So, I got to thinking we've seen all sorts of lightsabers up to stun gun modded, why not full on blaster lightsabers? Anyone have homebrew rules or thoughts about what that would entail?

I was thinking special hilt or mod, as special crystal would seem odd, system-wise.

I personally wouldn't do this.

#1 Blasters are already able to be pretty much as effective as a Lightsaber expect you can use them for defense.

#2 The Design of the Light saber (and IMO the reason it slices right through bodies) is that Unlike a Blaster whose energy is dispated by impact with an object/Target, The Light saber is designed for a continuous stream of Energy that is always renewed continually so that it is not dissipated with contact, so that it can actually cut through.

If you are trying to Make Continuous stream laser weapons, Like in Babylon 5, then a Star Wars Setting is the wrong setting for you. Not to Mention, a Continuous stream, personal scale, Laser gun would have all sorts of problems with collateral damage.

So, I got to thinking we've seen all sorts of lightsabers up to stun gun modded, why not full on blaster lightsabers? Anyone have homebrew rules or thoughts about what that would entail?

I was thinking special hilt or mod, as special crystal would seem odd, system-wise.

Well, they would have to be two separate weapons in the same hand-held apparatus. Blasters are particle weapons that fire bolts of ionized gas, while lightsabers are plasma swords focused by Force imbued crystals. While they both use power cells for juice, they are fundamentally not compatible with one another. So it would be difficult to combine them without something very clunky, as you need all the blasters components and lightsaber components jammed into something small enough to wield proficiently as a lightsaber hilt.

I suppose you could add a watered-down holdout blaster stats to a standard lightsaber hilt.. but I'd rule it should take up all your HPs, because of the extra tech you're jamming into such a compact package, yet you need to maintain it's balance as a hilt.

Never seen such a thing.

I'm sure most of us are aware of Ezra's saber. But it's hardly the first time that disney's inserted crap that didn't exist, and doesn't make sense into one of their series. I take half of all disney's crap ideas with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Admittedly I like the Rebels series, but that doesn't mean I am willing to add everything seen in the series into my games!

I'm sure most of us are aware of Ezra's saber. But it's hardly the first time that disney's inserted crap that didn't exist, and doesn't make sense into one of their series. I take half of all disney's crap ideas with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Admittedly I like the Rebels series, but that doesn't mean I am willing to add everything seen in the series into my games!

Guess Disney ain't cannon and Ezra's weapon won't make it into a FFG book, then again, not adding everything in the series is your choice, the OP wants to and you ain't his GM.

I'm sure most of us are aware of Ezra's saber. But it's hardly the first time that disney's inserted crap that didn't exist, and doesn't make sense into one of their series. I take half of all disney's crap ideas with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Admittedly I like the Rebels series, but that doesn't mean I am willing to add everything seen in the series into my games!

Guess Disney ain't cannon and Ezra's weapon won't make it into a FFG book, then again, not adding everything in the series is your choice, the OP wants to and you ain't his GM.

You evidently didn't bother to read my original post. I gave him tips on how to create a blaster/lightsaber, or at least how I'd manage it as a GM. So you're comment seems rather silly at the moment.

EDIT: When I said I wouldn't include all of disney's little changes, I was thinking more along the lines of things like the B-Wing's superlaser that can 1-shot a light cruiser. I'm not about to alter a B-Wing for this silliness. Even as a prototype, that was kinda lame. I'm all for the power of plot, but theirs only so far you can stretch believe-ability.

As Ezra's custom-built hilt shows, it can be done, adding a "blaster" to a lightsaber hilt.

However, the thing is going to be bulky. Consider all the extra trappings on Ezra's hilt, which many have likened to looking like a stapler gun. And with all the added parts needed for a full-on blaster, such a hilt is going to be bulkier still.

