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Ice Road Trackers: DDAL10-00
Ice Road Trackers: DDAL10-00
Credits
Designer: Shawn Merwin D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Lea Heleotis,
Adam Lee, Ari Levitch, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Ray
Development: Chris Lindsay Winninger
Editing: Ashley Michaela “Navigator” Lawson D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick,
Art Director and Graphic Designer: Rich Lescouflair Amy Lynn Dzura, Travis Woodall, Ma’at Crook, LaTia
Interior Art: Jedd Chevrier, Robson Michel, Robin Jacquise, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Shawn Merwin,
Olausson, Livia Prima, Craig J. Spearing Will Doyle
Cartography: Travis Woodall Playtesters: Bill Benham, Justin Donie, Lea Heleotis,
D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster: Chris Lindsay Sarah Keortge, Aurora Merwin, Beth Merwin
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D
Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented
by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK.
Adventure Primer
This adventure is designed for three to seven characters,
levels 1 and 2, and is optimized for five characters with an
average party level (APL) of 1. Characters outside this level
range can’t participate in this adventure.
This adventure occurs in Icewind Dale, north of the
Spine of the World.
Background
ICEWIND DALE has been subsumed in permanent
darkness, and the citizens of TEN-TOWNS struggle to
survive what they’re calling the EVERLASTING RIME.
This curse, leveled by the goddess AURIL, brings even
greater hardship than usual to the denizens of the frozen
lands of the North.
An awakened walrus called MOTHER TUSK has
brought a group of animals to the safety of the SPINE OF
THE WORLD, hoping to protect them from being used by
an evil druid to wreak further havoc on the civilized areas
of Icewind Dale. Mother Tusk fights against civilization,
nature, and otherworldly forces to keep her family safe,
and she requests the heroes’ help to stem the threats
against everyone.
Overview
The adventure’s story is spread over six parts: a prologue,
four 1-hour episodes, and a conclusion. Played individually,
each episode should be playable in an hour, and the entire
adventure should be playable in approximately 4 hours.
Characters who haven’t yet completed an episode begin
with the prologue. Characters who’ve completed all the
episodes, or characters who don’t plan to play any more
episodes, experience the conclusion at the end of the
episode they’re playing.
Prologue—Avalanche. An avalanche threatens the
characters, but they’re led to safety by an odd muskrat.
They then meet Mother Tusk who briefs them on four
tasks she’d like them to undertake in return for saving
their lives during the avalanche.
Unsure Footing. Mother Tusk asks the characters
to rescue one of her children, an awakened otter
named Spritzel, who’s been spying on Easthaven. The
characters quickly find Spritzel, and some of his otter
friends, fleeing from a pack of wolves.
Adventure Hooks
Adventure Hook 1. The characters are traveling from
the Sword Coast into Icewind Dale seeking treasure and
adventure.
Adventure Hook 2. The characters each have a secret
they’re hiding from the world and each other, one which
drives them into the frozen North.
CRAIG J SPEARING
Prologue—Avalanche
Estimated Duration: 5 minutes
n this introduction, the characters’ path into Other creatures then move out of the shadows to
Icewind Dale is blocked by an avalanche as they examine you. This menagerie includes a variety of animals,
navigate a pass through the Spine of the World.
everything from snow foxes to wolf pups to avian creatures
They’re rescued by a curious animal, which leads
to a meeting with Mother Tusk, leader of a strange to reptiles. A few seem to converse with each other as they
menagerie of creatures. eye you warily.
When you’re ready to begin, read: “Excuse my children,” says the walrus. “They’re
suspicious by nature. Their lives often depend on it. My
As snow and rocks crash down the mountainsides children call me Mother Tusk, and you may as well. I saved
either side of you, you can’t help but wonder if this is your lives for a reason.”
how everything ends for you. What brought you here,
navigating this dangerous mountain pass, heading north
into the frozen lands of Icewind Dale? An opportunity for Use the following bullet points to guide the conversation.
(Keep an eye on the time if you’re running the episode in an
wealth and power? A dark secret you’re trying to escape? A
hour or less):
fresh start? An old connection? • Mother Tusk was awakened by a goliath druid from
Whatever brought you here, it seems the rumors might the North. The druid died, and Mother Tusk took over
be true. Strange, weather-related phenomena are shutting stewardship of the animals in the druid’s care. (This
down travel through the Spine of the World mountain is only partially true. The druid was corrupted and is
range. Several passes have been blocked, and you thought still alive, and Mother Tusk fled from him with as many
creatures as she could recruit. She feared he’d use the
this one might be clear. And it was, until now.
animals in a bloodthirsty animal army. She doesn’t wish
As certain death descends swiftly toward you, movement to discuss this with the characters at this time.)
