Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Some of these adventures are pretty fun. Don't expect them to feel like a continuous campaign, though, unless your DM does a lot of work--it's more like a Star Trek thing-of-the-week, connected by a nautical setting.

A small shanty town with turmoil bubbling just beneath the surface. Ghosts of both grave and hidden pasts are brought to light in this small town drama! First campaign I ever ran, and players have loved it every time! Some adventures may need updating (the campaign is effectively several oneshots that are near the coast and smashed together, all from different eras of DnD) and one quest can be solved by just talking to one person/not being a murder hobo. That being said, lots of ability to make the town your own, several ways to mold the town to whatever vibe or adventure your players are going for: a great and amazing campaign to run if you want to put some effort into tinkering a few things.

Pirates, sea monsters, haunted ships, political intrigue, or treasure. Carve your own parth. This collection of adventures is a must for seafaring campaign lovers. Each story stands alone but creatures a broader narrative of the seaside town of Saltmarsh. A great "setting" campaign for creative GMs and players.

Ghosts of Saltmarsh is a nautical-themed anthology adventure for Dungeons & Dragons 5E, featuring seven classic modules updated for modern play, along with a fully detailed coastal setting and rules for ship-based combat and exploration. Unlike other campaign books, this one is modular, allowing DMs to run the adventures as standalone one-shots, string them together into a loose campaign, or drop them into an existing setting. If your group loves swashbuckling action, political intrigue, deep-sea horrors, and maritime exploration, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is one of the best adventure collections in 5E. The Adventures: Each adventure takes place in or around Saltmarsh, a coastal town teetering on the edge of prosperity and corruption, caught between smugglers, pirates, and sea monsters. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (Levels 1-3) – A mystery-filled haunted house crawl that kicks off the campaign with smugglers, deception, and eerie atmosphere. Danger at Dunwater (Levels 3-4) – A tense diplomatic mission that challenges players to use diplomacy, rather than combat, to solve a growing threat. The Final Enemy (Levels 5-7) – A high-stakes infiltration mission into a sahuagin fortress, packed with underwater combat and tactical planning. Salvage Operation (Levels 4-6) – A shipwreck adventure filled with horrifying monsters and dangerous salvage. A great one-shot for horror fans. Isle of the Abbey (Levels 5-7) – A mysterious island dungeon crawl, featuring cultists, dangerous undead, and a hidden fortress. Tammeraut’s Fate (Levels 6-8) – A siege adventure, where players must defend an island monastery against a terrifying undead assault. The Styes (Levels 11-12) – A grimdark murder mystery set in a decaying, Lovecraftian harbor town filled with corruption and eldritch horror. The Good: ✅ A Perfect Nautical-Themed Sandbox – Ghosts of Saltmarsh excels at mixing oceanic horror, high seas adventure, and political intrigue into a cohesive setting. Whether you want pirates, sahuagin invasions, or deep-sea nightmares, this book delivers. ✅ Strong Balance of Roleplay, Combat, and Exploration – Unlike dungeon-heavy campaigns, Ghosts of Saltmarsh features plenty of social intrigue, tactical planning, and problem-solving encounters. Players must negotiate peace, infiltrate enemy strongholds, and survive hostile seas. ✅ Some of the Best Horror & Atmosphere in 5E – Many of these adventures lean into horror elements, making them perfect for groups who enjoy haunted houses, ghost ships, and deep-sea horrors. ✅ Expanded Ship Rules – This book includes robust mechanics for ships, naval combat, and crew management, making it one of the best resources for seafaring campaigns in 5E. ✅ Fantastic for Homebrew & Customization – The adventures are modular, meaning DMs can run them in any order, drop them into their own world, or build their own Saltmarsh-centered campaign. ✅ The Styes is One of the Best Horror Adventures in 5E – The final adventure, The Styes, is a phenomenal mix of mystery, horror, and urban intrigue, easily standing alongside Curse of Strahd and Call of Cthulhu-style storytelling. The Not-So-Good: ❌ No Strong Central Narrative – Unlike adventure paths like Curse of Strahd or Tomb of Annihilation, Ghosts of Saltmarsh lacks a central villain or overarching plotline. DMs will need to connect the adventures themselves if they want a more cohesive story. ❌ Naval Combat Can Be Clunky – While the ship rules add depth, they can slow down gameplay if not streamlined. Some players may find naval battles frustrating, especially those who prefer traditional combat. ❌ Some Adventures Feel Dated – Since many of these adventures are updated from older editions, some dungeon layouts and encounter designs feel a little old-school, meaning DMs may need to tweak pacing or logic. ❌ Not a Good Fit for Landlocked Campaigns – This book leans heavily into its nautical theme. If your group isn’t interested in seafaring adventures, Ghosts of Saltmarsh will feel disjointed or out of place. ❌ Requires a Strong DM to Connect the Stories – While the individual adventures are great, Ghosts of Saltmarsh doesn’t hold your hand in creating a larger campaign arc. DMs need to weave factions, NPCs, and overarching conflicts together to make it feel like a complete campaign. Final Verdict: Ghosts of Saltmarsh is an incredible resource for seafaring campaigns, packed with atmospheric horror, political intrigue, and fantastic naval mechanics. The modular adventure design makes it perfect for DMs looking to run an open-ended, player-driven campaign. However, it lacks an overarching storyline, meaning DMs need to put in extra effort to connect the adventures into a larger narrative. If your group loves pirates, ghost ships, and oceanic horror, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is one of the best campaign books available. But if you’re looking for a more structured, linear adventure, you may need to do some extra work.

The classic adventure path of The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (1981), Danger at Dunwater (1982), and The Final Enemy (1983) has been expanded with additional adventures from Second Edition and Third Edition, including Isle of the Abby (1992) and The Styes (2005). The book also includes a preface and offers a few suggestions on how to use the additional adventures to develop a larger plot. The back of the book features a large appendix for sea based adventures including rules for ships and random island encounters. One of the best things about this collection of adventures is the optional elements that you can pick and choose from to create a different plot each time you play. Having run and played the original series many times back in the 80s, I’m enjoying running it again now with the expanded content. I really liked the adventures Isle of the Abby and the Styes. Isle of the Abby presents the players with some unusual challenges and The Styes adds a Lovecraftian theme to the original series of adventures. I’m looking forward to running this several more times in the future.

I've used this setting, including the maps, organizations, and locations in its various destinations extensively in my nautical campaigns. My players loved it!