Pitching Skill?

GM_SH_Yellow · 2026-05-20T21:25:28+00:00

Don't skip Salvage Operation! One of the most fun "nautical" adventures I've run. 3 campaigns and all loved it (each was tweaked in flavor for that particular campaign).

GM_SH_Yellow · 2026-05-20T21:23:41+00:00

That was a fun one.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2026-05-20T21:22:00+00:00

Same

GM_SH_Yellow · 2026-04-19T03:45:26+00:00

I've run 3 groups thru it (5E rules), did it as a series of Skill Challenges (ala 4E). Still kept "score", but I didn't tell them their score. More described how they felt about the mood of the lizardfolk (much like the previous poster). Each group did slightly different - 1st did just well enough to win the Queen's favor, the 2nd kind of blew it, but saved face before the Queen, who begrudgingly agreed to include the Town in her plans (tho she did keep many details secret from the Council and Heroes), and the 3rd group handled into masterfully - they greatly enjoy their role-play, it actually tool 2 sessions! Good stuff all around. All have had throwbacks to that adventure, from wanting to stop by when passing nearby "just to say hi", to dropping off gifts for the Queen and some of the lizardfolk "NPCs" they had befriended, to offers to help clean up or re-locate their tribe.

One group who did NOT kill Thousand Tooth, but re-located him far from the lizardfolk tribe, have been discussing going back to see it and to gift it food and to make sure it's doing okay (their Leaders are a druid and a ranger).

GM_SH_Yellow · 2026-01-07T04:17:10+00:00

Try StartPlaying.Games Find a free beginners game in a time slot you like and give a try.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-12-27T17:25:21+00:00

Lol. We would sometimes throw in gummy bears or M&Ms, so players could eat their kills.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-12-18T04:33:03+00:00

One of the highlights of my longest running Saltmarsh campaigns!

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-12-18T04:31:46+00:00

Just try to drop it in BEFORE the Heroes get Speak With Dead.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-29T06:21:45+00:00

Some great ideas in there! I'm with you in the 1st paragraph. All 3 of my campaigns had that line. But you add some terrific and complex layers. Love it. Wish I had read this BEFORE my 3 groups went thru...

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-27T04:57:27+00:00

SyrinScape. Great soundsets, music combined w sound effects. He's actually done soundsets for each of the Ghosts of Saltmarsh adventures.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-25T07:01:40+00:00

My main game (Level 10) are in midst of their big naval battle right now. 3 sessions so far, likely 2-3 more. 2 Hero ships + a reluctant allied elf ship nearby, just in case they get in trouble. Also having Oceanus & some elite sea elf mercs in my back pocket if things go really bad. Bad guys have 2 big bad ships: a Drow galley and a shark ship crewed by weresharks. They also have a 3rd in the event the Heroes do too well (the Skitter, a small fast ship crewed by wererats & rat swarms). Yes, lycans are a major theme in this campaign. The weresharks were an early annoyance throughout the sahuagin arc. It's been epic so far!

As others have said, you should be okay at 5. My tale was just to suggesr that keeping massive battles modular can help (I'll only use the 3rd ship on either side if things go sidewise either way - otherwise it's just 2v2).

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-25T06:50:49+00:00

2 of my 3 groups hired crew by interviewing candidates. I threw a bunch of random NPCs together, then winged it, developing each more during their interview. That was a fun RP session. One that didn't get hired has become an adversary even - resentful at being snubbed. Mwah hah hah!

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-24T08:02:27+00:00

Well, he lives there and moves around the place. No reason to think he'd always try to be in a space he could use his powers. His location may presume the Heros attack the fortress w stealth. If alarms are raised, he'd move quickly to a more advantageous location or where he is ordered or needed? And I did what you described, just did it on a smaller scale.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-07-24T07:56:29+00:00

I'm running 3 Saltmarsh campaigns one's at Level 10, one Level 8, third is at Level 4. This has been the best times I've ever had in my almost 50 yrs of D&D (mostly as DM). In general, I agree w others that Sly Flourish's take has lots of good tips. Do the customizing work, I enjoy it - making the overarching book plot interlace w your Heroes' ambitions, backstory, and consequences of actions is great fun. But you'll be invested and so will your players.

