Is the Sun Blade inspired by the Sommerswerd?

[St Fan]

For anybody knowing the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks by Joe Dever, what do you think of the following:

Is the D&D Sun Blade (link to the 3.5 version, but I think it already existed in 1st and 2nd editions) directly inspired by the Sommerswerd?

I'm not saying they're identical (the Sommerswerd would be an epic weapon at the very least) but there are many similarities, even beyond the sun theme.

For example, the fact a Sun Blade can wielded either as a short sword or a bastard sword -- in the gamebooks you receive the weaponskill bonus with the Sommerswerd either if you have it with short sword of longsword. Plus the double damage against undead, etc.

[Black Jester]

I thought it was common knowledge that these were basically the same weapon.

[elliott20]

I have always just like the sun blade for it's stylistic flair. Making it a named weapon is pretty much a pre-requisite for using it, I believe.

[Vizzerdrix]

For anybody knowing the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks by Joe Dever, what do you think of the following

I'm glad someone else remembers those books. I think I still have most of them around someplace.

[qwertyu63]

Slightly off topic, but if anyone doesn't know what this is but wants to find out, all of the Lone Wolf books are available free from this site.

[Khedrac]

Personally I think it pushing it for it to be a copy. Iirc the Sunblade came out in Unearthed Arcana, published 1985, and the first Lone Wolf book was 1984. Yes that does just give time for it to be a late entry, but blades linked to the sun are not exactly an unusual idea - there's one in the original I6 Castle Ravenloft (1983).
Also it's been a very long time since I read any of the Lone Wolf books - did the Sommerswerd wield like a short sword?

[SiuiS]

Slightly off topic, but if anyone doesn't know what this is but wants to find out, all of the Lone Wolf books are available free from this site.

Oh, bless you~

[Trouvere]

Some of the gamebooks have been reimagined as (not very good) novels. I downloaded the first to Kindle when it was free. 'Eclipse of the Kai', Joe Dever, naturally, with John Grant.

[Thrawn4]

@St Fan
Nah, as someone else said, swords and suns are popular symbols that are linked quite often. Although there is some resemblance.

@Trouvere
Not really surprised here. Most books I read that featured a second author were slightly flawed. *cough* new multiplayer books *cough*

[Terraoblivion]

It's pretty unlikely unless you find a way to travel in time. The Sun Blade was at the latest introduced for I6: Castle Ravenloft in 1983 and Joe Dever published the first Lone Wolf book in 1984.

[horseboy]

I always thought it was based on the "Sun sword" from Thundarr the Barbarian.

[GungHo]

Which was a lightsaber, which was probably something else to do with the stupid psychic crystal thing.