Debt to the Docks
A local smugler or shipbroker offers the party work recovering stolen cargo before a rival pirate captain sells it back at a ransom.
Campaign Overview
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Black Sails at Gullsreach
A pirate war has erupted around a salt-bitten harbor where competing captains raid one another’s ships, bribe dockworkers, and hunt for a chart that points to a prize worth sinking fleets for. The party is pulled into the conflict by debt, loyalty, revenge, or greed.
Act I focuses on the first bloody steps of the war: sabotaged ships, whispered deals, and a struggle over who controls the harbor long enough to claim the map’s first clue.
Tone: swashbuckling, treacherous, muddy-harbor intrigue, sudden violence, and sea-ruined treasure.
What players can expect: shipboard raids, tavern knife-fights, dockside chases, and rival pirate captains trying to outwit each other before the shooting starts.
Player Handout
Welcome to Gullsreach
The harbor stinks of tar, wet rope, and bad decisions. Two pirate crews are openly robbing each other’s ships while the watch looks the other way for the right coin.
You arrive with a reason to get involved: a debt to collect, a crewmate to rescue, a map fragment to sell, or a grudge to settle. Rumor says a chart to a legendary prize surfaced in town, and whichever captain controls it first will become the most feared name on the coast.
Trust is expensive here. Cannons are cheaper.
Free Act I Preview
Black Sails at Gullsreach
Act I introduces the pirate war, the contested harbor of Gullsreach, and the central villain: Captain Veyra Salt, who is using staged attacks to force smaller crews into her alliance. The party should discover that the first clue to the chart is hidden in the harbor’s customs records and that both pirate crews and the port authorities want it. Keep scenes fast, sharp, and opportunistic. The act ends with the party choosing which side of the conflict to embarrass, rob, or help before the war escalates.
Adventure Hooks
Blood on the Water
The party’s crew, patron, or loved one is caught between pirate factions, forcing them into the struggle over the harbor and the hidden chart.
Act Structure
Act I: The Harbor of Broken Flags
Recommended level: 1-2The party arrives in Gullsreach during a rising pirate war and becomes entangled in a contest of raids, bribes, and shipboard violence. Their immediate goal is to uncover who is orchestrating the conflict and seize the first clue to a hidden chart before rival crews burn the harbor around it.
Objectives
- Learn which pirate crews are attacking one another
- Survive an open brawl or ambush
- Recover the customs ledger or chart clue
- Identify Captain Veyra Salt as the instigator
Arrival at Gullsreach
Rain taps the pier like impatient fingers. Above the harbor, three pirate flags hang from different masts, each torn in a different way. Everyone is watching everyone else.
Open with atmosphere and immediate tension. Let the players hear rumors of rival pirate crews, then present the first job or plea for help. Make clear that violence is common but not inevitable.
Checks
- DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) to read which sailor is lying
- DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) to win a dockworker’s trust
- DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) to spot staged damage
Clues
- Two pirate crews are attacking the same targets.
- Someone is paying in advance for the raids.
- The customs house has records tied to the chart clue.
Transitions
- Leads to the Dockside Cutpurses encounter
- Leads to the Salt Bar parley scene
The Rival Crew Accord
The taproom is crowded with wet boots, sharp eyes, and half-finished threats. Every table seems to belong to someone dangerous, and no one has drawn steel yet.
This is a social pressure cooker. The party may talk, bluff, eavesdrop, or provoke. If talks fail, the room erupts into the Tavern Knife Night encounter. Use rumors to push the party toward the ledger.
Checks
- DC 11 Charisma (Deception) to pose as neutral brokers
- DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) to overhear coded names
- DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation) to force a witness to talk
Clues
- A black powder receipt links raids to a paid shipment.
- Veyra Salt’s name appears in whispers more than once.
- A neutral sailor knows where the customs ledger is kept.
Transitions
- Leads to the Tavern Knife Night encounter
- Leads to the Harbor Ledger Heist
The Customs House Score
The building smells of ink, damp rope, and old tax records. Somewhere inside, a lock turns slowly, as though someone is already one step ahead of you.
Run this as infiltration, stealth, bribery, or force. It should feel like a heist with immediate stakes. The ledger reveals the villain’s hand and points toward the next act’s direction.
Checks
- DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) to avoid the night patrol
- DC 13 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to open the safe
- DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) to identify the key record
Clues
- The raids were coordinated, not random.
- Captain Veyra Salt paid for false witness statements.
- The chart clue has already been copied once.
Transitions
- Leads to the Customs House Break-In encounter
- Ends Act I with the party choosing their next enemy
Milestone: The party advances to level 2 after recovering the ledger or proving that Veyra Salt is behind the staged pirate raids.
Villain Character Sheets
Captain Veyra Salt
Completed
Captain Veyra Salt is the kind of pirate who can smile through a knife-fight and thank you for the inconvenience. She is smooth, amused, an…
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Captain Veyra Salt Character Sheet
Motivation
Veyra wants to unite the harbor’s pirate crews under her command by manufacturing enough fear and chaos that every rival captain must either submit or be destroyed. She believes only ruthless control can keep stronger navies and better-armed pirates from swallowing the coast.
