The Sinister Secret of Zenopus' Tower – Part 7: The Village of Saltmarsh

Seeing as how I wrote this series of posts in a disorganized manner, it is only fitting that I end it with the starting point—the village of Saltmarsh, the party's home base while they tackle the series of modules U1–U3. Curiously, though the module describes the "little town" as playing a "pivotal role" in the series, with a "web of intrigue" that affects the party's progress, the village is given short shrift in the module's manuscript.

Instead of presenting the village and its inhabitants, the module hands the task of designing the entire thing to the DM, with advice to draw a map, establish the local businesses, and set up the town's council (and its conspirators). Some may see the omission of these details as a flexible advantage for homebrew campaigns, allowing the DM to put his stamp on the adventure; others may see it as a failure of the adventure designer to do their job. It's why you paid money for the module, right?

Interestingly, the basic "plot" of Saltmarsh is similar to the Sample Dungeon's "plot" of Portown (smugglers using nearby sea caves to run their operation, in collusion with local bribed officials), so those two pieces clicked together very well, along with new details from Zach Howard's Forgotten Smugglers' Cave adjunct. I took the background information from those three sources and crafted my own background "plot" to account for the various adventure areas of the site. 

I started the campaign without a map of the village. Instead, I gave the party a handout list of the main buildings in town along with a brief description and details about what can be acquired/accomplished in each place. This was my tabletop group's first experience with playing early-edition D&D (Advanced Labyrinth Lord in this case), so I explained that town wasn't really a place for adventure but more of an abstract base for their characters to rest and reset between sessions.

My players enjoy dicking around in town sometimes, though, so I included prominent NPCs to meet, opportunities to discover that can assist their adventure, and some local "flavor" to give the place the right feel. I started out with just a short paragraph or two for most village locations, but over time and with the players' interactions, other details have been established and I've added them to the key.

There are connections between the village and the dungeon site to be sure. The pirates are working to control the village and its lucrative harbor, even bribing some locals to assist their operation. But the village leaders took action and hired a company of mercenaries to protect them, Seven Samurai-style (but bigger). The pirates are held at bay (for now), but the mercenaries don't come cheap and the council is counting on recovered dungeon riches flowing into town to help them pay for it all.

Other than that fairly simple "plot" and some fun or useful details, there isn't really much adventure to be had in town. The leaders of the village won't tolerate nonsense, and thieving PCs who go poking around may find themselves at odds with the local gang or swinging from a tree if caught. The village's only purpose is to offer resources the players can leverage in tackling the dungeon site. 

There are standard equipment items available, though I split the source of availability up a little bit to feel more authentic (armor and weapons, for example, are purchased from the blacksmith). Other resources include a table of rumors, a temple where clerical spells may be provided for a donation, and a sage with good information potential to a party with the right questions (and gold).

I also gave the sage a limited inventory of potions and scrolls for sale, with a few healing potions available on a monthly basis. The prevalence of "magick shoppes" are an often-contentious topic among D&D players, and I hew largely to the school of thought that magic items are rare, sometimes-divine relics from a lost era and difficult for "modern" wizards to replicate. When such items are "sold" by adventurers, they disappear into the hands of anonymous private collectors and are no longer available.

Potions and scrolls, on the other hand, are comparatively easy to manufacture, so I assume there is always a limited trade in such things. I like to sprinkle home bases with a few magical tools available for parties with money to acquire. Other than the healing potions, which the sage makes from local herbs, once the party buys up his inventory of items, that's it. I feel like that limit provides a potential edge for strategic players, but isn't too gratuitous.

Resting places in the village (inns, etc.) can be used for recovery between sessions. Labyrinth Lord's standard recovery rate from "mere damage" is 1–3 HP per day. I want players to be able to spend money to shorten recovery time, so I use a house rule about the quality of a place affecting the standard recovery rate (for better or worse). Recovery times for other effects, such as from poison or disease, are not affected by this quality modifier.

