How would you design a sci-fi sword?

[NecronLord]

Stealing from GURPS Ultra Tech, there was a super-science material called memory metal, which could remember 2 or more shapes and switch between them with some sort of input (electrical?). The example in the book had a staff that could change into a spear, different types of axes, a pick (I think, my memory is a little fuzzy and I don't have the book handy). The more shapes, the more expensive, because it had to me manufactured with all the different shapes built in, you couldn't add more later.

If you had this material, you could have a ceremonial sword, or maybe a bayonet, that could change into a variety of useful tools as well as a last ditch melee weapon. I'm think a shove, pick, axe, sword, saw, etc.

Ultra tech? This stuff exists though obviously in much more limited form. It surprises me that this is 'super science' really.

[Darmalus]

Had time to dig up my book. It isn't listed as super-science. It is on page 83 of the 4th edition GURPS Ultra Tech.

A standard morph axe is a climbing tool made of memory metal (p. 90). It can go from straight-handled to bent-handled, from pick to hammer to adze to hook to crowbar to walking stick, on command.

It could become any weapon form appropriate for its weight . . . a quarterstaff could turn into an axe, a spear, or an oversized broadsword.

I left out stuff like cost, legality class, etc. This could greatly simplify space-logistics, ship your troops multi-tools that can also be an effective melee weapon if needed.

The Ultra-Tech books cover everything that we don't have now, but could have later, it also cover completely impossible things that would fit in a sci-fi type setting. It marks impossible things with "super science" and I was wrong about memory metal.

[Peptuck]

My idea: a sword with an electrified blade (the hilt will obviously have to be heavily insulated, as will the sword-wielder's boots).

This is an idea I've been kicking around for a story I'm writing. I have a character who is armed with a blade similar to a Chinese straight sword (jian) that is electrified. It's small, it's lightweight, and its flexible, and most of the opponents the characters deal with are either lightly armored or unarmored, making it a good multipurpose weapon. Even a glancing blow or light tap would drop a human opponent.

A shock-baton or shockmaul, some kind of electric truncheon, would do the same thing just as efficiently and be less potentially lethal, wouldn't it? Granted, with the sword you *can* use it to cut stuff too when needed, but I'm not sure of the practicality of a sword in such a setting. Note that one can always pack a knife when things need cutting, and against lightly armoured/unarmoured opponents, blunt force is just as useful as a cutting force. Of course, if your character has no problem with gutting his/her/it opponents...

Kinda-sorta. It's not intended to be a practical nonlethal military weapon. The weapon itself was the sword of a general who had it commissioned as a personal sidearm, and was designed for duels and personal defense (neither of which involved a lot of "honor" as far as the general was concerned). The current character in question stole it and carries it because of the social norms in the setting that allow for people to wear melee weapons openly (for status, self-defense, etc). The shocking effect is more of an added benefit, and the character in question doesn't mind cutting opponents. It's first and foremost intended to kill, and the shocking effect is more intended to get around situations where the sword's wielder would strike a glancing cut or wouldn't have enough power behind the blow to cut deeply enough to wound, and then proceed to stab or slash at the opponent while they're stunned from the shock. Nonlethal takedowns are a secondary benefit.

You're right that a stun baton/maul would work better for nonlethal takedowns, but this is a weapon better suited to stabbing someone and then watching them twitch in agony while the sword is buried in their body parts. Not terribly practical, but it fits the personality of the guy who commissioned it.

[montypython]

The Andromeda Force Lance seemed like an interesting device, has both small swarmers and a beam emitter for range, and an energy blade for CQ.

[bz249]

Stealing from GURPS Ultra Tech, there was a super-science material called memory metal, which could remember 2 or more shapes and switch between them with some sort of input (electrical?). The example in the book had a staff that could change into a spear, different types of axes, a pick (I think, my memory is a little fuzzy and I don't have the book handy). The more shapes, the more expensive, because it had to me manufactured with all the different shapes built in, you couldn't add more later.

If you had this material, you could have a ceremonial sword, or maybe a bayonet, that could change into a variety of useful tools as well as a last ditch melee weapon. I'm think a shove, pick, axe, sword, saw, etc.

Ultra tech? This stuff exists though obviously in much more limited form. It surprises me that this is 'super science' really.

Based on how the real life material behaves, it is one of the worst kind of stuff for any meaningful melee weapon. In the high temperature phase it is nothing but a simple metal, while in the low temperature phase it is as resistant to deformations as rubber (superplasticity: the yield strength of the structural reorientation is way lower than the yield strength of the normal plastic deformation). Most probably this would be the same for any future material of the class. At least in relative terms.

just two cents from someone wrote his master thesis on shape memory alloys

[Sarevok]

The Andromeda Force Lance seemed like an interesting device, has both small swarmers and a beam emitter for range, and an energy blade for CQ.

The Force Lance also doubles as a terrific defensive weapon. It has point defense capability against bullets. Unlike most melee weapons this makes the Force Lance extremely viable against guns.