I'm really diving hard into my samurai-esque Jedi, and wanted an actual blade weapon for him to use, but the Ancient Blade just wasn't cutting it.

Then I found this: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Force-imbued_blade

Thoughts on how to incorporate this into the game, or would it be better to just be a narrative thing for an actual lightsaber, perhaps the Disguised Hilt upgrade option when crafting?

I think if you're serious about wanting an actual bladed weapon, you should go for an actual bladed weapon and take the lesser stats that are inherent to that, rather than having your cake and eating it too, and having something that is essentialy just a regular lightsaber in every way that matters.

2 hours ago, micheldebruyn said:

I think if you're serious about wanting an actual bladed weapon, you should go for an actual bladed weapon and take the lesser stats that are inherent to that, rather than having your cake and eating it too, and having something that is essentialy just a regular lightsaber in every way that matters.

Two problems with that, my friend. One is that the only real blade-like weapon in the game that makes use of the lightsaber skill is the Ancient Blade, and its power is pretty severely lacking, which leads to my second problem: we're getting to the point in the campaign where enemies are too tough for simple melee weapons.

I just wanted to homebrew a new melee-esque weapon that uses the lighstaber skill, that might be a step-up from that.

If you take the Artisan spec, you can use the Imbue talent, once you reach it in the tree to imbue the ancient sword with the Force.

4 hours ago, Tramp Graphics said:

If you take the Artisan spec, you can use the Imbue talent, once you reach it in the tree to imbue the ancient sword with the Force.

I concur with this. The idea behind the Force-Imbued blade was that the Je'daii used his own Force Powers to manifest within the blade, making it a personal item to them, and it's creation was a symbol of their mastery. It is incredibly appropriate via a narrative and storytelling device to say that the Je'daii fostered the Imbue talent as a necessary aspect of a Ranger/Journeyman's training and so demonstration of this talent was necessary and widespread. It stands that after the creation of the protosaber and lightsaber, Imbue was no longer needed, and fell out of use and training. This explains why only those of the Artisan (who love the history and tradition of the art) still know the practice. Similar to how modern blacksmiths don't all use traditional folding methods for katana creation or moss leeching for carbon steel like the vikings, but some "blacksmith historians" still know and practice these methods for the art of it.

Moreover, force-imbued blades had many effects, such as fire manifestations, lightning arcs, etc, which can be represented by Imbue giving special qualities like Burn, Stun, etc.

12 hours ago, Kyla said:

I concur with this. The idea behind the Force-Imbued blade was that the Je'daii used his own Force Powers to manifest within the blade, making it a personal item to them, and it's creation was a symbol of their mastery. It is incredibly appropriate via a narrative and storytelling device to say that the Je'daii fostered the Imbue talent as a necessary aspect of a Ranger/Journeyman's training and so demonstration of this talent was necessary and widespread. It stands that after the creation of the protosaber and lightsaber, Imbue was no longer needed, and fell out of use and training. This explains why only those of the Artisan (who love the history and tradition of the art) still know the practice. Similar to how modern blacksmiths don't all use traditional folding methods for katana creation or moss leeching for carbon steel like the vikings, but some "blacksmith historians" still know and practice these methods for the art of it.

Moreover, force-imbued blades had many effects, such as fire manifestations, lightning arcs, etc, which can be represented by Imbue giving special qualities like Burn, Stun, etc.

I appreciate the info, but I'm not really interested in buying another spec tree just to flavor a lightsaber into a katana. Thanks though!

Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I tinkered with a similar idea a while back. Feel free to use it as inspiration.

Inlaid Kyber Crystal

A Kyber crystal can be incorporated in a more mundane weapon, giving a Force sensitive wielder greater control and awareness of it. The energy signature of the crystal tends to interfere with powered mechanisms not built around it, making it difficult to incorporate in powered weapons.
Models Include: Various.
Base Modifiers: May use Lightsaber instead Melee for combat checks with the weapon. At the GMs discretion, may have base modifications available to the lightsaber crystal used, excluding those that are a direct effect of the lightsabers energy blade, such as damage rating, critical rating, or the weapon qualities, Breach, Burn, Concussive, Disorient, Sunder, Vicious.
Modification Options: 1 Innate Talent (Imbue Item) Mod
Hard points Required: 1 for simple unpowered weapons, 3 for powered weapons.
Cost: Same as the type of lightsaber crystal used.
Rarity: Same as the type of lightsaber crystal used.

