I can't make heads or tails of this. The text says that the totems have to remain erect for the two full days and that many eyes will be watching. But it also says the totems can fall over, take damage, but as long as they don't shatter the PC is OK.
Which is it - does the totem have to remain erect the entire time or is it allowed to fall over and then be put back?
If a PC does leave his totem, does it automatically fall over? What about the Vision of the Auroch - if a PC leaves his totem for that does it fall?
I can't make heads or tails of this. The text says that the totems have to remain erect for the two full days and that many eyes will be watching. But it also says the totems can fall over, take damage, but as long as they don't shatter the PC is OK.
Which is it - does the totem have to remain erect the entire time or is it allowed to fall over and then be put back?
If a PC does leave his totem, does it automatically fall over? What about the Vision of the Auroch - if a PC leaves his totem for that does it fall?
My understanding of it was that they can fall over briefly, but not remain horizontal to pass the test. So if one drops, the PC has the chance, as long as it did not break, to re-right it, and continue the test.
It doesn't automatically fall, but it becomes unstable very shortly, and must be stabilized to keep it upright. During the Vision, I did not see it as the PCs going anywhere physically, just mentally ... so if they were balancing the totem at the time, they would still be balancing it after the vision ends.
My understanding of it was that they can fall over briefly, but not remain horizontal to pass the test. So if one drops, the PC has the chance, as long as it did not break, to re-right it, and continue the test.
OK, if that's the case: When the bullets arrive, can a PC set his totem down, fight the bullets, and then put it back up? If one PC has his fall over, can I put mine down, go help him get it back up, and then get mine up?
Perhaps it's supposed to be that the totems cannot fall over at all. Zippo. Nadda. Period. But...given resourceful PCs it might fall without the observers noticing (Fog Cloud, Major Image, etc.) The breaking rules are only there for those cases?
My understanding of it was that they can fall over briefly, but not remain horizontal to pass the test. So if one drops, the PC has the chance, as long as it did not break, to re-right it, and continue the test.OK, if that's the case: When the bullets arrive, can a PC set his totem down, fight the bullets, and then put it back up? If one PC has his fall over, can I put mine down, go help him get it back up, and then get mine up?
Perhaps it's supposed to be that the totems cannot fall over at all. Zippo. Nadda. Period. But...given resourceful PCs it might fall without the observers noticing (Fog Cloud, Major Image, etc.) The breaking rules are only there for those cases?
I'm not sure I understand what you mean on "set it down"? It says in there that just having one hand free to balance it is sufficient, so they can fight and maintain the balance of the totem. It's not like they are holding it in their arms. It also states you can take 5-10 minute breaks to eat and take care of other needs as long as you remain close enough to steady the totem.
And if the fighter needs to leave his totem to take care of business, another player could dart between two totems, balancing them ... heck, I'd say one player could maintain the balance of all the totems of the party by devoting his actions to that, allowing the rest of the party to fight off the threat. After all, the roll to keep them upright is once every six hours. My guess is the whole idea of keeping one hand on the totem is because of the ground shakes the mass of the rampaging bullettes are going to cause ...
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I think what DMFTodd means is that if the totems don't need to be raised up continuously, then what's to stop the PCs from just setting the totems down (ie. not hold it with one hand) while fighting the bullettes, and then when the battle is over, just raise the totems back up and resume balancing them with one hand. This would avoid the whole -4 to attack because of using one hand to balance, but impinges on the assumption that the totems can be temporarily set down (which seems to be the case, since if a PC loses balance over one, they can simply raise it back up).
I think what DMFTodd means is that if the totems don't need to be raised up continuously, then what's to stop the PCs from just setting the totems down (ie. not hold it with one hand) while fighting the bullettes, and then when the battle is over, just raise the totems back up and resume balancing them with one hand. This would avoid the whole -4 to attack because of using one hand to balance, but impinges on the assumption that the totems can be temporarily set down (which seems to be the case, since if a PC loses balance over one, they can simply raise it back up).