at the corner of your eye draws your attention. A snowy- • A terrible curse has befallen the lands north of the Spine
white muskrat gestures frantically, its clawed paws of the World: the sun refuses to rise. Survival, never easy
beckoning you to follow. It slides into a fissure in the here, has been made more difficult by this curse.
ground that was hidden under snow and ice. • Mother Tusk offers the characters passage beneath the
Spine of the World if they agree to search for a scout in
her family named Spritzel. The young otter may have
Assuming the characters follow the muskrat, they plummet run afoul of trouble.
down the fissure just as the avalanche crushes everything
in the pass. The characters fall down a vertical tunnel, Shall We Just Crack On?
which turns into a slide. The passage levels out, depositing
them in an icy cavern beneath the mountains. If they agree to perform at least one task, Mother Tusk and
her family lead the characters through the tunnels until
they reach the open air. She then leads them to a cave,
The icy slide dumps you unceremoniously into a cold where the Redrun river meets the Redwaters lake. This is
cavern. The muskrat stares you in the eye, then wiggles a her current base of operations.
Once the characters have chosen a task, proceed to the
bit, as if happy to see you survived the close call.
corresponding episode and continue.
A voice from deeper in the cavern echoes toward you, its
Common marked by a slobbery rasp. “Muskie found you in
Lighting in Icewind Dale
time. Good fortune!”
Unless otherwise noted in the adventure, daytime hours
The voice comes from a ten-foot-long walrus resting in provide dim light outdoors, while the nighttime hours are
the shadows. A walrus calf rests at her side. It starts to dark. The permanent dusk of Auril’s curse makes the promise
wriggle its way toward you, but she pulls it back with one of sunlight seem a teasing possibility, but the sun never
breaks the horizon.
of her long tusks.
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DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0) 3
1
Unsure Footing
Estimated Duration: 50 minutes Assuming the characters follow directions, it doesn’t take
them long to find tracks:
n this episode, Mother Tusk asks the characters
to rescue one of her children, an awakened otter
named Spritzel, who was spying on the town of After you’ve traveled about two miles from Mother Tusk’s
Easthaven.
shelter, you notice something on the ground. Although the
The characters quickly find Spritzel, and some of
his otter friends, fleeing from a pack of wolves. The otters wind pushes snow around, easily spotted animal tracks
take shelter in a cave with ice slides, the wolves in close mar the fresh dusting.
pursuit. The characters must navigate the ice slides to save
the otters before the wolves kill them. Then the characters
must survive the cold trip back to Mother Tusk. When the A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence
characters choose this task, read: (Nature) check reveals that the deeper tracks were made
by wolves, while the smaller tracks on top of the snow were
made by otters.
Mother Tusk explains what she needs you to do, “I sent one At this point, call for a DC 10 group Wisdom (Survival)
of my children, a young otter called Spritzel, on a scouting check. Give advantage to characters with backgrounds that
mission to watch the happenings in one of the Ten-Towns would give them a lifetime of experience tracking things or
surviving in harsh winter conditions.
where the two-leggers dwell. He isn’t back yet. He often
If the group succeeds, they easily follow the tracks. Go
gets himself into trouble and I need you to go look for him immediately to “Sliding” below. (If all characters succeeded
and make sure he isn’t in danger. We’ve spotted wolves in on the check, they all have advantage on saving throws in
the area, that could be dangerous for Spritzel.” the “Freezing” section below.)
If the group fails, they lose the tracks several times and
take longer to find the wolves and otters. The cold begins
Give the characters the chance to ask questions. Below are to take its toll. In the “Freezing” section of this episode,
Mother Tusk’s answers to the most common questions the the characters have disadvantage on their saving throws.
characters may ask: Continue to “Sliding” below.
What Does Spritzel Look Like? “He’s a white-furred otter
with a brown patch above his right eye, and he wears a
pearl earring.”
Sliding
When the characters reach the end of the trail they’re
Who Was He Spying On? “He was watching the following, read:
happenings in the town of Easthaven. A contact in one
of the other towns asked me for a favor. But that isn’t
important right now.” Ahead of you, through the blowing snow, a pack of wolves
What Will You Give Us for Doing This? “I can only offer chase a romp of a dozen otters, which weave through and
you my thanks, as well as the gift of your lives that I around snow mounds and ice formations.
already saved once.”
As the wolves close in, the sneaky otters zip through
How Far Away Is Easthaven? “From here, it’s more than
holes in the snow-packed earth. The wolves hesitate, but
ten miles. But I expect Spritzel’s closer than that. Look
for tracks as you travel northeast along the shore of then the lead wolf barks a command, and the wolves leap
Redwaters.” into the holes as well, baying as they go.
