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Underwater #U2
Danger at Dunwater
Danger at Dunwater is the second part in a series of three modules designed and developed in the United Kingdom for beginning adventurers with the AD&D rules. Its plot follows direct from that of the first part (Module U1 - The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh). This adventure can be played by 6-10 characters of level 1-4. This module contains large- scale maps, full background information and detailed encounter descriptions for the players and DM.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 27, 2026
A good module for beginners and the artwork is above average. Read this module as it was being reviewed on YouTube.
November 1, 2022
This is a fairly standard fortress invasion scenario which is made more unique by the fact that the stronghold being invaded belongs to lizard men.
The real twist here (SPOILER for PLAYERS) is that the lizard men are not hostile to the folks at the city of Saltmarsh. They were doing business with the smugglers in Module U1 merely to arm themselves against a greater threat of creatures called the sahuagin.
However, the scenario is set up so that the players are unlikely to learn this until they are deep within the dungeon and have already slaughtered dozens of lizard men. And if the players are quick with the sword, they might never learn this at all until the next adventure.
I suppose if the players learned early on, at the very beginning, that the lizard men are peaceful then this would be a very short adventure (but all the more skillfully played) and that is why the author recommends obscuring the facts until deep into the adventure.
If the idea that they have been killing innocent creatures isn't enough, the author of the module digs the dagger deeper: if the players want to make peace and become allies with the lizard men against the sahaugin they must give up a large portion of the treasure they recovered from the bandits earlier as well as play a blood-price of 10 gold pieces for every lizard man they killed.
This creates a character dilemma which makes the dungeon crawl far more interesting. Will the players give up their hard-fought gains for the benefit of the town of SaltMarsh and its safety or will they will continue to wipe out the lizard men for more treasure?
This is an interesting scenario, but I'm not sure its fair play to set the lizard men up as the bad guys without giving the players an earlier chance to discover the truth, before they've wiped out have of the peaceful lizard men enclave.
The real twist here (SPOILER for PLAYERS) is that the lizard men are not hostile to the folks at the city of Saltmarsh. They were doing business with the smugglers in Module U1 merely to arm themselves against a greater threat of creatures called the sahuagin.
However, the scenario is set up so that the players are unlikely to learn this until they are deep within the dungeon and have already slaughtered dozens of lizard men. And if the players are quick with the sword, they might never learn this at all until the next adventure.
I suppose if the players learned early on, at the very beginning, that the lizard men are peaceful then this would be a very short adventure (but all the more skillfully played) and that is why the author recommends obscuring the facts until deep into the adventure.
If the idea that they have been killing innocent creatures isn't enough, the author of the module digs the dagger deeper: if the players want to make peace and become allies with the lizard men against the sahaugin they must give up a large portion of the treasure they recovered from the bandits earlier as well as play a blood-price of 10 gold pieces for every lizard man they killed.
This creates a character dilemma which makes the dungeon crawl far more interesting. Will the players give up their hard-fought gains for the benefit of the town of SaltMarsh and its safety or will they will continue to wipe out the lizard men for more treasure?
This is an interesting scenario, but I'm not sure its fair play to set the lizard men up as the bad guys without giving the players an earlier chance to discover the truth, before they've wiped out have of the peaceful lizard men enclave.
January 7, 2025
The middle of three modules, and undoubtedly best run as part of the 'U' series and not stand-alone, U2:Danger at Dunwater is an odd fish for 1e.
In essence the PCs have found out the smugglers have been arms dealing with lizardmen only a dozen miles away from Saltmarsh. The council task them with investigating this possible threat which they (presumably) agree to, possibly with Oceanus the sea elf in tow (and he would make a big difference if he's there).
The twist in the adventure is that the Lizardmen are arming up as they are scared of some sahaugin who've forced them away from their lair. They're arranging a parley with other aquatic races to gain support.
