But every extra mod adds 1 to the difficulty so even with the -2 different you will still start rack up the difficulty

Yes. What I said before is that granting you a success in the first mod check (the one made at P difficulty) isn't that much of an improvement, since it's the least likely to fail.

As far as the benefit (auto-pass on first modification attempt), I wonder if that a more long-lasting benefit to going through the whole "personally constructed lightsaber" business might be a simple boost die on the Mechanics checks.

It's still a nice perk, one that will be useful as the PC progresses to increasingly more difficult modifications (such as fully tweaking an Ilum crystal) but at the same time isn't that large of a bonus.

So I have been watching a lot of the animated star wars shows (Clone Wars and Rebels) and I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with the amount of options there are for lightsabers.

In Rebels, the main character has a lightsaber he can break into two parts and reconnect easily, helping him hide it. The force sensitive, when he finally makes his own lightsaber, has a stun blaster build into the guard (Which turns out to provide for a really interesting combat style). The inquisitor that chases them has a double saber that has a ring that the emitters spin on, making it into a lightsaber-saw. The whole time everyone was asking the question "Can your lightsaber do that?"

I would like to have more lightsaber 'modifications' so I could say in response to a question like that: "Yes."

So I have been watching a lot of the animated star wars shows (Clone Wars and Rebels) and I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with the amount of options there are for lightsabers.

In Rebels, the main character has a lightsaber he can break into two parts and reconnect easily, helping him hide it. The force sensitive, when he finally makes his own lightsaber, has a stun blaster build into the guard (Which turns out to provide for a really interesting combat style). The inquisitor that chases them has a double saber that has a ring that the emitters spin on, making it into a lightsaber-saw. The whole time everyone was asking the question "Can your lightsaber do that?"

I would like to have more lightsaber 'modifications' so I could say in response to a question like that: "Yes."

I think you can expect to see a lot more attachments and mods appear in future supplements. However, just the presence of the system to modify lightsabers (and all weapons) is a huge leap forward from any previous SW RPG. This system has vastly improved flexibility, so you don't need specific rules for every table and every situation.

As far as the examples your provided, I think the first two are pretty easy. Kannan's saber can break apart to improve concealability is mechanically very similar to a mod that's in the EotE corebook that improves concealability. It takes one HP and has a range penalty (I think it's + 1 setback die to shoot beyond short range), but you could come up with some other minor penalty that's suitable for the 'saber. I would probably decrease damage or something.

The stun-blaster attachment is mechanically similar to the under-slung flame-thrower and grenade launcher attachments. So in this case I'd stat it out to be like 2HP (like the aforementioned attachments), 5 damage, Stun quality, Crit --, max range medium (short?).

For the Inquisitor's saber... I just can't come up with a mechanical effect for the spinning handle. Maybe the saber gets autofire instead of linked? definitely costs 2 HP. It should probably get more awkward to yield (whatever the Agi version of Cumbersome is, I forget).

But yeah, you add whatever you *need* for the game pretty easily. And if you need it to be "by the book" then you'll probably have to wait a bit, but that stuff should be coming.

So I have been watching a lot of the animated star wars shows (Clone Wars and Rebels) and I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with the amount of options there are for lightsabers.

In Rebels, the main character has a lightsaber he can break into two parts and reconnect easily, helping him hide it. The force sensitive, when he finally makes his own lightsaber, has a stun blaster build into the guard (Which turns out to provide for a really interesting combat style). The inquisitor that chases them has a double saber that has a ring that the emitters spin on, making it into a lightsaber-saw. The whole time everyone was asking the question "Can your lightsaber do that?"

I would like to have more lightsaber 'modifications' so I could say in response to a question like that: "Yes."

It amuses me to think what the different Jedi would make of Ezra's shooty-sabre. (I'm naming it now).

Obi Wan would simply shake his head with a Kids Today sort of smile and say "oh dear". (Both PT and OT versions would do this).

Qui-Gon Jinn would be fully approving of experimentation and praise Ezra for innovation but "to be mindful where you point that thing"

Luminara would bust Ezra back down to Youngling class and ground him in the temple for a month.

