One of your players wants to build a holocron to record all of his travels and to pass on their knowledge.
What do you do?
Building a Holocron
I would say for the materials that it would metal with glass for the case and a kyber crystal for the memory crystal. The glass should be etched to reflect the owner. For talents, I would require the Artisan spec with Inventor, Imbue Item, Intuitive Improvements, and Master Artisan since it requires really in-depth knowledge on the Force and using it for constructing plus programming a holocron.
Let them, then turn it into a story.
As they've no experience of how to build one maybe they imprint more information than they realise. Maybe something dangerous to them or their allies. Then maybe an old enemy or new threat steals or finds it.
Or maybe something goes really wrong and something dark within them gets imprinted on it. The rage they supress, the jealousy they try to dispel, the ambition they put aside. What's left is a kind of dark tulpa with an agenda of its own. Given it's essentially a thought form trapped in a box it can only achieve its goal through deception and manipulation.
"The Jedi who I am an echo of knew there were lightsaber crystals on a world called Korriban..."
I guess they have to find a holocron with instructions for building holocrons? 
The art of creating holocrons has been lost. So the group will need help to reinvent the process -- and more help than a generic artisan could provide.
Suggest it becomes a quest to find a psychometric artisan -- one who can not only craft objects, but read them.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Psychometry/Legends
The Kiffar were a psychometric species. If you wanted, you could use it as a hook to introduce someone like Quinlan Vos (assuming he's still alive).
The art of creating holocrons has been lost. So the group will need help to reinvent the process -- and more help than a generic artisan could provide.
Suggest it becomes a quest to find a psychometric artisan -- one who can not only craft objects, but read them.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Psychometry/Legends
The Kiffar were a psychometric species. If you wanted, you could use it as a hook to introduce someone like Quinlan Vos (assuming he's still alive).
I disagree since in the first episode of Rebels, we see Ezra open up a holocron that was made by Obi-wan that contained the warning to not return to the temple. I would classify it more as a hidden art than forgotten since plenty of Jedi survived Order 66 and would have the knowledge to construct one.
There is also the good old stand by of having the force guide the player using Foresee power on how to build it. I would require, in addition to the Artisan spec mentioned previously, Foresee Basic, Strength x2, and Duration x2. If the Force User wants to include others to be able to learn then add in the Magnitude upgrades to increase the number of people that can learn the skill. However, these people must also possess the same requirements as the first person.
There is also the good old stand by of having the force guide the player using Foresee power on how to build it. I would require, in addition to the Artisan spec mentioned previously, Foresee Basic, Strength x2, and Duration x2. If the Force User wants to include others to be able to learn then add in the Magnitude upgrades to increase the number of people that can learn the skill. However, these people must also possess the same requirements as the first person.
Or, you know, one person with the spec and Forsee you require can teach the others. Education checks. I think Knowledge skills are horribly under utilized.
That having been said, this is a system that's brimming with ways to get around obstacles the GM imposes on the players, so I don't think having a binary system of "Do you have X, Y, and Z?" is appropriate nor thematic nor as fun.
I mean, if your Sentinel Shadow/Archaeologist with a ton of Lore ranks wants to take a crack at it with their Outlaw Tech buddy, I say they stand a solid chance.
There is also the good old stand by of having the force guide the player using Foresee power on how to build it. I would require, in addition to the Artisan spec mentioned previously, Foresee Basic, Strength x2, and Duration x2. If the Force User wants to include others to be able to learn then add in the Magnitude upgrades to increase the number of people that can learn the skill. However, these people must also possess the same requirements as the first person.
Or, you know, one person with the spec and Forsee you require can teach the others. Education checks. I think Knowledge skills are horribly under utilized.
That having been said, this is a system that's brimming with ways to get around obstacles the GM imposes on the players, so I don't think having a binary system of "Do you have X, Y, and Z?" is appropriate nor thematic nor as fun.
I mean, if your Sentinel Shadow/Archaeologist with a ton of Lore ranks wants to take a crack at it with their Outlaw Tech buddy, I say they stand a solid chance.
I disagree since building a holocron is about having a deep connection with the force (the Foresee Power and Upgrades) and having the practical knowledge of constructing force imbued items. I would, also, say that an Outlaw tech couldn't make a holocron because they lack the connection to the force and have no way of imprinting the kyber crystal. Sure, he could make something that looks like a holocron, but functionally it doesn't work like one. This way the Artisan spec gets to shine and the reason why only high level or Master Artisans could make them. This is also why they are rare.
