I am gonna run the first adventure from the Ghost of Saltmarsh book with my three players, and I have some question regarding the second part of the adventure, The Sea Ghost.
First, the signal system says that if the signal is not returned every 10 min for an hour the Sea Ghost will leave and that this information is not obtained through the notes about the signal system. And getting to the Sea Ghost takes almost an hour in itself. Without this knowledge the Sea Ghost will just leave and the players will just be forced to wait until the next night to try again, and every time they don't figure this out they will have to wait another night, and another night, which seems very frustrating for everyone involved. Also, are they meant to return the signal from the house every 10 minutes or take the lantern with them and do the signal while on the boat towards the Sea Ghost? Since it specifies that the smugglers on the Sea Ghost are still doing the signal when the characters arrive (unless they have made the crew suspicious) I gather that they have to arrive within that one initial hour and that the signal is being returned from the house while the characters are going to the Sea Ghost. Am I understanding this right or am I missing something? And if not, does it not seem overly complicated and time consuming?
Second question is about a piece of text just after that on page 52. Regarding the players bluffing their way on board:
"If the story is reasonably convincing, allow the characters to make a DC 14 Charisma (Deception) check. If the check is successful, they are believed up to the point when the first three characters get aboard by means of a rope ladder lowered for them. Once the characters' approach is detected, the entire crew attempts to repel the characters with the utmost vigor while getting their vessel under way."
I don't understand what they mean here, so if the players successfully bluff the crew, the crew believes them until the first three characters (in my case the entire party) have boarded. Why are they not believed after that? And "once the characters approach is detected" what does that mean? The crew has talked to them and then lowered a rope ladder for the party and three characters has climbed aboard, they are since long detected so I don't understand the meaning of this whole paragraph.
Sorry for the long questions, I hope someone can clarify for me what is meant here. And if this really doesn't make sense, how would you other DMs out there deal with this?
You don't have the first part quite right. There are three signals: 1) Ship-to-shore - "Is it safe?"; 2) Shore-to-ship - "Everything safe"; 3) Ship-to-shore - "Ready to unload, come to the ship."
In the second to last paragraph of the signaling system it says "It has been arranged...for the FIRST signal to be repeated every ten minutes...
So what it looks like is at midnight (or whenever), the ship saying "Is it safe?" At 12:10, the ship saying "Is it safe?' At 12:20 the ship saying "Is it safe?"
If they don't get an answer by 1:00, they'll take off, but let's say at 12:25, the players send back "everything safe," then the ship says "come on out" and then they wait as long as it takes for the boat to get there. No more signals needed.
As for the second part, the smugglers are expecting Manny, Moe, and Jack (or whoever) to climb the rope ladder. The first person to come up is a dragonborn Paladin in half-plate, the second is a half-orc barbarian with a great axe and the third is a wizard. None of these dudes are here to schlep crates. Whatever story they told to get on the ship is no longer believable.
That's my take on it, anyway. Ultimately, I think the adventure wants you to circle around the ship and approach from the port side. Letting you bluff ANYONE up onto the starboard side is their generous way of letting a party establish a beachhead before the fight starts.
I also have a question regarding the ship part of the adventure.
So far, the party has tried bluffed their way on the main deck and had to fight the smugglers/pirates. To roleplay the lizardfolks, I have made it that they sometimes open the door (due to all the ruckus), take a look outside and close the door to their cabin again.
As per the book: "The lizardfolk in area 7 do not help defend the ship unless they are directly threatened by the actions of the characters." - my interpretation is that they will not fight unless they are attacked.
On the other hand, the book also mentions that "The lizardfolk were provided by the chieftain of their clan to help ensure that the smuggled weapons in area 15 make it to their lair." - in other words, if the adventurers stop the smuggling operations, the lizardfolks' role of making sure the weapons arrive to their lair will fail.
The only option that I see is that the lizardfolk will try to explain to the party that the weapons are important to defend their city (assuming the adventurers dont attack them). However, this will pretty much reveal the plot of the next quest.
My read is that the lizard folk are there to keep the smugglers from double-crossing their tribe, rather than protecting the operation as a whole. They’ll try to get away so at least one of them can tell the chief what’s happened, but, if captured, they’ll probably clam up, not trusting the humans. If they’re brought to Saltmarsh, their suspicions will prove well-founded as the humans jump to the conclusion that the lizard men are planning an attack, leading to Danger at Dunwater.
I agree with TimCurtin on the explanation as to bluffing your way on board. They are expecting certain crewmen to board and when it's now who they thought it was they attack. I have had a party use disguise self etc. to appear to be the crew members they defeated from the house and this worked quite well for them. They just moved from area to area on the ship subduing quite a few of the crew without having to fight much.
