From the introduction: The Plasma blade is a weapon that consist of a hilt, usually between 12 to 18 inches in length, that projects a blade between 24 to 30 inches in length. They are very close related to the psion's psiblade, even going so far as to use most of the external parts, but internally they are completely different weapons. The blade has no weight, making the entire weapon bottom heavy, and quite odd to use by someone not used to it.