Ezra likely uses a stun-blaster because at the time he wasn't fully comfortable with having a killing weapon; remember his prior weapon was an energy slingshot that was more a nuisance than a proper weapon. And with a stun pulse, it lets him defend himself without having to take a life every time he pulls the trigger, something that worked out for Kanan and Rex when Ezra mistakenly shot them (in his defense, they were dressed as stormtroopers and he had no idea they were mounting a rescue).

For the stunblaster hilt, I'd say it'd up the Encumbrance by 1, and a full-on blaster-hilt would up the Encumbrance by 2. In terms of weapon performance, I'd use the light blaster pistol for damage, range, and crit value, but with zero options to further modify the blaster portion.

Nothing as yet for ranged/melee weapons in the game. If something like this, blaster/lightsaber, was allowed I would keep it as a uique item at this time.

As Ezra's custom-built hilt shows, it can be done, adding a "blaster" to a lightsaber hilt.

However, the thing is going to be bulky. Consider all the extra trappings on Ezra's hilt, which many have likened to looking like a stapler gun. And with all the added parts needed for a full-on blaster, such a hilt is going to be bulkier still.

Ezra likely uses a stun-blaster because at the time he wasn't fully comfortable with having a killing weapon; remember his prior weapon was an energy slingshot that was more a nuisance than a proper weapon. And with a stun pulse, it lets him defend himself without having to take a life every time he pulls the trigger, something that worked out for Kanan and Rex when Ezra mistakenly shot them (in his defense, they were dressed as stormtroopers and he had no idea they were mounting a rescue).

For the stunblaster hilt, I'd say it'd up the Encumbrance by 1, and a full-on blaster-hilt would up the Encumbrance by 2. In terms of weapon performance, I'd use the light blaster pistol for damage, range, and crit value, but with zero options to further modify the blaster portion.

LoL thanks, I hadn't even made the stapler connection until you said it. Now I'm not going to be able to get that out of my head.

As for Ezra's saber-blaster, I considered a stun blaster, but he mentions when he accidently shot Kanan and Rex that he had it set to "stun". Rex told him he should have had it set to "kill". It's kind of an awkward weapon, as it doesn't behave like a typical blaster. More like a more powerful version of his old slingshot weapon.

I'm sure most of us are aware of Ezra's saber. But it's hardly the first time that disney's inserted crap that didn't exist, and doesn't make sense into one of their series. I take half of all disney's crap ideas with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Admittedly I like the Rebels series, but that doesn't mean I am willing to add everything seen in the series into my games!

Guess Disney ain't cannon and Ezra's weapon won't make it into a FFG book, then again, not adding everything in the series is your choice, the OP wants to and you ain't his GM.

You evidently didn't bother to read my original post. I gave him tips on how to create a blaster/lightsaber, or at least how I'd manage it as a GM. So you're comment seems rather silly at the moment.

EDIT: When I said I wouldn't include all of disney's little changes, I was thinking more along the lines of things like the B-Wing's superlaser that can 1-shot a light cruiser. I'm not about to alter a B-Wing for this silliness. Even as a prototype, that was kinda lame. I'm all for the power of plot, but theirs only so far you can stretch believe-ability.

It'ts the rant during that post and the second post that got me, why complain? Plus, it seemed like you didn't even describ Ezra's saber. So maybe less rant and more description would be a better way to go when helping someone.

Ezra's blaster saber is not stun only, I thought that at first as well until he shot Rex and Kallen with it. In the conversation after they wake up its revealed it was set to stun. Personally I'd go with any other attachment weapon like the shotgun and grenade launcher.

Blaster Saber hilt 2 hard points Damage 5 crit 4 range short limited ammo 5 with stun setting. You must spend a maneuver to switch between blaster and saber modes.

That should stop pretty much any abuse of such a toy. Especially since it pretty much precludes you from using all the usual attachments you want in a light saber.

