along the same lines of the Lightblade TW item described in several Rifts books, with the exception that the spell chain has been changed a little. The spell chain has been changed so that the weapon will be powered by PPE/ISP energy instead of the lifes energy of the person using the weapon. The second function I aim for is that the lightsaber should be able to deflect incoming ranged attacks, and ideally deflect incoming ranged attacks back at the attacker.

The lighsaber is constructed using the necessary wirering, gems and crystals as mentioned below under construction cost, as well as a metal, ceramic, plastic or wooden tube or cylinder that everything can be build into, they are usually very well-crafted and ornate in their design. The weapon will end up looking a lot like the TW Lightblade, essentially a hilt with no physical blade, and at the top there is slot where one would expect the blade to be, and inside the slot is a focusing lens similar to the ones found in blasters or pulse-lasers. Exactly what the blade looks like, be it a shortsword, rapier or katana style energy blade is completely up to the TW that created the weapon, the same thing is true for the color of the energy blade. If the TW wants the energy blade to be a specific color he or she can add a crystal to the focusing lens to achieve that.

Device Level: Five.
PPE Construction Cost: Chain 1 (400) + Chain 2 (275) = 675 total.
Spell Chain(s) Needed: Two – one for each intended function.
1st Spell Chain: Primary Spell: Lightblade (20), Secondary Spell(s): Blinding Flash (1), Energy Bolt (5), Globe of Daylight (2), Power Bolt (20).
2nd Spell Chain: Primary Spell: Targeted Deflection (15), Secondary Spell(s): Energy Field (10), Electric Arc (8).
Physical Requirements: Needs 7 clear quartz (420 credits), 2 red zircons (4000 credits), 1 turquoise (240 credits), 1 large blue opal (3000 credits) and 1 quartz (ruby) (300 credits). Total: 7960 credits. By increasing the number of carats of the gems used for the primary spell in each spell chain, the cost has gone up, but the number of PPE required to create the device has gone down. A metal and/or other material tube about 1 foot long is needed as the body of the weapon, a few lithium flashligt batteries and some copper wirering is also needed. To craft the item the TW will also need the focusing lens from either a powerful blaster pistol (3d6 MD+) or the focusing lens from any pulse-laser.

Mega-Damage/effect:

Duration of Charge: 16 Melee rounds (4 minutes) per each expenditure of 34 PPE.
To Recharge: Chain 1 (20) + Chain 2 (14) = 34 PPE total.
Bonuses: +1 to strike and parry with the Lightsaber (just like with the TW Lightblade).
Construction Time: Total construction time is; Chain 1 (200) + Chain 2 (137,5) = 337,5 hours.
Construction Cost of the Device: 33.750 credits plus the cost of gems above (7960 credits). Total: 41.710 credits.

Black Market Cost:

Specifics/Math:
1st Spell Chain:
Primary Spell: Lightblade (20): Clear Quartz; 60 credits per carat. Will need 3 carats worth, either as 3 separate gems or one large gem. But to reduce PPE construction cost, 6 carats worth of Clear Quartz will be used.
Secondary Spell(s): Each secondary spell requires a gem of one carat per spell (regardless of the device level), although low level spells (level six or less) can share a gem, provided all require the same type of gem.
1. Blinding Flash (1): Clear Quartz; 60 credits per carat.
2. Energy Bolt (5): Red Zircon; 2000 credits per carat.
3. Globe of Daylight (2): Clear Quartz; 60 credits per carat.
4. Power Bolt (20): Turquoise; 240 credits per carat.

● Required Gems: Lightblade (six 1 carat clear quartz), Blinding Flash & Globe of Daylight ( share one 1 carat clear quartz), Energy Bolt (one 1 carat red zircon), Power Bolt (one 1 carat Turquoise).
● PPE Construction Cost: 48*50/6 = 400 PPE
● Activation cost: construction cost/20. 400/20 = 20 PPE
● Construction Time: (construction cost/10)* device level. 40*5 = 200 hours.
● Construction Cost: construction cost*10*device level (+gems): 400*10*5 = 20000 credits.


2nd Spell Chain:
Primary Spell: Targeted Deflection (15): Opal (not fire or black, but any other); 500 credits per carat. Will need 3 carats worth, either as 3 separate gems or one large gem. But to reduce PPE construction cost, 6 carats worth of Opral (Blue) will be used.
Secondary Spell(s): Each secondary spell requires a gem of one carat per spell (regardless of the device level), although low level spells (level six or less) can share a gem, provided all require the same type of gem.
1. Energy Field (10): Quartz (Ruby); 300 credits per carat.
2. Electric Arc (8): Red Zircon; 2000 credits per carat.

● Gems Required: Targeted Deflection (one large 6 carat opal), Enegy Field (one 1 carat Quatz (Ruby)), Electric Arc (one 1 carat Red Zircon).
● PPE Construction Cost: 33*50/6 = 275.
● Activation cost: construction cost/20. 275/20 = 13,75 or 14.
● Construction Time: (construction cost/10)* device level. 27,5*5 = 137,5 hours
● Construction Cost: construction cost*10*device level (+gems): 275*10*5 = 13750 credits.


Total:
- Total Gem Requirements: Needs 7 clear quartz (420 credits), 2 red zircons (4000 credits), 1 turquoise (240 credits), 1 large blue opal (3000 credits) and 1 quartz (ruby) (300 credits). Total: 7960 credits.
- Total PPE Construction Cost: Chain 1 (400) + Chain 2 (275) = 675 PPE.
- Total Activation cost: Chain 1 (20) + Chain 2 (14) = 34 PPE.
- Total Construction Time: Chain 1 (200) + Chain 2 (137,5) = 337,5 hours.
- Total Construction Cost: Chain 1 (20000) + Chain 2 (13750) = 33750 credits.

Dumb Dwarf wrote:Nice thought, and very logical on how it could come to be, but isn't this technically a conversion?

Sort of... better change the name...

I've come up with my own OCC in PF I call the Psi-Knight (Psionic Knight) which is sort of like the Jedi in Lucas's films. There are enough differences, however, that I think they stand alone and wouldn't be called conversions. They've been pretty thoroughly play tested (by myself and others) and seem to work well within the world of Palladia.

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