Coin for the Black Wake
A harbormaster offers payment and supplies if the party investigates who has been attacking ships and recover anything stolen from the latest raid.
Campaign Overview
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Shards of the Black Wake
The sea lanes have grown dangerous. Merchant hulks vanish in fog, coastal villages are raided for supplies, and wreckage washes ashore marked by a blackened wave symbol. The party begins in a harbor town where rumor, gold, and fear all point toward a pirate crew hunting a lost chart.
In Act I, the characters are pulled into a struggle between desperate sailors, greedy smugglers, and a ruthless pirate captain gathering pieces of a navigational chart said to lead to an ancient sea-buried prize. The tone is swashbuckling and perilous: tavern deals, dockside fights, storm-choked pursuits, and the first step onto a pirate-lord’s trail.
This preview focuses on the opening act only, with enough material to launch the campaign and set the central conflict at sea.
Player Handout
Welcome to the Shattered Coast
The sea is full of lies, and someone in the harbor knows more than they admit.
You arrive in a wind-beaten port where ships come in damaged, crews come in missing, and every tavern has heard the same story: a pirate captain has been buying charts, bribing pilots, and raiding vessels that sail near the old reef line.
The townsfolk want protection. The sailors want revenge. The smugglers want to stay invisible. And somewhere offshore, the pirate crew known as the Black Wake is searching for something buried beneath the waves.
If you want coin, glory, or simply a reason to hit pirates with a sword, this is your kind of trouble.
Free Act I Preview
Shards of the Black Wake
Act I is a localized pirate opener centered on a harbor town, a smuggler’s pier, and a storm-battered wreck. The party learns that Captain Veyra Blackwake is collecting chart fragments from terrified witnesses and stolen cargo. The act should feel fast, practical, and cinematic: one social scene, one investigation scene, one combat-on-the-docks scene, and one final encounter aboard a drifting wreck or hidden cove. The goal is to establish Blackwake as a threat and give the party a reason to chase her fleet beyond the bay.
Adventure Hooks
A Pirate’s Mark
One character finds a black wave token in their belongings, suggesting they were watched by Black Wake agents before the adventure began.
Act Structure
Act I: The Black Wave in Port
Recommended level: 1-3The party enters a troubled harbor and uncovers the first layer of Captain Veyra Blackwake’s plan. Investigation, dockside conflict, and a final interception reveal that the pirates are hunting something more valuable than cargo: a hidden route shown only by chart fragments.
Objectives
- Learn who is raiding ships in the harbor
- Recover a chart fragment or map case
- Survive the pirates’ attempt to silence witnesses
- Confront Blackwake’s agents at the cove or wreck
The Smoke of the Harbor
A rain-dark harbor stretches beneath a gray sky. Nets hang like webbing between masts, gulls scream overhead, and every sailor seems to be watching someone else’s hands.
Open with rumors, debt, fear, and bribery. Let the players gather clues from sailors, dockhands, and the harbormaster. The scene should establish Blackwake’s name and the black wave token.
Checks
- DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) to calm frightened locals
- DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) to notice who is lying about the raids
- DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) to connect cargo records to the smugglers’ pier
Clues
- A pirate captain is paying for charts, not coin.
- The raids increase whenever a ship sails near the reef line.
- A witness saw crates moved after midnight to a hidden pier.
Transitions
- Leads to the smugglers’ pier investigation
- Can trigger the dockside fight if the party asks too openly
Hidden Cargo at Low Tide
As the tide pulls back, the mud gives up broken barrels, snapped ropes, and the stink of lamp oil. Something metallic glints beneath a net-covered crate.
This is the investigation scene that rewards curiosity. The party can search crates, decode shipping marks, or follow boot prints to a hidden cache. Evidence points toward the wreck or cove.
Checks
- DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) to follow footprints through the mud
- DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) to find the hidden map case
- DC 12 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) to open sealed cargo without damage
Clues
- A map case was transferred to a launch boat.
- One crate contains Blackwake’s coded supplies.
- The next delivery is headed toward Stormwreck Reef.
Transitions
- Leads to Wreck in the Fog
- Can be interrupted by Pirates at the Fishmarket
The Black Wake’s Last Delivery
The surf pounds the rocks below, and lantern light flickers over wet stone. Pirates hurry cargo from a boat while the captain watches the horizon like a predator waiting for blood.
Run this as the finale of Act I. The characters can fight, negotiate, sabotage the launch, or chase Blackwake away. End with the captain escaping or being beaten back and the next route revealed.
Checks
- DC 12 Strength (Athletics) to cross slippery rock or shove enemies
- DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) to keep footing on wet stone or gangplanks
- DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) to shake loose a pirate informant
Clues
- The chart fragments fit together into a route line.
- Blackwake is heading for another island cache.
- A larger power may be funding pirate operations.
Transitions
- Leads to the launch encounter
- Completes the act and points to the next voyage
Milestone: The party reaches level 3 after recovering the chart fragment and driving off Blackwake’s delivery crew.
