Credits Table of Contents

Wizards of the Coast Introduction ................................................................. 1

Designer: James Haeck Loadin’ up the Icebreaker ............................................ 2
Cartography: Mike Schley Frost and Fear in Fireshear ........................................ 10
Illustrations by Wizards of the Coast Team Ambush at Aurilssbarg ............................................... 14
Evil on the Icy Sea ...................................................... 18
Layout: Steve Jolly Shelter from the Storm .............................................. 21
Trek to Ten-Towns ..................................................... 24
Chaos in Kelvin’s Cairn ............................................... 29
Jarlaxle’s Reversal ...................................................... 36
Vanifer’s Repentance ................................................. 40

Note: This material was originally presented as a series of free

encounters on D&D Beyond, has been consolidated here, and is still the
property of Wizards of the Coast.

Disclaimer: Do not lick any metallic objects while in the frozen area of Icewind Dale – even if someone… or something… triple-dog dares you. Your tongue will freeze to it. Take my word for it… I have seen it!
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Icewind Dale, Rime of the Frostmaiden, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, all other Wizards of
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 direction of the official adventure with some silly props
Introduction and says to go have fun.
This encounter series is designed with both new players
and D&D veterans in mind. In this series, the player
characters begin their adventures as members of the
Luskar Deliverers, a mercenary company that specializes
re you prepared to journey to Icewind Dale, in dangerous courier work. The Deliverers are mildly
the frozen north of Faerûn? Times are strange, and famous in the port city-state of Luskan, particularly for
countless rumors swirl around this cold and isolated their deliveries by sea to the north to Ten-Towns in
land, like so many snowflakes in an endless blizzard. The Icewind Dale, and occasionally towards the dwarven
next D&D adventure, announced last weekend at D&D hold of Mithral Hall. Your characters, as new members
Live 2020, is a dark fantasy horror story titled Icewind of the Luskar Deliverers, have been given orders to
Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. This encounter begins a deliver a number of parcels from Luskan to a number of
five-part (or perhaps more?) encounter series called coastal towns along the Sword Coast North, and finally
“Icewind Mail: Special Delivery," a non-canon dark to Ten-Towns.
comedy that leads into the official adventure. Well, sort
of. It’s more like it tosses players in the general

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Loadin’ Up the Icebreaker Dungeon Master Tip: Let the Players Drive the Story
This encounter is suitable for a party of 1st-level Once you’ve set the scene, let the characters drive
characters, but can easily be scaled up to 5th-level using the story. They have a list of people to recover
the D&D Beyond Encounter Builder. parcels from, and they can choose the three that are
most interesting to them. All of the other parcels will
This encounter describes the beginning of the
characters’ journey as they gather supplies for their be picked up by other members and sent to
journey to the north. They have a boat waiting for the Icebreaker by other members of the Deliverers.
them, a renowned sailing ship called the Icebreaker, but Since the players are likely unfamiliar with each
other’s characters (both in and out of character,
this famous ship needs to be stocked with parcels to be
delivered. In this encounter, the characters must travel since the characters are new recruits who have only
through Luskan and gather packages to be delivered just been assigned to a team together), this is a
along their route from a number of colorful characters perfect opportunity to encourage the characters to
from past D&D adventures, including an emissary of the introduce themselves while they plan out their route
power-hungry Arcane Brotherhood, a member of the through Luskan.
drow mercenary company Bregan D’aerthe, and a villain
with a truly outrageous flair for the dramatic.
This story begins in the Luskar Deliverers’ main ware- Exploring Luskan
house on the north bank of the River Mirar in Luskan, as Parcelmaster Bassk gives the characters a map of the
they are given their marching orders by their city of Luskan and a list of people seeking to deliver
commander, Parcelmaster Lennart Bassk, a sharply packages. Use this map and lists as props—either by
dressed half-orc veteran with bright eyes, a broad sharing them digitally with your players if you’re playing
physique, and an impeccably groomed pencil mustache. online, or printing them out if you’re playing in
Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene and person—that you can your players can all look at and
start the story: point at them together. Since the people they need to
“Brand-new members of the Luskar Deliverers, I am collect parcels from aren’t listed on the map, they’ll
proud to announce that your first adventure is about to have to look between the list and the map, helping
begin!” Speaking to you is Parcelmaster Lennart Bassk, them get more immersed in the act of traveling through
leader of the Luskar Deliverers, your mercenary the city.
company. He is a half-orc with a broad and attractive As a DM, the moments in which they look over the list
physique, and dresses in a sharp suit. “We’ve been and the map also give you a chance to check your notes
contacted by a number of people throughout Luskan, all and get ready for the next encounter. Each one of these
of whom have deliveries bound for the north. Your encounters describes a specific way these encounters
fellows are currently outfitting a ship to take you are intended to be overcome. However, D&D is a game
northward, called the Icebreaker. I have assembled a that encourages player creativity. If your players come
map of this city, and a list of people with packages for up with an idea that seems fun and exciting, but doesn’t
you to find. match up with the method presented here, let them try
“They shall pay you well in advance, and you shall be anyway! You may have to think fast to come up with an
paid again when your deliveries are completed. Be appropriate ability check (possibly using one of their
dressed in armor and hold weapons, my friends. Your skill proficiencies) for what they want to do.
journey will be dangerous, but even this city of Luskan is
not a safe harbor. Be ready, and look to this map and
list. Gather three of these packages; the rest shall be
gathered and delivered to the Icebreaker by your
friends. Safe travels, my friends.”

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List of Senders
Each person on this list has a little bit of information
about them next to their name. If any of the characters
want, they can make a DC 15 Intelligence check to recall
information about this person. On a success, tell them
one piece of information about this character (see each
character’s mini-encounter, below, for more
information about them).
Maccath the Crimson, a member of the Arcane
Brotherhood; can be found studying in the ground
floor dining commons in the Hosttower of the
Arcane.
Fel’rekt Lafeen, a local swashbuckler associated
with the Bregan D’aerthe; can be found on the ship
called the Heartbreaker moored on the Dragon
Beach on the pier closest to Cutlass Island.
Dragonbait, an unusual reptilian creature who has
been frequenting the One-Eyed Jax, a tavern on the
northern bank of the River Mirar near the bridge to
Blood Island.
Rool, a shady figure who associates with kraken-
worshiping occultists; can be found at the Cutlass, a
pirate-infested tavern on the Dragon Beach.
Vanifer, a disgraced cult leader with an affinity for
fire; can be found sulking in the Ruins of Illusk.
Nezznar the Black Spider, an ambitious drow with a
ridiculous accent and a flair for the dramatic; can be
found at the top of a lighthouse in the Open Shore.
Maccath the Crimson
Maccath the Crimson is a lawful evil tiefling mage, a You arrive at the base of the Hosttower of the Arcane, a
scholar of draconic lore, and a member of the Arcane tower that seems to grow out of the ground like a
Brotherhood. She has gone on numerous adventures crooked, skeletal tree. It looks just as organic as it does
into Icewind Dale and the Sea of Moving Ice in search of artificial. Standing at the entrance is a brutish-looking
draconic relics, on dragon archaeological expeditions, guard with an athlete’s build and wearing a leather
and even dragon interview excursions. She wishes to skullcap. He glowers at you as you approach.
send one of her artifacts to an expert named Raggamel The characters must convince the gatekeeper (Earnest
the Renegade that is currently hiding from the law in Geld, human thug) to let them in. A character that
Ten-Towns. For more information about Maccath the
succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation,
Crimson, see chapter 10 of The Rise of Tiamat. or Persuasion) check convinces him to relent and call
To find Maccath, the characters must travel to the Maccath down. If you want, you can give that character
Hosttower of the Arcane, headquarters of the Arcane advantage on the check if their player describes how
Brotherhood. Maccath’s encounter requires the the character convinces him, such as acting out their
characters to convince a surly gatekeeper at the speech or describing their body language. On a failure,
Hosttower to let them in to see her. The characters the gatekeeper sneers and insults them. Another
don’t have any encounters while traveling to the character can try to make this check, but once all the
Hosttower. When they arrive, read or paraphrase the characters have tried, the gatekeeper refuses to let
following to set the scene: them in.

3
If the characters enter the Hosttower and find Maccath, Fel’rekt Lafeen
she greets them with a wide smile and a wildly Fel’rekt Lafeen is a neutral good male drow gun-
overeager excitement to share her fascination with slinger that was born female, and now is a member of
dragons. When she calms down, she gives them a the Bregan D’aerthe, a renowned mercenary company
package inside a small metal box. She claims that it’s a led by the infamous drow mercenary Jarlaxle Baenre.
draconic artifact that she needs a friend in Ten-Towns Fel’rekt escaped the cruel priestesses of Lolth in the
to help her identify. The lead-lined metal box is underground city of Menzoberranzan years ago, and is
magically sealed, making it immune to all damage now Jarlaxle’s most loyal lieutenant. He would lay down
except force and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing his life for his captain without hesitation. See
damage from adamantine weapons, and requires a Waterdeep: Dragon Heist for drow gunslinger statistics
successful DC 25 Strength check to force open. and more information about Fel’rekt; if you don’t have
She pays part of the postage up front, giving each of the access to this adventure, use veteran statistics instead.
characters 5 gp. To find Fel’rekt, the characters must travel to the
Heartbreaker, a magnificent galleon moored on the
northernmost dock of the Dragon Beach. When they
arrive, they are halted by Fel’rekt’s best friend, a chaotic
neutral drow gunslinger named Krebbyg. While in town,
all members of the Bregan D’aerthe, including Krebbyg,
wear a hat of disguise to appear human. The characters
don’t have any encounters while traveling to the
Heartbreaker. When they arrive, read or paraphrase the
following to set the scene:
You arrive at the Dragon Beach and see a majestic,
three-masted galleon with the name Heartbreaker
emblazoned on its hull moored by one of the docks. A
human with an acrobatic physique and a wide-brimmed
hat stands in front of the ship’s gangplank, scanning the
docks. His gaze settles on you and he arches an eyebrow
in interest as you approach.
The characters must impress Krebbyg to get aboard
the Heartbreaker by making a successful DC 13
Charisma (Performance) check. Krebbyg is a person of
simple tastes, and loves bad puns, card tricks, and
displays of magic. A character that performs one of
these has advantage on their Charisma (Performance)
check to influence him. On a failure, the Krebbyg shrugs
and waves the character away. Another character can
try to make this check, but once all the characters have
tried, Krebbyg refuses to let them in.
Once aboard the Heartbreaker, Fel’rekt is quick to find
them. He greets them warmly, and offers them a mug
of hot mushroom tea, if they’re cold. He quietly tells
them that Jarlaxle is near Icewind Dale, on a secret
mission that even Fel’rekt knows nothing about. Fel’rekt
wants to send Jarlaxle a sending stone so that they can
communicate while he’s away. He presents the stone to
the characters in a small burlap package, and keeps the
other one on his person. Fel’rekt pays part of the
postage up front, giving each of the characters 5 gp.