In addition to natural healing, the party can spend money to visit the temple clerics or the village doctor and receive treatment for various dungeon ailments. Non-magical healing is something else I try to incorporate into my settlements, so the local doctor is capable of some of the less miraculous powers of a temple priest. I also use a house rule for dropping to '0' HP. Instead of dying per LL rules, I allow a character to go to negative HP equal to their Constitution score divided by 3. This requires a week of recovery time, though, which is also not affected by the quality of their resting place or the method of healing.

Lots of hirelings are available in the village: linkboys, porters, laborers, etc. All are standard 0-level humans. Opportunities to hire on a specialist (thief, brute fighter, cleric) also exist, though the party must suss this out for themselves. It is well known around town that some of the mercenary marines camped in town can be hired out temporarily as sell-swords.

Weather was another important consideration for this adventure. I wanted there to be a noticeable climate that would lend itself to the Hammer Films-like environment of Saltmarsh. Everything here is damp and decaying; sort of stagnant and miserable. I also wanted the climate to have an effect on gameplay under certain situations (such as visibility and encounter distance, or being asea in rough conditions), so I built a quick procedure to determine "current" weather conditions.

I started the first session at the entrance to the estate, but once the campaign got underway, the party eventually returned to town and began poking around. I found myself repeatedly sketching the village on the battlemat to clarify where things were and having to make up town details on the spot, so around session 10, I bit the bullet and created a full map and expanded key. I initially labeled the town NPCs by their titles a la Keep on the Borderlands (e.g., THE BLACKSMITH, THE CURIO SELLER, etc.), but my players frequently asked for a shop owner's name, so I named everyone and gave them some personality traits. Nothing too egregious but something to riff off when it comes up.

Other details (like the flophouse gambling den) have since emerged through gameplay, and I've added these bits to the key as they crop up. So far, the dungeon has remained the campaign centerpiece, not the village. And yet, over time, the settlement has become a living, breathing place that the players have become familiar with and enjoy returning to, and are still exploring for opportunities. I consider that to be a success.

My first map, like the original Estate Grounds map, was drawn at a time when I was still making color maps for my Roll20 5e campaign, so this version is in the same gloomy, muted color palette. I later created a grayscale version of it to print out for the players.

 

When we started session 1, I wanted to get right to the action. I'd already briefed the players about the chief differences between 5e and BX/Labyrinth Lord, and they'd already rolled up characters. I established the party members as having been in the village for a week or so, purchasing equipment and gathering info. Then I gave them another handout with the following information about the dungeon site:

Background
The party has come to the area chasing legends of adventure and treasure for the taking from the haunted estate of a long-dead wizard.

• The estate—a ruined manor house and tower—was built more than 100 years ago by the sorcerer, Zenopus. It lies four miles outside of town, atop a high escarpment overlooking the sea.

• Rumors say the estate was located on a much older ruin, and that Zenopus constructed extensive cellars and tunnels beneath it in search of ancient knowledge. He reportedly spent decades excavating mysterious passages and chambers below his home, and subsequently went insane.

• Fifty years ago, the sorcerer’s tower was suddenly engulfed in green flame. Several servants escaped the explosion, claiming their master was destroyed by some powerful force he unleashed in the depths of the dungeons.

• The house stood vacant for 15 years. Reports of ghostly blue lights floating in the windows at night, ghastly screams emanating at all hours, and strange figures dancing on the roof in the moonlight caused the townsfolk to shun the place, and it fell into complete disrepair.

• The seaside estate was purchased 35 years ago by a wealthy old alchemist of sinister reputation. He restored the tower and manor house in order to practice his mysterious experiments in seclusion.

• The alchemist disappeared suddenly 20 years ago. Afterward, an unexplained fog enveloped the entire estate. The house acquired an even greater air of evil and mystery, and no one ventured anywhere near the grounds for a long time.

• Many legends regarding the haunted estate arose: A hoard of alchemical gold and other wealth, magical artifacts from the distant past, secret passages, ghosts, curses, monsters, etc. Some even say a bloodthirsty gang of pirates once used the sea-caves below the manor as a secret base.

• Nearly a year ago, the enveloping fog began to thin during the day, only to return in full effect that night. Soon, the fog became completely absent during daylight hours (7 AM–7 PM), permitting full view of the house, the tower, and grounds.

