The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
| File:U1ModuleCover.jpg | |
| Code | U1 |
|---|---|
| Rules required | AD&D |
| Character levels | 1 - 3 |
| Campaign setting | Greyhawk |
| Authors | Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull |
| First published | 1981 |
| Linked modules | |
| U1 U2 U3 | |
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is a module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) roleplaying game, written by Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull published by TSR Hobbies in 1981. The module details a mysterious abandoned mansion at the edge of a town called Saltmarsh, and the secrets contained therein. This 31 page adventure is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.
Plot summary
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh can be played by 5-10 characters of level 1-3. The module includes pregenerated first level characters, to be used as player characters.[1] The scenario is the first of the "Saltmarsh" series, and details a ghostly ship and the haunted mansion of an evil alchemist.[2] The module sleeve contains the following description:
"Desolate and abandoned, the evil alchemist's mansion stands alone on the cliff, looking out towards the sea. Mysterious lights and ghostly hauntings have kept away the people of Saltmarsh, despite rumors of fabulous forgotten treasure. What is its sinister secret?"
The module is divided into two parts: 'The Haunted House' and 'Sea Ghost' which are intended to be played consecutively. The first part is set in the town of Saltmarsh and deals with unraveling the sinister secret of the haunted house that lies on the edge of town. This abandoned, dilapidated mansion of an evil alchemist has been the subject of rumors about hauntings and treasure. After the party enters the haunted house, a chain of events is set in motion.[1] The second part of the module follows on from the first, expanding on the concept.[3][4]
Publication history
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is the first installment in a series of three modules designed and developed in the United Kingdom, for beginning adventures with AD&D rules.[1] The adventure was written by David J. Browne with Don Turnbull, and published in 1981 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder.[2] The publication contains large-scale maps, full background and detailed encounter descriptions for the players and DM. The module serves as the introduction to an underwater campaign set in the town of Saltmarsh, which the DM can design from the guidelines provided.[1] The next two modules Danger at Dunwater and The Final Enemy continue on from this adventure.
Reception
Receiving 9 out of 10, the module was positively reviewed by Jim Bambra in Issue 35 of White Dwarf magazine, describing it as entertaining and interesting. Bambra criticized how the first-level characters provided with the module come equipped with magic items: "I fail to see how this can be justified, as the module is not difficult enough to warrant the bestowal of magic before play even begins. Magic items should be found by players as treasure and not come as handouts from the DM."[1] Bambra noted that the adventure's main thrust regards the players' problem solving skills in having to piece clues together, and that the encounters in the adventure should present no problems to an intelligent party. Overall, he felt that "TSR (UK) are to be congratulated on their first module, the series should prove to be interesting and entertaining."[1]
The module was also ranked the 27th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.[5]
Ken Denmead of Wired listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend".[6] According to Denmead, this was "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules. Instead of a good old dungeon crawl, players got to explore a big old spooky house, and deal with all sorts of annoying wandering monsters, as well as traps and illusions."[6]
References
- ↑ a b c d e f Bambra, Jim (November 1982). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules" (review). White Dwarf (35): pp. 14–15. Games Workshop. ISSN 0265-8712.
- ↑ a b Schick, Lawrence (1991) Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games, Prometheus Books, p. 115 ISBN: 0-87975-653-5.
- ↑ Livingstone, Ian (1982) Dicing with Dragons, An Introduction to Role-Playing Games (Revisedth ed.), Routledge ISBN: 0710094663. (preview)
- ↑ Lafayette, Lev. Review of the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. RPG.net. Skotos Tech, Inc., February 12, 2007. Retrieved on 2010-01-14.
- ↑ Mona, Erik (November 2004). "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time". Error: journal= not stated (116): pp. 68–81. Paizo Publishing.
- ↑ a b Denmead, Ken. Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend. Wired, December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved on August 12, 2009.
Reviews: Different Worlds #20 (1982) Fantasy Gamer #2 (1983)