SWSE Question: Sith Alchemy?

[druid91]

So, while the wording of the rules imply that Sith Alchemical Weapons is meant for blades, I don't actually recall them being exclusive... so it occurs to me that one could maybe make a Sith Gunslinger who can deflect lightsabers/incoming fire with their blasters A La Alucard.

So, what's your take on it?

Note:I actually haven't read jedi academy in a while, so I may be mistaken.

[Alejandro]

So, while the wording of the rules imply that Sith Alchemical Weapons is meant for blades, I don't actually recall them being exclusive... so it occurs to me that one could maybe make a Sith Gunslinger who can deflect lightsabers/incoming fire with their blasters A La Alucard.

So, what's your take on it?

Note:I actually haven't read jedi academy in a while, so I may be mistaken.

It specifically says melee weapon, so no. Besides, Deflect itself requires that you be using a lightsaber or a melee weapon that counts as one.

If you are persuasive, you might be able to convince your GM to allow you to use a rifle or carbine with a short lightsaber bayonet?

[druid91]

It specifically says melee weapon, so no. Besides, Deflect itself requires that you be using a lightsaber or a melee weapon that counts as one.

If you are persuasive, you might be able to convince your GM to allow you to use a rifle or carbine with a short lightsaber bayonet?

This isn't actually for a specific campaign.

I've just been playing KOTOR and KOTOR2, and was curious whether or not there was any way to replicate Jedi-Jesus from the Kotor-2's LP.

Because the image of a jedi, dark-side or not, who's forgone the use of a lightsaber in order to shoot at people and deflect lasers with their guns is awesome.

I recalled Sith Alchemy being able to make weapons that were non-lightsaber but able to be used as one...

[Alejandro]

It can, but only simple or advanced melee weapons.

A Jedi with a blaster and Battle Strike can be a terror :)

[Vertharrad]

I do believe there is a talent that allows deflecting with blaster weapons...but it's the ability of a force tradition that escapes my memory right now. And you won't get reflection of deflected attacks either, iirc.

[Hyena]

Just so you would know - every weapon can be used as improvised club, which is a melee weapon.

[Alejandro]

Just so you would know - every weapon can be used as improvised club, which is a melee weapon.

No decent GM is going to let you get away with that. ;) Or at best, say, "Okay, but you get a massive penalty to your Use the Force check."

Most likely though, if a player says "I should get to apply the Sith Alchemy melee weapon traits to my blaster rifle because I can swing it like a club" the GM will say "No." That's like arguing a lightsaber counts as a gun for the purpose of Gunslinger talents, because one can throw a lightsaber at enemies.

[shadow_archmagi]

No decent GM is going to let you get away with that. ;) Or at best, say, "Okay, but you get a massive penalty to your Use the Force check."

Most likely though, if a player says "I should get to apply the Sith Alchemy melee weapon traits to my blaster rifle because I can swing it like a club" the GM will say "No." That's like arguing a lightsaber counts as a gun for the purpose of Gunslinger talents, because one can throw a lightsaber at enemies.

No, because Thrown Weapons are their own catagory :smalltongue:


That said, as a GM I'd allow it. I mean, obviously Sith Alchemy is just pouring some kinda anti-blaster stuff onto the sword, so you could presumably apply a coating of the same potion to anything metal.

[Alejandro]

No, because Thrown Weapons are their own catagory :smalltongue:


That said, as a GM I'd allow it. I mean, obviously Sith Alchemy is just pouring some kinda anti-blaster stuff onto the sword, so you could presumably apply a coating of the same potion to anything metal.

Of course, it's your game. :D I'm not arguing the physics, I'm just concerned that unless it was just the right sort of player, it's setting up for some nasty exploitability.

[Mutazoia]

No, because Thrown Weapons are their own catagory :smalltongue:


That said, as a GM I'd allow it. I mean, obviously Sith Alchemy is just pouring some kinda anti-blaster stuff onto the sword, so you could presumably apply a coating of the same potion to anything metal.

So then the trooper-tank pours a crap load on his armor and becomes bullet (blaster) proof....The the smuggler says "well if he can coat his armor with this stuff I can paint my ship with it", and now he has the invincible YT-1300 that can't be shot down with anything less than a torpedo...then people start showering in the stuff every morning.....

No sir....stick to melee weapons only.

[The_Snark]

Of course, it's your game. :D I'm not arguing the physics, I'm just concerned that unless it was just the right sort of player, it's setting up for some nasty exploitability.

I don't think he means that you can count the ranged attacks as Sith alchemical weapons; just that when you whack someone with your gun, you could count it as a Sith alchemical club. Feels silly to me, but some groups might like it, and I don't think it breaks anything - Deflect isn't vastly more useful for ranged characters than it is for melee, and you could get the same effect with an alchemically treated bayonet. (Or an experimental lightsaber-bayonet, if Sith weapons are off the table, or just using a gun in one hand and lightsaber in the other.)

[Telok]

That's like arguing a lightsaber counts as a gun for the purpose of Gunslinger talents, because one can throw a lightsaber at enemies.

Obviously you need a gun that shoots lightsabers.

[VeliciaL]

Obviously you need a gun that shoots lightsabers.

Isn't this how laser swords were ruled to deflect blasters in Darths and Droids? The more scientifically oriented players figured out that blaster bolts should naturally reflect each other, and the laser swords are more or less the same thing...

One player naturally makes the logical jump that he should be able to deflect blaster bolts with a blaster shot, but the DM rules that the roll would be nearly impossible to make. :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: Found it! (http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0009.html) And the next one (http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0010.html) too.