Honestly I have absolutely no problems with the Cross Guard light saber, because it already existed long before Disney came along along with shoto's, whips, that strange 3 section staff electro thing, and tonfa. There are also light sabers with multiple crystals. Nothing Disney has done can be as strange as Dark Horse comics and the wannabe fan fiction novels that people have been crapping all over the EU for decades.

I'm sure most of us are aware of Ezra's saber. But it's hardly the first time that disney's inserted crap that didn't exist, and doesn't make sense into one of their series. I take half of all disney's crap ideas with a grain of salt.

EDIT: Admittedly I like the Rebels series, but that doesn't mean I am willing to add everything seen in the series into my games!

Guess Disney ain't cannon and Ezra's weapon won't make it into a FFG book, then again, not adding everything in the series is your choice, the OP wants to and you ain't his GM.

You evidently didn't bother to read my original post. I gave him tips on how to create a blaster/lightsaber, or at least how I'd manage it as a GM. So you're comment seems rather silly at the moment.

EDIT: When I said I wouldn't include all of disney's little changes, I was thinking more along the lines of things like the B-Wing's superlaser that can 1-shot a light cruiser. I'm not about to alter a B-Wing for this silliness. Even as a prototype, that was kinda lame. I'm all for the power of plot, but theirs only so far you can stretch believe-ability.

It'ts the rant during that post and the second post that got me, why complain? Plus, it seemed like you didn't even describ Ezra's saber. So maybe less rant and more description would be a better way to go when helping someone.

Describing Ezra's saber wasn't what the OP asked for. He wanted to know how we'd go about creating lightsaber/blaster combo. Ezra's saber isn't even technically a blaster. It fires some strange nebulous energy that seems to shock and isn't affected by Reflect, so definitely not a blaster type weapon.

Its firing a ball of plasma like what a light saber blade is made of.

Which by the way we have the technology to do right now.

The difference is there is a second emitter in the hilt designed to fire balls of it rather then create a magnetic bottle containing the plasma in a beam. Which a University in Missouri has been doing for a few years now they can shoot balls of self contained plasma across the room using what I'm guessing is a giant machine. Darpa even has a wonderful plasma rifle that is umm pretty much going to be banned as soon as they actually try and deploy it in the field.

So basically his hilt has a mechanism that spins the crystal to face the secondary emitter which then fires off balls of plasma energy as an attack.

Like I said 2 hard point hilt with hold out blaster stats modified by the crystal's stats.

This is not Rocket Science people...

When posting this question, I had a killian ranger in mind or merely a Jedi who would prefer/enjoy gunslinging as much as sword play.

I'm not totally worried about science justification, as I'm concerned with providing a balanced option to a player. For me lightsabers in star wars are more a representation of the hero's means of dealing out justice and his duty to defend the innocent. If a character wants a John Wayne/dirty Harry Jedi, why not? I understand not everyone will like it, but I'm not concerned about that since my group is fine with it.

I feel like it should be a mod worth two hps, only be effective at short range, base damage starts at 5 plus any crystal upgrades, stun setting, encumbrance +1, crit would be based on crystal, obviously. Switching between saber and blaster would be incidental, but only once per turn.

Any thoughts? Better to create as a distinct hilt style?

Unless you want people trying to make double bladed or shoto etc hilt blaster sabers its best to make it a hilt type.

@decorus, sounds good and what I was thinking about doing

Yeah, that's a potential worry, but I don't think he'll try that

Ezra's blaster saber is not stun only, I thought that at first as well until he shot Rex and Kallen with it. In the conversation after they wake up its revealed it was set to stun. Personally I'd go with any other attachment weapon like the shotgun and grenade launcher.

Blaster Saber hilt 2 hard points Damage 5 crit 4 range short limited ammo 5 with stun setting. You must spend a maneuver to switch between blaster and saber modes.

That should stop pretty much any abuse of such a toy. Especially since it pretty much precludes you from using all the usual attachments you want in a light saber.

