A Guide to Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Hopefully once this document is complete, this guide to Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden will help you get a handle on this book in a short amount of time. I'm going to try to boil it down to the essential information, give you page numbers for stuff, and try to identify potential pitfalls that you'll need to be aware of when running this adventure.

The format of this might change soon, as right now this is a work in progress. Some of the stuff I've written might be trimmed out once I figure out what the DM really needs to know.

Links

• Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Hardcover
• Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Dice and Miscellany
• Legends of Frozenfar: an Icewind Dale Player's Companion
  

Short Adventure Summary

1. Auril (an evil lesser god) has cast Icewind Dale into eternal night using a spell called The Everlasting Rime
2. The heroes must obtain a tome called The Codicil of White from her lair, and use it to open a path to a necropolis.
3. In the necropolis is an item called the Ythrys Mythallar, which can end The Everlasting Rime.
   

Longer Adventure Summary (character level expectations included)

1. Chapter 1 (levels 1-4): The group completes quests in Ten-Towns. 
2. Chapter 2 (level 4): The heroes venture out to the fringes of Icewind Dale to handle various threats.
3. Chapter 3 (level 4-5): The duergar threat is dealt with.
4. Chapter 4 (level 6): The chardryn dragon attacks the towns. Vellyne Harpell, a necromancer, clues the group in on some things.
5. Chapter 5(level 7): Velynne and the adventures go to Solstice to obtain the Codicil of White. 
6. Chapter 6(level 8): Using the codicil, the group can access the Caves of Hunger, which lead to the necropolis and the mythallar.
7. Chapter 7(level 9+): An albino tiefling villain who wants the treasures of the necropolis for herself faces off against the heroes

Before You Start: Things to Do and to Keep in Mind

Darkness: This entire adventure takes place in dim light (from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.) or darkness (the rest of the time).

Free Stuff: All characters start with a free set of cold winter gear (detailed on pg 20)

Trinkets? Some characters might start with a special trinket (pg 263)

Secrets: Each character starts with a random secret (pg 14)

Knowledge: The characters start knowing everything in the "Icewind Dale Knowledge" section on pg 22.

Alignment Shift: Check with your players and see how they feel about forced alignment changes. Would they be OK if magic changed their character's alignment? (This could occur if a character obtains a chardalyn amulet, see page 39).

** For right now, I'm going to combine information from different sections so we can have everything in one convenient clump. **

Welcome to the Far North

The Everlasting Rime: (pg 5) Just before midnight each night, Auril flies on a roc and casts a spell. This has been happening for over two years! The effects of the spell:

• Creates an aurora that fades before dawn. 
• Prevents the sun from rising the next day, no sunlight or warmth. 
• Barricades the mountain pass with blizzards.
• Churns the Sea of Moving Ice with blistering winds. 

Icewind Dale is "trapped in a different reality from the rest of the world, for though the sun never rises over the dale, it continues to rise everywhere else."

Each casting leaves Auril weakened. 

(pg 6) Auril is unhappy and craves isolation. "Auril's decision to live among mortals is explained in appendix C." Hmm.. seems like we better check that out, huh?

(pg 274) Auril the Frostmaiden: She is a neutral evil lesser god of cold indifference. She hoards beauty, trapping it in ice. Because the spell leaves her in a weakened state, she avoids contact with creatures that can harm her. She lurks on Solstice, a mist-shrouded island in the Sea of Moving Ice.

 It does say that the gods stopped meddling in mortal affairs after The Sundering, but Auril could not stay away for long. 

She has three forms. To destroy her, "heroes must reduce each of her forms to 0 hit points one after another." If at least one form hasn't been reduced to 0 hp, she can take a long rest to regain all her destroyed forms. 

• Cold Crone (First Form pg 275): A 7-foot-tall biped with the head of an owl (the creature on the cover of the book). 
• The Brittle Maiden (Second Form pg 276): 10-foot-tall woman made of ice and frost.
• The Queen of Frozen Tears (Third Form pg 278): A 3-foot diameter ice diamond containing a divine spark (!).
  

Xardorok Sunblight: (pg 5) A duergar who is trying to enslave the people of Ten Towns. His duergar search for a special type of crystal called chardalyn. Once they have enough, they are going to build a chardalyn dragon (stats on pg 281) to attack the towns!

(pg 6) Xardorok is a warlock who thinks his patron is Deep Duerra. In truth, Asmodeus himself is guiding him. 

Xardorok has two sons: Durth and Nildar. They lead teams that search for chardalyn crystals.

