The sleepy fishing town of Saltmarsh sits on the coast where the sea meets the marshes, and secrets fester beneath both. Smugglers work the shoreline, sahuagin raiders lurk offshore, and the haunted house on the cliff hides more than ghosts. Your party navigates the treacherous politics of a town caught between tradition and change while confronting threats that rise from the deep. Nautical adventure meets small-town intrigue in this coastal campaign.
Story Arcs
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
A haunted house on the cliff above town is not what it seems. The party discovers a smuggling operation and the first hints of a larger threat lurking beneath the waves.
Danger at Dunwater
The smugglers were supplying weapons to lizardfolk — but the lizardfolk are not the enemy. A far greater threat drives them to arm: the sahuagin are preparing for war.
The Final Enemy
The sahuagin fortress must be scouted and ultimately assaulted. The party leads a coalition of surface and underwater allies against the sea devils before they overrun the coast.
Session Outlines
These outlines are for planning reference only. Actual sessions are not created by the template.
Welcome to Saltmarsh
Introduction to the fishing town of Saltmarsh. The party meets key NPCs, learns about the town's factions (traditionalists vs. progressives), and hears about the haunted house on the cliff. The town council hires them to investigate the house, which has been abandoned for years after its alchemist owner supposedly went mad.
The Haunted House
The party explores the supposedly haunted house. The "hauntings" turn out to be elaborate tricks designed to scare away visitors. Below the house, a network of caves connects to the sea. The party discovers a smuggling operation using the house as a front, complete with hidden cargo and a ship anchored in a sea cave.
The Sea Ghost
The party boards the smugglers' ship, the Sea Ghost, in a nighttime raid. Ship combat, boarding actions, and interrogation of the crew reveal the smugglers have been selling weapons to lizardfolk in the nearby marshes. Among the cargo: military-grade weapons far beyond what smugglers normally trade.
Town Politics
The party reports to the town council, which is divided. Traditionalists want to ignore the lizardfolk; progressives want to deal with the threat. The council debates while the party investigates further, discovering that some council members may have been profiting from the smuggling operation.
Journey to the Lizardfolk
The council sends the party to the lizardfolk lair to assess the threat. The journey through coastal marshes is treacherous. At the lair, the party discovers the lizardfolk are not preparing for war against Saltmarsh — they are arming themselves against the sahuagin, who are building a fortress offshore.
Alliance of Necessity
The party negotiates an alliance between Saltmarsh and the lizardfolk against the common sahuagin threat. Both sides are suspicious. A joint feast and exchange of gifts helps build trust. The lizardfolk chief shares intelligence about the sahuagin fortress's location and strength.
Salvage Operation
To equip the alliance, the party undertakes a salvage mission to a shipwreck. The wreck lies in dangerous waters inhabited by sea creatures. Inside, they find valuable cargo and a map showing the full extent of the sahuagin operation — it is far larger than anyone feared.
The Isle of the Abbey
A ruined abbey on a coastal island has been taken over by a sinister cult that has been aiding the sahuagin. The party assaults the abbey, fights the cultists, and discovers correspondence detailing the sahuagin's war plans and timeline. The attack is coming sooner than expected.
War Council
With all intelligence gathered, the alliance holds a war council. The party, Saltmarsh militia, lizardfolk warriors, and other allies plan the assault on the sahuagin fortress. The party is tasked with the most dangerous mission: an advance reconnaissance to map the fortress interior.
Scouting the Fortress
The party infiltrates the sahuagin fortress underwater using water-breathing magic. They must map the fortress, assess the garrison, identify the baron, and escape without being detected. Stealth is paramount — if discovered, the entire assault plan is compromised.
Preparing the Assault
Based on the reconnaissance, the alliance finalizes the battle plan. The party trains troops, prepares equipment, and deals with last-minute complications — a traitor in Saltmarsh, a sahuagin raiding party, and faltering nerve among the allies.
The Assault Begins
The allied force attacks the sahuagin fortress from multiple directions. The party leads the main assault team into the fortress interior while lizardfolk and Saltmarsh forces engage the outer defenses. Underwater combat, corridor fighting, and enemy reinforcements keep the pressure constant.
The Baron's Throne Room
The party fights to the sahuagin baron's throne room. The baron is a powerful warrior supported by priestesses and elite guards. The battle is the campaign's climactic fight — victory breaks the sahuagin army, defeat means the coast is lost.
Heroes of Saltmarsh
With the sahuagin defeated, the party returns to Saltmarsh as heroes. The alliance between the town and the lizardfolk holds, changing the political dynamics of the region. A celebration in the party's honor closes the campaign — but the sea always holds more secrets.
NPCs
Eliander Fireborn
Human · Captain of the Guard
A retired naval officer who serves as Saltmarsh's guard captain. Disciplined, honorable, and pragmatic. He supports the progressive faction and sees the sahuagin threat as real. Provides military advice and access to the town's modest armory.
Gellan Primewater
Human · Merchant and Council Member
A wealthy merchant who leads the traditionalist faction. Charming and politically savvy, he publicly opposes change but secretly profits from the smuggling operation. His arrest or exposure is a major political event in Saltmarsh.
Eda Oweland
Human · Town Elder and Fisher
An elderly fisherwoman and council member who has lived in Saltmarsh her entire life. She knows the waters, the tides, and the old stories better than anyone. Her wisdom and honesty make her a trusted advisor. She fears the sea is changing — and she is right.
Oceanus
Sea Elf · Scout and Liaison
A sea elf warrior who serves as the liaison between the underwater communities and the surface alliance. He was captured by the smugglers and freed by the party. His knowledge of underwater terrain and sahuagin tactics is invaluable for the fortress assault.
