I'm looking at potentially using a Training Lightsaber as a bit of a hook to introduce the weapons to a game of starter level characters and had a few questions about them I couldn't get an answer for from the book (or knowing me, I just missed them):

I read that Lightsabers cannot be Sundered, does this count for Training Lightsabers?
-My reasoning here is that a character (maybe keeping hold of the only thing he fled training with before Order 66) has a Training Lightsaber. Could he use it without being Sundered against another Force-User wielding a lightsaber?

--This would then allow him to steal a crystal or non-training lightsaber from a hostile user while holding his own in the fight.

Can they still allow Parry and Reflect to be used?

-Is this a workaround to make a 'stun' only weapon deal Wound damage to someone with the Improved talents?

Story-wise, and game mechanic wise to keep the party from being too powerful to begin with (and all equipped with rare weapons from the get-go), I figured one or two could have or find training lightsabers and then upgrade their crystals.

Thoughts? Feedback?
Giant-Holes-I-Might-Have-Missed?

By the (errated) RAW, a training lightsaber is in the lightsabers section, so it counts as Lightsaber despite any other qualities it may possess. So technically all of these things are correct. (By the way, Sunder isn't automatic so they could potentially hold the guy off with their thumb. Or a tin cup.) They don't even have to start with it, since the emitter itself is not restricted. A player might even be able to craft one with an appropriate check. Anyway, narratively, the whole point of the training saber is to provide the wielder experience with sabers without the risks involved with a normal one.

So do these look like the ones from the Kotor mmo or look like more like light sabers?

Anyone know of any pictures or images of a training light saber?

TOR (The Old Republic, which is the MMO) did not use training sabers for whatever reason. They are fully functioning lightsabers; they just don't do the same sort of damage and they don't (for game purposes) have a crystal. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Training_lightsaber

OH, I love this idea of starting off with training sabers. I'm working on a similar campaign where I have 6 Padawans who are stranded together after Order 66, wherein they must evade capture by Bounty Hunters, Imperial Forces, etc…Furthermore they cannot reveal themselves as Jedi out of fear they may draw notice from civilians and subsequently the aforementioned forces.

As I was discussing this with another GM, he brought up the concept that Padawans are still very young (say 15 terran years or so). But some would be older and potentially have their own sabers. So the younger ones could still have access to training sabers so we don't have OP characters with rare weapons (or at least too many of them).

I think it's totally reasonable. Have fun with it.

One of my PCs is about to get a training saber from Olee Starstone. This should be fun.

Can they still allow Parry and Reflect to be used?

-Is this a workaround to make a 'stun' only weapon deal Wound damage to someone with the Improved talents?

I'm not sure what you are asking here so forgive me if I'm off base but I will say the damage from Improved Parry comes from the wielded weapon, not the weapon of the attacker you parried.

And note Parry can be used with any melee weapon too.

Heh... Training Shoto Saber.. now if they're treated as light sabers then nothing stops you from them having curved hilts or modified length blades... well eventually.

Just thinking the less they look like standard light sabers the less likely your character gets arrested on trumped up charges because they aren't likely to think twice once they see it.

Another reason we need some fluff on why they aren't illegal too, maybe something tying in the Tapani Sector and their Light foil duelists?

I would have thought they would still be restricted simply because they evoke a certain image that the empire has struggled to snuff.

Out-of-game, they wanted something a player could purchase for their character at character creation, but I wonder if there could be a good justification in-game for their low price and lack of restriction

Assuming a Rebellion Era play, I do not really understand why training emitter is the only one not restricted while all the Kyber chrystals for "normal" lightsabers are restricted.

My understanding is that lightsabers are quite special and iconic weapons, and still 20 years after Order 66, if you reveal a functioning lightsaber when you are attacked on the street or in a cantina (even if you are on the Outer Rim with somewhat limited Imperial presence), it is a significant risk for your character than someone will identify it (at least having vague idea that the glowstick is linked to some illegal sect the Empire is hunting for), and you will have bounty hunters / stormtroopers / others after you in a few encounters time.

I assume that a training saber looks almost exactly like a "normal" saber, the only difference is the damage related parameters, as training saber is only a bit stronger than a shock gloves, while a real saber is one of the most powerful weapon in the game. So if you dare to use a training saber in an encounter, you are facing the same risks as if you were using real saber.

For this reasons, I do not understand what is the reason for it not being Restricted.

As I am playing an initiate level Force user now and aiming to get lightsaber eventually, this is my concern if I ever have chance to use it during the game. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, some of my assumptions might not be correct.

Restriction is about the difficulty of acquisition, not the illegality of it. Khyber crystals are used almost exclusively for Lightsabers. However, building a training emitter is probably a fairly simple task and almost certainly uses more common components. Anyone else notice in Rebels where Kanan puts something on his lightsaber? My guess is that that's what the training emitter is supposed to be. I can't recall him actually slicing anything with his saber yet, anyway.

Restriction is about the difficulty of acquisition, not the illegality of it. Khyber crystals are used almost exclusively for Lightsabers. However, building a training emitter is probably a fairly simple task and almost certainly uses more common components. Anyone else notice in Rebels where Kanan puts something on his lightsaber? My guess is that that's what the training emitter is supposed to be. I can't recall him actually slicing anything with his saber yet, anyway.

I just assumed his lightsaber was partially disassembled for dramatic and safety reasons. It would make sense to partially disassemble a weapon like this in the event of arrest so that the weapon is less noticeable and easier to move (the same sort of reason why a sniper might disassemble their rifle, though less to do with space and storage). But there is also the dramatic and visual-narrative aspect for TV so that there is a visually notable point when Kanan busts out his Jedi; simply drawing a light saber has less effect since this was supposed to be a bit of a reveal and surprise.

Training emitters could potentially have a legitimate legal function outside of being used in a lightsaber

Training emitters could potentially have a legitimate legal function outside of being used in a lightsaber

Like training to kill Jedi.

Training emitters could potentially have a legitimate legal function outside of being used in a lightsaber

Like training to kill Jedi.

Any chance of an article or podcast on this subject?