• Over the last few months, curious fortune-seekers have arrived in the village, along with those who profit from the adventurer’s trade (merchants, hired hands, sell-swords, prostitutes, etc.) Business in the fishing village is booming as a result, much to the chagrin of many locals.

• A few brave-hearted souls who have ventured to the estate report that the site appears long-abandoned and dilapidated. But they also tell tales of frightening encounters with apparitions and vicious animals, including wild dogs and rats the size of house cats. Other reports describe ghastly shrieks and eerie lights from within the dismal place.

• So far, no one has reported venturing inside, but a few weeks ago, a band of adventurers set out to enter the house. They did not return to town. No one knows if they met a bad end or simply moved on down the road to better prospects.

• The townsfolk—particularly community leaders–are concerned that all this attention may stir up bigger trouble. Thoughts about all that treasure appeals to their greed, however, so they reluctantly accept the newcomers.

There are 12 bullets so this list could easily be turned into a rumor table, but I wanted my group to have all the info they need to get right into the dungeon. Additional rumors are available in the village.

For the overview of the village, I didn't use Portown's description (which is a good one, but since the Sample Dungeon is directly below the town, it's not very usable in this case). Instead, I cribbed some of the description from the U1 module and added other descriptions based on the region of my campaign world where I placed the site. The rest of the village key, save for a few rumors and a couple of snippets of specific descriptive text from the other sources, is pretty much my own content:

Overview
Saltmarsh is a remote seaside fishing settlement at the end of a long road to the distant city. It is mostly surrounded by swampy bogs along the coast to the west and shallow, grassy moors to the north and east where the land rises a bit. A few farms and sheep ranches dot the neighboring countryside. 

The village itself is a collection of ramshackle, clapboard buildings straddling a riverine spillway into the sea. Muddy lanes wind between patches of stiff grass and squat, moss-draped trees. The air smells of brine and damp, with a tinge of wet rope and old fish. A pall of wood smoke covers the village, and on the rare occasions the rain abates, the air buzzes with flies and mosquitos.

The harbor is protected by a spit of land a hundred yards offshore. Beyond it, the pirate-infested waters of the open ocean. At any time (but especially when the weather is stormy), 2–16 seaworthy vessels anchor in the harbor or are tied up at the wharfs. Most are small, coastal vessels—longboats, cargo barges, fishing boats, skiffs, etc.

The town council runs things with an eye toward justice and law-enforcement. The council is made up of the Mayor, the Merchant Banker*, the Provisioner, the Trader*, the Innkeeper, the Wharf-master, and The Captain. (*Intrigue lies beneath the surface as these two compromised officials take bribes from the pirates.)

The inhabitants are relatively sober, hardworking and amiable, though sailors passing through town can be drunken handfuls. The mercenary troops handle any disturbances or violence in town. 

Business is booming with recent interest in the haunted estate. Local establishments have stocked up on gear to supply the (hopefully) surging demand. A modest weekly market in the town square attracts local fishermen, farmers, and fur traders.

–Weather
The regional climate is dismal—overcast, windy, and damp. It rains frequently, usually a constant drizzle but short, soaking downpours are common. Springtime temperatures hover in the 70s (F) during the day, dropping to the mid-40s (F) at night. The temperature will sometimes swing from hot and humid one moment to bone-chillingly cool the next, causing sudden fogs to roll in from the moors. On rare occasions, high winds from the sea sweep away the clouds, briefly opening up the blue sky above.

To determine the weather at any given time, roll the following:

• Precipitation (1d10): 1–9 = Raining; 10 = Overcast.

• Winds* (1d10): 1 = Gale (41–60 mph); 2–3 = High (26–40 mph); 4–7 = Breezy (11–25 mph); 8–9 = Gentle (1–10 mph); 10 = Calm.

• Temperature (1d10): 1 = 11–20 degrees cooler; 2–3 = 1–10 degrees cooler; 4–7 = normal; 8–9 = 1–10 degrees warmer; 10 = 11–20 degrees warmer.

• Rain** (1d10): 1 = Downpour (visibility 30 ft., move reduced by 1/3); 2–3 = Heavy (visibility 60 ft.); 4–7 = Light (vis. 90 ft.); 8–9 = Drizzle (vis. 180 ft.); 10 = Mist (vis. 360 ft.).
  

