Hello fellow Game Masters!

At the end of our last session my PCs entered a crystal mine on the ice / crystaline planet of Mygeeto.

I was feeling like making a proper dungeon from scratch, though it would be my first time doing so and delving into "design".

As a premise:

The PCs are on the hunt for old ruins and jedi temples, so they went to Mygeeto since the Banking Clan uses the planet to mine for Nova Crystals.

They quickly found out that Mygeeto had no such ruins (or they were being lied to).

However

The Force Sensitive Exile / Archaeologist felt a well of the dark side deep in the mine. (the other PCs are a BH Gadgeteer and an Ace Hot Shot).

I was thinking a good source for this would be a lightsaber crystal heavily attuned to the dark side, it's presence corrupting the workers and or a local tribe of Lurmen.

If successful the PCs could walk away with a lightsaber crystal, and in the process saving anyone from it's corruption.

Smuggling the crystal out of the above ground mining facility and subsequently off-planet would then be the next big step, since the planet is heavily regulated by the Empire.

I mostly like to create a proper layout of the mine that is not just a corridor or a room after room kind of deal.

So any advice, pointers, tools and other resources would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Get descriptive. Rather than mapping every square inch you should recognise that this system is well suited to large cinematic environments. A single perception check to find "traps" could be for an entire floor of the mine, not just one corner of one room.

So try to think about the key features, the important places, the points of interest. Then rather than planing 50 empty rooms between them just screen wipe that bit. Sometimes a single image of a scene is all that's needed too, with a rough floor plan to fit. Detailed plans are nice for players inspiration, but a single image found on an artwork website can be just as effective.

For the Crystal the Mephite crystal from FaD could be a good option.

Get descriptive. Rather than mapping every square inch you should recognise that this system is well suited to large cinematic environments. A single perception check to find "traps" could be for an entire floor of the mine, not just one corner of one room.

That makes sense.

Should've been more clear I guess. I want/need a comprehensive floor plan to keep track of where the PCs are in relation to everything else. Not to micromanage and say "You stepped on this square so the boulder falls on you!"

I've had trouble in the past with arbitrarily making up a space station as they went through it. Like the layout wasn't up to snuff with what would've made sense for a military installation for example.

And it turned out pretty bland overall..

So it would be more for myself than for them, I guess.

For the Crystal the Mephite crystal from FaD could be a good option.

Neat, I'll lookt into it.

Also, I already had an Idea from your trap example.

How about a Coordination check to cross a chasm, and depending on success or failure (falling down), the "dungeon" could branch, potentially separating / injuring the PCs, stuff like that.

Thanks.

Fail to move forward is very important too.

As in failing a check should still result in forward progress.

Right.

In the example of the chasm, it could basically force them onto the "Hard Mode" route, since they'd then face problems that may or may not have been unaccounted for (such as being crippled by breaking a leg from a 50 feet drop).

Exactly. So you can generate a series of Encounters that form the "main route" to the bottom. Then create a list of diversions that can be very easily applied to a specific situation, but are flexible enough to be able to be used in multiple similar situations.

For some examples;

a broken lift, could be on any level, could be found due to bad Perception, a Despair on a combat check, a bad mechanics roll.

Your falling down a hole idea could be from a failed Coordination check to cross a pit using a service pipe, or a failed Athletics to climb the face of the mine, or a bad piloting check driving a mine truck, it could even be at the PC's choice to escape a dead end in a prison ward.

Wasn't there a miniatures set based around the Temple of Ilum released?

Not sure if it's still available but I bought a couple of sets that looked based around events from the Samurai Jack prelude to ROTS off of Amazon.co.uk will check to see if they still have some.

(Have checked the Crystal Caves of Ilum is still available I checked using Star Wars Miniatures for the search)

Failures on checks could also spilt the party, force them to take seperate routes and depend on their own skills/absense.

You could also try your Google-fu. A quick "Mine maps rpg" image search finds a whole lot of options for you to try out.

You can use this adventure as template. It is build around dungeon crawling fantasy module, with a good story.

Also check the Dead Road encounter in Lords of Nal Hutta setting book. It has a nice story build-up for the dungeon, and great suggestions for techniques to represent the dungeon.

Check out the fan-made supplement Environmental Set Pieces. (I have a copy of it in my dropbox; see the link in my signature). It can give you some really good ideas of how to spend Advantages, Threats, Triumphs, and Despairs in certain environments.

