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Saga of The Seasons Beta
Saga of The Seasons Beta
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Credits
Lead Design: James J. Haeck, Shawn Merwin
Writing: Alison Huang, David N. Ross, James J. Haeck,
Jessica Marcrum, Martin Cahill
Additional Writing: Ben Byrne, Joe Raso
Editing: Iam Pace, E.R.F. Jordan, Joe Raso
Proofreader: Christopher Walz
Art Direction: Matt DeMino
Graphic Design: Martin Hughes
Cover Illustrator: Lucas Torquato
Interior Illustrators: Anastasia Fedorova, Anastassia
Grigorieva, Anna Verhoog, Bram Willemot, Brian
Valeza, Daniel Correia, Diana Franco Campos, Erel
Maatita, Fesbra, Ingri Nedkvitne, Irina Nordsol, I.M.
Givney, Janna Sophia, Julio Azevedo, Kurt Jacobi,
Linda Lithen, Lucas Torquato, Marco González,
Marius Bota, Matthew Demino, Martin Roca, Matheus
Graef, Matt Dunn, Nguyen Hieu, Ona Kristensen, Rod
Menedez, Sergio Strano, Zuzanna Wuzyk
Cartographers: Matt Dunn, Josh Orchard, Damien
Mammoliti, Vita Naumaviciene Ghostfire Gaming
Product Design: Simon Sherry, Josh Orchard
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Creative Commons: This work includes material taken Ghostfire Gaming Discord Community Managers:
from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) Ian “Butters” Gratton, Nelson “Deathven” Di Carlo,
by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https:// Tom “Viking Walrus” Garland, Caleb “Connendarf”
dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. Englehart, Cameron “C4Burgers” Brechin
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons
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Production Studio
Head of Production: Simon Sherry
Grim Hollow: Valikan Clans - Saga of the Seasons and Lead Producer: Joe Raso
Grim Hollow: Valikan Clans - The Raiders Guide to Valika Principal Designer: Martin Hughes
© 2023, Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Graphic Designer: Josh Orchard
Reference to copyright material in no way constitutes Principal Art Director: Suzanne Helmigh
a challenge to the respective copyright holder of that Art Direction Team: Marius Bota, Ona Kristensen
material. Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd, the Ghostfire Gaming Lead Developer: Mark McIntyre
logo, the Grim Hollow logo, and the Valikan Clans logo are Lead Game Designer: Shawn Merwin
trademarks of Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd. Senior Game Designer: James J. Haeck
Dark Fantasy
This adventure takes place in the lands of Valika, the
far northern realm of the world of Etharis. The lands
of Etharis are places of darkness and magic described
in the Frozen North in Grim Hollow: The Campaign Guide. The realm of
Valika itself, its people, its politics, and its creatures,
Saga of the Seasons is a dark fantasy adventure for fifth are all described in the setting guide which accompanies
edition set in Valika, a frozen land of hardened warriors this adventure: Raider’s Guide to Valika. Before running
and apocalyptic magic. This is a Grim Hollow adventure, this adventure, you should familiarize yourself with
and Grim Hollow is a setting of darkness, despair, and the setting information presented in this adventure’s
terrible evil. Heroes are rarely paragons of justice; they are “Introduction” (which you’re currently reading). While
mortals with foibles and flaws. In turn, villains are rarely you can read Raider’s Guide to Valika from cover to
avatars of pure evil hell-bent on destruction. cover, memorizing the information, it’s perfectly fine
Dark fantasy stories rarely culminate in wholly happy to scan the book and use it as a reference document
endings. Innocent lives are lost just as frequently as evil ones, during play.
and people must sacrifice all that they hold dear to achieve
their ends. The choices that the characters must make may
have no righteous answer—only the lesser of two evils. Monsters, Magic, and More
When reading this adventure, you will often see text in
You Are a Game Master bold. That’s the adventure’s way of telling you a scene or
location contains a monster or NPC who is ready to fight.
As the Game Master (GM), it’s your job to establish the tone New monsters and NPCs are usually found in appendix A
of each scene in this adventure, to roleplay its nonplayer at the back of this adventure. If a monster’s name appears
characters (NPCs), and to play monsters and villains who in bold but isn’t followed by “(see appendix A)” or a similar
long to bring a swift end to the heroes’ adventures. pointer, then that monster’s game statistics are found in the
Additionally, the player characters (often just called “the fifth edition core rules.
characters”) are storytellers in their own right. Though When you see text in italics, that’s the adventure’s way
they each embody a single character, the players have of telling you that you’re looking at the name of a spell
the power to make decisions that can change the plot and (such as hideous laughter) or a magic item (such as winged
world. The best GMs are eager to improvise, even ignoring boots). Most spells and magic items are found in the fifth
the text of an adventure, to ensure the characters’ actions edition core rules. New spells and magic items are likewise
have consequences—for good or ill. found in appendix B at the back of the adventure, as well as
indicated by a “(see appendix B)” pointer.
Read this First
When you see boxed text like this, the characters have
Saga of the Seasons is a campaign-length adventure for the
likely entered a new area or triggered an event, such as an
fifth edition of the world’s first roleplaying game. To play,
NPC entering the scene. This text is meant for the GM to
you need either the free fifth edition System Reference
read or paraphrase aloud to the players to set the scene.
Document (SRD) or the books that make up the fifth
edition core rules.
Gaining Levels
Preparing for Session One This adventure uses milestone level advancement. This
To prepare for the first session of this campaign, fully read means that the characters level up after they’ve completed
“Your Clan: Ragvall,” below, and the “Adventure Start” certain story objectives rather than when they’ve gained
section of chapter 1. This is the scripted beginning of the enough experience points.
adventure in which the village chief, a strong and trusted Each chapter of this adventure is designed for a specific
man named Hrafen av Skeir, offers the characters three level range and includes a number of milestones that
Quests that take place within the village. The characters count towards the next time the characters gain a level.
can freely choose to pursue or ignore the missions. It’s possible that the characters might complete a chapter
Those three Quests involve three NPCs: without having reached enough milestones to reach the
minimum level for the next chapter.
• Ófeigur Lighraiser (Quest: The Immortal Hermit)
This should be rare, however. There are more mile-
• Benna Stonebreaker (Quest: Thieving Churls)
stones that grant level progression than needed to reach the
• Mildrith Quickshot (Quest: Night’s Fanged Hunter) maximum level for each chapter. Once characters reach
To be fully prepared, read the descriptions in chapter 1 of the maximum level for a chapter, they can’t gain additional
all three NPCs and their Quests. levels until they start the next chapter, even if they continue
However, if you don’t have time to prepare multiple to complete objectives.
Quests, prepare only one and simply have the village chief If the characters begin a new chapter despite not being
offer that Quest alone. the minimum level for it, you have two choices:
Grim Hollow | Saga of the Seasons
10
• Continue and let the characters struggle through Creating New NPCs
encounters they might be too weak to handle. This is a Ragvall Village has several hundred people in it, and this
dark fantasy adventure, after all. adventure only gives names, backstories, and personalities
• Grant the characters a level before they start the new to a small handful of them. If a named NPC dies, the GM
chapter so they aren’t woefully unprepared for the can create a new one and introduce them seamlessly as
challenges to come. someone who was in the village the whole time, but not
important to the story yet.
