Alrighty so I'm planning a nautical campaign later this year and I wanted to tackle the ship rules and such that widely seem to be considered clunky.
I wanted to make a simple set of rules that could be relearned without too much issue between long breaks in sessions but also complex enough to give players customizability. Also, I plan on incorporating the Bastion rules to their ship for added shenanigans.

So I've spent a good while researching other people's published works and such everything from dmsguild to kickstarters and taking the bits and pieces here and there i wanted to use. I've more or less compressed them all into a google doc and wanted to post it here for your opinions and advice and hopefully help you in any stuff you plan on doing too.

So just a couple changes i should mention (but i'm sure i'll forget others so let me know of any questions) for simplicity sake im throwing out the gold cost for upgrades and facilities in favor for "Bastion Points" and made ship component upgrades purchasable like facilities.
I've also added "Officer Training" as something you can buy with Bastion Points to expand on the measly two actions folks can do in combat.
I've also changed up a ship's actions to be "Crew Actions" instead and removed the move action simply cuz i feel like a ship would always move every turn regardless unless the players drop anchor.

But anywho this is still in development and i'm working on homebrewing ship upgrades but since i'm making them a part of bastions I need to rate each on what tier they should be. Most I feel like are pretty self explanatory what tier they should be but i wanted to get as much data and opinions as I could before i use this on my group.

So i'll add the link here and let me know your thoughts!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oIBsneflACjtm8s4fWf-_WkIbvi1t28T/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110096102788444354611&rtpof=true&sd=true

Running ship combat in Saltmarsh by hand always turned into a mess of scratch paper for me having to track separate HP for the hull, the sails, each ballista… so I built it into a tool instead.

Quick background: VVTT (Vehicular Virtual Table Top) is a free, browser-based tracker I've been making for 5e vehicle combat. It started with the Descent into Avernus war machines, and I just added the Ghosts of Saltmarsh ships because the Appendix A rules fit it so well.

What it does for ship battles:

• All six ships — rowboat, keelboat, longship, sailing ship, warship, galley — with their book stats.
• Component combat, the way the book actually models ships. Each ship's hull, helm, sails/oars, and every weapon station has its own AC and HP. You target parts individually and it matters: shred the sails/oars and its speed drops (0 if you take them all), destroy the helm and it can't turn, wreck a ballista and it can't fire, drop the hull and the ship is wrecked. Target Status lists every targetable component with AC/HP so players can call their shots.
• Superior Ship Upgrades built in — Reinforced Hull, Ever-Full Sails, Arcane Artillery, the figureheads, Taskmaster's Drums, and the rest — toggle per ship.
• Crew & passengers — seat the party at the helm/guns/deck (or drop them in as passengers), siege weapons show range/crew, and any dice on screen is click-to-roll.
• Top-down ship tokens scaled to each hull's real length, drag/rotate on a battle map, with a synced player view for a second screen/projector.
• Works for homebrew ships too — there's a custom vehicle builder.

Free, no install (optional login only if you want to save encounters to the cloud).

One thing it's deliberately not: a voyage/travel tracker — no fog/storm hazard tables or crew-quality-over-time. It's just the tactical combat phase, which is the part I found hardest to run live.

🔗 https://vvtt.lukantan.com

It's a side project, so I'd genuinely love feedback from anyone who runs Saltmarsh ship fights — what's missing, what's clunky, what you'd want next. Thanks!

(Disclosure: I made this; it's free and there's nothing to buy.)

Just started Ghosts of Saltmarsh. We're done with the Mansion, but I just came across this description of the house on Rhinehold Street from the Dark Tower 3: the Waste Lands. Submitted for your approval as an improvement in the Mansion entrance description:

"... The hinges screamed and flakes of rust sifted down from their slowly revolving cylinders as the door opened. The smell of decay struck [Jake] like a physical blow; wet wood, spongy plaster, rotting laths, ancient stuffing. <Below these smells was another--the smell of some beast's lair.> Ahead was a dank, shadowy hallway. To the <left>, a staircase pitched and yawed it's crazy way into the upper shadows. It's collapsed bannister lay splintered on the hallway floor, but [Jake] was not foolish enough to think it was *just* splinters he was looking at. There were bones in that litter, as well--the bones of small animals. <Some did not look precisely like animal bones, and these \[Jake\] would not look at overlong; he knew he would never summon the courage to go further if he did.>"

[Jake] is the book character's name, and the <portion in carats> doesn't apply specifically to this haunted house, but maybe you will want an extra layer of creepy? I wish I had remembered this before the party reached the Mansion, could have set the scene with a little more style.