From there, think about your caverns and make your own chart of fun results for it. Maybe larger caverns, or specific sorts of chambers, have their own tables with some unique results on them. I did the same for fighting inside of an AT-AT for an adventure I wrote. (Labeled "Command AT-AT Set Piece" in my drop box if you'd like to see what I put together.)

What I like to do for each area, is list in my notes the...

1) Lighting (small opening at the top providing light in the middle of the room but dark around the walls)

2) Smell (Smells like Banth Poodoo)

3) Temperature (cool, damp, humid)

4) Sounds (Rattling of a vent)

I also like to think up a great cinematic scene like fighting boba fett over a sarlacc pitt type thing, THEN figure out how/why that scene happens. I feel by figure out the scene backwards, I can easily have those great scenes.

Sorry I haven't been posting. Barely had any time this week.

Check out the fan-made supplement Environmental Set Pieces. (I have a copy of it in my dropbox; see the link in my signature). It can give you some really good ideas of how to spend Advantages, Threats, Triumphs, and Despairs in certain environments.

From there, think about your caverns and make your own chart of fun results for it. Maybe larger caverns, or specific sorts of chambers, have their own tables with some unique results on them. I did the same for fighting inside of an AT-AT for an adventure I wrote. (Labeled "Command AT-AT Set Piece" in my drop box if you'd like to see what I put together.)

These are fantastic! Great inspiration.

Anyway, lack of time prevented me from actually mapping the place, but I kind of made it into a big encounter with different "phases" as you will.

So here goes:

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The Crystal Mine

General Environmental Conditions:

- Extreme cold imposes two Setback on all skill checks.

- Relative darkness imposes one Setback on all skill checks involving sight.

The PCs exit the massive service elevator that came down from the main facility and they find themselves in...

The Foundry

This is were the Foreman and the Slave Miners are located.

The Foreman is a burly Besalisk, with a long oily beard. Strong enough to easily subjugate individuals and strike down minor riots by himself.

Most of the Slave miners consist of sickly Lurmen.

Surface Elevator, Quarters, Raw Storage, Rough Processing.

Customs: Anyone leaving for the surface is screened to prevent smuggling of valuable crystals and other goods.

The Foreman warns the party that previous expeditions never came back and that miners go missing on the regular.

The Descent

The first few hours of the exploration excursion.

Make a hard Survival check to keep track of your path. Failure will result in getting lost. Any Threat generated results in Strain due to the unnerving nature of being stuck in a uncartographed cave.

If lost, escape from the Cave requires a daunting Survival check to find another way out.

The Bridge

Two massive crystal pylons jut out and cross above an impressive crevasse, forming a makeshift bridge, if one were daring enough to cross it.

Make a hard Coordination check, Add one Setback due to the Glass-like surface providing poor traction.

Failure will result in an immediate drop of Medium range.

(now here I could use some advice, one of the PCs has a Jetpack, what would you require to use it mid-fall?)

The party is potentially split up here.

Abandoned Miner Camp

A crazed miner tries to ambush the Party. Average Perception check to notice the miner before the attack.

Crazed Miner - Rival

The abandoned Camp has a couple leftover rations. A broken Fusion Lamp - Easy Mechanics check, salvage for 1 Spare Part per Success.

Datapad Diary - Describing weird sounds and shadows moving about, eventually the text devolves into gibberish.

Corrupted Cult of Lurmen

The hidden Underground Village of Lurmen has been living in the dark aura of the Crystal for too long. They worship the Crystal located further down in the caves.

Any intruders are either killed on sight or indoctrinated to serve.

The Lurmen are beyond saving, but there are injured and imprisoned Miners that might help an escape effoert in exchange for safe passage to the surface.

Lurmen Villager - Minion

Lurmen Chieftain - Nemesis - Force Sensitive

Crystal Mirrors

A room very close to the disturbance, filled with seemingly endless crystal formations, creating an endless mirror effect.

Make a hard Perception check to find a way through the mirror maze; upgraded once, due to the confusing nature of the ever repeating imagery. Failure imposes Setback on all subsequent checks withing the Crystal Mirrors

The Dark Side is strong here. Self-Images try to seduce the victim to the dark side with visions of suffering and promises of power.

Make a hard Discipline check, upgraded once.

Failure fills the victim with angst and hatred: Gain 5 Conflict; 5 Strain if non-force-sensitive.

