In area 17 of the Whispering Cairn, the statue animates only if a PC "falls asleep on one of the stone slabs."
Has anyone had a party actually activate it? It seems to me like this is one trap very unlikely to be sprung.
My players activated it... course they were trying to do so. They had tied the statue up with rope and had all readied actions to attack it when it moved.
The easy victory helped with moral after getting their butts kicked by wolves, beetles, and a pile of mold.
You might be able to tempt them into it. The Dragon article about clearing out the mine office to use as a base had some mechanics for clearing places for use as adventurer crash pads - you could point out that room's the most optimal around for a mid-dungeon rest...
Yes, one of my PC's did. His buddy was standing by to pull him off the bed.
My PCs put the clues together, and even though two were fatigued and one considered it, the ones who made their saves kept anyone from laying down. They looted the seeker corpse (think it was only a ring on that one) and got out of dodge. Though one PC has made his intention clear to return to that room later to make certain. They are a collective group of "Steal everything that isn't bolted down, and bring a crowbar just in case" type group... and Dragon had to go and refine their skills with "The Plunderers Handbook".
Currently there are 4 'brushed nickel showerheads' in their inventory...
Doesn't bother me right now, the motivation for The Whispering Caren is looting...
I changed activation to "lays down on one of the beds" but let them find red clay scuff marks (taking 20 on search, with goggles of minute seeing, 29!? sigh...)in front of feet (from previous activation). When someone did lay down the statue was already on the floor, face down. Still gave it a free swing at character on bed (from prone position). It did some damage but went down without too much trouble,it had to stand up (AOO), was flanked, etc.
taking 20 on search, with goggles of minute seeing, 29!?
The elf scout in my party picked up the goggles of minute seeing. He has 4 ranks in Search, +2 Int modifier, +2 racial modifier, +5 magic modifier for a total of +13 Search. At 1st level. Sick!
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My players did actually act in character for this, and laid down when I told them they felt tired. I couldn't believe it. I thought I'd have to twist their arms.
I did adjust the trap effect, though.
As written, the room doesn't fulfil it's stated objective of being a sleeping chamber for the labourers, since it is impossible for anyone to be refreshed from sleeping in the room. If you keep making saves every round, you would have to have an unbroken run of eight hours successful saves to shake it off.
Even if you rule that saves are not required once asleep, you could still have your night's rest, wake up, and be immediately struck down with fatigue.
Not much 'labouring' getting done by those workers!
Far better that it be a trap built after the completion of the tomb, to punish intruders.
I also made the fatigue effect an ability of the statue, so I didn't have to waste hours of play dealing with endless saves, while searching the room, once it was destroyed and the PCs in no danger.