A savvy GM might even recruit one of the players to
Session Zero and create an NPC that’s linked to their character’s backstory.
An NPC should have the following elements:
Catch-up Levels • A name
There are pros and cons to both approaches, which
• A home clan or birthplace beyond Valika, from before
means it’s a great topic to broach during a Session Zero.
they joined Clan Ragvall
Granting a free level may seem like charity, but unless you
• A personality (try using the Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws in
tell the players exactly what they need to gain a level, they
the fifth edition core rules)
may resent you for, essentially, punishing them for not
being able to guess what milestones are needed to level. • A stat block (most villagers use commoner statistics,
and none are more powerful than a veteran of
challenge rating 3)
• A role in the village (if this new NPC is replacing a dead
Dealing with the Dead one, you can give them the dead NPC’s role, and have
Saga of the Seasons is an adventure that features a that new NPC replace the dead one as a questgiver)
recurring cast of NPCs who fulfil a variety of social and
narrative roles in the campaign. Throughout the story,
each NPC will be a major character in one or more Events,
Quests, Core Quests, and Heroic Feats.
However, this is a dark fantasy adventure, and no one
is safe from death or tragedy. As the adventure progresses,
your version of Ragvall Village will become unique to your
campaign, as the consequences of the characters’ actions
earn them new allies, cause NPCs to die or depart the vil-
lage, and possibly even dethrone the village chief.
As the GM, how you handle quests and events missing a
crucial NPC will be up to you, but here are several suggestions:
• If an NPC crucial to a quest or event dies, that quest is
no longer available. This option creates a personalized
campaign as certain parties won’t experience all
possible quests.
• If a crucial NPC dies, a another named NPC fills the
role. This option maintains coherency across major story
events. For example, the raid veteran Hlökk Warcrier
serves as the village’s tactician in the winter season
(chapter 4) and appears in many scenes. If she is killed
or imprisoned, you could replace her with the upstart
warrior Ranulf Skullcrusher, who has big ambitions but
little actual experience.
• Alternatively, you can create a new NPC (see below).
“We all hope for short winters and long lives but
hope isn’t enough to ensure survival. Pick up your
bow and sling your pack. If you aren’t willing to kill,
you’ll die, and we’ll find someone to replace you. You
will be forgotten.”
- Mildrith Quickshot, Ragvall huntmaster
Village Assembly
Only the clan chief has formal power to call a byth- “My hands carved these words into the stone. My
ing—a village assembly. Nevertheless, many impromptu fingers bled upon it, for we are no clan until we have
assemblies form when clanfolk grow unhappy and gather our sacred laws. Smile on those who uphold the
around the Lögsteinn to demand the presence of the chief laws as a friend. Any who break them must face the
and lawspeaker. A bything is assembled at sunrise and seasons alone.”
formally dismissed when a verdict is passed, typically at - Ása Lögmaður, lawspeaker
sundown. Most villagers are permitted to continue about
their business between sunup and sundown.
R
agvall Village is home to three hundred brave Valikans who have just weathered their first winter on the shores of
the Teeth. It is led by Hrafen av Skeir, the clan’s chief and founder, and is largely a society of farmers and hunters
with aspirations of launching raids in the coming summer. The other Valikan clans are aware of Ragvall’s existence
because of Hrafen's bold schism from Clan Völgr and have sent merchants and scouts to see how Ragvall fared during the
winter. The Valikan clans, while occupied with their own machinations, watch this new village with interest.
The “Adventure Start” section of this chapter describes how to begin the adventure, and what scenes to run to gently
guide the characters as the season continues. The “Ragvall in Spring” section details the village’s major locations, main
NPCs, and the Events, Quests, Core Quests, and Heroic Feats available to the characters. This is the part of the chapter
GMs will need to reference once the characters start adventuring.
Ragvall Village
Feet R16
0 150 300 R15
R8 R10
River G R6
art
hor
R7
R9
R11
Roleplaying Bragi
When the characters interact with Bragi Bennuson, consider
these roleplaying traits when deciding how he responds:
Personality Traits: “I don’t have an agenda, mate. I
just like telling tales about my clansfolk. Of course, I’ll
embellish ‘em to make ‘em more exciting. I want people
to like me, y’know?”
Ideal: “Emotion is everything. Truth is important, but
the facts aren’t as important as what something felt like
and what it means poetically. That’s the whole point of
the sagas!”
Bond: “Hlökk Warcrier, that red-haired angel, is the only
woman for me.”
Flaw: “Compared to my mother, I’m nothing. People say
such nice things about me, but… all I can do is tell tall
tales and sing sappy songs.”
Bragi’s Quests
While Bragi Bennuson is a bard who knows all the great
sagas, most of the people in Ragvall have heard them
all already, and he’s too self-conscious to make new
stories. Maybe the characters can create new legends for
him to sing?
“When the sun rose the snow was washed red. Each
of his foes at his feet lay dead!… no, too obvious.
Each of his foes had fled? … no, the timing is off. He
sent them to bed? I give up!”
- Bragi Bennuson, composing a poem
Roleplaying Gunnvarr
When the characters interact with Gunnvarr Grin-
dalsson, consider these roleplaying traits when deciding
how he responds:
Personality Traits: “I’m the best warrior this village has.
Everyone else pales in comparison to me, y’hear? I’ll
damn well flog anyone who says different!”
Ideal: “I want to be the reason why this clan becomes
renowned. Imagine all of the songs!”
Bond: “I’m glad my father and sister are here with me so
they can witness my great deeds firsthand.”
Flaw: “I never back down from a challenge. Never. If my
mum rose from her grave and drew a blade, I wouldn’t
bloody hesitate.”
Gunnvarr is jealous the characters have gained the favor
of the chief, and he treats them as inferiors no matter how
kindly or sycophantically they treat him. Gunnvarr only
comes to respect the characters after being publicly humili-
ated in a duel (see Event: Besting the Braggart, below).
Gunnvarr’s Quests
Gunnvarr doesn’t care for the characters, and he doesn’t
offer them Quests. However, Gunnvarr gossips that the
village’s huntmaster, Mildrith Quickshot, has heard
rumors of a beast in the woods—a beast that Gunnvarr
is eager to triumph over. (See Quest: Night’s Fanged
Hunter, later in this chapter.)
Roleplaying Mildrith
When the characters interact with Mildrith Quickshot,
consider these roleplaying traits when deciding how she
responds:
Personality Traits: “People ask me why I never smile. I tell
them to mind their own business. There’s no room for
levity in the dark forest.”
Ideal: “The only thing you can rely on is how true your
aim is. If you have that, you can survive anything.”
Bond: “The only family I need are my elk hunters. We’ve
been through thick and thin together.”
Flaw: “My elk hunters look up to me. For their sake, I can-
not show a hint of weakness.”