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4 DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0)
The Slides Fighting
The characters can quickly reach the holes in the earth, When you’re ready to continue, read:
which are large enough for Medium creatures to enter
without issue. They hear the growls of wolves and the
squeaking of otters echoing up from the depths. The ice slides end in a chamber flooded with a foot of
If the characters jump into the holes, they find themselves frigid water. The otters swim adeptly at the far side of the
on a series of ice slides leading down. Traversing these cavern, avoiding the wolves’ snapping jaws. The icy bite of
slides requires a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The results
of the check for each character determine what happens the water seeps up your wet clothes.
when they reach the bottom: At the back of the cavern, a low, ice-covered shelf rises
out of the water.
Check Result
5 or lower The character lands in a heap at the bottom.
For a view of the area, refer to The Ice Slides Map.
They take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage from the
Wolves. Four wolves are attacking the otters but are
fall and start combat prone. having trouble catching the slippery creatures. The leader
6–10 The character takes no damage but starts of the wolf pack is Vundrel, an awakened wolf sent by her
combat prone. druid master to hunt Mother Tusk and her family.
11–16 The character navigates the slide successfully and When the characters arrive, Vundrel growls at them in
lands on their feet at the bottom of the slides. deep, snarling Common, “This is our hunt. Find your own
food.” That’s all the talking Vundrel does before ordering
17+ The character lands in perfect fighting position her packmates to attack the characters.
and has advantage on their initiative roll. Otters. The otters use the Dodge action until the
characters intervene. On the third round of combat, once
Inspiration. Ask the players to narrate and describe their
it’s obvious the characters are here to assist them, Spritzel
characters’ trips down the ice slides. Award inspiration to
calls on his otter friends to help the characters:
players who do so with enthusiasm and storytelling skill.
“Let’s get ’em, mates! What ho!” squeaks Spritzel in
When all the characters have landed at the bottom of the
Common. The otters don’t have stats, but they work as a
slides, continue to “Fighting.”
team. Each round, they swarm the closest wolf, and the
ROBSON MICHEL
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DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0) 5
exhaustion for each 30 minutes of travel during the 3-hour
Adjusting the Scene trek. (That means 6 checks.) If any character gains 2
Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene: levels of exhaustion, they then move at half speed. Strong
• Very Weak: Remove two wolves. characters might carry exhausted characters, but it’s still a
• Weak: Remove one wolf. huge risk.
• Strong: Add one wolf. Burning Wolves. The characters can attempt to set
• Very Strong: Add one dire wolf.
the dead wolves ablaze to make heat. This could be
done on the ice shelf in the cavern, but the smoke could
be dangerous. This allows the characters to dry their
Saving Spritzel clothes and get warm, but they must succeed on a DC 10
If the characters defeat the wolves, Spritzel’s overjoyed. He Constitution saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion
addresses the characters in a high, squeaky voice humming from the smoke.
with overwrought energy: Climbing the ice slides with the wolves’ bodies is possible
but takes effort. Each attempt takes 30 minutes, and the
characters must succeed on a DC 12 group skill check.
“Thank you! We were returning from the town, and we saw Allow each character to use an ability and skill that makes
a vicious owlbear with black feathers and we ran away, but sense to the overall success of the endeavor. This lets them
get the wolves out, where they can burn them without
then we saw the wolves, so we ran from them, but they saw
worrying about fumes.
us and chased us and we couldn’t lose them, but we found Wherever they decide to start the fire, they must have
these tunnels, but they followed us down, but you rescued the means to start it. Fire magic, dry tinderboxes, or a
us—” He stops abruptly. “Wow, you look cold!” successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check to light a fire
without the proper tools are three options.
Finding Wood or Other Fuel. If the characters attempt
Treasure. The frozen body of an explorer who died here to get to the surface without dragging the wolves, it takes
months ago rests on the back shelf of the cave. The only 30 minutes to climb out, no check needed. From there, the
thing of note on the body are its boots, which are boots of characters can collect enough fuel with a successful DC
false tracks embroidered with gaudy, but worthless, gems. 10 group skill check. Allow each character to use an ability
Continue with “Freezing.” and skill that makes sense to the overall success of the
endeavor. Then they must have a means to start the fire,
Freezing such as fire magic, dry tinderboxes, or a successful DC 10
When the combat ends and the characters (and the otters) Wisdom (Survival) check to light a fire without proper tools.
are out of immediate danger, a new danger presents itself: Otter Assistance. The romp of otters can assist in small
ways, but they must do so as a group. For example, they can
assist one character in their assigned task. Or alternatively,
Dripping wet in the freezing water, the cold of the North the otters can huddle around one character to provide them
seeps into your bones. This frigid water could kill you with enough warmth to automatically succeed on their next
unless you find a way to get warm and to dry your clothes, Constitution saving throw against the cold.
