The Saltmarsh Sessions: Recent Episodes
ligalog
A thrilling instalment series chronicling the daring adventurers investigation into the too quiet backwater of Saltmarsh in the Forgotten Realms. A boutique podcast for the discerning Dnd 5e listener, this series is a short sharp 30 minute episode each time to accompany you on your walk, run or commute (ha! when we did that...)
Sooo - the dungeon is really twisty turns, and it's single file. It turns out you can only go up in single file, and then only run back in single file. Then, only chase in single file. It's a good way to get picked off one by one.
Who's doing the picking?
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map image follows on the site:
Gingerly moving forward now they know they are not alone, the team explores deeper into the sahuagin stronghold. They discover a Coolroom. ew. so that's what they eat.
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map image follows on the site:
Nothing like a battle to clear the sinuses. The team now cautiously explore the Sahuagin base. Very tense turning each corner with a stealth roll. Who will they see? How big are the forces arrayed against them?
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map image follows on the site:
The battle rages between the sahuagin - a surprisingly multi-attacked adversary. But it turns against them, and one makes a run for it. But... there is no escape!
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It's getting dicey in here. Thank the deity that the portcullis hasn't been opened yet or that big brute will get us. keep peppering. keep peppering.
here's the sitch:
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The party works out that 8 sahuagin is a bit deadly, so they wait and are rewarded with a changing of the guard. Now they can take them out....
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Finally our heroes get to the sahuagin stronghold. It's big, bold and imposing. So what do they do? smash through or run away. You'll have to listen to find out.....
The map is on the episode web page:
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The team work through various options for infiltrating the sahuagin lair. The DM gets his sh*t together. Various treats are purchased from their magic dealer, and the stage is set....
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The aftermath of any battle is exhausting, and the team trudges back to Saltmarsh to rejoin the push, and take the battle to the Sahuagin.
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that big ole vampire keeps coming at them. they are only one grapple away from being charmed by the big guy. Do they get through? our intrepid adventurers do their best.
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That gong on the Dias... shouldn't have done it.... Nor should Cyrus have touched the glowing book....
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Evading the pit was child's play. With a deft bit of handiwork the locked door slides open to reveal the heart of the Zanopus tower. A dias, an altar and with whoosh clouds of bats descend....
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The team get some fresh air, and take a pause. Then back into the fray to get the real spell book required by Keledek. They just escape something on the floor when life intervenes and it all goes down the toilet.
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It had to happen. eventually mergrim was going to go blue in the face and collapse. Soooo.... time to take on a Vampire Spawn. Really?
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Whoever they used to be - they aint any more! and there's a big one. How do the team fare? let's find out.
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Turned out it was a whole family of spiders including their spaced out cousin the phase spider. In short order they are dispatched, but not without a couple of the crew going down to phasey-wazey. What's next in the lair? have they got what Keledek wanted?
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The vampire is charmed by a sweating Mergrim, while a nearby corridor is cleaned out by the group. They take the left fork after failing to open the door at the end of the corridor, and it proves to be a bit sticky. web sticky....
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The party has found some kind of temple inside the catacombs under Zanopus's tower. they have awakened a vampire spawn who sets about taking blood. But someone pulls a pretty neat trick and they begin to explore....
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To crack the nut of this sahaugin surveillance the team needs a plan. Kansk has a good one, and it involves a favour from Keledek the local mage. What will he want in return?
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Following the gratitude of their benefactor, the team spends up big.
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The council calls a meeting and outlines a plan that includes a proposition for the team.
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It came down to a crunch. mergrim went down again... (why do we bring this guy?) we nearly lost the chest over the side, and with only 5 feet of water left.....
Fighting their way out past sprinting Ghasts the team gets out of the lower decks. But the upper decks are looking decidedly dicey. And who is this half orc guy?
If only the monsters on the inside were the only hazard. As tentacles spear in, the boat lurches from side to side and as the water fills the hold, it's time to get out for our heroes AND the ghasts.
