Barrow Mounds: Hallowed Ground expedition

[torkill]

Eldon grabbed a dagger from his belt and flicked it after the fleeing lizardman.

Sarge continued to thrash and gnaw on his new chew toy.

Thrown Dagger Hit AC 5 for 4 damage

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

Tries to run through a fleeing lizardman but misses hopelessly.

[LordKane77]

Savant drops (or sheaths, I'm not sure how that rule goes in 1e) his sword in favor of his bow and lets a volley fly at the fleeing enemies........




He looks on with a certain Elven satisfaction at being able to use the bow, finally.

Also, are my formulas correct the way the macro is input? It looks correct, but in the practice roll I got a number higher than should be possible.

[torkill]

Also, are my formulas correct the way the macro is input? It looks correct, but in the practice roll I got a number higher than should be possible.

I don't think the roller here can do math that includes the result of a die roll. It can include math as part of the die roll (such as adding 5 to the die roll), but can't take those results and subtract them from an integer (such as 17-[dieroll]). But I am new to this site as well so maybe I just haven't figured out how to do that yet.

[Spearmint]

I can understand the macro fine. I prefer a roll linked to the campaign and with a note to determine what the roll is. So all you need to post would be:

Savant: longsword melee [1d20+1] dam [1d8]

So I know the +1 to hit comes from the racial longsword bonus and you have no other modifiers either to hit or for damage. I check rolls vs AC on the DMG table. In this action, as the lizardmen are retreating, you would add the rear attack +2 bonus as well so [1d20+3].

You can also copy the first tab to paste the roll like this which I find easier visually.

Short Bow hits (17-[1d20]=4 AC) - [1d6]=2 dmg

Hope that helps.

[Spearmint]

May 8th 1066:

Barrow Moor, south of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

12.10am. Windy conditions, light rain.

Vann Hector -5hp, Tamson -3hp, Reuben -3hp, Dalin -1hp.

Effects: none.

Eldon joins in with Sarge in savaging a raptor-kin, stabbing the lizardman in the spine and slaying it. Despite a flurry of arrows and hurled weapons, none strike the mark and the surviving lizardmen slink off into the Moor wastelands.

You can regroup and take a breath. The encounter could have turned against you, several are injured. For Dalin and Vann Hector, it is very similar to their frogling encounter. The Moor is a war of attrition, against the environment and rival creatures. Only the strong survive.

The lizardmen carry little with them. You can take a quiver of arrows to replenish your stocks. Their melee weapons made of sharpened flint edged stone. They carry no coins or gems, this bandit group quite destitute it seems and not very successful as robbers.

Reuben binds wounds with some first aid kits. The injured receiving a minor health benefit from staunching more blood loss. (+1hp each to the injured). He has used all four kits he carried so further healing is at a premium.

Determining to press on, the adventurers follow the young ranger who navigates with some experience around the soft ground and even a boggy patch rippling with strange bubbles that burst with sulphuric odour.

Eventually you arrive in the mid afternoon at the southwest corner of a huge grassy meadow which spreads out across two hundreds acres of sacred and revered land. Though you only see a portion of the unexplored vastness as the thick white swirling mist envelopes everything from view, your visibility limited to the radius of your light sources.

Right before you lies the exposed bones of a herd of elephantine creature. The bones decorated with ribbons and trinkets. Little keepsakes and notes, prayers or proverbs. The tusks long since gone but the ribcages and bones still protrude from the peat.

"This is the usual waypoint for explorers. See these mammoth bones here. The bodies all lie pointing that way. The first of the Barrow Mounds are over there."

actions everyone please.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

More dead than alive once again, it is a very similar scenario to his previous expedition.

I would like to search the mammoth bones, particularly seeing if any clues to various mounds are noted. Treasure here, ghouls there, etc.

I will also ask Reuben about the mound he wants to bless and perhaps he can aid the group, selfishly me, by casting any healing spells.

"Let's be extra cautious, watch each others backs. We go forward paired up. Reuben and me up front, archers Savant and Tam next and Eldon and Dalin with the dog in the rear. Any trouble, we get covering fire and the rogues can split off to hide and get backstab advantages."

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin nods his head and readies his crossbow. "I prefer to shoot rather than stab. Backstabbing is my next to last resort I like to keep foes at a distance when able to." he merely comments.

[LordKane77]

Savant nods in approval at the suggestion of order. He is visibly annoyed that his shots did not hit true, but welcomes the chance of redemption. He knocks an arrow, testing the draw in a safe direction, then moves into place.

[torkill]

Eldon shrugs. "You're the experienced one. I'll follow your lead. Which mound are we looking for?" He scratched Sarge behind his ear and the mastiff shook his head sending wads of slobber flying everywhere. "Come on, Sarge. Let's take rear guard."

[Spearmint]

May 8th 1066:

Barrow Moor, south of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

12.30am. Windy conditions, light rain.
Light: visibility limited to 60'ft through thick mist.
Lantern (Reuben)
Vann Hector -4hp, Tamson -2hp, Reuben -2hp.
Effects: none.

The group make a search of the trinkets on the mammoth bones. There are numerous ribbons and bone bracelets, tacked notes and forget-me-not items. Nothing is of any value except as a personal item. Various messages contradict each other, offering hope it earnings in equal measure. Each ribbon a testament to an explorers unique experience of the Mounds.