Despair - The victim hallucinates, thrashing about and fighting with himself / nobody; gain wounds equal to failures generated (regardless of cancelations).

The Chamber

A Dark Side Vergence feeds a peculiar looking crystal on top of an makeshift altar that pemuates the entire mining complex with it's aura.

Removal of the crystal sends any remaining / surviving Lurmen-Cultist into a rampage.

The PCs are pressed to run for the surface or make a stand.

---

The order in wich they appear would be pretty much interchangable, save for The Foundry and The Chamber obviously.

I don't know if The Chamber is lacking a proper climax or if it should be like a "we're finally here so let's take a breath" kinda deal.

I also thought about an additional encounter involving big undgrounds worms, since they're in the Legends descriptions of Mygeeto, but I already did massive worms a couple sessions back, so idk.

Thanks to everyone so far, especially Richardbuxton, who gave me that much needed inspirational nudge.

This is supposed to go into practice this saturday,

so if anyone has any last-minute feedback, improvements, suggestions, or critique, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again.

Little Update:

As mentioned before we played this last saturday and it was a grand success!

Exaclty as I hoped, the Force Sensitive dropped into the canyon. While he didn't take too much damage he was promptly kocked out.

By the time the other two got down there he was already gone, dragged away by the Lurmen.

Shortly after they encounter the Lurmen themselves and go on an aboslute Terminator-esque rampage. It was great!

The Hotshot was blowing up entire groups of Lurmen left and right, while the Bounty Hunter, with even better rolls, hammer-fanned everything that came close to him.

Despite his rescue the Force Sensitive was rather distraught by the violent nature of his companions.

They free him and group up to confront the Chieftain, who planned to sacrifice the Sensitive for a sith ritual.

The first proper force user they've ever encountered (who knew that force power: move was so devastating ).

The Bounty Hunter ate a stalagmite to the face. He also suffered a juicy crit, crippling his pistol arm, at the hands of one of the chieftains henchmen.

The other two are also pretty roughed up, but they managed to pull through in the end.

They let the chieftain life, for a time, but failed to get any useful knowledge out of him.

While the Force Sensitive went on alone to the source of the dark side vergence, the others tortured the chieftain and helped the imprisoned miners they found in the camp.

The Sensitive then braved the crystal labyrinth, and while he accrued some conflict he managed to get to the source and bank his first lightsaber crystal for himself.

The session then slowly panned out with some great RP and conflict within the party. The dark aura of the mines slowly eating away at everyones sanity.

While they were very much evil, the force sensitive was outraged that his companions pretty much annihilated an entire village, and it didn't help that the Bounty Hunter was strapping fresh Lurmen skulls to his belt and that the Hotshot wore their blood as facepaint.

After they came back together and were on their way out of the mine the session came to a close.

---

In the end, everything went better than expected, being a rather new GM at ~six months.

If given the time I might come back to this and flesh it out some more, make it into a proper modular encounter or something.

Again, many thanks to everyone who helped out!

Cheers!

Hey there @RicoD , any chance you want to share your stats for Lurmen? I am hoping to use them in my next game.

Thanks in advance!

No problem @Andreievitch

Here you go:

Lurmen Villager [MINION]:

2|3|2|2|2|1 Soak: 3 Wounds: 3

Skills (group only): Athletics, Melee, Coordination.

Abilities: Small and Agile: Lurmen have a silhouette of 0 and gain +1MeleeDefense due to their agile nature.

Equipment: Big Club (Melee; Damage 3; Critical 4; Range[Engaged]; Knockdown)

Lurmen Chieftain [NEMESIS]:

3|1|3|3|4|3 Soak: 4 Wounds: 18 Strain: 18 Defense: 1

Skills: Melee 3, Leadership 2, Athletics 3, Coordination 3, Discipline 3, Knowledge Lore 2.

Talents: Adversary 1, Force Rating 2, Force Power: Move: Strength 1, Range 1, Control 1+2.

Equipment: Black Tribal Robe, Ancient Sword (Melee, Damage +2, Critical 3, Range[Engaged]; Defensive 1)

In terms of behavior these Lurmen were very different from how they were depicted in The Clone Wars series.

Due to the influence of the dark side caves they very aggressive and prone to violence once confronted with outsiders. They also captured lost miners for either sacrifice or food purposes.

Have Fun.

Awesome! Thanks.