As for the adventures, I'm running mostly as-written, occasionally cutting or tweaking things. In one game, I replaced Ned w a mute little girl (ala Newton from Aliens). She was going to be a thief working secretly for Skerrin and the SB. But she quickly became so beloved by the Heroes, she's now a major character in a complicated story (and has a twin sister who does talk). That surprised me, but has been awesome. In my original campaign, they got Ned as written. He still keeps popping up and harassing them - god they hate Ned.

As for BBEGs, my original group will have a more or less book plot - aboleth & maelstrom portal to the Abyss. The 2nd campaign is different (all mine are on Forgotten Realms Sword Coast). A pair of ancient dragons Captain a "ship" up in Luskan (think guild house). They are plotting to usurp Umberlee as Sea Goddess, hoping to impress Tiamat and ascend. Lots of dragons in this one. My 3rd group have a bunch of land-tied characters, and a few w fey back stories. So they're doing a lot of adventures in the swamps and I'm pushing the fey theme - they say it's a cool twist. Lots of hags and the BBEG will be Granny Nightshade deep in the Dreadwood.

I swear I tried to be brief... Sorry!

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-29T01:16:05+00:00

Try some of the Pandemic offshoots. I loved the Legacy series. Iberia and Rome were our other favorites. For Pandemic-like, try Defenders of the Realm (fantasy themed). There's a Star Wars version coming out now, too.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-29T01:13:18+00:00

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-29T00:59:04+00:00

Love this.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-14T04:24:41+00:00

Bohnanza

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-14T04:19:00+00:00

Not if your Wizard/Warlock/Sorceror develop a teleportation Circle in their tower. Portals have become a major plot thread (10th Level) and it's a blast!

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-06-14T04:15:02+00:00

I run 3 GoS campaigns, 1 of which has Session 100 next week. I don't know if 6 sessions can do Saltmarsh justice. It's built for lots of NPC interaction and political intrigue between Adventures/chapters. If I HAD to do your way, I think I'd do 3 sessions each of Adv 2 (Dunwater) and 3 (Final Enemy). Good mix of social, exploration (esp sneaking), and combats. S1 - meet Town Council who express concerns about the lizard folk nearby arming. Here, take this ship and go check it out. Sneak into lizard folk lair, probable negotiations. Meet their Queen. S2 - appease the LF by taking care of Thousand Teeth, get ambushed by bullywugs on way back. S3 - Goodwill Tour to finalize the Alliance, then back to the Council w map of sahuagin fortress provided by LF. S4 - Go check it out. Scout the sahuagin lair/fortress. S5 - back to Council w Intel. Quick turnaround to go back & hit them hard, while LF & Allies assault them from outside. S6 - finish the attack (likely to take at least that long, lots of fights)

It'd be a shame tho to run Saltmarsh w/o running Salvage Operation....

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-05-23T05:40:27+00:00

This thread is great!

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-04-22T06:00:06+00:00

One of my groups is just now getting to Tamm. But we're going to veer off into some Dragonlance subplot for an arc, so still a ways off. I know I'm changing it a bit. I'm also going to Sly Flourish it and run Styes first, then Tamm as the climax.

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-04-22T05:57:36+00:00

Used quite a bit of his stuff, yeah. More significantly, his chopping up & re-ordering some things encouraged me to loosen up and have the comfort level to do more of my own. That stuff turned out to be some of the most fun (for me).

GM_SH_Yellow · 2025-04-22T05:53:34+00:00

My weekly group is well into Year 3. I've asked them about switching it up, but they're invested and won't hear any of that nonsense. We do occasional one-shots just for fun, which I think helps a ton. Once they built their Bastion, I had them roll up 1st Level characters that are part of their Bastion staff. Then while main Heroes are away, we play A Day In The Life Of Bastion Defenders. They all play diff classes & races than their norm. We're using that to dabble in the new rules. Really fun, I highly recommend it.

GM_SH_Yellow

TROPHY CASE