Can Telekinesis Replace Magnetic Fields in Lightsaber Design?

[gibberingmouther]

I hope this is the right place for this post! It is a concrete question about physics but is a little abstract since it involves fictional "psychic" powers (specifically, telekinesis), which can however work in a mathematically defined way, though there are some fictional elements.

I posted not too long ago a calculus question about the rules for a game world I am almost done designing. So, *that* game world has magic and psychic powers in it, including telekinesis. I realized that a lot of the psychic powers were similar to what you have in Star Wars, including telekinesis and mind influencing abilities. I thought I might do a short section in the main game pdf (this is for a tabletop roleplaying game) on how you could modify the main rule set to have powers for Force adepts, and also a less vague definition of what "the Force" actually is. Also, I thought I could rescue the lightsaber. While plasma guns *do* actually make sense, the way magnetic fields work means that you can't have a traditional lightsaber.

My original (not Star Wars) universe makes more sense for lightsabers actually, because telekinesis in that game universe relies on "ki" particles, which apply a vector field of forces (the telekinesis) where the magnitudes and directions are determined by the ki user's intentions and thoughts. There is some other lore about souls and psychic energy and how all that works in the game world.

The "ki" based version of the lightsaber makes more sense because the ki particles emit photons that have different colors depending on the user's personality at a deep level. So, you could have different colored lightsabers without requiring HUGE differences in the energy required to generate the plasma. You use telekinesis - instead of a magnetic field - to contain the plasma the lightsaber is made out of. For a ki user, you need the particles to be close to where the force vector(s) are, because the cost (the total points you are allowed to spend are based on your power level and are "per turn" in gaming terms) is based on distance as well as the work being done. It's a little hard to define using math. So, then, you could have different colored lightsabers in the game world with ki ... not sure how you could color the lightsaber used by a Force adept though. If anyone can think of how, that would be cool ... lightsabers that all look the same are boring, but we gamers will have to take what we can get!

So, fifth paragraph in, I get to what my question is, exactly. If instead of a magnetic field, you just have a vector field of generic forces that come from "telekinesis", could you still deflect blaster bolts (plasma contained in a magnetic field) and cut things? This vector field acts on masses the same way an electric field acts on charges. This is partly a 3d visualization problem ...

For blaster bolts, they *do* have a magnetic field - will that interact with the plasma contained in the TK (telekinesis) force field and bounce off? I'm guessing probably not but I don't know enough physics. If you cut with the TK force field perpendicular to the thing you're cutting (and, when cutting, you wouldn't have a force field that acts away from the blade like you would if defending against another lightsaber) you'd think you would be fine ... but what about if you cut at an angle? You have to use your TK force field to contain the plasma without interfering with cutting.

And there is also the issue of how you would actually get the blade to be long enough. Is this feasible for future technology? In my other game world I can just add magical crystals and what have you to be found to enable time travel or interstellar travel, but with Star Wars you're not supposed to do that. In a plasma cutter, you have gas being forced through a kind of tube and being exposed to an electric current - no magnetic field needed to contain the short blade. But you can't spar with plasma cutters. Is there any kind of configuration that involves generating plasma from the handle, that can then be contained by the Force adept's TK force field? I guess if you have a stream of plasma as with a plasma cutter you don't need the force field while cutting ... but this isn't going to work because you would need a *lot* of gas somehow stored in that handle to get enough plasma for the blade.

So, in conclusion: is it possible, with telekinesis as I described, to rescue the lightsaber?

EDIT: Reflecting on this some more, I think it's best if the lightsaber is *not* made out of plasma. Instead, I'll keep the lightsaber crystal as part of the design. The lightsaber crystal, rather than being something that can be found in rare locations around the galaxy, is a sort of "Force battery" that has a lot of psychic energy stored in it by the Force adept who made it. The crystal stores information about the length and shape of the blade so that can't be changed during lightsaber combat as that could ruin the fun of it. The blade itself is a force field that is *very hot*. Not sure how it would deflect blaster bolts, though that would be a part of the "psychic blueprint" contained in the lightsaber crystal. Some more details are required to flesh this out but I'll probably figure it out later. And then I'll put it in my game PDF.

 

[jedishrfu]

As I read this, I can’t help but think you are overthinking your game. If you want to create a universe where these things operate in ways similar to real world forces just make it so. The players will understand the rules of the game and play accordingly. However by really trying to justify your choices you will lose something in translation.

I once designed a game based on Star Trek where I had different classes of starships and each had a distinct network of dilithium crystals that controlled various subsystems of each ship. At subsystems drew power from the core, it would be distributed thru the dilithium crystals and if it exceeded some specified amount the crystal would fail disabling one or more subsystems kind of like fuses or circuit breakers.

The dilithium network allowed me to add random power outages and other failure modes from overuse or sabotage. It fit nicely in the Star Trek universe. My problem was my game had no particular goal and so I couldn’t figure out what to do with what I developed in my spare time and eventually I shelved it. Now I would create a variety of mission templates and add in player promotions and perhaps a Star Fleet Academy component for initiation, education and promotion.

 

[AlexTheParticle]

First of all, I think it's great that you're incorporating physics into your game design! It adds a level of realism and depth to the world you've created.

Regarding your question about using telekinesis to create a lightsaber, it's definitely an interesting concept. However, there are a few things to consider.

First, let's talk about the plasma. In order for a lightsaber to work, you need a source of plasma that can be contained and manipulated. In your original universe where telekinesis is based on "ki" particles, it makes sense to use those particles to create and contain the plasma. However, in the Star Wars universe, the Force is a more mystical and spiritual concept, so it might not make as much sense for it to be used in the same way. That being said, there is a lot of room for creativity and interpretation, so you could definitely make it work.

Next, let's talk about the blade itself. If you're using telekinesis to create a force field that is "very hot," it's important to consider how that heat is generated and contained. In a traditional lightsaber, the plasma is contained by a magnetic field, which also helps to generate the heat. Without that magnetic field, you would need to find another way to generate and contain the heat, otherwise the blade would quickly dissipate. Perhaps the Force adept could use their psychic energy to generate the heat, but it would still require a lot of energy and concentration to maintain it.

Now, onto your question about deflecting blaster bolts. In the Star Wars universe, lightsabers are able to deflect blaster bolts because they have a magnetic field that can interact with the plasma in the bolts. Without that magnetic field, it's unlikely that a telekinetic force field would be able to deflect the bolts in the same way. However, as you mentioned, there could be a "psychic blueprint" contained in the lightsaber crystal that allows it to interact with the blaster bolts in a similar fashion.

In terms of the length of the blade, it's definitely feasible for future technology to create a blade that extends out from the handle. However, it would require a lot of energy and precise control to maintain the shape and length of the blade, especially during combat. It might be more practical to have a shorter blade that can be extended with telekinesis when needed.

Overall, I think it's definitely possible to rescue the concept of