Yoda would chuckle and tell Ezra "lacks balance your lightsabre does".

Mace would either invent a new lightsabre form with it or methodically demolish Ezra in a five hour training session to make sure he familiarized himself with it. Possibly both.

Speaking of modifications, how exactly does the extended hilt work? I haven't managed to acquire the book yet, but I'm planning on using a long-handled lightsaber with my first force-sensitive character.

It amuses me to think what the different Jedi would make of Ezra's shooty-sabre. (I'm naming it now).

I move this be added to canon.

Speaking of modifications, how exactly does the extended hilt work? I haven't managed to acquire the book yet, but I'm planning on using a long-handled lightsaber with my first force-sensitive character.

I want to say reduces crit by 1, to a minimum of one. It's an attachment, 1 HP, can't remember if there are any mods. Someone will give you the deets from the book, or I'll do it when I get home.

Jedimerc got you below.

There's also a separate Lightpike weapon (or something similar. a lightsaber polearm, basically) described, I believe. So I'm not sure which one you're considering for your character.

Extended Hilt increases Damage by 1 and has 1 Vicious +1 mod. It requires 1 Hard Point.

It amuses me to think what the different Jedi would make of Ezra's shooty-sabre. (I'm naming it now).

I move this be added to canon.

Speaking of modifications, how exactly does the extended hilt work? I haven't managed to acquire the book yet, but I'm planning on using a long-handled lightsaber with my first force-sensitive character.

I want to say reduces crit by 1, to a minimum of one. It's an attachment, 1 HP, can't remember if there are any mods. Someone will give you the deets from the book, or I'll do it when I get home.

Jedimerc got you below.

There's also a separate Lightpike weapon (or something similar. a lightsaber polearm, basically) described, I believe. So I'm not sure which one you're considering for your character.

Extended Hilt increases Damage by 1 and has 1 Vicious +1 mod. It requires 1 Hard Point.

Thanks! OggDude's char generator still uses the beta rules, where the extended hilt cost two hard points. I'm planning on saving the pike for a Talz Jedi I've come up with, since their a more primitive species and are more familiar with spears and the like.

So I have been watching a lot of the animated star wars shows (Clone Wars and Rebels) and I have to say I'm kind of disappointed with the amount of options there are for lightsabers.

In Rebels, the main character has a lightsaber he can break into two parts and reconnect easily, helping him hide it. The force sensitive, when he finally makes his own lightsaber, has a stun blaster build into the guard (Which turns out to provide for a really interesting combat style). The inquisitor that chases them has a double saber that has a ring that the emitters spin on, making it into a lightsaber-saw. The whole time everyone was asking the question "Can your lightsaber do that?"

I would like to have more lightsaber 'modifications' so I could say in response to a question like that: "Yes."

I'm not sure many more opitions are needed to do anything that we see in Rebels. For instance Kanan's lightsaber is easy to replicate with out having to modify it. It's not that big of a deal to assume that one could take apart a lightsabre and store it's components separately. This would be no different from a GM deciding that yes the Solder who is a sniper can take apart his sniper rifle to place in an easy to carry case. Same basic concept. Most modern weapons can be disassembled for cleaning and transport and so I would rule that in Star Wars the sames holds true, even for a lightsabre. So not need to worry about the modifications rules there.

As for Ezra's well it's a simple matter to look at the blaster mods the blaster mods and apply it to a lightsabre. For the Inqusitor the basic question is this is the spinning blade providing some kind of mechanical advantage? If not then don't need to worry about a mod. I would allow the player to describe his double bladed lightsabre working in that fashion as a minor cosmetic thing. If it does then I'd work with the player to figure out what effect he's going for and work from there.

The basic point though is that the current modification system works rather well. I'm sure more mods for lightsabre's are going to appear in future books, in the same way that more mods appeared for other items in the other lines. But I do feel that the current mod system is really only limited by what the GM and players can come up with. Nothing in the rules says that blaster mods can't be applied to a lightsabre so there's a lot of range to work with.

Basically the answer to the question "Can your lightsabre do that?" is already yes.

