A question about one the Crypt of the Everflame's rooms. [Spoiler]

[Chyrone]

Good afternoon people,

The party is about to enter.

Spoiler:

The room with the Pillar of a 1000 Arrows.

In the unfortunate case, that they remain within the room multiple rounds,
the pillar will continue to go trigger-arrow-happy on them.

My questions are:

1) Will in those following rounds, the arrows also be shot at any PCs who are already KO?

2) If in worst case the PCs all go napping, assuming they stabilize, would it be Final Destination, with some monster from the lower level (or the boss himself) showing up, or will they remain in the crypt as long as it takes for them to wake up?

Thanks in advance.

[concerro]

Since the trap is not sentient it would not know to stop shooting, but as a GM running for low level characters I would stop them from being targeted if they go unconscious.

The arrows do nonlethal damage so it should only knock them out unless you choose to keep hitting them once they go down. Then it might go into lethal damage.

As long as it is nonlethal they should eventually wake up. According to the book no monster is supposed to come into the room.

Also there are not literally 1000 arrows.

The trap runs for 10 rounds, and each round it fires 1d4 arrows. Once those 10 rounds are complete it would have to be manually reloaded.

[Slothsy]

Honestly, both of those questions fall under "GM's choice" options. The pillar sounds like it just spins aimlessly around letting loose arrows once it starts. GMs can justify it either continuing to attack or the arrows being aimed away from the floor. At the very least, downed PCs should get the +4 AC bonus for being prone.

I would personally recommend holding off on attacking the downed PCs with the trap and on having a monster from another level come and attack them. Keep in mind that PCs heal 1 point of NL per hour, so it would only be a couple hour wait for one of the PCs to become conscious and hopefully heal the party, as opposed to a several day wait.

Of course, it's your table and your decision.

[wraithstrike]

Rigby Bendele wrote:

Honestly, both of those questions fall under "GM's choice" options. The pillar sounds like it just spins aimlessly around letting loose arrows once it starts. GMs can justify it either continuing to attack or the arrows being aimed away from the floor. At the very least, downed PCs should get the +4 AC bonus for being prone.

I would personally recommend holding off on attacking the downed PCs with the trap and on having a monster from another level come and attack them. Keep in mind that PCs heal 1 point of NL per hour, so it would only be a couple hour wait for one of the PCs to become conscious and hopefully heal the party, as opposed to a several day wait.

Of course, it's your table and your decision.

I never knew that. (thumbs up)

[kinevon]

Minor nonsequiter:
Minimum Damage: If penalties reduce the damage result to less than 1, a hit still deals 1 point of nonlethal damage.

Back on subject
Dealing Nonlethal Damage: Certain attacks deal nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being exhausted, also deal nonlethal damage. When you take nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much you've accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage number from your current hit points. It is not "real" damage. Instead, when your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you're staggered (see below), and when it exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious.

Staggered and Unconscious: When your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you're staggered. You can only take a standard action or a move action in each round (in addition to free, immediate, and swift actions). You cease being staggered when your current hit points once again exceed your nonlethal damage.

When your nonlethal damage exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious. While unconscious, you are helpless.

Spellcasters who fall unconscious retain any spellcasting ability they had before going unconscious.

If a creature's nonlethal damage is equal to his total maximum hit points (not his current hit points), all further nonlethal damage is treated as lethal damage. This does not apply to creatures with regeneration. Such creatures simply accrue additional nonlethal damage, increasing the amount of time they remain unconscious.

Healing Nonlethal Damage: You heal nonlethal damage at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per character level. When a spell or ability cures hit point damage, it also removes an equal amount of nonlethal damage.

Above from the Combat chapter of the CRB/PRD.

[FLite]

Keep in mind there is also a 10 ft pit right in front of the pillar. When I ran it I assumed that the arrows did not fire down into the pit. And even if they do, there is a bridge over one square of the pit, which should provide total cover for 1-2 PCs.

(As it turned out in my case, the PC had just enough movement to get to the far door, open it, and throw themselves prone. Next round they rolled 5 feet through the door, and let it close behind them.)

[kinevon]

There is also a source for a couple of tower shields that the module even reminds us can be used as cover against the arrows.

Of course, acquiring those shields is its own problem, of course. ;)

[FLite]

The PCs in my case were yoon and lem... The shields were not really a practical option for them... (Small, str 8... )

[Chyrone]

They didn't have those, they were all peppered. Fortunately the paladin had enough normal HP to wake within 2 hours.