Chardalyn is ideal material to make wands, staffs, and other magic items.Prolonged contact with it can cause madness. "A chardalyn object suffused with the magic of the Upper Planes is considered a consecrated object, while a chardalyn object suffused with the magic of the Lower Planes is considered a a desecrated object."

The Arcane Brotherhood: (pg 5) 4 wizards who are searching for a lost city buried under the Reghed Glacier. The city once floated in the air, but fell from the sky nearly 2,000 years ago. "It is Icewind Dale's greatest secret - a necropolis of Netherese wizards and the magic they left behind."

(pg 6) The four wizards are like Wild West gunslingers. 

Netherese Necropolis: Once known as the city of Ythryn, the necropolis now contains all sorts of fun stuff, including:

• A Netherese demi-lich
• A Ythryn mythallar (pg 316) that can send the city back into the air and free Icewind Dale from the Everlasting Rime.

The Codicil of White: In the Auril's Everlasting Rime section on page 6, it says: "Anyone who hopes to reach the Netherese city buried in the ice must first visit Auril's island and obtain the Codicil of  White, a book compiled by the Frostmaiden's most ardent followers."

This book has a magical incantation written as a poem (the handout is on page 319). This poem can crack the Reghed Glacier and open a path to the Necropolis.

Wilderness Travel

Most of this info is very concise and I can't really trim it down much further. A few notes:

Avalanches (pg 10): You should definitely have an avalanche hit while the heroes are in the middle of an encounter. The one tricky part to this is figuring out when the avalanche stops. I guess it just goes off in a single round or two. 

Later, in the Mountain Travel entry on page 11, it suggests have an avalanche start 2d6 x 100 feet above the characters (the avalanche travels a total of 600 feet per round).

Fishing for Knucklehead Trout (pg 11): The stats for the trout are on page 295.

Illumination (pg 11): This whole adventure occurs in dim light (from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.) or night time conditions.

Dim Light: Also called shadows, creates a lightly obscured area. In a lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 

Character Secrets

These are really great. The details of the secrets are split between pages 14 and 264.

• Alagondar Scion: Assassin MM pg 343
• Elusive Paramour: Invisible stalker MM pg 192
• Escaped Prisoner: Greater restoration PH pg 246
• Littlest Yeti: Yeti MM pg 305, Yeti Tyke pg 313
• Orc Stone: Orc War Chief MM pg 246
• Owlbear Whisperer: Owlbear MM pg 249
• Reghed Heir: Tribe info starts on page 304
• Reincarnation: Reincarnate PH pg 271
• Ring Hunter: Knucklehead Trout pg 295
• Runaway Author: Bearded devil MM pg 70
• Slaad Host: Slaad tadpole MM pg 276 
• Spy: Spy MM pg 349

Ten-Towns

We have ourselves a gigantic chapter here. 80 pages! You get to pick how this starts, using either Cold-Hearted Killer or Nature Spirits. Pick one of the towns to start in.

Gaining Levels:

• The group hits 2nd level after completing the initial quest.
  
• Complete three other quests to hit level 3. 
• Complete five more quests to hit level 4.

Sled Dog: Wolf MM pg 341

Axe Beak: MM pg 317

Sacrifices to Auril

The towns have begun trying to appease Auril in different ways.

• Bryn Shander/Easthaven/Targos: On the New Moon, on random person is sent to the Tundra to die.
• Smaller towns leave food on racks about a mile away from the settlement.
• The smallest towns forsake warmth for a night. No fires lit between dusk and dawn. Lighting a fire leads to a savage beating.

(pg 22) Cold-Hearted Killer (Introductory Adventure #1)

Hlin Trollbane: Dwarf bounty hunter (veteran MM pg 350)

Will pay the heroes 100 gp total to find out if he's guilty and if so, deal with him without involving the authorities.

Victims: All killed with an ice dagger

• Halfling trapper in Easthaven
• Human shipbuilder in Targos
• Dwarf glassblower in Bryn Shander

Sephek Kaltro: The suspect. Stats on pg 23.

• Works for Torg's, a small traveling merchant company
• Bodyguard of Torrga Icevein
• Seemingly immune to cold. He actually has regeneration if in below zero temperature!
  
• On page 24, it is explained that he is possessed by an evil winter spirit loyal to Auril.
  

Finding Torg's: The heroes can ask around town. Charisma (Investigation) Check DC 17. Success: Someone will sell the character Torg's travel plans for 5 gp. You pick the town they're in next.  

This seems a little wobbly, especially if you're a group new to D&D. What if they fail the check? You might want to just have Hlin give the group Torg's schedule. 