Mildrith’s Quests
Mildrith is loath to cause a panic, but she fears that a
monster of winter’s darkness has awoken late, and it
is likely to cause harm if not hunted and slain. She has
informed the chief, and she hopes he will send his best
warriors to aid her. Ófeigur Lightraiser
Lawful good, male (formerly human) keppmir
Quest: Night’s Fanged Hunter (see appendix A)
Prerequisite: None
Once a tall, gaunt, and ethereally beautiful man with
Rumors are circling about a monster in the woods, one spectral-blonde hair, Ófeigur was said to be touched by the
which didn’t return to slumber after the winter. Hunters gods. He was born sickly and given the name Ófeigur—the
have found dead elk with terrible wounds. The matter word “immortal” in Valikan—as a blessing to stave off
has been brought to the chief, who urges the characters to death. It seems to have worked, and he went on to join
investigate and put a stop to the attacks. Hrafen av Skeir’s journey south. Ófeigur put his mason
Quest: Beast of Bronze and White Fur skills to work by building a lighthouse on the shore of
Akkeri Bay. He barred the door and vanished inside the
Prerequisite: Completed Quest: Night’s Fanged Hunter
beacon. Somehow, though, the beacon has remained lit all
The characters found the cause of the attacks, or so they through the winter and into the spring.
thought. Even after eliminating the creatures, the attacks
continue. This time, it’s a village hunter, who was found The Vanished Lighthouse Keeper
brutally mauled. The true culprit is still out there. The truth of Ófeigur’s disappearance is that he is
transforming into a monster: an aquatic horror of the
Valikan seas called a keppmir (see appendix A). Three
months ago, during winter, Ófeigur barricaded himself
inside his small lighthouse as a defense against the
“The monsters that awake in winter don’t always monsters of winter’s darkness.
return to slumber. Shake off your fear! It must die With plenty of rations and little else to do, he began
before winter returns.” digging a cellar for his beacon. To his surprise, he found
- Mildrith Quickshot, Ragvall huntmaster a small grotto, within which was a shrine. The shrine
stood atop a stone seal to some unknown chamber below.
It depicted a piscine spirit and bore countless unfamiliar
runes. Ófeigur began studying the glyphs, and he soon
became obsessed with unraveling their meaning.
Rikarð’s Quests
Rikarð Jarnskegg throws himself into his work to forget the
pain of his past. He happily rewards characters who help
him do so.
Arduinna’s Quests
Arduinna doesn’t have Quests to offer the characters, but
there are certain events featuring her that can occur during
the spring season.
There’s a subtle rustling in the foliage. You spot eyes in Reparations from Arduinna
the trees. But something’s wrong. Before you’re able to If the characters demand recompense for the lives of their
act, arrows burst from the tree line, whistling with blood- kinfolk, Arduinna assents easily. Read or paraphrase:
freezing speed. In an instant, a dozen Ragvallans have
fallen dead, and horrible pain lances through your body. Arduinna nods. “Your tradition of the ‘weregild.’ I have
The iron smell of blood fills the air, but the trees are silent. heard of it. By dawn of your next week’s first day, you
will find our silver upon the threshold of your longhouse.
All villagers in the logging group are slain, and each of I ardently hope such payment will purify any bad blood
the characters takes 21 (6d6) piercing damage. The elves between our peoples.”
vanish into the woods, but a successful DC 25 Wisdom
(Survival) check finds their tracks. In the unlikely event that
the characters track them, run Event: The Elven-Thegn Retaliating Against Arduinna
Appears, even if they haven’t completed its prerequisites.
Arduinna is not alone. She is accompanied by three elven
Event: The Elven-Thegn Appears spies, who are hidden among the trees. A successful DC 18
Prerequisite: Successfully tracked Arduinna after Event: Wisdom (Perception) check notices the elves.
Eyes in the Woods or Event: Elven Arrows or completed If the characters attack Arduinna (use assassin statistics),
both Quest: Beast of Bronze and White Fur and a the other elves act on initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties).
Core Quest If reduced below half her maximum hit points, Arduinna
and her accompanying elves flee.
Questgiver: Thegn Arduinna Shinoff If the characters flee or surrender, Arduinna allows them
Location: Sheltering Wood (see chapter 5)
to but does not offer them her truce (see “Calendar of the
Downtime: None
Seasons,” below).
Whether by choice or because they managed to find her,
Arduinna reveals herself to the characters while they are in An Audience with the Elven-Thegn
the Sheltering Wood. Once the characters have introduced themselves to her,
If this Event happens because of successfully tracking down Arduinna elaborates on why she has shown herself. Read or
Arduinna during Event: Eyes in the Woods or Event: Elven
paraphrase the following:
Arrows, read or paraphrase the following to begin the Event:
“I appear before you because I have seen your exploits in
Just as it seems there are no more tracks to follow, an elven
these woods, and I find myself impressed,” Arduinna admits.
figure emerges from the shadows of the trees. She inclines
her head in greeting, causing long, white hair to cascade “As such, I am offering a truce between our peoples. We will
over her shoulders. “Not many Valikans possess the skill to not harm you in this forest as long as you don’t harm us.”
track elves of the Evergreen Enclave. My name is Arduinna
Shinoff, and I am the thegn of these woods.” Arduinna’s truce is simple but nonnegotiable. She is not
interested in making the deal better for the characters, and
If this Event happens because of the characters completing she doesn’t feel remorse or the need to make amends for
Quest: Beast of Bronze and White Fur and a Core Quest, the Ragvallans she has killed.
read or paraphrase the following to begin the Event: If the characters attack or greatly disrespect her,
Arduinna rescinds her offer and attacks (see “Retaliating
The dappled light of the forest bends slightly to reveal an
Against Arduinna,” above).
elven figure who raises a hand in greeting. “Well met,” she
If the characters accept her truce, read or paraphrase
says. “I am Arduinna Shinoff, thegn of these woods.”
the following:
Questgiver: Ófeigur Lightraiser If the characters think of a suitable lie and one character
Location: Home of one of the characters or Ófeigur’s makes a successful DC 16 Charisma (Deception) check,
Beacon (area R12) Tafi smiles and bids them farewell. If not, he rushes
Downtime: None forward and tries to tear Ófeigur’s hood away:
If Ófeigur lives after completing Quest: The Immortal “Show me who ya got under there, you big mister mystery!”
Hermit, he is suddenly driven to unseal the runic stone
that blocks the subbasement of his beacon. Underneath it
is a clutch of keppmir eggs surrounding a shrine to Keppr, A character can intercept and restrain him with a
known as the daemon of the depths, who is responsible for successful DC 13 Dexterity or Strength check. On a
the creation of the first keppmir. success, Tafi sways, vomits his supper into the snow, and
If Ófeigur is friendly toward the characters, he remains passes out. On a failure, he sees that Ófeigur is a keppmir
lucid enough to fear this discovery, and he quietly visits the and attacks the “monster.” (Ófeigur uses the amphibious
characters at night to warn them. If he is indifferent toward keppmir statistics in appendix A and Tafi is a scout.)
the characters, he enters the shrine to protect the eggs. Brawl! Tafi, Ófeigur, and characters wishing to join the
fray roll initiative. While Tafi fights to kill, Ófeigur only
Ófeigur’s Arrival fights in self-defense, but he doesn’t know how to keep his
Read or paraphrase the following to begin this Event: claws from lethally goring Tafi.