4
Dragonbait About Dragonbait
Dragonbait is a saurial, a rare reptilian humanoid from
The saurial’s language is a combination of clicks and
another world. He is good friends with a wanderer
whistles beyond the human range of hearing, so
named Artus Cimber, a man who possesses a powerful
Dragonbait tends to rely on scents to communicate
artifact of Auril the Frostmaiden called the Ring of
emotions. To be understood by most speaking
Winter. Dragonbait and Artus met in the jungles of
creatures, he must “shout” a scent. Dragonbait’s
Chult some time ago, and Dragonbait has decided to
known scents include: brimstone (confusion), roses
accompany Artus on his future adventures.
(sadness), lemon (pleasure or joy), baked bread
To find Dragonbait, the characters must travel to the (anger), violets (danger or fear), honeysuckle
One-Eyed Jax, a popular tavern on the north bank of the (tenderness or concern), wood smoke (devotion or
River Mirar, near the bridge to Blood Island. Any piety), tar (victory or celebration), and ham
character that has spent time in Luskan knows exactly (nervousness or worry).
where this hip new upscale public house can be found;
it’s a popular gathering point for wealthy adventurers Dragonbait stands 4 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 150
pounds, and has a dry, wrinkled hide. He wields
and foreign socialites alike. When they arrive, read or
a holy avenger longsword and carries a blue, red,
paraphrase the following to set the scene:
and white shield. Though he has traits in common
You enter the tavern and see a person that can only be with paladins, Dragonbait isn’t a member of any
your client: he is short, stubby, dressed in fine armor, class. Using an ability known as the Shen-state, he
and has green scaly skin. Yet this creature looks like no can determine the alignment of any creature within
dragonborn you’ve ever seen. He looks in your direction 60 feet of him. (From Tomb of Annihilation)
and waves cheerily, and you smell a faint scent of lemon
drifting your direction.
Dragonbait can’t communicate in Common, he can only
communicate by speaking his whistling, high-pitched
Saurial language, or by transmitting emotions through
scents. When the characters meet him, they must figure
out that Dragonbait wants to give something to Artus
Cimber, who has traveled to Kelvin’s Cairn in Icewind
Dale. Dragonbait does this by essentially playing a game
of charades with the characters, occasionally “shouting”
scents to try to help them understand more
complicated topics.
The message Dragonbait tries to communicate through
gesture and emotion is: “My friend, a pale man with a
cold ring on his finger, has gone to a lonely mountain
in the cold northern place. Please take this to him.”
If the characters seem particularly stumped by one of
Dragonbait’s clues, allow one of them to make a DC 10
Wisdom (Insight) check to discern the meaning of the
clue. Dragonbait understands that his method of
communication is difficult for strangers, and is positive
and encouraging—though his enthusiasm wears thin
after a while. If this game goes on for some time and
Dragonbait feels like the characters have no hope of
understanding his request, he shakes his head and takes
his package and trundles away, uninterested.
Why Dragonbait is waiting in Luskan while Artus is out
in Icewind Dale is a mystery—though a character that

5
makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check Rool
notices that even in Luskan, Dragonbait is totally Rool is a surly neutral evil half-orc assassin who
huddled in furs, and seems utterly miserable in the cold. associates with the fearsome cult known as the Kraken
Once the characters win the game, Dragonbait hands Society. He is down on his luck after his contract with
them the package, a small, hand-carved box of teak the Kraken Society expired after a disastrous defeat at
hardwood, with a magical lock that requires a successful sea (detailed in chapter 11 of Storm King’s Thunder).
DC 30 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools to open. He Now he spends most of his time drinking and
pays them partial postage up-front, giving each threatening locals at the Cutlass, a tavern frequented by
character 5 gp. pirates on the Dragon Beach. When they arrive, read or
paraphrase the following to set the scene:
You see the half-orc assassin you were searching for
drunk out of his mind and sitting awkwardly on a
barstool. He clutches a bottle of outrageously expensive-
looking Shadowdale brandy to his chest, wrapped
shoddily in cheap cloth.
When the characters approach, he drunkenly slurs that
he demands to test the mercenaries’ skills. Rool leaps
unsteadily to his feet and attacks! He
uses assassin statistics, but none of his weapons are
poisoned. Likewise, he is poisoned by alcohol, and has
disadvantage on all attacks. This means that he can’t
use his Sneak Attack trait. Finally, after he takes 12 total
points of damage, the final hit sends him reeling
backward, where he collapses on the floor.
Once Rool his defeated, he lies face-down on the floor
and gives a pathetic thumbs-up as his parcel, the bottle
of brandy, rolls towards the characters’ feet. He groans,
“Check’s in the mail,” and passes out. Once the
characters conclude this adventure and return to
the Icebreaker, they are paid 5 gp each as partial
postage.

Vanifer
Vanifer is the enigmatic former leader of the Cult of
Eternal Flame, a sect of worshipers of Imix, fiery Prince
of Elemental Evil. Her cult was thoroughly defeated in
the events of Princes of the Apocalypse, but the
kindness of a group of adventurers has set Vanifer on a
redemptive path. She has ventured to the icy north as
an act of penance, and needs some help in her journey.
Finding Vanifer requires the characters to venture into
the Ruins of Illusk at the heart of Luskan. Characters
that venture into these ruins must make a successful DC
18 Wisdom (Survival) check in order to navigate the
labyrinthine ruins. On a failure, they are ambushed by a

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group of 4 wandering skeletons. After this combat, they
find Vanifer after a few more minutes of exploration.
When they arrive, read or paraphrase the following to
set the scene:
A tiefling sits before a simple campfire in a small corner
of these twisting ruins. She wears robes that were
clearly once splendid, but are now tattered and grimy.
She looks up at you grimly as you approach, and
presents you with a dagger that has been wrapped
tightly in heavy cloth.
Vanifer’s plan is to travel to the Reghed Glacier and
entomb Tinderstrike, a legendary dagger of elemental
evil, there forever. She wants to keep the dagger off of
her person for as long as possible, because she fears
that its overwhelmingly evil power might break her will
and prevent her from doing the good deed she knows
she must do. That’s where the characters come in.
She wants the package delivered—to herself! She will
travel alone to the Reghed Glacier, and asks the
characters to meet her there. She pays partial postage
in advance, giving each of the characters 5 gp.

Nezznar the Black Spider

The drow wizard known as the Black Spider once sought
magical power in the ancient mines created by the
dwarves and gnomes of Phandelver’s Pact. Though the
Black Spider was defeated in the caves beneath the
town of Phandalin some years ago, he managed to
escape into the darkness and has continued his evil
schemes unabated in the Underdark. He has emerged in
Luskan after hearing rumors of Bregan D’aerthe activity
in the city, and has a message to send to old allies in the
North.
Finding the Black Spider requires the characters to
travel to the top of the lighthouse in the Open Shore.
He waits with his parcel atop the lighthouse with his
hands on the railing, looking out over the icy sea. While
the characters are traveling to the lighthouse, they are
ambushed by muggers seeking easy money. These
four bandits are a mixture of humans, half-elves, and
goblins. If the characters sense that there may be
trouble around these seedy docks may attempt to sneak
through to avoid detection; characters that succeed on
a group DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check avoid these
brigands’ notice entirely.

7
When they arrive at the lighthouse, read or paraphrase Conclusion: Set Sail for Icewind Dale
the following to set the scene:
Once the characters have gathered three packages,
A dark elf gazes over the railing of the tall lighthouse, they must deliver them to the Icebreaker. This majestic
looking wistfully out at the sea as the north wind whips two-masted sailing ship shall serve them well. It has a
his white hair around him. He holds an ebon staff tipped sizeable crew and ample space for them and the
with an effigy of a spider atop it and clutches a parcel mercenaries. This great vessel will be the center of
underneath his arm. many more adventures in this ongoing encounter
The Black Spider wishes to send a parcel to an old series! The characters will find safe beds and warm
accomplice of his lurking in Ten-Towns. He speaks clothes ready for them on the Icebreaker, and can get
theatrically and self-importantly, but a character that quite comfortable as they depart Luskan on a journey
succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check can discern that will last them many weeks.
an undercurrent of anxiety in his voice as he describes The moment the Icebreaker departs Luskan and sails
how he wishes for his friend in Ten-Towns to receive his northward toward the horizon is a perfect time for this
gift. His package is a simple letter written in an session to draw to a close. Many chilly adventures
inscrutable cipher that involves Undercommon script await! However, if you want to give this episode an
and several odd markings that correspond to Drow Sign ominous cliffhanger, describe day passing to night as
Language. The Black Spider pays partial postage in the characters begin to make their northward along the
advance, giving each of the characters 5 gp. coast. Ask all of the characters to make Wisdom
(Perception) checks as they fall asleep. Read or
paraphrase the following to the character with the
highest result:
You hear a splash in the water outside your cabin, like
something being thrown overboard. Through the
porthole in your room, you can just barely see a shape
sinking into the water. You only caught a glimpse of it,
but it could be the size of a human body. In the corner of
your vision, you see a silhouette looking over the edge of
the ship's deck, about ten feet above your porthole. The
silhouette's head turns towards your porthole, and
seems to look directly at you! Then, just as quickly as it
appeared, it pulls away from the edge of the ship,
disappearing from view.
And that's where we'll pick up next time.

8
9
 Griggle Duskloch and the Trouble in
Frost and Fear in Fireshear Fireshear
The First Delivery The recipient of the Black Spider’s coded letter is a
As described in Loadin’ Up the Icebreaker, the first part chaotic neutral duergar blacksmith that has an interest
of this series, the characters are members of the Luskar in elemental magic and their applications in smelting.
Deliverers, a mercenary courier service that delivers He is currently experimenting with drawing power from
parcels and missives to the most dangerous parts of the elemental planes to make it easier to smelt raw
Icewind Dale and the Sword Coast North. In that adamantine into adamantine bars, making it much
adventure, they loaded their vessel, the Icebreaker, easier (and much less expensive) to create adamantine
with parcels from a number of colorful characters in weapons and armor.
Luskan. In that adventure, they had a choice of which This wise-cracking duergar cares more for the success of
three characters to pick up the packages from; don’t his experiments than the safety of others, but this more
worry, all of the other packages were collected by other because he’s single-mindedly focused on his work, not
members of the Deliverers. From this point onward, because he’s totally without a conscience. His
each adventure in this series will see them arriving in a experimental elemental forge looks like a piece of
new location to deliver one of these parcels—and risk slapdash junk, but it truly does work as promised!
their lives to do so! There’s just one problem. Griggle Duskloch is totally
The Icebreaker has just made its way north up the oblivious to the fact that his experiments with
Sword Coast from Luskan. The air grows colder and elemental planar magic has caused a swarm of
colder with each passing day, and bits of seaborne ice mephits to pour into Fireshear about two days ago.
now regularly drifts past the Icebreaker throughout the
day. The characters are destined for Fireshear, a large
coastal mining town over 100 miles northwest of
Luskan. The town has a population of about 15,000
people, around half of whom are dwarves, and most of
the rest are human. These hardy folk often travel out
into the snowy hills to mine for iron and other common
ores, though occasionally a deposit of the rarest and
hardest workable metal of them all—adamantine—is
found near Fireshear.
This adventure sees the characters delivering a letter
from a drow known as the Black Spider to an
acquaintance in Fireshear. The letter is addressed to
someone named Griggle Duskloch; if the players are
worried that they won’t know how to find this person,
one of the other members of the Luskar Deliverers on
board the Icebreaker tells the rookies that the first step
for any Deliverer once they make landfall is to find
whoever’s in charge of the town and ask where they
can find the recipients of the packages they’re carrying!

10
These elemental creatures have begun wreaking havoc Combat Encounter: Frost and Fear in
all across town, but have wisely left Griggle’s smithy Fireshear
alone—so that he can cluelessly continue allowing more
mephits into the Material Plane. This encounter is suitable for 1st-level characters.

Most of the people in Duskloch’s neighborhood have The characters arrive in Fireshear harbor. Read or
already fled, and have taken refuge in the taprooms of a paraphrase the following to set the scene.
number of dockside bars. A local community leader, a The Icebreaker glides into the harbor of the town of
human woman named Kalannai Grayfur, has taken up Fireshear. This town’s many houses form a crescent
the task of protecting the huddled people of Fireshear. around the harbor, and you can see several large public
When the characters arrive, they will learn of the houses near the wharf. A dozen thin pillars of smoke rise
dangers in town from her. She doesn’t know that from the far side of town as you approach—it’s clear
Griggle is the source of the danger, but the characters even from this distance that a number of houses are
may put two and two together as they battle mephits burning.
through the streets of the Fireshear on the way to Your vessel is moored at the dock, and you see a blond
Duskloch’s furnace. woman in a long green dress and wearing a gray wolf
pelt around her shoulders approaches from one of the
public houses. She stands on the dock and holds her
hand aloft in greeting.
This woman is Kalannai Grayfur, a representative of the
people of Fireshear that have been displaced by the
mephit attack in the eastern neighborhoods. She
approaches the ship and waves down the characters as
they approach. She says that she would recognize
the Icebreaker anywhere, and welcomes them to
Fireshear—and asks their business. If asked about the
mephit problems, she explains that mischievous and
destructive elemental creatures have started appearing
in the eastern neighborhoods, but no one can fully
explain why. If asked about Griggle Duskloch, she points
them towards his forge in the eastern neighborhoods,
and describes him as a reclusive eccentric who is always
experimenting with magic to soup up his forge; she
notes that he hasn’t escaped his dangerous
neighborhood yet, and wonders if he might be in
danger.
She warns the characters that they may be walking into
great danger, and urges them to be careful. She adds
that if they’re able to do anything to slow the advance
of the mephits, she’ll grant them a bounty of up to 25
gp for helping to stop the invasion.