Chief Othokent
Lizardfolk · Lizardfolk Tribal Chief
The pragmatic leader of the local lizardfolk tribe. He approaches the alliance with cold logic — the sahuagin threaten his people, and surface-dwellers can help. He does not understand human social niceties but respects strength and competence. His warriors are fierce and disciplined.
Baron Kepmak
Sahuagin · Sahuagin War Leader
The campaign's primary antagonist — a massive sahuagin baron who commands the fortress and plans the coastal invasion. He is cunning, patient, and has been preparing for years. He wields a magical trident and is attended by shark guardians.
Anders Solmor
Human · Young Noble
The youngest council member, idealistic and progressive. He hired the party originally and becomes their strongest political ally. His youth and inexperience sometimes lead to missteps, but his heart is in the right place. He stands to inherit significant influence if Saltmarsh modernizes.
Locations
Saltmarsh
A modest fishing town where the smell of salt and fish pervades everything. Wooden buildings cluster around a harbor where fishing boats rock at anchor. The town is divided between traditionalists who want to keep things as they are and progressives who see opportunity in change. Everyone knows everyone, and secrets are hard to keep.
The Haunted House
A decaying mansion on the cliff above Saltmarsh, supposedly haunted by the ghost of its mad alchemist owner. In reality, smugglers use it as a base, creating fake hauntings to keep the curious away. Sea caves beneath connect to a hidden dock.
The Lizardfolk Lair
A complex of mud-and-reed structures built in the coastal marshes. The lizardfolk live a warrior culture focused on survival and strength. Their lair is well-defended with natural barriers and traps. A central hall serves for councils and feasts.
The Sahuagin Fortress
A massive underwater stronghold built from coral and stone on the sea floor. Multiple levels house hundreds of sahuagin warriors, sharks, and their baron. The fortress is designed for underwater combat, with vertical shafts, water-filled corridors, and open chambers. Air pockets exist for imprisoned surface-dwellers.
The Shipwreck of the Emperor
A once-grand sailing vessel now resting on the ocean floor, its hull breached and its decks colonized by sea life. Valuable cargo remains in the hold, but octopi, sharks, and a territorial sea creature have made the wreck their home.
The Isle of the Abbey
A small island a few miles offshore topped by a ruined monastery. The abbey's cellars and catacombs have been taken over by a cult that serves as intermediaries between the sahuagin and their surface agents. The island is surrounded by treacherous rocks.
Quests
Investigate the Haunted House
The town council hires the party to investigate the supposedly haunted house on the cliff. Discover the truth behind the ghost stories and deal with whatever is really going on inside.
Expose the Smuggling Ring
The smuggling operation has connections to powerful people in Saltmarsh. Gather evidence and present it to the council — but be careful who you trust, as some council members are involved.
Forge the Alliance
Convince Saltmarsh's suspicious populace and the cold-blooded lizardfolk to work together against the sahuagin. Both sides have legitimate concerns that must be addressed through diplomacy and action.
Scout the Sahuagin Fortress
The alliance needs detailed intelligence on the sahuagin fortress before attacking. Infiltrate the underwater stronghold, map its interior, and escape undetected. The entire assault depends on this reconnaissance.
Defeat Baron Kepmak
Lead the allied assault on the sahuagin fortress and defeat their baron. The sea devil leader must fall for the invasion to end and the coast to be safe.
Encounters
Smuggler Confrontation
The party discovers the smuggling operation beneath the haunted house. The smugglers fight desperately to protect their secret, using the cave terrain to their advantage.
Boarding the Sea Ghost
A nighttime raid on the smugglers' ship. The crew fights back while trying to cut anchor and escape. Shipboard combat with rigging, masts, and the rolling sea as hazards.
Marsh Creatures
The journey through the coastal marshes to reach the lizardfolk is interrupted by territorial creatures. The boggy terrain makes movement difficult and provides cover for ambush predators.
Abbey Cult
The cult occupying the island abbey fights with fanatical devotion. Their leaders channel dark magic from their sahuagin patrons.
Sahuagin Baron's Guard
The baron's elite guard and their shark companions defend the throne room. Underwater combat with three-dimensional movement and limited visibility.
Factions
The Traditionalists
True Neutral
Led by Gellan Primewater, the traditionalists want Saltmarsh to remain a quiet fishing village. They oppose outside influence, distrust the lizardfolk, and some secretly profit from the status quo — including the smuggling trade.
The Progressives
Neutral Good
Led by Anders Solmor with support from Captain Fireborn, the progressives want Saltmarsh to grow and engage with the wider world. They support the alliance with the lizardfolk and take the sahuagin threat seriously.
The Lizardfolk Tribe
True Neutral
Chief Othokent's tribe of lizardfolk warriors. They are pragmatic allies — the alliance exists because the sahuagin threaten both species. Their culture is alien to humans but their warriors are invaluable in the fight ahead.
The Sahuagin Host
Lawful Evil
Baron Kepmak's army of sea devils. Disciplined, numerous, and building toward a full-scale coastal invasion. Their fortress is a staging ground for war, and their scouts have already mapped Saltmarsh's defenses.
Recommended Characters
Pre-built characters designed for this campaign setting. Create them separately from the character templates page.
Thalassa Tidecaller
Elf · Druid · Level 4
A sea elf druid who guards the coastal waters near Saltmarsh, mediating between the land-dwellers and the creatures of the deep. Thalassa walks between two worlds, respected in neither, essential to both.
Captain Roderick Ashford
Human · Fighter · Level 4
A retired naval officer turned adventurer who knows every current, reef, and pirate haven along the Azure Coast. Roderick brings military discipline and tactical brilliance to the defense of Saltmarsh against threats from both land and sea.
Use This Template
Create a new campaign pre-populated with all the arcs, NPCs, locations, quests, encounters, and factions from this template.