5 hours ago, StriderZessei said:

I appreciate the info, but I'm not really interested in buying another spec tree just to flavor a lightsaber into a katana. Thanks though!

I understand that, however the game doesn’t really include permanently Force imbued weaponry, and the Ancient Sword and Training stick are the only non energy-bladed “lightsaber” weapons in the game.

4 hours ago, penpenpen said:

Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I tinkered with a similar idea a while back. Feel free to use it as inspiration.

Inlaid Kyber Crystal

A Kyber crystal can be incorporated in a more mundane weapon, giving a Force sensitive wielder greater control and awareness of it. The energy signature of the crystal tends to interfere with powered mechanisms not built around it, making it difficult to incorporate in powered weapons.
Models Include: Various.
Base Modifiers: May use Lightsaber instead Melee for combat checks with the weapon. At the GMs discretion, may have base modifications available to the lightsaber crystal used, excluding those that are a direct effect of the lightsabers energy blade, such as damage rating, critical rating, or the weapon qualities, Breach, Burn, Concussive, Disorient, Sunder, Vicious.
Modification Options: 1 Innate Talent (Imbue Item) Mod
Hard points Required: 1 for simple unpowered weapons, 3 for powered weapons.
Cost: Same as the type of lightsaber crystal used.
Rarity: Same as the type of lightsaber crystal used.

Perfect.

So first, nicely done with the "not cutting it" pun.

Truthfully, I'd say the simplest solution for what you're after would be to take a standard vibroblade (or the vibro-cutlass from Suns of Fortune) and just reflavor it, changing the relevant combat skill from Melee to Lightsaber and changing the weapon's category from Powered Melee to Cutting Melee. And then just select attachments that would make sense for amounts to a non-powered cutting weapon, and flavor it as it being a manifestation of your character's connection to the weapon via the Force.

15 hours ago, StriderZessei said:

I appreciate the info, but I'm not really interested in buying another spec tree just to flavor a lightsaber into a katana. Thanks though!

Then simply give the item itself the talent as a special quality, no need for the talent tree. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.

Force Adept back in D20 Revised was good for this reason. Could turn anything into a weapon that could dish out extra damage (and also parry lightsabers).

You could maybe make a house-rule about dedicating a Force die to make a weapon covered in Force? Allow it to basically function as cortosis minus turning off lightsabers. Maybe give it some other qualities like Disorient and/or Pierce.

On 9/26/2020 at 8:21 PM, StriderZessei said:

I'm really diving hard into my samurai-esque Jedi, and wanted an actual blade weapon for him to use, but the Ancient Blade just wasn't cutting it.

Then I found this: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Force-imbued_blade

Thoughts on how to incorporate this into the game, or would it be better to just be a narrative thing for an actual lightsaber, perhaps the Disguised Hilt upgrade option when crafting?

I have somewhat similar character in my group.

I build a class around the Nightsister's 2 weapon talents with a ancient sword.
Giving the weapon cortosis, Pierce 2, reduces crit rating by 1, sunder ,Defensive 1 and +2 damage

It might be something that you can use

I'm looking at the 'Inbuilt' option for lightsaber crafting. What if a PC chose to build their new hilt into an Ancient Blade, and activating it just guided the beam along the cutting edge of the sword?

3 hours ago, StriderZessei said:

I'm looking at the 'Inbuilt' option for lightsaber crafting. What if a PC chose to build their new hilt into an Ancient Blade, and activating it just guided the beam along the cutting edge of the sword?

If you want a bladed weapon with all the stats of a lightsabre, then just g o narratively and call it a hilt attachment or something. 🙂

Buuut it sound like a force relic.

a normal lightsabre is at a great disadvantage against cortosis, but your sword will only be slightly worse off against cortosis. (It is still an ancient sword + brawn damage) (and the blade probably needs to be cortosis as well to handle the plasma field around it)

depending on the campaign. Will it look enough like a lightsabre in action? And will it attract the empire or inquisitors?

Or go the Je'daii / nightsister sword enhancing way, and invest xp into learning the awesome samurai to actually enhance a blade with the force and his dedication.

Sounds more jedi samurai to me 🙂

Look at the night sister spec and the associated weapon and force powers in one of the clone wars books, I think collapse of the republic.