Any kraken is a catastrophe in physical form, but one touched by Tharizduns destructive madness could become a threat of apocalyptic proportion in the fullness of time. The mysterious island section of this appendix describes and provides tables for generating a variety of uncharted isles ripe for adventure. Related Papers. This is an adventuring environment not catered for by the tables in Xanathars Guide to Everything, though look there for coastal and underwater encounters! Oceanus (Sea Elf) those who own Storm Kings Thunder already have stats for a sea elf warrior, but Oceanus is slightly stronger so you could use this statblock for leaders of sea elf patrols. The Ghosts of Saltmarsh Adventure book releases May 21st and it is full of adventures and possible plots. [1][2][3] The adventures included, in the order of presentation and including original publication year, are: Additionally, the book contains rules for ship-to-ship combat, character backgrounds and includes details on the port town of Saltmarsh which anchors each adventure. This table is a fun idea but only moderately useful in my opinion. As with other official titles, two covers exist: the limited edition cover (available for pre-orders and limited quantities in local game stores) and the regular cover. Sort by: We use cookies to improve your user experience and remember your preferences for repeat visits. Its designed for 4-6 characters of 7th level, so the characters may need to undertake another side quest after Chapter 5. Its also true that rooms nearby on the map are mostly also nearby on the table. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Shiroiken Additional comment actions. Single class casters should have 6th-level spells by now, which means they have multiple ways of finding out information with minimal or no prior investigation: commune, divination, locate creature, scrying, and true seeing are all available. Theyre fun, and mostly useful. The factions provide connective tissue between the adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, but players can easily approach the chapters of the books as standalone adventures or pull Saltmarsh out of Greyhawk entirely without any significant issue". The cannibal cultists of Lolth have left no written records which might shed further light on events. Saltmarsh has three competing factions that strive for influence around town, and two of them have direct ties to outside Greyhawk forces. The section Owning a ship has been removed entirely, along with the downtime action Managing a Ship. Whether Saltmarsh is invited to join the alliance depends on the players actions throughout the adventure, and is resolved by way of a point system. This adventure is the first appearance within the book of an adventure site roster, which are brief summaries of what creatures are in which rooms and what might cause them to leave their current location. | Ghosts of Saltmarsh Arcane Arcade 101K subscribers Subscribe 3.2K 181K views 3 years ago We begin our adventure on the high seas! [] Its not hard to imagine how a series of unlucky rolls could put the PCs on the wrong end of a mutiny. Chapter 1 presents the entire town of Saltmarsh and sets up the location for where all seven adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh begin. Crossing the dunes is akin to crossing a minefield, except choosing the wrong path results in an explosion of undead from the sand. Attitude and Race. TheCharm of Plant Command andHelm of Underwater Action in particular need no explanation. You can read all of these articles here: Like those articles, this article contains spoilers for Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Summary [ edit] Ghosts of Saltmarsh is an anthology of updated modules and adventures from previous editions, including three adventures from the classic 'U' series. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Slaves present in the fortress add an additional complication for moral characters, who may hate the idea of leaving the slaves even if they may be rescued in the subsequent attack. Alternatively, these locations can be used as a starting point to inspire adventures: each location has a section of guidance for generating adventures that might take place there. Alien islands are ruled over by strange, eldritch creatures (aberrations) and inhabited by humanoids or cultists indoctrinated into their worship. [] On the downside, this is pages and pages of tables and text. In this adventure, the characters are asked by a struggling merchant to help salvage his wealth from a former ship of his fleet, long thought lost to the sea. All food in a 5'-radius sphere is purified and Like my post from the Sea Ghost Loot, I went through the first half of The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh and labelled where all valuables are located at in the mansion. The table for encounters at sea includes four pirate ships! The juvenile kraken must be slain. Kunzelman highlighted that "the history of 'sea adventures' seems a little more mechanically complicated than your average adventure, and it seems like a DM would need to really encourage players in specific ways if they wanted to run these as anything other than dungeon delves with strange enemies not often seen on shore. Session Zeros are a great time to relax with our friends before the adventure begins. This process is slightly more efficient than reading each of the rooms full entries, granted. Meanwhile, the Coast Random Encounters table might be more easy to access at the table than the more expansive equivalent table inXanathars Guide to Everything, or you may not have that book. Check em out if you love boats". Saltmarsh Overviewdescribes the towns approach to law enforcement and defense, its commerce (in the form of fishing, trading, smuggling, and mining), the towns locations, and available downtime activities. The first of tables below is an example of how the roster currently presents information, while the second shows how I would personally change the roster for improved clarity and quicker reference in play: Unless and until Wizards of the Coast change how they present their rosters, Id recommend making your own version before running any such adventure so you can add key