11
Exploring Fireshear Meeting with Griggle Duskloch
Most of Fireshear is still in relatively good condition, Read or paraphrase the following when the characters
untouched by the small horde of mephits that is slowly reach Griggle’s furnace:
spreading from the neighborhoods on the east side of Smoke filled with strange blue and crimson sparks
town thanks to Griggle’s elemental experiments. The billows from the smokestack of this furnace. Inside the
characters encounter three groups of mephits as they smithy, you can see a stout dwarf with light gray skin
travel through the town: and shock-white hair working a bellows and
A group of 3 magma mephits breathing fire at a row occasionally throwing small cups of colorful powder into
of houses, attempting to burn them down. the flames.
A group of 4 smoke mephits emerging from the This duergar is Griggle Duskloch. As described in the
scorched ruins of market stalls in an abandoned “Griggle Duskloch and the Trouble in Fireshear” section,
marketplace. above, he’s singularly focused on perfecting his
A group of 3 ice mephits hanging on the eaves of elemental furnace and has not noticed the mephits
Griggle’s house like icicles. running rampant through the nearby neighborhoods. In
Describe the locations that the characters encounter fact, he ignores characters that don’t make a successful
first, improvising whatever additional details you think DC 11 Charisma (Persuasion) check to get his attention.
are necessary. These mephits are all single-mindedly If the characters reveal that there are elemental
interested in causing destruction. They attack on sight, monsters running amok, he shakes his head and says
but the characters will notice the mephits before the that the situation is very sad, but he can’t just stop his
mephits see them. They can attack head-on, or they can research; its results will someday benefit all people of
attempt to sneak past them, overcoming the encounter Faerûn!
nonlethally. To sneak past a group of mephits, the When the characters deliver the letter from the Black
characters must make a successful group Dexterity Spider, he lets out a yell of recognition and asks after his
(Stealth) check with a DC equal to that mephit type’s “dear old friend.” He remarks mirthfully about the Black
passive Wisdom (Perception) score. Spider’s usual flair for the dramatic, and quickly scans
If the characters defeat these mephits, take note. If the note. His eyebrows shoot up as he read the coded
they defeat at least 10 mephits, Kalannai is impressed letter, and then shouts in excitement and slams the
and takes them seriously at the end of the adventure note down on a table and begins gathering new cups of
(see “Conclusion,” below). alchemical powders. If asked, he explains that the Black
Spider sent him a formula for a new combination of
elementally infused powders that he found in his
travels—one that will produce a more stable reaction
between the fabric of the Material Plane and the
Elemental Planes, effectively keeping the elemental
powers more focused and lowering the risk of
extraplanar creatures tumbling into the Material Plane.
He asks the characters for their help delivering a half-
ounce of smelling salts, a quarter-ounce of powdered
earth, a full beaker of solid water, and a stoppered tube
of extinguished fire residue. Characters that want to
help him can make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation)
check to find these elemental substances. On a success,
he thanks them for their aid and will think better of
them at the end of the adventure (see “Conclusion,”
below).
When Griggle throws the elemental substances into the
furnace and says a few mystical words, the furnace
flares with violet flame and then cools to a tiny white

12
fire. Griggle hops about joyously and shouts the name Conclusion
of the Black Spider to the heavens. He places a payment
When the characters return to the docks, Kalannai
of 5 gp per character before them for delivering the
Grayfur greets them once more and says that she is
letter, and also gives them a bonus of three bars of solid
proud they survived the chaos in the eastern
adamantine as a personal thanks. He says he’s no
neighborhoods. If the characters killed 10 or more
blacksmith, but maybe they’ll find some use for them
mephits while exploring the city, she notes that the
elsewhere in their journeys. He then returns to his work
chaos has subsided somewhat, and thanks the
and does his best to ignore any further interruptions
characters for their bravery—and provides them each
from the characters.
with 5 gp for their aid, up to a total of 25 gp. Then, a
shadow passes over her face. She says that a number of
the townsfolk think that Griggle is to blame for the
chaos in town, and want to exile him into the wastes.
She asks grimly if Griggle is truly responsible.
If the characters reveal that Griggle was responsible,
she nods sadly and says that the dwarf will have to be
removed from town. By dawn, a mob will no doubt
form around his smithy. If the characters want to help
Griggle leave, they can try to convince the obsessive
experimenter that his experiments are in danger of
being destroyed if he doesn’t leave. A successful DC 13
Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check convinces
Griggle to disassemble his forge and depart, possibly
onto the Icebreaker where the characters can help him
decide where to set up shop again. Otherwise, he blows
off their concerns. By midday tomorrow, his forge will
be destroyed by a mob and Griggle gone without a
trace.
If the characters lie and tell Kalannai that Griggle wasn’t
behind the chaos, they must make a successful DC 13
Charisma (Deception) check to fool her. If the party
defeated at least 10 mephits earlier, they have
advantage on this check. On a success, she sighs and
says that she was hoping it was all a misunderstanding,
and says that she will convince them townsfolk to leave
the eccentric smelter alone. On a failure, she scowls and
says that she doesn’t appreciate being lied to—and she
rightly assumes that Griggle is responsible after all (see
above).
No matter what happens, the characters’ adventures in
Fireshear are at an end! They gather their things and
return to the Icebreaker. Next stop, the iceberg town of
Aurilssbarg!

13
 Combat Encounter: Ambush at Aurilssbarg
Ambush at Aurilssbarg This encounter is suitable for 1st-level characters. If they
This encounter follows up on the optional ending don’t have access to damage-dealing magic, this
of Loadin’ Up the Icebreaker, the first encounter in this encounter may by harder than usual.
series. In that scene, a silhouetted figure hurled This adventure begins when the Icebreaker draws into
something heavy off the side of the Icebreaker. Now Aurilssbarg harbor late at night. The captain (a grizzled
that the players have had time to stew on this mystery, and sarcastic half-orc veteran named Turth Silvermane)
it’s time to bring it back to the forefront as the orders the crew to wait on board until morning. The
characters encounter a deadly Ambush at Aurilssbarg. characters are required to comply with the captain’s
commands, but that doesn’t mean they can’t try to
sneak out. Each cabin has two cots, so ask your players
The Second Delivery
how their characters divide up where they sleep that
The characters’ primary goal in this adventure is to night before beginning this encounter—and then
deliver a package to its proper recipient in the volcano choose in secret which cabin the assassin decides to
town of Aurilssbarg. They’re members of the Luskar attack.
Deliverers, and as such, they are sworn to deliver their
If the characters comply with Captain Silvermane’s
packages to most dangerous locales Northern Faerûn
orders, this encounter occurs when an assassin enters
has to offer. In this adventure, their primary goal may
their cabin at night. If they try to sneak out, this
be transformed into a fight for their lives as a
encounter occurs in the streets of Aurilssbarg. Either
mysterious wererat killer seeks to recover the package.
way, the encounter area is dimly lit, illuminated only by
This week, the characters are delivering a bottle of moonlight.
Shadowdale brandy from the former Kraken Society
assassin Rool to his former lover, another assassin, a
white dragonborn named Glarth Druma, in an attempt
to repair the bond they had years ago. The wererat is a
third assassin named Fanger Bosh who sees Rool as her
paramour and wants to sabotage his attempt to reunite
with Glarth. This deadly love triangle may be a bit silly,
but—hey, this is a dark comedy series! Get your laughs
in now before the horror is turned up to 11 in Rime of
the Frostmaiden.
Aurilssbarg is a town of some 3,000 people on the
volcanic island of Ice Peak a few leagues northwest of
Fireshear. The town weathers harsh snow and sleet for
most months of the year, and its stalwart hunters sell
furs, whales, and fish to other nearby settlements.
Luskan in particular benefits greatly from its trade
relationship with Aurilssbarg, for the latter is little more
than a far-flung colony of the captains of Luksan.

14
Ambush. This encounter may begin when Fanger torch or a gas lamp, that weapon deals 1 point of fire
Bosh attacks one of the characters. To determine if damage on a hit.
Fanger surprises the party, have her make a Dexterity Ending Combat. If Fanger is reduced to half her hit
(Stealth) check opposed by the characters’ passive point maximum, she takes the Disengage action and
Wisdom (Perception) scores; if a character is flees. If she is grappled, she uses her action to transform
asleep, subtract 5 from their passive Wisdom into a giant rat to slip from her grappler’s arms. She
(Perception) score. If her check succeeds, she manages transforms into her giant rat form to hide in the
to approach unnoticed and surprises the characters. shadows of the ship, if the characters give chase.
Characters that are surprised lose their first turn in
combat, and Fanger’s first attack against a character
that isn’t aware of her has advantage. Optional: Reporting the Attack
Roleplaying Fanger Bosh. Fanger is a hired killer whose If the characters wish, they may report the attack to
heart has been hardened by years of impassionate Captain Silvermane. He takes the threat seriously, and
death. Her one true remaining emotion is selfishness, tells them that one of the ship’s crew was killed just
and hearing that her old flame Rool is courting another after they left Luskan. He kept it secret to avoid causing
has filled her with fury. She attacks in her humanoid a panic, but after their report, he’s decided to put the
form, and rants incoherently about they are taking her crew on full alert. If the players suspect that their
beloved away from her amidst her attacks. attacker was a wererat, Silvermane curses that they
Damage Immunities. Fanger is a fearsome opponent didn’t pick up any silver weapons back in Fireshear. He
because she is immune to bludgeoning, piercing, and says he’ll send a crewmember to search the port for
slashing damage from nonmagical attacks, unless those silver weapons, and will pass anything he finds along to
attacks are from something made of silver. If the the characters. In the meantime, he urges them to
characters try to use an improvised weapon like a lit make their delivery so that they can leave Aurilssbarg as
soon as possible.

15
If the characters return to the Icebreaker after four maintaining a healthy relationship with the Luskar
hours, they find that one of the crew has purchased a Deliverers, and directs them to Glarth’s house without
silvered shortsword in town for a hefty sum, and that delay—though she encourages them to check the shops
Captain Silvermane is willing to lend it to them on credit and spend some time buying supplies and knick-knacks,
from the Luskar Deliverers. “This sword is worth more’n if they wish.
your life is,” he says. “You lose it, you’re working to pay Characters that stop by the markets of Aurilssbarg can
it off.” purchase any item in chapter 5 of the Player’s
Handbook worth 10 gp or less. They can also buy
trinkets for 5 sp each; roll 5 times on the Trinkets table
Arriving in Aurilssbarg
in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook to determine
When the characters enter Aurilssbarg, they may decide what curios are available. Additionally, they can find a
to wander the streets in search of their current parcel’s silvered shortsword in a display rack at the back of one
recipient: a dragonborn named Glarth Druma. A of the shops, but the owner is selling it for 100 gp, and
character that wants to look at town maps or local even hagglers can’t get him to part with it for anything
directories can make a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check, less than 75 gp.
locating Glarth’s house by the Seafishers’ Docks, the
gathering place for the folk who fish around the coasts
of Ice Peak Island. Onward to Glarth’s Abode
Characters that want to be directed there instead can As they travel through town towards Glarth’s dwelling,
find the leader of town, High Captain Amathria Rolsk, in characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of
the town’s longhouse. Amathria is a money-minded 14 or higher notice a small, lithe figure leaping from
woman who sees Aurilssbarg mostly in terms of how its rooftop to rooftop on the two-story buildings some 40
business can send gold flowing into Luskan’s coffers— feet behind them, following them through town. This
and into her pocketbook. She believes strongly in

16
figure is Fanger, in hybrid form, trying to find a good solution, such as grappling Fanger and drowning her in
location to shoot them with her hand crossbow. the freezing ocean, or they might ask for Glarth’s help
If the characters notice her, she shoots off one shot by using his cold breath.
(with disadvantage because she’s at long range) and Glarth’s Help. Glarth is a white dragonborn thug with
then, she slips onto the other side of a roof. On her next many terrible memories of death, and tries to avoid
turn, she transforms into her giant rat form, and conflict whenever possible. If a character makes a
scurries into a house’s cellar to hide. A character must successful DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check as an
search the area for one minute and then succeed on a action, he agrees to help. He uses his cold breath
DC 19 Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check to find (granted by his Draconic Ancestry trait) to damage
Fanger’s tracks while she’s hidden in this way. She waits Fanger, and then uses the Help action on future turns to
to emerge until she’s no longer being hunted. help the characters in whatever they want to do.
If none of the characters notice her, she attacks one of
the characters with her hand crossbow and slips behind
the other side of the roof—then tries to hide as
described above, if they give chase.

