So my campaign has finally hit the point where I'm ready for players to start getting lightsabers (well, the one player who seems interested in having one). They've just escaped from Kessel in pursuit of another escaped prisoner who may be in possession of a holocron. They've seen their first Inquisitor, and wisely chose to flee. Now their path has led them into a sparcely populated planet mostly lost to time.

The next game is going to take place on Mimban, the planet from Splinter of the Mind's Eye. The planet is supposedly littered witb temples, including the temple where Luke found the Kaiburr crystal in the novel. There's also illegal Imperial mining going on there. I figured this would be a fun planet for my campaign, especially if these temples wind up having some ties to the Jedi.

So, my question for you guys... How would you go about giving the player a kyber crystal on this planet? Rumor mill among the miners? A tremor in the Force leading them to a temple where he undergoes a trial? I honestly have no clue how I want to handle this. I have the Force and Destiny core book and beginner game, but neither has really inspired me on how to go about rewarding a player with a kyber crystal.

My character got her crystal from the short adventure from the GM's Screen. It seems like it could be fit into this setting.

If you've got the GM Kit, you could probably adapt the "Hidden Depths" adventure for use (it's the one that Mornmist is referencing). The reward listed is a rubat crystal, which is really just an Ilum crystal with a different name, but there's no reason you couldn't substitute a different type of crystal if you so wanted.

Also, if you don't have it already, it'd be worth checking out Nexus of Power, as that book has a whole section on "Trials" that test a Force user in various ways, including a couple of pre-written Trials that center around gaining a kyber crystal, such as The Gathering for the Ilum Temple as well as the Trial that Ezra underwent in the Lothal Temple in Rebels. Also, one of the modular encounters is pretty much a series of tests using different Force powers to navigate a temple/cavern, which itself could be used as a Trial to obtain a kyber crystal.

If you're looking to let the PC have a more potent crystal in the vein of the Kaiburr crystal, then I'd say use the Mephite crystal from the core rulebook. Yes, it's a powerful crystal, but it has a definite presence in the Force that makes hiding from other Force users with the Sense power (like say an Imperial Inquisitor) vastly more difficult.

How would I go about giving them a crystal on that planet? Well, I'd probably take some inspiration from the movie Enemy Mine, and have them encounter a group of miners, who are being harshly treated by the imperials, or perhaps a slaver group. Since the mining is illegal, there's nothing saying some criminal organization, using slave labor, isn't taking advantage as well.

I'd have them either infiltrate the miner group, and try and foster a revolt from within. If they ally themselves with the miners, I'd have one of the elders of the miners, have a necklace with a few crystals on it, that he keeps for mystic/sentimental reasons. Perhaps he is a touch Force-Sensitive, or is at least familiar with the Force, even if he can't tap into it. He comes across some fatal situation, either dying from the harsh environment of being a slave miner for decades, a cave-in that the slavers just ignored, but the PC's helped clear to save people, or just simply old age. He hands off the crystal(s) to the appropriate number of players, telling them something mystic and cryptic about it being "the key to heir freedom" or something similar.

While working against the slavers, perhaps the miners end up excavating into one of those old temples, and they come across some schematics on how to build a saber (which isn't that hard really). They've now got the 2 bits they need (crystal, and list of parts for hilt), while at the same time, being embroiled in a fun plot.

Of course, I'm writing this, assuming the players are being heroic-ish, good guy, kind of PC's. If they are cold-hearted mercenaries, out for nothing but themselves, you might have to come up with something else.

But yeah, that would be the rough outline I'd use once they showed up on the planet, and adjust depending on how they react.

1 hour ago, KungFuFerret said:

How would I go about giving them a crystal on that planet? Well, I'd probably take some inspiration from the movie Enemy Mine, and have them encounter a group of miners, who are being harshly treated by the imperials, or perhaps a slaver group. Since the mining is illegal, there's nothing saying some criminal organization, using slave labor, isn't taking advantage as well.

I'd have them either infiltrate the miner group, and try and foster a revolt from within. If they ally themselves with the miners, I'd have one of the elders of the miners, have a necklace with a few crystals on it, that he keeps for mystic/sentimental reasons. Perhaps he is a touch Force-Sensitive, or is at least familiar with the Force, even if he can't tap into it. He comes across some fatal situation, either dying from the harsh environment of being a slave miner for decades, a cave-in that the slavers just ignored, but the PC's helped clear to save people, or just simply old age. He hands off the crystal(s) to the appropriate number of players, telling them something mystic and cryptic about it being "the key to heir freedom" or something similar.

