Replacinging a blade with energy

[Triskavanski]

Is there anyway you could make a sword with a blade that is energy or at least looks like its made of energy without it being a brilliant energy weapon? Like there are whips in MIC that are made of fire or water.

[ATalsen]

For pathfinder, the Soulknife class has bladeskills that allow their class-weapon to deal energy damage:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife/blade-skills

Fire Blade
Ice Blade
Lightning Blade
Thunder Blade

If you needed a sword specifically, or a particular type of sword check out the Emulate Melee Weapon blade skill.

3.5 Soulknife doesn't get bladeskills, so it might not be an answer for you if you are doing pure 3.5 and can't backport it.

[digiman619]

For pathfinder, the Soulknife class has bladeskills that allow their class-weapon to deal energy damage:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife/blade-skills

Fire Blade
Ice Blade
Lightning Blade
Thunder Blade

If you needed a sword specifically, or a particular type of sword check out the Emulate Melee Weapon blade skill.

3.5 Soulknife doesn't get bladeskills, so it might not be an answer for you if you are doing pure 3.5 and can't backport it.

A) beat me to the punch on the soulknife, but more importantly B) If you're playing a 3.5 soulknife over a PF soulknife, then the look of the weapon is the least of your worries.

[phlidwsn]

And if your DM won't use DSP material there's the Mindblade Magus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/archetypes/paizo---magus-archetypes/mindblade-magus-archetype) that's about as close as you can get in first-party pathfinder.

[Luvia]

Cast light on it. Then it will glow.

[InvisibleBison]

If you don't want it to have any mechanical effects from being energy, you can refluff a standard sword as being an energy sword.

[Necroticplague]

Make it out of riverine. Then, it's made out of [force].

[Sword-Geass]

From the SRD:


Light Generation
Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can’t be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions.

There you are.

[TIPOT]

Get a wand of flame blade (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/flameBlade.htm) shaped like a lightsaber. Either dip druid or rank up UMD.

[schreier]

You could use Hank's energy bow as a guide to make an energy sword ...
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a

[Hiro Quester]

Thunderlance spell (SpC, sor/wiz 4th level). A lance of pure force that can instantly resize from 5ft to 20ft length. Uses your casting stat instead of str for attack and damage rolls. 3d6 damage. Plus it can dispel force effects like shield and mage armor spells.

[ShurikVch]

Made the weapon into creature (such as by Intelligent Items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm) rules, or Flying) then apply some Elemental or Paraelemental template - thus you will get weapon-shaped Elemental. Wear dragonhide gloves for hands protection, and it's it!

Alternately:
Cast Orb of Force.
Since Orb of Force is instantaneous Conjuration (Creation), the orb will stay after the cast
The orb is, like everything else in the game, improvised weapon
Put Morphing and Sizing on it :smallwink:

[The Viscount]

The Spectral Dagger from MIC has ghostly energy instead of a blade, resolves as a touch attack, and triggers a chill touch effect on striking, invaluable for SA conversion.

[zergling.exe]

Made the weapon into creature (such as by Intelligent Items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm) rules, or Flying) then apply some Elemental or Paraelemental template - thus you will get weapon-shaped Elemental. Wear dragonhide gloves for hands protection, and it's it!

Alternately:
Cast Orb of Force.
Since Orb of Force is instantaneous Conjuration (Creation), the orb will stay after the cast
The orb is, like everything else in the game, improvised weapon
Put Morphing and Sizing on it :smallwink:

An orb of force is not masterwork so you would be unable to make it into any sort of magic weapon though.

[ShurikVch]

An orb of force is not masterwork so you would be unable to make it into any sort of magic weapon though.Special Materials (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialMaterials.htm):
Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork qualityTouch of Adamantine:
This spell grants one weapon the properties of an adamantine weapon.

[GnomishPride]

Perhaps Fabricate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fabricate.htm) would work to make an Orb of Force masterwork?

[zergling.exe]

Special Materials (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialMaterials.htm):Touch of Adamantine:

What's the source of that spell? Besides it only lasts for 1 minute per CL, and would not grant enough time to make it magical.

Also I don't think that improvised weapons qualify under a strict reading of RAW.

[digiman619]

What's the source of that spell? Besides it only lasts for 1 minute per CL, and would not grant enough time to make it magical.

Also I don't think that improvised weapons qualify under a strict reading of RAW.

What if you hit it with permanency?

[ShurikVch]

What's the source of that spell?Book of Exalted Deeds

Besides it only lasts for 1 minute per CL, and would not grant enough time to make it magical.If 24 hrs. of persisted spell still isn't enough for you, then go to Astral - spell there will last as long as you need
Also I don't think that improvised weapons qualify under a strict reading of RAW.Qualify for what? Which RAW?
What if you hit it with permanency?It specifically doesn't work with permanency

[zergling.exe]

Qualify for what? Which RAW?

Qualify as a weapon. Because there is a table of weapons, and improvised weapons are not on it. Ergo, they are not actually weapons.

[ShurikVch]

Qualify as a weapon. Because there is a table of weapons, and improvised weapons are not on it. Ergo, they are not actually weapons.1) Text trumps table. Improvised Weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#improvisedWeapons) are in the Chapter 7: Equipment, Weapons - thus weapons
2) That table also lacks of various natural weapons, weapon-like spells, breath weapons, and so on
3) By the RAW,
any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be nonproficient (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#weaponArmorAndShieldProficienc y) with itIf you can be "nonproficient" with something, it's mean there is a proficiency with it somewhere.
Which proficiency?
Weapon Proficiency.
Thus weapon.

[zergling.exe]

1) Text trumps table. Improvised Weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#improvisedWeapons) are in the Chapter 7: Equipment, Weapons - thus weapons
2) That table also lacks of various natural weapons, weapon-like spells, breath weapons, and so on
3) By the RAW, If you can be "nonproficient" with something, it's mean there is a proficiency with it somewhere.
Which proficiency?
Weapon Proficiency.
Thus weapon.

1) Armor and shield spikes are described in the armor section yet are weapons, so being described in the weapon section does not make something a weapon.
2) None of which are actually weapons. Else magic fang is useless, just cast magic weapon on the creature's natural weapons instead, no druid required. Weaponlike have properties similar to weapons, but also a number of exceptions in how they work compared to weapons, and are only weaponlike not actually weapons.
3) There is no way to actually be proficient with improvised weapons, so we do not know what type of proficiency is required to become proficient with them.

[ShurikVch]

1) Armor and shield spikes are described in the armor section yet are weapons, so being described in the weapon section does not make something a weapon.Spiked Armor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#spikedArmor) and Spiked Shield (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#spikedShieldHeavyorLight) described in "Weapons" section - your argument is invalid

2) None of which are actually weapons. Else magic fang is useless, just cast magic weapon on the creature's natural weapons instead, no druid required.
You can’t cast this spell on a natural weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#naturalWeapons), such as an unarmed strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#unarmedStrike) (instead, see magic fang (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicFang.htm)). A monk’s (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/monk.htm) unarmed strike is considered a weapon, and thus it can be enhanced by this spell.Note: Unarmed Strike is a Natural Weapon, but still in the Table (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponDescriptions) :smalltongue:

3) There is no way to actually be proficient with improvised weapons, so we do not know what type of proficiency is required to become proficient with them.Brawler PrC (from Dragon #295) gets proficiency with improvised weapons at 1st level
Also, there is counter-example: flasks! Nobody is proficient with them, but also nobody suffer penalties from it