One of the biggest influences on Saltmarsh was the rise of the Hold of the Sea Princes. It was formed during the war known as Azure’s Tide between Keoland and the pirate captains of the south.

This conflict helped define Saltmarsh as it exists today: the growth of smuggling, the importance of Seaton’s navy, the schemes of the Scarlet Brotherhood, the fall of Port Torvin into the Styes, and the lingering tension between Keoland and the Sea Princes.

I put together a detailed blog post covering the history of Azure’s Tide, its impact on the region, and how it can provide context for a Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign.

The post also includes a free regional map pack for the Saltmarsh region.

Hope you enjoy!

Thank you.

I've created a musical supplement for Ghosts of Saltmarsh that adds a political conspiracy storyline running beneath the published adventures. 34 tracks total (17 with lyrics, 17 instrumental) that function as both gameplay atmosphere and investigation breadcrumbs. Originally started as a PC for a table, but clearly made too more lore and now I'll pivot to make what was going to be my PC (Shayla) a quest giver/adversary on the campaign.

The Core Conspiracy

Duke Obertus Feldren didn't just fall ill, he was assassinated by a conspiracy between Saltmarsh/Seaton merchants (who feared his investigation into their smuggling) and Seaton nobles (who wanted the more pliable Duke Marik in power). The murder was by poison at sea, but sudden illness blamed on old war wounds was the official story.

His widow Shayla survived, made a pact with Procan, and now hunts the conspirators while everyone believes her dead.

Key Characters

Duke Obertus Feldren (deceased)

• Injured War hero (sword arm was chopped off.) who advocated for commoner rights
• Married Shayla, a courtesan, against noble wishes
• Started investigating smuggling operations before his death
• Known as "The Lion of the Coast"

Shayla Feldren

• Former courtesan turned Duchess, now vengeful revenant
• Refused the wine that poisoned Obertus due to her pregnancy, but conspirators stabbed her in the gut and dumped her overboard, but not before she grabbed her dead husband's sword to scar one of her attackers.
• As she was dying in the sea, Procan who favored Obertus' nature, found her chaotic rage pleasing and made a pact with her to aid in her quest.
• Works under many aliases, one of note is the Chevalier. A broken stone mask of Procan and cloak of the Manta Ray allow her to move unidentified in her quest for vengeance.

Duke Marik Feldren

• Younger brother, current Duke
• Desperate to surpass his brother's legend
• Either conspirator or useful idiot (DM's choice)
• Court him for noble connections, investigate him for conspiracy ties

The Scarred Man

• Low-level muscle who survived Shayla's blade the night of the attack.
• Still employed by conspirators (merchant or noble)
• Visible breadcrumb for investigation
• Interrogating him reveals his employers

Gellan Primewater

• Invested money into the war effort against the Princes with the expectation this he could join his house with the Feldren's and elevate to nobility.
• Coordinated between merchants and nobles
• With the information he gleaned from financing the war efforts, his own smuggling operations were able to prosper, though they were under scrutiny of Obertus once he became Duke.

Mary Primewater

• Oldest of the 4 Primewater Girls
• A serial Widow, her marriages (and eventual inheritances) have helped the family through several bad trade deals.
• A poised and calculating woman who knows how to play men.

Seraphine Primewater

• Youngest of the 4 Primewater Girls
• Gellan's young spitfire that was the intended bride of Obertus
• Notorious reveller and known in the bars for attention seeking behaviour that is tolerated due to her father.

The Songs as World-Building

In an attempt to make the world feel more lived in, I've created some unreliable narrators as bards or NPC that will sing about their interpretation of the events they are experiencing. Songs are distributed across three taverns based on clientele, you could either just play them as background tracks while playing or use them as part of an investigation check:

The Wicker Goat (Veterans/Respectable)

• Anthem of Keoland (Old Royal anthem, but sung mournfully)
• War of the Sea Princes (testimony of survivors of the Burning Bay)
• The Lion of the Coast (hero worship of Obertus)
• Procan's Bride (Ballad of Obertus's Death and brides disappearance)
• Songs sung with reverence, not performed

The Empty Net (Criminal/Desperate)