While working against the slavers, perhaps the miners end up excavating into one of those old temples, and they come across some schematics on how to build a saber (which isn't that hard really). They've now got the 2 bits they need (crystal, and list of parts for hilt), while at the same time, being embroiled in a fun plot.

Of course, I'm writing this, assuming the players are being heroic-ish, good guy, kind of PC's. If they are cold-hearted mercenaries, out for nothing but themselves, you might have to come up with something else.

But yeah, that would be the rough outline I'd use once they showed up on the planet, and adjust depending on how they react.

That would be an awesome story if my players were all heroic. Sadly, they're EotE characters hiding behind FnD masks.

As for those suggesting I use the GM kit or Nexus of Power, I'd absolutely love to if I could get my hands on them in time. Sadly, the LGS I go to doesn't have them in stock, and Amazon won't have them to me in time unless I decide to pay the extra for faster shipping. (I'm a bit of a penny pincher when it comes to these types of things)

2 minutes ago, Underachiever599 said:

That would be an awesome story if my players were all heroic. Sadly, they're EotE characters hiding behind FnD masks.

As for those suggesting I use the GM kit or Nexus of Power, I'd absolutely love to if I could get my hands on them in time. Sadly, the LGS I go to doesn't have them in stock, and Amazon won't have them to me in time unless I decide to pay the extra for faster shipping. (I'm a bit of a penny pincher when it comes to these types of things)

Ok so, if they are not heroic types, perhaps they simply come across some ruins, that have the crystals in them. Do you want them to actually engage the Imperial presence on planet? Or does that matter? If it doesn't matter, then allow for them to find them outside of Imperial connections. Otherwise, perhaps have some Imperials clearly sporting the crystals as ornamentation or something. Perhaps the lover of the local governor wears one as a necklace, and they have to steal it from that person in some heist type scenario.

Rumors of a vast trove of (VERY VALUABLE) ancient artifacts laying untouched in a secret temple deep within another temple?. More than they could carry. Those spreading the rumors are able to produce some of the described artifacts. They warn of unseen dangers.

(Do indiana jones star wars. do it.)

" That would be an awesome story if my players were all heroic. Sadly, they're EotE characters hiding behind FnD masks. " This is ironic since my character is essentially the opposite. I'm a FnD character and everyone else is an EotE character. Even my new apprentice (another player) started as a Smuggler/Pilot who went Force Sensitive Exile. He was present in the adventure when I got my crystal and though he was force sensitive the GM felt that he was not self aware enough to get his own crystal. Now it's several sessions later and we are starting to seek a crystal for him. In the meantime I crafted him a training saber (and one for myself) so that he can get experience with it.

1 hour ago, Mornmist said:

" That would be an awesome story if my players were all heroic. Sadly, they're EotE characters hiding behind FnD masks. " This is ironic since my character is essentially the opposite. I'm a FnD character and everyone else is an EotE character. Even my new apprentice (another player) started as a Smuggler/Pilot who went Force Sensitive Exile. He was present in the adventure when I got my crystal and though he was force sensitive the GM felt that he was not self aware enough to get his own crystal. Now it's several sessions later and we are starting to seek a crystal for him. In the meantime I crafted him a training saber (and one for myself) so that he can get experience with it.

If your party are a bunch of scoundrels and scalliwags, perhaps your GM would be up for doing some kind of heist to find the crystal you need for your apprentice. I remember....I think it was GM Phil from the Order 66 Podcast, though I could be wrong, who described a story seed as follows:

A famous celebrity on some planet, is going to be at a big party, sporting some devastatingly beautiful jewelry. One of the pieces, you notice from some of the papparazi shots of her, is that of a kyber crystal. So now the players have to go play social butterflies at some swanky party, and find a way to get the crystal out of her ensemble. Or perhaps some planets "Crown Jewels" have kyber crystals as the centerpiece, and you have to pull off the heist of the century.

Or you can do the tried and true method of finding one in some ancient ruin. That's always doable. I just always had a fondness for the "we go steal it from some high society Imperial bigwigs

Here is your solution: Episodes 6 and 7 http://diceforbrains.com/dice-for-brains-podcast-episode-6/ http://diceforbrains.com/dice-for-brains-podcast-episode-7/ Bher, Gree and Xen find their crystals.