I have had the lizardmen always attack as they are amassing weapons secretly and there is a foreign force raiding the ship. It also makes it more difficult for the party to determine their intent if they must fight them versus parlaying with them. It makes it easier to inherit their pet as well.
Okay, I am an uber noob and maybe my reading comprehension is not up to snuff. I also have a few questions with this adventure.
1. How do the players learn the codes for the signal? The parchment? Does the parchment show the entire signal patters and the meaning of the signal patterns? Or do they have to solve it like a puzzle?
2. What is the mission for the players when they board the ship? It seems like it was vague. At the end of the adventure, it reads something like "if they completed the objective". From what I understand the City Mayor or someone hires them to board the ship, but i am lost as to why.
3. Do they have to destroy all the NPCs on the boat?
I'm running Saltmarsh right now and my players bluffed by saying, "Ok, let's get started loading this stuff" before the second PC had finished climbing on board. I let that bluff work because it was what the smugglers were expecting plus they rolled well on the deception check. They ended up defeating the smugglers, and next week they're going to decide what to do with the lizardfolk, who did not participate in the fight and who stayed in their cabin through the fight even though one of the PC's opened their door and then closed it on them.
I expect that it's going to take my players a full session to resolve what to do with the lizardfolk, finish exploring the ship, and sail it back to Saltmarsh.
Okay, I am an uber noob and maybe my reading comprehension is not up to snuff. I also have a few questions with this adventure.
1. How do the players learn the codes for the signal? The parchment? Does the parchment show the entire signal patters and the meaning of the signal patterns? Or do they have to solve it like a puzzle?
2. What is the mission for the players when they board the ship? It seems like it was vague. At the end of the adventure, it reads something like "if they completed the objective". From what I understand the City Mayor or someone hires them to board the ship, but i am lost as to why.
3. Do they have to destroy all the NPCs on the boat?
If I remember right the code was in a book in Sanbalet's room maybe? The mission was to stop the smuggling operation, take captives, and gain information. The objective being to stop the smuggling operation. It's not necessary to kill all of the NPCs, I've had more that were taken captive through trickery etc. than actually defeated in combat.
1- I agree with you, the book isn't clear as to whether the parchment gives full information or hints. I assumed that it was mainly hints, and allowed my players to make a check roll in order to make sure they understand it correctly. Given that one of the players is an ex-smuggler (background), I made the check fairly easy to pass.
2- The mission of the players, as per the book, is to get rid of the smugglers once and for all by stopping the boat. That means capturing or killing all the pirates/smugglers. They do not necessarily have to bring the boat back (they can burn it or sink it), but it is encouraged by the book to bring it back with the smuggled goods.
3- See #2.
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Kinda new DM here so bear with me.
I am gonna run the first adventure from the Ghost of Saltmarsh book with my three players, and I have some question regarding the second part of the adventure, The Sea Ghost.
First, the signal system says that if the signal is not returned every 10 min for an hour the Sea Ghost will leave and that this information is not obtained through the notes about the signal system. And getting to the Sea Ghost takes almost an hour in itself. Without this knowledge the Sea Ghost will just leave and the players will just be forced to wait until the next night to try again, and every time they don't figure this out they will have to wait another night, and another night, which seems very frustrating for everyone involved.
Also, are they meant to return the signal from the house every 10 minutes or take the lantern with them and do the signal while on the boat towards the Sea Ghost? Since it specifies that the smugglers on the Sea Ghost are still doing the signal when the characters arrive (unless they have made the crew suspicious) I gather that they have to arrive within that one initial hour and that the signal is being returned from the house while the characters are going to the Sea Ghost. Am I understanding this right or am I missing something? And if not, does it not seem overly complicated and time consuming?
Second question is about a piece of text just after that on page 52. Regarding the players bluffing their way on board:
I don't understand what they mean here, so if the players successfully bluff the crew, the crew believes them until the first three characters (in my case the entire party) have boarded. Why are they not believed after that? And "once the characters approach is detected" what does that mean? The crew has talked to them and then lowered a rope ladder for the party and three characters has climbed aboard, they are since long detected so I don't understand the meaning of this whole paragraph.
Sorry for the long questions, I hope someone can clarify for me what is meant here. And if this really doesn't make sense, how would you other DMs out there deal with this?
You don't have the first part quite right. There are three signals: 1) Ship-to-shore - "Is it safe?"; 2) Shore-to-ship - "Everything safe"; 3) Ship-to-shore - "Ready to unload, come to the ship."
In the second to last paragraph of the signaling system it says "It has been arranged...for the FIRST signal to be repeated every ten minutes...