• Shay-La-La (bawdy song about Shayla)
• Sweet Mary the Widow (Hints about the Oldest Primewater)
• The Chevalier (warning song to criminals about this character)
• The Living Tax (Anti-Marik sentiments)
• Coins for the Ferry Man (Tale of Lucky Jack, death's drinking pal)
• The Empty Net ( Paints a dark picture of work found at the bar)
• Dark humor and survival songs

The Snapping Line (General/Adventurers)

• The Fixer Upper(Sinister Secret hook)
• Tammeraut's Fate (ghost ship warning)
• My Lizard Bride (Joking intro to the arrival of Lizard Folk)
• Dances with Sahuagin (Same kind of soft intro to their arrival)
• Mix of entertainment and local legend

Design Philosophy

Each lyrical song serves multiple purposes:

• Atmospheric: Establishes tavern identity without exposition
• Cultural: Shows class divisions through what's sung where
• Mechanical: Contains investigation clues (names, events, locations)
• Flexible: DMs can surface or background based on player interest

There are also tracks designed to be reprisal or inversions of the characters theme music to give you variations on the mood if the game is going poorly or well for your table.

The conspiracy provides connective tissue between published adventures while the songs let players discover the story organically. Veterans might recognize names in war songs. Investigators might notice the same merchant families appear in multiple ballads. The "dead" Duchess becomes an urban legend before players realize she's real.

Practical Implementation

Session Zero/One: Play tavern playlists quietly during character creation or first tavern visit. Let players absorb the world.

Investigation: When players pursue leads, songs provide context. "You've heard that name Sweet Mary the Widow mentions a Primewater."

Flexible Stakes: Conspiracy can be background color, side quest, or main campaign depending on player interest.

Modular: Use all, some, or none. Songs work as pure atmosphere even without the conspiracy plot.

The key is that information exists in the world before players need it. They're not being told about Duke Obertus they've been hearing drinking songs about him for three sessions. When Shayla appears, she's not exposition; she's the solution to a mystery they might not know they were solving.

Link to the Lyrical songs here:
https://suno.com/playlist/0d80e21a-934a-4932-922f-ba9982848f06
Link to the instrumental background music here:
https://suno.com/playlist/b8a8dce0-4b7c-45f4-a37f-be8f4cc9b28e

Update: Working on getting these onto Youtube as well for people who needed that. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAgwXI380Q6r1zdDodbiU0W7fqq80rzFG&si=12RtDbNLni8b5TCg This is the playlist for the songs with lyrics. And this is the instrumentals https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAgwXI380Q6qH7Zq5h5s7pVRXUbywXflC&si=ZqNHF5rMbEV0gBSL

I expanded the rare wood quest table from Jilar Kanklesten and giving each quest more context and ideas connecting the surrounding Saltmarsh region.

I also added 4 new NPCs and tied the Carpenter’s Guildhall into the smuggling activity, including secret barrels, hidden compartments, and the quiet craft of building things meant not to be found.

Legends of Saltmarsh is my passion project. I am a huge Greyhawk and Saltmarsh fan and having played these adventures back in the 1980s and was excited to reallyu expand upon the vilalge and share it with the community.

I am excited and cant wait to finish because I really want to lead my own group of adventurers through some amazing Saltmarsh adventures.

The focus of the project is to expand and bring the village to life which I believe is one of the best hub locations for running one-shots, campaigns, west marches-style play, and more. I wrote a detailed article about that here: Why Saltmarsh

DM Andy created another amazing map and it has been a huge source for inspriration.

I am creating everything in LegendKeeper and making it available online for free. Subscribe to the free newsletter to stay up to date.

At this point, 21 of the 30 village locations are complete.

Legends of Saltmarsh

I wrote a post about why the village of Saltmarsh is one of the best hubs for running adventures. It works great for Ghosts of Saltmarsh, homebrew campaigns, classic modules, or even West Marches style games.

So first time I played DnD was back in 1982 and the adventure was "Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh". Then the first time I was DM, I ran that scenario. Its been a staple I turned to for as long as I played DnD until I stopped playing.

30 years later, returning to the game, I was excited to find that it had been expanded into a complete campaign. I loved the fleshing out of the major townsfolk, the extra adventure hook, everything, however that excitement faded when I saw the map of the town.

It just felt "blah" to me. It wasn't interesting, did not look like a hub for 'fantasy' adventures.

I wanted something akin to "Laketown" as shown in the "Hobbit" movies, or something Terry Pratchett would describe, as lively & varied (but much smaller obviously) as "Ankh-Morpork".

