SINK! The 5e Guide to Pirates & Tattoos

February Update
about 1 month ago – Fri, Feb 20, 2026 at 04:23:58 PM

Playtest + Project Updates!

Ahoy backers! We are excited to share some updates, including the final playtest document.

Playtest Material 1.6

Check your Digital Downloads folder on Backerkit for the Playtest Material 1.6 document. This should be the final playtest document for SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea.

This document contains all 50 magic item tattoos you'll find in the final book, including the only artifact of the setting, the Heart of Y'gathul Tattoo. This tattoo can only be worn by pledging your soul to Y'gathul. This power comes at a cost, but with it, you gain a powerful new class feature.

We're very excited about it and the rest of the tattoos. If you haven't already, please check it out and send us your feedback at sinkrpg.com/playtest!

Project Update

The files for SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea are ready for editing! In full transparency, we hoped to use an editor that worked on Deep Grotto, but they were no longer available. We have contacted a few editors we trust and are ready to hand off files.

Many of the other products are in development as we speak. We are particularly excited for the miniature sets. The STL's we've seen so far perfectly represent the heroes and villains of the setting.

What's Next

By our next update, before the end of March, we hope to have a fully updated timeline. In the meantime, please check out our discord channel where you can reach us more directly, find a group to play with, show off your tattoos, and more!

November Update
4 months ago – Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at 11:58:17 AM

A Legendary Playtest!

Ahoy backers! Let's get legendary!
We are thrilled to share three of the most powerful magic tattoos in SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea. These Legendary Magic Items level up and evolve as your character empowers them over time, granting abilities worthy of the greatest heroes in the Caldereach.

We had so much fun designing these and have been chomping at the bit to get them into your hands. Check your Digital Downloads folder on Backerkit for the Playtest Material 1.5 document. Inside, you'll find all four subclasses and 40 magic item tattoos.

As always, we can't wait to hear about how you use them in your games.
Please leave us your feedback at sinkrpg.com/playtest.

October Update
5 months ago – Fri, Oct 31, 2025 at 03:47:06 PM

Playtest Material 1.4 is live!

Ahoy, backers! Ten more magic item tattoos are ready for playtesting!

Check your Digital Downloads folder on Backerkit for the Playtest Material 1.4 document. Inside, you'll find all four subclasses and 30 magic item tattoos. That's over half of the magic item tattoos that will be in SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea.

As always, we can't wait to hear about how you use them in your games. Please leave us your feedback at sinkrpg.com/playtest.

What's next?

Internal playtesting of the adventure is going well, and the public playtest for the subclasses and magic items has been super helpful, so please keep that feedback coming! We're getting closer to moving into the editing and revision phase, and we'll keep you posted as we hit those milestones. In the meantime, we genuinely love hearing about your adventures in the Caldereach Sea.

Thanks for your feedback and support!

September Update
6 months ago – Fri, Sep 19, 2025 at 04:20:05 PM

Playtest Material 1.3 is live!

Ahoy, backers! As promised, ten more magic item tattoos are ready for playtesting!

Check your Digital Downloads folder on Backerkit for the Playtest Material 1.3 document, which includes all four subclasses and 20 magic item tattoos ranging from uncommon to very rare.

We can’t wait to hear about how you use them, and the subclasses. Don’t forget to leave us your feedback at sinkrpg.com/playtest.

We love hearing about how you're using tattoos, subclasses, and warlocks like the fearsome Captain Grimscar and the legendary Fogweaver in your games. Speaking of warlocks..

The Dark Armada

As Y'gathul's influence grows, so too does the power of his warlocks. In SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea, you'll have the opportunity to face these formidable foes.

If you haven’t already, please join our Discord server, where we are happy to answer any questions you have.

Thank you!

August Update
7 months ago – Mon, Aug 18, 2025 at 12:43:46 PM

Hello backers! We want to thank you for your continued support. We are grateful for this community, the response to our last update, and feedback from the playtest material.

As some of you may have noticed through social media, my wife and I had our first child, a beautiful and healthy baby boy, John Stanton V (or “Baby J”) on July 10, 2025. I cannot get over how much I love him and how much I enjoy being part of his discovery of each new day.

Through this wonderful milestone and many other life changes, I found myself at a crossroads at which I had to make a decision. In order to prioritize my family, I have made the decision to step away from SINK! Adventures on the Caldereach Sea.

I wish there was a way for me to continue alongside this project, but at this point, the most responsible decision for me is to leave it in the capable hands of Sam and Rick. It was an honor to be part of the inception, creation, and development of SINK! and I have every bit of confidence that the finished book will make each of you pirates proud.

Thank you for believing in this project from the beginning. I can’t wait to see SINK! come to life in your games.

Here’s to our next journey together,
Johnny Stanton

Playtest Material 1.2

As promised, ten of our magic item tattoos are ready for playtesting!

Check your Digital Downloads folder on Backerkit for the Playtest Material 1.2 document, which includes all four subclasses and 10 magic item tattoos ranging from uncommon to very rare.

We can’t wait to hear about how you use them, and the subclasses. Don’t forget to leave us your feedback at sinkrpg.com/playtest.

If you haven’t already, please join our Discord server, where we are happy to answer any questions you have.

Thank you!