A while back, when doing a black market purchase for unnusual items, one of my players got several successes, a Triumph and 4/5 Threats when buying an ancient sword from a trader (he didn't want to use the sword, he was trying to disguise as a customer to get information, but since his character is an explored who travels the galaxy looking for artifacts he kept it). The players decided that the sword had some unknown curse of my own design, and of course their characters didn't know anything about it.

Later on, the Force-sensitives in the group started to hear something calling them at night from that character's room, and after some investigatio they realised the sword is somehow linked to an old deserted planed called Korriban.

Basically, I've decided to turn the weapon into a Sith Sword linked to some dead Sith sorcerer (I haven't decided the particulars yet, the group is bussy at the moment with a mission). What abilities do you think are appropiate for a Sith sword?

My plan is that the Sword is linked to its former master somehow, and it'll try to tempt and corrupt the Force users into using it, so it has to have some nice perks attached to tempt them (it's sort of the One Ring of Sith swords).

Start with the ancient sword stats. Add Cortosis, Piece, and Vicious, then reduce HP to 0. As for special abilities, I have two ideas:

1. Red Death Option: Commit Force dice no greater than Force rating. As long as Force dice remain committed, every adversary killed with the sword heals 1 wound on the character. Character gains 1 Conflict for each wound recovered in this way (plus any other the GM deems appropriate).
2. Poison Reservoir Option: Check out the stats for the poison reservoir in Lords of Nal Hutta. Commit Force dice no greater than Force rating. As long as Force dice remain committed, the sword always counts as having 1 dose of poison per Force die committed, to a maximum of 3 (thinking the neurotoxin default, but any poison you deem appropriate (the effects of the bearsloth venom in Chronicles of the Gatekeeper are nasty); I just wouldn't allow the player to change the poison)

Perhaps while wielding it, they can tap into its dark side link. When they roll Force dice, they can once per roll treat one black pip as a white pip, without having to flip Destiny, but they take 1 Strain (it's a conduit, of sorts), and double the conflict, or something along that line, that sounds better. I like the above, and remember poisoned swords, like Naga Sadow's, but using the poison might not automatically taint you, for being a jerk. Here, you can choose to tap the dark side, and in a potentially advantageous way, but you'll rack up the conflict quickly, which is seemingly what the weapon wants. If you don't want to, then it works just like the sword would, or the Force power would. It certainly may be a bit to much, but I thought I'd share.

I should add that the second option should also incur Conflict.

I am in a similar situation. Players in my new campaign are about to discover a sith tomb which contains some ancient swords as starter weapons for the campaign. Here is where these questions overlap; flavor and lore-wise, should ancient swords have the cortosis quality? Did ancient sith weapons have the ability to parry with lightsabers?

If so, what advantages does the party have to making lightsabers rather than continuing to use these weapons? A sword draws less attention from prying eyes and could potentially be more deadly (with vicious mods etc.)

As far as modding swords, a previous GM of mine made an ancient sword that tempted it's wielder to strike against foes in unhonorable ways, like a sith spirit possession. Perhaps opposed discipline checks with the sword would work.

I am in a similar situation. Players in my new campaign are about to discover a sith tomb which contains some ancient swords as starter weapons for the campaign. Here is where these questions overlap; flavor and lore-wise, should ancient swords have the cortosis quality? Did ancient sith weapons have the ability to parry with lightsabers?

If so, what advantages does the party have to making lightsabers rather than continuing to use these weapons? A sword draws less attention from prying eyes and could potentially be more deadly (with vicious mods etc.)

In Legends stories, some could parry lightsabers. It really just depends. KotOR and TOR have lightsaber-resistant swords due to lightsabers' prevalence. Some Sith preferred mundane swords for the viciousness. Some where made to resist, some where made just for training.

If you do add Cortosis to a set of ancient swords, then remove the hard points, so they can't customize them easily. I suppose it does vary from group to group, but doesn't RAW indicate that only actual lightsabers can Reflect? Not to mention Breach. You could also say that an ancient sword also looks suitably antique or Sith-y, so a trained Inquisitor might be able to spot one, or a sharp-eyed observer remembers a PC because of their 'strange looking sword.'

In general, I would definitely encourage PCs to carry around a backup weapon if they have lightsabers, so if they want to keep their ancient sword and their lightsaber, it's good thinking on their part.

