http://www.starwars.com/databank/lightsaber-crystal

So this link leads to the Star Wars Databank on Kyber Crystals.

Of note is the last part where it explains that a Kyber Crystal's color is clear "colorless until first attuned and connected to a Jedi -- at which times it glows either blue or green, or in some rare instances, another shade. From that point on, it retains that hue." This is all new information to the Star Wars universe for me and I have been following since.. well... the beginning? What do you guys think of this. That use of the word "attuning" adds something to Force Users that I am not 100% on Force and Destiny covering. I wanted to bring it to the communities attention (and FFGs).

It's actually sorta covered. In terms of mechanical uses, Force users do some attuning when they're modifying a crystal. This comes from the way they knock down Mechanics checks to modify it by 2, and how they can add their force rating to spend force points on successes and advantages when modifying it.

It's mostly non-existent in being referenced in the Beta book, but I'm sure they'll throw it in when they add all the other fluff to the book for the Core's final release. But in terms of the whole process of attuning it the first time to make it their's and give it color - that's more just a narrative thing, no hard rules. Just tell the players they need to spend a couple hours meditating on the thing, and let them pick blue/green or ask the GM for permission on other colors.

That's been up there a while. And yeah, lightsaber color is just that, a color.

I know that there's a temptation to add a mechanic for every fiddly thing, but from a game design perspective you gotta ask "how does this improve the game for everyone?"

Let's say you decide to add a mechanic. Say a moderate discipline check. So you roll and.... DERP! You fail, or despair, maybe both. What happens?

If the crystal is destroyed, then you probably just borked both the player (whose been denied their glow stick) and the GM (who probably wrote an adventure or three building up to this moment).

If they just have to try again over and over till they get it...why have them roll at all?

Even if you just give some kind of bonus for success, you're now "punishing" characters that dont take that skill, which goes against one of the game concepts of allowing diverse characters.

See? Its a neat little story note, but there's some stuff that just needs to stay such.

Also explains why darksiders have red. Dark side energy tends to attune red. Jedi tend to attune green or blue but sometimes other colors. Solves a lot of problems having the crystal color decided by the attuning.

It speaks of something about the Jedi if their Saber glows blue and they are like "Dang it, I wanted Green..." Easily a flip of a coin for a random style GM or just letting the player choose for the less fiddly GM. I can see merit on both sides. But how would this best be used in FFG. If you get a Saber who's crystal is already attuned to another person, would that mean it wouldn't qualify for the 2 reduced difficulty from the beta errata? This focus on the Lightsaber as a "spiritual" extension rather than simply a tool is neat to me.

It speaks of something about the Jedi if their Saber glows blue and they are like "Dang it, I wanted Green..." Easily a flip of a coin for a random style GM or just letting the player choose for the less fiddly GM. I can see merit on both sides. But how would this best be used in FFG. If you get a Saber who's crystal is already attuned to another person, would that mean it wouldn't qualify for the 2 reduced difficulty from the beta errata? This focus on the Lightsaber as a "spiritual" extension rather than simply a tool is neat to me.

just let the player choose. . Why would you deny them something as simple as the color of their lightsaber. unless they salvaged their crystal from another's lightsaber.

I agree with Daeglan on this one.

Just let the PC choose the color of their lightsaber blade. That method worked just fine back during the WEG days, and since the PCs aren't likely to be getting their crystals from Ilum, if they want something other than the blue or green, let them have it.

Aqua and Hot pink were popular with my players back then.... Black is now an official option, so that's kinda neat if you're into that kinda thing.

Not sure i'd call the Darksaber and any of the crystals from Swtor/tfu "a thing". For the darksaber, it's beyond unique. For the video games, its a gimmick. I mean, light just doesn't work that way.

I'm not huge on it myself, but I'm learning to let go of little things like that. If a player wants his lightsaber to look like a black baseball bat that inexplicably emits light.... eh I don't think that's any less distracting then keeping a pet nerf that hangs out in the ship and sorts everyone's e-mail. Of course if you don't think your black light-bat is odd neither will anyone else in the setting. Net result=0, game continues.