•  Fog*** (1d10): 1 = Pea-soup (vis. 5 ft.); 2 = Heavy (10 ft.); 3 = Light = (20 ft.); 4–10 = Clear
  

  *On “overcast” days with “high winds” or “gales,” the sky is clear.

  **Roll for rain only when it is "raining." If there are "heavy rains" or "downpours" plus "high winds" or "gales," it is a thunderstorm with lightning (vis. 30 ft.)

  ***Roll for fog only when it is “raining” and the temperature is “normal” or  “cooler.” Fog does not occur when winds are 20 mph (“breezy”) or higher.

Current weather conditions last for 1–4 hours, then roll 1d6: 1–3 = current conditions continue for 1–4 hours; 4–6 = roll new conditions.

–Rest and Recovery
In addition to a doctor and a healing temple, the village has adequate facilities for standard rest and recovery between forays. Some resting locations have a modifier to healing rate (optional house rule). Only the doctor has the ability to “raise the dead,” but he’s expensive and his chance of success is slim.

Village Key

Most NPCs are 0-level humans (Morale 7). Classed NPCs are given by letter (class) and number (level) (e.g., F1 = 1st-level fighter).

–Blacksmith
A typical workshop run by Arn Foreman (short-tempered, prone to violence, smart, F4) and his three apprentices. He makes and stocks all armor up to chain mail and all weapons up to 1d8 damage. He can also custom craft any armor or weapon for 150% of book cost, though it will take 3–6 weeks for most projects (12 weeks for plate armor). He buys metal goods in decent condition at 50% of standard value.

–Boarding House
A fine-quality establishment run by the Widow Sturgess (stern, no nonsense, principled). She does not tolerate gossip and will turn out any guests who cause a disturbance or gain a bad reputation in town. Cost is 8 gp per day for a private room and meals. Resting here gives a +1 bonus to daily HP recovery rate.

–The Captain’s House
The comfortable cottage quarters of a man everyone refers to only as “The Captain” (stern, by-the-book, Lawful Neutral/leans Good, F6), the leader of a band of mercenary marines who camp out back. He and his men were hired by the council after the village endured a series of pirate raids. The company’s stout longboat is moored at the wharf. Its presence keeps the pirate threat away. To help defray his payroll costs and keep his marines at a high level of readiness, The Captain hires out his men for local guard duty, law enforcement, or other duty requiring a physical presence.

Up to four mercenary fighters (F1–3, Morale 9) can be contracted to accompany the party for a standard (upfront) fee of 1 gp per level, per day plus a half share of any loot recovered. Unlike regular mercenaries, these men are willing to venture into the dungeon. Each man that dies increases the daily fee of future contracts by 1 gp. Once the party hires four men, they will not be able to hire a fifth for at least one month until new recruits arrive.

–Curio-seller
A strangely-decorated shop filled with seashells, driftwood sculptures, and taxidermied fish. Other exotic baubles and doodads (animal skulls, native jewelry, colorful carved stones, shrunken heads, etc.) are stuffed in every crevice. A wizened merchant named Pindarvis (friendly but scatter-brained, cryptic, easily amused, MU5) runs the place and is eager to hear details of the manor and/or the dungeons below. He can provide the following services to the party for a fee:

• Cast Detect Magic (100 gp).

• Identify magic items (once/day, 40% chance of success; 200 gp if successful, 100 gp if failed).

• Identify non-magic potions (80% success, takes 1–3 days; 50 gp, 25 gp if failed).

• Buy valuable goods like gems, jewelry, and magic items at normal gp value. (Optional) Labyrinth Lord doesn't give XP for magic items, nor does it list gp sale values for those items. I allow LL characters to sell magic items for gp/xp based on the AD&D DMG values, but I typically use one-quarter to one-third the book value for potions and scrolls, and half book value for other items.

• Provide information as a sage for a fee of 50 gp per question he can answer. There is no charge if he doesn't know (i.e., fails his roll). He has expert knowledge of local flora and fauna, and specialties in arcane magic and the ancient history of this region (80% success in the above categories, 21–40% for general questions). 

