Rumor of Buried Coin
The party hears that a lost captain’s treasure map has surfaced, and anyone who helps recover the first piece will earn a cut of the reward.
Campaign Overview
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The Shattered Map of Salt and Shadow
A coastal treasure hunt has begun: a once-mythic route to a forgotten vault was cut into three fragments and scattered after a shipwreck and a betrayal. The party is drawn into the chase by rumor, debt, or curiosity, then must race rivals, decode clues, and survive old guardians long enough to claim the prize.
The hunt is not only for wealth. The map points to a vault tied to a buried secret, and every step forward reveals that someone is already willing to kill to keep the treasure hidden.
Tone
- Adventurous and suspenseful
- Ruins, tides, and old curses
- Rivalry, puzzles, and danger
What the heroes can expect
- Clues hidden in taverns, wrecks, and roadside shrines
- A rival searching for the same treasure
- A final approach through dangerous terrain to a sealed cache
Player Handout
The old stories say a captain buried a fortune before his ship was lost in a storm. Now pieces of the map have resurfaced in your region, and every cutpurse, scholar, and would-be adventurer is looking for them.
You begin in a storm-battered port where a patron hires you to recover the first fragment before it falls into the wrong hands. The work is dangerous, the trail is uncertain, and another seeker seems to know too much.
Bring your greed, your caution, or your sense of wonder. The treasure hunt is real—and so is the competition.
Free Act I Preview
The Shattered Map of Salt and Shadow
Act I is a treasure-hunt opening built around a broken chart, a local patron, and a rival scholar who is secretly steering events toward a hidden vault. Focus on atmosphere, clues, and a short sequence of escalating challenges. The party should end Act I with the first map fragment, the location of the second, and a clear enemy in motion.
Adventure Hooks
Debt to the Patron
A local scholar or dockmaster offers work, payment, and protection in exchange for escorting them through the first leg of the treasure hunt.
Act Structure
Act I: The Tide Begins to Turn
Recommended level: 1-2The party is drawn into a treasure hunt by a broken map, then forced to outpace a rival scholar through a warehouse, a marsh, and an archive. This act establishes the route, the stakes, and the central villain’s methods.
Objectives
- Recover the first map fragment
- Identify the rival seeking the treasure
- Learn the location of the next fragment
- Survive the rival’s pressure and misdirection
A Patron With a Proposal
Rain lashes the windows as a nervous patron unrolls a torn chart on the table. The parchment is old, the ink is faded, and someone has clearly cut it apart by design.
Open with the hook and make the treasure feel real immediately. The patron offers coin, but the rival’s name should also emerge through rumor. Let the party choose whether to accept, question, or bluff their way into the hunt.
Checks
- Insight DC 12: read the patron’s fear
- History DC 12: identify the chart as pre-modern coastal work
- Persuasion DC 11: gain a useful upfront payment
Clues
- The map fragment was stolen from a waterfront warehouse
- Doctor Selven Marr has been asking about the same route
- The treasure lies beyond a causeway and a tidal shrine
Transitions
- Leads to the warehouse break-in
- Can shift into a social scene with local dockworkers
The Warehouse and the Ledger Chest
Broken crates float in ankle-deep seawater, and every surface is marked by muddy bootprints. The ledger chest sits beneath a collapsed beam, half-hidden by canvas and rope.
This is the first active confrontation and should establish that someone else is already hunting the treasure. The encounter packet can be run here. Emphasize loot, clues, and a fast escape if the party is stronger than the opposition.
Checks
- Investigation DC 12: find the chest quickly
- Athletics DC 10: shift debris from the doorway
- Perception DC 11: notice a fleeing accomplice
Clues
- The fragment references the salt marsh
- A smuggler’s mark links the warehouse to old coastal thieves
- The rival is paying local muscle
Transitions
- Leads to the salt marsh ambush
- Can introduce a chase if enemies flee with part of the evidence
The Archive of Tides
Dusty charts lie beneath warped shelves, and old sea water stains climb the walls like tide marks. The keeper looks over your shoulder as if expecting trouble before you even speak.
This scene should reveal the next location and the rival’s reach. Keep it tense rather than purely combat-focused. The keeper can be helpful if treated respectfully, but the rival’s agents will try to interrupt or steal documents.
Checks
- Persuasion DC 12: gain archive access
- Investigation DC 13: locate the causeway reference
- Deception DC 12: pose as scholars or inspectors
Clues
- The second fragment is near a tidal shrine or smugglers’ causeway
- The route can only be reached at low tide
- Doctor Selven Marr has already checked the same records
Transitions
- Leads to the next act in the full campaign
- Ends Act I with the party holding a clear destination
Milestone: The party reaches level 2 after securing the first fragment and identifying the location of the next clue.