I had my players run accross some ruins where an old injured sith was worshipped as a God and the people would make sacrifices to him to keep him alive. What was left was just some bones and his mask which was tainted by his power and thus still had his consciousness attached to it which allowed it to speak in the minds of any near it.

Well they wrestled with one player wishing to take it (side note before I start most games I have all players give me a written background and a secret about themselves or something they know about another player and this particular player didn't realize his mother had been a dark side user who died during the clone wars) because it promised to reveal secrets about his background.

In this regard I didn't have to provide much of any real mechanical effect right away as the rp aspect of it provided a non-mechanical benefit so that might be something to keep in mind as an option.

Aside from that I like the idea of a life drain that heals the players wounds when they hurt others with it at the cost of conflict gained. Or perhaps they can commit force rating to grant it that or pierce or maybe even lowered crit rating or automatic advantage. Being a sith weapon though I'd always tie it to a conflict cost to gain that power though.

For simplicity you could copy the ability of the Sith Shield in Keeping the Peace.

Lets hear more about the Sith who created that sword. I think the curse should be tailored to fit the personality of the person that created it.

I am in a similar situation. Players in my new campaign are about to discover a sith tomb which contains some ancient swords as starter weapons for the campaign. Here is where these questions overlap; flavor and lore-wise, should ancient swords have the cortosis quality? Did ancient sith weapons have the ability to parry with lightsabers?

If so, what advantages does the party have to making lightsabers rather than continuing to use these weapons? A sword draws less attention from prying eyes and could potentially be more deadly (with vicious mods etc.)

As far as modding swords, a previous GM of mine made an ancient sword that tempted it's wielder to strike against foes in unhonorable ways, like a sith spirit possession. Perhaps opposed discipline checks with the sword would work.

They don't inherently have the ability to parry lightsabres and the like. But there is nothing wrong with a GM ruling that they do or that a particular sword was imbued with such abilities. The same would apply to the cortosis quality, up to the GM. There is no reason to rule that they can't as they are, fall all intended purposes, magical weapons. Though I do think each one should be individualistic in nature if they are going to be Sith swords as opposed to ancient swords.

As for the advantage to making lighsabres in the long run the lighsabre is just a better weapon. It has more damage potential, more special qualities, can be easier to conceal and hide (a sword is pretty noticeable and while it won't get the Empire called on you for carrying it it is an obvious weapon where the lighsabre isn't recognizable as a weapon to most until it's lit), and is more customizable (ancient sword has 1 HP compared to the 3-5 of a lighsabre. Then there are the crystals themselves). So starting out ..... yeah an ancient sword is cool but the lightsabre is better in most regards.

As a GM though there is no reason you can't make a sword just as cool as a lightsabre. All Sith swords in my book so be the equal of a lightsabre. They should all also be unique and different as well making them just as desirable to have as a lightsabre.

As I understand it, the Jedi started with swords. The Sith split away, and took theirs. The Jedi eventually fabricated the first lightsabers, which were JUNK; bulky, heavy, with a power pack on your belt, and an obvious cable connecting the saber to the batteries. It limited movement, and was the obvious target of attacks. The Sith didn't have these, and while they didn't think them particularly efficient, they could cut the swords in half. The Sith, not to be outdone martially, used the Dark Side, and their alchemy, to enhance their swords, be they "regular", or the vibro-variant tremor swords. These ridiculously embellished blades could do pretty much what a lightsaber could, and the Jedi hated it. After a while, they fabricated the more current lightsabers, and went on the offensive. The Sith got a few, but couldn't duplicate them, as they didn't know where the Jedi got the crystals from. When they tried to fabricate their own synthetic crystals, an impurity made them red, which is why most Sith sabers the same convenient color. With their own lightsabers, they could afford to lay aside the swords, which were harder to create, and to conceal. When a few Jedi joined, they learned where the crystals could be found, but didn't really need them, as red was "their color".

So, a Sith Sword would be an ancient sword that can deflect lightsabers, blaster bolts, and such, and some had other enhancements, like poison, or the vibro trait (tremor swords). Their only lacking point is that they didn't hot knife trough butter armor, the way ligtsabers do, but then Jedi stopped wearing armor, so no huge loss.

This is the history as I remember/understand it. The wikis might reflect some, still, or the death of EU might've altered bits, here and there. Sorry if it doesn't help.