Wizards of the Coast is promoting Ghosts of Saltmarsh as an adventure book with a setting and rule supplements so since I already did a spoiler-free review of the book overall, let's take a closer look at the adventures it contains. While I avoid significant spoilers, be aware that broad information about each adventure is mentioned.
Saltmarsh itself is a fishing village in the Kingdom of Keoland in the Greyhawk setting, but each adventure includes a box with suggestions as to where and how to place it in Eberron, Forgotten Realms or Mystara. That, combined with setting information for Saltmarsh itself, would also make it easy for DMs to place it in their own homebrew setting at an appropriate coastal location, effectively making these adventures setting agnostic.
Other Ghosts of Saltmarsh content here at EN World include Beth's first impressions review, NewbieDM's look inside the book, and Morrus' summary of the original adventures found within.
Unlike Tales of the Yawning Portal, which also revived old adventures for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, the seven adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh are not as well known. Tales features classic modules like Against the Giants and Tomb of Horrors. Ghosts of Saltmarsh features adventures from Dungeon magazine and the TSR UK staff, all connected through their nautical themes.
The seven adventures can be played through for characters 1st through 11th levels, not exactly as a single campaign, though advice is provided for how to do that. Most simply, Saltmarsh can be both the location for many of the adventures and the players' base for the rest even though Saltmarsh was only the location for three of the original adventures.
The first adventure, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, was created by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull of TSR UK and it kicks off not only the modules within Ghosts of Saltmarsh, but it's the first of the three proper Saltmarsh stories. Designed for 1st level characters, it starts with a haunted house mystery that leads into a second part with the players investigating and capturing the Sea Ghost, a smuggler's ship. The latter introduces lizardfolk captives who have been buying weapons. That ties directly into the next adventure in the Saltmarsh trilogy proper.
Danger at Dunwater, also by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull, which is for 3rd level characters, picks up that lizardfolk plot thread, though Dunwater can be run without playing Sinister Secret first. Either way, the players are sent to learn more about why the lizardfolk are stockpiling weapons, with most people assuming they're going to be used on Saltmarsh. It's more complicated than that, of course. Dunwater forces the characters to act as ambassadors, and the scenario is very roleplay oriented, which was unusual at the time of publication. Investigation, diplomacy and cleverness are the means for success in Dunwater, not killing creatures. It also introduces a larger threat that can help tie together the remaining adventures.
Salvage Operation, by Mike Mearls for 4th level characters, originally appeared in Dungeon magazine. As the name indicates, it's an exploration adventure involving an evil druid that ends with a race against time as the ship, whose contents they're trying to retrieve, is attacked by a giant creature. Salvage Operation is the easiest of all the adventures to place in another setting. It's also the shortest of the adventures and very straightforward.
Isle of the Abbey, by Randy Maxwell for Dungeon magazine, involves clearing an island of undead and various other dangers. Survivors they encounter could provide some interesting role-playing opportunities and skulduggery. It's designed for 5th level characters.
The Final Enemy, by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull, completes the larger story told in the first two adventures. New writers added “an epic final battle” to complete this adventure. The original portion (it's easy to tell one from the other) actually says “combat not required” because it's focused on the players infiltrating and investigating an enemy stronghold. Players who like to be “loud” could easily die in this adventure that's more focused on stealth and cleverness. Adding the big battle to the end makes sense, though. Personally though, I'd lay seeds for the threat to eventually rise again.
Tammeraut's Fate, by Greg Vaughan for Dungeon, starts as an investigation with horror themes and otherworldly threats. It's a good challenge for 9th level characters and would be a perfect October adventure.
The Styes is an adventure for 11th level characters and features an unusual set piece – a decaying ship held aloft by a crane in a downtrodden port town. Richard Pett's adventure for Dungeon magazine has a Lovecraftian feel and involves the cult of Tharizdun, the evil god who has caused much trouble in Greyhawk and, as the Elder Elemental Eye in Princes of the Apocalypse, in the larger multiverse.
I really like Ghosts of Saltmarsh even though I have a few quibbles. The biggest one is the lack of portrait art to go with the NPCs. Maybe I've gotten spoiled by that in the last few books, but it seems like an obvious and odd oversight.
Danger at Dunwater is my favorite of the adventures because its not about hacking and slaying. It's ideal for groups who prefer roleplaying and DMs who want to give their players a change of pace – or encouragement to think before they attack.
While I haven't had Ghosts of Saltmarsh in my hands long enough to actually play test it (I miss the days when gaming only had to fit around a school schedule and, if necessary, a class or two could be skipped), I already have ideas for how adapt its adventures to my Waterdeep-based campaign once we finish Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. It should be fairly simply for other DMs to do the same with their own settings, homebrew or otherwise.
Ghosts of Saltmarsh will be of primary interest to DMs, but that's always the case for adventure books. A player could buy it for the nautical rules and ship layouts, but they will be the exception. In my opinion, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is worth the purchase price for either the adventures or the nautical rules if only one of the two appeals to you. If both do, you'll be happy with your purchase.