If Tafi is nonlethally defeated, he wakes up the next
Quiet knocks tap at your door in the dead of night. morning with no memory of the event. If he’s killed,
the chief has no choice but to try the killer (see “Laws
The knocker is Ófeigur, who is dressed in a heavy cloak and Customs of Ragvall” in the Introduction for how to
dripping with keppmir mucus. Once the characters open the run a trial).
door or otherwise examine their guest, read or paraphrase: Concluding the Brawl. After this encounter, the charac-
ters make it to the lighthouse without further complications.
Ófeigur appears even more fishlike than the last time you
saw him. He peers at you with watery eyes from beneath
his cloak’s mucus-wet hood. “Friends…I didn’t know
where else to turn. The seal beneath the beacon…I opened “Worse o’ winter ain’t in the snow. Is the monsters in
the village. The one’s who turn into some’fin ‘orrible
it. Please… come. Follow.”
and murder their kin.”
- Tafi, Ragvall hunter
The Decision
The characters must make a decision. Leaving Ófeigur
here results in his complete mental collapse, but it also
leaves the problem of the keppmir eggs hatching in the
future. However, while in this chamber, Ófeigur is so
enthralled by the power of Keppr and the eggs that he will
fight to the death to protect his kin.
Saving Ófeigur
If Ófeigur is knocked unconscious or otherwise forcibly
removed from the Shrine of Keppr and the eggs, his mental
degradation stops. He remains a perfectly lucid person,
even if his body is that of a frightful keppmir. If brought
before Chief Hrafen av Skeir, he convinces the chief to
return him to his post at the lighthouse. While he must
resist the supernatural urge to descend into the shrine, he
performs his duties admirably.
Hlökk’s Sighting Before you stands a lighthouse of stone bricks with a closed
roof. It stands about twenty feet tall. Every night, a bonfire
If asked, Hlökk confirms that she spotted seaborn trolls
while traveling across the shores below Ragvall. She recalls atop the beacon burns, even though the lighthouse keeper
that they were quite large and formidable predators, hasn’t been seen in months.
effortlessly killing the sea creatures they hunted. Hlökk
cautions the characters against directly engaging in combat The lighthouse door is locked from the inside. A character can
with seaborn trolls, and she suggests they take a stealthier pick the lock silently by making a successful DC 15 Dexterity
approach if they choose to pursue this lead. check using thieves’ tools. Alternatively, a successful DC 15
Strength check smashes the door clean off its hinges, but this
Ása’s Aid alerts Ófeigur to the characters’ presence.
If the characters relay to Ása information gleaned from Ófeigur is currently in the Nameless Shrine, beneath
Chief Hrafen av Skeir or Hlökk Warcrier, she suddenly the lighthouse. The interior of Ófeigur’s Beacon and the
recalls a place in the Teeth where other laneshi harvested dungeon beneath it are described in chapter 5.
materials that would allow their prisoners to breathe water.
She is unsure of when she acquired this knowledge. She Meeting Ófeigur
tells the characters where Oceantide Cave is (see chapter Ófeigur is in the secret basement of the lighthouse (area
5), and of two ways they can create water-breathing tools B4 in chapter 5). Ófeigur Lightraiser was once the human
from the creatures within it. lighthouse keeper, but he is now an amphibious keppmir
Scraglung Helmets. If the characters bring her the (see appendix A). Reference the “Roleplaying Ófeigur”
corpse of one or more seaborn trolls, Ása crafts four scra- section earlier in this chapter to determine how he acts
glung helmets (see appendix B) from each corpse. Each around the characters.
helmet takes two weeks to make, and if spring ends before Ófeigur Attacks. If Ófeigur is unaware of intruders,
they’re all done, the laneshi presents the rest to the charac- he is running his webbed, scaled fingers over the runes
ters once they return in autumn (chapter 3). Ása warns them of the Daemonic Seal (area B5 in chapter 5), trying to
that these trolls are powerful enough to kill Valikan warriors discern their true meaning. If he notices the characters, he
in a single crushing blow, and some even have magical pow- immediately attacks. If he knows they are coming, he hides
ers. She recommends avoiding fighting them directly. in one of the tide pools, waiting to ambush them.
Potions of Water Breathing. Ása mentions that she When he attacks, he shouts in gurgly Valikan: “Look
also remembers brewing potions of water breathing using away! I’m vile! And the shrine is mine!” He fights until
seaweed known as trollkelp, which she offers to do if she reduced to 0 hit points or until calmed (see below). He
is brought some. Characters who make a successful DC wears nothing, but if his body is searched, the characters
12 Intelligence (Nature) check recall firelight stories about find an easily identifiable whalebone amulet shaped like
aquatic trolls feasting on seagrass of this name. a burning beacon. The amulet was a gift from Mardoll
For every ten strands of trollkelp the characters Brightsea as thanks for his lighthouse.
gather from Oceantide Cave, Ása can make one potion Calming Ófeigur. The panicked lighthouse keeper
of water breathing. can be calmed by addressing him by name, by making a
successful DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or by using
Conclusion a spell such as calm emotions. Once calmed, he shakily
After finding their means of water breathing, Ása expresses explains what happened to him (see “Ófeigur Lightraiser,”
her relief. She tells them to hold onto their solution until earlier in this chapter).
autumn; she plans on going on an underwater search for a Ófeigur’s Request. If the characters speak with
hint of her lost memories once the sea ice has fully melted. Ófeigur, he twitchily asks them to bring him food so
that he can continue studying the rune-etched stone seal
undisturbed. A successful DC 8 Wisdom (Insight) check
Seeking Rumors
The characters can ask locals aboud locating superior Quest: Traveler of the Álfavegr
smith’s tools. While these leads are linked to specific NPCs, Prerequisite: Completed a Heroic Feat or befriended
the GM can have any lead come from any villager, which Alvíss av Dvergholt
can help if the characters are growing frustrated from not
finding any leads. Questgiver: Alvíss av Dvergholt
Chief Hrafen av Skeir. The chief is trying to secure trade Location: Characters’ homes
deals with Halsfjord, and he suggests that the characters Downtime: 1 week
travel there and buy them at the market, though he Once either of the prerequisites for this Quest is met,
cautions that they won’t be cheap. Alvíss knocks upon the front door of one of the characters’
Grindal av Halsfjord. The trade mogul is also quick to rec- homes. He has a sheepish look on his face and wrings his
ommend the great markets of his home city of Halsfjord. cap in his hands.
Mildrith Quickshot. While Mildrith notes that she This Quest and the other Quests involving Alvíss are
doesn’t know about smith’s tools, she mentions that described in chapter 3. However, if the characters are able
valuables have gone missing from the village, and gossip to complete a Heroic Feat or befriend Alvíss before spring
is that there are thieves burglarizing nearby settlements. ends, they can begin this storyline early.