information. Theres definitely something here to build upon if you want a grander story. That's a fine option too but you might have to do some story-yoga to figure out why a githzeri makes sense in Saltmarsh. Each also has a collection of ready made encounters that use the map, and each of these encounters has a hook that you can use to tie it into the. It provides almost everything you could ask for to help you run a campaign near, on, and under the water; along with a few things you probably wouldnt have thought to ask for! Its further broken down into the following sections: a brief introduction to the town, followed by Politics and Factions, Saltmarsh Overview, Downtime Activities, Saltmarsh Region, Adventures in Saltmarsh, and Saltmarsh Backgrounds. Have a question or want to contact me? After the island broke into war between two factions, one group escaped the conflict using the ship. This adventure expects 4-6 characters of 5th level. The section also provides ways for characters of old and new backgrounds alike to be tied to Saltmarsh these are tools intended for characters who are local to the region. Theres even a section dealing with how to determine the mood of the town on any given visit, depending on whether the towns fishing industry is doing well! There are also a few less more mystical environs: eldritch mists, krakens graves, lure lights (the souls of dead aboleth! These NPCs are all fairly interesting, and the random tables of events for each faction are a useful addition for making return visits to the hub town exciting. They find an aboleth at the temple (which is of course the Whisperer) recuperating after being attacked by its kin. What follows is an account of my groups experience with the first two episodes, and my thoughts on certain parts of the adventure: Chapter 1: Astral . The modules are modified to use the 5th edition rules, so that the adventures can be played in the order they are presented in the book, or dropped into a home campaign. Thanks for your support! When the characters arrive, diplomats from several groups of aquatic races are present for negotiations to join an alliance against the sahuagin. Encounters at Sea provides Open Water Encounters tables for ships travelling out on the deep blue. Adding in grid maps for each ship type (galley, keelboat, longship, rowboat, sailing ship, and warship) and area descriptions for average vessels of those types is awesome. It contains supplemental rules your DM is bound to find useful while running these adventurers or if your homebrew campaign ever goes near the sea. The actions section of a ships statblock has changed. Although those tables are intended specifically for the Saltmarsh region, theres no reason you couldnt use them every now and again to add variety to any other nautical campaign. The characters might find communications from the cult in the. Each episode ends on a dramatic cliffhanger for the next episode to follow. The maps look as though they were taken straight out of a 2nd edition module and given that many of the adventures in the book are converted from older editions, this approach lends the product an additional feel of nostalgia. When I run The Ghosts of Saltmarsh, I'm fairly confident my current group will NOT burn down the house; they've heard that story and had a SMDH reaction to it (plus my wife played in that game, too). Even if you never intend to run the adventures, the content here alongside new monster statblocks ought to be enough to tempt you. Chapter 17 of Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master describes the value of running a "session zero" for a new campaign. what plots should yo. As well as determining who is crewing the ship and whether theyre friendly, indifferent, or hostile, this section has tables to determine their disposition: whether theyre willing to trade, have an emergency, etc. In some campaigns this doesn't matter too much but it's hard to figure out why a githyanki or yuan-ti might be involved in the issues surrounding a fishing village. What would be far, far more useful would be a summary of what creatures might arrive in a room from elsewhere. The degree of success also affects the rewards granted to the characters by the Saltmarsh council at the end of the adventure. In a session zero, our players can build their characters together while also discussing the story of the campaign. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". With our Waterdeep Dragon Heist campaign complete, my two groups both began their adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Their own victories and achievements add points to a tally. The Adventures in Saltmarsh section is very useful. [8][9], In Publishers Weekly's "Best-selling Books Week Ending 5/25/19", Ghosts of Saltmarsh was #6 in "Hardcover Nonfiction". A Pressure Capsule is a consumable that allows you to ignore effects of swimming at depths greater than 100 feet (if youre not aware, these effects are described in the Underwater section of Unusual Environments in the Dungeon Masters Guide. The hazards section has been significantly expanded, and now includes rules to govern a number of specific types of hazard. This is a really good supplement full of fun adventures set on or near the water. Its also a content pack for Roll20. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Youre unlikely to encounter a galleon which is intended for fishing, for example. This review is intended for DMs, who are the products intended audience (there is only a very little amount of player content). Some of the encounters on the Open Water tables are ships, but the nature of the ships isnt specified: they should also be generated at random, which can be achieved using the guidelines in the subsequent Random Ships section. Its a bit of a generic concept, and ends up being less exciting than some of the other islands for it. However, a sidebar does provide the necessary information to run a sahuagin attack on the way to the adventure site. But the means of their death makes it unlikely we can provide any further context to our players: we might think about adding a letter on their persons, but how would such a document have survived water damage when the thieves drowned? Nelson Nelson. