Discriminating combatants choose their weapons very carefully. However, a character who knows how to load and fire a slugthrower pistol can handle a blaster pistol just as expertly. Thus, weapons are categorized based on their form and function, and a character who takes the appropriate Weapon Proficiency feat is considered skilled with all of the weapons in that group. If you are proficient with at least one weapon in a group, you qualify to take Weapon Focus (or any other weapon-specific ability) for that group. The benefits of such abilities apply only to weapons in which you are proficient. For example, a scoundrel with the Spacehound talent is proficient with all starship weapons (all of which are heavy weapons), so he qualifies to take Weapon Focus (heavy weapons). This grants him a +1 bonus on attacks with starship weapons, but he wouldn't get that benefit with a grenade launcher or any other heavy weapons until becoming proficient with them. Exotic weapons such as bowcasters and flamethrowers are exceptions: An exotic weapon is unique in form and function, and requires special training (that is, the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat) to wield proficiently.

Advanced Melee Weapons

The most common advanced melee weapons are bladed vibro weapons with ultrasonic generators built into their hilts or handles. A vibro weapon's ultrasonic blade gives the weapon more cutting power with less effort. Advanced melee weapons include the electrostaff, force pike, vibrodagger, vibroblade, vibrobayonet, and vibro-ax.

Exotic Weapons

Unlike other weapon groups, you must select the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat each time you want to learn how to use a different exotic weapon. Exotic weapons include the amphistaff, atlatl, bowcaster, cesta, and flamethrower.

Heavy Weapons

Large, powerful weapons that usually require a brace or tripod to operate fall under the category of heavy weapons, as do even larger weapons mounted to vehicles and starships. Heavy weapons include the blaster cannon, grenade launcher, heavy repeating blaster, missile launcher, and E-Web repeating blaster.

Lightsabers

This group includes the standard lightsaber (a handgrip hilt that projects a single blade of energy) and all lightsaber variants, including the double-bladed lightsaber (as wielded by Darth Maul in Episode I: The Phantom Menace). Lightsabers ignore damage reduction unless noted otherwise. However, a target's shield rating reduces a lightsaber's damage normally.

Pistols

Pistols are ranged weapons that can be fired with one hand. Types of pistols include the blaster pistol (the most common firearm in the Star Wars universe), the heavy blaster pistol, the hold-out blaster, the sporting blaster, the ion pistol, and the slugthrower pistol.

Rifles

Rifles deal more damage and have a greater range than pistols, but you take a -5 penalty on attack rolls if you wield a rifle with one hand (regardless of the weapon's size relative to you). Weapons in this group include the blaster carbine, blaster rifle, heavy blaster rifle, sporting blaster rifle, light repeating blaster, ion rifle, and slugthrower rifle.

Simple Weapons

Simple weapons include weapons that require no special training to use, such as the club, combat gloves, knife, mace, quarterstaff, stun baton, grenades, and thermal detonator. Also included are primitive weapons such as the spear, net, sling, and bow.

The size of a weapon compared to your size determines whether the weapon is light, one-handed, two-handed, or too large for you to use.

Light

If the weapon's size is smaller than your size (a Human using a Small weapon, such as a blaster pistol). then the weapon is light. Light weapons can be used while grappling, and light melee weapons can be used with the Weapon Finesse feat.

One-Handed

If the weapon's size category is the same as your size (a Human using a Medium weapon, such as a heavy blaster pistol). then the weapon is one-handed.

Two-Handed

If the weapon's size category is one step larger than your size (a Human using a Large weapon, such as a light repeating blaster)' then the weapon requires two hands to use (and sometimes a special mount such as a tripod).

Too Large to Use

If the weapon's size category is two or more steps larger than your size (an Ewok using a Large weapon, such as a blaster cannon), the weapon is too large to use. The exceptions to this are vehicle or starship-mounted mounted weapons, which are housed in a unit that aids in their use.

When you choose a weapon for your character, refer to the following tables for details about the various weapon types. The weapon qualities on these tables are explained below:

Weapon Group

A weapon's group tells you which Weapon Proficiency feat you need to be considered proficient with the weapon. If you don't have the appropriate feat, you take a -5 penalty on attacks made with the weapon.

Weapon Size

The weapon's size.

Cost

The weapon's cost in credits.

Damage

The damage the weapon deals with each hit. Melee weapons also add the wielder's Strength bonus to damage, or twice the wielder's Strength bonus when wielded in two hands. Double weapons have two damage entries separated by a slash, these represent the damage dealt by each end of the double weapon.

Stun Damage

If the weapon has a stun setting, it is listed here. A weapon set to stun does stun damage equal to its normal damage (see Stunning). Ranged weapons set to stun have a maximum range of 6 squares unless noted otherwise.

Rate of Fire

Ranged weapons have either a single-shot setting (S) or an autofire setting (A). A few weapons have both settings and can be set to either single-shot mode or autofire mode as a swift action. Only ranged weapons that hold multiple shots of ammunition can have an autofire setting. A weapon can only be on one alternate setting other than its default setting (such as autofire or stun) at a time. Autofire-only weapons with stun settings can deal stun damage in autofire mode, but still have a maximum range of 6 squares unless noted otherwise.

Weight

The weapon's weight in kilograms.

Damage Type

The type of damage a weapon deals. Some creatures and objects take more or less damage from weapons that deal a certain type of damage (see Damage Reduction). Some weapons deal more than one type of damage, depending on how the weapon is used.

• And: The weapon deals both types of damage simultaneously.
• Or:The weapon deals one type of damage or the other, chosen immediately before making the attack roll. Double weapons sometimes deal a different damage type depending on which end of the weapon is used; in this case, the two damage types are separated by a slash.
• Ion: See Ion Damage for special rules governing ion weapons.

Availability

Some weapons have limited availability, as noted below. Licensed, Restricted, Military, or Illegal. Ownership of the weapon is limited to certain individuals.

• Rare: A rare weapon is generally available only on its planet of origin (for example, Naboo for the atlatl and cesta, or Kashyyyk for the bowcaster) or by acquiring it directly from the manufacturer. When available on the open market elsewhere, rare items usually cost double the listed price.

See: Melee Weapons

See: Ranged Weapons