My players were able to successfully retrieve a Jedi holocron from one of the adventure paths. Which is all fine and good, but I'm a little stumped as to how exactly the holocron should interact with the players. Is it just basically a Jedi Master in a box?

From what I can tell it's supposed to be more than an AI, but not quite like a person either. How does one convey that?

Of course, I'd also appreciate any tips on how to convey wisdom or a wise character in general.

We haven't had much experience of them and have been pretty much baffled by them. I've avoided for the most part.

As I understand it, the creator (always a force sensitive of some stripe) psychically imprints the information they're storing onto the holocron and their personality rubs off on it almost as a side effect (which can be a problem for all the megalomaniacs out there).

How would I convey it? Maybe they grow distant or confused or annoyed when questioned about anything but the subject they're recording about. That their personality is there probably lets the holocron be more creative than a virtual intelligence - offering advice without being asked, perhaps - but maybe retain irrational traits, too (mistrust old enemies, for instance). If they're not true intelligences, maybe they don't take on new information.

Ever see 'I, Robot'? The hologram in that movie is roughly what a holocron is going to behave like. Answers questions, some light conversation, but some questions will get you a reply of 'Im sorry. My responses are limited. You have to ask the right question.', or something to that effect.

I'd imagine we will get a little more info in Chronicles of the Gatekeeper, but until then here are a few of my thoughts on the matter.

Each holocron should have a key gatekeeper that is stated out as a mini NPC with

• Mental Stats (Intellect, Cunning, Willpower and Presence)
• Two teaching skills as per RAW, with assigned proficiency levels
• Teaching skills would be something the gatekeeper knew/was highly skilled at in life (minimum 3, most 4, rare ones 5)
• Add a sprinkling of other skills that the Gatekeeper could use as an incorporeal NPC, but not teach
• Teaching skills XP discount only lasts up to the Gatekeepers proficiencies in them
• race, gender, age, appearance, and personality traits
• list of 6 - 10 key packets of information that can be accessed through the gatekeeper
• requirements that need to be passed before the gatekeeper will convey the information

I personally would probably tier the information in 3 to 4 sets, that each have varied access requirement that involve some combination of demonstrated morality, force powers, skills (especially knowledge) and/ specific actions. Each tier would give access to 2-3 sets of information that would be seeded with leads/adventure possibilities to give the players autonomy and choice in the direction they want their characters to go.

Holocrons seem to be a due ex machina device with XP discount benny, but I would want to create a real sense of personality behind them. I would limit the level of the XP benny because its always cool to have the "you have surpassed" the teacher moment, Tiering the information lets the GM maintain a mystery around the holocron's knowledge base and flexibility to insert additional ideas on the fly to suit story needs if required, while still allowing the GM to prep prepared encounters/situations.

For me, this level of detail, while a bit of work, has the potential for large payouts throughout a campaign.

That's the beauty of the Holocron - it's a possession prized by players that's basically a magical box that can be whatever the GM needs it to be to further plot lines, feed information to the players etc.

The Holocron can pretty much fit any role - large or small - you want it to.

Have a player that wants to play a real Jedi in the Rebellion era? Then the Holocron can be from a Jedi Master with the knowledge and expertise to train a Jedi Knight (simulated nicely by the starting options of either making Lightsaber and Discipline Career skills or making basic force powres cheaper).

You can also provide reasons for adventures to become a Jedi because the Holocron gatekeeper may not know something or be able to adequately teach something BUT it can point the PC in a direction where such information/training can be gained.

And maybe the Holocron is old so a lot of the geographical (or cultural or other) information is out of date still providing fun story opportunities.

In short, I think you're fine treating the Holocron like an actual Jedi Master that can't affect the physical world but can observe it's immediate surroundings and give feedback.

I think "Jedi Master in a Box" isn't a bad analogy.

In addition to the mechanical effects a Holocron can have piles of other information, essentially whatever the Master thought would be important in the instruction of a student on the go.

Special training regimes or exercises for the student to do.

Locations of sanctuaries, chapterhouses, temples and training grounds the student might need to visit.

Advice on complex situations, or problems a student might face regularly.

Some of these might be freely given, some might be restricted knowledge the "Master int he box" might require some kind of test or credentials to access.

Also the holocrons info may be out of date. So it's totally possible for a holocron to suggest you go to a temple located in a system that has a new name, or on a planet that suffered a natural catastrophe, or a temple that the locals developed on top of or converted into a greenhouse...Likewise it might tellyou to avoid a very dangerous location that is now perfectly safe...

Holocron: Oh don't go to Mon Cala, it's a military spaceport for the FarpDerpers of Konononono. FarpDerpers are sworn enemies of the Jedi and will shoot you on sight!

Mon Cal Padawan: ..... Farpderpers? Like... from the 2 million year old cave carvings in the Mon Cala Museum of history? I think they died out when the Mon Calamari still had tentacles and color changing skin...

Holocron: Well better not go there anyway, just in case...

Mon Cal Padawan: I was there last week... we had sushi....

Yeah, a holocron is a pretty nifty macguffin for the party to get a hold of.

Think of it as a very advanced AI, with a strictly verbal interface and a vast wealth of knowledge pertaining to the Force to draw upon. There may well be things outside of the holocron's knowledge (especially recent events like the Galactic Civil War), but the gatekeeper would probably say something along the lines of "sorry, don't know that one" if asked. It also wouldn't have any means to affect the world around it, being a largely self-contained personality. In fact, it's entirely possible that the gatekeeper personality is unable to expand it's knowledge database beyond what's already in place.

Also, there's really not any one set personality to a holocron's gatekeeper. It seems that each gatekeeper is indeed a unique personality, as the various holocrons in the Lure of the Lost follow-up adventure for the Beginner Box illustrates. So each holocron's gatekeeper could be quite different from the personality of another holocron's gatekeeper. While most are generally going to be friendly and willing to help those eager to learn, that's not always going to be the case. Some might be more of a trickster mentor, having the student undertake a number of boring repetitive tasks akin to how Mr. MIyage helped Daniel learn basic defensive moves and develop muscle memory for those moves in the original Karate Kid flick. Some might take a page from Severus Snape's teaching methods, holding the student to incredibly high standards and delivering some choice snark when the student fails to measure up.

In a way, a holocron gives the GM a way to interact with the party via a very rare and unusual NPC.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't expect I'd get such detailed and thoughtful answers. I'll keep these suggestions in mind.