Extended Hilt increases Damage by 1 and has 1 Vicious +1 mod. It requires 1 Hard Point.

It also states that you will be using it with two hands to provide the additional leverage needed to increase the damage (or something like that).

Edit: Meh... yes, it is fluff... it is also common sense. I will always default to common sense over min/max. I know the world doesn't work that way and I'm weird. I'll take that as a compliment and go on...

Extended Hilt increases Damage by 1 and has 1 Vicious +1 mod. It requires 1 Hard Point.

It also states that you will be using it with two hands to provide the additional leverage needed to increase the damage (or something like that).

In the fluff, yeah, but it's not a mechanical requirement to get the increased damage.

Yeah, I'm sure we'll see additional attachments for lightsabers down the line.

There's not only Ezra's blaster-saber, but also Asajj with her twin curved-hlit 'sabers that could be linked together into a double-bladed lightsaber, and then Kylo Ren's crossguard hilt 'saber. There's also the guard shoto, but that could just as easily be a new 'saber hilt as it could be an attachment.

I did cook up an attachment for Kanan's two-piece hilt that gave a moderate penalty to Perception checks to find it when concealed. Was fairly cheap and only required 1 hard point, but certain individuals took umbrage with the attachment not requiring two separate maneuvers (one to draw, one to assemble). Given that particularly reaction, FFG is probably better off just leaving the two-piece hilt as narrative fluff.

Not sure why reading that about linking Asajj's curved hilt sabers made me think of it, but...

Krull .... Glaive (not the polearm, the gigantic throwing star)... Lightglaive ^tm !! (with a Cortosis Weave gauntlet, of course!)

Can we trademark an idea on a forum that combines two other ideas? If so, I am editing to show it and when... lol

If I can think of a name, I'll modify to that...

There's not only Ezra's blaster-saber, but also Asajj with her twin curved-hlit 'sabers that could be linked together into a double-bladed lightsaber, and then Kylo Ren's crossguard hilt 'saber. There's also the guard shoto, but that could just as easily be a new 'saber hilt as it could be an attachment.

Kylo's is rather easy. If it is just a cosmetic look no worry. Asajj's on the other hand is actually complicated in my opinion. Every canon depiction of the double bladed lightsabre has been shown to be workable in two parts. Both Maul and the Inquisitor have theirs cut in half and they are still able to use one of the halves (or in the Inquisitor's case both halves were seen to still be working fine as the plummeted). So clearly you can break them in two and have a working sabre. But for a build like Asajj I wouldn't require a mod slot to separate them, just an extra lightsabre crystal because it's obvious these are two working lightsabres meant to be wielded in either fashion.

But then it gets tricky. How many hard points does it have? There is a case to be made for twice as much or the same as a normal double bladed lightsabre. Will you lose access to some mods and gain access to others based on configuration? Is it one Mechanics check or two? When moding it do you treat it as two seperate weapons or as one big weapon as the book currently treats the double sabre? If it's one then how does that work when splitting up mods? Does on one sabre have the mods and the other not? Do both of them have them?

Of course this isn't something I expect the rules to specifically address. But I do think that Asajj's build is not a simple one and requires a lot more GM consideration than the normal double sabre build might.

Which is sad because Asajj's build is what I have in mind for my own Jedi.

There's not only Ezra's blaster-saber, but also Asajj with her twin curved-hlit 'sabers that could be linked together into a double-bladed lightsaber, and then Kylo Ren's crossguard hilt 'saber. There's also the guard shoto, but that could just as easily be a new 'saber hilt as it could be an attachment.

Kylo's is rather easy. If it is just a cosmetic look no worry. Asajj's on the other hand is actually complicated in my opinion. Every canon depiction of the double bladed lightsabre has been shown to be workable in two parts. Both Maul and the Inquisitor have theirs cut in half and they are still able to use one of the halves (or in the Inquisitor's case both halves were seen to still be working fine as the plummeted). So clearly you can break them in two and have a working sabre. But for a build like Asajj I wouldn't require a mod slot to separate them, just an extra lightsabre crystal because it's obvious these are two working lightsabres meant to be wielded in either fashion.