Lesson Plans
Completing this Quest requires the characters to train
Ranulf and a group of Ragvallan warriors for one week per
training session. (A total of two weeks, which can be done
consecutively or split up.)
Because the lessons teach the greenhorns how to attack
and defend, both success and failure are rewarded. Ranulf,
representing the greenhorn warriors collectively, gains a
bonus to be used in “Putting Your Teaching to the Test”
later in this Quest.
Calendar of the Seasons Everyone in Ragvall wants to buy them a drink at the
end of each day, even after the night of celebration is
If this Heroic Feat is the first one completed by the
over. Everyone in Ragvall is inspired to work harder, and
characters, mark the following development on the
an additional 250 pounds of lumber and 250 pounds of
Calendar of the Seasons (see appendix C):
iron are stockpiled by the end of spring. Also, twenty-five
Martial Reputation. The characters have earned Clan additional warriors are trained by the end of spring.
Ragvall a reputation of strength in arms. The characters The characters also gain the following boon:
gain advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks when Renowned Commander. You are a hero in the eyes
speaking to other clans or settlements on behalf of Clan of your warriors. In a raid scenario, when you make a
Ragvall, including during raids; however, they have Raiding Roll, you can roll 1d4 and add it to the result.
disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks under
the same circumstances.
S
ummer is a season of raiding in Valika. The floating sea ice of winter has melted or cracked apart, leaving the seas
open for Valikan longships to spread terror across the waves of Etharis.
Valika’s western coast is controlled by the clans of Thrull, who are known for their bloodthirsty thrall-taking raids upon
remote settlements of the Bürach Empire and the border region of Nordenland. The Thrull aren’t the only raiders, however.
The clans of Kandar, for all their talk of trade and peace, are known to send pillagers in all directions, attacking Nordenland to the
south, the Raevo in the east, and the Thrull in the west. Though their raiders don’t take thralls, their attacks are no less bloody.
Chief Hrafen av Skeir has decided that Ragvall Village’s first raid will be a bold stroke, one that will make their name known
throughout the land. The target is Erlefurt, the seat of power of Nordenland, renowned for its mages and natural wealth. To
loot such a city would instantly raise Clan Ragvall to a position of respect among the other Valikan clans. With this plan in
place, the only thing left to do is execute it. That’s where the characters—the renowned hersirs of Clan Ragvall—come in.
0 1 2
V9
V6 V8
V7
V4
V3
V2
V1
V5
L3
L4
L5
L2
L1
L6
Aristadt Lounge
1 Square = 5 feet
Reinforcements by Ship
At the start of any turn after conquering the River Gate
(zone T7), the characters can call in reinforcements, adding
the warriors they left behind to protect their ships to their
warrior count.
T3
T5
T6
T4
T10
T1 T11
T2
E3
E6 E9
E5 E8
E4 E7
E2
E1
Event: Attack on St. Hermia’s of the cathedral: Vicar Claive Sullish. He is supposedly a
descendant of Hermia, the saint who founded Kirkbridge.
Questgiver: Hrafen av Skeir The vicar is a good-hearted man. As a devotee of the
Location: St. Hermia’s Cathedral, Kirkbridge Arch Seraph Aphaelon, he has worked tirelessly to preserve
Downtime: 1 week peace in Kirkbridge and root out corruption within his
Content Warning: War, civilians in peril church. He wields potent magic, but this is not because he
The Ragvallan raiders have stormed the castle-like inherited the divine power of Saint Hermia’s bloodline,
fortifications of St. Hermia’s Cathedral in the walled town of as many believe. His secret is that he is simply an evoker
Kirkbridge. The ruler of Kirkbridge is also the head cleric trained at the Pinnacle of Theurgy in Erlefurt.
C9
C12
C8
C13
C7
C5
C3 C6
C4
C2
C1
C4: Low Town Neighborhoods The dockside markets of Erlefurt are filled with
Prerequisite: Must have conquered zone C1, C2, fishmongers, furriers, and kitschy trinkets.
C5, or C6
C6: Unten Mage College of Conjuration
Minimum Force: 5 warriors
Raiding Roll DC: 13 Prerequisite: Must have conquered zone C4,
Supplies Bonus: Drake fire causes instant victory with C5, C7, or C8
no casualties but destroys all supplies and kills all Minimum Force: 5 warriors
potential captives Raiding Roll DC: 18
Plunder: 500 sp, 150 pounds of timber, and 20 horses Supplies Bonus: Battering ram, tall shields
Captives: 20 captives Plunder: Spell components and arcane texts worth 1,000
gp and an amulet of health
The slums of Erlefurt are crammed against its southern Special: If this zone is conquered, uncontrolled animals
wall. Few guards patrol it, but its people courageously and elementals spread through the city, lowering the
defend their meager homes. Raiding Roll DC of all zones by 2.
C5: Dock Town Markets Within the shining stone walls of Unten College are
Prerequisite: Must have conquered zone C4 or C11 animals and elementals collected for study and replication
through the use of summoning magic. Most of its mages
Minimum Force: 5 warriors are still neophytes, and they are wont to lose control of
Raiding Roll DC: 15 their creations.
Supplies Bonus: Horses
Plunder: 2,000 sp, 500 gp worth of furs, foodstuffs, and
trade goods, and 50 pounds of iron
Captives: 30 captives
S
M9 M11
S
M10
M7 M8
M21
M3
M5
M23
M20
M1 M2 S
M6
M4
M13 M15
M16 M17
M18
M19
Nordenmark Palace
1 Square = 5 feet
T
he raiding season has come to an end and the characters have returned home, one way or another. If they were
successful in their raids, they return as glorious heroes. If they failed, they return in disgrace.
No matter how they return, however, they return to a Ragvall that was larger than when they last saw it. People from
across Valika have heard tales of the tiny young clan nestled amidst the Teeth and have come to trade, to visit, and to resettle.
These visitors come none too soon, for as filled with celebration as autumn is, it is also a season of preparation for winter. Sup-
plies must be stockpiled, defenses erected, and warriors trained for the onset of monsters.
The dizzying heights of fame and the fathomless pits of despair are both apt to lead heroes to ruin—and a shadowy
daemon has slunk into Ragvall to goad them into acts of pride, jealousy, and treachery. This season of fire and festivals
represents the clan at its highest point. If the characters succumb to greed, it’s a long way to fall.
A Conspiracy Afoot preying upon her mind, urging her to give in to her fears
that Chief Hrafen av Skeir is a milk-drinking coward.
For all of autumn, several NPCs work in small or large ways She meets Gro in week four and joins the conspiracy in
to undermine Chief Hrafen av Skeir. Some are encouraged Quest: The Missing Shadow.
or misled by daemonic power, but all are motivated (at least Gro Stensdóttir is the only conspirator who knows about
in part) by their own goals or dislike of the chief. all the others. Svend only knows of Grindal, Hlökk only
Though the characters won’t learn the truth for some knows of Svend, and Grindal only knows of Gro. Because
time, these events are the beginning of a storyline that the characters can stumble upon parts of this conspiracy
runs through the end of winter. Venin, Arch Daemon of accidentally and in many different ways, it’s a good idea
Deception, is eager to cause chaos in Valika. This mighty to glance over this list before the party starts any new
daemon is sowing discord in Thrull and Kandar alike, but Event or Quest.
