Image by Grzegorz Rutkowski
High Seas & Hidden Cults | Ghosts of Saltmarsh + | Lvl 1-12
Go from ragtag mercenaries to local heroes. Unravel crime rings, fend off living and undead deep-sea threats, and confront abyssal cults.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
3 players following this game
Weekly / Thursday - 10:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Welcome to Saltmarsh, a modest fishing village standing squarely in the path of a brewing, unseen threat. Beneath the surface, crime rings operate in the caves, undead haunt the fog-choked sea, and a ruthless menace is gathering strength in the depths. Bound by limited resources, the town must turn to you and a few others to keep it afloat. Are you ready to step up and make a name for yourself? Your journey will be defined by high-stakes, combat-heavy action broken up with solving mysteries. Between battles you’ll get a setting-grounded approach to roleplay to keep the story moving and your characters anchored in the world. You'll get all this combined with above table high-spirits and humor. We use milestone leveling tied directly to major story beats to ensure smooth progression as you advance. Both beginners and experienced players are welcome. If you're looking for a long-term, action-packed campaign to laugh your way through, claim your seat and let's set sail.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Roleplay Lite
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(8)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Inclusive, Visual Aid
Average response time: 24+ hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I'm a bit of a legacy TTRPG-er with 30+ years of experience as both a player and a GM. My dad played old school D&D and Traveller back in the 70s during his college days, and started my siblings and me out with Hero Quest pretty much as soon as we could read. He taught me that the characters can have an epic story while the players crack jokes and laugh their way through the adventure, and that continues to be the kind of game I try to create for my players. While I got my start with the ol’ standbys such as D&D 3e and GURPS, these days my husband and I collect and explore a wide variety of systems, and have even created and run a system of our own devising. But I will admit that most recently I spend most of my TTRPG time running and playing D&D 5e. Whatever the system, I run games supported with the structure of RAW gameplay to keep everyone on the same page and push players to be creative within the bounds of the worlds they find themselves in. I always root for my players but don’t pull my punches, because I want those wins to mean something.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We'll be using 5e 2014 rules for character creation (no homebrew or third-party character options) with the choice of Standard Array or Point Buy for Ability Scores. Characters will begin at level 1 with standard starting equipment. You can start your sheet early, but we will finalize everything together during Session 0. You will be given a D&D Beyond campaign link to use for character sheets and a Discord server invite link where there will be more details, including clarifications on which options are appropriate to the setting of Greyhawk. My library of character options will be available for free via Content Sharing. I’m happy to help guide beginners through this process.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
All required digital tools are free. ◊ Discord account: For in-session voice chat. A functional microphone is required (push-to-talk is fine for background noise). This is a voice-only game; no webcams needed. ◊ D&D Beyond account: For character building and tracking. ◊ AboveVTT: Chrome/Firefox browser extension accessed directly through our D&D Beyond campaign page.
What Shannon brings to the table
◊ Discord Server: A dedicated server to chat with your party and players from my other campaigns. ◊ Audio Diversity: Light, distinct NPC voices and (individually mutable) atmospheric music streamed directly into our Discord voice channel to set the tone. ◊ Structured Gameplay: A firm commitment to Rules-As-Written (RAW) 5e mechanics, outside of the specific homebrew adjustments listed below. ◊ Session Recordings: Available upon request for personal review (only if the entire table consents).
Homebrew rules
◊ Bonus Action Potions Drinking a potion is a Bonus Action. Administering one to another character is an Action. ◊ Surprise Surprised creatures do not skip their turn. Instead, they roll Initiative with a -5 penalty and cannot take Reactions until their first turn completes. ◊ First Strike A character triggering combat (e.g., attacking from stealth) resolves that single action before Initiative is rolled. ◊ Player Summons All player summons will take their turn directly after the summoning player’s turn rather than having their own initiative. ◊ Working Together You must be proficient in a skill/tool in order to provide Advantage to another character.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Shannon creates a safe table
You will be given a Lines & Veils checklist to fill out that will be added to an anonymized combined document that we will go over in Session 0 along with introductions, party building, and setting campaign expectations. Using the X, N, and O card system, you can signal boundaries by saying the letter, typing it in the AboveVTT chatlog, or sending me a private Discord DM. This is also an Open Door game so stepping away is always an option. We will have a 10-minute break half way through the session. Sessions end with a debriefing to wind down and discuss what worked well.
Content warnings
Safety tools used