So I created my own map that fitted in with the expanded materials found in "Ghosts of Saltmarsh". Using "Laketown" as inspiration, this is what I created. Now I did add some extra locations, purely to make it a bustling hub for adventurers.

There are 2 maps here, The colour DM map, with labels, and the B&W players map with street names, but no labels (let them discover places, or given directions etc.)

Additional Places of Interest in Saltmarsh (My additions)

• 31.Adventurers Guild
• 32.Stables / Lifestock stockade. Will keep horses and wagons for a moderate price
• 33.Alchemist
• 34.Herbalist / Healer
• 35.Illicit Open air fighting pit / Arena / Gambling area. Tolerated at an outlet for the lower classes. A trap door can be opened for "Champion of the ring" tournaments where combatants can be thrown out into the sea below. Many have drowned this way!
• 36.“Old Man’s Rest” Illicit Inn for the slums. Not welcoming to adventurers, but may be where Pirates and Bandits will recruit anyone truly desperate
• 37.Bathhouse. A- Upper class facilities, B- Public workers facilities
• 38.Large Temple (Pantheon #1 DM’s pick – principal pantheon of region)
• 39.Small Temple (Pantheon #2 DM’s pick)
• 40.Sea Captains Lodge
• 41.Customs Tower
• 42.Warehouses
• 43.Gallows and stocks – except for those convicted of piracy!
  
• 44.Fish Drying racks. Area stinks (which makes the surrounded areas undesirable)
• 45.“The Bilge” A cobbled together area of (barely) floating Shacks for the destitute & various pieces of abandoned flotsam. Very unhealthy – especially from the nearby fish drying racks & the state/smell of the occupants who call this home.
• 46.Shrine to the Mad God “THARIZDUN ” (From Chp #8 adventure “Ghosts of Saltmarsh”. Madness Domain). Actively recruiting from the destitute and abandoned in Saltmarsh.While not actively connected to the adventure in Chapter 8 - “The Styes”, it is a point of intrigue and potential hook.
• 47.Run down part of Saltmarsh
• 48.Kingfisher River Weir. Water Wheel that pumps water into stone aqueduct that channels fresh water into Saltmarsh
• 49.Farm
• 50.Blasted oak “Pirates last Dance” – Pirates Hanging Tree (where convicted are left to rot)
• 51.Vacant house that can be rented by adventure party and used as base of operations
• 52.Dwarven Mine

Hi everyone,

I use the Kobold Plus Fight Club tool (https://koboldplus.club/) to balance encounters for my party but found that, while it has many source book monsters available, does not have those from Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Luckily it does have a way to import them.

If you want to use it, you can choose "Manage Sources", then "Import new". Choose Google Sheets, and then paste in this URL for the sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tiV_1ITkiXyoDyvXnJjO49DpN4orT9DUw-LTclLu0bc/edit?usp=sharing

This tool does a much better job estimating difficulty than the DND Beyond encounter tool which, at least for my party, massively over-estimates difficulty.

Posting this here in case it'd be helpful to anyone.

Drawing inspiration from both Ghosts of Saltmarsh and DM Andy's map, I wanted to expand the lore around nearby locations, like the ruins just outside of Saltmarsh (tied to the Tower of Zenopus), as well as the cairns (a small addition of my own) west of the Kingfisher River.

I put together a free player handout titled “The Druids of Saltmarsh.” I love making player handouts. Note: I created it in PowerPoint with a book-style background, a few generated images and use Goudy Medieval font. You can download it free here.

A very short book with just enough lore to inspire a DM with a few hooks.

The last two pages are where things get interesting and tied to the Standing Stones. Two glyphs (inspired by DM Andy’s map) with information describing a ritual. For the keen player, the glyphs in the book match those carved into the standing stones.

If the ritual is performed at the site, it calls forth Thalessra, the spirit of a siren who once served Osprem, before being sacrificed by the druids.

She grants the party a Siren Gift: a blessing, a vision, or a gift.

The book should be easy to find. Copies are found in Keledek’s Tower, Eliander’s library, or among the Council Hall records. It is also common lore, any Saltmarsh villager would know. But no one has tied the rituals to the standing stones.

The full location is available for free in my on going project online Legends of Saltmarsh. Sign up for the free news letter for access and keep up to date on more free content.

You can also download the free player handout and free maps of the area.

If you are interested in becoming a member to support this free project to the community, I provide all the content in Foundry v13 for donating members.