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text to set the The chief continues, “Enjoy this night in their honor—their
scene as Chief Hrafen av Skeir announces the burning: glory earns them our celebration and our remembrance!”
With that, he hefts his torch onto a prominent spot of
Chief Hrafen av Skeir holds aloft a burning torch as he
pitch on the ship, which immediately ignites. The crowd
calls out, “Heed! Heed my words!” At that, the crowd
murmurs prayers and a few cry out names of fallen
moves to get a good look at him and the ship. He continues.
warriors. In short order, the whole ship is aflame.
“It is now time for the ship to burn. This pyre ushers all
those who died in glorious battle to the hereafter. Before it
After the chief’s speech, the characters can choose to
will lay the spoils that they helped win.” He gestures to a
continue mingling or turn in for the night. Sleeping in their
plinth set between the ship and Hrafensheim, and waits for own beds after so long away grants each of the characters
you to place the summer’s spoils. inspiration. The ship burns night and day for a week until
nothing remains but ash.
When the party places the spoils, the crowd responds
with approving or disapproving murmurs as suits the size The Rest of the Week
of their haul. The next day, morning dawns upon the first week of
autumn in Ragvall Village. The characters have gathered
Crowd Reaction in the middle of town once more, but unlike their gathering
in springtime, they aren’t being goaded by the chief into
Total Plunder Crowd Reaction
following any quests. Based on the quest hooks they heard
4,999 gp or less The crowd murmurs quietly as a in last night’s festival, guide them to spend this first week
disappointingly small treasure trove is
placed before the chief.
however they want.
5,000 to 9,999 gp The gathered villagers whistle and cheer, We’d Rather Explore!
though the warriors quietly vow to strike
richer targets next year.
If the characters aren’t feeling motivated to explore the
Quests available to them in the village, you could have a
10,000 gp or more All the people of Ragvall Village bellow
villager tell them about the balmy, above-freezing winds
with pride for their raiders. The warriors
stomp their feet and pound their axes
of Grarjord in autumn. In other words, they can go
against their shields, and the rest bang exploring far beyond Ragvall Village, if they wish! See
drums or clap their hands. chapter 5 for an explanation of where they can travel in the
autumn season.
If the summer raids were successful (the characters
scored 5 or more reputation points, see “Conclusion”
in chapter 2), Chief Hrafen av Skeir lauds the specific Awarding the Spoils
successes of the raiders, including the characters, among Prerequisite: Begun the second week of autumn, party
compliments for the efforts of the deceased. left the spoils at “Burning the Ship of the Dead”
If the summer raids were unsuccessful (the characters
scored 4 or fewer reputation points, see “Conclusion” in After the customary mourning period of one week,
chapter 2), the chief laments that these promising warriors Chief Hrafen av Skeir formally awards the raiders their
died so young. He doesn’t blame the characters outright— spoils from the summer raids. This custom is built on
no chief would be so dishonorable as to shift blame to his the assumption that as the raid was a communal effort,
hersirs—but the crowd is well aware of whose leadership the chief should collect the plunder and award it to the
truly led their children to the pyre. raiders and the rest of community in keeping with their
Should the party fail to fulfill their part in the ceremony, personal contribution and the village’s needs. The crowd
Ása Lögmaður firmly reminds them exactly what is who gathers to witness the day includes anyone the party
expected of them. If they don’t relent, the crowd grumbles took raiding with them and anyone they have befriended.
uncomfortably while Hrafen chastises them for their greed, When the party arrives at Hrafensheim, read or para-
but he acknowledges he was going to award them most phrase the following:
of the spoils anyway as leaders of the raids and hurries to
A small crowd has gathered at Hrafensheim for today’s
wrap up the event on a better note.
ceremony. Chief Hrafen av Skeir is seated nearby, mug in
hand. He clears his throat and spreads his arms wide in
“I’m glad you’ve returned alive. I look forward to welcome. He gestures toward the treasure plinth and says,
celebrating whatever success you had. You were “Behold the spoils of the summer raids!”
successful, yes?”
- Ása Lögmaður
Once she meets with the chief, the two of them start
discussing the possibility of Mýrún setting up shop for a The chief has three requests:
few weeks in autumn. If one of the characters pretends to • Tour and reinforce the village’s fortifications (Core
be the chief, none of the other villagers interfere, but the Quest: Raising Fortifications)
character must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma (Deception) • Strengthen Hrafensheim’s defenses in case
check to convince Mýrún. those fortifications are breached (Core Quest:
The merchant wants a total of 500 gp (she can be Building Shelters)
haggled down to 250 gp) and a temporary gift of a small • Conduct advanced training drills for the village’s veteran
plot of land on the sparsely inhabited north shore to set up raid warriors (Core Quest: Veteran Warrior Training)
her shop. Av Skeir eventually agrees, but if the characters
take the reins, the choice is in their hands. See “R18: De Gaining Resources
Morencia Trading Post” under “New Locations,” later in The chief trusts the characters to spend the village’s resources
this chapter for her weekly stock and special items. as they see fit (see “Starting Resources” at the beginning
of this chapter), and recommends leading the villagers in
Mýrún’s Confessor
operations to acquire more resources during their downtime,
In addition to seamen, the ship from Skarfanes also carries or in efforts to upgrade the village’s functional-but-meager
a holy passenger: Gro Stensdóttir, supposedly a cleric of fortifications (see “New Locations,” later in this chapter).
the Arch Seraph Solyma, but secretly a fallen devotee of If Mýrún Stebansdóttir was permitted to set up shop,
the Arch Daemon Venin. Mýrún and her family are deeply Chief Hrafen av Skeir tells the characters that her shop has
religious and sought out a confessor to travel with her resources and is willing to sell them, if the characters want to
on this journey. Gro, having already heard Venin’s call, spend their own gold on it.
In the penultimate week of autumn, Chief Hrafen av Skeir Otherwise, run Event: A Knife at Autumn’s End, as
plans to give a speech to the people of Ragvall as they agents of Venin infiltrate the crowd, as well as the chief’s
brace for the first frost of winter. Before the crowd gathers personal guard, and attempt to kill him.
for the speech, Svend Godrunssun has already moved
to weaken the chief for his defeat. He laced the chief’s
Calendar of the Seasons
morning drink with shadowlance: a rare poison that has Once this Event occurs, mark one of the following
already begun to slowly weaken him. outcomes on the Calendar of the Seasons (see appendix C):
Due to the magical poison, Chief Hrafen av Skeir has With Blade in Hand. Chief Hrafen av Skeir was slain
the poisoned condition. While poisoned in this way, any by the characters in an honorable duel. One of them
damage he takes also reduces his hit point maximum by may now claim the title of chief and rule Ragvall as
half that amount, leaving wounds that won’t heal and they see fit.
unnatural “tears” in his shadow. The poison can’t be Stabbed in the Back. One of the characters killed Chief
removed except by greater restoration, heal, or a similar Hrafen av Skeir in a surprise attack. They may claim
spell of 6th level or higher. the title of chief, but few in Ragvall respect their
The party might plan to defend or attack this event, dishonorable rule.
in which case you will need to adjust your description to Daemonic Assassination. Chief Hrafen av Skeir was slain
suit their approach. Otherwise, read or paraphrase the by a daemonic interloper, and the villagers turn to his
following boxed text to set the scene as they arrive: closest confidants—the characters—for leadership.
