Ghosts of Saltmarsh

(Jeff_L) #1
MARINERS' GUILD
You work with the mariners' guild, providing sailors
with rope, sails, tools. and other goods. You have a work-
shop attached to the guildhall and can draw support
from similar guilds found in ports across the world. You
have done a lot of business with Eda Oweland's family
and are on good terms with her.

DWARVEN ARTISANS
You arrived in town as part of a mercantile concern as-
sociated with the Copperlocks dwarves. Currently the
dwarves rely on your guild to provide supplies for their
work at the mine outside town. You are friends with
several of the miners, have access to their work site, and
are on good terms with the clan's leader, Manistrad.

HERMIT
The wilds around Saltmarsh might seem like the ideal
place to find peace and quiet, though the monsters that
lurk in the region can make isolation a dangerous prac-
tice. If your character has this background, the table be-
low gives you some options for the nature of the secret
that prompted you to return to civilization.

d4 Secret
1 You stumbled across a clandestine meeting outside
town. A wealthy· looking fellow named Skerrin met
with someone and discussed bringing slaves to
Saltmarsh. You suspect trouble is afoot and came to
town to investigate.
2 The anguished ghost of an elf haunts your dreams,
insisting that you tear down the standing stones just
outside Saltmarsh. The elf claims that dark magic is
behind the bountiful fishing in the region.
3 You have been plagued by visions of a massive wave,
carrying a swarm of toothy sharks, crashing over the
land and tearing apart everything in its path. Maybe
someone in town can help.
4 The land around town is too dangerous to remain out
in it alone. The lizardfolk of the swamps were once
your friends, but they disappeared not too long ago.
You came to Saltmarsh out of necessity.

MA RINE
You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky
shores. You have launched midnight raids from swift
ships whose names evoke terror in the hearts of your ad-
versaries. The water is your second home, the rain your
shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water, land)
Equipment: A dagger that belonged to a fallen comrade,
a folded Rag emblazoned with the symbol of your
ship or company, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt
pouch containing 10 gp

FEATURE: STEADY
You can move twice the normal amount of time (up to
16 hours) each day before being subject to the effect of
a forced march (see "Travel Pace" in chapter 8 of the


Player's Handbook). Additionally, you can automatically
find a safe route to land a boat on shore, provided such a
route exists.

HA RDSHIP ENDURED
Hardship in your past has forged you into an unstoppa-
ble living weapon. This hardship is essential to you and
is at the heart of a personal philosophy or ethos that
often guides your actions. You can roll on the following
table to determine this hardship or choose one that best
fits your character.

d6 Hardship

2

3

Nearly Drowned. You hid underwater to avoid detec·
tion by enemies and held your breath for an extremely
long time. Just before you would have died, you had a
revelation about your existence.
Captured. You spent months enduring thirst, starva-
tion, and torture at the hands of your enemy, but you
never broke.
Sacrifice. You enabled the escape of your fellow sol-
diers, but at great cost to yourself. Some of your past
comrades may think you're dead.
4 Juggernaut. No reasonable explanation can explain
how you survived a particular battle. Every arrow and
bolt missed you. You slew scores of enemies sin-
gle-handedly and led your comrades to victory.
5 Stowaway. For days, you hid in the bilge of an enemy
ship, surviving on brackish water and foolhardy rats.
At the right moment, you crept up to the deck and
took over the ship on your own.
6 Leave None Behind. You carried an injured marine for
miles to avoid capture and death.

SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS

Marines are looked up to by other soldiers and re-
spected by their superiors. They are veteran warriors
who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines
who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but
their combat experience also makes them excellent
adventurers. Though they a re self-reliant. marines tend
to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the
companionship of like-minded individuals.

MARINE PERSONALITY TRAITS
d8 Personality Trait
l I speak rarely but mean every word I say.
2 I laugh loudly and see the humor in stressful situa-
tions.
3 4 5 6 7 8
I prefer to solve problems without violence, but I fin·
ish fights decisively.
I enjoy being out in nature; poor weather never sours
my mood.
I am dependable.
I am always working on some project or other.
I become cantankerous and quiet in the rain.
When the sea is within my sight, my mood is jovial
and optimistic.

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