A Battle over Brandy

Once they arrive at Glarth’s home, read or paraphrase
the following to set the scene:
The house you stand before is little more than a shack—
some ten feet in all dimensions, with a high-raked roof
and simple wooden walls. A wreath of pine branches
bound in fishing line decorates the door, and it is the
only decoration you can see around this humble
dwelling. A pale dragonborn face peers out the window
at you as you approach.
Conclusion
The dragonborn in the window is the parcel’s intended Once Fanger is defeated, a member of the Aurilssbarg
recipient, Glarth Druma. This dragonborn is a being town militia arrives in a panic, still getting his helmet on
haunted by the things he’s witnessed and the vile deeds his head. He asks what’s going on, and offers to
he’s done as an assassin. His eyes dart back and forth apprehend Fanger if the characters knocked her out of
constantly, and his appearance is as unkempt as the otherwise subdued her instead of killing her.
squalid abode he lives in. Yet, there is nevertheless a Glarth apologizes and says he doesn’t have enough
certain gaunt handsomeness to him. money to pay them for the parcel delivery, but he does
When Glarth answers the door, he hastily asks the give them a good luck charm for the journey ahead. This
characters who they are and what they’re doing here. If shiny stone is something he picked up from a man he
presented with Rool’s gift, he is momentarily taken killed in far-off Anauroch many years ago, and he tells
aback. “Shadowdale brandy…” he pauses, and is the characters it might help them—it might give the
momentarily lost in a long-forgotten memory. “There’s poor soul some rest if his charm was used for good,
only one person who would send this to me… did he rather than helping a scared old dragonborn living at
send you…?” the edge of the world. This charm is a luckstone.

At this moment, Fanger—in giant rat from—scurries The characters advance to 2nd level at the end of this
through the streets and leaps at one of the characters in adventure. If you’re tracking experience points, it’s
the back row of the party. She screeches, “You’ll never recommended that you use milestone leveling instead,
take my love! Die!” Combat begins; roll initiative! The so that your characters stay powerful enough to handle
characters may be at a disadvantage in this combat; the challenges that future adventures have in store.
unless they have a silvered weapon or damaging spells,
no one can deal significant damage to Fanger.
Characters might think of an alternative—if grisly—

17
Evil on the Icy Sea
Battle on the Icebreaker
The characters are traveling back to Fireshear to dock
and prepare for an overland journey to the town of
Hundelstone, where their next delivery will take place—
a parcel for the infamous drow iconoclast Jarlaxle
Baenre. On the journey there, however, their ship is
attacked by an undead sea monster! They need to
defend the Icebreaker, along with their crew and
captain, from being destroyed before they reach the
port.
The giant shark skeleton that attacks the Icebreaker in
this encounter is the byproduct of a frost giant
necromancer conducting evil magic in Icewind Dale,
near the mountain known as Kelvin’s Cairn. An
adventurer named Artus Cimber, whom the characters
have been tasked with delivering a parcel to, is trying to
deal with the threat—and the unwitting characters have
to manage the fallout of his battle against the forces of
evil. In a future encounter, however, they can take on
the source of this evil once and for all in the course of
their deliveries.

Combat Encounter
This combat encounter is beyond deadly for a party of
2nd-level characters; however, they have the aid of the walking speed to represent the humanoid skeletons
crew of the Icebreaker. The Dungeon Master will need inside it that can use their legs to walk it around.
to carefully manage the monster and NPCs in this fight
in order to avoid annihilating the heroes. The shark rams into the back of the Icebreaker, causing
the ship to rock, and starts gnawing through her hull as
Read or paraphrase the following to begin the sailors rush to the deck. Captain Turth Silvermane, a
encounter: half-orc veteran, stands by the helm and bellows orders.
You stand on the deck of the Icebreaker, gazing east- If the characters ask him for orders, he asks them to try
ward over the fog-shrouded frigid sea until it reaches and dislodge the beast gnawing on the stern of the ship.
the distant mountains on the horizon. The peace of the Roll initiative!
misty morning is broken by a shout from the crow’s If the characters can’t dislodge the shark after 2 turns, it
nest. “Captain!” the sailor cries. “Something’s headed tears a hole in the stern of the ship, then dips under the
right toward us from the stern, moving fast. It’s an waves as the Icebreaker starts taking on water. This has
intercept course!” consequences in the “Shark Attack!” section, below.
The creature heading directly towards the Icebreaker is The characters can dislodge the shark by forcing it to
a giant shark skeleton. Its bones are bleached white and move (such as with an eldritch blast empowered by the
it has two giant pieces of glowing black onyx lodged in Repelling Blast invocation), or by dealing damage to it.
its eye sockets. If you don’t have access to the Storm Once the characters deal 25 damage or more to the
Lord’s Wrath adventure, use giant shark statistics, but skeletal giant shark, it detaches and slips beneath the
give it immunity to poison damage, and a 20-foot waves to prepare for its next attack.

18
Shark Attack! bailing water and patching the hull breach. Captain
Silvermane joins the fight as well.
Read or paraphrase the following:
See the “Managing Mass Combat” sidebar below for
Captain Silvermane growls as the shark disappears
more information on how to handle a group of sailors.
beneath the waves. “I don’t like this… that was too easy.
Stay on guard, mateys!”
One round passes in safety after the giant skeletal shark Shark Tactics
is dislodged and lurks beneath the cloudy sea, giving the The giant skeletal shark is a tremendously powerful
characters a chance to heal or cast protective spells. creature that can drop most 2nd-level characters to 0
Then, on its initiative, the giant skeletal shark leaps hit points in a single attack. Only have it attack a player
from the ocean and soars into the air, then slams onto character if they are the only creature that it can reach
the deck of the Icebreaker and bellows a fearsome on its turn (using its 20-foot walking speed). Once the
challenge. Terrifyingly, the skeletal shark stands up on shark is reduced to half its hit point maximum, it roars
six pairs of skeletal, humanoid legs. A creature that and uses its reaction to spew forth four of the skeletons
makes a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check propping it up. This reduces its walking speed to 10 feet,
can see the skeletons of six sahuagin trapped inside the but now these skeletons focus on killing the characters.
shark, using their bodies to maneuver it around while
This shark and its skeleton allies fight until destroyed.
on the ship’s deck. This leap is all the shark can do, and
it ends its turn. Silvermane bellows for aid from the
sailors belowdecks.
Roll initiative for the sailors; they have a +1 bonus to
initiative rolls. A group of 10 sailors of various races
appear one turn later on their turn in the initiative
order. If the shark breached the Icebreaker’s hull in the
previous section, only 5 sailors appear, as the others are

19
Managing Mass Combat Conclusion
Mass combat is one of the most challenging tasks for a The shark is destroyed when it is reduced to 0 hit
Dungeon Master. Playing monsters and a group of ten points. It roars and thrashes, then explodes in a
sailors is a huge mental burden. Instead of forcing xylophonic clatter of ribs and teeth. Each creature
yourself to flip back and forth between monster and NPC within 20 feet of it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving
statistics, consider the sailors as a single unit of creatures. throw, taking 7 (2d6) slashing damage on a failed save
Each member of this unit has their own space on the map, or half as much on a successful one. Sailors and other
but they essentially have no statistics. If a creature attacks NPCs may fall unconscious, but aren’t killed outright by
them, the attack hits on any roll other than a natural 1, the shark’s death throes. The two magnificent black
and the attack always kills them outright (or knocks them onyx gemstones in its eye sockets tumble onto the deck
out, if you want to be merciful to your nameless NPCs). of the ship. Each one is worth 100 gp.
The group of sailors focus all their attacks on the giant
shark, and they deal 3 damage for every sailor present. After this attack, Captain Silvermane orders the
Their damage dwindles as the shark kills more and more Icebreaker to make its way to Fireshear as quickly as
of their unit. possible so they can make full repairs, give a proper
Since Captain Silvermane is a named character, the burial to any lost crewmembers, and find new crew. If
players may expect him to contribute more than his Silvermane was killed in this fight, he is survived by his
nameless sailors. Simply have him deal 10 damage to the first mate, a brown-eyed, silver-haired chaotic neutral
shark each turn. If the shark attacks him, he is instantly female human veteran named Saderthe Vel.
dropped to 0 hit points and begins dying. If you want to
make this simulation feel more “fair” or “realistic,”
consider rolling dice in secret before making these
decisions. You can roll the dice for a dozen NPCs if you
like, but this method is quicker, simpler, and less of a
headache for you as the Dungeon Master.

20
 The characters are welcome to stay in Fireshear as
Shelter from the Storm long as they wish, and Kalannai will pay for their
rooms at the Dancing Bear Lodge, a comfortable
local inn, for up to a tenday.
Social Encounter: Return to Fireshear Griggle excitedly asks the characters to deliver a
The characters begin this encounter by returning to the freshly smelted adamantine bar to the nearby town
town of Fireshear, which they visited in part 2 of this of Hundlestone, which is renowned for its master
series. This is where they bid farewell to the Icebreaker blacksmiths. He claims his bar is twice as easy to
and their crew while the ship undergoes repairs after work with as typically forged adamantine, and wants
their frightful encounter with the undead giant shark in to secure a trade deal in Hundelstone.
part 4 of this series. While in town, however, they may He has a recipient in mind already, an old dwarf
encounter some characters from the last time they were named Fallstaff Shorthelm, who has a reputation as
here: the duergar smith Griggle Duskloch and the a master adamantine craftsdwarf.
community leader Kalannai Grayfur. He is willing to pay them 5 gp postage up front, and
Kalannai promises a further 20 gp when they return
Read or paraphrase the following to begin this to Fireshear from Icewind Dale.
encounter; this text assumes that Griggle Duskloch and
Kalannai Grayfur are both safe and sound in Fireshear If the characters choose not to accept this request,
after the events of the second encounter in this series. If Kalannai and Griggle both look at them disappointedly.
that isn’t the case, you can modify it to suit the events of Kalannai offers to pay them double postage up-front, if
your campaign: that will convince them. Otherwise, she shrugs and says
she’ll find a more amenable party of Deliverers next time
The Icebreaker, wounded after she was attacked in the they pass through.
icy seas of the Sword Coast North, has just arrived in
Fireshear harbor. Captain Silvermane barks orders from
the helm, commanding the vessel to be docked at a Departing Fireshear
shipyard on the far side of the harbor. As you pull into the
Once the characters leave Fireshear, the characters have
shipyard, you see a pair of familiar faces: the duergar
bit of a journey ahead of them. Fortunately, Hundelstone
Griggle Duskloch, a smith who accidentally unleashed a
is just about 50 miles north along the Ten Trail. This is the
swarm of mephits in Fireshear a tenday ago, and
road they need to take to get to Ten-Towns anyway,
Kalannai Grayfur, the human community leader who
making Hundelstone a convenient stop along the way.
helped the people of Fireshear withstand the chaos. Both
Their travel is uneventful—though you could choose to
raise a hand to you in greeting as you walk down the
make their journey more dangerous by inserting some
gangplank.
random encounters using the low-level Arctic
These two working people of Fireshear wish to speak Encounters table from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.
with the characters. In the past tenday, Griggle has
confessed his involvement in the mephit crisis and
apologized. Kalannai sentenced him to serve the Exploration Encounter: Shelter from the
community by donating several hours each day to create Storm
metal tools and materials to repair the damaged houses. The characters’ trouble begins some ten miles away from
Despite their initially hostile relationship, the two have Hundelstone, on a gray, overcast afternoon. Rangers
commiserated over the dangers of living on the frontier
with arctic terrain as their favored terrain, or anyone that
and become sudden friends. Now, both Griggle and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check identifies
Kalannai are here to greet the characters, and to ask a that the gray clouds covering the sky promise snow—and
favor of them. likely a storm.
“Hail, friends of Fireshear,” Kalannai says. “The people of Snowflakes begin to fall within the hour, and grow
this town are pleased to see your return. Or I am, at any thicker and thicker in the next few hours of travel until
rate.” it’s difficult for characters to see even thirty feet ahead
Kalannai and Griggle have a number of things to say to of them through the torrent of snowfall. The characters
the characters, but she is also happy to simply talk.

21
need to hurry toward Hundelstone, but the Ten Trail is Combat Encounter: Battle amidst the Storm
almost completely invisible beneath the snowfall.
Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:
At the start of each hour, one character in the party can
You emerge from the snowstorm into a wooded glade.
make a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check. (Another
You can faintly see a rustic cottage within this glade—but
character can help whoever is making the check, and
you can most definitely hear the sounds of bestial roars
spells like guidance can be used as well.) On a success,
and battle cries. You can just barely see a huge man with
the characters find the road and continue along it for the
a massive greatsword fending off a hulking, white-furred
next hour. On a failure, they wander, lost, and make no
beast.
progress. At the end of every hour, each character must
succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or takes A neutral good human berserker named Alvan Shorthelm
1d10 cold damage from the ongoing snowfall. is battling a yeti about thirty feet away from the
characters. This cottage is his, and he was forced out of
Once the party makes a total of three successful Wisdom
it in the midst of this storm to defend it from yetis. One
(Survival) checks, they find a cabin on the outskirts of
already lies dead, its red blood staining the snow around
Hundelstone, and hear a loud roar, and the sounds of
it, while the other fights on. Alvan is badly wounded (he
battle. Alternatively, they find their way here, half-frozen
has only 15 hit points remaining), and the other yeti is at
to death, after failing this check five times.
full hit points. If the characters don’t intervene, he will
surely die.
Failed Checks. If the characters reached this encounter
after failing five Wisdom (Survival) checks, they’re
probably in dire condition. You can make this encounter
easier for them by having the yeti start combat with half

22
its maximum hit points (25 hp), and remove its Chilling armor as a reward for helping his son fight off a yeti in
Gaze attack. the midst of a snowstorm.