Reuben kneels over the injured Vann Hector, raising his holy symbols and intoning a mighty decree of healing restoration. In this 'god forsaken' wilderness, his prayer remains unanswered and the curing of the wounds is not provided

Reuben. "I am sorry my friend. Perhaps my faith was sorely tested and I should meditate and pray again. I will fast this evening and atone for my sins as the village priest suggested." he says sincerely, rubbing his tonsure hairstyle and stroking his mutton chops.

You enter the Barrow Mounds, but the priest again falls short of your expectations. "I cannot remember this way. It was too traumatic for my soul to recover from. I think though we should head east. Yes that way. Past the edge of the moor and between those mounds.

Follow me."

He strikes a lantern and looks behind, gesturing you after him. With little other choices but to follow you make your way into the sacred arena of burial plots. You head in a northeasterly direction, walking 300 yards at least with no sign, no sight of anything but stony ground and long weeds. Bones scatter your path, broken bits of crockery, an axe handle, a rusty spade head. Even the carrion creatures that predate upon the weak or injured have few morsels to nibble among the detritus left behind. Your first stop is a steep grassy mound. A lump sticking out of the earth like a camels hump. The mound is a circular shape, bare if any crowning features except the weeds and grasses that cover it. To one side a large patch of the ground has been uncovered and then filled back in. Protruding from the ground is a single skeletal arm, reaching upwards. It is not moving though so you can dismiss any fears of anything clawing the way out of a tomb to attack you ... at least for now.

any actions please.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

I will study the skeletal arm. Does the hand have any rings on, is it pointing in a certain direction?

"We should avoid the churned up area just in case others lurk below the surface as predators."

Let us check around the mound too. Maybe an entrance, as n open one or a concealed one might be found. Then mark the place.

Does Reuben know how far to the tomb he wants to bless. Also if the way to and from the mounds is by the path leading to the mammoth bones area, maybe we could mark the trail in some way in case we get lost and seperated. We agree to reunite at that point. So placing stones to point that way as we go through each 60'ft movement.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin covers Vann with his crossbow as the skeletal arm is examined. "Sage advice Vann."

[torkill]

Sarge spots the radial bone sticking out of the ground and wags his tail. Eldon quickly tugs on his leash. "Leave it!" he commands in hushed tones.

[LordKane77]

Savant turns to look behind them, then scans from side to side, alert for danger. With everyone focused on the skeletal arm, his hunting instincts kick in.

[Spearmint]

May 8th 1066:

Barrow Moor, south of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

12.40pm. Windy conditions, light rain.
Light: visibility limited to 60'ft through thick mist.
Lantern (Reuben)
Vann Hector -4hp, Tamson -2hp, Reuben -2hp.
Effects: none.

The group check out the first of the barrow mounds that they come across. The skeletal arm looks as those mischievous adventurers have bent the finger bones curled inwards except for the middle finger that pointing upright, a rude sign that at least brings a smile. Even in this place of death, humour is an endearing quality.

Reuben mutters, raising his lantern, pointing his holy symbols into the mist, chattering to himself. He has a manic expression, fearful of every blade of grass or shadow moving. He heads east and you follow. Vann Hector tries to instill some confidence in the priest but he is unable to answer questions specifically. The man takes from his pouch the skull of the gargoyle, holding it before him in his hand as if it were an orb or divining device. "He will know the way. Yes, he will lead us." Reuben says as he strokes the skull. "This way, quick, yes, it whispers, this is the way ... "

He hurries, jogging into the mist, only halting when another mound appears. This second hill is ellipsoid shaped, like half a egg, with a narrow taper to the north. Going around the south wider edge of the hillock you come to an area of excavation. A chunk of the hill has been dug open and a stone seal exposed. The slab is set in a frame of granite lintels. A few chunks have been chipped from its surface but no entry beyond has been achieved.

Lying on the floor before the stone door is a body. A huge metal stake has been hammered through his chest. His body gnawed on by rats and carrion creatures. A sledgehammer lies to one side, scattered goods from a backpack dot the undergrowth.

"Murder. Murder." the priest says before gesticulating a Ygg blessing on the body.

what would you like to do here?

[Spearmint]

A mini map of your explored regions of the Barrow Mounds:

You walked over mound 9 (skeleton arm) and are by the south line of the hex of mound 10 (staked man).

just a correction. Each hex is 120'ft from side to side not 50'ft

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

The priest is a bit crazy, as folk said in the tavern. The elf muses if the gargoyle skull is really talking to Reuben and lead him here to this spot or whether he just has voices in his head.

"Check around the area, scavenging what we can. Anything of use, oil, lanterns, flaming torches, leave the crap." he tells the group and goes to investigate the stone door.

Was the man breaking it down and got speared by a trap perhaps rather than pushed to the ground and staked down?

"Tamson, check the area for recent prints. Boots, blood trails."

I will check for traps by the stone door.

[GreyWolfVT]

Dalin nods his head at the directives given by Vann. The dwarf too moves to the stone door to check it for traps and whatnot. He also takes a moment to search for anything useful in the area near the stone door.

[LordKane77]

Savant stays close to the group, but stays vigilant and keeps scanning, arrow knocked and ready.