Using a lightsaber and blaster together

[dengarboys 22]

Hi guys, 

Can we Kyle Katarn? Can we use blaster pistols and lightsabers at the same time i.e. dual wielding/paired weapons?

I want to be able to slash and shoot like an old school British military commander. Or American civil war captain. 

Is this a thing?

[vilainn6 296]

yes you can do it. Look at the dual welding rules in the combat chapter of the corebook.

[Daeglan 5,497]

yes. it is called two weapon fighting. page 217

Use the worst attribute and the worst skill. increase the check by one.

So use the worse of the lightsaber and range light skill and the worse of the Brawn or agility skill. If you have Ataru style. You can just use the agility. Which makes it work easier. As does using the same weapon for both hands. 

[TalosX 184]

It doesn't look like you can split the attack though.  Meaning you have to shoot and slash the same target.  I might be interpreting it wrong, but that's what it looks like.

[Daeglan 5,497]

That is correct. Unless we get a lightsaber talent tree that changes that. Spit fire from gunslinger tree might allow it...maybe...probably need to clarify it with devs.

[kaosoe 7,405]

Alternatively. You can wield both and switch attacks as necessary. Narratively, you can hack and shoot as you fight, but mechanically you are doing one or the other each round. The rules aren't clear in how you handle things like parry and reflect while doing this. You should talk your GM for clarification.

[Richardbuxton 7,287]

So long as your only using 1 at a time there is no penalty for holding a weapon in each hand.

yes. it is called two weapon fighting. page 217

Use the worst attribute and the worst skill. increase the check by one.

So use the worse of the lightsaber and range light skill and the worse of the Brawn or agility skill. If you have Ataru style. You can just use the agility. Which makes it work easier. As does using the same weapon for both hands.

There is an extra difficulty upgrade on top of Daeglan's explanation due to using 2 different skills for the 2 weapons, but the rest is spot on.

[Richardbuxton 7,287]

Oh and fingers crossed for a duel wielding sword and pistol specialisation, I could finally make my Dark Jedi Space Pirate!

[RusakRakesh 565]

yes. it is called two weapon fighting. page 217

Use the worst attribute and the worst skill. increase the check by one.

So use the worse of the lightsaber and range light skill and the worse of the Brawn or agility skill. If you have Ataru style. You can just use the agility. Which makes it work easier. As does using the same weapon for both hands. 

Also to hit with the secondary weapon you need to spend 2 Advantage or Triumph.

[Donovan Morningfire 9,999]

Alternatively. You can wield both and switch attacks as necessary. Narratively, you can hack and shoot as you fight, but mechanically you are doing one or the other each round. The rules aren't clear in how you handle things like parry and reflect while doing this. You should talk your GM for clarification.

Under the current rules, this is the best option if you want to go the "blaster and blade" approach in combat.

 

As for Parry and Reflect, they just say you need to be wielding a Melee (Parry talent) or Lightsaber (Parry and Reflect) weapon in order to use those talents, with no indication of it needing to be your primary weapon.  Again, as kaosoe suggested check with your GM to ensure that both of you are on the same page, but it shouldn't be that big of a problem to allow.

[Streak 94]

Or 'Saber Throw' the lightsaber and shoot one of the falling pieces for extra emphasis.

 

(Grumble grumble, no one remembers Porthos the Shien Expert!  )

Edited November 25, 2015 by Streak

[TalosX 184]

 

Alternatively. You can wield both and switch attacks as necessary. Narratively, you can hack and shoot as you fight, but mechanically you are doing one or the other each round. The rules aren't clear in how you handle things like parry and reflect while doing this. You should talk your GM for clarification.

Under the current rules, this is the best option if you want to go the "blaster and blade" approach in combat.

 

As for Parry and Reflect, they just say you need to be wielding a Melee (Parry talent) or Lightsaber (Parry and Reflect) weapon in order to use those talents, with no indication of it needing to be your primary weapon.  Again, as kaosoe suggested check with your GM to ensure that both of you are on the same page, but it shouldn't be that big of a problem to allow.

 

 

I would rule that you can't use Deflect and still shoot at opponents.  Simply because using Deflect requires far to much focus.  In both the movies and Clone Wars cartoon, when a Jedi starts deflecting blaster shots, they cease almost all other activities.  A lot of the times they immediately start backing away from the attackers.  It just takes to much focus to effectively deflect blaster shots.

 

Now Parry is a different matter.  I can see someone Parrying an attack and then shooting him at point blank range.  It doesn't take a lot of focus to shoot at someone within arms reach.

 

This is just my personal opinion though.  So definitely check with your GM and see what they think.

[Ghostofman 8,297]

By raw there is no problem shooting with one hand and parry/reflect with the other. You still have the strain expenditure, so the cost is there.

By raw there really is only one or two things you can do to stop someone from using parry and reflect....

[Decorus 657]

Just make a couple of Ezra's blaster sabers.

[Exkramental 4]

so if i use a Shield and lightsaber, (shields can be used as melee) to attack someone, and i want to attack with my saber as main weapon, i roll my brawn + melee skill, and not lightsaber skill, with one more diff added.

 

to use the  2 defence i get from the shield, i need to use  the shield in my attack dice pool, right? or could i just attack with saber(none duel attack) and still get the 2 defence from the shield?

