Rime of the Frostmaiden - How useful is this book? The group grabs the codicil, and they continue on to Ythryn so they can find and use the mythallar to end the rime. Learn how you can restructure Rime of the Frostmaiden to create a more cohesive structure that makes the adventure easier to run, includes more cool stuff from the book organically, and keeps the players engaged and interested in the adventure throughout. The group can convince Arveiaturace that the whale is a friend, but the dragon is still hungry. Minor spoilers ahead! Which quest to start with? If the group kills Auril (to do so, they have to destroy all three of  her forms) or her roc, the rime is lifted. These are the set-ups for the adventures later in chapter 2. I kind of want to run most of them! Prior to the events of the story, Umberlee - who is associated with the sea -- found herself at odds with Auril. Tenants. Sunblight: Sunblight is a large complex, a pretty straightforward dungeon. That's one of the hardest parts of being a DM - rolling with the curveballs. If the group goes to the Shrine of the Flaming Sword (pg73), a lone citizen is mourning the loss of Speaker Kendrick Rielsbarrow, lighting candles. You can use the guidelines on page 105 to see how frequent the random encounters are. You can find him on Twitter @LD_Nolan. Some groups might go back in time. Auril’s church has a few males within its ranks, but most clergy of the Frostmaiden are female. (pg 166) Wyrmdoom Crag: At the crag, the group could, in theory, befriend the goliaths. Lysan, a human barmaid of Kuldahar who is revealed at the end of chapter 1 to be a secret priestess and Chosen of Auril on a mission to extinguish the warmth of Kresselack's Tomb. I read the whole book, I wrote a guide to it, and I've run many published campaign/adventure paths from beginning to end. Rime of the Frostmaiden is the latest Dungeons & Dragons campaign book and it uses one of the most feared gods in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, especially for characters who are trapped in the cold climate of Icewind Dale. That spell comes in handy many, many times in this adventure. Maybe during the final battle a goliath party (pg 109) from Wyrmdoom Crag shows up to help the heroes. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is a chilly campaign that will take characters from 1st to beyond 10th level, as they face frosty foes, deeply buried dangers, and dark deities, while reshaping the fate of Icewind Dale – and perhaps the entire Sword Coast along with it!. Thank you for the brilliant input, Sean! I'll list the scenarios I want to use and the things that happen along the way. Auril is the neutral evil goddess of winter. The body was being stuffed into a sack (see pg 24). Take this example from the caves around Yrkyth: Frost-covered blocks of stone jut from the floor of this ten-foot-high cave of … If the group does find and kill the Red Yeti, let's have Nynetra give the heroes a bottle of Elverquisst (the drink that the professor orb knows so much about). A snow white Tiefling Bremen Lake Plesiosaurus. There's just too much going on for anyone to manage without slowing the game to a crawl. At the Wet Trout, Mylbor Tafferac challenges the group to find the Red Yeti. If the ring is taken, all creatures within 100 feet of it are engulfed in swirling snow and are teleported to the icy path that leads to the Cave of the Berserkers (pg 124). Cold-Hearted Killer (pg 22) and Nature Spirits (pg 25). From here on out, you can just run it by the book. I think it's fun to play with this a little: Ominous: Have a citizen confide in a hero: "I can't shake the feeling that we're all doomed. It’s a new kind of D&D. They could stay at The Eastside (pg 93) if they want. And he's in the Ethereal Plane. In essence, the bad acts now feel more normal than the life lived in Ten Towns before the Frostmaiden started her nightly voyage across the sky. Having first appeared in 1st edition materials for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Auril is a long-standing lesser deity of the Faerûnian pantheon. She is sort of, pretty much, the big bad guy of this whole book. Run Arveiaturace (pg 105). Have you heard anything about a city trapped in ice? Auril had a divine realm called Winter's Hall in Pandesmos, the topmost layer of Pandemonium in the Great Wheel cosmology. The Dead Speaker's Body: Good Mead is the second town on the dragon's flight path in chapter 5. Somewhere in here, have Arveiaturace mention a strange treasure she wanted to add to her hoard but couldn't - the psi-crystal (in the mine on M12. Just throw some in the garbage if it feels too slow for you. I want the world to feel "alive.". Really, you're all working together to create a movie or a TV show that occurs in your imagination. Trappers, … via the whale oil merchant in the  Whale Oil Quest (pg 103). The Crystal: Remember that if a character attunes to the psi-crystal, they'll start hearing the deep speech telepathic signal (pg 133). The group can befriend Arveiaturace by adding to her hoard, rather than taking from it. Just why Auril has chosen to plunge Icewind Dale into an everlasting winter isn't really discussed in Rime of