Not sure i'd call the Darksaber and any of the crystals from Swtor/tfu "a thing". For the darksaber, it's beyond unique. For the video games, its a gimmick. I mean, light just doesn't work that way.

In all fairness we do have a canon example .

I've got to agree that color is entirely fluff. Let the character choose. If the player wants it to be chosen by their aura, or the force or whatever, then the GM can pick.

My characters is Orange Creamscicle color.

Back in WEG days we used to close our eyes and choose a color randomly from a big box of crayons.

My Jedi Exile did a slice RP during off-time to build her saber.

https://star-wars-edge-of-the-empire-18.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/vignette-building-a-lightsaber

She sparked it up for the first time on Saturday. It was epic.

I initiallly squicked at the notion of a crystal from Ilum being anything other than blue or green, since I think Ilum is stupid and the idea of only those two colours being available is stupid as well. I had silently decided that Ilum would be the resting place of that stupid idea and so you could only find blue or green on Ilum. The galaxy had other options.

Then she said her crystal, from Ilum, is yellow. Well ok - that's fine. I don't care at all, really.

That said - my other force sensitive player will journey to Barab and pick up an ingot. The description as fiery does not preclude the colour from being green or blue or pink. I think he wants orange, which suits Barab Ingots anyways, but I'd not bat an eye if he wanted a blue saber. A fiery blade merely means pulsing, chaotic, and unbridled in my books.

I kind of dig the Special Green/Black colors you get in the MMORPG when you buy a hundred dollar mouse:

They've got all sorts of different <insert color here>/black sabers in the game now, or other mixes as well. Some of them are pretty cool looking.

I agree with Daeglan on this one.

Just let the PC choose the color of their lightsaber blade. That method worked just fine back during the WEG days, and since the PCs aren't likely to be getting their crystals from Ilum, if they want something other than the blue or green, let them have it.

And I do. One of my Sith wannabes has a black-saber. I've never been the kind of GM to force things like that. But I used to have a Lightsaber generator back in D20 and it was a lot of fun. (For the, this is what you are handed by your master times) it was a hit with my players. I'm not so concerned with the color. My concern is if this precludes the "personal" part of lightsaber mechanics.

*Rant incoming*

I've Always Hated The Idea That Only CertainPeople Use Certain Colored Lightsabers. I Think Its One Of The Stupidest Ideas I've Ever Read, And I Shudder To Think It Has Been Put Into Practice. It Screams Of Internet "What Color Are You" Quizzes. And Has Been Made The Subject Of ThemIt Was Not A Major Idea Or Plot Device In The Movies Such As The Houses In Harry Potter. Instead, ItCame About Because Darth Vader Used A Red Saber. That Is Movie Short Hand For IM Bad, Because In Movies You Only Have 2 Hours To Work With. In Books Where You Have Unlimited Pages, Or Shows Where You Have A Season, Or An Rpg Where You Can Have Years, I Don't Think Its Necessary.

A Friend Of Me And I Got Into An Argument About This On Christmas Eve. He Said That Silver Lightsabers Should Only Be For Those Who Are The Most Powerful And Wise In The Force. I Said, Well, What If I Just Think Its A Pretty Color. He Yelled At Me For The Next 10 Minutes Because Of A Video Someone Put Up On YouTube. Said He Didn't Think I Was Strong Enough For A Silver Lightsabers, And How Dare I Besmirch The Good Name Of Star Wars.

I Feel That That Kind Of thinking Limits individuality, And PidginHoles A Character. If One Of My Characters Wants A Red Lightsabers Because It Is His Favorite Color, I'll Let Him Have It And Won't Lose Any Sleep. I Don't Care What Movie Shorthand Says, We Have Changes Mediums.

*Rant over*

*Rant incoming*

I've Always Hated The Idea That Only CertainPeople Use Certain Colored Lightsabers. I Think Its One Of The Stupidest Ideas I've Ever Read, And I Shudder To Think It Has Been Put Into Practice. It Screams Of Internet "What Color Are You" Quizzes. And Has Been Made The Subject Of ThemIt Was Not A Major Idea Or Plot Device In The Movies Such As The Houses In Harry Potter. Instead, ItCame About Because Darth Vader Used A Red Saber. That Is Movie Short Hand For IM Bad, Because In Movies You Only Have 2 Hours To Work With. In Books Where You Have Unlimited Pages, Or Shows Where You Have A Season, Or An Rpg Where You Can Have Years, I Don't Think Its Necessary.