Rescuers. Chief Hrafen av Skeir was gravely wounded
Chief Hrafen av Skeir stands upon the stoop of the in an assassination attempt, but survived with the
longhouse, and it seems the entire village has come out characters aid. He can’t fight or speak publicly, but can
to hear him speak. The dark circles beneath his eyes have aid the characters in winter with his wisdom.
grown even darker than before, and it’s clear he is making
an effort to stand without shaking.
“People of Clan Ragvall! People of the youngest, most Conclusion
determined Valikan clan of them all!” Despite the look of Autumn has come to a dramatic end. The villagers are
sickness upon his face, the chief’s voice is as strong and shaken by the events of this season, but there is no time to
booming as ever. “It was autumn’s end one year ago that mourn or panic—winter is now upon them. With the chief
we first settled on the shores of the Akkeri Bay. It was one either poisoned or assassinated, the characters must lead
year ago that we received a sign from the Hero Ragvall to their village more directly than ever before.
make this our home and take her name. It was one year
ago that we enshrined her idol upon the isle with our
lawspeaker, and carved the Logsteinn.
“Winter comes upon us again,” he says grimly. “We
survived it last year, and we shall survive it again. Now,
creatures of darkness know of our presence, and will seek
to snuff out our vital flame, yet…”
The chief continues to speak, but there is motion in the
crowd that no one else seems to notice.
0 150 300
R15
R5 R4
R2
R8 River G R10 R6
art
hor
R7 R9
R11
Ragvall in Autumn
Additionally, if any Key NPCs are dead or otherwise
not present in Ragvall at the start of autumn, this
development does not occur. However, if the GM decides
Below are the locations, NPCs, and quests vital to running
that another NPC could reasonably take their place, the
this chapter of the adventure. Many of the locations and
development still occurs (see “Dealing with the Dead” in
characters in this chapter are identical to their description
the “Introduction” chapter).
in Chapter 1: Spring.
Mountain Passes Clear
Downtime Activities Key NPCs: None
All of the downtime activities the characters could Effect: Ice blocking the mountain passes clears, allowing
partake in during the spring are available during autumn. the characters to explore more of Valika
Additionally, they can spend a week of downtime creating The brutal snowstorms and ice-choked passes of the nearby
a spell stick with the av Dvergholt family at their shop (see mountains made travel to other parts of Valika difficult in
“Daughters of Dvergholt,” below). the spring. However, now that summer has melted the ice
and autumn has tamed the weather, it’s possible for adven-
New Developments turous characters to explore locations as far as Runeheim
and the Frostmere.
Based on the characters' actions in spring and summer, Traveling to such distant locations takes several weeks, and
there may be new locations, NPCs, and other surprising may allow the conspiracy in autumn to progress unseen by
developments in the village upon their return from the the characters until it’s too late to do anything about it. These
raids. Keep the Calendar of the Seasons (see appendix locations aren’t described in this adventure, but the GM can
C) on hand to determine if the proper prerequisites have use their descriptions in Raider’s Guide to Valika to create
been met for each new development. adventures that the characters can undertake in those places.
The villagers who remained in Ragvall Village during the 1 2 potions of greater healing (300 gp each)
raiding season have built dozens of new homes. They’ve also 2 1 suit of plate armor (1,500 gp, fitting included)
constructed several basic defensive installations to protect 3 1 blackpowder rifle and 40 bullets (Adv.; 600 gp)
them from monstrous attackers in winter. The characters 4 1 flame bellows and 60 bellows canisters (Adv.; 800 gp)
can increase the protective power of these installations by
5 1 repeater crossbow and 20 silvered bolts (Adv.; 1,000 gp)
spending resources (see “Stockpiling for the Winter,” earlier
6 3 sabres of Castinellian make (Adv.; 500 gp each)
in this chapter).
Locations keyed with the letter “R” are locations that 7 3 claymores of Bürachi make (Adv.; 500 gp each)
can be visited by the characters and may have NPCs in 8 3 polearms of Charneaultian make (Adv.; 500 gp each)
them. Locations keyed with the letters “RF” are points in
the village are fortifications that can be upgraded in Core Defensive Fortifications
Quest: Raising Fortifications. The game statistics of these The Ragvallan villagers started creating defensive
fortifications are provided in Chapter 4: Winter. fortifications by the chief’s order in autumn. Just like the
conflict zones in an offensive raid, these fortifications are
the points that monsters attack and you must defend to
R18. De Morencia Trading Post keep from reaching your stronghold.
Prerequisite: Gold to open a shop was gifted during “A You can upgrade a fortification to a more powerful
Ship from Skarfanes” in the fourth week of autumn version by paying its upgrade cost. The p-eople of Ragvall
are able to upgrade that fortification with one week of
Ambitious merchant Mýrún Stebansdóttir opens her
work. You can only upgrade one fortification per week.
trading post in the sparsely populated north side of town
These fortifications are described in more detail in
in the fourth week of autumn, then closes it and departs in
chapter 4. This chapter only describes how each fortifica-
the eleventh week.
tion can be upgraded. Mark what rank each fortification is
When the characters first approach the trading post,
on the Calendar of the Seasons (see appendix C).
read or paraphrase:
RF1: Mannavegr Towers
One of the hunters’ cabins has been empty since he was
Rank 1 Fortification
killed in the woods in spring, but now the trader from
Skarfanes has set up shop here. Its exterior is draped with This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 by spending
250 pounds of timber and one week of downtime.
colorful cloth and a banner that reads “De Morencia
Trading Post.” RF2: Hreinsbridge Barricade
Inside, the merchant Mýrún has turned her shipping Rank 1 Fortification
crates into a makeshift counter and shelves, and has
This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 by
arranged a variety of goods in pleasing ways. She greets spending 100 pounds of timber, 50 pounds of iron, and
you with a beaming smile as you enter. one week of downtime.
Customizing Fortifications
One of the fun aspects of having a village to defend
is customizing the buildings that you have within it.
These fortifications are no different. If your players
want to create custom fortifications, allow it! The
fortification on Benna’s Bridge doesn’t have to be a
barricade; it could be row of metal rods etched with
arcane runes that creates an arcing line of lightning
when activated. You could choose to alter the material
cost for upgrading this fortification, or simply allow it
to be a flavorful change with no mechanical impact.