the Frostmaiden . Avarice has heard that the group met with Vellynne and she wants to know everything. The cruel and capricious goddess of Winter Avarice. Chwingas are having a snowball fight. Creating what has become known as the Everlasting Rime and empowering her followers has taken its toll on Auril, and she's significantly weakened as a result. She is still hungry, and wants to eat the whale if and when it surfaces. Specialty priests of Auril, called icepriestesses and icepriests, make up one-third of Auril's priesthood. Nerd Immersions Preview of Rime of the Frost Maiden. What a coincidence. Yes, looks like the group is headed back to Kelvin's Cairn! Auril herself, we’ve seen, is a multi-phase boss fight, and is an answer to the easy one and done encounter. When things start to feel like they're dragging, do whatever you have to do to fix it. Reghed Nomad with Cage. 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One problem I have here is that I really like a lot of the chapter 2 adventures. In honor of the release of Rime of the Frostmaiden, I give you the lesser goddess: Auril, the Frostmaiden! This is not meant to be a battle, obviously, just an introduction to this unique dragon. (pg 145) Lost Spire of Netheril: While hunting for the Red Yeti, the adventurers stumble upon a 20-foot-high spur of rock and a tunnel in the snow. It says the group gains a level after spending 2-3 sessions exploring Icewind Dale. The new magic items in Frostmaiden. He was building a device that he hoped would end the Everlasting the Rime. Norse god Loki also made Winter's Hall his abode, a place to hide away whenever he fell out of grace with the other Aesir. Catching Up with the Dragon: In my guide, I discuss at length the issues with going all the way back to Ten-Towns while the dragon is wreaking havoc. You're new! You're going to be in a weird spot here. See "Ending the Everlasting Rime" on pg 213. Auril is one of the main villains of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. These axe beaks, they cost less to feed and they're much faster. The idea here is that the heroes will be searching Ten-Towns for a serial killer, and stumbling on the various quests along the way. Journey to Easthaven: Takes 7.5 hours by road. This sure sounds like Auril, the Forgotten Realms’ deity whose portfolio includes winter — in particular, the cruelty, power, and wrath of cold. Moderator: Blacky the Blackball. Players generally love it when it's easy. And given that you face her when you’re 7th level, you could be in for an everyone dies situation, but I love the way that this plays out. How Ythryn Fell: The group will learn how the floating city of Ythryn fell in the first place. He was here with a white-skinned lady with horns, and an older woman. Home. The more familiar with the material that you are, the easier it will be to roll with the punches.Picking Secrets: You might want to have a "session zero" where everyone makes characters. I mean... the time of darkness is over. How handy that an axe beak costs 50 gp, right? about chapter 2, you can 2 or 3 more quest I believe. They'll also need to draw their secrets. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is on sale now from Wizards of the Coast. The Mead Must Flow: Hopefully the adventurers try to help the poor people of Good Mead ("The Mead Must Flow" pg 73). Auril's history in the Forgotten Realms is long, but the most pertinent information for those playing Rime of the Frostmaiden is her relationship with Talos, Umberlee and Malar. The group will basically get their quest, walk outside, and march right into the hook of the "Lake Monster" quest. That's why it pays to be prepared. Play as a Goliath with Roll20 Charactermancer support, perfectly suited to the climes and temperatures of Icewind Dale. (pg 116) Black Cabin: This one is pretty wild. King In Black: Could [SPOILER]’s Return Be the Key to Beating Knull? From that point on, her curse is very slowly being lifted. (pg 73) Good Mead - The Mead Must Flow: As soon as the heroes arrive at the town, the despondent citizens approach them. The problem is that this book is on the island that Auril herself lives on. Arveiaturace: As the group heads to the mountain, a blizzard hits (see pg 10). I am certain that you are the only ones who can save us from the eternal night. A lesser god embodying winter’s cruelty and the catalyst for the campaign. It expects the heroes to write a response on the scroll. He gives them their quest. That said, the book seems to work under the idea that Auril's three forms were defeated in chapter 3. Clue: Once the group completes the quest and gets their scroll of animal friendship, they catch word that Torg's was last seen headed to Targos. In this frozen tundra, darkness and bitter cold reign as king and queen. Mission accomplished! She serves Talos and is one of the Gods of Fury, and much of her ethos is similar to that of the god of nature's destruction. Normally, wizards may only learn these three spells by obtaining a Lich’s spellbook from Ythryn, or the Codicil of White from the Frostmaiden Auril’s abode. She is in no shape to make this trip. People who worship Auril are called Aurilites. The