A Friend Of Me And I Got Into An Argument About This On Christmas Eve. He Said That Silver Lightsabers Should Only Be For Those Who Are The Most Powerful And Wise In The Force. I Said, Well, What If I Just Think Its A Pretty Color. He Yelled At Me For The Next 10 Minutes Because Of A Video Someone Put Up On YouTube. Said He Didn't Think I Was Strong Enough For A Silver Lightsabers, And How Dare I Besmirch The Good Name Of Star Wars.

I Feel That That Kind Of thinking Limits individuality, And PidginHoles A Character. If One Of My Characters Wants A Red Lightsabers Because It Is His Favorite Color, I'll Let Him Have It And Won't Lose Any Sleep. I Don't Care What Movie Shorthand Says, We Have Changes Mediums.

*Rant over*

Has your friend read about the Imperial Knights. An entire order of Force users that specifically use silver. They were neither the strongest, nor the wisest.

No. No He Hasn't. But I Will Bring Them Up To him

http://scifi.about.com/od/starwarsglossaryandfaq/a/Star-Wars-Faq-What-Do-Lightsaber-Colors-Mean.htm

*Rant incoming*

I've Always Hated The Idea That Only CertainPeople Use Certain Colored Lightsabers. I Think Its One Of The Stupidest Ideas I've Ever Read, And I Shudder To Think It Has Been Put Into Practice. It Screams Of Internet "What Color Are You" Quizzes. And Has Been Made The Subject Of ThemIt Was Not A Major Idea Or Plot Device In The Movies Such As The Houses In Harry Potter. Instead, ItCame About Because Darth Vader Used A Red Saber. That Is Movie Short Hand For IM Bad, Because In Movies You Only Have 2 Hours To Work With. In Books Where You Have Unlimited Pages, Or Shows Where You Have A Season, Or An Rpg Where You Can Have Years, I Don't Think Its Necessary.

A Friend Of Me And I Got Into An Argument About This On Christmas Eve. He Said That Silver Lightsabers Should Only Be For Those Who Are The Most Powerful And Wise In The Force. I Said, Well, What If I Just Think Its A Pretty Color. He Yelled At Me For The Next 10 Minutes Because Of A Video Someone Put Up On YouTube. Said He Didn't Think I Was Strong Enough For A Silver Lightsabers, And How Dare I Besmirch The Good Name Of Star Wars.

I Feel That That Kind Of thinking Limits individuality, And PidginHoles A Character. If One Of My Characters Wants A Red Lightsabers Because It Is His Favorite Color, I'll Let Him Have It And Won't Lose Any Sleep. I Don't Care What Movie Shorthand Says, We Have Changes Mediums.

*Rant over*

So basically he took one of those quizzes and it told him that only the most powerful and wise have them and he got that color. and you told him nope and it bent them.Cause I have never seen anything that George has ever said that tthe colors mean anything other than as a movie shorthand for good and evil.

That's About My thought

Also explains why darksiders have red. Dark side energy tends to attune red. Jedi tend to attune green or blue but sometimes other colors. Solves a lot of problems having the crystal color decided by the attuning.

A SITH LIGHTSABER is synthetic crystal and is red. They don't tend to do the same thing when creating lightsabers-- and in fact they are handed down by their masters or are found in ancient Sith tombs...or pried from the lifeless cold hands of rival Sith.

Also explains why darksiders have red. Dark side energy tends to attune red. Jedi tend to attune green or blue but sometimes other colors. Solves a lot of problems having the crystal color decided by the attuning.

A SITH LIGHTSABER is synthetic crystal and is red. They don't tend to do the same thing when creating lightsabers-- and in fact they are handed down by their masters or are found in ancient Sith tombs...or pried from the lifeless cold hands of rival Sith.

That's old canon. New canon says kyber crystals are clear till they attune. So my statement holds true per the new canon. Also easier to work with stor wise

Ew-- they changed it. That's terrible...sticking with the good canon on this one -- each their own