After seeing the picture of the technic league agent wielding what looked like a green beam sword early on in Lords of Rust's gazetteer on the Technic League, I was hoping that Iron Gods would give us tech-based beam swords at some point. Robots are immune to Brilliant Energy after all, so magical beam swords are sucky in high-technology settings.
...But I've just picked up my final volume of Iron Gods and apparently the beam sword was not to be. I was hoping to not have to homebrew it, so this is basically my last-ditch effort to avoid that: Did I miss it? Are there rules for tech-based Beam/Laser/Plasma/Light/Etc. Swords anywhere?
I'll clarify:)
the beam sword is a Null Blade
the whip thingy is a Mono Whip
both in the tech guide page 26:)
I'll clarify:)
the beam sword is a Null Blade
the whip thingy is a Mono Whip
both in the tech guide page 26:)
Though the null blade is also magical, not purely technological. :)
Still it give me the urge to make a Haunted battle oracle/monk(weapon master) named luke skywalker:)
Still it give me the urge to make a Haunted battle oracle/monk(weapon master) named luke skywalker:)
And if you factor in that force crystals are perhaps a bit mystical and beyond science, it makes sense
After seeing the picture of the technic league agent wielding what looked like a green beam sword early on in Lords of Rust's gazetteer on the Technic League, I was hoping that Iron Gods would give us tech-based beam swords at some point. Robots are immune to Brilliant Energy after all, so magical beam swords are sucky in high-technology settings.
...But I've just picked up my final volume of Iron Gods and apparently the beam sword was not to be. I was hoping to not have to homebrew it, so this is basically my last-ditch effort to avoid that: Did I miss it? Are there rules for tech-based Beam/Laser/Plasma/Light/Etc. Swords anywhere?
They are nowhere to be seen, because the Androffans were not a culture that put any importance on melee weapons at all.
After seeing the picture of the technic league agent wielding what looked like a green beam sword early on in Lords of Rust's gazetteer on the Technic League, I was hoping that Iron Gods would give us tech-based beam swords at some point. Robots are immune to Brilliant Energy after all, so magical beam swords are sucky in high-technology settings.
...But I've just picked up my final volume of Iron Gods and apparently the beam sword was not to be. I was hoping to not have to homebrew it, so this is basically my last-ditch effort to avoid that: Did I miss it? Are there rules for tech-based Beam/Laser/Plasma/Light/Etc. Swords anywhere?
They are nowhere to be seen, because the Androffans were not a culture that put any importance on melee weapons at all.
Well they do have the monowhip and chainsaw, and the riot suppressors wield hammers, which I realize may be Golarion-created, but the description of the bot and the design of the hammer seem to suggest it was meant to wield such weaponry. Gearsmen also have an ability that seems rather unimportant if they didn't wield melee weapons from time to time.
I'll clarify:)
the beam sword is a Null Blade
the whip thingy is a Mono Whip
both in the tech guide page 26:)
A null blade is a solid blade that uses tech to make itself glowy and adamantine-ish. It's the closest thing we've got, but that doesn't make it a beam sword. It's glowing magitech at best.
By 'beam sword' I'm referring to something where the entire blade is light/plasma/energy/etc. basically the blade is not a solid thing. If you turn it off or run out of power you can still smack people with a null blade, but you can't smack people with the beam sword, because the beam sword's blade is only there when powered up and turned on.
Think 'lightsaber', then call it something else.
Well they do have the monowhip and chainsaw, and the riot suppressors wield hammers, which I realize may be Golarion-created, but the description of the bot and the design of the hammer seem to suggest it was meant to wield such weaponry. Gearsmen also have an ability that seems rather unimportant if they didn't wield melee weapons from time to time.After seeing the picture of the technic league agent wielding what looked like a green beam sword early on in Lords of Rust's gazetteer on the Technic League, I was hoping that Iron Gods would give us tech-based beam swords at some point. Robots are immune to Brilliant Energy after all, so magical beam swords are sucky in high-technology settings.
...But I've just picked up my final volume of Iron Gods and apparently the beam sword was not to be. I was hoping to not have to homebrew it, so this is basically my last-ditch effort to avoid that: Did I miss it? Are there rules for tech-based Beam/Laser/Plasma/Light/Etc. Swords anywhere?
They are nowhere to be seen, because the Androffans were not a culture that put any importance on melee weapons at all.