Villain Character Sheets
Captain Veyra Blackwake
Completed
Captain Veyra Blackwake is the kind of villain who never feels outmatched until the moment she chooses to retreat. She is sharp, theatrical…
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Captain Veyra Blackwake Character Sheet
Motivation
Blackwake believes the old sea route hidden by the chart will lead to enough lost treasure and leverage to make her crew untouchable. She is ruthless because she thinks mercy at sea is a luxury for the already powerful.
Personality
Sharp, confident, and theatrical. She speaks like every encounter is a negotiation she expects to win, but her temper flashes when plans are delayed or mocked.
Resources
- Fast launch boats
- A disciplined pirate crew
- Smuggler contacts in port
- Stolen charts and encoded logs
- A hidden cove cache
- Fear and reputation among coastal sailors
Battle Plan
Blackwake uses scouts and hired toughs first, then strikes where the party is isolated or on unstable terrain. In battle she prefers focused attacks, mobility, and retreat routes. If outmatched, she abandons loot, burns evidence, and escapes to continue the chase later.
Defeat or Redemption
If defeated, her captured charts reveal the route to the next act’s destination. If spared or negotiated with, she may become a dangerous temporary ally against a greater maritime threat.
Running Notes
Recommended party: 4-5 players
Session Zero
Set expectations for swashbuckling danger, maritime corruption, and possible betrayal. Confirm how comfortable the table is with shipboard peril, drowning risk, and pirate violence. Decide whether piracy is treated as comedic, grim, or heroic. Use lines and veils for coercion, torture, and cruelty. Encourage characters with sea ties, but make sure every PC has a reason to care about the harbor’s fate.
Scaling Guidance
For levels 1-2, reduce creature counts and have Blackwake flee sooner. For levels 3-4, add one additional Bandit to each combat and make the final encounter more aggressive with better positioning and use of terrain. Keep the action mobile and let the environment matter as much as the enemy list.
DM Advice
Give out clues quickly and clearly; Act I works best when the party always knows the next lead. Use weather, tides, and time pressure to keep scenes moving. Pirates should feel opportunistic rather than suicidal. End the act with a visible promise of the wider sea: a named island, a chart line, or a vanished destination.
Secrets & Clues
- Blackwake’s raids are organized around chart fragments, not random plunder.
- The black wave token marks crew members and bribed dockworkers.
- The hidden route may lead to a sea-buried vault or lost ship graveyard.
- Someone in port is feeding information to the pirates.
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Encounters
Dockside Knife Fight
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1-2
Pirate toughs corner the party on a narrow pier, trying to silence witnesses and seize a stolen chart piece before it can be identified.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Slippery dock planks
- Crates provide half cover
- Water below counts as difficult to climb out of
- Mooring ropes can be used to swing or trip
Treasure
17 gp, a black wave token, and a water-damaged chart scrap
DM Notes
Reduce one Bandit for a very small party; add 1 Bandit for five or more PCs. Let creative movement matter, especially shoves and forced movement.
Wreck in the Fog
Encounter Builder
Moderate
Suggested Level: 1-3
The party boards a half-sunken ship drifting near the reef, where the dead crew’s cargo has become a prize for opportunistic sea predators and scavengers.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Leaning deck with collapsed sections
- Flooded lower hold
- Broken rigging that can be climbed
- Fog reduces long sight lines
Treasure
A seaworn map case, 25 gp in mixed coin, and a potion of healing
DM Notes
Use the wreck as a compact exploration-combat hybrid. If combat is too easy, have one Bandit use the rigging for advantage and retreating shots.
The Pirate Captain’s Escape
Encounter Builder
High
Suggested Level: 2-3
As Blackwake’s agents load stolen charts onto a launch, the party can intercept the getaway, defeat the crew, or force the captain to abandon her prize.
Creatures
Terrain Features
- Narrow gangplank
- Swaying launch boat
- Burning lanterns and smoke
- Open water surrounding the fight
Treasure
Captain’s signet knife, 60 gp, and directions to the next island hideout
DM Notes
This is the act’s climax. If the party is struggling, Blackwake can flee after dropping the chart clue. If they are dominating, have her fight aggressively before escaping in the launch.
Magic Items
Compass of the Returning Tide
Completed
Compass of the Returning Tide
Uncommon
This brass compass always points toward the nearest active clue tied to the Black Wake’s chart, such as a hidden cache, marked wreck, or stolen map fragment.
Location
Act I, recovered from the Driftwood Wreck
Attunement
False
Captain’s Signet Knife
Completed
Captain’s Signet Knife
Uncommon
A polished fighting knife etched with a black wave crest. Once per day, it can grant advantage on one check to intimidate, cut bindings, or slit rigging cleanly.
Location
Act I, taken from Captain Blackwake after the launch encounter
Attunement
False
Saltglass Charm
Completed
Saltglass Charm
Common
A blue-green glass charm worn by smugglers to ward bad luck. While carried, it gives a faint warning buzz when hidden seawater or a concealed compartment is nearby.
Location
Act I, purchased or stolen in the harbor market
Attunement
False
Player Characters
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