After Combat Crafting an adamantine shield takes 1 bar, a suit of

Once the yeti is defeated, Alvan rushes the characters medium armor takes 2 bars, and a suit of heavy
in—if he’s still conscious, at least. “This blizzard will kill armor takes 3 bars.
you just as sure as the yetis if you stay out in it!” he A light weapon (or 10 pieces of ammunition) takes 1
shouts. His cabin is warm and surprisingly spacious, given bar, a one-handed melee weapon takes 2 bars, and a
its quaint appearance. He puts a brass kettle over his fire heavy weapon takes 3 bars.
and offers them a cup of warm mead to take the bite
away. The entire Shorthelm family works through the day on
This man introduces himself as Alvan Shorthelm. He’s a these adamantine tools, and presents them to the
giant of a man, a fair-skinned, clean-faced, black-haired characters the next morning. The Shorthelms are kind
man with huge muscles standing just shy of six-and-a- and hospitable, and ask the characters about their
half feet tall. If the characters recognize his name, he adventures and their plans for future travels while
explains that he’s the adopted son of Falstaff and they’re staying in town. Alvan warns the group that he’s
Grimelda Shorthelm, two master smiths who live in heard strange tales coming out of Icewind Dale—rumors
Hundelstone. He no longer lives with his dwarven about eerie auroras and talk of eternal night blanketing
parents, but he trains as an apprentice every day with his the land. Falstaff thinks the latest rumors are just talk,
father or mother (depending on the day) in Hundelstone. and that folk say all sorts of strange things about Icewind
Alvan offers the characters warm furs and a place by the Dale, but Alvan is convinced that there’s some truth to
fire to wait out the night during the storm, and in the these tales, and warns the characters to be on their
morning, he can take them to his parents. guard.
The characters advance to 3rd level at the end of this
encounter. Their travels will continue as they complete
Conclusion: After the Storm their long journey to Ten-Towns in the next encounter!
When morning comes, Alvan travels with the characters
northward for about an hour to Hundelstone. He’s happy
to chat, but his interests are mostly in day-to-day
survival—things like trapping, exploring, and wilderness
medicine. His one true passion is blacksmithing,
particularly the artistry that goes into making a truly
exceptional tool or blade.
Hundelstone is a small town nestled up against the Spine
of the World. Its homes are mostly small, one-story
structures with steeply pitched rooves—save for the
grand longhouse that belongs to the town’s elder. Most
famous for its blacksmithing tradition, a shocking
number of its buildings are forges and smithies, including
the building that the characters are headed to.
Falstaff Shorthelm is working in his smithy, and greets
the characters tersely as his adopted son introduces
them. His eyes light up if they mention Griggle’s
adamantine, and sets to work on it right away. If the
characters still have the adamantine bars that Griggle
possibly gave them as a reward in the second encounter
in this series, he is happy to turn them into weapons or

23
 Encounters table from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything to
Trek to Ten-Towns add more encounters. Each day of travel has one short
encounter. Because of this, the characters will be fully
rested, with full hit points, Hit Dice, and spell slots at the
The Third Delivery start of each encounter. To accommodate this, each
The characters’ primary goal in this adventure is to encounter is either a roleplaying scene free of danger, or
deliver a package to its proper recipient in Bryn Shander, a scene that will test the limits of fully rested 2nd-level
one of the settlements of Ten-Towns in Icewind Dale. characters.
They’re members of the Luskar Deliverers, and as such, You may want to start this adventure by roleplaying the
they are sworn to deliver their packages to most characters leaving Hundelstone, and saying goodbye to
dangerous locales Northern Faerûn has to offer. the Shorthelm family who gave them a place to stay at
Fortunately, this delivery doesn’t contain any inherent the end of the previous encounter in this series. Read or
danger, unlike previous deliveries which pitted them paraphrase the following to set the scene as the
against chaotic elementals and an assassin with a grudge. characters depart Hundelstone:
That doesn’t mean there won’t be trouble and hijinks, Hundelstone fades into the distance behind you as you
though—the characters are starting this journey in the make your way north on the Ten Trail. The folk in
town of Hundelstone, and the road to Icewind Dale isn’t Hundelstone told you that you have a four-day journey
exactly known for being accommodating. ahead of you, if you don’t lose too much time to bad
Back in the first encounter in this series, the characters weather. The road stretches out before you, the sky gray
received a package from a tiefling known as Maccath the with clouds and the ground white with snow.
Crimson. Maccath is a member of a prestigious group of Give the characters an opportunity to talk among each
magi known as the Arcane Brotherhood, and Maccath in other as they travel along the road. They may not want
particular has a fascination with draconic lore. She gave to, however. As the DM, it’s your job to keep travel
them a magically sealed metal box that she claimed moving. Describing travel in an interesting and engaging
contains a draconic artifact, and asked them to deliver it way is hard to do in the best of circumstances—it’s even
to an associate of hers named Raggamel the Renegade harder when the characters just have to follow the road.
who is currently hiding from the law in Ten-Towns. Don’t be afraid to hurry the party along from point to
Raggamel resides in a town called Bryn Shander. This point. If you have something truly remarkable to
settlement is the largest of the ten settlements that describe, describe it and let the characters interact with
make up Ten-Towns, and it’s also the southernmost— it if they wish! However, if there isn’t anything special
meaning that it’s the first one that the characters will around, it’s better to simply describe the day’s travel in a
happen across if they’re traveling along the road. Bryn single sentence than to give a litany of uninspired
Shander is described in greater detail in Storm King’s descriptions of a nondescript snowy road. To bring the
Thunder, and all of Ten-Towns are described in more characters along from scene to scene in this travel
depth in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, section, read or paraphrase the following: "You gather
available for preorder now. your things and set back off on the road. You travel
northward, and the sound of the frigid wind's howling
fills your ears. At least, you hope it's just the wind." You
Trek to Ten-Towns should improvise a slightly different sentence every time
The journey from Hundlestone to Ten-Towns is a you move from scene to scene, so it doesn't seem like
northbound trip of about 50 miles through increasingly you're reading from a script.
dangerous arctic terrain. Even following the Ten Trail, the
journey is made through difficult terrain, slowing
On the First Day, an Exploration Encounter:
overland travel to a crawl. The characters can only
Following the Tracks
progress 12 miles per day, making this a 4-day trip at
best. In this encounter, the characters find a ruined cart, a
note suggesting it was filled with treasure, and a set of
This section includes four small encounters that are
tracks to follow. They must succeed on a number of skill
designed to be played in order. If you want to expand the
checks to navigate off-road if they wish to find the
scope of this adventure, try rolling on the low-level Arctic

24
 treasure. They can ignore this encounter and continue
traveling, if they wish.
Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:
Just past midday, you come across a smashed cart at the
side of the road. Two sets of tracks lead away from the
cart into a grove of snow-covered fir trees.
Investigating the Cart. This cart is a simple wooden
carriage large enough to carry four people—or fewer, if
it’s filled with cargo or supplies. A character that makes
a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds
a tattered letter in the cart which reads: “To be
delivered: 100 gold pieces for moneychangers in Bryn
Shander.” Nothing of value can be found in the cart,
other than a week’s worth of trail rations.
Following the Tracks. Two sets of tracks lead away from
the cart, moving parallel to each other. One is a set of
humanoid bootprints, the other are the hoofprints of a
horse. A character that makes a successful DC 12 Wisdom
(Survival) check notes that at some point, the humanoid
tracks disappear, perhaps having swung themself onto
the horse, and can follow the tracks into the fir grove.
End of the Line. The characters can follow the tracks for
about a half-mile into the grove, and find a grisly scene
at their terminus. The carcasses of a half-elf man and a
horse are both frozen and half-eaten by scavengers. Wolf
prints can be found in the snow. The man is clutching an
iron lockbox, but has no key. Characters that search the
grove for 1 hour can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check. On a success, they find the key. Alternatively, a
character that makes a successful DC 15 Dexterity check
with thieves’ tools can pick the lock. Inside the lockbox,
as expected, are 100 gold pieces minted in Waterdeep.

On the Second Day, there is no Encounter

The characters travel along the Ten Trail uneventfully on
their second day. Alternatively, you could insert another
encounter from the low-level Arctic Encounters table
from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.

On the Third Day, a Combat Encounter: Monstrous

Beast Master
In this encounter, the characters are ambushed by an
ogre hunter and her saber-toothed tiger animal
companion. The party can’t ignore this encounter.
Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:
You’ve traveled all day without interruption. Night is
falling, and the time to make camp is fast approaching.

25
Suddenly, your peaceful day of travel is interrupted by a Treasure. Greldoon wears a necklace made from a
whistle of wind and a bestial roar! A javelin tears through bronze sundial decorated with gold engravings. It is
the air and a massive, saber-toothed tiger leaps into your worth 50 gp.
midst!
The ogre, a clever brute named Greldoon, and her animal On the Fourth Day, a Social Encounter: Delivery in
companion Delark, are well camouflaged in the snow. Ten-Towns
Any character that doesn’t have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 14 or higher is surprised, and can’t In this encounter, the characters arrive in the town of
act on the first turn of combat. Bryn Shander. Compared to Luskan, this town is nothing
special—but it is the most bustling settlement in all of
Terrain and Tactics. Greldoon the ogre stands atop a 20- Icewind Dale. The address on Maccath’s package leads
foot-tall cliff, about 20 feet to the west of the road. She them to an inn called Kelvin’ Comfort; it serves mead
attacks from atop the cliff using her with javelins while from the town of Goodmead, and is known throughout
her animal companion wreaks havoc below. She has 5 town for its specialty drink: Flamebeard’s Firebrandy.
javelins, and descends the cliff with greatclub in hand
when she runs out. Delark the saber-toothed tiger Evil magic will darken the skies of Icewind Dale during the
attacks unarmored or lightly armored characters first, events of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. These
eager to make an easy meal out of them. The pair are events have not yet come to pass, and so life in Bryn
clever, but not coordinated enough to focus their Shander is much as it always is: cold, challenging, but not
attacks; they always attack different targets, if possible. without its simple pleasures.

Wrath and Retreat. Greldoon roars with fury if her Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:
animal companion is killed, and she immediately The walls of Bryn Shander, southernmost and largest of
descends the cliff and attacks the creature that killed the Ten-Towns, loom over you. This fortified trading post
Delark until one of them is dead. She then tries to pick up is the gateway to Icewind Dale, and it stands atop a
her companion’s corpse and flees. If Greldoon is killed desolate, windswept hill. Guards atop the walls gaze at
first, her saber-toothed companion shows no such you, but you can barely make out their expressions
loyalty, and flees, taking the Disengage action as he underneath their masks and fur-lined caps. They open the
disappears into the hills. gates and wave you in nonetheless.

