The Sith and other followers of the dark side have, over the centuries, devised, built, and used a wide range of deadly weapons. All are difficult to master, but extremely deadly in the hands of an expert.
Table 4-1: Weapons
Range Stun Damage
Weapon Cost Damage Critical Increment Weight /Fort Dc Type Size Group
Lanvarok, Sith 4,000 3d4 20 10m 5.8 kg - Bludgeon Medium Exotic
Lanvarok, Massassi 250 3d4 20 5m 9.8 kg - Slashing Large Exotic
(as polearm) 2d8 19-20 - Same - Slashing Large Primitive
Lightsaber, double 7,000 2d8/2d8 19-20 - 2 kg - Energy Medium Exotic
Sith Sword 6,000 2d6 19-20 - 6.5 kg - Slashing Large Exotic
Lightsaber, Double-Bladed
The Sith-invented double-bladed lightsaber maximizes the potential of the weapon and provides an added surprise in battles against Jedi Knights. The double-bladed lightsaber can be ignited from either end or both ends
simultaneously. On some models, Lanuarok
The Sith lanvarok is a short-range weapon worn on the forearm and designed to hurl a flurry of thin but solid disks in an unpredictable "spray" pattern.
Though the weapon is time-consuming to reload, the surprise factor of a sudden hail of whirling projectiles often leaves an opponent completely unprepared for the Sith's follow-up attack. Coupled with the Sith's ability to wield the Force to guide the disks to their target, the lanvarok is an extremely effective weapon.
Because of the way the disks fan out upon being launched, the lanvarok gains a +1 equipment bonus on attacks made at 10 meters or less. A Force-user with the Alter feat can extend this bonus to the weapon's full range.
Reloading the lanvarok requires a full-round action. The weapon is specifically designed for either the right or left forearm. Any given lanvarok is not interchangeable from right to left.
According to Sith legend, the lanvarok was developed by the ancient Sith as a hunting weapon. Details of its construction can be found in Sith holocrons. The mutated Massassi of Yavin 4 used a more primitive version of this weapon, a two-handed polearm that required brute strength rather than mechanical action or the Force to launch the disks. After its disks are launched, the polearm itself could be used as a slashing weapon.
Era Notes: After the rise of Darth Bane and the New Sith, the lanvarok falls out of use and becomes harder and harder to find. Examples remaining from ancient times are usually sold as collector's items, although a rare Sith holocron could provide schematics for initiates devoted enough to build one.
the handle can be disconnected at the middle to become two separate weapons.
Sith double-bladed lightsabers are impossible to find on the open market. When a Sith constructs a double-bladed lightsaber, he does not do so for profit. The weapon is for his own use, and Sith rarely lose their weapons. The construction process resembles the process for creating a Jedi's lightsaber, but requires plans available-from the time of the Old Republic and afterward-only in Sith holocrons.
Despite this limitation, a few double-bladed lightsabers exist in the galaxy, apparently created by Jedi as experiments. The Jedi Council disapproves of such experiments, though, noting that the only reason to carry such a weapon is to kill more effectively. Jedi who have become lost to the dark side, obviously, care nothing for the concerns of the Jedi Council.
With only one blade ignited, this variety of lightsaber requires the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (lightsaber) feat to use without suffering the usual -4 penalty on attacks. With both blades ignited, the double-bladed lightsaber becomes a sort of lightsaber staff.
While the Exotic Weapon Proficiency
(lightsaber) feat suffices to wield it, a character with this feat effectively uses it just like a lightsaber, dealing 2d8 damage (plus class and l l difi )
To be truly effective as a double weapon-that is, to gain the extra attack for additional damage-the wielder must also possess the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. The table below duplicates the relevant information from page 138 of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game as it applies to the doublebladed lightsaber:
A double-bladed lightsaber requires two special energy cells to operate. The cost of each cell is ten times that of an ordinary energy cell.
Era Notes: Double-bladed lightsabers, like Jedi lightsabers, must be taken from their creators, discovered at ancient sites, or created using plans found only in rare Sith holocrons. They can never be purchased on the open market.
Circumstances Single Blade Double Blade
Two lightsabers -6 -10
Lightsaber and light weapon or
double-bladed lightsaber -4 -8
Double-bladed lightsaber and Ambidexterity feat
-4 -4 Double-bladed lightsaber and
Two-Weapon Fighting feat -2 -6
Double-bladed lightsaber and Ambidexterity feat and Two-Weapon Fighting feat
-2 -2
Sith Sword
An alchemically altered blade attached to an ordinary sword hilt, the Sith sword was often a match for a lightsaber when wielded by a trained Sith warrior. The alterations allow the blade to deflect blaster bolts and lightsabers, just as lightsabers themselves do. The blade also focuses the Force energy of the user, giving the edge an unnatural sharpness. As the wielder grows more proficient in the power of the dark side, the blade becomes more deadly.
To simulate this, when a dark side character who wields a Sith sword calls upon the dark side of the Force, he may choose to add his dark side bonus dice to the sword's damage, rather than adding it to his attack roll with the weapon. The damage bonus lasts for 10 rounds + 1 round per Force level of the wielder. (This bonus cannot be added to any other rolls during that time, such as attack rolls or skill rolls.)
In addition, Sith swords are effective against lightsabers because of the way their alchemically altered metal refracts the lightsaber's energy. Sith swords retain their hardness against attacks from lightsabers, instead of having it reduced to 0 as with ordinary weapons. (See the Lightsabers and Hardness sidebar on page 1 1 7 of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game.) Sith swords do not require power packs or energy cells.