So what it looks like is at midnight (or whenever), the ship saying "Is it safe?" At 12:10, the ship saying "Is it safe?' At 12:20 the ship saying "Is it safe?"
If they don't get an answer by 1:00, they'll take off, but let's say at 12:25, the players send back "everything safe," then the ship says "come on out" and then they wait as long as it takes for the boat to get there. No more signals needed.
As for the second part, the smugglers are expecting Manny, Moe, and Jack (or whoever) to climb the rope ladder. The first person to come up is a dragonborn Paladin in half-plate, the second is a half-orc barbarian with a great axe and the third is a wizard. None of these dudes are here to schlep crates. Whatever story they told to get on the ship is no longer believable.
That's my take on it, anyway. Ultimately, I think the adventure wants you to circle around the ship and approach from the port side. Letting you bluff ANYONE up onto the starboard side is their generous way of letting a party establish a beachhead before the fight starts.
Hello guys,
I also have a question regarding the ship part of the adventure.
So far, the party has tried bluffed their way on the main deck and had to fight the smugglers/pirates. To roleplay the lizardfolks, I have made it that they sometimes open the door (due to all the ruckus), take a look outside and close the door to their cabin again.
As per the book: "The lizardfolk in area 7 do not help defend the ship unless they are directly threatened by the actions of the characters." - my interpretation is that they will not fight unless they are attacked.
On the other hand, the book also mentions that "The lizardfolk were provided by the chieftain of their clan to help ensure that the smuggled weapons in area 15 make it to their lair." - in other words, if the adventurers stop the smuggling operations, the lizardfolks' role of making sure the weapons arrive to their lair will fail.
The only option that I see is that the lizardfolk will try to explain to the party that the weapons are important to defend their city (assuming the adventurers dont attack them). However, this will pretty much reveal the plot of the next quest.
Does anyone have any suggestion on this matter?
My read is that the lizard folk are there to keep the smugglers from double-crossing their tribe, rather than protecting the operation as a whole. They’ll try to get away so at least one of them can tell the chief what’s happened, but, if captured, they’ll probably clam up, not trusting the humans. If they’re brought to Saltmarsh, their suspicions will prove well-founded as the humans jump to the conclusion that the lizard men are planning an attack, leading to Danger at Dunwater.
I agree with TimCurtin on the explanation as to bluffing your way on board. They are expecting certain crewmen to board and when it's now who they thought it was they attack. I have had a party use disguise self etc. to appear to be the crew members they defeated from the house and this worked quite well for them. They just moved from area to area on the ship subduing quite a few of the crew without having to fight much.
I have had the lizardmen always attack as they are amassing weapons secretly and there is a foreign force raiding the ship. It also makes it more difficult for the party to determine their intent if they must fight them versus parlaying with them. It makes it easier to inherit their pet as well.
Okay, I am an uber noob and maybe my reading comprehension is not up to snuff. I also have a few questions with this adventure.
1. How do the players learn the codes for the signal? The parchment? Does the parchment show the entire signal patters and the meaning of the signal patterns? Or do they have to solve it like a puzzle?
2. What is the mission for the players when they board the ship? It seems like it was vague. At the end of the adventure, it reads something like "if they completed the objective". From what I understand the City Mayor or someone hires them to board the ship, but i am lost as to why.
3. Do they have to destroy all the NPCs on the boat?
I'm running Saltmarsh right now and my players bluffed by saying, "Ok, let's get started loading this stuff" before the second PC had finished climbing on board. I let that bluff work because it was what the smugglers were expecting plus they rolled well on the deception check. They ended up defeating the smugglers, and next week they're going to decide what to do with the lizardfolk, who did not participate in the fight and who stayed in their cabin through the fight even though one of the PC's opened their door and then closed it on them.
I expect that it's going to take my players a full session to resolve what to do with the lizardfolk, finish exploring the ship, and sail it back to Saltmarsh.
Professional computer geek
If I remember right the code was in a book in Sanbalet's room maybe? The mission was to stop the smuggling operation, take captives, and gain information. The objective being to stop the smuggling operation. It's not necessary to kill all of the NPCs, I've had more that were taken captive through trickery etc. than actually defeated in combat.
@Ironj679
Here's my take on your questions:
1- I agree with you, the book isn't clear as to whether the parchment gives full information or hints. I assumed that it was mainly hints, and allowed my players to make a check roll in order to make sure they understand it correctly. Given that one of the players is an ex-smuggler (background), I made the check fairly easy to pass.
2- The mission of the players, as per the book, is to get rid of the smugglers once and for all by stopping the boat. That means capturing or killing all the pirates/smugglers. They do not necessarily have to bring the boat back (they can burn it or sink it), but it is encouraged by the book to bring it back with the smuggled goods.
3- See #2.