Ghostsword
Edged
One Handed
(STR/CHA +1)M
Reach 1

At first glance the Ghostsword seems to be a rather plain Katzbalger with a corroded bronze guard in the shape of a figure 8 and an unusually long handle. This first glance is correct. There is nothing special about the weapon except for its age without would make it worth several thousand nuyen to a collector. What makes this weapon so special is its location. The Ghostsword, true to its name exists entirely on the astral plane.

As an Astral Construct the ghostsword can be manipulated and wielded by any astrally present being. It uses its normal damage code in astral combat. Because it only exists in astral space the wilder must remain astrally present to keep it. Should a wielder be disrupted or stop astrally percieving the weapon will remain where it is untill someone take it.

Manifesting
Most astral construct weapons are just curiosities. They are slightly less useful than weapon foci and much more difficult to keep, although they can be lifesavers to dual natured beings that lack magical skills. However, certain Astral Constructs can manifest under certain conditions. The conditions that cause the Ghostsword to manifest are what makes it a highly prized and very dangerous weapon.
When the Ghostsword's blade penetrates a living metahuman (including HMHVV Infected) aura the weapon will materialize, causing damage that the metahuman body it materializes inside. It dematerializes the instant it is no longer inside the target's aura. Due to this unique trait the Ghostsword can be used in melee combat against physical metahumans at a +1 TN. It can even be used in this manner if the wielder is purely astral.
Because this weapon makes cross-planar assasinations rather trivial it is very difficult to retain ownership of it. Malevolent spirits and unscrupulous magicians alike seek this blade just for that power. While the weapon present no sign of intellegence some attribute its unique feature to a malign intent and warn against using it.

hmmm .... I really like the idea of it .... but I am not sure if I would ever let a pc get their hands on one. Is there a bow and arrow to go with it as well? (I am not asking out of sarcasm, but phantom arrows might be another cool plot device.

No way in hell would I ever allow that in my game.

You can actually fight back and/or flee from a materialized spirit. With this thing there's nofighting back and no getting away. And since it only materializes while inside you can't even dodge it properly because you have no idea where it is.

That's true if it never manifests, since it only ever materializes when inside you. Although material armour would not help against it, the Astral Armour spell certainly would if you can either cast it yourself or have a chummer who trusts you enough to lend you his anchoring focus. Plus an astrally projecting weilder has +20 on your initiative so that's two extra attacks a turn. Still, you have to cling onto the thing all day and night and set off every ward you try and pull it through.

Setting off wards is no different then if you yourself were trying to go through, unless I'm misremembering the SR3 rules (which is very possible).

I thought that I liked the idea because I am still using most of sr2 mechanics.

When thinking about it more and more, it doesn't really make sense.
I was thinking of treating it like a weapon focus that would make anyone holding it basically dual natured like when perceiving. I also was thinking that the wielder would have to by in physical form in order to use it, or it just doesn't work.

It comes from a fairly literal interpretation of the Astral Construct rules in Target: Awaken Lands, an item an item that appears to be physical and behaves like its physical counterparts but exists only in astral space. Since some Astral Constructs can materialize this seems like the most egregious possible abuse of those rules (it isn't, there are far more perverse things that can be done with alchera).

As preseted, it is simply a weapon that you must be astrally present to wield but which can attack beings on both planes, even if the wielder is astral only. The only disagvantage is a minor TN penalty for attacking purly physical beings. It is very munchy in the hands of a being that can astrally project but rather underpowered in the hands of a dual being (it doesn't have to be bonded but it doesn't provide bonus dice or have the potential to defeat Regeneration.)

In the hands of an NPC it can be the driving force of a plot, expecially since it forces mundanes to become accutly aware of astral space and take precautions that with hithertofor only necessary for reckless magicians and dual beings.

Very Shadowrun 2, in that it tastes like grounding.
Less of a risk, really (those who can project don't tend to have high Edged Weapons skills, and even someone with EW 7 can't hold a candle to a grounded Forceball)

Here's the catch, if a metahuman is holding it, then the blade is (as written) permanently manifested. (Materialized actually)

Your aura extends several inches out from your body, including the hand holding the sword. This is one of the best pointless magical items ever. It's a fantastic gimmick. It's blatantly obvious the entire time a metahuman (projecting or no) is holding it!

The sword only becomes entirely astral when it's not within a few inches of any metahuman at all!

This isn't so munchkinny, and is only really able to be used as an assisanation tool by a non metahuman wielding it.

XD

Edit: oh, and if the sword manifests (materializes) when it crosses your aura that's still outside your armor, so you would get full armor against it too.