• Research a topic (including the identification of magic items) for a fee of 150 gp per day, per question (or half that if failed). Researching a general topic takes 1–3 days (random), while identifying a magic item takes 2–6 days. At the end of the research period, he rolls again and adds +10% to the base chance of success for each day spent researching. NOTE: If the research is conducted in response to a failed sage advice roll or Identify spell, the base chance of success (before applying the research bonus) is half that of the original attempt.

• Sell a limited inventory of potions and scrolls (optional):

Item	Cost (gp)	Qty
Healing Potion	50	2–4/mo.
Potion of Fire Resistance	100	2
Poison Antidote	100	3
Potion of Treasure Finding	500	1
Potion of Water Breathing	225	3
Potion of Speed	125	1
M-U Scroll (1st): Detect Magic	150	1
M-U Scroll (2nd): Knock	300	1

(NOTE: Since Labyrinth Lord doesn't list potion values, I based these prices on one-quarter DMG value, notable exceptions being the healing potions and scrolls, which are even less expensive here.)

–Doctor
The sturdy residence/office of local physician and animal husband, Bodan Melner (compassionate, but money upfront—no refunds, succeed or fail). As a skilled anatomist, he is also the village butcher and regularly processes livestock for a fee in a separate part of the building. There is nothing untoward in any of this. The Doctor is a competent healer and deploys his medicines and knowledge in an attempt to:

• Heal wounds (90% chance of success per hit point attempted, up to 5 HP max (succeed or fail) per character, per week; 10 gp per point attempted). This gain is in addition to normal healing rate.

• Neutralize non-fatal poison (as cleric spell, 60% success; 100 gp). Any remaining poison effect is reduced in duration by a factor of 10. If any HP were lost to poisoning, the patient recovers half of them within one hour of treatment.

• Cure natural disease (as cleric spell, 40% success; 200 gp). The patient fully recovers 1–3 days later.

• Perform surgery (as cleric Raise Dead spell, 20% success if the patient is dead less than 8 hours, 10% success if less than 16 hours; 1,000 gp). Recovery time is the same as the spell.

–Flophouse
This poor-quality, common room establishment is run by Nodbert One-leg (rude, crude, uncaring, T4). Cost is 2 cp per day for a cot and a bowl of gruel. Resting here is a –1 penalty to daily HP recovery rate (minimum 0), with a 5% chance per day to (1d6):

1 = Contract a serious respiratory disease (PC is incapacitated for 4–16 days; if not treated, roll Survive Shock at a penalty of –1% per day of infection or die).

2 = Get robbed (lose 10–60% of money or item of equivalent personal value).

3–5 = Catch lice (–1 attacks and ability checks until cured).

6 = Make a friend-in-need (F1 or T1, treat as a Retainer with high loyalty (Morale 10) who expects a half-share of loot/XP for their help).

Nodbert's gang consists of two other thieves (T1, T2) and a trio of brute-fighter enforcers (F1, +1–3 STR, CON mods). These men hang around the wharf areas but everyone (even the Wharf-master) knows their deal. Party thieves would be expected to pay a tribute to the local boss for any criminal profits in the area. The gang runs a gambling ring and cathouse in the basement for sailors passing through. The boss pays a weekly percentage to the town council and everyone turns a blind eye.

• Gambling (Activity): A player can buy in for an hour’s worth of gambling (stakes are 5 gp min. up to 100 gp max.), then roll 2d6: 2 = lose triple stakes; 3–4 = lose double stakes; 5–8 = lose stakes; 9 = even up; 10 = increase stakes by 10–40%; 11 = double stakes; 12 = triple stakes. The gambling den is open from 10 PM to 6 AM, and a player can buy in for any number of hours. As this is a low-stakes joint, however, anyone winning more than 150 gp in a single hour is escorted out for the evening. Big winners may draw accusations of cheating or the attention of greedy thieves.

Building trust with Nodbert by doing him "favors," providing him info, or making him money may allow the party to call on him to:

• Fence stolen goods for a 5% cut.