Torrga Icevein: Bandit captain (MM pg 344). Has 4 bandit (MM pg 343) employees

Caravan: Pulled by 6 sled dogs.

Items for Sale: All of this stuff is stolen, sold at twice the normal price in the PH: Cut wood, flint and tinder, flasks of whale oil, blankets, furs, rations, bottles of wine, casks of cheap ale, fake medicines, vials of poison. 

Poison: The book says it's a mild poison used for killing vermin. If you want, you could use Assassin’s Blood (Ingested): CON sv DC 10. Fail: 6 (1d12) poison damage and is Poisoned for 24 hours. Success: the creature takes half damage and isn’t Poisoned.

Dead Body: On one sled is the frozen corpse of a half-elf, killed just like the serial killers victims. The corpse is being brought to Luskan to collect a 125 gp bounty.

Catching Sephek: How the killer is caught is left to you. It says he stalks his next victim or goes to a tavern drinking and carousing and then goes to sleep in a random barn.

He can magically summon an ice longsword and ice dagger. He is killing people who are avoiding being part of the lotteries which sacrifice a random person to Auril.

So, it could go like this:

1. Sephek lurks outside the house of a government official.
2. A nervous citizen shows up, looks around to make sure nobody's watching, then goes inside.
3. Sephek watches from the window as the citizen pays a bribe to ensure that they and their loved ones aren't included in the lottery.
4. The citizen leaves the house. Sephek summons an ice blade and stalks the citizen - killing them unless the adventurers intervene.
5. When Sephek dies, a winter spirit exits his body through his mouth and eye and drifts up into the night sky.
   

(pg 25) Nature Spirits (Introductory Adventure #2)

This one is a whimsical intro involving searching and roleplaying. If you have a group that is into combat, this scenario might not tickle their fancy. 

Dannika Graysteel: Acolyte (MM pg 342). She thinks that a chwinga might be able to improve the climate issue in Icewind Dale. She gives the group 25 gp and a lantern of tracking (pg 314). The lantern burns bright green when a chwinga is within 300 feet. 

Potential Problem: The adventure says that the group can go to other settlements. There's a 25% chance it is there. The problem that I see here is that you the DM will need to be familiar with all ten settlements right off the bat in the very first session.

And then... the group is going to scour a settlement, wondering where the chwinga is, and it's just not there. This could potentially lead to frustration and boredom.

You might want to change this up. You can say Dannika has heard of chwinga sightings ("a tiny figure riding a fox throughout town") in a particular settlement, and direct the group there. 

Once the lantern detects a chwinga:

1. The heroes find Elva (pg 26), who says trickster spirits have been messing with her. 
2. DC 10 Investigation check reveals tracks. 
3. Following the tracks brings the group to three chwingas (pg 282), who are pretending to eat pinecones.
4. The group can befriend them, and one will willingly accompany them.
   

After 10 days, the chwinga will bestow a charm on one character. There's a reat listr of charms on page 283. My favorite is definitely the Charm of the Traveler's Haven, which allows you to cast Leomund's Tiny Hut (PH pg 255).

(pg 27) Bremen

Leader: Dorbulgruf Shalescar (commoner MM pg 344) Twice in the past month, he wandered off and had no memory of how he ended up by the shores of the Shaengrane.

(Inn) Buried Treasures: (Innkeeper) Cora Mulphoon: Treats guests like royalty. Her son got hold of some black ice and took off with some tieflings (He's at Caer-Dineval pg 38).

(Taverns) Five-Tavern Center: All five taverns or old and shabby. Names: Stones, Even Keel, the River's Mouth, the Grumpy Moose, and the Black-Bearded Brother. 

(pg 28) Lake Monster

Let's boil this mother down to the bare bones:

1. Grynsk (commoner MM pg 344) tries to get the heroes to go fishing for him.
2. Tali (scout MM pg 349) steps in and explains that there is a monster in the lake. Tali asks the group to find out more about the monster.
3. Steer: The group must steer their rowboats around d4+1 ice floes. WIS check DC 14. Fail: boat takes 1d6 bludgeoning dmg. 
4. Each hour of searching, roll on the Lake Events table.  
5. Once the group gets the monster result, roll on the Plesiosaurus Behavior table.
6. Plesiosaurus stats MM pg 80.
   

The Truth: It turns out that the plesiosaurus is awakened (has intelligence and can speak) by an agent of Auril's named Ravisin (who is on around page 80). The plesiosaurus was ordered to attack. It does so only because it doesn't want to lose its newly-gained intelligence.