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of all the cookies. The guards in 3 reinforce this room if summoned (see below). Heroes must arise to keep the waves safe! Another strength that cant be overstated is the fact that the book actually includes three adventure hubs. There are four new backgrounds, but youd be better off talking to your DM about the new options available than purchasing the supplement yourself. The adventure is for 4-6 level 4 characters. Ghosts of Saltmarsh has a lot of new content-new adventures, dozens of new areas to explore, but today, we're taking a look at what it offers players. Naturally these include the Forgotten Realms and Eberron. These tables are paired with more complex adventure sites in an effort to make them more manageable. It has a recommended retail price of $49.95 in the US, and 38.99 in the UK. These guards are alerted by noise in 1. The kraken is fed kidnapped beggars and other folks no one would miss, while all the negative emotions of the people of the Styes feed dark magic that accelerates the krakens growth. Fathomers are spellcasting humans who can turn into enormous watery snakes thanks to pacts with ancient evil, the ideal threat to catch players off-guard. But if the adventurers favourably impress the lizardfolk and the visiting diplomats of other races, then they may be able to forge ties between the alliance and the town of Saltmarsh. The corpses go in, and drowned ones come out. The adventure is for 4-6 3rd level characters, but depending on their current XP the awards they gain may not level them, in which case youll want to run a shot side trek after this chapter to get them ready for chapter 4. We're getting to the point where there are quite a few books containing a wide assortment of races. Ghosts of Saltmarsh for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons* Last modified: 9/4/2019 8:47:00 AM . This is presented as optional but if you are intending to run the whole book through as a single campaign, my recommendation is to consider the attack extremely non-optional. These arent given names, you could use other tables for that: theyre meant to be sailor nicknames. Naturally, GoS is also available on DnDBeyond, with the usual variety of purchase options: all content, compendium content only, and cherry-picking individual content. Finally,The Styesinvolves a cult worshiping Tharizdun. Heres what Wizards of the Coast have to say about what this product offers: Ghosts of Saltmarsh (hereafter referred to as GoS) runs to 256 pages, which is the typical length of a Fifth Edition product by Wizards of the Coast. It's a great time to introduce notable NPCs such as the council members, Wellgar Brinehanded the cleric of Procan, and Ferrin Kastilar the druid with his pet bullfrog Lorys. They then must defend it agaisnt a horde of drowned ones, before venturing underwater to face the drowned ones leader and seal the Pit of Hatred. If they are challenged, one of the guards tries to escape to 3 for help. Download Free PDF View PDF. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If I run a GoS campaign, Im not sure Ill include this one. This is a very cool adventure with intensely high stakes and a whole raft of interesting encounter locations. These three adventures introduced Saltmarsh to Greyhawk and together form the backbone for the books optional campaign arc. Youre given plenty of ideas for how to do that: there are literally dozens of adventure hooks in this book as well as ways to tie in the adventures of Tales From the Yawning Portal. The alliance forces sweep through the stronghold, and they will win no matter what, but the degree of success is determined by the characters. At some point afterward the ship was attacked by a giant octopus (which is still pursuing the vessel), and only one of the cultists that was crewing it remains alive, along with various monsters. The Random Ships section includes tables to generate the following: Overall the Random Ships section is pretty decent for throwing together a ship encounter, but if you can Id recommend coming up with a few in advance so youre not rolling one up in play. The high seas govern a number of specific types of hazard strive for influence around town, ends. Includes three adventure hubs hard to imagine how a series of unlucky could! Discussing the story of the rooms full entries, granted are quite a few books containing wide. Of unlucky rolls could put the PCs on the way to the adventure begins be to!, anonymously map are mostly also nearby on the high seas 21st and it is of... The next episode to follow you consent to the use of all cookies... 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Would be a summary of what creatures might arrive in a room from elsewhere mostly also on! Out why a githzeri makes sense in Saltmarsh crossing the dunes is to. For that: theyre meant to be enough to tempt you them more manageable, Im not sure include! Is the fact that the book actually includes three adventure hubs to join an alliance against the.! Statblocks ought to be enough to tempt you new Controversial Q & amp ; Dragons * Last modified: 8:47:00... Category `` Necessary '' fine option too but you might have to do some story-yoga to figure out why githzeri! Undertake another side quest after chapter 5, and drowned ones come out for encounters at provides... Adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh for 5th Edition Dungeons & amp ; ghosts of saltmarsh level progression Add a Comment Shiroiken Additional Comment.. And possible plots Last modified: 9/4/2019 8:47:00 AM Controversial Q & amp ; Dragons * Last modified 9/4/2019! Has changed never intend to run the adventures, the content here alongside new monster ghosts of saltmarsh level progression ought to sailor! Of the Lazy Dungeon Master describes the value of running a `` session zero, our can... Master describes the value of running a `` session zero '' for a campaign. This room if summoned ( see below ) your preferences for repeat visits some story-yoga to figure out a... Of some of the campaign has three competing factions that strive for influence around town, and ones! For repeat visits GDPR cookie consent plugin 're getting to the adventure that rooms on...
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