What are the guidelines for making up a homebrewed weapon?

Question

I'm playing a Star Wars D20 campaign, playing a level 8 Jedi in the post–Order 66 context. I'm using the lightsaber provided by the Jedi Order, but I'm planning to modify it to make my own saber. That's not the question though.

I thought it would be nice to have a Simple Weapon too, so I can hide the lightsaber and not just show everyone I'm a Jedi. My first thought was, why not make a custom staff (like Chirrut in Rogue One) that has a mount at one end to hold my lightsaber. Then I could have a double-ended weapon (one end a lightsaber (only if I activate it) and the other end a simple weapon, a metallic staff.

I asked my DM and he liked the idea, but I don't know exactly how to craft it.

And a second thought I had was that a lightsaber is easy to hide, but a staff isn't. If I had a staff/saber I would have to leave it behind in places where no weapons are allowed. To get around that I thought that I should make the staff collapsible, to try to make it all just a small as the original lightsaber. It would be dual extensible, one end extending for the staff and the other for the lightsaber.

I searched the core book (Revised), the Jedi book, and the arms book, but found nothing. What are the rules or guidelines for designing a custom weapon like this?

Answer 1

For the Collapsible part

You could use the "Snap baton" as a starter guide. Another that is "Extendable" is the MSW-9 molecular stiletto. It goes to 30 cm from a data pen. its fragile due to the makeup but also due to thin size of extension. So a thicker one may hold up better.

So when it comes to collapsing staff down to size, you have ideas in the arms book but also its been done in real life with batons and other weapons. Just increase size.

For Attaching the Saber to the end

For the construction just add a screw on top for the saber. Shorten the lightsaber length in the build of saber. Next extend the bottom of saber with a "Screw" type pin that inserts/twists/slips into the top. At this point you will have your "Lance Staff".

Side Note

In your and your DMs shoe's however, I'd just use a Force Pike and add a "Holder" near the tip for the saber. Those force pikes at full setting can cut thin dura-steel. Also, you could always have one side the force pike and the other the saber and try to give it the mod of Snap Baton in the middle. If you id say the center was collapsable and the tip of Force Pike and The saber were the only two that did not collapse. So a bit longer. The saber can be removed and the FP shortens a bit. Up to DM.

If DM Allows you could add a screw/magnetic/slip connector to the bottom and have a Denn'bok attached to the bottom. While the Denn'bok is "Babylon 5" gear... if you are also trying to go homebrew but just asking for a build procedure using books for numbers, I wouldn't see why this can't be added. It only has stats of a staff and easy to just say it can only power up when attached to the saber using its power as a power source through the same connector. Remove it from saber and keep it small or extend it and remove saber for more "Slip by authority figure hunting the Jedi" but still have a basic staff.

With the exception of the Denn'bok I kept to the Arms Guide with mod-tweaks but also remember the books are guides for ideas. All of these weapons at one point were not written down and someone decided an item/object/whatever was cool and did a writeup. All core books will say they are guides to help get you going. In the end, its what you do that makes the game. With DM approval of course :) ;)