[Kael 1,863]

so if i use a Shield and lightsaber, (shields can be used as melee) to attack someone, and i want to attack with my saber as main weapon, i roll my brawn + melee skill, and not lightsaber skill, with one more diff added.

 

to use the  2 defence i get from the shield, i need to use  the shield in my attack dice pool, right? or could i just attack with saber(none duel attack) and still get the 2 defence from the shield?

 

You use the lower of the two, whichever that may be. So if it's Melee use Melee, if it's Lightsabre then use Lightsabre. Holding the shield should be enough to grant you the Defense bonus. 

[Richardbuxton 7,287]

You don't need to attack with the shield to gain its defensive bonus.

If you did want to land an extra hit with the shield the you would need to upgrade the difficulty twice; once for 2 weapon combat, and once for using 2 weapons with different skills (Lightsaber and Melee).

Then take the lowest Characteristic, in this case they use the same, so Brawn (unless you have one of the 5 Talents that changes the Characteristic for Lightsaber).

Next upgrade by the lowest Skill, either Melee or Lightsaber.

Finally add any extra dice from your Primary weapon (probably the Lightsaber) such as a Boost dice for an Accurate weapon.

Once you roll, on success you hit with the Primary weapon like normal. But to hit with the second weapon you need to spend 2 Advantage or a Triumph. Both hits add the number of un-cancelled success to the damage.

Both hits must be on the same target.

[Exkramental 4]

i knew about upping the diff by 1, i did not know you had to do it again if it's not the same weapon. that seems a litte overkill, does it not, then it would always be better(and cost loads more) to create a saber for attack and one for defence stats. 

 

also, if i have a saber with 3 defence and armor with 2, both melee defence, would they stack or do i pick the highest a, i never really use defence on a weapon before.

[Daeglan 5,497]

i knew about upping the diff by 1, i did not know you had to do it again if it's not the same weapon. that seems a litte overkill, does it not, then it would always be better(and cost loads more) to create a saber for attack and one for defence stats. 

 

also, if i have a saber with 3 defence and armor with 2, both melee defence, would they stack or do i pick the highest a, i never really use defence on a weapon before.

Having done two weapon fighting in real life. no it is not. trying to make your brain operate 2 modes of thinking at the same time is extremelydifficult. Trying to do it with the same weapon in two hands is also difficult. try shooting a nerf gun and swing a nerf sword at the same time. You tend to do one or the other. doing both takes dedication. 

[Kael 1,863]

i knew about upping the diff by 1, i did not know you had to do it again if it's not the same weapon. that seems a litte overkill, does it not, then it would always be better(and cost loads more) to create a saber for attack and one for defence stats. 

 

 

 

That's why overall you're better off only doing TWC with the same type of weapon. Also only the sabre pike increases your defense and that is a two handed weapon. So if you're looking to increase defense with a weapon it's gonna need to be a shield. TWC is mostly about attacking, not defending.

 

Lightsbres in general aren't weapons of defense. The defensive aspects of a lightsabre are represented with the Parry/Reflect talents basically.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Kael

[Lathrop 836]

Also only the sabre pike increases your defense and that is a two handed weapon. So if you're looking to increase defense with a weapon it's gonna need to be a shield. TWC is mostly about attacking, not defending.

 

Lightsbres in general aren't weapons of defense. The defensive aspects of a lightsabre are represented with the Parry/Reflect talents basically.

 

 

Curved Hilt and a fully modded Lorrdian crystal give Defensive 3 and Deflection 2, so it's slightly better than a Cortosis Shield, and obviously works better if wanting to leave two-handed combat as a reasonably viable option.

 

Where a player gets 2 separate crystals, presumably the aforementioned defensive crystal and a more offensive one, is another issue entirely.

[Richardbuxton 7,287]

Defence doesn't stack, so just use the highest defence.

[Kael 1,863]

 

Also only the sabre pike increases your defense and that is a two handed weapon. So if you're looking to increase defense with a weapon it's gonna need to be a shield. TWC is mostly about attacking, not defending.

 

Lightsbres in general aren't weapons of defense. The defensive aspects of a lightsabre are represented with the Parry/Reflect talents basically.

 

 

Curved Hilt and a fully modded Lorrdian crystal give Defensive 3 and Deflection 2, so it's slightly better than a Cortosis Shield, and obviously works better if wanting to leave two-handed combat as a reasonably viable option.

 

Where a player gets 2 separate crystals, presumably the aforementioned defensive crystal and a more offensive one, is another issue entirely.

 

 

 

My bad. I 100% spaced on the curved hilt and crystal. 

[Mornmist 36]

Niman has two levels of defensive training talent that replaces the defensive value of a weapon.  It seems to me that xp for talents is a much more expendable resource than modification opportunities on your lightsaber.

[AK_Aramis 1,002]

yes. it is called two weapon fighting. page 217

Use the worst attribute and the worst skill. increase the check by one.

So use the worse of the lightsaber and range light skill and the worse of the Brawn or agility skill. If you have Ataru style. You can just use the agility. Which makes it work easier. As does using the same weapon for both hands.

also use the worse base difficulty... platesting gatekeeper, on of my players did that from time to time. .. wasn't terribly effective.