Hey guys, I've posted minimally, but I've been a lurker for the forums for a while. I figured I'd jump in with a cry for help, because why not start there?

I have an ongoing game and I'm a very experienced DM/GM, but I'm still getting the hang of the little nuances of the game even after nearly a year of running it. I keep shooting myself in the foot over and over because as I was just getting used to Edge of the Empire, I threw in Age of Rebellion; just when I was getting used to Age, I got my hands on Force and Destiny.

My game is now coming on its third game with the Force and Destiny beta rules and overall, me and my players are very pleased. Everyone is doing their thing and having a blast doing it. We have the luxury to have a whole day to commit to the game every other Sunday (we trade off on an old D&D game that has been going for nearly four years).

I have no real trouble with the rules, but I've run myself into a corner.

The group had a great race against time against the Empire in this big treasure hunt from Jedi/Sith ruin jumping. It was very Indiana Jones while the Empire worked well as the Nazis. There are three force-users, one very much becoming Sith. Inter-party conflict has started already, which is fine, but they were working together to get an old holocron that was mostly research notes and taught a force power: the power to see the past of objects; basically reading the "living force residue" of objects.

I didn't want a huge power that was extremely crazy, but I'm also hiding a bunch of notes and secrets as it was researched by a sith and the like. Knowledge Lore for the career skill, I figured, would be best.

I don't plan on creating a talent tree and the like, but I assume spending more force points in the power will give the user a clearer picture or let them reach farther back into the past for an item. Any suggestions to keep this from breaking my game would be awesome.

My original reason for posting was for a simple question, but I went on a tangent to get the basics of the situation out of the way: if someone learns a force power from a holocron, should they keep it for good or only when they have possession of the holocron?

I haven't revealed what the holocron does exactly yet, except the knowledge lore and, it being a sith holocron, it will be a very sassy holocron which will lie straight to their face. Does anyone foresee some problems with the power. I can deal with the infighting, as the group fights each other over the drop of a hat, so no worries there. That, unfortunately, is just my group of friends.

keep it for good. but that force power you could actually use the foresee power with a touch mechanic. so essentially the same tree but they have to touch the object not just meditate on the living force.

TOTALLY up to you! But usually a force user is taught via the holo of the force user via unlocked holocron. Most holocrons have triggers, traps or firewalls mind you -- before even getting to the mentor. You could easily make it both ways though. The holocron can store the knowledge and be a quick power grab OR even the other idea of being in possession of the holocron to give you the power.

I like the second one as a plot hook. Maybe the holocron isn't s Jedi or Sith but a dark Jedi who wishes to posses the user-- not full control but becomes more sentient when unlocked and creates a force bond with said user. You could have them haunt their dreams to keep using the holocron to feed it...the bind creates the power you wanted to use-- so a user must unlock, unknowingly bind to the force ghost and possess the holocron to use the power. The dark Jedi isn't teaching dark side mind you-- dark Jedi is just a force user doing his own thing using light and dark for personal gain most likely-- so not evil mind you, just selfish.

You could have the plot lead them to trying to banish the ghost and holocron without losing the power.

Now there is a force power that is similar to what you are talking about. Fate of the Jedi-- Luke doesn't learn it but Ben Skywalker does ...as Jacen Solo had learned it. They had to unravel how Abeloth could effect people from the past. Flow Walking is the power. Able to back track in time to view the locations history and even influence the emotions of those in the past-- Abeloth was so strong she could manipulate those in the past suddenly making Jedi think others were evil twins.

I'll definitely be using that above seed as a plot myself if I have force users.

keep it for good. but that force power you could actually use the foresee power with a touch mechanic. so essentially the same tree but they have to touch the object not just meditate on the living force.

Good call. I might make it something they have to spend EXP as if it were part of the tree IF they can get a straight answer from the holocron. Thanks for pointing that out!

They had to unravel how Abeloth could effect people from the past. Flow Walking is the power. Able to back track in time to view the locations history and even influence the emotions of those in the past-- Abeloth was so strong she could manipulate those in the past suddenly making Jedi think others were evil twins.

I definitely will hint at stories and legends that are in the Holocron of Sith that had such a power, perhaps as part of research note and the like, but keeping it especially vague to better get my players to salivate. I really like the idea of the holocron having a real The One Ring thing going for it where it has an agenda of its own.

Thanks for the input guys!

Good luck!

Maybe a variant on Foresee with powers like this?

Force Power Tree: Psychometry

Prerequisites: Force Rating 2+

Psychometry Basic Power

The Force user can feel the Force imprinted on an object, seeing it's past.

The user may spend (Force) to gain vague hints of events surrounding the object, up to a day in it's past.

Cost:10

| |

Control Duration

When making a Knowledge (Lore) check, Spend (Force) to increase the days into

the Force user may roll a Psychometry the past the user can see equal to

power check as part of the pool. He may spend Duration upgrades purchased

(Force) to gain (Success) per point on the check. Cost 5

Cost:10 |

| Duration

| Spend (Force) to increase the days into

Range the past the user can see equal to

Spend (Force) to increase power's range by a Duration upgrades purchased.

number of range bands equal to Range upgrades Cost 5

purchased.

Cost 5

|

|

Range

Spend (Force) to increase power's range by a

number of range bands equal to Range upgrades

purchased.

Cost 5

|

|

Control

When performing a Psychometry power check as part of a Knowledge (Lore) check, the Force user may spend

(Force) to gain (Advantage) rather than (Success).

Cost 10