Second, for silence:

You guys know how there's those noise cancelling headphones?

Here's how they work: They have microphones in them. They pick up outside sound, and they reverse the phase of such sounds, then add that to the sounds going into your ears.

The basic principle of any wave in a media (in this case, air), is that if you combine two waves at 90 degrees of displacement from each other (if you look at a graph you'd see they basically look like they're always going in the opposite direction from each other), they both cancel each other out. In the case of sound, this creates, you guessed it, silence.

So, no need for any weird crystal or anything like that. Just add a microphone and a speaker to your saber, reverse the phase, kaboom. Silent saber.

Forgive me if I'm missing something but noise cancelling headphones the counter soundwaves are created at the receiving end not at the generation point. Further the sound emanates both from the generator (within the hilt) and the blade itself. So maybe you could dampen the sound of the generator but you'd be hard pressed to do that for the blade. Sort of like how suppressors work on the explosive sound of a gun going off but do nothing for the sound of the bullet travelling.

If the speaker you install on the saber is powerful enough to match the blade's hum, it will work.

In the bullet case, the bullet is traveling by itself. If there's a speaker attached to the saber's hilt, it's always close enough to the blade to do the deed.

Record, say, 10 minutes of a 100Hz sound, and then play music through speakers.

Then bring a separate set of speakers with matching power, and play the 100Hz sound. Listen to the 100Hz frequency in the music being at least dampened. It's fun.

Now, in Star Wars, accounting for galactic tech... yeah it'd work. ;-)

Just to provide an answer to this, the newly announced "Endless Vigil" sourcebook for Sentinels has this line in the article:

Sounds promising.

Just to provide an answer to this, the newly announced "Endless Vigil" sourcebook for Sentinels has this line in the article:

Sounds promising.

I suspect this will probably lean more towards making the hilt easier to hide, either by making it look like something else entirely, or allowing the option to have it break apart much like Kanan's does in Rebels.

Just to provide an answer to this, the newly announced "Endless Vigil" sourcebook for Sentinels has this line in the article:

Sounds promising.

I suspect this will probably lean more towards making the hilt easier to hide, either by making it look like something else entirely, or allowing the option to have it break apart much like Kanan's does in Rebels.

I mean, unless we're veering away from the canon, you won't be making the hum of a lightsaber any more quiet. On the other hand, this rpg is set between canon and legends...

I still contend, however, that sound is the least of your worries with a lightsabre. Unless the person you're about to stab is blind they'll see the blade and any benefit you'd of had from it being silent is lost. I'm not sure I picture to many encounters were hearing the blade is what stopped you from being all steathly.

To be fair whether a lightsaber is stealthy or not depends largely upon how it is used. Hypothetical examples are being tossed left and right about flashes of light, loud noises. When in truth I imagine a "stealthy lightsaber" would be used in a more sly manner; like in metal gear solid when a singular guard is moved out of the way when none others are looking, to me theres very little difference between a flashing blade ripping someone's throat open or a blade of light ripping through their chest; only one is mildly more attention drawing then the other so lets conclude that whatever the weapon is it probably wouldn't be that stealthy in taking out a entire room of guards that all have line of sight on each other, practically nothing is.

I would naturally give a lightsaber 3 setback dice being used on the stealth check; 2 from the loud clicking hum and 1 for the shaft of light on the assumption it is being used in a careful manner. Environmental hazards such as bright lights or excessive noise would naturally neutralise those factors, thus any upgrades to a lightsaber to make it more stealthy would be along that vain.

I would prepose that it would be a crystal rather then a mod though; one that produces a more subdued humming noise, thus reducing setbacks available from the noise. Any mods would likely follow the same logic, though only light neutralisation (a selection of a more subtle hue) could be a crystal modifier.

In the Star Wars setting the lightsabre is as much a weapon for it's effectiveness as it is for its presence, it's meant to be seen and heard because it represents the two sides of the Force in conflict and I think tampering with that is un-Star Wars-y.

In Star Wars the Lightsabre is a symbol first and a weapon second, Obi Wan tells us as much in when he says to Luke that is was a "Elegant weapon for a simpler time". It represents the motivations of the character's we see wielding them.

When a Jedi ignites their lightsabre it's because all other options have failed and that they understand and accept the consequences of what will happen next. It shows their resolve and their determination. A lightsaber is not the weapon of an assassin for them it's the weapon of a knight and a Jedi knight fights in the clear light of truth.

For the Sith it's a little different but only because the intention skewed a different way. The lightsabre for them is a symbol of power and projects fear on their adversaries. They don't hide that power they bask in it's light.

Anyway it's easy to justify some kind of technological way of dampening the sound if you want but I think it doesn't fit the setting well. If your PCs want to sneak up and take someone out silently then a lightsabre isn't the weapon for that job, use a vibro knife instead.

If Darth Maul can live through being cut in half and dropped down a long hole, with no way of climbing up (even if he still had his legs) on a planet where he's got no friends.....

If a planet can drink the power of a star into itself then blast it through hyperspace to hit multiple targets, an event observed by the galaxy it seems.....

If Han Solo can hyperspeed into a planet's atmosphere without an explosive splat.....

.....surely nothing is beyond the realms of Star Wars "science".

I'm happy to wait for Endless Vigil, but if I had to DIY a Stealth Saber, this is how I'd do it:

Black Kyber crystal. Produces a blade which, if not black, is certainly near-black because it's so dark. However, I'd also sacrifice some of the damage, or even Sunder, since the blade wouldn't be as hot as the lightsaber.

As to sound, it could be a high pitch that humans and others can't hear. Unfortunately, it'd drive dogs and the like loopy so maybe not such a good idea. Another option is to quiet the sound to a light humming, which in busy urban environment or industrial area could go unnoticed. But in a place where there's no noise, it would be noticeable.

Personally, I like my lightsabers bright and noisy. I'd also point out that an occasion requiring a lightsaber is usually an occasion where stealth is no longer an issue.

It's a big galaxy. I'm sure there's some type of crystal/substance/compound/technology that would allow for a silent lightsaber blade.

Bonus points if you narrate a spooky, ethereal blade that produces thin wisps of fog when lit.

Jegergryte mentioned Stygium crystals; that is absolutely a great idea for this.

Smoky/wispy blade you say, hmm, sounds like the blackwing crystal.

Here's my take on the Stygium crystal . In play-test it has shown to be powerful, but not game breaking.

I would agree that making a silent lightsaber would be un-Star Wars-y.

I would suggest that if they need to cut through something, illuminate a room, or remove a sentry without being noticed that they utilize a different tool.

(I'm having difficulty imagining a Jedi crawling through an airduct and somehow retrieving their lightsaber, igniting it, cutting through the ductwork, retaining the chunk of ductwork they just cut through, displacing the duct work they cut through, and then dropping through the hole.)

If you need something to cut through something, I would use a Mission Impossible -type gadget, like a pocket-sized folding glass cutter with a suction cup (except because Star Wars, it would use a laser rather than a diamond blade and "magnets" instead of suction). If they need illumination, a torch or NODs of some sort. If they need to eliminate or neutralize a sentry, a dagger or some sort of shuriken (with a quick-acting knock-out agent or an electrical charge that can knock-out a biological sentient or ionize a droid).