26
You have only one package to deliver in Ten-Towns: an Characters thrown out in this way will have to find
iron lockbox containing some sort of draconic artifact another way to meet with Raggamel, perhaps disguising
from a tiefling wizard named Maccath the Crimson. This themselves, sneaking back in, and waiting for Raggamel
parcel is for a person called Raggamel the Renegade, and to emerge for his evening meal.
Maccath’s note says to ask for him with Ogden, the Raggamel the Renegade. Raggamel the Renegade is a
innkeeper of Kelvin’s Comfort. scruffy, dark-skinned, broad-shouldered human with a
If the characters travel to Kelvin’s Comfort—they will secret. He is a neutral good were-polar bear, and
need a place to stay, after all—they find that the place is ventures out into the frozen wastes of Icewind Dale to
filled with travelers and caravan merchants. The place protect vulnerable travelers and viciously destroy cruel
has a lively atmosphere compared to the chilly reception folk. His vigilante work often gets him in trouble with the
they received at the gates. A lone bard plays an upbeat lawmen of Ten-Towns, and he likes to “cool off” in
song in the corner, and a handful of the bar’s patrons are Kelvin’s Comfort.
dancing to their tune. The innkeeper, a dwarf named Raggamel met Maccath the Crimson while she was on a
Ogden Flamebeard, is good-humored but has a quick journey to an iceberg dragon lair called Oyaviggaton
temper. several years ago. After she returned, she gave Raggamel
Speaking with Ogden. Ogden Flamebeard is friends with a tiny wyrmling fang made of white gold she found in the
Raggamel the Renegade, and wants to make sure he iceberg lair as a token of their friendship; he now wears
stays hidden from people who want to do him harm. it as a necklace. Maccath has sent a parcel to him
Thus, he treats anyone looking after him with suspicion. because further Arcane Brotherhood research has gone
Characters that make a successful DC 13 Charisma on in Oyaviggaton, and they’ve discovered an entire
(Deception or Persuasion) check convince him to show white dragon skull made of gold! It has some sort of
them to Raggamel’s room—but any attempts to enchantment on it, and Maccath thinks that returning
intimidate Ogden end poorly, with the dwarf working the missing tooth to the golden skull will unlock some
himself into a spitting rage and telling the characters to kind of dormant enchantment.
get out of his inn. Delivering to Raggamel. Raggamel is cautious, but good-
natured and interested in visitors—doubly interested in
anyone with a connection to his willful friend Maccath.
He is fascinated by her special lockbox—and laughs
loudly with surprise when he touches it and finds that it
springs open! He lowers his voice and tells the characters
that it must have been enchanted to open at his touch,
and muses that Maccath must have sneakily gotten his
fingerprint when they last saw each other. His expression
is a murky mix of wonder, friendly joy, and mild concern
when he says this.
Inside the box is a dragon skull about the size of an adult
cat’s skull, made from white gold. Raggamel puzzles over
it for a moment; a character with a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 14 or higher notes the golden tooth
pendant around his neck, clearly visible against his hairy
chest, visible due to his shirt’s deep collar. Otherwise, he
thinks of it after a moment. He delicately plucks the tiny
tooth from the necklace with his large fingers and slots it
into an opening in the mouth. The skull begins to hum
and vibrate in his hands, and then leaps into the air and
levitates in place! Two tiny pinpricks of white flame glow
in the skull’s eye sockets—and then its mouth opens and
a raspy voice emerges.

27
“Hey, what’s the big idea, fussin’ around with my Conclusion
chompers like that? I’ll have you know I’m a mighty and
Raggamel pays the characters 5 gp each, concluding their
fearsome… oh. Oh boy. I’m just a floatin’ skull now, huh?”
business. He thanks them for making his day more
This skull is Kaledarnethira (or “Kal,” for short), an interesting, and asks them to please keep quiet about
ancient white dragon whose spirit was somehow trapped meeting him—and to say “hi” to Maccath for him once
in this golden sculpture after she was killed by they return to Luskan.
adventurers some two thousand years ago. The skull
found its way into the treasure hoard of the Oyaviggaton
dragon lair. Now reawakened and “defanged” of her The characters advance to 3rd level at the end of this
once-mighty physical and magical powers, Kal has the adventure. If you’re tracking experience points, it’s
power and disposition of a grumpy housecat. Her skull recommended that you use milestone leveling instead,
can levitate up to 30 feet off the ground and can float so that your characters stay powerful enough to handle
through the air at a speed of 40 feet, but she is otherwise the challenges that future adventures have in store.
a noncombatant. She is incredibly knowledgeable about
her former stomping grounds of Icewind Dale, but her
knowledge is some two thousand years out of date.
Raggamel laughs at the emergence of this feisty, indolent
dragon spirit. He recommends that the characters take
her with them while they travel through Icewind Dale.
“She’s got a bad temper, but who doesn’t this far north?”
he quips. He simply warns them to keep her safe until
they get back to Luskan. “Maccath still wants to see her
returned safely, and she can be a real terror when
someone comes between her and her dragons.”

28
 Deliverers will have to deal with them in order to reach
Chaos in Kelvin’s Cairn the recipient of their package.
The lich has been defeated several times by Cimber, but
he has returned just as many times, revived by his
The Fourth Delivery phylactery—an enchanted trinket that Cimber has
In this adventure, the characters are to deliver a package found, but can’t destroy. The package the characters are
to Artus Cimber, an immortal hero that bears the to deliver is a small, hand-carved box of teak hardwood
legendary Ring of Winter. He has returned to Icewind containing a magical weapon that could save Cimber’s
Dale to kill a frost giant lich by the name Skarde life. This corpse slayer dagger can tear through undead
Draugsson. The lich is a powerful necromancer, raising flesh and destroy the lich’s phylactery once and for all.
legions of undead from within the cairn’s secret crypt. There are only three parcels left to be delivered in this
These warriors were once the loyal soldiers of Kelvin adventure series. If you want this part of the adventure
Duarol, a frost giant warlord slain at this mountain. Now, to be non-linear, you could give the characters the choice
they serve Skarde with undying loyalty. Skarde is too of whether to deliver Artus Cimber’s parcel first, or to
great a foe for the characters to handle—but their timely travel to the Reghed Glacier to deliver Vanifer’s parcel
delivery of a weapon from Artus’s boon companion first. The third parcel, belonging to Jarlaxle Baenre,
Dragonbait could turn the tide of this epic battle. follows as a surprise immediately after Artus Cimber's,
Though Cimber has fought through most of Skarde’s and is the topic of next week's encounter.
minions, the dead here are loathe to remain so for long.
The passages within Kelvin’s Cairn are now crawling with
weak undead piecing themselves back together in the
wake of Cimber’s assault on the crypts—and the Luskar

29
Journey to Kelvin’s Cairn Few people travel to Kelvin’s Cairn, save for hunters,
trappers, and young folk with more pride than sense.
The safe route to Kelvin’s Cairn is to follow the Eastway
About a month ago, rumors of draugar—walking
out of Bryn Shander, then turn north when the road forks
dead—being spotted on the mountainside have
and travel until you reach the town of Caer-Konig at the
circulated through town.
base of the mountain. Travelers never leave the
Artus Cimber arrived in Caer-Konig about a tenday
boundaries of Ten-Towns during this journey, and they
ago, prepared for battle.
never leave the road, so the trip is safe. Of course, while
He told a number of people in town that there was a
folk in Ten-Towns often say it’s safe to travel along the
necromancer within a secret crypt tunnel
roads between the towns newcomers to Icewind Dale
somewhere on the mountainside, and he was going
may not know that Ten-Towners have an awful different
to solve their undead problem once and for all—
definition of “safe” than folk who grew up on the Sword
before it became any worse.
Coast. Indeed, anyone who’s lived in the lands of Icewind
He has made several expeditions to the mountain,
Dale for long knows that “safe” isn’t a promise—it’s a
seeking the secret crypt. He has returned covered in
prayer.
blood and gore each time.
On this day, however, it seems the characters’ prayers He left for the mountain for the fifth time in as many
have been answered. The journey from Bryn Shander to days about five days ago, and said if he didn’t return
Caer-Konig is uneventful. If they leave Bryn Shander at in a tenday, to flee to Bryn Shander before Caer-
dawn, they will arrive in the town of Caer-Dineval before Konig were overrun by undead. He hasn’t returned
dusk. Then, the next day, if they leave Caer-Dineval at since.
dawn, they’ll arrive in Caer-Konig by midday with enough
time to prepare for their ascent of Kelvin’s Cairn at dawn
the next day. If you want to add some danger to this two- Exploration Encounter: Ascending the
day journey, however, roll once per day on the low-level Mountain
Arctic Encounters table from Xanathar’s Guide to
This encounter is suitable for a party of 3rd-level
Everything to determine what the characters encounter
characters.
on their travels.
Kelvin’s Cairn is a squat and lonely mountain, standing
To summarize their journey to the base of Kelvin’s Cairn,
only about 1,000 feet tall and with no other mountains
read or paraphrase the following:
nearby. Even though it is really just a large hill, the cairn
You depart from Bryn Shander at dawn, traveling out of is craggy, rocky, and covered year-‘round with snow.
the city along the Eastway, a wide dirt highway that Climbing the side of the mountain requires the
connects Bryn Shander to several of the other towns. Your characters to make several ability checks in order to find
journey through the arctic landscape is cold but paths, climb sheer cliffs, squeeze through gaps, and
uneventful. By dawn on the third day of travel, you stand swing across chasms.
at the base of Kelvin’s Cairn prepared to climb the
Artus Cimber’s trail grows more obvious the farther the
mountain and find a man named Artus Cimber—a
characters travel across the mountain. The corpses of
legendary warrior that is supposedly investigating this
Skarde’s undead minions lay beneath a light layer of
mountain. You’ve heard rumors in town that he was
snowfall, a grisly memorial of Cimber’s first assault on
searching for a hidden crypt somewhere on the
the mountain. If a character ever makes a Wisdom
mountainside, and that restless spirits and the living dead
(Perception) check while on the mountain, a roll of 10 or
have been seen in these parts of late.
higher reveals that there are inert, motionless, frost-
Give the characters an option to make any last-minute rimed corpses buried in the snow all around.
“oh wait,” requests. If they want to buy supplies, they
can find any equipment from chapter 5 of the Player’s
Handbook worth 50 gp or less in the town of Caer-Konig. First Leg: Narrow Trail
Likewise, characters that want more information about The characters’ first obstacle on the mountainside is
Cimber’s whereabouts can learn the following when the trail narrows to a mere 12 inches across,
information by spending an hour talking in town: squeezed between the sheer vertical mountainside and
a 50-foot drop into a snowdrift below. The trail continues
in this way for about 500 feet before the path widens

30
again. Each creature must make a successful DC 13 Second Leg: Rugged Cliff
Dexterity check to sidle along the cliff. Small creatures The path comes to a sudden halt against a rugged cliff
(like halflings) have advantage on this check, and Large face. The cliff is about 50 feet tall, and has several
creatures (like horses) have disadvantage. obvious handholds. To climb the cliff, a creature must
On a failed check, the creature slips from the ledge. The make a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, and
character (or another character within 5 feet of them) can make this check with advantage if they have a
can try to catch the ledge, or the falling character’s hand, climber’s kit. If even one character is at the top of the
by making a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On cliff, they can throw down a rope (if they have one),
a failed save, the creature plummets into the chasm. granting anyone who climbs up after them advantage on
Their fall is softened slightly by the freshly fallen snow, their checks, as long as the rope is somehow secured.
and they take 14 (4d6) damage from the fall. They can On a failed check, the creature loses their grip and falls
climb back up the steep slope to where they started by to the bottom of the cliff. Roll 1d6 – 1 and multiply the
making a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check, result by 10 to determine how many feet up they were
made with advantage if they can rappel up with a rope when they fell. They take 1d6 falling damage for every 10
or a climber’s kit. feet they fell.
Once this obstacle is overcome, the characters continue Once this obstacle is overcome, the characters continue
along the winding mountain path until they reach the along the winding mountain path until they reach the
next obstacle. next obstacle.