Frostmaiden is thrice as powerful as the strongest mortal! They got into a disagreement and I thought the spells would start flying. However, every night for more than two years she's flown into the sky before midnight and weaved a spell to keep the sun from rising on Icewind Dale. Their leader, Queen Bjornhild, worships the Frostmaiden, and her tribe will actually try to kill the heroes when they go to open the glacier (see pg 215). I plan on running a lot of the chapter 2 stuff, but I'm wary that the group might get frustrated that they aren't leveling fast enough. Remember, Vellynne and the kobolds can see out of the dome perfectly fine. A wounded duergar is fighting a chardalyn berserker (the duergar wants the chardalyn to bring back to Xardorok to be added to the chardalyn dragon). I want them to go all the way from Dougan's Hole to Termalaine, which means either they trudge through the snow for what looks to be about 11 miles, or they take the road and pass through Good Mead, Easthaven, Bryn Shander on the way to Termalaine. Linking Quests: Take a look at page 103. Auril (pronounced AW-rill ), also known as The Cold Goddess, The Frostmaiden, Icedawn, and the Queen of Air and Darkness was a fickle, vain and evil deity, who was primarily venerated out of fear. Auril (pronounced AW-rill), also known as The Cold Goddess, The Frostmaiden, and Icedawn is a fickle, vain and evil deity, who is primarily venerated out of fear. These are a group of spells unique to the Rime of the Frostmaiden Campaign. Play to your strengths and hide your weaknesses. And then a dragon attacks! One "bad" player can ruin the whole thing. I want to pick the town based on the quest adventure I like the most. The heroes can try to finish the job! There is a force field blocking the heroes from getting both to the mythallar and the main tower of the city, where some really cool treasure is (and it's also the home to Iriolarthus, the demilich). This chapter leaves me scratching my head. Yeah, so, basically, Auril the Frostmaiden, the divine embodiment of winter’s fury and a lesser deity in the Forgotten Realms, has chosen Icewind Dale as her home and has locked it in a forever winter for several years. The duergar infiltrated this place using its power to become invisible, found some chardalyn, but was sniffed out by the polar bear and killed. Specialty priests of Auril, called icepriestesses and icepriests, make up one-third Auril’s priesthood. 13 posts • Page 1 of 1. The group will have to cross the frozen Shaengarne River. The ythryn mythallar in chapter 7 can end the darkness that plagues Icewind Dale. (pg 63) Easthaven - Toil and Trouble: I think that you should hav eDzaan being burned right as the heroes enter Easthaven ("Toil and Trouble" pg 62). If the group goes in and retrieves the bear for her, she eats it and claims that her master thinks they would make fine apprentices. Check out "Dogsleds" on page 20. The idea is that, as the heroes are searching Ten-Towns to complete the intro quest, they will pick up and complete the side-quests in each town. I mean, you can always change it. She will then fly to another wrecked ship and bring back 5 barrels of Moon Mountain Ale (from the Moon Mountain Brewery detailed in Dragon Magazine #299). The Yeti Hunter: Once the group returns to Dougan's Hole, they can meet Mylbor Tafferac the NPC from "Hunt for the Red Yeti." In the spire, they'll meet Dzaan's clone, who will try and get the group to go to the rune chamber so that he can become real. Helping Good Mead Recover: The people will love the heroes, and might try to get them involved in the "New Town Speaker" business on page 78. Common. So let's go through my plan to run this. Plus, I like the dang smell of it.". The group can team up with Grandolpha and her many duergar and overthrow Xardorok if they like. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. We're doing this to reinforce the idea that the duergar are after the chardalyn. Return to Easthaven: When the group returns, have Rinaldo at the White Lady Inn conducting a small string ensemble. She is worshipped mostly in northern Faerûn due to its cold climate, usually out of fear rather than adoration. Uncommon Orc Stone Summon an orc buddy… One of the main goals of the characters in the … Vellynne saw that Avarice was in town and decided to get out and go resume her search for the professor orb. The orb is on Auril's island). Be ready for that. Chardalyn Berserker. Gallant Goblin Unboxing of Rime of the Frostmaiden. Spoilers: Auril is a major aspect of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. She wants to know if Vellynne knows about Jarlmoot... She akss the group to go with her to Bremen. Having to pull quality gaming out of thin air is very difficult. You could do this via text so the other players don't have any clues as to what the secrets are.If I were going to PICK the secrets to hand out, I would take: Do They Know Each Other: Another important thing you should talk to your players about: Do the characters know each other? This quest leads to the Elven Tomb, and while there is no passage to Ythryn, the group might make friends with a mummy, which is not too shabby. Auril the