Of course, the beauty is that the PCs don't know this and are likely to infiltrate with maximum prejudice! Players these days in 5e would be far likelier to consider negotiation or questioning defeated foes than the treasure grab-XP vibe of AD&D. Which makes this adventure atypical for AD&D (similar to UK1, another Brit module). There's a sizeable amount of text given over to managing pretty much any event, mainly with an approach to making sure the adventure ends with an alliance. This can vary from simple negotiation (with the factions in mind) to compensation for slaughtering Lizardmen (in surrendered treasure/ wergild), to a fun side-quest (which would be tough for sub-3rd level in AD&D). Also included are methods of fudging the need for killing monsters and grabbing gold as a core method of XP accumulation. It's sensible stuff, for the day, and one of the first of the early era that advocated it so strongly.
So far so good. My main quibble, other than pages of reiteration and repetition of the above that sometimes feels like padding, is the great detail of the well structured lair is written very much like a classic dungeon and I could totally see why players would go in swinging. And beyond freeing and allying with the sahaugin (which would be mega stupid and rely on Oceanus being dead) they're pretty much forgiven by the desperate Lizardmen. And it would really push the DM skill to get it just right and make it a real 'OMG' moment, rather than an uber-quick excursion to the Swamp.
All in all, a different module for the era that feels more at home in the 5e environment, and indeed was updated in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and risks being too short if the twist is played too early.
In essence the PCs have found out the smugglers have been arms dealing with lizardmen only a dozen miles away from Saltmarsh. The council task them with investigating this possible threat which they (presumably) agree to, possibly with Oceanus the sea elf in tow (and he would make a big difference if he's there).
The twist in the adventure is that the Lizardmen are arming up as they are scared of some sahaugin who've forced them away from their lair. They're arranging a parley with other aquatic races to gain support.
Of course, the beauty is that the PCs don't know this and are likely to infiltrate with maximum prejudice! Players these days in 5e would be far likelier to consider negotiation or questioning defeated foes than the treasure grab-XP vibe of AD&D. Which makes this adventure atypical for AD&D (similar to UK1, another Brit module). There's a sizeable amount of text given over to managing pretty much any event, mainly with an approach to making sure the adventure ends with an alliance. This can vary from simple negotiation (with the factions in mind) to compensation for slaughtering Lizardmen (in surrendered treasure/ wergild), to a fun side-quest (which would be tough for sub-3rd level in AD&D). Also included are methods of fudging the need for killing monsters and grabbing gold as a core method of XP accumulation. It's sensible stuff, for the day, and one of the first of the early era that advocated it so strongly.
So far so good. My main quibble, other than pages of reiteration and repetition of the above that sometimes feels like padding, is the great detail of the well structured lair is written very much like a classic dungeon and I could totally see why players would go in swinging. And beyond freeing and allying with the sahaugin (which would be mega stupid and rely on Oceanus being dead) they're pretty much forgiven by the desperate Lizardmen. And it would really push the DM skill to get it just right and make it a real 'OMG' moment, rather than an uber-quick excursion to the Swamp.
All in all, a different module for the era that feels more at home in the 5e environment, and indeed was updated in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and risks being too short if the twist is played too early.
April 29, 2024
Not as good as the first. Exploring different races and creatures as something more than just sword-fodder and loot-dispensers, their sociology and culture and such, is all very well - but this is a game about fighting and looting, and beyond all that stuff there isn't much, here or elsewhere. If the player characters take it even remotely easy and try to talk at first (and most of them probably do, especially in these more enlightened days), you might as well just toss the module away: it's all done already.
April 27, 2023
This is a neat idea - I would never as a player have come up with the idea of an alliance without my DM pushing me in that direction. As a DM I am not sure how I would approach the fundamental and required outcome of this module.
June 6, 2015
It is a good module, but there is a giant potential plot hole that a smart party can exploit and reduce a multihour adventure to about 5-10 minutes of clever gaming.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews