Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Ghosts of Saltmarsh is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure book that compiles and updates seven classic nautical adventures. The book contains rules for ship combat, ocean travel, and sea-based encounters in the 5th Edition D&D system. The coastal town of Saltmarsh serves as the central hub for these adventures, providing a base of operations for players and their characters. The setting draws from traditional fishing village elements while incorporating smugglers, pirates, and supernatural threats that lurk beneath the waves. Each adventure stands alone but can be linked together to form a complete campaign from levels 1-12. The book includes maps, new magic items, and monster statistics tailored for maritime campaigns. The collection explores themes of community versus outsiders, tradition against progress, and the tension between civilization and untamed wilderness - both on land and sea. These adventures tap into primal fears of what lies beneath dark waters while celebrating the courage of those who venture forth despite those dangers.

Readers highlight the book's utility as both a setting guide and adventure collection, with many appreciating the coastal town details and nautical rules. The seven adventures offer flexibility to run as standalone quests or a connected campaign. Liked: - Detailed maps and ship combat mechanics - Background content for building coastal campaigns - Flexibility to adapt adventures to other settings Disliked: - Adventures require significant DM work to connect into a cohesive campaign - Ship combat rules seen as overly complex by some - Limited new player options compared to other D&D books - Some adventures feel dated or need modernizing Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (300+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (2,000+ ratings) Common reader feedback notes it functions better as a toolkit than a ready-to-run campaign. One reviewer stated "Great resource book, mediocre adventure collection." Several praised the town details but mentioned needing to heavily modify the older adventures for current play styles.

Tales from the Yawning Portal by Christopher Perkins. A collection of seven classic dungeons features coastal locations and seafaring elements that connect multiple adventures in a similar modular style.

Storm King's Thunder by Christopher Perkins. This maritime-infused adventure spans the Sword Coast with ship travel, coastal settlements, and encounters with giants that affect port towns and sea trade.

Tomb of Annihilation by Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle. The Port Nyanzaru starting location provides a coastal hub for exploration while incorporating nautical themes and ocean-based travel segments.

Frostmaiden's Tome of Coastal Adventures by M.T. Black and Eventyr Games. The supplement combines seafaring mechanics with coastal town adventures in a format that mirrors Ghosts of Saltmarsh's modular structure.

Return to Glory by Greg A. Vaughan. This nautical adventure path includes coastal settlements, ship combat rules, and seaside locations that align with the maritime focus of Saltmarsh.

🌊 While the book features seven nautical adventures, each was originally published separately between 1979-1983 and has been modernized for D&D 5th Edition rules. ⚓ The town of Saltmarsh was inspired by smuggling ports in Cornwall, England, particularly during the 18th century when smuggling was at its peak. 🏴‍☠️ Wolfgang Baur, one of the authors, has won multiple ENnie Awards for his work in tabletop gaming and previously served as editor for Dragon Magazine. 🗺️ The book includes detailed ship-to-ship combat rules and provides stats for various vessels, from small fishing boats to massive warships. 🌊 Saltmarsh's environment was carefully designed to incorporate three major threats: the sea, the swamp, and the ancient sahuagin empire, creating a unique coastal setting rarely explored in D&D adventures.