Frostmaiden resides on the Island of Solstice, which she anchors magically in the Sea of Moving Ice. Auril the Frostmaiden, a neutral evil lesser god whose ice grasps all things, preserving them against the ravages of time. Still, she's a formidable foe and has three different forms she can use against the party. Asking around about Torg's, people have seen Torg's caravan around but aren't sure where they are at this moment. Once you know what the full story is and where everything is going, it's going to be so much easier to roll with all of the wacky stuff your players might do. Overall we want to give the impression that Vellynne is nicer and more trustworthy than Avarice. She is being tended to by Copper Knobberknocker, a gnome acolyte of Lathander (see "Provisions for Macreadus" pg 103. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. The hulk fled by digging a tunnel in the wall. In other words, if it is reasonable that more … The parents say: "You know, Dougan's Hole ain't such a bad place. The bane of D&D, in my opinion, is selfishness. AURIL’S ABODE. Following the Sundering (a cataclysmic event that caused many of the gods to leave Toril), Auril returned to Icewind Dale to plunge it into darkness. She was most powerful in those regions that were affected by deep winters or crouched at the edges of the Great Glacier. L.D. She appears in three different forms in the adventure. Let's put the remains of some duergar in room Q6. The frozen corpse of a male half-elf in his thirties with a stab wound in his chest. The group hits level 2 as soon as they complete 1 quest. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons 5e: How To Build An OP Barbarian Monk. (pg 34) Bryn Shander: As the group searches Bryn Shander for Sephek, they are approached by three frost-bitten dwarves (the hook to "Foaming Mugs"). She feels certain that this whale could be a valuable source of information on both the lost city and ending the Everlasting Rime. I’ve now run 3 sessions of Rime of the Frostmaiden and I have found Legacy of the Crystal Shard, the D&DNext adventure, to be very helpful in fleshing out Ten-Towns and the greater Icewind Dale region.I have used some of the information, NPCs, and encounters from that product while prepping my Rime game, so I thought you might like to read why and how I am doing it. As one of the evil gods, Auril is often presented as a cruel and fickle creature, who loves trapping her enemies in blizzards, in order to give them a slow and painful demise. These are a group of spells unique to the Rime of the Frostmaiden Campaign. Vellynne will try to befriend the heroes (she is meant to travel with them when they go to Ythryn). The next iteration of the Dungeons & Dragons game. The windswept, fog-covered, frozen island is shaped like a snowflake, with a ruined dock located on the southeast arm. Rime of the Frostmaiden Spells. Remember, someone can still be your friend even if playing D&D with them doesn't work out. But, if you want to keep things the way they are in the book, a little planning is needed. I made a handy travel/time chart and everything. That's 5 hours by snowshoe. Meeting Vellynne: The most important thing is that the group meets Vellynne whenever they decide to leave Sunblight. Snowball Strike (Frostmaiden), unmelting snowball. What we actually get is a lot less of a singular campaign and more of a setting soup harkening back to the Curse of Strahd adventure path but done here infinitely better. (pg 94) A Beautiful Mine: The group hears from a boy that the mine has been overtaken by monsters. Using the inscriptions, they learn how to bypass the field and enter the fortress. The NPC will of course remember the heroes for defeating the Lake Monster way back at the beginning. I've seen it happen many times. I'm going to give you a somewhat abbreviated version of the most important things you'll need to tackle in this campaign from beginning to end. Axe Beaks are definitely going to be mounts that the group will want to have. It starts off by saying that the characters “might come to this island on their own, hoping to put an end to Icewind Dale’s everlasting winter.” ... BOXED TEXT: Quite a bit of boxed text in Rime of the Frostmaiden is very bad. What I want to do here is to wedge in the Cave of the Berserkers, which is near Wyrmdoom. Bad Guys: We're at the end! Brain in a Jar. Good Mead is very likely to be destroyed. 20 hours by snowshoe! Note: I am a bit confused as to whether the group is meant to 5 total quests, or 9. Travel from Easthaven to Good Mead: 4.5 miles on the road. Here's what you need to know about the long-time Dungeons & Dragons deity. Is that what is going to happen? MinisGallery Forum Discussion for this set. (pg 132) Id Ascendant: As the group nears the nautiloid, they will spot an eerie glow. Let's say that the fishers were using nets, so that the heroes catch a big pile of fish using the same rules as catching a single fish. They can save Perilou and Garret, though. Auril, the Frostmaiden Lawful Auril is the goddess of ice and cold, but also of death, sorrow, cold, winter and abstinence. An evil deity of cold and the winter, Auril is very much the Big Bad of the adventure.