• Purchase low-grade poisons (IG or IN, +2 save, onset 2–8 rounds, damage 10/0; 50 gp ea.)

• Hire one of the thieves to accompany the party on the adventure for a limited time for 50 gp per level (one-time fee) plus a half share of any loot recovered (Morale 5).

–Grist Mill
A waterwheel-driven mill run by Gustus Darph (friendly, meticulous, loves to eat, reputation as a local know-it-all). He knows every rumor and will provide a random one for 5 gp. If asked about a specific topic, his provided rumor will pertain to their question.

–Mayor’s House
The stately residence and offices of Mayor Forbush Derwin (pensive, worried, false bravado) and his wife, Jilla (overbearing, greedy, haughty). They are childless and desire the finer things. The office of Mayor is just ceremonial, with no greater authority than any other council member, but he is the most popular and well-known town leader among the general population.

Gaining the Mayor's trust by (for example) bringing pirates to justice, publicly assisting locals, or returning from the dungeon with riches to be spent in town, causes him to arrange a meeting with the party. If he believes the party has the town's interests at heart, he takes them into his confidence:

• He suspects that the Banker and the Trader are up to no good, as they consistently vote against the rest of the council when it comes to bolstering the town's defenses or taking direct action against the pirates. He has no evidence, but openly wonders if the men are in league with the pirates. Moreso, he believes the pair means to depose him as Mayor, so he hopes to enlist the party in casting suspicion on his political rivals. Better still if they bring evidence to light.

–Mercenary Camp
A company of (25) men-at-arms (F1–3) bivouacs here in a tidy camp of spacious, comfortable tents. They count as medium infantry (marines) who keep the peace and train local militia to repel pirate attacks. Mercenaries can be hired out temporarily at The Captain’s house. The standard marine is equipped with studded leather (F1–2) or chain (F3), shield, long sword or spear, and dagger (half also carry a heavy crossbow). They are all skilled sailors as well.

–Merchant Bank
This low stone building has narrow (1-ft. wide) barred windows and a locked iron door (–20% Pick Locks). The roof is a flat battlement guarded by two of The Captain’s mercenaries (F3) with heavy crossbows. The Banker is Thorvin Fertlig (terse, nervous, unpleasant), an elderly accountant seizing upon an opportunity to get his hands on old Zenopus’ treasure. He accepts bribes from the pirates to tip them off to valuable shipments passing through the village. The bank can:

• Safe-keep a depositor’s money in the cellar vault for a fee of 1% of each deposit's value.

• Loan money, up to 1,000 gp at a 20% interest rate, compounded monthly (late debtors and bankruptcies are dealt with harshly).

• Buy valuables like gems and jewelry at normal gp value.

Any theft of bank funds will bring an investigator from the merchants guild accompanied by a brute-force of heavily-armed men within a week.

–Piers
Various fishing boats tie up to these long timber docks extending out into the harbor. No one really manages the piers, but local fisherman have their “spots” and everyone respects that. The party will have difficulty chartering a boat to take them out to the sea caves below the manor bluff. Only one pilot will entertain the offer: A fisherwoman called Fenza the Fearless (F1, leather armor, handaxe and dagger).

• She is the cousin of a fighter named Lemunda the Lovely—a member of the adventuring party that recently went missing up at the manor. Years ago, Fenza rowed her skiff into one of the sea caves and spotted a mysterious entrance (area S5). If the party agrees to help her look for signs of her cousin's fate, she offers to pilot them into any sea cave and will accompany them into the dungeon (Morale 9). She earns a half-share of XP but any loot-share is up to the party.

A few rowboats are for sale down by the shore: three 2-man boats (50 gp ea., 50#) and one 4-man (150 gp, 100#). They are not for rent. Oars are 1 gp each ("You'll need oars.")

–Provisioner
This honest establishment is run by Wellem Foogh (friendly, curious, shrewd). He sells equipment (except armor and weapons), plus reasonable items that would be found in a fishing/farming village, at standard book value. He buys such goods in decent condition at 50% value. Hirelings are available from a regular crew of up to 6 lackeys (porters and linkboys) for 2 sp per day (twice the usual cost, but these men are experienced and less likely to fold under pressure (Morale 8 in stressful situations).