Villain Character Sheets
Doctor Selven Marr
Completed
Doctor Selven Marr is the sort of man who enters a room as though he has already measured it. He speaks with careful diction, stands with i…
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Doctor Selven Marr Character Sheet
Motivation
Selven wants the treasure not for wealth alone, but because the vault contains proof of an old betrayal that would ruin his reputation and empower him over the port’s elite.
Personality
Polite, precise, and faintly contemptuous. He speaks like a lecturer, never raises his voice, and treats violence as a regrettable but acceptable tool.
Resources
- A small network of hired bandits and dockside informants
- Access to old charts, archives, and forged papers
- A private cache of funds used to pay scavengers
- Influence with a few nervous merchants and clerks
Battle Plan
Selven avoids direct combat early. He uses proxies, misinformation, and ambushes to exhaust the party, then appears only when a clue or relic is nearly secured. If cornered, he tries to negotiate, then escape with the evidence.
Defeat or Redemption
If defeated publicly, Selven’s network collapses and the party gains a strong lead into Act II. If confronted with proof of his original crime, he may bargain or turn informant to save himself.
Running Notes
Recommended party: 3-5 characters
Session Zero
This campaign works best with a clear agreement about rivalry, theft, and pressure. Ask players whether they are comfortable with competing treasure hunters and occasional betrayal. Decide early how lethal the opening should be, whether the rival can be reasoned with, and how much “puzzle solving under threat” the table wants. Make sure everyone knows the treasure hunt will involve exploration, chase scenes, and moral choices, not just combat.
Scaling Guidance
For 1st-level groups, reduce enemy counts by 1 in each combat and give the party more environmental advantages. For 4-5 experienced players, add one extra Bandit in the warehouse and make the marsh ambushers start with cover and surprise. For very small parties, turn the archive fight into a social challenge with only one enemy. For larger or optimized parties, increase enemy morale and have rivals retreat with clues rather than die on the spot.
DM Advice
Keep the pace brisk. Every scene should reveal a clue, a rival action, or a new route. Use weather, tides, and time pressure to make the hunt feel urgent. Let the villain stay mostly offstage in Act I so the party fears him before they face him. Reward smart play with shortcuts and information, not just treasure.
Secrets & Clues
- The treasure route was originally designed as a smuggler’s escape path.
- Doctor Selven Marr’s interest in the vault is tied to an old scandal, not simple greed.
- The captain’s route can only be safely followed at low tide.
- The first fragment contains a hidden note visible only when wet.
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Encounters
Warehouse Break-In
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1-2
The party enters a ruined waterfront warehouse to recover the first map fragment while rival thieves search the same debris-choked floor. Tight spaces, collapsing crates, and a desperate fight make this an immediate chase-combat opener.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Narrow aisles of stacked crates
- Difficult terrain from spilled rope and shattered barrels
- A weak loft that can collapse under heavy movement
Treasure
First map fragment, 15 gp in mixed coin, a clue to a smuggler’s mark
DM Notes
If the party struggles, have one guard flee after round 2. If they dominate, add rough terrain and a collapsing beam instead of more enemies.
Salt Marsh Ambush
Suggested Level: 1-2
While following the fragment’s directions, the party is attacked in the marsh by scavengers who have been paid to delay them. The fight emphasizes mud, half-submerged footing, and ranged pressure from hidden cover.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Knee-deep mud and standing water
- Reed beds that grant cover
- Narrow dry hummocks that limit movement
Treasure
A second clue scratched on a bone charm, 10 gp, and a usable goblin torch bundle
DM Notes
Use this as a quick pressure encounter. It should feel like harassment from the rival, not a major battle.
Archive of Tides
Suggested Level: 1-2
In a quiet archive, the party must gain information from a wary keeper while avoiding attention from anyone tracking the map. This is a tense social scene with the possibility of a short confrontation if things go badly.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Shelves of water-warped records
- Narrow reading aisles
- A locked cabinet containing old harbor charts
Treasure
The location of the smugglers’ causeway, a reference to the captain’s name, and a minor alchemical supply
DM Notes
This works best as a social scene that can turn into a brief skirmish. Reward careful questioning with a strong clue.
Magic Items
Compass of the Returning Tide
Completed
Compass of the Returning Tide
Uncommon
This brass compass points toward the nearest map fragment tied to the lost captain’s route. Once per day, it can also reveal the direction of the safest path through natural terrain for 1 hour.
Location
Act I, recovered from the warehouse chest
Attunement
False
Mariner’s Lantern
Completed
Mariner’s Lantern
Uncommon
This hooded lantern burns with a steady blue flame that resists wind and rain. While lit, it grants advantage on checks to search for hidden marks, tracks, or submerged clues in coastal environments.
Location
Act I, found in the archive cabinet
Attunement
False
Saltglass Charm
Completed
Saltglass Charm
Common
A small charm made of fused sea glass and silver wire. While worn, it gives advantage on one saving throw against being frightened or lost in fog each dawn, reflecting the captain’s old sea ward.
Location
Act I, awarded after the marsh clue
Attunement
False
Player Characters
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