One thing for you, and your players, is that the Empire has made possession of Khyber crystals only ever so slightly Beyond Illegal. Inquiring about them is enough to flag ISB...and once ISB figures out whats going on, they're sure to either call in the Inquisitors, or have the Inquisitors show up and take charge. For added fun, should the PC's start digging to deeply (so to speak) for crystals, have the Inquisitor that they initially ran from start showing up and watching them.

On 4/20/2017 at 9:35 AM, KungFuFerret said:

If your party are a bunch of scoundrels and scalliwags, perhaps your GM would be up for doing some kind of heist to find the crystal you need for your apprentice. I remember....I think it was GM Phil from the Order 66 Podcast, though I could be wrong, who described a story seed as follows:

A famous celebrity on some planet, is going to be at a big party, sporting some devastatingly beautiful jewelry. One of the pieces, you notice from some of the papparazi shots of her, is that of a kyber crystal. So now the players have to go play social butterflies at some swanky party, and find a way to get the crystal out of her ensemble. Or perhaps some planets "Crown Jewels" have kyber crystals as the centerpiece, and you have to pull off the heist of the century.

Or you can do the tried and true method of finding one in some ancient ruin. That's always doable. I just always had a fondness for the "we go steal it from some high society Imperial bigwigs

It'd be fairly easy to modify The Jewel of Yavin to do this.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, but at this point, my characters already have their crystals. I went with something very similar to how Ezra got his crystal in Rebels.

The players followed a prisoner who had escaped from Kessel to Mimban. While there, they tracked him to an ancient temple that was powerful in the Force. Each of the characters had a vision while they were in there (aside from the droid, who was wondering why everyone kept running off). The visions all had to do with the characters' pasts. Each character had lost something dear to them. One character had lost his father a few years after the Clone Wars ended. One lost her brother after what should have been a routine job spiraled downhill. And one was a Padawan during Order 66. In each vision, they relived the moment when they lost everything, but things played out different.

The son of a Clone whose father disappeared on a mission was allowed to tag along with his father on that mission instead of being told to wait behind. The Zabrak who left her brother after he selfishly chose to sacrifice an innocent in order to achieve their objective relived the job, only for her brother to rescue the innocent instead of choosing the treasure. And the Padawan relived the Clone Wars, but Order 66 never happened. Palpatine gave up his emergency powers.

In each case, the character had to make a choice. Selfishly cling to the past, or accept their loss and move on. Two of the three succeeded in this trial of sacrifice, while the other failed. The two that succeeded received lightsaber crystals. (This actually worked out perfectly, too, since the players who wanted lightsabers were the ones who passed, and the Force sensitive pilot who has no interest in following the path of the Jedi failed his trial. He got a new ship for the party at the end of the game to make up for it.)

Meanwhile, the Droid was wandering the temple and made it to the courtyard, which once had a beautiful water feature connected to a lake. However, due to the erosion of the temple over time, the wall separating the water feature from the lake had collapsed. As a result, various things had made this temple their home. Not the least of which was a dragonsnake. The escaped prisoner had beaten them to this temple by a few hours, having hitched a ride with a xenoarchaeological team. The dragonsnake attacked while he was undergoing his own trial and building his lightsaber. He was able to injure the beast with the completed lightsaber, driving it back into the lake momentarily. However, he was too late to save most of the crew he arrived with. Only one of the archaeologists survived, missing a leg that had been bitten off. The Jedi fled to higher ground while looking for another way to take care of the beast. As this was happening, the droid player (Playing a 2-1B medical droid with a B1 Battledroid's personality matrix installed) rushed over to the injured man and healed him as best he could. That's when the players arrived in the courtyard, and were attacked by the Dragonsnake. It was a rough encounter, and while it went down, the Jedi took his chance to escape the players' grasp once again.

All in all, my players had a ton of fun. The ones who wanted lightsabers finally got theirs, the pilot got the ship that the xenoarchaeologists left behind (A Wayfarer-class Medium Frigate originally used for transporting all of their larger finds), and the droid got a neat cape made out of dragonskin leather at the end of it all. (The player had been wanting a cape for the character for several games now, and the other players finally obliged him).