Not Quite 101 Uses for a Crysmal
By Mark A Jindra

For many years, psions have used many varieties of gems in the construction of psicrystals, power capacitors, dorjes, and drilbu, but recently they discovered that using crystals from a crysmal makes their creations a bit different than normal.

The chances of coming across a crysmal crystal for sale are very rare, so you won't find them for sale at your local general goods store or even with most merchants that usually carry magic items. The crystals you do find carry a rather high market price as a result of their rarity. However, some say that crysmal hunters (those who go out of their way to destroy crysmal lairs and harvest the crysmal's crystals) occasionally visit cities that are frequented by psions to sell their wares. If the DM allows characters to find crysmal crystals while looting a dead crysmal, he or she should reduce the treasure to standard goods (gems only).

A crysmal-based item has the standard market price, plus the values of the crysmal crystals used are added to the normal cost of crafting the item.

Use the table below to determine what size and how many crystals a crysmal possesses.

When creating items, use the following table to determine what size crystals are required.

Crysmals can sense the presence of any nearby items (within 60 feet) that contain a crysmal crystal, and they attempt to obtain the item at any cost. They typically contact up to three facets (15) of crysmals to assist them (if available), and they immediately use phase door to get away once they have acquired the item.

Psicrystal

Psicrystals made from a crysmal's crystal always have an additional personality trait of hostile in addition to any other personalities. For example, if you have a crysmal psicrystal with the sage personality, it will also have the hostile personality. The cost of a psicrystal made from a crysmal is still 100 gp, as that is the standard cost of any psicrystal.

Hostile: Feeling as though it is being held captive, the psicrystal exhibits a feeling of enmity or ill will towards the psion and often can be antagonistic or contradictory. It does not care about the health or well-being of its owner, and it can cause a small amount of harm to its owner if it so desires. Given the overall warlike nature of this crystal, it grants its owner a small bonus in combat.

Crystal Capacitors

Crystal capacitors created from crysmals glow slightly brighter than regular crystal capacitors. They have a maximum power point storage of 19 power points. For purposes of creation, they have a base price of 100,000 gp.

When rolling randomly to generate crystal capacitors, there is a 2% chance that the crystals originate from a crysmal. Increase the number of power points it stores by 2, find the appropriate market price based on maximum power point storage, then add 160 gp to get the market price. The market price for a crystal capacitor that has a maximum of 19 power points of storage is 100,160 gp.

Dorjes

A dorje created from crysmals can store up to 55 charges. Crafting a dorje from a crysmal costs the same as a regular dorje, though it requires that the crafter possess a manifester level of 6th or greater. Any dorje that stores a power with an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost (see Table 8-40 in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Essentially, in addition to the base cost you must pay 55 times the XP cost.

When rolling randomly to generate dorjes, there is a 2% chance that the crystals originate from a crysmal. If you have a crysmal dorje, when you roll to determine what kind on Table 7-8 in the Psionics Handbook, shift your result down one row. The market price for a crysmal dorje is 100 gp more than the listed market price.

Drilbu

A drilbu created from crysmals can store up to 60 charges. Crafting a drilbu from a crysmal costs the same as a regular drilbu, though it requires that the crafter possess a manifester level of 13th or greater. Any drilbu that stores a power with an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost (see Table 8-40 in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Essentially, in addition to the base cost you must pay 60 times the XP cost.

When rolling randomly to generate drilbus, there is a 2% chance that the crystals originate from a crysmal. If you have a crysmal drilbu, when you roll to determine what kind on Table 7-8 in the Psionics Handbook, shift your result down one row. The market price for a crysmal drilbu is 200 gp more than the listed market price.

Power Stones

Power stones made from crysmal's crystal look similar to that of regular power stones, except that they glow a little brighter than normal (in a manner similar to a power stone with two powers). The power stored in the power stone can be activated in the same way as a normal power stone.

Upon creation, a crysmal power stone is encoded with an additional random power from the list below. Add the value of that power to the market price (see below). The ability to manifest the additional powers requires the same checks and has the same requirements as the stored powers.

When rolling randomly to create power, there is a 2% chance that the crystals originate from a crysmal. After rolling for the power stone, use the crysmal bonus power chart above to determine its bonus power. The market price for a power stone made from a crysmal is 20 gp more than the listed market price, plus the additional costs listed in the table above.

DM's Notes

I thought I might share my thoughts on adding crysmal items to a campaign. Crysmal items are very rare, and I probably would not allow a character to have more than one item made from a crysmal. If a character happens to kill a crysmal and wants to make items from that crysmal, then he or she should be allowed to do so, but I would be strict about the time it takes to craft these items and not allow them to play the character for that period of time.

Crysmals tend to become hostile towards a character that is carrying a crysmal item and will attack them in an attempt to secure the item. I would probably spring this attack on the party after they have had had some time to use the item -- maybe three or four months after acquiring it.

It might be fun to give a character a crysmal item and not tell him or her of its origin. This could lead to having the party being stalked by crysmals at every turn. The party might encounter a NPC hunter who seeks crysmals and who might comment on the item. The hunter might even think of the PCs as a boon to his business. After all, if there are any crysmals within 60 feet of the PC with the crysmal item, that crysmal will attack, leaving itself open to the hunter!

Updated 08/27/2002