Monday, July 7, 2014

Barrow Mounds

Here, finally, are the finished barrow mounds that I've been so irresponsibly teasing you about. But I guess that's just how life is. You mean to post an in-progress photo two days before posting the finished version, and before you know it two weeks have dashed by and they've also managed, somehow,  to steal your pants.


I had really good luck with a new grass-coloring technique, which I believe I mentioned last time, wherein I diluted Winsor & Newton inks in greeny-brown shades and then dropped them onto the un-colored grass with an eye-dropper. This gave the nice, uneven coloring.


Now they're ready to hit the table. They could easily be used as objective markers, but I think they would be even more fun as entry points for wandering monsters. Or better yet, as a place to get items; but only by daring the unknown depths for D3 turns and having to consult a deadly Plumbing the Mound random table to see what awful, deadly things you find in the scybalous nightmare tomb. Mmmmm, I'm getting that short-breathed thrill that always seems to precede inventing another weird random table. Maybe I'll make one and do a post on it later...


I guess the reason I'm so excited about that idea is that it would bother me to use the tumuli as just repositories for bonus items. These aren't treasure boxes left around by some game designer. These are dark. These are deep.


I mean, would you go down there to face whatever was left to rest in the distant, megalithic past, perhaps by humans, but perhaps by creatures only human-like?


Well, maybe I would. If I had a sword. But I wouldn't expect it to be pretty.


Let me know what you think by delving the cromlech under which I hid the comments, below:

3 comments :

  1. I love them.

    I love them and I agree they should not be treates lightly as treasure boxes but as dark sarcophagi hiding horrible secrets and thing sthat should not be.
    I'll have them splitting skulls, ghosts and worse all the times I don't use them as portals to inner circles of hell.
    I love the Lovecraftian aspect of them and what lies beyond.
    I'm glad you see things this way too.

    Oh and I like the look of them too. A lot.

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  2. It never fails to brighten my day when I log on in the morning to find that I've pressed one of your buttons, A.man. Always great to hear your thoughts.

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    1. you're welcome, I just hope you understood I meant "spitting skulls" rather than "splitting" them...

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