31
Third Leg: Deep Chasm by the freshly fallen snow, and they take 14 (4d6)
The mouth of an ominous, skull-shaped cave comes into damage from the fall. They can climb back up the steep
sight. However, the mountainside has long since slope to where they started by making a successful DC 10
crumbled away, leaving a 20-foot gap separating the Strength (Athletics) check, made with advantage if they
characters from the cave mouth. A scraggly tree hangs can rappel up with a rope or a climber’s kit.
over the chasm, and a length of rope dangles from a If the check to swing across the gap fails by 5 or more,
grappling hook that has been hooked to the tree—a tool they plummet straight down, unable to try to grab the
that Artus Cimber left here when he entered the cave. ledge before they fall.
The rope dangles in the middle of the gap, 10 feet distant Once across, the party can enter the secret crypt hidden
from either side. In order to grab it, a character will have within Kelvin’s Cairn.
to leap to it, or pull it over to their side (perhaps with a
spell like mage hand). Once a character has grabbed the
rope, they must make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to swing across and leap to
the other side of the gap.
On a failed check, the creature swings successfully, but
misses the ledge. That creature or another creature
already on the ledge can try to catch the ledge, or the
falling character’s hand, by making a successful DC 13
Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature
plummets into the chasm. Their fall is softened slightly

32
33
Combat Encounter: Chaos in Kelvin’s Cairn voice. “Artus Cimber, you scrawny, foolish whelp! You
may destroy me as many times as you like, but so long as
The characters are now in the crypt-tunnels used by the
my phylactery exists, I shall never die!”
frost giant warlord Kelvin Duarol. Artus Cimber has
largely destroyed, the mighty undead warriors that You reach the bottom of the stairs and see a wide ritual
lurked in these tunnels, revived by Skarde’s necromancy. chamber. Hiding behind a pillar near you is a grizzled
However, these chopped-up undead still have some human warrior, a sword in one hand and a rune stone
semblance of animation, and will crawl, hop, and roll the size of his torso clutched to his chest. He looks over
their way to attacking the characters in any way they can. his shoulder and growls, “Then if I have to fight you
forever, Skarde, I will! I’ve got time.” He then stands and
runs from the pillar he was hiding behind to another one
Passages of the Revived to the east—just in time to avoid a blast of acid that melts
Read or paraphrase the following when the characters the first column to slag.
first enter the cave: This man is Artus Cimber. Standing in the west of the
You enter the cave and walk down, feeling your feet on chamber, before a grisly altar, is a Huge frost giant lich
crude steps carved into the stone. The cave reaches back named Skarde Draugsson. Don’t worry much about
into the mountain, curving gently downward for about either of their statistics; both of these characters are
sixty feet before ending at a large stone door. Dozens of essentially just props for you to use as the DM. It’s highly
crypt alcoves are carved into the walls on either side of unlike that the characters will kill Skarde if they attack
the cave, and a veritable army of rotting undead are him, and Artus’s actual statistics aren’t much of a match
strewn about the passage, their dismembered limbs limp for a lich in a one-on-one fight. Your goal in this fight is
on the floor. to give the characters the illusion of a dangerous fight
Then, they move. Scraping, dragging, hopping across the that they can duck and weave through in order to deliver
floor towards you are limbs and torsos and heads of Dragonbait’s package to Artus.
untold dozens of undead soldiers! Stealth. The characters need to get the package to Artus
Roll initiative! This group of assorted limbs have formed without being annihilated by Skarde. As long as a
themselves into two skeletal swarms. One swarm character has an object to take cover behind, they can
approaches from the back of the cave, and the other Hide behind it as an action. As long as Skarde is focused
approaches from the front, trapping the characters in on Artus, they must make a DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth)
between them. Four relatively complete zombies rise check in order to avoid his notice. Artus starts at the
and approach, as well. The one or two limbs they’re southwesternmost pillar and moves counterclockwise
missing don’t significantly hinder their ability to move or from one pillar to another at the end of each of his turns
attack. to avoid Skarde’s attacks..

Crypt Door. At the back of the cave is a stone door that Detection. If a character fails this check, Skarde spots
stands just slightly ajar. Behind it is a spiral staircase that them. He laughs a gravely laugh and says, “Friends of
descends into a wide ritual chamber (see below). yours, Cimber? They’re welcome to join you in oblivion!”
He casts ray of frost (which has a +12 bonus to hit and
deals 4d8 cold damage) using his Cantrip Legendary
Cimber’s Struggle Action at the end of that character’s turn. He still focuses
The characters descend a flight of ancient stairs (in the his spells and attacks on Artus when it’s his turn, and uses
southwest part of the room below) into a wide ceremony Legendary Actions to attack the characters.
chamber (that makes up the entirety of the west half of Minions. When the characters enter this room, a group
the map) where Artus Cimber is locked in combat with of six zombies emerge from alcoves in the southern wall
the frost giant lich Skarde Draugsson. You can fill the of this chamber. They fight the characters, trying to
other areas of this map with creatures and treasure if you distract them from reaching Artus. Once all of the
want to expand it into a larger dungeon. zombies are dead, another group of six zombies emerge
To set the scene, read or paraphrase the following: from alcoves in the north wall 1d4 rounds later to keep
the pressure on. Zombies stop animating once Skarde is
Rasping laughter echoes through the room as you
defeated.
descend the stairs, then begins to speak in a booming

34
Rules Tip: Legendary Actions On his next turn, Artus charges Skarde, leaps into the air,
and plunges his sword into Skarde’s chest. Skarde
Legendary creatures like liches can take special actions at ultimately dies whenever one of the characters plunges
the end of another creature’s turn in combat. The lich is the corpse slayer into the rune stone, which causes it to
one such creature. Skarde can take three legendary crack, shudder, and explode in a gout of green flame.
actions; but in this combat, he only uses them to cast
cantrips at the characters.
Conclusion: Another Successful Delivery
Artus Cimber is a gruff man of few words—but he thanks
the characters in his own terse way. He hands the corpse
Delivery slayer dagger back to the characters as payment,
Once the characters reach Artus, he reacts with surprise explaining, “I’m leaving Icewind Dale—I’m not a fan of it
and gruffly demands they explain why they came to find here. Too many enemies. But if you’re sticking around,
him. If they reveal they have a package from Dragonbait, you’ll need this thing. Stay alive.”
he demands they hand it over, saying that it could be the He travels with the characters back to Caer-Konig, but
key to destroying this lich. When he touches the box, it disappears in the night before they can say goodbye.
magically unlocks and the corpse slayer dagger within There are more adventures for these adventurers to
falls into his hand. Cimber smiles and hands both the have, and this world-weary man has no desire to
dagger and the rune stone he holds underneath his arm. interfere. Before the characters leave Caer-Konig,
He quickly explains: however, they hear an interesting rumor—one that
“The big stone is the lich’s phylactery, I think this knife could pertain to one of their jobs: delivering a parcel to
can destroy it. I knew Dragonbait could do it.” He glances the drow iconoclast, Jarlaxle Baenre, in next week's
over his shoulder at the frost giant lich, then looks you encounter.
dead in the eye, a wicked smile on his face. “I’m going to
finish this monster off. I want you to plunge that knife
into that stone the instant I get him, so he can see what
it’s like to be taken by oblivion. Got that?”

35
 enjoys the complications that arise when adventurers try
Jarlaxle’s Reversal to meddle in his affairs, and loves to see the looks on
their faces when he finally gets the better of them. He
doesn’t suffer fools who threaten him, however. If forced
The Fifth Delivery into a violent confrontation, he swiftly and brutally kills
someone to make an example of them and then walks
In this adventure, the characters finish one delivery and
off.
descend from Kelvin’s Cairn, a squat mountain near Ten-
Towns, only to discover that another one of their However, the Jarlaxle the characters meet in this
recipients is actually atop the mountain! Rumors abound adventure is a somber and methodical drow. His usual
in the town of Caer-Konig that a drow wrapped in furs flippant attitude is dulled by the frigid cold of Icewind
passed through town. When he shed his furs in the Dale, and by the worry in his heart. His Bregan D’aerthe
tavern, some folk who have heard stories of the Crystal agents in the north have informed him of a supernatural
Shard recognized him as the one and only Jarlaxle danger brewing in this icy land, and he fears that it may
Baenre. be the power of Crenshinibon, the legendary Crystal
Shard that he and his rival Drizzt Do’Urden battled over
Jarlaxle Baenre is an inimitable rapscallion whose name
a century ago. He has traveled to Kelvin’s Cairn to calm
is spoken in whispers across Faerûn. He is described in
his fears—and has learned that while the Crystal Shard is
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist as:
not the source of the darkness that is spreading from the
A drow swashbuckler and the secret lord of Luskan, the north, its fell magic is still felt in dark and mysterious
City of Sails. Jarlaxle delights in thwarting his enemies, ways. Jarlaxle doesn’t know it yet, but the lingering
power of the Crystal Shard is manifesting as chardalyn, a
mysterious and powerful substance described further in
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.

Return to Kelvin’s Cairn

The characters have just returned from Kelvin’s Cairn at
the end of the previous encounter. Depending on what
time of day you determine it to be, the characters may
decide to spend the night in a local inn (a small
establishment called the Northern Light), or they may
want to return to Bryn Shander while it’s still light out.
If they spend the night, this scene occurs in the taproom
of the Northern Light the next morning. If they leave
town immediately, this scene occurs at the gates of Caer-
Konig. Read or paraphrase the following:
A group of musclebound Northlander warriors talk in
hushed tones. As you walk past, you hear one of them
growl, “That drow with the funny hat… you didn’t see him
take anything, did you?”
The Northlanders are discussing Jarlaxle Baenre, who
stayed in the Northern Light in just last night, and
departed for the summit of Kelvin’s Cairn the next
morning.
A character that wants to eavesdrop must succeed on a
DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check and a DC 13 Wisdom
(Perception) check. A character that fails this Dexterity
(Stealth) check can still listen in, but they make the
Wisdom (Perception) check with disadvantage, since

36
they had to find a more distant vantage point to Climbing Kelvin’s Cairn (Again)
eavesdrop from. Characters that speak directly with the
Northlanders can make a DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation Kelvin’s Cairn is rocky and treacherous, but at only 1,000
or Persuasion) check, learning the same information as feet from base to summit, it’s little more than a large hill.
eavesdropping on a success. The path to the summit is remarkably easy, especially
compared to the dangerous back route that the
Characters that eavesdrop on their conversation or characters had to navigate to get to the secret crypt in
speak with the Northlanders can learn the following the previous encounter. There are no challenging
information: exploration encounters to overcome on the way to the
A drow with an outrageous, ostentatious wardrobe summit.
complete with an eyepatch and a large, feathered hat If you want to add encounters to drain the characters’
spent the night drinking grimly in the taproom. strength before the upcoming combat encounter atop
He left the next morning. Locals saw him on the path to Kelvin’s Cairn, consider rolling on the low-level Arctic
the summit of Kelvin’s Cairn. Encounters table from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.
Judging by his dress, a number of locals believe him to be
the legendary Jarlaxle Baenre.
Meeting Jarlaxle Baenre
If the characters don’t immediately turn around and
follow this plot hook, don’t worry. Let them pursue the The characters climb the snow-blanketed crags of
one delivery they know about for sure: Vanifer’s delivery Kelvin’s Cairn, switching back and winding around—
at the Reghed Glacier. This delivery will be described in hiking about five miles to climb a mere 1,000 feet. When
next week’s encounter. In the meantime, figure out a they reach the summit, they find Jarlaxle. Read or
way to tell the characters about Jarlaxle’s whereabouts paraphrase the following to set the scene:
more directly; perhaps Fel’rekt contacts the characters The view from atop the mountain is incredible, with the
with the sending stone he gave them back in Luskan, and snowy plains of Icewind Dale spread out around you. An
reveals that he’s heard Jarlaxle has traveled to the top of aurora shimmers on the distant horizon. Kneeling at the
Kelvin’s Cairn for some unknown reason. very peak of Kelvin’s Cairn is a mound of thick furs, which
occasionally moves to draw a symbol in the snow around
it—presumably, a person is beneath them. A circle is
drawn in the snow around the peak of the mountain, and
the pile of furs is in its center.

37
If the characters approach, a stern yet lilting voice This shower of snow transforms into a raging blizzard
emerges from the pile of furs in the center of the circle. that surrounds the characters. Everything within a 60-
“Don’t scuff the lines of the circle. I’m not a mage, so I foot radius is lightly obscured by snow, and everything
don’t want anything to go wrong.” He pauses for a beyond this radius is completely concealed by an
moment, then asks the characters what the hell they’re impenetrable wall of sleet.
doing here—especially if they ask if he’s Jarlaxle. If they Read or paraphrase the following:
explain that they’re with the Luskar Deliverers, he stands
and looks them over, revealing that he is indeed a Snow billows around you, obscuring the entire world. A
splendidly dressed male drow (wearing a dozen furs to strange music fills the air. It’s haunting and distant and
keep warm). otherworldly, and it seems to come from all around you.
You begin to see patterns forming in the raging blizzard.
Jarlaxle reacts well to the characters being Luskar, and The flakes seem to form a curtain of geometric diamonds,
readily accepts the sending stone Fel’rekt sent him. He rising and falling and distorting as they dance all about
thinks it’s sweet that Fel’rekt sent Deliverers after him you.
when he vanished to Icewind Dale—and he thinks that
the characters are quite tenacious to find him out here Then, the curtain lifts. The world is still, silent, and dark.
at the end of the world. He takes a sudden liking to these No sun shines in the sky to light the world below, and the
characters, and explains why he’s here: snow around your ankles does not sparkle. After a
moment of claustrophobic darkness, a faint glimmer of
Jarlaxle came to this place because his Bregan light forms in the sky. An aurora, a ribbon of dancing
D’aerthe scouts told him of strange magic happening colors, emerges from the eternal night, and it winds
in Icewind Dale. He’s seen his fair share of evil magic, through the sky until its tip touches down at your feet. A
and now he has the safety of Luskan to worry about. figure descends from this iridescent road. She seems a
He came to Kelvin’s Cairn because the last great evil woman at first, but her form grows and distends as she
that stretched across Icewind Dale was related to grows closer until she appears before you as a hulking
Crenshinibon, the infamous Crystal Shard that he snowy owl with curling ram’s horns and a hunched,
fought his rival Drizzt Do’Urden over decades ago. bipedal body.
He found no trace of the Crystal Shard’s power in
Kelvin’s Cairn, but he’s also seen strange auroras This beastly apparition cries out at you, and the world is
moving across the sky and looming darkness suddenly plunged back into the geometric curtain of
creeping in from the north. He spoke with a snow.
soothsayer in Caer-Dineval named Hethyl Arkorran, This is a vision of a lesser deity called Auril the
and was given a magic sigil to help him see a vision Frostmaiden. In this vision, the characters can see her
of a future that could come to pass. He came to the goal of plunging the world into eternal night—though her
top of Kelvin’s Cairn to use the sigil—and he would motives are unclear to them. This beast-like avatar
like the characters to join him in witnessing a appears in the vision to rend their minds asunder. This
possible future for Icewind Dale. avatar uses owlbear statistics, with the following
changes:
It has a flying speed of 60 feet, but must end its turn
Combat Encounter: Vision of the on the ground or fall.
Frostmaiden Its attacks deal psychic damage instead of their usual
This encounter is suitable for a party of 3rd-level damage type.
characters. This vision-avatar of Auril can’t speak, and simply bellows
If the characters turn down Jarlaxle’s offer to witness this and roars at the characters. Auril’s actual game statistics
vision with him, he inclines his head graciously and pays are provided in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.
them 20 gp for delivering this parcel to him—his +14 In this encounter, Jarlaxle holds back to see if the
bonus to Charisma (Deception) checks makes it unlikely characters are competent fighters. He chooses not to use
anyone will notice he’s disappointed. If they do accept his Multiattack or Sneak Attack features, or his
his offer, however, he invites them into the circle to Legendary Actions. He disguises his deceptions well; a
stand beside him. He draws a few final sigils, and the character that makes a successful DC 24 Wisdom
entire circle explodes in a shower of snow. (Insight) check can tell he’s holding back; they can make