Personality
Smooth, amused, and cuttingly polite; she treats threats like offers and violence like business.
Resources
- A fast sloop with loyal gunners
- Bribed dockhands and informants
- Forged orders and fake bounty notices
- A hidden stash of black powder
- A small crew of ruthless boarders
Battle Plan
Veyra prefers manipulation first, then ambush, then escape. She uses hired pirates and staged betrayals to weaken enemies before appearing only when victory is nearly assured. In battle she targets spellcasters and leaders, trying to break morale and flee if the fight turns against her.
Defeat or Redemption
If defeated publicly, her network fractures and rival captains scramble for power. If spared or turned, she can become a dangerous but valuable informant against the larger pirate war.
Running Notes
Recommended party: 3-5 characters
Session Zero
This campaign is about piracy, betrayal, smuggling, and shipboard violence. Set expectations for swashbuckling action rather than graphic torture or cruelty. Ask players what lines and veils they want for betrayal, captivity, and maritime danger. Confirm whether PvP is allowed; if it is, keep it opt-in and brief. Encourage character ties such as former crew, creditors, siblings, or ex-partners to create instant reasons to care about the pirate war.
Scaling Guidance
For smaller or cautious parties, reduce each encounter by one low-CR creature and add more escape routes, witnesses, or negotiation options. For larger or optimized parties, add one additional Bandit or Guard to encounters and use terrain pressure such as fires, alarms, or moving ship decks. Keep official monster names only, and favor objectives beyond simple defeat.
DM Advice
Keep the pace brisk and let every scene offer a choice: talk, sneak, or fight. Reuse rumors so players notice the pattern behind the raids. Make the harbor feel alive with competing crews, but keep Veyra Salt the clear throughline. End Act I with a visible win and a dangerous new lead so the campaign can sail into the wider pirate war.
Secrets & Clues
- Veyra Salt profits when both pirate crews weaken each other.
- The chart clue is hidden in the harbor’s customs records.
- A rival captain may ally with the party if offered the ledger first.
- The raids are staged to create a false war footing.
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Encounters
Dockside Cutpurses
Suggested Level: 1-2
Two rival pirates ambush the party near stacked cargo, trying to seize a ledger key and claim the first map clue. The fight is noisy, crowded, and full of opportunities for improvised cover.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Crates provide half cover
- Rope coils can be used to trip or climb
- Slick planks count as difficult terrain when wet
Treasure
12 gp, a customs key, and a torn page mentioning a hidden chart ledger
DM Notes
Use this as the opening fight. Reduce to 3 Bandits if the party is weak; add 1 Thug if they are strong.
Tavern Knife Night
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1-2
A tense drinking hall parley collapses into a brawl when disguised pirates recognize one another and draw blades beneath the tables. Patrons scatter while bottles and stools become weapons.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Tables give partial cover
- Broken glass creates hazardous squares on a crit or shove
- A balcony offers high ground and escape routes
Treasure
A pouch with 20 gp, a coded receipt for black powder, and a rumor about Veyra Salt
DM Notes
Run this as a social scene that can become a fight. If the party negotiates well, halve the hostile creatures.
Harbor Ledger Heist
Encounter Builder
High
Suggested Level: 2
The party infiltrates the customs house to steal or copy the records that reveal which captain moved the chart clue. Guards, alarms, and a concealed safe make this a tense burglary.
Creatures
Guard
Count 2
SRD
· CR 1/8
· Humanoid
Spy
Count 2
SRD
· CR 1
· Humanoid
Mastiff
SRD
· CR 1/8
· Beast
Terrain Features
- Narrow hallways favor ambushes
- Locked cabinets and a reinforced safe need tools or force
- A lantern-lit pier outside allows escape by water
Treasure
The ledger, 35 gp in bribes, and the next clue to the chart’s route
DM Notes
This is the climax encounter for Act I. If the party lacks stealth, let them fight through the guard and then flee with the ledger.
Magic Items
Cutlass of the Brinewake
Completed
Cutlass of the Brinewake
Uncommon
A salt-dark cutlass that hums softly near seawater. Once per day, it can add a burst of briny force to a hit, helping its wielder win duels on pitching decks.
Location
Act I: taken from Captain Veyra Salt’s private locker or won in the harbor duel.
Attunement
True — requires attunement by a creature proficient with martial weapons.
Compass of the False Star
Completed
Compass of the False Star
Uncommon
This iron compass points toward the nearest active lie spoken within 300 feet, tilting sharply when a speaker is deliberately misleading others in the pirate war.
Location
Act I: found in the customs house safe or purchased from a frightened dock broker.
Attunement
False
Bottle of Starlit Rum
Completed
Bottle of Starlit Rum
Common
A sealed bottle of glowing rum that can steady a crew in a storm. When opened, it grants a brief boost to morale and makes the next voyage safer.
Location
Act I: loot from the Salt Bar or a prize in a smugglers’ stash.
Attunement
False
Player Characters
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