Ghosts of Saltmarsh

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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