"Sinister Secrets of Saltmarsh" was my first AD&D Adventure and so was excited when D&D 5e expanded the source material to include more details about Saltmarsh itself. Unfortunately while the locations described were interesting and made it a more tempting "base of operations" for an adventuring party, I found the map and layout 'uninspiring' and, well 'dull'. Plus I found that it was missing a lot of essential locations for the adventurers and to make the place a real location. In my mind "Saltmarsh" should be something like "Laketown" from "The Hobbit".
This is my redesigned 'Saltmarsh', keeping all the locations from the updated source material, but now a community built on stilts in the bay. Parts of it are well organised for the wealthy while other areas are more of a shambles. I tried to create a place where growth is done by adding on extensions and walk ways.
The main central area and principal boardwalks are foreground using a wooden floor texture. The connecting and side boardwalks are wooden scaffolding and benches from the battlemaps catalogue. Also in order for the buildings to be easier to see against the wooden background and boardwalks, I reduced the saturation of the background/walkways to 40% to create a more 'bleached" look.
Players map can be found here:
https://inkarnate.com/m/EX2jRd-saltmarsh-village-v5-players/
Places of Interest in Saltmarsh (From "Ghosts of Saltmarsh")
- 1. City Gate
- 2. Barracks and Jail
- 3. The Wicker Goat (Inn)
- 4. Elianders House
- 5. Mining Company Headquarters
- 6. Keledek Tower
- 7. Faithful Quatermaster of Iuz
- 8. Empty Net (Inn & Thieves Guild)
- 9. Green Market
- 10. Sharkfin Bridge
- 11. Kester’s Leather Goods
- 12. Hoolwatch Tower
- 13. The Snapping Line (Inn)
- 14. Council Hall
- 15. Weekly Market. Central cistern fed from pumped water via aqueduct. Fresh water comes from Kingfisher river above the weir. (Cistern replaces the central well)
- 16. Primewater Mansion
- 17. The Dwarven Anvil
- 18. Fishmongers Plants (and fishing docks)
- 19. Oweland House
- 20. Solmor House
- 21. Mariners Guildhall
- 22. Ingo the drover’s House
- 23. Carpenters Guildhall
- 24. Crabbers Cove
- 25. The Leap
- 26. Temple of Procan
- 27. Saltwater Cemetery
- 28. Winston’s Store
- 29. Sea Grove of Obad-Hai
- 30. Standing Stones
Additional Places of Interest in Saltmarsh (My additions)
- 31. Adventurers Guild
- 32. Stables / Lifestock stockade. Will keep horses and wagons for a moderate price
- 33. Alchemist
- 34. Herbalist / Healer
- 35. Illicit Open air fighting pit / Arena / Gambling area. Tolerated at an outlet for the lower classes. A trap door can be opened for "Champion of the ring" tournaments where combatants can be thrown out into the sea below. Many have drowned this way!
- 36. “Old Man’s Rest” Illicit Inn for the slums. Not welcoming to adventurers, but may be where Pirates and Bandits will recruit anyone truly desperate
- 37. Bathhouse. A- Upper class facilities, B- Public workers facilities
- 38. Large Temple (Pantheon #1 DM’s pick – principal pantheon of region)
- 39. Small Temple (Pantheon #2 DM’s pick)
- 40. Sea Captains Lodge
- 41. Customs Tower
- 42. Warehouses
- 43. Gallows and stocks – except for those convicted of piracy!
- 44. Fish Drying racks. Area stinks (which makes the surrounded areas undesirable)
- 45. “The Bilge” A cobbled together area of (barely) floating Shacks for the destitute & various pieces of abandoned flotsam. Very unhealthy – especially from the nearby fish drying racks & the state/smell of the occupants who call this home.
- 46. Shrine to the Mad God “THARIZDUN ” (From Chp #8 adventure “Ghosts of Saltmarsh”. Madness Domain). Actively recruiting from the destitute and abandoned in Saltmarsh.While not actively connected to the adventure in Chapter 8 - “The Styes”, it is a point of intrigue and potential hook.
- 47. Run down part of Saltmarsh
- 48. Kingfisher River Weir. Water Wheel that pumps water into stone aqueduct that channels fresh water into Saltmarsh
- 49. Farm
- 50. Blasted oak “Pirates last Dance” – Pirates Hanging Tree (where convicted are left to rot)
- 51. Vacant house that can be rented by adventure party and used as base of operations
- 52. Dwarven Mine
- 53. Dragons Teeth Rocks
Haunted House
From the small peninsula at the east end of the bay, dangerous rocks make entering the bay from Saltmarsh by boat hazardous. The original module maps did not make sense, ie. the smugglers cove was positioned beneath the front of the house, so in theory any (sensible) party would have been able to see the entrance to their cave when approaching the house (thanks TSR). To remedy this, I placed the cove in the narrow straight between the house island and mainland (thus making it more difficult to spot from the open sea, but also more perilous) and some trees atop the cliffs (think Pacific NW coastline). The Darker Green is to indicate higher elevation.
- 1. Path down to Saltmarsh
- 2. Freshwater well & Overgrown Garden
- 3. Rickety Bridge crossing over to house
- 4. Sandy cove beneath house
- 5. Cliffs running from the east Peninsula, round the bay. Overlook onto the sandy beach. No easy way from the clifftops down to the beach.
- 6. Smugglers campfire (or remains off)
- 7. The 'Sea Ghost' Anchored
