afternoonmaps

The Barrows Battle Map (Free) - Launch

Added 2019-01-20 00:31:02 +0000 UTC

This weeks map is free to my Patrons, love you all! I'll be starting on one of our Patron map ideas next week, until then I hope you enjoy this!

This map is inspired by one of my favourite sequences from The Fellowship of the Ring, I was reminded of The Barrow Downs while watching Matt Colville's awesome video on the start of The Fellowship of the Ring (its worth a watch, link here) and thought a set of Barrows would be a cool map to create.

Introduction

A brisk wind blows across dozens of small grassy mounds, creating ripples in a sea of rolling green. Craggy grey stones thrust upwards, monuments to kings and queens long since passed beyond myth and legend. An ancient roadway weaves its way through the mounds, rarely walked by mortal feet. Some of the mounds contain dark openings framed in stone, yawning black maws ready to swallow those foolish enough to enter them. Legend tells of riches buried here, treasure beyond imagining, but dark things are buried here too, things that are best left undisturbed.

30x30 Grid map

Variants:

The Barrows, Day
The Barrows, Night
The Barrows Night, Wisps

Notes and Tips

Line of sight could be interesting on this map. Plenty of cover.
A procession of undead march along the road at dawn and dusk.
Each entrance has a guardian spirit that is activated if someone tries to enter.
Spirits rise from the top of each mound when the sun sets and perform strange rituals. If the party replicates these on each mound at the same time the way to the horde is opened... oh and also it frees some kind of terrible and vengeful spirit. Vengeful spirits are obligatory on a map like this.
Spirit lights flicker among the mounds at night.
Silver coins sit in piles on many of the stones. Each one is a prayer to keep the dead from returning to haunt those still living. It would be unfortunate if someone moved them.

Thats it for this release, happy adventuring!