38
this check with advantage if they’re familiar with Jarlaxle bids the characters farewell and continues his
Jarlaxle’s legendary swashbuckling skill with a blade. journey across Icewind Dale. He suspects that there is
divine evil at play, and was more frightened by the vision
than he lets on. He keeps in close contact with Fel’rekt
Conclusion and the Bregan D’aerthe while he travels across Icewind
Once the vision-avatar of Auril is defeated, it freezes into Dale, scouting out the dangers that will appear in Icewind
ice and then cracks and shatters with a haunting screech. Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. If you play Rime of the
The curtain of geometric patterns fades, and everyone Frostmaiden after it releases on September 15th, 2020,
finds themselves once more on the summit of Kelvin’s you can use Jarlaxle Baenre or other members of the
Cairn. If he hasn’t already, Jarlaxle pays the characters 20 Bregan D’aerthe (like Fel’rekt Lafeen) as allies and
gp for delivering the sending stone. Read or paraphrase informants that the characters can rely upon in Ten-
the following: Towns and around Icewind Dale.
Jarlaxle bursts into bitter laughter. “Incredible! Plunging
the world into eternal darkness, eh? How trite. My
friends, I’ve seen a lot of strange things from one end of
the world to another, and this doesn’t frighten me one
bit.”
The drow turns with a dramatic flourish before pulling his
warm furs tightly around him. He pauses and turns over
his shoulder to say, “But if I’m wrong and you’re still
around when things go bad… I’ll share with you
everything I’ve learned.”

39
 dangerous, but it hasn’t yet fallen under the evil
Vanifer’s Repentance influence of Auril the Frostmaiden, so there are no
monster encounters. If you do want to add encounters
to drain the characters’ strength before the upcoming
The Final Delivery encounter on the glacier, consider rolling on the low-
level Arctic Encounters table from Xanathar’s Guide to
This is the sixth and final delivery that the Luskar
Everything.
Deliverers will undertake in this series. This unusual
request was from Vanifer, former leader of the Cult of
the Eternal Flame, one of the elemental cults players may
have defeated in Princes of the Apocalypse. In this non-
canon appearance, Vanifer survived her ordeal in the
Dessarin Valley and disbanded the cult after their defeat
at the hands of adventurers. Back in Luskan, she gave the
characters Tinderstrike, a legendary dagger capable of
summoning Imix, a Prince of Elemental Evil, to the
Material Plane.
She plans to cast this evil dagger into the Reghed Glacier,
so that its power is never again used to call the Prince of
Evil Fire into the world. She gave it to the Luskar
Deliverers because she feared that its evil power would
overwhelm her better judgment. Now, the Deliverers
travel to the designated point on the glacier to meet her
and bring this saga to an end.
After this adventure is over, it’s easy for the characters
to transition straight into playing Icewind Dale: Rime of
the Frostmaiden. However, they may want to continue
playing as members of the Luskar Deliverers instead! You
can create a whole campaign based on this concept! Social Encounter: Vanifer’s Repetenance
Where else in Faerûn could the Luskar Deliverers be
called to make a dangerous delivery? The High Forest? This encounter is suitable for a party of 3rd-level
The Anauroch desert? What monsters of increasing characters.
power could threaten them in their perilous parcel This encounter begins when the characters reach
quest? Vanifer’s camp atop the Reghed Glacier. In this
encounter, the characters must overpower the evil will
of Tinderstrike so that Vanifer can cast it into the Reghed
Journey to the Reghed Glacier Glacier and dull its fiery power. This encounter will be
The characters start this adventure in Ten-Towns. Bryn more difficult if any of the characters used Tinderstrike
Shander is a large town that they know NPCs in, making during their adventures, because the dagger will try to
it a reasonable place for the characters to rest and exert its evil influence over anyone who has ever attuned
recuperate. They can spend the first part of this session to it.
preparing for the journey or relaxing with NPCs that they Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene:
met in the sixth encounter in this series.
You trudge up an icy slope, face covered against the frigid
Vanifer’s parcel contains a simple map from Bryn wind and flurries of snow. You crest the slope, and spy a
Shander to a camp Vanifer has made on the Reghed crimson flag fluttering at the top of the next rise, with a
Glacier. The map indicates a fissure in the glacier that thin trail of smoke curling into the sky behind it. You
Vanifer plans to cast the dagger into. clamber up the hill and reach the flag. Sitting before a fire
Once they’re ready to get moving, the trek from Bryn near the flag is a red-skinned tiefling with shining black
Shander to the Reghed Glacier takes about three days of hair. She looks up at you with her glowing golden eyes
travel through snowy wastes of Icewind Dale. The land is and stands.

40
“You have come,” she says solemnly. “Thank you for immune to the dagger’s evil influence for the next 24
undertaking this journey. It is… so terribly cold here.” She hours.
glances over her shoulder at a vast crevasse in the glacial On a failed save, they hear the low, crackling voice of Imix
ice some fifty feet away. “I am ready to put an end to this speak to them through the dagger. The Prince of
sad saga and move on. Have you brought it? The dagger, Elemental Evil may say one of the following ominous
Tinderstrike?” phrases:
Vanifer is cold, dour, and morose. She is usually high- “They are jealous of your power. They will destroy you to
spirited and quick to make sarcastic jokes, but Icewind take your prize. Destroy them first.”
Dale has not been kind to her. If the characters ask
Vanifer about her reasons for casting Tinderstrike into “You wield a power beyond their feeble comprehension.
the ice, she explains several details about her past and Prove to them that they should bow before you.”
her mission: “The warmth of flame will shield you from their cold
“With this dagger, I once nearly summoned an hatred. They hate you. They will lie to you. Do not believe
elemental prince who could have reduced the Sword them.”
Coast to ash. I can’t undo the pain I’ve caused, but I Vanifer starts this encounter by attempting to the throw
can make sure this evil weapon is never used again.” the dagger into the ice herself. Because of the immense
“Tinderstrike can’t be destroyed by any means I amount of time she once spent attuned to Tinderstrike,
know. Here, at least, it will be impossible for any she automatically fails this saving throw and can’t use her
mortal to reach.” Legendary Resistance feature to succeed. She attacks the
“After this… I’ll try to start a new life. Do some good, characters, clearly not in her right mind, if they try to take
or at least try not to cause any more pain. Fire can do it from her. As stated above, Vanifer can’t cast spells
more than harm alone.” while compelled to attack the characters. Additionally,
When the characters are done speaking with her, Vanifer she makes her attacks with disadvantage, as her
conscious mind struggles to throw off Imix's influence.
turns towards the fissure in the ice. “May I ask you for
one more favor, Deliverers? Tinderstrike’s power over This encounter ends when Tinderstrike is cast into the
the mind is great. I am not certain I can cast it aside so ice. Read or paraphrase the following:
easily.” The dagger ricochets off the icy walls of the fissure,
clinking pathetically as it disappears from sight. Vanifer
sighs as its tinny sounds fade away into the ambient noise
The Dagger is Cast
of the polar wind. “Thank you,” she says weakly. “And…
When a character tries to throw Tinderstrike into the icy I’m sorry. May I accompany you back to Ten-Towns? I left
crevasse (or otherwise destroy it or seal it away), they my gold there, I can repay you when we’re back in
must make a successful DC 15 Charisma saving throw or safety.”
be magically compelled to bring the dagger back to
civilization—and to kill anyone that tries to stop them. If
a creature has ever been attuned to Tinderstrike, it Conclusion: Flames before the Darkness
makes this save with disadvantage. A creature compelled The journey back to Ten-Towns is freezing but
in this way can only make attacks with Tinderstrike and unremarkable. Vanifer has a room at Kelvin’s Comfort,
can’t cast spells. This compulsion lasts the entire time the the same respectable inn that the characters visited on
dagger is on their person, and they are stunned until the their first visit to Bryn Shander, and she pays them each
end of their next turn if the dagger is forcibly taken from the 10 gp postage they’re owed, and also gives them a
them. A character can try to take Tinderstrike from memento for aiding her in freeing herself of
another creature by succeeding on a Strength contest Tinderstrike’s malign influence. This memento is a
against them as an action. golden amulet in the shape of the symbol of the Cult of
At the start of each of their turns, a character compelled the Eternal Flame. She says that she has no desire to keep
to kill by Tinderstrike can make a DC 20 Charisma saving it any longer, but without the bad memories she
throw. On a success, they are stunned the start of their associates with it, it is a useful magical trinket. A creature
next turn. Once they are no longer stunned, they are with an Intelligence of 5 or higher that wears this amulet
can cast the produce flame cantrip at-will.

41
 wilds. They won’t gain much XP from these adventures,
meaning they won’t be overleveled once they leave the
safety of civilization.
There is a third method that requires a little more work,
but provides ample challenge for the characters, gives
them all the story details they need, and keeps them
from being overleveled later. Adjust the difficulty of the
early adventures to match the characters’ level, using the
D&D Beyond Encounter Builder. This tool lets you add or
remove monsters to increase the difficulty of the early,
low-level adventures in Ten-Towns, and clearly shows
you how the difficulty of the encounter changes with
regards to the size and power of your party, making it
perfect for modifying existing encounters!
Then, to complete the trick, you reduce the XP granted
Up Next… Rime of the Frostmaiden! by encounters to 25% their normal value (after
increasing their power using the Encounter Builder), until
This encounter concludes the Icewind Mail: Special
you reach chapter 2 of Icewind Dale: Rime of the
Delivery series! Starting September 15th, you can
Frostmaiden.
continue the adventures in the frozen north of Faerûn
with Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. Your
players’ characters are probably 3rd or 4th level at the
end of this encounter series, meaning that they’ll have
“outleveled” about a quarter of the content in Icewind
Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. You have several
solutions on how to make the most of what’s in the book.
No matter which option you choose, you may need to
account for a two-year time jump, since Auril's spell of
eternal night has been woven across the sky for about
two years by the time the adventure begins. This could
send the characters back down south to Luskan where
they run deliveries in the lands to the south for two years
before returning to Icewind Dale, or they could live in
Ten-Towns amidst the snow and darkness for two years,
trying to survive.
Rime of the Frostmaiden is a super-sized D&D adventure
that starts at 1st level, but its adventures are almost
completely modular, allowing you to add, remove, or
insert new adventures to suit your players’ needs. If you
want, you can simply skip the low-level adventures in
Ten-Towns and have the characters start in chapter 2 of
the book, as they venture out into the wastes of Icewind
Dale.
From a gameplay standpoint, this works perfectly. From
a story standpoint, your players may miss out on learning
vital foreshadowing about major events later on in the
story if they skip over the small-scale adventures in Ten-
Towns. Another option is to let the characters have a few
easy encounters as out-of-town heroes, solving Ten-
Towns’ problems with ease before venturing out into the

42