Hi all,

I previously posted some warts-and-all email summaries of the ‘Curse of Strahd’ campaign I ran in 2017-18, the ‘Tomb of Annihilation’ campaign I ran in 2018-19, the ‘Out of the Abyss’, a campaign I ran in 2020 and the ‘Phandelver’s Pact’ campaign I ran from 2020-2021. CoS was the first campaign I sent summaries to players by email after each game (I was a bit lazy prior to that), which is why I could use them for this column.

Here’s another campaign (some might say my last 5e campaign, if you don’t count all the playtest campaigns I ran and continue to run lol) that started out with a slightly skewed version of ‘Ghosts of Saltmarsh’, then merged with a doctored ‘Descent into Avernus’ and was prematurely cut short when WoTC stunned the community by deciding to be dicks (remember that?), prompting me to run Pathfinder 2e campaigns instead.

‘Shadows Over Saltmarsh’ was set in Greyhawk, my childhood campaign world (created by the eminent Mr. Gygax, himself). Each session was approximately 4-5 hours (sometimes more) long. Most of the summaries appear here as they first appeared. If you’re a D&D fan you may enjoy them. And maybe even if you aren’t.

Steve 🙂

Session 20 – Finger of Death

While the party slept, Alyona (Half-Elf Cleric) experienced dream visions of a familiar figure cloaked in flames, reaching out a hand and crying: “Find me! Save Me!” As the figure approached Alyona in her dream, flames closing all around it, she realized it was her ancestor Marcus Lynden and that the flames were rising from a huge version of the family cookbook she discovered in the deserted house in Saltmarsh…

As everyone awoke (except Kariston – Aasimar Paladin – who continued to snore and slept so deeply that Alyona had to drag his body with her as the party moved out), the party agreed to take the fight to the Orcs. Moving through the fungus forest, they made their way to the shelf with the Dwarven sarcophagi. Inspecting the stone coffins (three of which were marked with a dire warning not to disturb the remains within), Korth (Lizardfolk Druid) decided to open one that was unmarked. A ghost arose, frightening him and aging the poor Lizardfolk 40 years! Then it possessed him, taking over his body and forcing Korth to become a mere observer as it moved towards Felix (Human Rogue). Felix realized Korth wasn’t speaking and acting like Korth, and when the Lizardfolk grabbed his shoulder, he was struck with immense pain as his muscle and bone withered and deteriorated. A shaken Felix ran and hid behind another stone coffin, calling Fa’aoa (Human Barbarian) and the others to intercede.

The big barbarian rushed down, only to be frightened by the ghostly visage. The spirit flew above the party, but Alyona managed to command it to grovel – it dropped to the ground. Kariston finally awoke, drawing his sword and leaping over a sarcophagus to take on the ghost, and although Fa’aoa was still fearful, the party were able to knock Korth unconscious. The ghost eventually fled to the ethereal plane.

Kariston decided to open another coffin, spying a gold dragon ring inside. Another ghost arose, and as it did the hidden ghost returned. One of the ghosts was destroyed and the other escaped into the ethereal plane. Kariston placed the ring on his finger, but as he did it tightened and tendrils of inky black spread outwards, covering his entire body and paralyzing him. Fa’aoa was unable to pull the ring off, so Alyona chopped the finger off and cast it into the tomb. The ghost reappeared and closed the lid, telling the defilers to leave. Alyona dragged Kariston away, but the big knight freed himself from her grasp and strode to the tomb, opening the lid. The ghost inside grabbed Kariston’s gloveless hand and drained some of his life essence, but Kariston destroyed it. He picked up the severed finger with the ring and placed it in his pocket, but the black tendrils reached out and paralyzed him again. Fa’aoa sliced off the pocket and cast the ring and blackened bony finger into the tomb, sealing it away again. All this time Old Lizard Korth was so frightened he hid away, munching on goodberries.

Kariston sulked, still feeling his phantom finger and realizing he would have some difficulty playing guitar in future. The party short rested, eating some of Alyona’s delicious cooking. Alyona noticed her cookbook was glowing red (no one else saw this) and investigating further found that the torn section in the center was growing back from the book’s spine, about an inch more than before. On the edge of the re-growing paper, an image was slowly forming…

Carefully up the natural stone stairs went the party, until they came to a large chamber with an iron gate and two doors. After the party killed a number of stirges, Felix and Fa’aoa opened the iron gate, only to find boxes and sacks stacked to the ceiling, blocking the way. Alyona discovered what she thought was a potential fire trap on the north door, and the southern door appeared to be trapped as well. Felix activated the south door trap from a distance with mage hand and the party entered a room that appeared to have been used as a shaman’s lair.

Alyona discovered a secret door and Felix followed a corridor to its end, hearing movement on the other side. The party entered the secret corridor and Fa’aoa and Felix exited the door on the other side, intent on surprising whoever was there. The cave was empty but for the strong smell of urine. Felix’s light stone revealed a presence and the sound of orc voices and footsteps trotting towards them indicated the party had lost the element of surprise…

Session 21 – WAUGHH!

The party ended up in a tiny cave beyond the secret door – not the best area for a battle as it was hard for everyone to manoeuver. The Orcs attacked from both sides, some of them circling around and attacking via the secret tunnel the party had used to enter the room. Despite this flanking action, the party managed to fight their way back to the Shaman’s lair room.

Kariston’s sanctuary and dodging made him nigh impossible to hit or pass. Korth’s necrotic spores handily wore down foes at a distance. Fa’aoa used his ring of jumping to strategically take the fight to his enemies. Alyona assisted all with bless and healing, as well as a few great hits with her meat tenderizer. Felix sniped away, taking many lives (and doing even better once he fixed the damage calculation in Roll20).

The final assault on the Shaman’s lair was made by Dire wolves, the Ogre leader, an Orc Eye of Gruumsh and an Orc Claw of Luthic. At one point, Keraston was hit by a guiding bolt from the Claw but he remained standing. Korth was knocked out, but brought back by Alyona. After the Ogre fell, the two orcs fled, but Felix killed the Eye of Gruumsh with a well-placed crossbow bolt and then ran after and captured the Claw of Luthic.

The party settled in for a well-earned long rest (advancing to 5^th level).

Next : Ransacking the lair…

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