The docks have recently undergone a series of expan-
sions intended to lure larger merchant vessels into the
port. Two primary piers are used to load and unload
large ships, while a series of smaller ones accommodate
humbler vessels.
This part of Saltmarsh is almost constantly busy;
it's rare to see the large piers unoccupied. Guarded
warehouses are a common sight in this district, and it
is considered suspicious behavior to walk near those
places at night.
The docks are a hotbed of rumors and gossip. The
sailors and laborers who frequent this area are bored,
eager for news, and inclined to share what they have
heard. A character who spends a few hours asking for
news can learn the current scuttlebutt. The "Dock Ru-
mors" table below can be an inspiration for the sort of
whispers characters might hear.
DOCK RUMORS
dlO Rumor
The crown dispatched a caravan with enough gold to
commission six new warships. It went missing near
the Hool Marshes.
2 Drow traders posing as surface elves have been doing
business in town.
3 Someone's sabotaging fishing boats. It's those
dwarves- they want to take over!
4 The king's agents have infiltrated town. It's only a
matter of time before they remove the council and
replace them with foppish nobles.
5 That tiefling who's looking to buy crocodile skulls
can' t be up to anything good.
6 A couple of fishing boats have gone missing. If the
sea devils aren't behind it, I'm a merman.
7 A big critter's been going through everyone's trash
at night. Something from the swamp, I'd reckon-
maybe a troll.
8 Sometimes on a moonless night, you can meet the
ghost of a drowned sailor trying to get home. Lead
one to their home, and you'll get a wish. Fail, and
they'll strangle you.
9 If you see someone at the docks wearing a red cloak
after dark, slip them a copper piece and they'll con-
nect you with smugglers from beyond this world who
can sell you anything you've dreamed of.
10 It's only a matter ohime before the dwarves dig too
deep and unleash something horrible.Moon OF THE TowN
Saltmarsh is a place of constant e nergy. Pew of the com-
mon folk are so affluent that they can afford to sit idle. At
sunrise, the docks bustle with fishers pre paring to ven-
ture out for the day. When they return, they s pend time
unloading their catch, mending nets, and repairing their
vessels. The me rchants move their ships into the docks
once the fishing fleet is out for the day, and dock workers
rush to load a nd unload goods before the boats return.
The daily e ne rgy and bustle carries over into rowdy
nights. The fis he rs chug ale and swap stories, each seek-
ing to outdo the other with their tales of the sea. Fights
erupt as rival c rews c ross paths, and the town guard
keeps a high profile in hopes of maintaining the peace.
The quantity and quality of the catch in recent days
goes a long way toward de termining the town's mood
and general atmosphere. A bountiful catch for a few
days in a row puts all the fishers in a celebratory mood,
while a poor harvest that lasts more than a couple of
days leads to frayed tempers a nd brawling.
Use the following table to determine the mood around
the village, rolling once every few days or choosing as
you see fit.S ALTMARSH Mooo
d20 Result
1-6 Poor Catch. The townsfolk are frustrated and prone
to bickering; everyone is in a bad mood.
7-12 Bountiful Catch. Music and merriment echo
through town as everyone celebrates.
13-20 Typical Catch. Overall, the fishers are content with
their recent results. Here and there, crews boast of
good pickings or bemoan their poor haul.LOCATIONS I N SALTMARSH
Here is a summary of the notable places in Saltma rs h,
as depicted on map 1.1.- CrTY GATE
Saltmarsh was built on the ruins of a much older set-
tlement , sometimes called Old Saltmarsh or the Old
Harbor. One s ign of this is that the town has a small
stretch of wall and a single town gate secured by two
or three guards. The wall is old, crumbling, and badly
worn by centuries of rain and wind coming in from the
Azure Sea.
T he garrison at the gate consists of older guards,
those nearing re tirement and unwilling or unable to
walk patrols. T heir eyes a re sharp, and they are prone
to gossip. A pull from a flas k of whiskey or a few s ilve r
pieces can pers uade them to provide information on re-
cent visitors. - BARRACKS AND JAIL
Built on a low hill, the Saltmarsh barracks are also its
jail. It is one of the few structures in Saltmars h with an
underground level. The jaile r, Kraddok Stonehorn (LG
male human gladiator), is an old comrade ofEliander.
He is a stickler for the rules, and Eliander trusts him
with his life.
T he jail in the cellar cons ists of two sections. A single
large chamber holds drunks, brawling fishers, and other
troublemakers who need to cool off for a few nights. The
lock is high quality (requiring a successful DC 20 Dex-
terity check with thieves' tools to pick), and the door is
built of stout wood with a small window to allow guards
to c heck in on their charges.
A side passage holds s ix individual cells with high-
er-quality locks (each requiring a successful DC 25
Dexterity check with thieves· tools to pick) a nd solid
doors that lack windows. One cell was long ago warded
against both teleportation and divination magic. Spell-
( flAl'"fER l I ~\11 M \llSll