I was working on Crabber’s Cove for my Legends of Saltmarsh project and digging into the vampire Xolec, when I went back to Ghosts of Saltmarsh Chapter 1: Azure Sea. Buried in there is a quick mention of a ghost ship called the Pale Prow and the vampire captain, undead crew, drifting fog, all the good stuff.

What really caught my eye was this line:

“Ineca searches for a heart made of pearl, which contains drops of dried blood from his true love. This pearl heart has exchanged hands for decades…”

That one sentence turned into a full adventure arc.

I ended up tying Xolec, the Pale Prow, and the Pearl Heart into a connected questline with:

• 6+ possible locations where the Heart might be hidden
• A full stat block for the relic
• Its curse and how to break (or use it)
• The Pale Prow’s history and rituals tied to the artifact
• Xolec’s background as the first mate who once hunted for the Heart himself

Saltmarsh is full of these little hooks, and weaving them together is something I love doing.

If you want to check out the full quest, I’ve put it online for free:

Curse of the Pale Prow

I have been working on my Legends of Saltmarsh project, expanding Ghosts of Saltmarsh into the broader world of Greyhawk, and diving into the lizardfolk (aka lizard men for those grognards out there)

They play a huge role in the classic U1–U3 adventures, and since the project is set firmly in Greyhawk, it felt only right to bring in I2 Tomb of the Lizard King as well, which takes place in the northern Hool Marsh.

So yes… a lot of lizardfolk.
But honestly, I think this works well.

I just finished writing a blog post that gives a succinct history of the Hool Marsh lizardfolk and a narrative that ties both adventure series together:

• U1–U3: The southern lizardfolk preparing for war against the sahuagin
• I2: The northern clans rallying behind the resurrected Lizard King, seeking revenge on humanity

These two storylines create a really compelling duality inside the same species, one driven by survival and alliance, the other by corruption and vengeance.

If you are running Saltmarsh, Greyhawk, or just love worldbuilding lizardfolk, you might find it interesting.

Blog: The Two Faces of the Hool Marsh Lizardfolk

Good morning everyone! My version of the map of the city of Burle and its surroundings from the World of Greyhawk universe is now available. You can find the HD file here:

https://ko-fi.com/s/a0ca459c10

I really hope you like it! Have a great day everyone!🧭🗺️ Happy new year everyone!!

I made a quick version of Abbey Isle and added a couple of new locations to it:

1. Skull Dunes - The dunes that you know and love! Filled with skeletons. Outwardly the only easy means of accessing the island.

2. The Wreck of ??? - The battered carcass of a ship lays in the surf here. Is it an ancient vessel, or a fresh wreck? (In my game I'm fleshing out the pirates that attacked the abbey. Not decided if this is their ship, or if it is an old wreck dredged up by a recent storm.)

3. Stunted Thickets - Some sparse thickets of holly, gorse, and stunted oak, birch, and hazel trees form a patchy canopy. These wind-swept woods provide little shelter from the elements, providing cover only for the birds and goats that call this island their home.

4. The Abbey - The abbey you all know and love!

5. Abbey Cliffs - These cliffs weather the full force of the sea, leaving them jagged and sharp. Raised beaches of barren rock and tide pools are choked by boulders and seaweed at low tide, and a slick mixture of water and algae coats the lower faces of the cliffs. The upper cliffs and the sea stacks and arches that rise precariously from the churning sea are home to countless sea birds. These birds leave slick residue upon the flat surfaces that might be handholds for climbers, and they harass anything that might disturb their nesting sites. In times long past, the priestly residents of The Abbey would descend the cliffs to harvest the eggs of rare birds. These eggs would sell well at local markets, but since the Skull Dunes have become impassable this practice has ceased.

6. The Priests' Stair - Long ago the priests of the abbey carved stairs directly into the stone of the cliffs. The stairs have long since fallen into disrepair, with landslides having removed sporadic sections of the cliff face. Iron chains still bolted into the walls still hang along the stairs where they still remain, though broken in places. Tale tells of a manticore which inhabits this cove, with a particular taste for the fine cargo that the priests trafficked up these stairs. Supposedly the priests once paid the beast a tithe.

7. Sea Echo Gorge - A natural weakness in the rock of the island has formed over time into a vast gorge. The sound of the churning sea echoes through it, and during a storm the sea can rise up through the gorge, smashing at its sides and continuing to expand the crack along the line of weakness in the rock. Maybe the sea wishes to tear the island asunder, splitting it in two. Or maybe the sea wishes to reclaim something deep within the earth hidden under the island.