Finally the make it down to the hold. what is down there? what horrors will fall them? Stay tuned? let's just say they are not alone.... and surrounded....
The party cleans out the spiders - but not without cost and they take a rest. They head down towards what they hope is the location of the blue box. but they hit a kitchen. with a stench.
That creepy boat beckons. somewhere in there is the magical chest Audrick seeks. but in the first cabin, full of junk, 2 menacing guardians jumped our heroes. They were joined by some nasty little friends...
Finally the battle is done. Then, out of the empty sea looms the Emperor of the waves...
The battle rages on - how many sahuagin are there? The dwarves and party battle on, but one of our number goes down. Will he get back up?
The pleasure cruise turns nasty with a raiding party of Sahuagin. Not just any Sahuagin? how did they find the boat?
Wars cost money. And this one against the sahuagin is no different. The council has recalled the heroes to come and work for a potential backer. the mission is unique, and involves a sail boat not seen for years. What could go wrong?
With the audience complete with the queen, the heroes return to the city of salt marsh and report their findings to the council. This is met with alarm, but a coalition of the willing needs to be formed. What will the heroes do in the meantime?
Somethings gone right - they have made it to an audience with the Queen. Must be time for something to go wrong. they get to see the queen and all live happily ever after right? Right?
The team makes it to the shore, and fronts up to the lizard folk. With a nod and a wink they'll get in right? Is that a cache of weapons in your ship or are you just pleased to see me?
With Seahags around you can never be too careful. AND the team needs a cache of weapons to deal with the Lizardfolk. Much commercial dealings are done.
The report happens. But, it's not quite the glowing reception they hoped for. What's next? Frog Legs on toast?
With a trussed bullywug royal in tow the team hightails back to Saltmarsh to report in. They get waylaid by a couple of 'ladies' of the sea.
one more wave to go.... but what's this guy? and what's that he's riding? could be another whole world of pain.....
Yep - you walk in the marsh long enough and you're bound to spot one, but not that many, not coming at you with spears.....
It was a long wait on the cold deck of a coastal hauler off the hostile coast of the Lizardfolk lair. But they did it and finally with a whisper, Kansk emerged to tell them his tale.
Things get a little interesting around the Lizardfolk lair. After an attack of gas Kansk slips through the passages while the rest of the party makes their way back to the ship. Interesting times....
The travellers entered the lair at the cave entrance and were mauled by the giant lizards at the entrance. just as they gained the upper hand the lizards were called off by 3 lizardfolk guards. Kansk managed to bluff them that they had a shipment of weapons but had come to the wrong entrance. They have been directred to the topmost entrance to the north on the map.
With everybody having purchased from Xandão's from Quartermasters of Iuz (shopped up) the team head out at night to round the head and sneak past the guards.... Good luck ninjas!
With a bit of mucking about the team hears of the council's plans regarding the lizard folk threat.
Having found the weapons and learnt the story the team get back and report to the council. Alls well that ends well, for now.
The chaps keep searching, searching. But where are the weapons. So Strange. This ship holds many mysteries. Lets see if they find them all!
It's hard work on deck as the brouhaha continues. Spells crashing through, mates descending from the heights....
With some potions on board the team successfully signal the mystery ship and head out into bay to intercept... Will their plan come off?
Nothing like the smell of victory. The team head back to Saltmarsh and are summoned to inform the council of the goings on. it seems there's some unfinished business.
[tech problems - lost the 2nd half....]
The team venture down into the caverns below - to follow the rich salty vapours coming off something below. They get to the heart of things, and are soon battling away.
with some excellent "detective rolling", I mean "detective work", the party figures out a bit more about what's going on. and that there might be another corner they have to turn before they resolve their understanding completely.
...and the alchemist is revealed. The amazing things he was up to... the team get a boost at the wonders in his lab.
So, the room erupted in clacking as the team are set upon by skeletons. meanwhile, something was awakening....
There was a small tech error that meant a gap in our coverage of the band of heroes. They went down into the cellar only to discover it was a disused wine cellar.... or was it? A suit of armour had a pile of grubs that took some smooshing.
