New Building: Pedestal
While the Rebuild the Wild supplement offers a variety of new Buildings and Amenities for Heroes to outfit their towns with, there’s one critical piece of Zelda architecture that it’s been missing: the Pedestal.
Pedestals have been a part of Zelda lore since Link to the Past placed their hallowed new creation, the Master Sword, on one. Since then, Pedestals have served a variety of magical purposes: protecting and sealing artifacts of immense power, acting as focal points for potent Magical Songs, or serving as a lock to be opened by some key object.
Until now, Heroes have been unable to create their own Pedestals. With this new Building type, though, you can now cement your own legends for future generations.
Check it out below!
New Building: Pedestal
Required Materials:
- 5 Gems
- 10 Monster Parts
- 15 Ancient Materials
Pedestals are large, flat platforms, with a surface raised above their surroundings. Some Pedestals may feature a small set of stairs, to allow easy access. Typically adorned with meaningful symbols, Pedestals can serve as massive works of art in their own right – but their real purpose is to serve as a potent magical focus.
When you build a Pedestal, you may select one of the following effects for it – or you may create a new, unique effect for the Pedestal, in concert with your GM. This choice is permanent.
At Rank 3, a Pedestal may have two effects; at Rank 5, it may have 3 effects. As before, these choices are permanent.
As Pedestals are not buildings in the traditional sense – lacking walls and a roof, among other accouterments – you may build Amenities atop them, such as Signs (to inform others of their purpose) or Wells (as seen with Fairy Fountains).
Song Focus
This Pedestal serves as the focus for a particular Magical Song. While the effect may vary depending on exactly which Song is used, there are a few common threads that bind these types of Pedestals. Note that a Pedestal may only be bound to a single Song, and to a single purpose, and that these choices are permanent.
Altering the Song: While standing on this Pedestal, the Song bound to the Pedestal can work in subtly different ways. These effects can be drastically different from what the Song can normally accomplish, but must still relate to the Song’s original purpose in some way. Perhaps the Song of Birds will summon a huge Roc to carry the Heroes to the Sky Temple; or the Song of Command will cause fallen pillars to right themselves, opening a path forward to an ancient tomb. Whatever the effect, it is transitory – should you play the Song elsewhere, it will only have its usual effects.
Boosting the Song: While standing on this Pedestal, any Hero who plays the appropriate Song may consider their Perform Trait to be increased by (Pedestal’s Rank) for the purposes of that Song, including for calculating their Musical Power. Note that this can go above usual maximums, which can result in some truly world-shaking musical effects – be sure to work with your GM when determining what your boosted Song accomplishes.
Teaching the Song: With the addition of a Sign (or other means) to communicate the particulars of the Song, then anyone who stands on the Pedestal and understands the Sign may learn the Song, without any cost or concern. Even the most tone-deaf Hero can pick up the Song with just a few minutes of practice. (This is most commonly done with the Song of Return, teaching a Song that will return a Hero directly to the Pedestal on which they learned the Song.)
Protected Space
The Pedestal serves as a special, protected space. When creating the Pedestal, specify what people must do to be able to stand on the Pedestal. This may be a complex task, such as “collect three Pendants of Virtue”; or it may be simple and easily achieved, such as “receive the Village Elder’s blessing”. However, the requirement must be based on a person’s actions, not their origins.
Anyone who fulfills the Pedestal’s conditions may freely step atop the Pedestal. While on the Pedestal, they are protected from all things outside the Pedestal. Weather effects are reduced by (Pedestal’s Rank), and you may add (Pedestal’s Rank) to your Concentration, Defense, Evasion, and Vitality against any attacks originating from outside the Pedestal’s bounds.
Anyone who does not fulfill the Pedestal’s conditions will feel a sense of foreboding and ill-ease when approaching the Pedestal, warning them away. Should they ignore these warnings, any Monsters of a Rank less than (Pedestal’s Rank) will find themselves utterly unable to set foot on the Pedestal – as if running into an invisible wall. Creatures of a Rank greater or equal to the Pedestal’s will find themselves Slowed, and will suffer (Pedestal’s Rank) damage at the end of every turn, ignoring Defense.
Weapon Spirit’s Home
This Pedestal serves as the home of a particular Weapon Spirit. The Pedestal must be at least the same Rank as the Weapon Spirit’s Weapon to serve as its home. The Weapon Spirit must be serving you at the time of the Pedestal’s creation, and must agree to make the Pedestal its home.
When the Weapon Spirit’s Weapon is placed upon the Pedestal, the Spirit enters a deep slumber. During this time, the Weapon Spirit cannot communicate, but it can sense those who stand on its Pedestal – who they are, what they carry, anything they speak aloud, and their intentions.
While slumbering, the Weapon Spirit will slowly rejuvenate itself from even the most grievous injury. This even speeds its recovery from more mundane dents and dings: the Durability of the Weapon the Spirit inhabits will recover an additional (Pedestal’s Rank) Durability each night.
In addition, while slumbering, the Weapon Spirit can refuse to be drawn by anyone, for any reason it likes. No force in Hyrule can move the weapon against its will, save perhaps for the Goddesses themselves.