Ghosts of Saltmarsh

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

100


select one character to lead the way. That character
makes a single Wisdom (Perception) check. The check
result is the number of squares along the pirates' path
that the characters travel. After that many squares. the
characters stumble into a randomly determined square
with skeletons in it. Choose a random, skeleton-occu-
pied square that has a side in common with the last safe
square the characters entered. If the party navigates its
way across the dunes and slays fewer than twenty skele-
tons while doing so, the adventurers a r rive safely on the
north edge of the map.
Phase One. If the characters enter an unmarked
square, nothing happens. If they enter a square marked
with a number. they are immediately attacked by that
number of skeletons. To begin an encounter. the skel-
etons rise from the sand. expending half of their move-
ment on their first turn. They are encrusted with sand
but unhindered by it, so they retain their normal speed
while in the dunes.
For example: The characters enter a numbered square
marked "7." Seven skeletons rise and defend that square
until they are destroyed. Once all the skeletons in a
square have been destroyed, that square is cleared of
buried skeletons (but other skeletons could still pursue
the party into that square).
The characters continue to move. one square at a
time, awakening skeletons and defending themselves
until they navigate their way across the dunes to safety.
or slay twenty or more skeletons. Once they slay twenty
or more skeletons, phase two begins.


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Phase Two. All the skeletons within^2 squares of the
party animate and attack. Rather than assail the char-
acters individually. half the risen skeletons form three
s keletal swarms (see appendix C). while the other half
coalesce into a skeletal juggernaut (see appendix C).
The swarms begin combat within 60 feet of the party,
while the juggernaut begins combat 240 feet from the
party. Once the skeletons arc defeated, the Skull Dunes
pose no fur ther threat to the characters.

AVOIDING THE SKULL DUNES
The skeletal guardians of the Skull Dunes do not pursue
characters into water deeper than 3 feet. Seawater does
them no harm-they have simply not been ordered to
defend that area. Thus, characters who decide to come
ashore and then wade around the shore in the area of
the dunes might be able to avoid the skeletons. or at
least minimize their contact with them.
Climbing the Cliffs. If the characters try to circum-
vent the Skull Dunes altogether by scaling the cliffs.
they find plenty of natural footholds and handholds that
climbers can use when making their ascent. The danger
comes from the slick mixture of water and algae coating
the face of the cliff. The top of the cliffs is^45 feet from
the water. Climbing a I 5-foot section of the cliff requires
a successful DC 12 Strength {Athletics) check: a failed
check means a creature falls into the jagged rocks along
the shore. taking falling damage as normal, and addi-
tional slashing damage from the sharp rocks equal to
the falling damage.

1square=150 feet

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