This article was contributed by Beth Rimmels (brimmels) as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you enjoy the daily news and articles from EN World, please consider contributing to our Patreon!
Saltmarsh itself is a fishing village in the Kingdom of Keoland in the Greyhawk setting, but each adventure includes a box with suggestions as to where and how to place it in Eberron, Forgotten Realms or Mystara. That, combined with setting information for Saltmarsh itself, would also make it easy for DMs to place it in their own homebrew setting at an appropriate coastal location, effectively making these adventures setting agnostic.
Other Ghosts of Saltmarsh content here at EN World include Beth's first impressions review, NewbieDM's look inside the book, and Morrus' summary of the original adventures found within.
Unlike Tales of the Yawning Portal, which also revived old adventures for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, the seven adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh are not as well known. Tales features classic modules like Against the Giants and Tomb of Horrors. Ghosts of Saltmarsh features adventures from Dungeon magazine and the TSR UK staff, all connected through their nautical themes.
The seven adventures can be played through for characters 1st through 11th levels, not exactly as a single campaign, though advice is provided for how to do that. Most simply, Saltmarsh can be both the location for many of the adventures and the players' base for the rest even though Saltmarsh was only the location for three of the original adventures.
The first adventure, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, was created by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull of TSR UK and it kicks off not only the modules within Ghosts of Saltmarsh, but it's the first of the three proper Saltmarsh stories. Designed for 1st level characters, it starts with a haunted house mystery that leads into a second part with the players investigating and capturing the Sea Ghost, a smuggler's ship. The latter introduces lizardfolk captives who have been buying weapons. That ties directly into the next adventure in the Saltmarsh trilogy proper.
Danger at Dunwater, also by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull, which is for 3rd level characters, picks up that lizardfolk plot thread, though Dunwater can be run without playing Sinister Secret first. Either way, the players are sent to learn more about why the lizardfolk are stockpiling weapons, with most people assuming they're going to be used on Saltmarsh. It's more complicated than that, of course. Dunwater forces the characters to act as ambassadors, and the scenario is very roleplay oriented, which was unusual at the time of publication. Investigation, diplomacy and cleverness are the means for success in Dunwater, not killing creatures. It also introduces a larger threat that can help tie together the remaining adventures.
Salvage Operation, by Mike Mearls for 4th level characters, originally appeared in Dungeon magazine. As the name indicates, it's an exploration adventure involving an evil druid that ends with a race against time as the ship, whose contents they're trying to retrieve, is attacked by a giant creature. Salvage Operation is the easiest of all the adventures to place in another setting. It's also the shortest of the adventures and very straightforward.
Isle of the Abbey, by Randy Maxwell for Dungeon magazine, involves clearing an island of undead and various other dangers. Survivors they encounter could provide some interesting role-playing opportunities and skulduggery. It's designed for 5th level characters.
The Final Enemy, by Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull, completes the larger story told in the first two adventures. New writers added “an epic final battle” to complete this adventure. The original portion (it's easy to tell one from the other) actually says “combat not required” because it's focused on the players infiltrating and investigating an enemy stronghold. Players who like to be “loud” could easily die in this adventure that's more focused on stealth and cleverness. Adding the big battle to the end makes sense, though. Personally though, I'd lay seeds for the threat to eventually rise again.
Tammeraut's Fate, by Greg Vaughan for Dungeon, starts as an investigation with horror themes and otherworldly threats. It's a good challenge for 9th level characters and would be a perfect October adventure.
The Styes is an adventure for 11th level characters and features an unusual set piece – a decaying ship held aloft by a crane in a downtrodden port town. Richard Pett's adventure for Dungeon magazine has a Lovecraftian feel and involves the cult of Tharizdun, the evil god who has caused much trouble in Greyhawk and, as the Elder Elemental Eye in Princes of the Apocalypse, in the larger multiverse.
I really like Ghosts of Saltmarsh even though I have a few quibbles. The biggest one is the lack of portrait art to go with the NPCs. Maybe I've gotten spoiled by that in the last few books, but it seems like an obvious and odd oversight.
Danger at Dunwater is my favorite of the adventures because its not about hacking and slaying. It's ideal for groups who prefer roleplaying and DMs who want to give their players a change of pace – or encouragement to think before they attack.
While I haven't had Ghosts of Saltmarsh in my hands long enough to actually play test it (I miss the days when gaming only had to fit around a school schedule and, if necessary, a class or two could be skipped), I already have ideas for how adapt its adventures to my Waterdeep-based campaign once we finish Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. It should be fairly simply for other DMs to do the same with their own settings, homebrew or otherwise.
Ghosts of Saltmarsh will be of primary interest to DMs, but that's always the case for adventure books. A player could buy it for the nautical rules and ship layouts, but they will be the exception. In my opinion, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is worth the purchase price for either the adventures or the nautical rules if only one of the two appeals to you. If both do, you'll be happy with your purchase.
This article was contributed by Beth Rimmels (brimmels) as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you enjoy the daily news and articles from EN World, please consider contributing to our Patreon!