The players don't know that they don't need to be up continuously or near continuously ... it would be up to the GM to decide if the Shoanti disqualify the pcs if they lay them down for any length of time. Having one fall and immediately rerighting it isn't the same as laying it down, fighting and then rerighting it, at least to me ::shrug::
I'm going to run it like this: If the totem falls down, you lose. There is someone watching Bolt Rock from Flameford at all times.
If you don't keep a hand on the totem, there is a 25% chance per round that the totem falls over on it's own. PCs could lower this chance with some Use Rope or other ways (Web spell). Magic might allow one PC to hold up more than one totem at a time (levitate, haste).
Bolt Rock has bad weather. Once every six hours, a strong wind comes along necessitating the STR check as described in the adventure.
PCs could use spells to hide the fact that a totem is down - Illusions, Fogs, etc. The damage for a totem falling over could apply in that situation.
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I think that works! For what it's worth, I had a hard time running the Trial of Totems with my group; there was lots of making up rules on the fly, unfortunately. (The PCs ended up using rope to tie up the totems in such a way so that they all balanced each other [imagine a rhombus, and the corner of each one is a totem, and each rhombus was pushed slightly outward, that way the weight of each would tighten the rope between them and they would all balance out]. It was pretty clever, but the problem is... Pathfinder RPG beta has no Use Rope skill... oops.)
Has anyone made a map for the top of Bolt Rock yet? That would be a very useful handout.
I think that works! For what it's worth, I had a hard time running the Trial of Totems with my group; there was lots of making up rules on the fly, unfortunately. (The PCs ended up using rope to tie up the totems in such a way so that they all balanced each other [imagine a rhombus, and the corner of each one is a totem, and each rhombus was pushed slightly outward, that way the weight of each would tighten the rope between them and they would all balance out]. It was pretty clever, but the problem is... Pathfinder RPG beta has no Use Rope skill... oops.)
Our group has just been folding the rope usage into climb, since for the most part that was where you were pretty much needing the knots to hold :)
The map for Bolt Rock is in the adventure - why would a map need to be made? Though the scale of it is too small - not enough room to fight the bullets.
My party did it last week. The party wizard tied a rope to his and then used Rope Trick to hold it up. Wall of Ice (igloo) was used to help stabilize at times. The totems were leaned against Immovable Rods (I gave a +4 to the STR check). Wall of Force came into play. And, since my Shoanti are in the arctic, they used the Endless Decanter to pour water and freeze the bases a bit - another +2 to the STR check. Krojun, who my PCs have gone out of the way to piss off, showed up and threatened to push a totem down but the Bard suggested him into leaving.
The map for Bolt Rock is in the adventure - why would a map need to be made? Though the scale of it is too small - not enough room to fight the bullets.
Not only that, but the scenario suggests that there are circular depressions in specific places where the totems needs to be balanced.
I can make this stuff up myself, of course, but I thought that if someone else had done it (particularly in player handout form) I'd be interested in seeing it.
Hmmm... Or maybe the point of doing the test is to get the vision. Someone who bypasses holding his totem so he doesn't get tired, and eats/drink all he wants won't get the vision, which is what the trial is about. So it's pretty easy to catch cheaters. lol
Ultradan
When I DM'd this for my group, I gave them one sentance of out advice on how to succeed
Cheating or the perception of cheating will nullify or lessen the accomplishment and be frowned upon by the quah. Completing the trial in the correct spirit, the spirit of the Shoanti, is what counts!!
I had a Shoanti PC and she informed all party members that she felt the use of magic in any way would count against that member and perhaps the party as a whole. I did nothing to discount that, and infact would have said the same thing if asked.
By encouraging PC's of this level not to use magic you enable them to work together as a team, come up with some great plans, and create a much more dramatic and memorable event.
The bard chanted and sang encouragement to inspire the party occassionally, the Shoanti barbarian ran from her totem to the wizards to help keep it up, ropes and teamwork hauled them to the top, it was great fun to watch PC's with a good bit of magical power at there hands work out problems in a simpler manner.
When the Bullettes attacked the PC's often fought in shifts running from totem to totem to keep them up while battling the monsters, it was really quite fun.
Of course all of this happened as bolts of lighting flashed, thunder roared and wind howled.
Yep good times!!