(pg 32) Bryn Shander

Leader: Duvessa Shane (noble MM pg 348)

(Smithy) Blackiron Blades: Quality of work is "uninspired." Run by Garn the Hammerer (commoner MM pg 344) and his sister Elza (commoner MM pg 344).

(Shrine) House of the Morninglord: Devoted to Amaunator. Mishann (priest MM pg 348) wants to see the sun again. She sees Lathander as a usurper.

(Inn/tavern) The Northlook: Rowdy and dangerous. Run by Scramsax (veteran MM pg 350), kind to adventurers down on their luck. Ol' Bitey is a trout mounted on the wall that will try to bite those that come close and will sing a rhyme.

(pg 34) Foaming Mugs

1. A yeti attacked some dwarves, forcing them to abandon their sled full of precious ingots. The heroes are hired to go get the sled.
2. A blizzard hits as the group treks toward the sled.
3. After the blizzard subsides, they come upon the corpse of a dwarf slain by the yeti. The group finds tracks. Someone has taken the sled!
4. Catching up to the sled, it turns out the goblins have stolen it and are trying to bring it to Karkolohk (pg 140)
5. Make sure to check out the art of this scenario. The "sled" is like a little fort, very cool.
   

Stat Notes:

• Izobal, Goblin Boss (MM pg 166) Might set fire to the sled if things go bad.
• 6 goblins (MM pg 166)
• 2 polar bears (MM pg 334) They are tethered to the sled and will attack anyone, including the goblins. If freed, the bears won't attack the person who freed them.
• 2 potions of animal friendship (DMG pg 187)
  

(pg 37) Caer-Dineval

There is no ferry here any more, meaning the fortress can't get deliveries from Good Mead. The taverns have run dry!

Leader: Speaker Crannoc Siever (commoner MM pg 344) Has apparently taken ill and is bedridden.

(Home of the Speaker) The Caer: A keep that was once overtaken by orcs, but was subsequently reclaimed by adventurers.

(Closed Inn) Dinev's Rest: Hiding here are 6 duergar (MM pg 122) waiting for the chardalyn dragon to attack the town - this occurs in chapter 4.

(Tavern) The Uphill Climb: All they have is chowder! The proprietor Roark (commoner MM pg 344) steers the group toward the Caer, as he suspects that something bad is happening with the Speaker and the Black Swords.

(pg 38) Black Swords

A few things should happen in this one:

1. Talk to the Soothsayer: The group should talk with The Soothsayer in C13. She will give them vital information about Xardorok.
2. Meet Avarice: The group will interact with Avarice, one of the four wizards searching for the Ythrys Necropolis. Avarice has been told by Levistus himself not to antagonize the heroes.
   

Agents of Levistus have secretly taken over. They keep the speaker alive just in case he needs to make a public appearance. Avarice is not a member of the Black Swords, she was told to come here by Levistus as she searches for the Necropolis.

Levistus himself actually telepathically speaks with these agents. He wants the adventurers to join up with his Black Swords.

Chardalyn Amulets: Each of these bad guys has a special amulet. If a character has one, there's a chance it will change their alignment to Lawful Evil! This might cause some real life issues, as some players feel a forced alignment change can "ruin" their character. 

Choice: The group will have a choice to make. Become allies with the cult? Or Wipe them out?

• Allies: The heroes are given the northeast tower to stay in. Avarice's gargoyles watch them.
• Enemies: The Speaker lets the group stay here whenever they like. 
  

Approaching the Gate: The guards won't let the group in. The heroes will have to be clever... or attack. If so, they'll face 12 cultists (MM pg 345) and 2 cult fanatics (MM pg 345).

Caer Locations: 

C1. Main Gate: "Speaker Crannoc is too sick to entertain guests." The doors can be opened through a system of wheels in area C6.

C2. Snowy Courtyard: There's an outhouse and lots of doors.

C3. Kennel and Sled Storage: The dogs bark loudly when anyone gets within 10 feet of the kennel.

• 6 friendly sled dogs (wolf MM pg 341)
  
• Alassar Sulmander: the stable boy. He could help the group navigate the Caer.

C4. Guard Towers: Lower level has 3 guards (cultist MM pg 345)

C5. Armory: 8 longbows, 400 arrows, 6 flasks of alchemist's fire.

C6. Gatehouse: The gate can be opened from here. Two cult fanatics (MM pg 345) stay here:

• Huarwhar Mulphoon: Son of Cora, from page 27. 
• Fel Suparra: A tiefling, Huarwhar's mentor.