–Residences
All unmarked buildings are simple cottages for families of local commoners (fishermen, laborers, field hands, etc.) Residences marked with a star are modestly furnished and available for rent: A small cottage (up to 6 adult occupants) for 120 gp per week, or a large cottage (up to 12 adult occupants) for 240 gp per week. Resting in a private residence restores the standard recovery rate of 1–3 HP per day, provided the residents have adequate food and supplies (minimum of 2 sp cost per occupant, per day). Insufficient supplies and/or exceeding occupancy reduces recovery rate by –1.

–Sea Dragon Inn
A good-quality traveler’s inn run by Milus Moffet (friendly, proud, F1) and his wife Jolene (harried, eager to please). Good food, strong drink, amiable atmosphere. Cost is 5 gp per person, per day for a shared room and meals. Resting in the inn restores the standard recovery rate of 1–3 HP per day. Two-, three-, and four-person rooms are available (no single rooms). Renting a “private” room requires paying for all potential occupants.

–Stables
This business is operated by Barney Farr (stout, strong, loves animals, F3) and his three stablehand sons (Buck, Bill, and Bart—all F1). He will board any standard mount for 5 sp per day, and sells riding horses, draft horses, ponies, and mules, plus tack and harness, at standard prices. He also has a cart for sale out back (100 gp) and buys livestock in decent condition at 50% value. Sleeping in the hayloft is an option for broke sailors and indigent travelers. It costs 5 cp a night (or two hours of labor), but it's quiet and laborers can share the family meal. Resting here is a –1 penalty to daily HP recovery rate (minimum 1).

–Tavern
A sailor’s watering hole run by portly matron, Lanie Onderdonk (no-nonsense, likes to fight, often drunk and belligerent, F2). She slings stew (5 cp), cheap ale (2 cp) and watered-down rum (1 sp) from 10 AM to 10 PM. While open, 3–12 sailors drink here (level-0 humans, +1 STR and CON modifiers). They adore Lanie and will come to her aid if there is any trouble. Rumors and hirelings are available: Linkboys and porters (0-level humans, Morale 7) for 1 sp per day each.

–Temple of Luvia
A stone and timber temple dedicated to the goddess of the sea. Stained-glass windows display nautical motifs. A tall bell-tower holds a bronze bell that rings the hours of the day. The temple is attended by Sister Olenda (C5) along with a staff of two lesser priests (C1,C2) and two acolytes (C0). The priests offer healing magic to any person in need for a suggested donation of 100 gp per spell level. Faithful worshipers can pay half the suggested donation, or trade services for assistance. Examples of the spells they typically cast on behalf of others and “suggested donations”:

Cure Light Wounds	100 gp
Detect Magic	100 gp
Detect Evil	200 gp
Continual Light	300 gp
Cure Blindness/Disease	300 gp
Remove Curse	300 gp
Speak with Dead	300 gp

• A cleric or paladin of Luvia or her related pantheon will be expected to turn over 10% of the proceeds of their adventuring efforts to support the local temple. In return, the character receives all available recuperative spells for free and may stay in a private chamber on church grounds. Resting at the temple has a +1 bonus to daily HP recovery rate.

• If a cleric or paladin of the faith—or a good-aligned character who makes a sizeable donation to the temple—requests assistance in the dungeon, Sister Olenda will allow her 2nd-level attendant priest to serve for a limited time. The cleric earns a half-share of XP, but any loot-share is up to the party.

–Town Hall
A spacious brick-and-timber longhouse in which the town council meets, and public events such as festival dances and trials are held. Various storerooms in the stone-lined cellar include a locked armory containing enough leather armor, spears, short swords, daggers, and small wooden shields for 24 militiamen. There are also two locked prison cells.

• A posted notice announces a reward for arresting pirates and returning them (alive) to town (25 gp per pirate, 50 gp each for their leaders: Captain Sigurd ‘Snake Eyes’ and Sanbalet the Mystic). Any pirate returned is hung within 1–3 days after interrogation; arrested leaders are beheaded immediately.