However, I did say that once a person knows how to do it then they can teach others. In comes your Education and Lore since once a person learns from building their first holocron then it is a matter of rolling the appropriate skills for teaching others. However, the others must also possess the same force connection and constructing force imbued items, but lack the knowledge of doing so.
Edited by ThePatriotOne of your players wants to build a holocron to record all of his travels and to pass on their knowledge.
What do you do?
Is the existence of the holocron critical to the campaign's narrative and/or the character's growth? Then the character will be guided by the Force towards the location of an ancient Jedi structure that holds a blank holocron or holocron parts, facing obstacles and adversaries along the way, much like they did when they sought out their lightsaber crystal in their younger days.
No, it isn't critical? Then the character can spend the downtime between adventures (adventures, not sessions) to build their holocron, and they start with it at the beginning of the next adventure.
Now, I can't claim to be an expert, but I've never seen an on-screen holocron creation (though I admit I've not seen The Clone Wars and Rebels animations), so unless you're making an adventure out of it, hand-wave it. If you must have mechanics in it, then let the Artisan in the party roll for it if there is one, and if there isn't, just tell them they start the next session with one destiny point in the session's pool already flipped before they begin to pay for the holocron 'fact'.
I would just make it a narrative part of the story. I see no real reason why you need to come up with rules or anything. Just determine the pace at which you want the player to move towards their goal and then just allow it to work out in story.
There is also the good old stand by of having the force guide the player using Foresee power on how to build it. I would require, in addition to the Artisan spec mentioned previously, Foresee Basic, Strength x2, and Duration x2. If the Force User wants to include others to be able to learn then add in the Magnitude upgrades to increase the number of people that can learn the skill. However, these people must also possess the same requirements as the first person.
Or, you know, one person with the spec and Forsee you require can teach the others. Education checks. I think Knowledge skills are horribly under utilized.
That having been said, this is a system that's brimming with ways to get around obstacles the GM imposes on the players, so I don't think having a binary system of "Do you have X, Y, and Z?" is appropriate nor thematic nor as fun.
I mean, if your Sentinel Shadow/Archaeologist with a ton of Lore ranks wants to take a crack at it with their Outlaw Tech buddy, I say they stand a solid chance.
I disagree since building a holocron is about having a deep connection with the force (the Foresee Power and Upgrades) and having the practical knowledge of constructing force imbued items. I would, also, say that an Outlaw tech couldn't make a holocron because they lack the connection to the force and have no way of imprinting the kyber crystal. Sure, he could make something that looks like a holocron, but functionally it doesn't work like one. This way the Artisan spec gets to shine and the reason why only high level or Master Artisans could make them. This is also why they are rare.
However, I did say that once a person knows how to do it then they can teach others. In comes your Education and Lore since once a person learns from building their first holocron then it is a matter of rolling the appropriate skills for teaching others. However, the others must also possess the same force connection and constructing force imbued items, but lack the knowledge of doing so.
Attuning to the crystal means a connection to the Force, sure, but building a device that houses a crystal and an emitter is just making a device.
I just don't agree that this should be done with a simple yes or no result based on "Are you these certain career and specialization choices? Do you have this exacting build for this one particular Force power and its upgrades?" It's too specific for a "yes, and" game. More power to you at your table of your players have fun, but I am diametrically opposed to this notion for this system, so I'm going to leave my argument at this point.
One of your players wants to build a holocron to record all of his travels and to pass on their knowledge.
What do you do?
Is the existence of the holocron critical to the campaign's narrative and/or the character's growth? Then the character will be guided by the Force towards the location of an ancient Jedi structure that holds a blank holocron or holocron parts, facing obstacles and adversaries along the way, much like they did when they sought out their lightsaber crystal in their younger days.
No, it isn't critical? Then the character can spend the downtime between adventures (adventures, not sessions) to build their holocron, and they start with it at the beginning of the next adventure.
Now, I can't claim to be an expert, but I've never seen an on-screen holocron creation (though I admit I've not seen The Clone Wars and Rebels animations), so unless you're making an adventure out of it, hand-wave it. If you must have mechanics in it, then let the Artisan in the party roll for it if there is one, and if there isn't, just tell them they start the next session with one destiny point in the session's pool already flipped before they begin to pay for the holocron 'fact'.
The only on-screen appearances of holocrons are in Rebels (and maybe TCW, but I don't recall any)... Holocrons are a Legends/EU item prior to Rebels.
And since in rebels, we see one that was made by Obi Wan... we don't see it being made, but it is a recording of Obi-Wan.
