rules for Kolati gambling sticks?

[Beoferret]

Hello all. I've got a player who's running a Kolati assistant shaman right now, but who currently does not have any gambling sticks. Have any of you stated them up for RQ?

- What do they actually do?

- How do they work?

- How and when does a shaman of Kolat get them? Is it only after becoming a full shaman? 

I'm not sure if they'll be all that interesting to the player - since he's more focused on the wind spirit side of Kolat, rather than the gambling side - but I'd like him to have the option. The character is currently on his way to the Chalk Man for some tutelage and spirit challenges; I figured that it'd also be a good spot to provide the option of getting some gambling sticks too. 

[David Scott]

17 hours ago, Beoferret said:

Hello all. I've got a player who's running a Kolati assistant shaman right now, but who currently does not have any gambling sticks. Have any of you stated them up for RQ?

- What do they actually do?

- How do they work?

These are detailed in the Sartar Companion (page 271 from 2010/2012) in a small box and were written for HQ2. Simply the shaman uses them to gamble against spirits for favours or debts, and enter the spirit world and to bind spirits into charms. For RQG, this is all built into the system (spirit combat, spirit pacts, etc), so they are just colour. It says that the number of sticks in a set and rules vary. To me it's always felt like it's based on misunderstood idea of the bone game, with the spirits on the opposing team:

• Slahal
• Bone Game an ancient First Nations game and ritual

17 hours ago, Beoferret said:

- How and when does a shaman of Kolat get them? Is it only after becoming a full shaman? 

They would make their own under the guidance of their spirits and fetch. Most shaman would make their own tools, or they would be gifted to them as payment for work done.

 

[Beoferret]

5 hours ago, David Scott said:

These are detailed in the Sartar Companion (page 271 from 2010/2012) in a small box and were written for HQ2. Simply the shaman uses them to gamble against spirits for favours or debts, and enter the spirit world and to bind spirits into charms. For RQG, this is all built into the system (spirit combat, spirit pacts, etc), so they are just colour. It says that the number of sticks in a set and rules vary. To me it's always felt like it's based on misunderstood idea of the bone game, with the spirits on the opposing team:

• Slahal
• Bone Game an ancient First Nations game and ritual

They would make their own under the guidance of their spirits and fetch. Most shaman would make their own tools, or they would be gifted to them as payment for work done.

 

Thanks, David! Making one's own sticks (carefully selecting wood, carving, etc.) seems like a great addition to the process of becoming a Kolati shaman - and potentially providing some seeds for mini-adventures (e.g., finding the proper wood and/or bone, etc.) From the rest of your answer, I think that maybe I'll make them a means by which a full shaman could use their gambling skill as a way to augment specific spirit and rune magic spells and/or worship ceremonies; anything requiring a ritual, maybe. So, they'd potentially be useful in terms of game mechanics, but far from necessary. Cool.