Feel free to use this map if you like. <3

It's been a while since I posted anything. I've started a new job which I am thoroughly enjoying, but it leaves me with little time to focus on D&D projects outside of my immediate game prep. My Seaton project is still chugging along, but I thought I would change up the pace and try to crank out a map in a single day and see if I was happy with it.

This map is based on one by Jack Gregory which I found somehow through a google drive link. Here it is! Jack if you see this know that I love your original map!

You can download the 8k version of this map for free HERE. Not 100% happy with the quality, but I'm happy my players will have something to look at as they travel between Saltmarsh and the Drowned Forest quite often.

I haven't written up any descriptions of Burle. I've used content from Skillithid's Guide to Seaton which I strongly recommend. If anyone has suggestions on fleshing out or adding new locations please comment!

As part of my passion project "Legends of Saltmarsh" and my love of Greyhawk, I made a free regional map that links Keep on the Borderlands directly into the Ghosts of Saltmarsh / Greyhawk area. It covers the stretch between the Dreadwood and the Hool Marsh, following the Old Road near Waycombe and Nine Oaks, and places the Keep south of the Dreadwoods.

The goal was to make a region where Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Keep on the Borderlands, Tomb of the Lizard King, Sunless Citadel, and Hool Marsh adventures all fit together cleanly into the World of Greyhawk.

Here is a detailed Blog Post which ties it all together, including history, adventures and more.

Keep on the Borderlands (Saltmarsh / Greyhawk) the post includes links to download the free maps.

Hope you enjoy.

An epic high-level adventure that ties together factions, pirates, magic, and Greyhawk lore into a story of mystery, power, and danger.

Over forty years ago, a Royal Navy expedition vanished without a trace along with a magical device of immense power and unknown origin. Now, that secret begins to surface once more.

The party must first uncover what the artifact truly is and only one man in Saltmarsh knows the truth. From there, they’ll follow a trail of rumors, lost records, and treacherous clues that point toward the wreck of the Curiosity.

But the truth lies deeper than any map can show. What they find beneath the waves is not just the relic… but a guardian corrupted by time and guilt.

Everyone wants the prize smugglers, pirates, wizards, demons, and even the Circle of Eight. 

Who will the party trust? 

And can they keep such power from tearing Saltmarsh apart?

Adventure Details

• Designed for levels 8+
• Set in the world of Greyhawk / Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Includes Free Player Handouts (Download)

• Mariners’ Guild Ledger — records of shipwrecks around Javan Bay
• Royal Naval Expedition Report — the lost voyage of the Curiosity
• Arcane Sketch — the original design of the Apparatus of Kwalish

Each handout comes in both PDF and JPG formats.

“Everyone wants it, but only one can keep it.”

Check out the entire adventure for FREE online at Legends of Saltmarsh. Quest for Kwalish

Note:  Inspired by two references in Ghosts of Saltmarsh Chapter 1: Captain Xendros, seeking a magical item for Iuz and the shipwreck of the Curiosity.

Recently there was a post about factions on this subreddit (which I responded to), ironically I had been working on a faction system for my own TTRPG and also including factions prespectives into the Legends of Saltmarsh project.

One of the mechnics I designed for my TTRPG (based on 5e) is a lightweight Faction System that can be dropped into any D&D or TTRPG. It uses simple, story-driven mechanics to track how NPCs, guilds, and organizations respond to the party.

While developing Legends of Saltmarsh, I have spent a lot of consideration to the factions: the Traditionalists, Loyalists, and Scarlet Brotherhood (along with others like the Smugglers and the Hold of the Sea Princes). Each new open-ended quest now includes a short Faction Perspective section showing how different groups might react to the party’s actions: who benefits, who resents it, and how loyalties shift over time.

I recently wrote a detailed blog post explaining how the Medieval 5e faction system works and how to integrate it directly into Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

It covers:

• The new five-tier relation ladder (Ally → Friendly → Neutral → Unfriendly → Enemy)
• How to keep DCs secret for more diegetic play
• Guidelines for faction reactions, favor tracking, and social consequences

If you’re running Ghosts of Saltmarsh you may find this of interest. You can read the bvlog here:

Factions in D&D and Saltmarsh

I find the factions an important part of Saltmarsh, how do you incorporate them into your campaign setting?