Honestly I have absolutely no problems with the Cross Guard light saber, because it already existed long before Disney came along along with shoto's, whips, that strange 3 section staff electro thing, and tonfa. There are also light sabers with multiple crystals. Nothing Disney has done can be as strange as Dark Horse comics and the wannabe fan fiction novels that people have been crapping all over the EU for decades.

Hmm, I might go with 3 HPs, just because it looks like Ezra's saber is considerably modded. Question though, why just 5 shots? In the Legacy episode, Ezra fires at least a dozen shots at the stormtroopers that were pinning them down.

As for Dark Horse and Disney, they've both done some really strange things. I can accept or handwave a lot, but I have my personal limits. Enough said on this subject though. Let get back to melding blaster and lightsaber as one unit.

EDIT: I don't agree that it's firing plasma bolts. Plasma associated with lightsabers burns, not electrocutes! Whenever Ezra shot someone, electricity appears to arc through their bodies. Also he's hit some inanimate objects, like a metal ladder that clearly caused electricity to arc up and down the ladder.

A question for the OP, are you looking specifically for a blaster/lightsaber, or a version of Ezra's weapon?

DR-45 Dragoon with a Shoto lightsaber attached. If he has the skills and time he can design it himself and build it. Could be something he could work towards.

Plasma is surrounded with an electromagnetic containment field which is what the arcing is.

@mouthymerc Well the hope was to have a single unit, not a lightsaber as a bayonet.

@TalosX looking for a blaster, not just stungun

The player imagines the lightsaber as a single curved hilt that would shoot and ignite the blade from the same emitter

Plasma is surrounded with an electromagnetic containment field which is what the arcing is.

Except there would still be massive burn marks on people he shoots, as well as the ladder in "Brothers of the Broken Horn". Electromagnetic containment fields don't contain heat, and Ezra's weapon has left none of these signs. While an electromagnetic containment field is how we would use real world science for lightsabers, it's not how lightsabers operate in the Star Wars Universe. The plasma is focused via force imbued crystals which defy our knowledge.

The "bolt" that is fired is very similar to the energy slingshot he use to have (except it's blue and not yellow). They both also appeared to shock their targets. It is very possible that Ezra's blaster is an eletromagnetic weapon of some type, but it's unlikely to involve the sabers plasma. Though thinking about it, maybe he's only ever fired it using the Stun setting, which wouldn't use plasma for obvious reasons!? If that's the case, the Kill setting might utilize a plasma bolt. It's hard to say though since we don't know if/when he specifically used the Kill setting (unless I missed a specific scene).

Sidenote, if the Kill setting uses a plasma bolt, should it be subject to Reflect just like standard blasters?

@mouthymerc Well the hope was to have a single unit, not a lightsaber as a bayonet.

@TalosX looking for a blaster, not just stungun

The player imagines the lightsaber as a single curved hilt that would shoot and ignite the blade from the same emitter

Blasters and lightsabers are fundamentally different weapons, and would use different emitters. We could use Decorus's plasma bolt idea to make it work. The emitter would have to be complex enough to accomplish several different tasks. It would be tricky to build such a saber, but not necessarily impossible. You're essentially trying to fit a holdout blasters level of mechanics into a lightsabers hilt without impairing the lightsabers abilities.

I wouldn't bother with HPs, I'd declare it a unique hilt type. I'd give it a holdout blasters stats as a blaster, and a standard lightsabers stats for the blade. Require a maneuver to switch between the two modes. I also like Donovan's idea to increase its Encumbrance by 1, signifying the larger size of the weapons construction. I'd probably give it Limited Ammo between 10-20 as well. All in all, it's a pretty unique saber!

@mouthymerc Well the hope was to have a single unit, not a lightsaber as a bayonet.

@TalosX looking for a blaster, not just stungun

The player imagines the lightsaber as a single curved hilt that would shoot and ignite the blade from the same emitter

Tell him to take the class Warlock/Pact of the Blade and the Eldritch Blast cantrip. He can desribe the blasts coming from his sword.