C7. Great Hall: A servant is collecting dishes.

• Mere: 14 year old tiefling. Fears Kaldoth, knows the albino is in C22.

C8. Speaker's Den: Where the speaker met with guests.

• Thoob: Sadistic klutz (cultist MM pg 345), serves Kadroth. Bullies others.
  

C9. Speaker's Office: Kadroth lurks in here, staring at the fireplace.

• Kadroth: Has convinced others that Levistus favors him, but in truth Levistus despises him. He has a ring of keys that open every door in the castle.
  

C10. Servant's Quarters: Mere sleeps here.

C11. Kitchen: 2 goats (MM pg 330) are in a kennel. The cook is working.

• Karou Salafan: Commoner MM pg 344. Keeps his head down, knows 50 ways to cook a trout.
  

C12. Kadroth's Bedchamber: A large mirror covers one wall. His black cat (MM pg 320), Touche, is here.

C13. Soothsayer's Room: An old dwarf sits in a rocking chair.

• Hethyl Arkoran: Cruel and blunt. She can see glimpses of the future.She knows she will drop dead right after she gives the group the pile of information listed on pg 43.
  

C14 Speaker's Bedchamber: Royal bedchamber.

• Yajath: Cultist MM pg 345. Guards the speaker. 

C15. Old Library: An old, burned room.

C16. Under the Castle: A secret passage to C17.

C17. Cold Storage: 4 corpses - cultists who were slain by the speaker's guards during the hostile takeover.

C18. West Cistern: A partially-flooded tunnel, bodies float in the water. There's a usable rowboat. 12 bodies total - guards killed during the hostile takeover.

C19. Storage: Just a rat (MM pg 335) chewing on grain.

C20. Shrine to Levistus: Pillar of ice with a humanoid figure trapped inside it (it's actually a mannequin that resembles Levistus). A patch of brown mold (DMG pg 105) keeps this room cold.

C21. Avarice's Quarters: Avarice is here, writing in her book. Levistus has told her told her not to antagonize the heroes because they can help her find Ythryn, so she tries to get them to leave.

• Avarice: Page 269
  
• Skelm: Her raven (MM pg 335) familiar.
• Staff of Frost: (DMG pg 202) Cone of Cold (PH pg 224), Fog Cloud (PH pg 243), Ice Storm (PH pg 252), Wall of Ice (PH pg 285)
  

Avarice is one of the big villains of this adventure. Let's take a look at her info on page 268.

• Tiefling: She is a cruel tiefling, obsessed with magic items, sees other wizards as a threat. 
• Soul: She traded her soul to Levistus. He guides her and communicates with her. 
  
• Arcane: Member of the Arcane Brotherhood. Thinks plundering Ythryn will make her famous.
• Rivals: There are three other wizards from the Arcane Brotherhood also trying to find Ythryn. They are not working together.
  
• Gargoyles: She has two gargoyle (MM pg 140) allies that she communicates with via Rary's Telepathic Bond (PH pg 270).
• Spellbook: White leather with her personal sigil on it. 
• Icy Doom: When she dies, her corpse freezes for 9 days. Can't be thawed, animated, raised, etc.
  

C22. Iron Lever: Lever controls the slab that seals C23. When the slab opens, the servants will try to escape. They might try to ambush the first character to come in to C24.

C23. East Cistern: More water, no corpses. From here you can get to C24, where the prisoners are.

C24. Prisoners: 5 servants being held captive. They will try to escape when they hear the slab open. 

Servants (Commoners MM pg 344):

• Lanthis: Notary and scribe, 64 years old.
• Elprekt: Butler, 55 years old.
• Mylbara: Translator, wife of Elprekt.
• Tam: Housemaid/mute petty thief.
• Dassir: Dogkeeper, shy.
  

(pg 46) Caer-Konig

 Leader: Trovus (veteran MM pg 350), a dragonborn who patrols the town at night while slightly drunk.

(Tavern) Hook, Line, and Sinker: Run by "Glen", a guy who gives a free half-pint of ale to everyone who comes in.

(Adventuring Outfitter) Frozenfar Expeditions: Run by Atenas Swift (scout MM pg 349), who is getting old. Aided by Jarthra Farzassh (scout MM pg 349), who works as a wilderness guide.

(Inn) The Northern Light: Used to have a magic lantern hanging outside, but it was stolen. Two bickering sisters run this place (commoners MM pg 344): Allie (young and "lithe"), and Corrie ("stout and scowling").

(pg 47) The Unseen

Geez, this first chapter is huge.