[Alejandro]

Obviously you need a gun that shoots lightsabers.

Sadly, I actually once had a player who wanted to make exactly that. He wanted to build what was essentially a shotgun that used lightsabers for shells, and each lightsaber would also explode after striking the target so it couldn't be wielded against him.

[Hyena]

It would take ninety thousand credits to fire this gun for thirty seconds.

[LibraryOgre]

Sadly, I actually once had a player who wanted to make exactly that. He wanted to build what was essentially a shotgun that used lightsabers for shells, and each lightsaber would also explode after striking the target so it couldn't be wielded against him.

...

I have no words. I mean, I can see all the mechanisms for this but... wow.

[Sidmen]

It would take ninety thousand credits to fire this gun for thirty seconds.

Not a problem. Just steal a Star Destroyer and sell it every few sessions.

[shadow_archmagi]

Personally, I'd just have it fire individual double-sabers that would spin as they flew- probably in bursts of three. A sort of fancier, lazerier version of the circular saw gun.

EDIT: Why make the things explode? What are the odds you're going to be fighting a light-saber-proficient enemy that doesn't already have his own? Might as well leave them for pickup later, and also to add "fun" to the terrain.

[druid91]

So then the trooper-tank pours a crap load on his armor and becomes bullet (blaster) proof....The the smuggler says "well if he can coat his armor with this stuff I can paint my ship with it", and now he has the invincible YT-1300 that can't be shot down with anything less than a torpedo...then people start showering in the stuff every morning.....

No sir....stick to melee weapons only.

It only works when the sith is actually in contact with the treated metal.

The fluff reason is that the treatment allows small uses of the force, nothing remotely significant mind you, to form a magnetic field that repulses energy weapons on the blade.

[shadow_archmagi]

As long as we're here, does anybody use solid projectile weapons? It seems like they have a whole host of advantages over blasters.

[Mutazoia]

It only works when the sith is actually in contact with the treated metal.

The fluff reason is that the treatment allows small uses of the force, nothing remotely significant mind you, to form a magnetic field that repulses energy weapons on the blade.

"I'm in contact with the metal of my armor because I'm wearing it."
"I'm in contact with the metal of my ship because I'm standing on the floor inside it."

[Mutazoia]

As long as we're here, does anybody use solid projectile weapons? It seems like they have a whole host of advantages over blasters.

I used to use them all the time in my D6 games.

"Oh your armor is designed to deflect energy blasts, great...does your armor do anything for kinetic energy or a hunk of metal traveling at supersonic speeds?"

"Oh...you say your Jedi has the Absorb/dissipate energy ability and can reduce the damage from blaster shots? Have a .50 cal bullet to the chest...dissipate that."

[Telok]

Personally, I'd just have it fire individual double-sabers that would spin as they flew- probably in bursts of three. A sort of fancier, lazerier version of the circular saw gun.

I would suggest welding four or five lightsabers together and calling it a laser shuriken. Then you just need a giant droid/spaceship with a gun that shoots these and...

What? Wrong game?

[LibraryOgre]

On slugthrowers, D6 had an interesting reason why they were still in use... you can silence a slugthrower, you can't silence a blaster. So snipers prefer slugthrowers, at the very least.

[Alejandro]

...

I have no words. I mean, I can see all the mechanisms for this but... wow.

Oh yes, it happened. I share it as a piece of evidence for why GMs must always be vigilant against the players who want to make lightsaber shotguns, sith alchemical blasters, or whatever other crazy thing they come up with. In my experience, with rare exceptions, awful problems ensue.

[Hyena]

Oh yes, it happened. I share it as a piece of evidence for why GMs must always be vigilant against the players who want to make lightsaber shotguns, sith alchemical blasters, or whatever other crazy thing they come up with. In my experience, with rare exceptions, awful problems ensue.
Would it be too had to let the guy have his fun? After all, it's not like lightsaber shotgun would be overpowered. On the contrary, it will be strictly inferior to, say... Why, a standard issue blaster rifle.

[Alejandro]

Would it be too had to let the guy have his fun? After all, it's not like lightsaber shotgun would be overpowered. On the contrary, it will be strictly inferior to, say... Why, a standard issue blaster rifle.

There was far more planned than just the shotgun, with clear exploitation. I saw it coming and didn't let the player set a dangerous precedent. :)

[LibraryOgre]

You know, the Lightsaber Shotgun idea isn't too different from how bowcasters are supposed to work... a projectile sheathed in plasma.

'Course, I'd make that projectile into a grenade, just for ****s and giggles.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bowcaster

[Ahrimon]

Isn't there a lightsaber whip? That implies that it doesn't have to be a straight blade. So a gun could be designed to shoot a lightsaber edged disk.

Seriously though, where are the lightaxes? :smallbiggrin:

[Alejandro]

Isn't there a lightsaber whip? That implies that it doesn't have to be a straight blade. So a gun could be designed to shoot a lightsaber edged disk.

Seriously though, where are the lightaxes? :smallbiggrin:

Yes, there is a lightwhip. They actually have physical material trailing from the handle, along which the energy runs, so they don't have a pure energy blade like a lightsaber does (which is one of the reasons they do less damage than a lightsaber.)

And there is a lightaxe :)

http://www.forevergeek.com/wp-content/media/2013/07/lightsaber-axe-470x408.jpg

[Thrysierius]

Sadly, I actually once had a player who wanted to make exactly that. He wanted to build what was essentially a shotgun that used lightsabers for shells, and each lightsaber would also explode after striking the target so it couldn't be wielded against him.

*walks into thread, reads this, gets 'Nam-esque flash backs, walks out*