–Town Square
A well-trafficked area during the day, but empty and quiet at night save for the sounds of revelry from the tavern (which must close by 10 PM). A 4-ft. high timber platform in the square’s center serves as a stage for announcements, executions, and other public events. Four nearby stockades can hold local law-breakers.

–Trader
A well-stocked market run by Federic Lum (suspicious, sour, always busy). He buys and sells resources (raw materials, bulk goods, livestock, etc.) at standard values. He accepts bribes from the pirates to smuggle stolen trade goods through his merchant contacts—his cut is now a major source of income.

–Wharves
Heavy stone-and-timber quays line both banks of the deep river spillway. Seaborne traffic often ports here or anchors in the harbor. The facility is under the supervision of a town official—the Wharf-master, Gerald Tellar (crusty, alcoholic, fair but forgetful).

During the day, 3–18 sailors/laborers mill about. Stacks of cargo line the wharves, but anyone caught messing around is beset by sailors and the alarm is sounded. Wharf thieves are treated harshly and often hung. Rumors, hirelings, and "muscle" (level-0 humans, +1–3 STR mod) can be acquired. At night, only trouble can be found here (thieves, drunks, scalawags, prostitutes).

A fortified longboat suitable for coastal raids is typically moored at one of the wharves. A crew of 10 sailors (level-0 humans) lives onboard, occasionally taking the vessel for a readiness cruise around the harbor. They are disciplined and will raise an immediate alert if intruders are discovered onboard. The Captain owns this vessel.

Rumors
Questions about the house make village inhabitants nervous and apprehensive—even frightened. Persistence, or offerings of money and/or strong drink, can (1–4:6) elicit one of the following (1d10):

1. Zenopus opened a doorway to another dimension and fell prey to otherworldly forces.

2. A local family claims a mysterious benefactor visits at night and leaves gifts of old coins, deep-sea shells, and pearls. (a)

3. The pirate-lords used to be the real rulers of the Saltmarsh region before the founders of the village kicked them out.

4. The pirates buried their dead in crypts down in the sea caves below the manor. 

5. An old pirate saying goes: “If ye find platinum doubloons, don’t touch ‘em! They’re cursed and ye’ll never be rid of 'em.” 

6. The alchemist’s maid claimed her boss would disappear frequently for days on end. One day he just never returned.

7.  Strange creatures were seen lurking in the swamp below the estate—foul-smelling lizards who walk like men.

8.  That missing adventuring party was huge—nearly a dozen men led by a serious-minded magic-user named Vexler.

9.  “Possum Bill swears he went inside the house. Buy him a drink up at the tavern and he’ll tell you all about it.” (b)

10. Ancient evil is said to be buried beneath that sea bluff, a presence that bleeds up through the rock and spoils the sea.
    

–Rumor Notes

(a) The benefactor is the wereshark from The Sea Caves (S7).

(b) An aged poacher named Possum Bill (sociable, casual relationship with the truth, usually drunk) frequents the tavern and claims to have visited the house a month ago. For a drink, he will tell of having wandered into the back door in search of something valuable. At the cellar stairs, he heard ghastly shrieks that frightened him out of his wits, so he ran out. He knows nothing of most of the house, but can (roughly) describe a route from the front of the house to the back door (“...near the garden well”), then through the kitchen and scullery to the cellar stairs. He also reports hearing weird scratching noises in the kitchen floor (a clue to the centipedes in M9).

__________

That's it for the conversion of these multiple adventures into a single big one. I'm having a ball running it and my players seem to be enjoying the experience. They've certainly embraced the change in gameplay style from 5e.

I'm currently adapting all my notes into my standard adventure-writing format, and I have a couple inconsistencies with the maps I want to iron out, but I intend to assemble everything into a cohesive document anyone can use to run my adaptation of the adventures, similar to the fan-created expansion of B4 that's floating about the internet. I'll post a link when I get it all together.

It was a lot of fun revisiting these old adventures. Now I'm wondering if I can repeat the project with some other classic modules. Maybe a mashup of X1, C1, I1, I2, and B4. The Dread Island of Tamoachan and the Lost City of the Forbidden Lizard King? I'm kidding... but maybe....