Javascript required
Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Home / Game 27 U1 Secret of the Saltmarsh Review

Game 27 U1 Secret of the Saltmarsh Review

The Sinister Clandestine of Saltmarsh
U1ModuleCover.jpg

The comprehend of The Sinister Clandestine of Saltmarsh, with art by Dave De Leuw. The artwork depicts the cliffside mansion of an evil alchemist.
Lawmaking U1
TSR product code 9062
Rules required AD&D
Character levels i - 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 (Advert&D) roleplaying game, written past Dave J. Browne with Don Turnbull. The module details a mysterious abandoned mansion at the edge of a boondocks called Saltmarsh, and the secrets independent therein. The adventure is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The Sinister Underground of Saltmarsh received positive reviews from critics.

Plot summary [edit]

The Sinister Hush-hush of Saltmarsh tin exist played by five to x characters of 1st–3rd levels. The module includes optional pre-generated first level characters for apply by the players.[ane] The scenario is the first of the Underwater (U) series of modules ready in Saltmarsh, 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 Business firm and Sea Ghost, which are intended to be played consecutively. The starting time part is set in the town of Saltmarsh and deals with unraveling the secret of the haunted house that lies on the edge of town. The abandoned, battered mansion of an evil alchemist has been the subject area of rumors about hauntings and treasure. The second part of the module follows on from the first, expanding on the concept.[3] [4]

Publication history [edit]

The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh is the offset installment in a series of three modules designed and developed in the United Kingdom, for beginning adventures with Advertising&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.[ii] The publication contains large-scale maps, a full background story, and detailed encounter descriptions for the players and Dungeon Master (DM). The module serves as the introduction to an underwater campaign ready in the town of Saltmarsh, which the DM tin design from the guidelines provided.[1] The next two modules, Danger at Dunwater and The Terminal Enemy, go along on from this adventure.

Reception [edit]

The module was positively reviewed in Upshot No. 35 of White Dwarf mag past Jim Bambra, who scored information technology 9 out of 10 and described information technology 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 tin can be justified, equally the module is non difficult enough to warrant the bestowal of magic earlier play even begins. Magic items should be constitute by players as treasure and not come up every bit handouts from the DM."[1] Bambra noted that the chance's master thrust engages the players' problem solving skills, forcing them to piece clues together, and that the encounters in the adventure should present no bug to an intelligent party. Overall, he felt that "TSR (UK) are to exist congratulated on their first module, the series should prove to exist interesting and entertaining."[1]

The module was ranked the 27th greatest Dungeons & Dragons chance of all time by Dungeon mag in 2004.[5] Freelance gaming author James Maliszewski calls it "one of the best depression-level modules e'er written for Dungeons & Dragons" and "a superb example of adventure pattern". He listed the positive elements of the module equally "the very matter-of-fact manner it portrays a fantasy world" and the new spin information technology gives to "the standard low-level D&D tropes".[6]

Ken Denmead of Wired listed the module as one of the "Top 10 D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend".[7] According to Denmead, this was "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules. Instead of a good sometime dungeon crawl, players got to explore a big former chilling house, and deal with all sorts of annoying wandering monsters, as well as traps and illusions."[7]

In video games [edit]

Dungeons & Dragons Online released an adaptation of the Sinister Hugger-mugger of Saltmarsh risk in 2021.[8] The adventures are based on the lore of the original module only also its 5th edition variant, Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Bambra, Jim (November 1982). "Open Box: Dungeon Modules". White Dwarf (review). No. 35. Games Workshop. pp. 14–xv. ISSN 0265-8712.
  2. ^ a b Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 115. ISBN0-87975-653-v.
  3. ^ Livingstone, Ian (1982). Dicing with Dragons, An Introduction to Role-Playing Games (Revised ed.). Routledge. ISBN0-7100-9466-3. (preview)
  4. ^ Lafayette, Lev (Feb 12, 2007). "Review of the Sinister Hugger-mugger of Saltmarsh". RPG.net. Skotos Tech, Inc. Retrieved 2010-01-fourteen .
  5. ^ Mona, Erik; Jacobs, James; Dungeon Pattern Panel (November 2004). "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time". Dungeon. Paizo Publishing (116): 68–81.
  6. ^ Maliszewski, James (Feb 11, 2009). "Retrospective: The Sinister Hugger-mugger of Saltmarsh". Retrieved 2011-06-23 .
  7. ^ a b Denmead, Ken (Dec 18, 2007). "Top ten D&D Modules I Found in Storage This Weekend". Wired. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  8. ^ Winter, Jason (August 4, 2021). "Explore A Spooky Town And Face New Foes In DDO's Sinister Cloak-and-dagger Of Saltmarsh Expansion". MMOBomb.com . Retrieved August 5, 2021.
Reviews
  • Different Worlds No. 20 (1982)
  • Fantasy Gamer No. two (1983)

External links [edit]

  • Review at RPGnet

bartonanclund.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sinister_Secret_of_Saltmarsh