GHOSTS OF SALTMARSH

DDAL DUNGEON MASTER RESOURCE DOCUMENTATION

In the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, smugglers are procuring weapons for the lizardfolk who are
preparing for a war with sahuagin that have been encroaching on their territory.

The sahuagin are being directed by Thay to explore the islands and territories near Turmish,
identifying and eliminating threats they’re capable of removing. In this case, the sahuagin feel as
though they’re imminently qualified to remove a tribe of lizardfolk near Saltmarsh, and by extension,
Turmish proper.

***

In Danger at Dunwater, the lizard folk have invited representatives from the koalinth, the locathah, and
the merfolk to a council in Dunwater. If the adventurers discover the truth, they may bargain to join the
alliance on behalf of Saltmarsh. Likewise, as tensions mount and the koalinth break from the alliance,
this opens the way for the sea elf Oceanus, who is willing (assuming everyone is on talking terms), to
negotiate on behalf of the sea elves.

At this point in the series, Saltmarsh’s the town council goes into deliberation with representatives from
the lizardfolk, and ‘behind-the-scenes’ politics ensue. The characters play no part in these.

***

In the meantime, the adventurers are approached by Aubreck, a local entrepreneur who’d like to
essentially hire them to manage a Salvage Operation. He’d like the adventurers to recover his lost ship,
which, if the stories are true, has made an appearance on the high seas. If the characters are successful
and Aubreck’s fortune is restored, he becomes a wealthy and well-connected ally of the adventurers.

STORY AWARD-AUBRECK’S FORTUNE

Aubreck will cover the cost of a single spellcasting service, level 5 or lower. This can only be redeemed
once per player, and only while playing adventure content from Ghosts of Saltmarsh, DDAL-DRW01
Breaking Umberlee’s Resolve, DDAL-DRW02 Blood in the Water, DDAL-DRW03 Saving Silverbeard, or
DDEP-DRW01 Assault on Myth Nantar.

***

Still waiting on direction from Saltmarsh’s town council, the adventurers are approached by the local
mariner’s guild who are looking to establish a lighthouse on the Isle of the Abbey. The problem they’re
having is that it appears to be overrun by undead. They attempt to enlist the adventurers in a ‘seek and
destroy’ mission to clear the island of undead and any other potential threats, so they can do their work.
While completing this mission, it will be possible for the adventurers to find a letter on the body of a
dead pirate. It is written in Infernal and links the pirates to Szass Tam of Thay, who evidently also had
an interest in the island. To determine where the characters find the dead pirate, roll a d20 and count
that many whole squares along the path the pirates traversed through the Skull Dunes.

When the characters reach that point in the path, any character with a passive perception of 15 or
greater (or that makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check if actively searching) will notice
a mostly buried pirate clutching a scrap of parchment in its dead fist. See Player Handout – Isle of the
Abbey, attached at the end of this document.

***

Finally reaching a decision, the town council of Saltmarsh enlist the adventurers to investigate and deal
with the sahuagin threat in the Final Enemy.

If the adventurers encounter and defeat any of the wave shapers, they discover that these spellcasting
sahuagin have been tattooed on their heads with the symbol of Thay. If successfully questioned,
(requires a successful DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check OR a successful DC 20 Charisma (Deception)
check), the wave shapers will admit to an alliance with Thay.

***

In Tammeraut’s Fate, the characters are drawn into investigating a dead body that they stumble upon
by ‘crazy-random-happenstance’. In their investigation, a druid from the nearby village of Uskarn points
them toward a nearby hermitage, asking that they continue their investigation there, and fearing for the
lives of these peaceful folk.

Once the adventurers reach the Rift in Tammeraut’s Fate, in addition to Syrgaul Tammeraut and the
drowned blade they encounter a red wizard (Shaxalan) working to widen the rift and must defeat her
to prevent her from widening the Rift further. For the purpose of this combat, Shaxalan is a mage
wearing a cloak of the manta ray. Also, replace suggestion with alter self, which she uses as a backup
if her cloak is somehow removed or destroyed.

***

In The Styes, the elderly Refrum enlists the characters to investigate the Lantern Ghost murders that he
believes his friend Jarme Loveage was wrongfully executed for. The fact that another murder occurs
post-execution only reinforces this belief.

In the published version of this adventure, Refrum is a priest. When DMing this game as part of the
Dreams of the Red Wizards however, he is an archmage (spy background), and has been here for
decades, passing tidbits of information back to Thay whenever it suits him. In his “priest” personae, he
acts exactly as described in the adventure, even brandishing a holy symbol now and again.

Refrum is getting on in years and believes in his heart of hearts that he deserves to be a lich. To this
end, he will insist on following the characters around throughout the adventure and will even pour a
superior healing potion or two into them and cast false life and the like to be helpful. Jarme was in
fact a friend, so Refrum isn’t faking his personal dismay at how sloppily these murders (which really
have nothing to do with him personally) was executed.
Refrum is looking for any opportunity to prove himself to his superiors, and this comes at the end of
the adventure, when they have an opportunity to slay the kraken. Shortly after this occurs, Refrum
teleports with the kraken in tow, back to Thay. Once there, he clears a lab and turns the creature into
an undead submersible that Thay can employ in nautical warfare. This creature appears in DDEP-
DRW01 Assault on Myth Nantar.
Player Handout – Isle of the Abbey

There is a veritable legion of undead on

Abbey Isle. I have foreseen as much.
Investigate and return with intelligence
regarding their presence and numbers. If
possible, remove any living from the isle
while you’re there. I care not how you
do this thing I ask. I only care about
RESULTS!
Szass Tam

TRANSLATED TO COMMON

There is a veritable legion of undead on Abbey Isle. I have foreseen as much. Investigate and return with
intelligence regarding their presence and numbers. If possible, remove any living from the isle while
you’re there. I care not how you do this thing I ask. I only care about RESULTS!

Szass Tam