Right now, I'm running a Spycraft 2.0 game using the Star Wars universe as the setting.  I'm mostly finished with conversions for Star Wars stuff into SC 2.0, but that's for another thread, if anyone's interested.

Right now I need some different help...

The game takes place a few years after the Jedi Purge, and the characters are all Force-sensitive.  The organization they work for is trying to train them into Force-sensitive spies to get a leg up on the competition.  Unfortunately, the only people who could feasibly teach them anything useful about manipulating the Force are either hiding in a desert, hiding in a swamp or busy conquering the known Galaxy.

In their last mission, the PCs managed to steal a half dozen Jedi holocrons, and three lightsabers (only one of which works) from a nobleman's secret stash.  I need some ideas for fleshing out these eight artifacts.

One holocron will be a basic instruction manual for using the Force -- Telekinesis, Mind Tricks and so on -- the holographic interface, I think, might be Yoda, unless someone else has a more iteresting idea.  in the movies, it seemed he was the primary instructor of Force basics for the kids.

Another holocron should be lightsaber combat techniques.  I don't really known of who the Jedi weapons masters are, though.

The other four holocrons will probably just be other instructional or historical material of less consequence...  the sort of stuff that would give bonuses on knowledge checks.  I'd like to have a theme for each them, though, and a different Jedi Master for each holographic interface.

As for the lightsabers, one was obviously cut in half by another lightsaber (one of Anakin's from the movies?), one has a hole burned through it from either a blaster bolt or a lightsaber (hard to tell which), and the last is in poor condition but intact and functional.

Any ideas?  My players, for the most part, have seen the movies, but not read any of the books.  These items don't have to be directly related to anything or anyone in the movies, but I want them to be viscerally interesting to the players.

The holocrons could be like bundles... but for Skills and feats...maybe you use them when you go up a level. Your normal skill and feat buying is suspended and the holocron gives you a bundle of skills and a feat.  You may be getting more skill points then normal.... but they are very focused and you have no control over what you chose......

As for the lightsaber.... why not make it a training saber.  Doesn’t do damage but can stun.... can deflect only the lightest stinger bolts.

Quote from: CyclotronAnother holocron should be lightsaber combat techniques.  I don't really known of who the Jedi weapons masters are, though.

I think Mace "Samuel L Jackson" Windu is supposed to be the greatest lightsaber fighter of the current era, at least.

Have one of the holocrons be fragmentary--such as revealing the temple with the force crystals (from Clone Wars) and how to assemble a blade, but not enough information to locate what system said temple was on, or the fact that it is currently buried under rubble. Instead, it offers a possible way to find the materials to construct new lightsabers, if one had the right ingredients.

Quote from: Kyle VOlttiThe holocrons could be like bundles... but for Skills and feats...maybe you use them when you go up a level. Your normal skill and feat buying is suspended and the holocron gives you a bundle of skills and a feat. You may be getting more skill points then normal.... but they are very focused and you have no control over what you chose......

Well...  I don't want to specifically dictate what feats and skills the players must choose for their characters.  Primarily, these items are an excuse to allow the players to buy ranks in the Force Manipulation skill, and to choose Force and Lightsaber related feats for their characters in the absense of a Jedi Master to train them.

The lightsabers (and perhaps one of the holocrons too) are there simply to provide materials to learn how to use and build lightsabers.  Only the one works, but it's feasible they be able to put one more together from the parts of the other two.

Quote from: Kyle VOlttiAs for the lightsaber.... why not make it a training saber. Doesn't do damage but can stun.... can deflect only the lightest stinger bolts.

Oh no.  This is a fully power lightsaber from a dead Jedi Knight or Master...  No fooling around here.  The only question is, which Jedis did these lightsabers belong to?

The lightsaber that was cut in half is a green-bladed lightsaber Anakin used in his first duel against Dooku.  Having lost his lightsaber in the droid foundry on Geonosis, he borrowed this from Ki-Adi Mund, I believe.  Dooku cut it in half during the duel.

The lightsaber with the whole could belong to any Jedi that was killed in the Purge.  It might be interesting to link to the family of one character who comes from a strong Jedi bloodline.

The functional lightsaber likewise could belong to any ex-Jedi (or Sith apprentice)...  if I want to lnk it to the movies, it could feasibly be either Mace Windu's or Darth Sideous', since they both dropped theirs out the window into the depths of Coruscant.

Quote from: DackeI think Mace "Samuel L Jackson" Windu is supposed to be the greatest lightsaber fighter of the current era, at least.

That could make sense...

With the Jedi spread so thin, and even Padawan learners taking to the field, Yoda and Mace each make a basic training holocron to help keep the Padawans up on their studies when the Masters are away on missions.

Quote from: willpaxHave one of the holocrons be fragmentary--such as revealing the temple with the force crystals (from Clone Wars) and how to assemble a blade, but not enough information to locate what system said temple was on, or the fact that it is currently buried under rubble. Instead, it offers a possible way to find the materials to construct new lightsabers, if one had the right ingredients.

Ooo...  I kind of like that.

Even better if the holocron was created before the temple on Ilum was destroyed.  If they try to hunt down the crystal temple at Ilum, they get there only to find that it's all buried and destroyed.

We had a holocron in one of our old D6 Star Wars campaign learning from it eventually turned my master to the dark side, forcing the chap to retire that PC to NPC status. It was a really interesting development of the campaign where the most experienced Jedi, turned Dark Side, and the rest of the party and his former student eventually tried to capture him to help him recover.