Era Notes: During the Golden Age of the Sith, these weapons were only available in areas of space controlled by the Sith. After this time, they become available in the rest of the galaxy as rarely seen relics of a dead civilization.
Dark Armor
Those who fall to the dark side know that their greatest enemies will be Jedi. Any given Jedi might be a match for the darksider, so to tip the scales of battle, the darksider needs an edge-a way to withstand damage better than his Jedi opponent can. For many, armor provides the best advantage.
Dark armor is nearly always created to meet the specific needs of the wearer. The material and design varies from wearer to wearer. Some suits are crude and heavy, while others are elegant and light. A few seem almost decorative. Almost all of them are alchemically treated during their construction to achieve certain effects desired by the wearer, from additional protection against blasters and lightsabers to extra resistance against certain forms of attack.
Dark armor is never simply found; those who wear it almost always take it with them to the grave. It is often destroyed when they are. The Gamemaster should only allow characters to find dark armor in ancient burial vaults, or at least require them to loot it from the bodies of vanquished foes. In either case, taking the armor should not be a
simple task. Burial vaults have traps and guards, and the foe should have been enough of a challenge to make the acquisition of his armor a difficult
proposition. Alternatively, though, the GM May allow characters to construct their own dark armor (see sidebar).
Creating Dark Armor
Characters who have begun the journey to the dark side may wish to construct their own dark armor. This requires the Craft (armor) skill, though some other skills are needed to create certain components the character may desire to incorporate (see below). The character chooses one of the armor types listed on Table 7 - 3 :
Armor in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game as the basis for his or her dark armor, then creates that armor using the Craft rules (as described on pages 7 2 - 7 3 of the rulebook). Additional features can then be chosen from the table below (or designed with the cooperation of the GM) and constructed using the rules in this section.
Many suits of dark armor also incorporate ordinary technological devices, such as breath masks, comlinks, and motion sensors; these can all be installed after the armor has been constructed and modified.
Cortosis Weave: This substance is made using the Craft skill rules in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Chapter 4: Skills. A character decides whether to incorporate Cortosis weave into armor when he begins crafting it. (This modification cannot be added to a completed suit of armor.) This increases the cost of the armor by 15,000 credits and adds 5,000 credits to the cost of raw materials. The character then makes a Craft roll for each week of work; on a failed roll, half of the raw materials-including the materials for the original armor-are ruined and must be replaced.
Damage Reduction: A character cannot add damage reduction to a completed suit of armor. He must decide whether to incorporate it when he begins crafting the armor. The price of materials on Table 4 - 2 doesn't add to the work-value of the suit of armor. Instead, after building the suit of armor, the character buys 10,000 credits (for damage
resistance 5) or 25,000 credits (for damage resistance 16 of alchemical materials and makes a final Alchemy check. This last Alchemy check represents one week of work; on a failed roll, half of the materials are ruined-including those used in the original suit of armor-and must be replaced
Special Price: Some dark armor special qualities have a special price: They require dark side energy.
Table: 4-2 Dark Armor Special Qualities
'Originally, cortosis alloys were only possible through the Alchemy skill, and in Old Republic era campaigns the GM might rule that the skill check should beAlchemy rather than Craft (armor).But since the Rise of the Empire, various technicians have unraveled theexceedingly arduous methods by which cortosis fiberscan be woven into certain alloys,though the process is still extremely expensive andtime-consuming.
To add these features, the character forging the dark armor spends 1 Force Point and makes an Alchemy check against the DC given on Table 4-2. This represents one week of meditation and
arcane alchemical processes; on a failed roll, the raw materials aren't ruined, but the Force Point is still lost.
Examples of Dark Armor
Some examples of dark armor are described below.
Dark Combat Jumpsuit: Worn by the ancient Sith warrior Larad Noon, this heavily padded jumpsuit incorporated Cortosis weave that wreaked havoc with any lightsaber audacious enough to slice into it. Its +5 defense bonus was augmented with dark side stealth, providing Larad Noon with a +2 equipment bonus on saves made against See Force and
Telepathy. The total cost for this suit of dark armor was 16,500 credits and 1 Force Point.
Dark Padded Battle Armor: Worn and craftedby the dark side marauder Kaox Krul around the time of the Battle of Ruusan, its protective padding and composite plates provided a defense bonus of +6 and damage reduction 5.
The armor was also imbued with dark side energy, granting a +2 Force bonus on saves made against light side Force powers or any Force power augmented by a light side Force Point. The total cost for this suit of dark armor was 12,000 credits and 1 Force Point.
Dark Heavy Battle Armor: Worn and crafted by the fearsome Belia Darzu-one of the Sith Lords who kept the Sith cult alive before the Battle of Ruusanthis heavily plated armor provided a defense bonus of +9 and damage reduction 10. Darzu also imbued her armor with dark side stealth to keep her hidden (+2 equipment bonus on saves made against See Force and Telepathy) and increased might (+2 Force bonus to Strength) to boost her physical power. The total cost for this suit of dark armor was 37,000 credits and 2 Force Points.
During the time of the Old Republic, most Sith vehicles were built around ancient schematics stored in Sith holocrons (see below) by the Sith themselves. A few were constructed by well-paid manufacturers who worked from blueprints delivered-and later collected, along with any copies-by dark, mysterious figures whose will could not be denied. Many of those who worked on such ships later suffered from terrible nightmares, and many died under mysterious circumstances.