By Cawood Publishing.

My Affiliate Link to Ghosts of Wrath on DriveThruRPG.com.

Cawood Publishing’s website (WorldofMyrr.com) where you can find Ghosts of Wrath and other awesome d20 books.

Ghosts of Wrath is one of those adventures that tells you exactly what kind of story it wants to be right from the opening pages. This is a coastal horror fantasy about history refusing to stay buried, about old sins surfacing in the form of undead sailors, ruined castles, and a ghost ship riding in on a storm. If that premise already has your attention, you’re probably the right audience for this book.

Fair Notice: I backed Ghosts of Wrath on BackerKit in PDF and physical form. I believe in Cawood’s mission to bring the old school charm to the new school of d20 gaming. I have not been compensated for this review.

Lots of Undead, as one might expect.

The adventure is set near the village of Oren on the continent of Myrr, but it is explicitly written to be dropped into almost any fantasy world. The text keeps mechanics light and flexible, with conversion tables provided for multiple systems. The focus is clearly on locations, factions, NPC motivations, and unfolding events rather than on rules density. That design choice shows up everywhere and makes the adventure feel approachable without feeling shallow.

The adventure also includes three tiers of difficulty, allowing the same core story to be run for low, mid, or high level characters. That scaling is built directly into encounters and monster choices rather than being an afterthought. The text is upfront about how much harder certain decisions become at lower levels, especially if the party chooses to confront Grimalkin early.

There is a strong emphasis on mystery throughout the adventure. Rumors, hidden identities, and long-buried secrets all play a role. NPCs like Captain Jeremiah Hunt, Dorian Narciso, and Neferata are not just quest dispensers. They exist within the story’s moral gray areas, and their relationships matter. The module trusts the Game Master to let those relationships breathe at the table.

Ghosts of Wrath also provides a substantial amount of support material. Encounter tables, treasure tables, NPC tables, new monsters, spells, and magic items are all included, along with ships and boats relevant to the coastal setting. The appendices feel like tools rather than padding, and they make it easier to extend the adventure or react to unexpected player choices.

No review of a Cawood Publishing book would be complete without a mention of the Travis Hanson art throughout, which makes all of these books a joy to flip through. I also need to mention Wouter F. Goudkoop who did the cartography for this adventure. And as always written by Andrew Cawood, who I look up to a great deal in this industry. I often tell myself I’ll have hit the big time if I’m pulling in numbers like these guys do. All in all Cawood Publishing sets an industry standard for excellence.

Zombies with tentacles. Need I say more?

One of the strongest elements of the book is how much usable material it provides without overwhelming the Game Master. The village of Oren is clearly detailed with leadership, population, businesses, factions, and tensions. The ruins of Narciso Castle and the dungeon beneath it are packed with threats and strange encounters. The old lighthouse, the ghost ship, and the surrounding coast all feel like distinct spaces with their own tone and purpose. Nothing here feels like filler.

I know Cawood Publishing often mentions being inspired by the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules in their social media posts. I, like many Game/Dungeon Masters prefer this style of adventure presentation. Even if my players go “off script” so to speak, we still have plenty of territory, monsters, and places to explore in the module itself.

At its heart, this is an adventure about reclaiming what the dead believe is theirs and stopping a threat rooted in generational corruption and unfinished business. It blends village defense, dungeon exploration, naval horror, and undead warfare into a single coherent arc. It does not try to reinvent fantasy, but it executes its themes with confidence and clarity.

This module has its share of living hazards as well.

Ghosts of Wrath feels like a complete campaign centerpiece rather than a disposable scenario. It asks the Game Master to engage with its history and gives them the material to do so without linear hand-holding. If you enjoy coastal adventures, undead threats, and stories where the past actively hunts the present, this one earns a serious look.

This adventure is Cawood’s third module. The first two being Rise of the Mushroom King and Fall of Rivenhelm. However, Ghosts of Wrath takes place in the World of Myrr, just not in the same storyline as the first two. This setting can also be easily shoehorned into other game worlds with little effort needed to do so as I mentioned earlier. Personally, I think World of Myrr is an excellent setting, full of mirth and mayhem, which is right up my alley.

As with the other adventures I’ve reviewed, I’m trying really hard to avoid any serious spoilers. I highly recommend checking out Ghosts of Wrath. The NPCs, spells, magic items, cool locations, and overall plot arc make it a winner for any GM/DM looking for multiple nights of adventure. I could probably run this as a short campaign and have plenty of material left over at the end. It’s packed with good stuff.

I love the back cover!

Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.