Sorry if this has been asked before, I had trouble with the search function.

I have a question about how totem modifiers work in Shadowrun 3rd edition. I had assumed that you could apply totem modifiers either to a success test for Sorcery/Conjuring OR to the drain resistance test, but not both. But looking through the rules again I'm not seeing a specific explanation of this. Does this mean that a Bear shaman, for example, would apply his +2 die modifer on health spells to both the success test and the drain resistance test? Similarly, would the Bear shaman apply the +2 bonus to both Conjuring tests and Conjuring drain resistance tests?

Thanks in advance for any insights on this!

I just found a couple of threads from March 2005 that dealt with this issue. They are located here in case anyone else is interested:

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p=0&#entry0

http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...p=0&#entry0


It sounds like there isn't really a clear answer. Some people apply the modifier to both tests and others just to one of them (the latter makes more sense to me, but it would be nice to have an official ruling on it...).

If anyone has seen anything more recent of knows of this being addressed in a FAQ or errata, please let me know.

Thanks.

Totem dice are specified as giving bonuses (or penalties) to magical skills. Resisting Drain is not using a magical skill - it is a consequence of using a magical skill, but is not, itself, a magical skill. You can not add Totem modifiers directly to Drain tests. Spellcasters can still effectively split their bonus dice between spellcasting and Drain, though. Since they are getting bonus dice for the spell, they are able to withhold more dice from their Spell Pool to help them resist Drain.

And Spell Pool is the biggest reason that I would limit Totem modifiers to one or the other. Spell Pool can augment spellcasting or Drain. If you get a bonus to spellcasting and to soaking Drain, then you can pile more points of Spell Pool into spellcasting, getting an effective bonus bigger than the actual Totem bonus.

Unless the Totem specifically grants that particular Bonus. There are a couple that do, including Crab.

Still looking for a Pigeon Totem...

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.