But then it gets tricky. How many hard points does it have? There is a case to be made for twice as much or the same as a normal double bladed lightsabre. Will you lose access to some mods and gain access to others based on configuration? Is it one Mechanics check or two? When moding it do you treat it as two seperate weapons or as one big weapon as the book currently treats the double sabre? If it's one then how does that work when splitting up mods? Does on one sabre have the mods and the other not? Do both of them have them?

Of course this isn't something I expect the rules to specifically address. But I do think that Asajj's build is not a simple one and requires a lot more GM consideration than the normal double sabre build might.

Which is sad because Asajj's build is what I have in mind for my own Jedi.

I'd say: 1-2 hardpoints for each saber, mechanics check for each (although the case could be made for a single check I think, perhaps with upgraded difficulty?). Allows the lightsabers to link together and gain linked quality and treated as double bladed weapon, maneuver to link them. Mod could be to make it an incidental. Doesn't really need to be more complicated than that I think.

There is a case to be made for twice as much or the same as a normal double bladed lightsabre. Will you lose access to some mods and gain access to others based on configuration? Is it one Mechanics check or two? When moding it do you treat it as two seperate weapons or as one big weapon as the book currently treats the double sabre? If it's one then how does that work when splitting up mods? Does on one sabre have the mods and the other not? Do both of them have them?

I think the solution is in the passage I quoted: treat it as a double saber that breaks apart, not two separate sabers that join. IIRC the book already doubles the costs for double-saber mods. Attachments and mods are performed on the big saber and the smaller sabers just inherit all the attachments and mods on the big one, which have already been paid for in the aforementioned double cost. As far as I can tell, this solves basically every problem you have above.

If you want different qualities on each saber, you're basically fighting with two separate weapons anyway. I don't think you could apply the linked quality, either (again, IIRC, link requires *identical* weapons in the grouping).

And if you want a double-sided, detachable 'saber with different qualities on each end and don't want to use the two-weapon fighting rules... Tough. That's too involved for the rules and needlessly complex. Fluff justification: If built, such a device would become to unwieldy and cumbersome to effectively function as a weapon, even in the hands of Jedi.

Yes, you can fail. But given the -2 difficulty when modding your saber and the adding your FR when modding your crystal, GYYYY+FR vs P seems a quite advantageous roll.

About the attachments you can add to a saber, guys, don't forget Shadowsheath and Paired Weapons.

Where are the rules written for the -2 difficulty?

Yes, you can fail. But given the -2 difficulty when modding your saber and the adding your FR when modding your crystal, GYYYY+FR vs P seems a quite advantageous roll.

About the attachments you can add to a saber, guys, don't forget Shadowsheath and Paired Weapons.

Where are the rules written for the -2 difficulty?

Pg. 196, first sentence.

Yes, you can fail. But given the -2 difficulty when modding your saber and the adding your FR when modding your crystal, GYYYY+FR vs P seems a quite advantageous roll.

About the attachments you can add to a saber, guys, don't forget Shadowsheath and Paired Weapons.

Where are the rules written for the -2 difficulty?

Pg. 196, first sentence.

Awesome, thanks!

There is a case to be made for twice as much or the same as a normal double bladed lightsabre. Will you lose access to some mods and gain access to others based on configuration? Is it one Mechanics check or two? When moding it do you treat it as two seperate weapons or as one big weapon as the book currently treats the double sabre? If it's one then how does that work when splitting up mods? Does on one sabre have the mods and the other not? Do both of them have them?

I think the solution is in the passage I quoted: treat it as a double saber that breaks apart, not two separate sabers that join. IIRC the book already doubles the costs for double-saber mods. Attachments and mods are performed on the big saber and the smaller sabers just inherit all the attachments and mods on the big one, which have already been paid for in the aforementioned double cost. As far as I can tell, this solves basically every problem you have above.

If you want different qualities on each saber, you're basically fighting with two separate weapons anyway. I don't think you could apply the linked quality, either (again, IIRC, link requires *identical* weapons in the grouping).