Well keep in mind the chainsaw was built to be an industrial tool, not a weapon. All of those things you mentioned are also wielded by, and designed for robots, not people. And I didn't mean to say they completely ignored melee weapons, but it's clear that ranged weapons took much more priority and designing a beam sword would be seen as a waste of time and resources. The mono whip was probably for those fringe weirdos who still liked to use melee weapons.
Also, it's a design choice. Beam swords are not the type of sci-fi Paizo was going for with the Androffans.
I feel ya regarding not wanting to homebrew something, but I doubt that it'd be too tough to find a solution that does what you want without breaking things.
As a jumping-off point, just give the PCs a null blade whose adamantine-equivalent blade turns off if not active, and remove the +1 construct-bane and dispel magic effects if you don't want the weapon to have any magical flavor at all. Maybe make the consumption rate 1 charge/minute, and you could remove the discharge effect if you wanted the weapon to be cheaper.
From there, you could give them any number of energy weapons that disappear when not powered—daggers, flails, quarterstaves, you name it. You'd have better luck with balanced design in the homebrew forums, but an energy-based bastard sword is basically a lightsaber, IMO. If you want a null blade that turns off, turn it off!
I feel ya regarding not wanting to homebrew something, but I doubt that it'd be too tough to find a solution that does what you want without breaking things.
As a jumping-off point, just give the PCs a null blade whose adamantine-equivalent blade turns off if not active, and remove the +1 construct-bane and dispel magic effects if you don't want the weapon to have any magical flavor at all. Maybe make the consumption rate 1 charge/minute, and you could remove the discharge effect if you wanted the weapon to be cheaper.
From there, you could give them any number of energy weapons that disappear when not powered—daggers, flails, quarterstaves, you name it. You'd have better luck with balanced design in the homebrew forums, but an energy-based bastard sword is basically a lightsaber, IMO. If you want a null blade that turns off, turn it off!
Mmm. I'd wanted to avoid it, but looks like I will have to homebrew, yeah. I'll probably do something along the lines of your suggestion. Null Blade isn't exactly what I wanted, but it's a good base to start with.
There's also the Starfall spade (in Divinity Drive) for inspiration. An adamantine weapon (monk's spade) that's emits plasma, either as extra damage in melee or in a short-ranged blast. It's base statistics are kind of meh (probably to keep the market price down; but there may be some setting considerations with the Technic League not knowing enough to make it work at full effect), but a higher-powered variant using a sword could work.
On page 17 of the Technology Guide under "Other Technological Items" suggests that if an energy sword were to exist it might function as a brilliant energy longsword. :)
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There's also the Starfall spade (in Divinity Drive) for inspiration. An adamantine weapon (monk's spade) that's emits plasma, either as extra damage in melee or in a short-ranged blast. It's base statistics are kind of meh (probably to keep the market price down; but there may be some setting considerations with the Technic League not knowing enough to make it work at full effect), but a higher-powered variant using a sword could work.
Price 13,195 gp; Type one-handed melee or ranged; Proficiency exotic (bastard sword) or exotic (firearms); Dmg (m) 1d10 slash plus 2d6 e and f or 6d6 e and f; Dmg (s) 1d8 slash plus 2d4 e and f or 4d6 e and f; Critical 19-20/x2 or x2; Range 60 ft; Capacity 10; Usage see description; Usage slow-firing, touch; Weight 8 lbs
This heavy adamantine bastard sword has numerous channels and grooves along the blade and a bell guard on the hilt. Inside the bell guard, there are two buttons. When the first button is depressed, the blade is sheathed in plasma (doing an extra 2d6 damage; half electricity, half fire); this function drains one charge per round. When the second button is pressed, the sword fires a bolt of plasma (6d6 ranged touch, 60 ft range, no range increments; half electricity, half fire) as a full round action; this function drains five charges.
Small-sized versions have less efficient plasma generators and cause less damage.
Also a direct expy of the lightsaber from d20 star wars works. 2d8 damage, 19-20 crit range, x3 crit multiplier I believe.
And from d20 future here you go: The energy sword from TL 8
http://www.d20resources.com/future.d20.srd/equipment/energy.age.weapons.php
Beam sword 2d8 Crit 19–20 Fire — Size Medium weight 1 lb. Purchase DC 17 I'll have to look up the DC to gp chart in a bit.
