Session III: The Sinister Secrets of Saltmarsh - Part II - The Sea Ghost Report

General Summary

• Meeting with the Council - A few days after their triumphant return from the destruction of the smugglers’ ring at the haunted house, the characters are hastily summoned to an emergency meeting of the Saltmarsh Town Council.
• Verified the land-based operation of the smuggling ring has been quashed
• Still a seagoing vessel by which the contraband was originally conveyed, and this is still at large
• The council, fearful that any surviving smugglers could seek to reestablish their operation from some other base, asks the characters to apprehend this vessel and put an end, once and for all, to the smuggling. The Council offers the party 400Gp
• The council arranges for members of the town guard to patrol the potential rendezvous points each night for the next two weeks in case the smugglers return earlier than expected.
• As soon as an approaching vessel is spotted, the council expects the characters to perform the actual task of boarding. The council puts a small fishing boat at their disposal and provides them with any reasonable amount of nonmagical equipment that they feel they require.
• The boat is large enough to accommodate the entire party plus two. The council also provides the services of two members of the guard to sail the boat for them when needed.
• From <https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/gos/the-sinister-secret-of-saltmarsh#TheSmugglersShip>
• The journey to the ship takes 30 minutes (20 minutes with more than two rowing)
• The characters approach using the signal system and provided the correct signal
• The party attempts Climbing Aboard
• Party goes room to room at this point
• Party has a final battle on board the Sea Ghost
• The party has defeated the Ship’s captain, the first mate, the bosun, and the deck wizard
• The remainder of the crew surrender

○ Perception checks that rely on hearing are made with disadvantage on the ship because of the sound of the waves and sea. ○ The hull of the ship provides many handholds for climbing but is also very slippery. § Climbing the hull without a rope or other device requires a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failed check, the climber falls into the water. § Falling off the ship from the top requires an athletics check DC10 to dive or take 1D6 Falling damage for each 10 feet. You end up 10ft underwater. § Falling while climbing the side slips directly in the drink and takes no damage. You end up 10ft underwater. § Swimming: Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain). You ignore this extra cost if you have a swimming speed and use it to swim. □ Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check. □ Heavier armor interferes with the wearer's ability to move quickly, stealthily, and freely. If the Armor table shows "Disadvantage" in the Stealth column, then the armor used in swimming is at disadvantage. □ Creatures of Large size are at disadvantage. § Drowning (Suffocating Rules): □ A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). □ When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). □ At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again. ® After that, you begin making your death saving throws as per the standard rules. ® However, if you become stable there is a problem. If you are still under water you can’t remain stable. So you must start making death saving throws again. § Sinking: Creatures that are not swimming or become unconscious begin to sink at a rate of 10 feet per round. 15 ft per round if wearing heavier armor.

Rewards Granted

• Chest containing ten electrum ingots worth 100 ep each.
• Document - a request from the lizardfolk for more weapons. You should exercise caution here in not making the document too explicit — the lizardfolk would not want the document to fall into the wrong hands and have concealed as much of the real meaning of the request as possible — for instance, using words like “goods” instead of “weapons.”
• 2 Potions of Healing - These were consumed in combat aboard the ship
• A dose of antitoxin
• A key that unlocks the chains holding Oceanus in area 14.
• Seven maps of various sea and coastal localities, prepared by professional cartographers.
• Another map, crudely drawn. This map indicates that the rendezvous point with the lizardfolk is at a small promontory beside a river in the tidal marshes, ten miles southwest of the town of Saltmarsh.
• Book - titled Grog Hovels, which describes taverns and inns along the coastline suitable for patronage by a pirate
• The Sea Ghost is a ship worth 10,000 GP plus its Cargo. It's capture provides 200XP to each player.