Once under control the team looks around only to discover another path out of the the cellar. what lies behind that door? listen in to find out.
The team keep exploring the house. Tied up and smacked in the back of the head, is my man Ned.
The boys survive a few spider bites, and despite the green splats get out to the next room, where they pause. What is going on in there?
if there's one thing that's clear in any DnD scenario webs are not just money spiders taking out a few gnats. The team get curious, and so far they are getting all tied up about it.
After a night of celebration the chaps head out of the village to go back and finish the job at the haunted house. But there's a slight delay...
With a couple asleep and an onslaught of Kobolds, the remaining 3 have their work cut out for them. After the fight they know there is one more room to clear out before they have made good on their part of the deal with Manistrad. What could be in that room? What is the kobold's 'Pet'?
The party interrogates the kobold, and discovers there's more down the mine. a quick game of darts and the guys are back up the mine. What will they find?
the guys try and understand who the Lizardfolk man was but get distracted by patters near the door and a secret tunnel down to the river. Oh... the river.....
the team lick their wounds and recover while they report back with the helm. they press on exploring the tunnels, when the dead start walking again...
Finally they connect with manistrad and head up to the mind to take care of the small problem on shaft number 2. after a quick game of profitable darts the crew heads down the shaft to a cloud of proboscises in a pulsing sack of yuck.
Starting at a crossroads is always hard. Which way to go? They chose to the right of course. and how did that work out? Let's just say they discovered a cloud of trouble that sent them back to the town for a nights gambling and... something...?
The team - some shaken, not stirred - move cautiously up the stairs after a rash decision to look in the cupboard. The cupboard had a little surprise that leaves one of our party a little green about the gills. The stairs revealed a couple of crusty old rooms, a pile of clothes, and the crossroads of corridors remain.
Cyrus joins the group - another monk! the group travels back to the haunted house following a visit from Manistrad whose cart broke a wheel. So, they decide to go back to the haunted house. They got as far as the kitchen and the cellar stairs when the jump-scare hit....
The garden around the house has an overgrown thorn bush and a well. What could possibly go wrong?
by the end of the ep 2 of our characters are struggling - having taken a serious hit from a bite.
What creature got the best of them? Listen up to find out.
the guys leave the Empty Net, wander around the cliff to check out the magic tower near the dwarves house. They meet Mary the scone maker and natter about the town. Then they are going to the magic tower, and while talking a tall figure in an orange turban and robes marches out after a quick snort at the characters.
The party decides to head out to the haunted house. They are poised at the gate of the house.
The party meets Eliander Fireborn at Hoolwatch tower. They learn more about the haunted house, and the way the guard works. there may be work available soon with the guard. They walk through the Tannery, and talk leather with Kiorna Kestra. They learn that the Empty Net is a fairly shady place, but go down there anyway!
The barkeep Kreb Shenker is a rough bloke, and his thugs send two brawlers into the sea. They learn even more about the haunted house from Fennel.
Where to next?
The héros finish lunch and hold a covid safe chat with a very liquid fisherman who fills them in on some of the subtleties and movements in Saltmarsh today. He tells them Manistrad the dwarves manager of the mine hangs out at the Wicker Goat and the lodgings don't stink there.
The party wanders over and meets up with Manistrad. She tells them all about the mine, some troubles with one of the shafts in the mine, a haunted house that she's skeptical of but has many strange noises and lights. They agree to come back the next day and travel with her to the mine.
The campaign opens with our heroes escorting magrus the merchant with his cart into the city of Saltmarsh from Burle 29 miles up the road.
The fish smelling city is bustling, but subdued from a poor catch that day. The party meet Eda Oweland who is on the council, and are served by Hanna Rest - the inn keeper at the snapping line.
They have a few ales and sit down to a meal in the Snapping Line, contemplating what to do next.
This was a test session we recorded. We debug our knowledge of DnD 5e while getting our heads around DnD beyond, character sheets, rolling dice and walk through the Goblin Ambush Encounter of Lost Mine of Phandelver