Have you considered Count Dooku, as the lightsabre intructor on the the Holocron, only don't use Dooku* as the name as I believe he adobted it on leaving the Jedi Order (and it lets the cat out of the bad too soon). Yoda and Dooku are the only two jedi to have bested Mace Wu. Have the training start of normally but get progressively more agressive, eventually have the instructor teach the Form VII -- the deadly technique known as vaapad -- for its aggressive nature treaded dangerously upon dark side practices (the one Mace Wu uses). With Dooko getting increasing more likely to encourge the student to focus his anger.

You can then have that temptation balanced by the other holocrons, see which path the players take.

*If you can find it perhaps use the name of the Jedi that ordered the Clone Army, I'm sure it is mentioned in the 2nd film.

Quote from: BagpussHave you considered Count Dooku, as the lightsabre intructor on the the Holocron, only don't use Dooku* as the name as I believe he adobted it on leaving the Jedi Order (and it lets the cat out of the bad too soon).

His full name was Count Jard Dooku of Serreno, even when he was a Jedi.

I did think about it...  It's a good idea.  Especially the idea of his holocron being made before he left the Order.

Quote from: BagpussYoda and Dooku are the only two jedi to have bested Mace Wu. Have the training start of normally but get progressively more agressive, eventually have the instructor teach the Form VII -- the deadly technique known as vaapad -- for its aggressive nature treaded dangerously upon dark side practices (the one Mace Wu uses). With Dooko getting increasing more likely to encourge the student to focus his anger.

Heh...  For those of you familiar with Spycraft 2.0...

Lightsaber Basics (Melee Combat)
 "This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster… An elegant weapon for a more civilized time."
 Prerequisites: Force Sensitive, Weapon proficiency (Exotic (Edged))
 Benefit: When you suffer a successful blaster or melee attack while wielding a readied lightsaber and taking a Total Defense or Fight Defensively action, you may make a melee attack check (DC equal to the successful attack) to cancel that attack. If your melee attack check against an attack with a weapon with the blaster (BLS) quality exceeds the DC of the attack by 10 or more, you gain an immediate Final Attack using the damage, range and qualities of the canceled attack. You may use this ability a number of times per round equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1). You may not use this ability if flatfooted, flanked or denied to Dexterity modifier to Defense. Further, you gain the following stance and trick.
 Form I, Shii-Cho (Stance): While you hold a readied melee weapon, you gain an insight bonus to all attack checks and Defense equal to your Force modifier (minimum +1).
 Form II, Makashi (Trick): When you hit an opponent with a successful Standard Attack action using a lightsaber, you may immediately make an Anticipate check against that opponent as a free action.

Lightsaber Moves (Melee Combat)
"No blasters!  No blasters!"
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3 or higher, Force Sensitive, Weapon proficiency (Exotic (Edged))
Benefit: Further, you gain the following tricks.
Form III, Soresu (Trick): Once per round when benefiting from a Total Defense or Fight Defensively action while weilding a readied lightsaber, you may take a final attack against an adjacent opponent when he misses you with an attack.
Form IV, Ataru (Trick): Before you take a Standard Atttack action with a lightsaber, you may move up to your Speed, passing freely through squares adjacent to or occupied by opponents.
Form V, Shien (Trick): You may take a Standard Attack with a lightsaber. With a hit, you may immediately take a Bull Rush action targetting the same opponent as a free action.
 
Lightsaber Supremacy (Melee Combat)
"He was armed only with this."
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +12 or higher, Force Sensitive, Lightsaber Basics, Lightsaber Moves, Weapon proficiency (Exotic (Edged))
Benefit: When you suffer a successful blaster or melee attack while wielding a readied lightsaber, you may make a melee attack check (DC equal to the successful attack) to cancel that attack. If your melee attack check against an attack with a weapon with the blaster (BLS) quality exceeds the DC of the attack by 10 or more, you gain an immediate Final Attack using the damage, range and qualities of the canceled attack. You may use this ability a number of times per round equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1). You may not use this ability if flatfooted, flanked or denied to Dexterity modifier to Defense. Further, you gain the following tricks.
Form VI, Niman (Trick): you may take a Standard Attack action with a lightsaber. You may apply two or more tricks to this attack. For each trick applied you suffer a cumulative -2 penalty with all attack and skill checks for 1 full round.
Form VII, Juyo (Trick): Before you take a Standard Attack action with a lightsaber, you may choose to take a number of final attacks up to your Force modifier (minimum 1). If you do so, for each final attack taken you suffer a cumulative -2 penalty with all attack and skill checks for 1 full round. Further, if you spend 1 action die gained from drawing upon the Dark Side to boost the damage of this attack, you roll and add the results of 2 dice.
 

Quote*If you can find it perhaps use the name of the Jedi that ordered the Clone Army, I'm sure it is mentioned in the 2nd film.

[SIZE=-1]Sifo-Dyas.[/SIZE]

Hrm...  May be I'll make some of the holocrons with really off the wall aliens that speak languages the PCs can't possibly understand.  Or maybe have one of cracked, so that it just repeats the same introductory message over and over ala "Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're our only hope...  Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're our only hope...  Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're our only hope...  Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're our only hope...  Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You're our only hope..."

As an aside, would anyone be interested in seeing my Star Wars to Spycraft conversion notes?  There's a few bits I'm stuck on, but everytime I try to get help with them on other boards, it devolves into quibbling over detailed minutiae from obscure and apocryphal Stars Wars references that my players won't care about, much less ever heard about.