There are different types of holocron, tho', too...
there are ones, like Obi-Wan's, which are simply a gatekeeper with a bunch of answers to questions, and a prerecorded message. Gotta be force sensitive to open it, but... Probably took Obi-Wan a few hours to encode.
There are others, which have in-depth knowledge encoded on a specific field. These are the type of things that (from the Chronicles of the Gatekeeper alpha, at least) can be said to be the work of months of recording work. They take multiple crystals to encode, lots of time, and apparently pretty healthy force skills. The Gatekeeper is a fully interactive simulation of the coder.
And others still are libraries in a box. These only appear in Legends material.
TCW featured holocrons. It was the opening plot of season 2 actually. Oh Cad Bane .....
I agree with Radon, Comrade and Kael...
One of my players still holds a grudge against me because I kept him from that item he wanted so much to complete his character's story. It was nothing OP, but it was the fluff he wanted bad for his character. When it's not game breaking or OP, then why make it hard and tedious to get ?
Maybe have a side quest where your players hears some rumors about a strange crystals hidden in an ancient ruin or something... After a few bumps and scars, he'll get his holocron... it might be broken with it's gatekeeper personality matrix erase and his databanks corrupted. Your player will have to repair it, restore the gatekeeper (he could even change it to his own appearance and voice) and rebuild a new database with his own adventures.
I think it will be way more fun to use the Holocron for dramatic events then it being something to build with specific skills and talents.
You can have the gatekeeper react to a planet or system, revealing hidden lore not corrupted from the databanks.
You can have a thief steal it (not knowing what it is) and wanting to sell it on the Black market.
You can have a custom officer ask question about it, trying to figure what it is... maybe even confiscate it for further studies which could eventually incriminate the character or bust his cover and reveal he's a jedi.
The golden rule is for you and your player to have fun.
So don't put needless obstacles to this fun, fuel your player's ideas and play with them.
One of your players wants to build a holocron to record all of his travels and to pass on their knowledge.
What do you do?
Is the existence of the holocron critical to the campaign's narrative and/or the character's growth? Then the character will be guided by the Force towards the location of an ancient Jedi structure that holds a blank holocron or holocron parts, facing obstacles and adversaries along the way, much like they did when they sought out their lightsaber crystal in their younger days.
No, it isn't critical? Then the character can spend the downtime between adventures (adventures, not sessions) to build their holocron, and they start with it at the beginning of the next adventure.
Now, I can't claim to be an expert, but I've never seen an on-screen holocron creation (though I admit I've not seen The Clone Wars and Rebels animations), so unless you're making an adventure out of it, hand-wave it. If you must have mechanics in it, then let the Artisan in the party roll for it if there is one, and if there isn't, just tell them they start the next session with one destiny point in the session's pool already flipped before they begin to pay for the holocron 'fact'.
The only on-screen appearances of holocrons are in Rebels (and maybe TCW, but I don't recall any)... Holocrons are a Legends/EU item prior to Rebels.
And since in rebels, we see one that was made by Obi Wan... we don't see it being made, but it is a recording of Obi-Wan.
There are different types of holocron, tho', too...
there are ones, like Obi-Wan's, which are simply a gatekeeper with a bunch of answers to questions, and a prerecorded message. Gotta be force sensitive to open it, but... Probably took Obi-Wan a few hours to encode.
There are others, which have in-depth knowledge encoded on a specific field. These are the type of things that (from the Chronicles of the Gatekeeper alpha, at least) can be said to be the work of months of recording work. They take multiple crystals to encode, lots of time, and apparently pretty healthy force skills. The Gatekeeper is a fully interactive simulation of the coder.
And others still are libraries in a box. These only appear in Legends material.
I'm onboard with this.
Sure, if all you want is a Force version of "Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!" then it's probably not going to be very complex. Still an impressive achievement, since you're making Force illusions instead of just using a droid's holo-projector.
Now if you're after the soul in a box, performs exactly like the person in every detail, that's going to be very complicated. Those are the kind that they say were lost to history, and recovering those crafting secrets or rediscovering them on your own should be a lifelong journey, not something you do during downtime between sessions.
"So, what did you guys do during your downtime?"
"I went to a shooting range and practiced with my blaster, where I spend some XP to raise the skill."
"I levitated rocks in the swamp, and spent XP on my Force powers."
"Well I went to the library and checked out 'Crafting Holocrons for Dummies' and put a copy of myself into this paper weight..."
I think the big picture conculsion is, to be able to construct a one, is to be a Master 