Magic. Spellcasters will inevitably try to fix the entire
but the chamber is flooded with water and there’s nothing
problem with cantrips like prestidigitation, druidcraft,
to burn. What are you going to do? or control flames. Allow ingenious uses of this magic to
help the cause without completely overcoming the entire
challenge. For example, allow 30 minutes of casting one of
Anyone proficient in Survival or who succeeds on a DC 10 these spells every round to dry one person’s clothes, giving
Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) check knows them advantage on their saving throws to resist the cold.
the following: Of course, a character on cantrip duty can’t contribute to a
• Being drenched in cold water then moving through air task like moving wolves or searching for fuel.
this cold is most likely fatal in three hours or less.
• It’s at least a three-hour walk back to Mother Tusk’s
Conclusion
location, and that’s only true if someone isn’t slowed If the characters get back to Mother Tusk’s encampment, she
from exhaustion. Even an hour in the cold could easily starts a fire to warm them up. Spritzel excitedly recounts the
lead to serious exhaustion. harrowing fight with the wolves and the journey back, and he
offers them his earring as a thank you, as well as other small
• Creating a heat source to dry off and warm up is vital to
gems and trinkets he’s hidden away in the area. Mother
survival at this point. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to Tusk rewards the characters with two spell scrolls of cure
burn in a watery cavern. wounds. They can also take a long rest in her care.
Remember, if the party failed their checks to track the At the end of this episode, if a character has completed
animals earlier, their Constitution saving throws to avoid two episodes, they may choose to gain a level—or they can
freezing (see below) are made with disadvantage. (If all the decline the level. However, once they reach level 3, they
characters succeeded on their checks, they have advantage may not play any more episodes in this adventure.
on these saving throws.) The characters have a few choices Another Episode? If the characters plan to continue with
JEDD CHEVRIER
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DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0) 7
Appendix A: Creatures
The following creatures appear in this adventure.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (−4) 12 (+1) 7 (−2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (−4) 12 (+1) 6 (−2)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll against a Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll against a
creature if at least one of the wolf’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature if at least one of the wolf’s allies is within 5 feet of the
creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Actions Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must
succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
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8 DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0)
Appendix B: Maps
The Ice Slides
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DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0) 9
Appendix C: Magic Items
The following magic items appear in this adventure.
Boots of False Tracks
Wondrous item, common
These comfortable, fur-lined boots are embroidered with
gaudy, but worthless, gems.
Only humanoids can wear these boots. While wearing the
boots, you can choose to have them leave tracks like those
of another kind of humanoid of your size.
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, p. 136
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10 DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0)
Appendix D:
Dungeon Master Tips
To DM an adventure, you must have 3 to 7 players—each Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Players
with their own character within the adventure’s level range Guide for reference. If players wish to spend downtime
(see Adventure Primer). Characters playing in a hardcover days and it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode,
adventure may continue to play too, but if they play a they can declare their activity and spend the days now,
different hardcover adventure, they can’t return to the first or they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode.
if they level beyond its level range. Players should select their characters’ spells and other
daily options prior to the start of the adventure, unless
Preparing the Adventure the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the
Before you start play, consider the following: adventure description to help give players hints about what
they might face.
• Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything
you’d like to highlight or remind yourself of while Adjusting This Adventure
running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to
portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. To determine whether you should consider adjusting the
Familiarize yourself with the adventure’s appendices adventure, add up the total levels of all the characters and
and handouts. divide the result by the number of characters (rounding .5
or greater up; .4 or less down). This is the group’s average
• Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in
party level (APL). To approximate the party strength for
running this adventure—such as notecards, a DM
the adventure, consult the table below.
screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.
• Ask the players to provide you with relevant character
Determining Party Strength
information, such as name, race, class, and level;
passive Wisdom (Perception) score, and anything the Party Composition Party Strength
adventures specifies as notable (such as backgrounds, 3–4 characters, APL less than Very Weak
traits, and flaws). 3–4 characters, APL equivalent Weak
Players can play an adventure they previously played as a 3–4 characters, APL greater than Average
player or Dungeon Master but may only play it once with
a given character. Ensure each player has their character’s 5 characters, APL less than Weak
adventure logsheet (if not, get one from the organizer) 5 characters, APL equivalent Average
with their starting values for level, magic items, gold and 5 characters, APL greater than Strong
downtime days. These are updated at the conclusion of the
session. The adventure information and your information 6–7 characters, APL less than Average
are added at the end of the adventure session—whether 6–7 characters, APL equivalent Strong
they completed the adventure or not. 6–7 characters, APL greater than Very Strong
Each player is responsible for maintaining an accurate
logsheet. If you’ve time, you can do a quick scan of a
player’s character sheet to ensure nothing looks out of
order. If you see magic items of very high rarities or strange
arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to provide
documentation for the irregularities. If they cannot, feel
free to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard
ability score array.
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DDAL10-00 Ice Road Trackers (v1.0) 11