Talk:Ghosts of Saltmarsh
In what year is Ghosts of Saltmarsh set?
There appears to be some ambiguity as to which year of the Common Year calendar Ghosts of Saltmarsh is set. No explicit date is given, and there are some inconsistencies with earlier works.
References to King Kimbertos Skotti (p.7) date it to no earlier than 564 CY. There are no earlier rulers of Keoland by that name. It is described that Keoland struck peace treaties with its former foes to the north, which would be consistent with the Treaty of Niole Dra in 583 CY (LGG p.66). Keoland then "dealt a sharp check to the ambitions of the Sea Princes", consistent with the capture of Westkeep in early 590 CY (LGG p.102).
The map of Saltmarsh is most likely based on an equivalent map in Dungeon Master's Guide II (2005), which depicts the town in a much more advanced state of development. The only plausible explanation is that DMGII occurs chronologically later than GoS, perhaps after King Skotti's campaign to develop the town. Traditionally, books released from 2001-2007 have been interpreted as taking place in 591-597 CY respectively, which would put DMGII in 595 CY.
DMGII, p.131, also describes a lizardfolk embassy established following the events of Danger of Dunwater. This also suggests that DMGII takes place chronologically later. Again, if we take DMGII as 595 CY, this suggests Ghosts of Saltmarsh has to take place circa 591 CY during King Skotti's attempts to develop the town into the more fortified, more demographically mixed port town depicted in DMGII.
A possible inconsistency arises in the town council, whose members were not named in the original adventure modules. GoS describes Eda Oweland is described as the senior member of the town council, while in DMGII it is Timertikos, who has held the position for nearly thirty years (and still holds it in Funeral Procession, Dungeon #135 (Jun 2006). Taking "nearly thirty years" to mean 27-29, and assuming a date of 595 CY for DMGII, he must have held his position since around 566-568 CY.
The date of "twenty years ago" for the abandonment of the haunted house (GoS p.37) also concurs with U1 The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (1981), where it has also been abandoned for twenty years. This could be interpreted that Ghosts of Saltmarsh takes place at the exact same point as the AD&D modules, though this is harder to reconcile with the history on GoS page 7.