The Drowned Vault A shadowdark/5e survival horror adventure

A Shadowdark Survival Adventure for 3–5 Characters of Levels 1–3

The Adventure

Forty years ago, the Silent Mary vanished beneath the waves. No survivors were ever found. No bodies washed ashore. The official reports claimed the ship was lost at sea, but the truth sank with it.

Now the ship has returned.

You awaken aboard her flooded lower decks with no memory of how you arrived. Water pools around your feet. The timbers groan like something dying. Somewhere above, salvation waits. Beside you sits the Pirate King's Hoard—a fortune in lost treasure worth more than most adventurers will earn in a lifetime.

The problem is simple.

The ship is sinking.

And the treasure is slowing you down.

"The ship is sinking. The treasure is slowing you down. Nobody wants to be the first to let go."

The Drowned Vault is a real-time survival adventure for Shadowdark RPG where every second matters, every decision carries weight, and greed may prove more dangerous than any monster lurking in the dark.

What's Inside

The Drowned Vault is a complete one-shot survival adventure designed to be completed in a single unforgettable session. Inside you'll find a fully detailed four-deck ghost ship, unique real-time gameplay systems, secret player motivations, cursed treasures, terrifying sea monsters, random generators, GM tools, printable timer sheets, and a complete 5E conversion appendix.

The Book Includes

• A complete four-deck ghost ship adventure
• Real-time sinking mechanics
• Secret player motivations
• Dynamic treasure conflict system
• 10 original sea monsters
• 6 cursed magical treasures
• Random tables and generators
• Printable timer sheets
• Full 5E conversion appendix
• Designed specifically for Shadowdark's fast-paced style of play

The Treasure Is The Problem

Most adventures reward players for finding treasure.

This one punishes them.

At the bottom of the ship sits the Pirate King's Hoard, a fortune in lost gold worth more than most adventurers will ever see. Carrying it slows the party. Dropping it may save everyone. Keeping it may doom them all.

Sooner or later someone will say:

"Throw it overboard."

The question is whether anyone will listen.

Unlike traditional adventures, the treasure itself becomes the central conflict of the session. The longer players hold onto it, the harder survival becomes.

The Water Never Stops Rising

The Silent Mary is built around real-time pressure.

Every deck aboard the ship operates on a live countdown timer. Combat consumes time. Searching consumes time. Arguments consume time.

The clock never stops.

As the ship floods and escape becomes more difficult, every decision carries increasing weight. Players aren't simply fighting monsters—they're racing against the ocean itself.

Everyone Has A Secret

Every prisoner aboard the Silent Mary begins with a hidden motivation.

Some want revenge.

Some want redemption.

Some only want to survive.

Others cannot imagine abandoning the treasure no matter the cost.

Because motivations remain secret, players never truly know who they can trust. Alliances form naturally. Tensions rise. Greed and survival collide.

No two groups will experience the adventure the same way.

The Best Monster Is The Clock

Most dungeon crawls allow players to stop, plan, and discuss every option.

The Drowned Vault doesn't.

Every minute spent debating is a minute lost forever. Every wrong turn matters. Every fight becomes a difficult decision.

The timer transforms even simple encounters into moments of tension and forces players to make choices under pressure rather than perfect information.

The Ship Is A Character

The Silent Mary is more than a dungeon.

It groans. It shifts. It remembers.

Ghostly bells ring through empty corridors. Doors jam shut without warning. Memories linger where sailors met their fate. Water pours through cracks that weren't there moments ago.

The ship itself becomes an active part of the adventure, constantly reinforcing the feeling that something beneath the sea does not want the players to escape.

Cursed Treasure With Meaningful Choices

Power always comes with a price.

Throughout the adventure, players discover cursed relics, magical artifacts, and lost possessions recovered from the depths.

Every item grants a powerful advantage.

Every item carries a dangerous drawback.

These aren't generic magic items. They're story-driving rewards that create memorable moments and difficult decisions throughout the adventure.

Four Different Ways The Story Can End

Will the party escape with the treasure?

Will they abandon it to save themselves?

Will someone [do the unexpected!!!]?

Or will greed drag everyone beneath the waves?

The choices players make throughout the adventure directly shape the outcome of the story, creating multiple possible endings and dramatically different experiences between playthroughs.

Designed For One Unforgettable Session

The Drowned Vault was built from the ground up to create memorable stories in a single sitting.

Betrayals.

Last stands.

Impossible decisions.

Heroic sacrifices.

The moment someone refuses to drop the treasure.

The moment another player realizes they may have to force them.

These are the stories groups remember long after the game ends.

The Horrors Of The Silent Mary

The drowned crew still haunt the decks. Bilge Wraiths lurk beneath black water. Rope Golems stalk narrow corridors. The Chaplain's Shade rings its cursed bell through the darkness while the Barnacle Knight continues a duty that should have ended forty years ago.

Above them all waits Captain Thalassa, transformed by a bargain with something ancient beneath the sea and determined to claim anyone foolish enough to challenge her.

Each encounter is designed to support the adventure's themes of pressure, survival, and mounting dread.

Exclusive Campaign Miniatures

Bring the horrors of the Silent Mary to your tabletop with a range of highly detailed STL miniatures designed specifically for this adventure.

Perfect for Shadowdark, D&D, painters, collectors, and resin printing enthusiasts.

Campaign STL Rewards Include

• Captain Thalassa
• The Wailing Figurehead

Who Is This For?

The Drowned Vault is perfect for players who enjoy:

• Shadowdark RPG
• Survival horror
• Ghost ships
• Real-time gameplay
• High tension sessions
• Hidden motivations
• Moral dilemmas
• Deadly dungeon crawls
• Dark fantasy miniatures

If your group enjoys difficult choices, meaningful consequences, and stories that emerge naturally through play, The Drowned Vault was built for you.