Saltmarsh is a name to conjure by. Chat with the graybeards at your local Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy® as they muse over the D&D campaigns of yore, and you’re likely to hear tales of the “U” adventure modules: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, Danger at Dunwater, and The Final Enemy. They were given the letter code “U” standing for “underwater” as each has a strong, nautical theme. They also were lots of fun for DMs and players both, as things were often not quite what they appeared to be on first glance. Clever players were rewarded for scratching a bit deeper into what was actually happening around the quiet fishing village of Saltmarsh, and DMs had a lot of fun slowly revealing the many layers of these adventures.
The U-series adventures are returning, spruced up and translated for 5th edition D&D in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. They’re joined by four nautical adventures from DUNGEON magazine: Salvage Operation, Isle of the Abbey, Tammeraut’s Fate, and The Styes. That last one, by Richard Pett, is remembered with special fondness by many gamers. The adventure takes place in a seedy, run-down port city where politics is an especially dangerous game to play.
All of the adventures are organized very much like those found in Tales of the Yawning Portal, making it easy to drop each individually into an existing campaign. You can also string them together into an epic seafaring campaign that takes the PCs from 1st level to 12th.
The appendices include additional rules for nautical adventures, with stats for vessels ranging from small rowboats to warships bristling with ballista. We also get new monsters and new magic items suitable for adventures on and under the waves.
If you’re looking to relive the glory days exposing the vile plots that threatened Saltmarsh or want to uncover its sinister secret for the first time, you’ll want this book. DMs eager to run nautical adventures will also want a copy. You can pre-order Ghosts of Saltmarsh today. Be sure to specify if you want the alternative cover available only in stores.
