Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
Encyclopedia
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is a module
for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) roleplaying game, written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull. The module details a mysterious abandoned mansion at the edge of a town called Saltmarsh, and the secrets contained therein. The adventure is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh received positive reviews from critics.
. The module sleeve contains the following description:
The module is divided into two parts, The Haunted House and Sea Ghost, which are intended to be played consecutively. The first part is set in the town of Saltmarsh and deals with unraveling the secret of the haunted house that lies on the edge of town. The abandoned, dilapidated mansion of an evil alchemist has been the subject of rumors about hauntings and treasure. The second part of the module follows on from the first, expanding on the concept.
(DM). The module serves as the introduction to an underwater campaign set in the town of Saltmarsh, which the DM can design from the guidelines provided. The next two modules, Danger at Dunwater
and The Final Enemy
, continue on from this adventure.
magazine by Jim Bambra, who scored it 9 out of 10 and described it as entertaining and interesting. Bambra criticized how the first-level characters provided with the module come equipped with magic items
: "I fail to see how this can be justified, as the module is not difficult enough to warrant the bestowal of magic before play even begins. Magic items should be found by players as treasure and not come as handouts from the DM." Bambra noted that the adventure's main thrust engages the players' problem solving skills, forcing them to piece clues together, and that the encounters in the adventure should present no problems to an intelligent party. Overall, he felt that "TSR (UK) are to be congratulated on their first module, the series should prove to be interesting and entertaining."
The module was ranked the 27th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
magazine in 2004. Freelance gaming author James Maliszewski calls it "one of the best low-level modules ever written for Dungeons & Dragons" and "a superb example of adventure design". He listed the positive elements of the module as "the very matter-of-fact way it portrays a fantasy world" and the new spin it gives to "the standard low-level D&D tropes".
Ken Denmead of Wired
listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". According to Denmead, this was "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules. Instead of a good old dungeon crawl, players got to explore a big old spooky house, and deal with all sorts of annoying wandering monsters, as well as traps and illusions."
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) roleplaying game, written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull. The module details a mysterious abandoned mansion at the edge of a town called Saltmarsh, and the secrets contained therein. The adventure is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh received positive reviews from critics.
Plot summary
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh can be played by five to ten characters of 1st–3rd levels. The module includes optional pre-generated first level characters for use by the players. The scenario is the first of the Underwater (U) series of modules set in Saltmarsh, and details a ghostly ship and the haunted mansion of an evil alchemistAlchemist
An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist may also refer to:-People and groups:*The Alchemist , a hip hop music producer and rapper*Alchemist , an Australian progressive metal band...
. The module sleeve contains the following description:
The module is divided into two parts, The Haunted House and Sea Ghost, which are intended to be played consecutively. The first part is set in the town of Saltmarsh and deals with unraveling the secret of the haunted house that lies on the edge of town. The abandoned, dilapidated mansion of an evil alchemist has been the subject of rumors about hauntings and treasure. The second part of the module follows on from the first, expanding on the concept.
Publication history
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is the first installment in a series of three modules designed and developed in the United Kingdom, for beginning adventures with AD&D rules. The adventure was written by David J. Browne with Don Turnbull, and published in 1981 as a thirty-two page booklet with an outer folder. The publication contains large-scale maps, a full background story, and detailed encounter descriptions for the players and Dungeon MasterDungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
(DM). The module serves as the introduction to an underwater campaign set in the town of Saltmarsh, which the DM can design from the guidelines provided. The next two modules, Danger at Dunwater
Danger at Dunwater
Danger at Dunwater is an adventure module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull The module was first published by TSR, Inc...
and The Final Enemy
The Final Enemy
The Final Enemy is an adventure module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game written by Dave Browne with Don Turnbull set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.-Plot summary:...
, continue on from this adventure.
Reception
The module was positively reviewed in Issue No. 35 of White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
magazine by Jim Bambra, who scored it 9 out of 10 and described it as entertaining and interesting. Bambra criticized how the first-level characters provided with the module come equipped with magic items
Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...
: "I fail to see how this can be justified, as the module is not difficult enough to warrant the bestowal of magic before play even begins. Magic items should be found by players as treasure and not come as handouts from the DM." Bambra noted that the adventure's main thrust engages the players' problem solving skills, forcing them to piece clues together, and that the encounters in the adventure should present no problems to an intelligent party. Overall, he felt that "TSR (UK) are to be congratulated on their first module, the series should prove to be interesting and entertaining."
The module was ranked the 27th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon
Dungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
magazine in 2004. Freelance gaming author James Maliszewski calls it "one of the best low-level modules ever written for Dungeons & Dragons" and "a superb example of adventure design". He listed the positive elements of the module as "the very matter-of-fact way it portrays a fantasy world" and the new spin it gives to "the standard low-level D&D tropes".
Ken Denmead of Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". According to Denmead, this was "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules. Instead of a good old dungeon crawl, players got to explore a big old spooky house, and deal with all sorts of annoying wandering monsters, as well as traps and illusions."