And if you want a double-sided, detachable 'sable with different qualities on each end and don't want to use the two-weapon fighting rules... Tough. That's too involved for the rules and needlessly complex. Fluff justification: I built, such a device would become to unwieldy and cumbersome to effectively function as a weapon, even in the hands of Jedi.

That being said, I felt that I preferred to duelweild in the end since he character preferred pistols, and wasn't much better then a self trained pedi wan when it came to duelling.

Thus, to clarify my position in the first post; it should be perfectly fine to have two seperate functioning lightsabers to join together, to be linked as when approiate, but then you would only use the perk of one designated leading saber and it's mods. This meant I could personalise both of them, but when combat was joined I didn't have a super stacked lightsaber; but merely a pair that was incredably flexable in function.

Personally as I was using two syntherised crystals (taken from a temple and my first inquistor kill respectively) all this meant was that I couldn't benifit from both weapons while joined together. Which was a fine trade for the linked quaility, yet I could spilt them apart if I needed a particlar quaility (defensive) or I needed to pass one out or conseal them (two is easier to hide then one big one, I also very rarely lend them out as being spotted with one is often a great deal more bother then it's worth, in character experience.)

Just be weary though, linking sabers can often overwhem anything not tailoured towards resisting damage from fully modified crystals, since there are very few PC's that can actually take more then two strokes, and most likely one blow could down a PC on a good day.

Regarding the customization of lightsabers, I was experimenting earlier with constructing the most brutal lightsaber possible with the current rule set. Here's what I came up with:

Take one basic lightsaber hilt

install a Krayt Dragon Pearl, Extended Hilt, Curved Hilt, and Superior, and apply all available mods

It'll run you a *minimum* of $25,900 credits assuming you make *all* of your mod checks on the first try, and never have to start an attachment over, but for that effort, you get:

Damage 12, Crit 1, Breach 1, Sunder, Vicious 5, with either 1 or 2 'bonus' Advantages on every roll.

On a hit, the character is *very* likely to drop their target completely, due to the minimum damage of 13 combined with Breach, and can actually score a first-crit kill.

Hint: Don't send them up with a Sith armed with this thing unless you're *looking* to kill one or more of them!

Regarding the customization of lightsabers, I was experimenting earlier with constructing the most brutal lightsaber possible with the current rule set. Here's what I came up with:

Take one basic lightsaber hilt

install a Krayt Dragon Pearl, Extended Hilt, Curved Hilt, and Superior, and apply all available mods

It'll run you a *minimum* of $25,900 credits assuming you make *all* of your mod checks on the first try, and never have to start an attachment over, but for that effort, you get:

Damage 12, Crit 1, Breach 1, Sunder, Vicious 5, with either 1 or 2 'bonus' Advantages on every roll.

On a hit, the character is *very* likely to drop their target completely, due to the minimum damage of 13 combined with Breach, and can actually score a first-crit kill.

Hint: Don't send them up with a Sith armed with this thing unless you're *looking* to kill one or more of them!

I now know what saber my Dark Council member will be carrying if my players ever try to fight him despite my many warnings..

Regarding the customization of lightsabers, I was experimenting earlier with constructing the most brutal lightsaber possible with the current rule set. Here's what I came up with:

Take one basic lightsaber hilt

install a Krayt Dragon Pearl, Extended Hilt, Curved Hilt, and Superior, and apply all available mods

It'll run you a *minimum* of $25,900 credits assuming you make *all* of your mod checks on the first try, and never have to start an attachment over, but for that effort, you get:

Damage 12, Crit 1, Breach 1, Sunder, Vicious 5, with either 1 or 2 'bonus' Advantages on every roll.

On a hit, the character is *very* likely to drop their target completely, due to the minimum damage of 13 combined with Breach, and can actually score a first-crit kill.

Hint: Don't send them up with a Sith armed with this thing unless you're *looking* to kill one or more of them!

I now know what saber my Dark Council member will be carrying if my players ever try to fight him despite my many warnings..

It's probably not actually the most deadly combination (there are crystals that throw in Burn, or Concussion that can probably beat it with the right build/tactics even though they'll do less damage), but it's certainly the most obviously brutal one.