Alvíss knows exactly where he saw the hurrocks last, The smell of rot and sound of buzzing flies becomes ob-
and takes them there without delay. Proceed to “Heilag vious even before the tracks end. The corpses before you
Riverbank” below. are more like mulched flesh than bodies. Only the blood-
drenched clothes in the heap identify this grisly sight as
your former clanfolk.
The trip to the border takes 1 week (which takes up the 1 Calendar of the Seasons
week of downtime for this quest). Upon completing the quest, Mildrith is grateful both for
their help and for their continued discretion. She offers
Finding the Herbs them some high-quality pelts and fresh meat. Mark one or
Upon arriving in the southern Valikan riverlands, more of the following outcomes on the Calendar of Seasons
characters must spend 8 hours searching and succeed (see appendix C):
on a DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check to locate the Blood on the Birthing Bed. Characters attempted to
required plants. help Mildrith, but she died. Rumors abound if the
Great Success. If this check succeeds by 5 or more, characters had it out for the hunter or if her former
the characters find enough herbs for Mildrith and to lover eliminated her to ease the way for his new wife.
sell to Mýrún. The effect of these rumors, if any, is left to the GM.
Partial Success. If this check succeeds, but not by 5 or Mildrith with Child. Mildrith decided to carry her child
more, the characters find enough herbs for Mildrith or to term, despite her fears. She gives birth in the last
Mýrún, but not both. week of winter, and must be protected in Hrafensheim
Failure. The characters find no herbs. until then during the raid defense events in chapter 4.
Extending the Search. If the characters haven’t Mýrún’s Moontide Elixir. Mýrún sends the herbs to an
found all the herbs they want, they can keep searching the alchemist she knows in Skarfanes. Within weeks, word
riverlands for another 8 hours to repeat this check. spreads of an elixir that can aid women who are unex-
Harvesting the Herbs. Harvesting them properly pectedly and unwantedly with child. Mýrún Stebansdóttir
requires a DC 14 Intelligence or Wisdom check using stocks it in her shop for 10 gp a dose, and is thankful to
either an herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies. After the the characters for helping her expand her business.
characters make this check, regardless of success or failure, The Hunter’s Mark. Mildrith terminated her pregnancy
fey spirits that watch over these herbs rises from the grasses and survived. She considers the characters her
and roars in fury. saviors, and she and her hunters stand by them in any
Herbal Guardians. A willow that hangs over a nearby endeavor—even if it means going against the chief.
creek is a puck tree, and is filled with a group of eight
pucks (see appendix A for both). These pucks have seen
countless women killed by their husbands for seeking
these herbs, and screech warnings while fight to drive the
characters away. “Those herbs? Seems like a curious combination.
If the characters can speak Sylvan, they can understand Why are you lot interested in anything like this?
the pucks’ warnings and can make a DC 15 Charisma Well, I suppose it’s no matter. You would be
(Persuasion) check to convince them that Mildrith is under willing to help the new merchant out, wouldn’t
you? I can pay handsomely for some of those to sell
their protection. On a success, the pucks back off and let
later on. I could see a market for something like
the characters harvest the herbs in peace.
this. Have to make a living somehow. Good luck
Herbs for Mýrún helping out your friend. May Ragvall be with her.”
Mýrún gladly pays the characters 250 gp for a bunch of the - Mýrún Stebansdóttir
herbs they gathered.
Sowing Discontent
The characters gain a new downtime activity: Sowing
Discontent. The characters can spend 1 week of downtime
to spread unpleasant rumors about Chief Hrafen av Skeir.
Doing so without drawing the chief’s attention requires
an ability check depending on their approach: a DC 15
Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check
to chat with people away from prying eyes.
If asked for more details on what the dwarf statue is and While traveling through the woods, a deliberate rustling of
why it’s dangerous, Alvíss hems and haws and refuses to leaves reveals an elf lurking on the crown of a nearby elm.
elaborate. He unconvincingly mutters that he might simply It’s Arduinna, thegn of the elves!
be paranoid and his fears are probably nothing. She leaps to the forest floor and says, “Valikans. I hear
If asked for leads, Alvíss directs them towards the you are seeking a living dwarf statue in these woods. I’ve
Hunters’ Cabins (area R15) where the elk hunter who saw seen it. We fired arrows at it and half of them bounced off
the statue resides.
completely—and only after we attacked it did it react to our
Sole Witness assault. Fair warning with that.”
The elk hunter, Sakari (NG, male forest gnome scout)
supplies the following information: If asked where she saw the dwarf, Arduinna tells them she
• The statue resembles a dwarf, but its body was twisted can do one better and leads them to the Elven Crossing
and bulbous (area W5). Arduinna remains and helps them fight (use
• He first saw the statue standing amidst the trees along assassin statistics).
the Álfavegr—the elven road which runs through the
Sheltering Wood.
In order to survive the harsh winter, the characters must Major Milestones
use all that they have learned about Ragvall Village’s The following acts are major milestones:
people and its environs over the course of this adventure. If
• Defeating the Coldfire Premonition (see “Come Hell or
they failed to stockpile resources in autumn, the ravages of
High Rime,” later in this chapter)
winter will surely be their downfall.
• Defeating Venin (see “Resisting the Deceiver,” later in
This chapter plays out as an inverse of the summer
this chapter)
season. Rather than going on the offensive and raiding
distant settlements, the characters are put on the defensive.
If Ragvall Village’s fortifications are breached, the Raid Mechanics
characters must make a stand at Hrafensheim to protect
the young and the infirm of their clan. This raids in this chapter use the raid defense mechanics
Amidst the daily fear of invasion, a putrid shadow presented in Raider’s Guide to Valika. If you don’t have
wriggles through the village: the Arch Daemon that made that book, or don’t wish to use the raiding rules, the GM
itself known to the heroes in autumn. As the monster can instead make combat encounters using the normal fifth
attacks grow fiercer and fiercer, Venin goads the characters edition rules to represent these massive battles.
into accepting her corrupting power in order to protect all
that they hold dear. Starting Resources
Winter will test the fortifications which the characters
Leveling up in Winter have spent hundreds of pounds of resources upgrading in
The default means of gaining levels in this adventure is by autumn. The only problem: if those defenses are damaged,
completing milestones. Characters gain a level whenever they’ll need a stockpile of resources to repair them.
they complete five minor milestones, or whenever they The characters’ starting quantities of timber and iron in
complete one major milestone. winter are the same as what they had at the end of autumn.
Characters start this season at 9th level and can’t The village’s starting quantity of warriors in winter
advance higher than 11th level in this chapter. Once they is 100. If they had more than 100 warriors at the end of
reach 11th level, they can’t gain levels from reaching autumn, use that higher number instead.
milestones until the winter season ends.
Minor Milestones
The following act is a minor milestone:
“Outsiders think the cold ‘tis the only thing that
• Completing an Event or Quest invades our walls, our homes, and our minds in the
If the characters go on self-directed adventures and lightless winter. They soon learn better.”
do things not listed here, you can grant them a minor - Heard around the hearth
milestone at your discretion—especially if what they do
takes up a full session of gameplay.
Joyful laughter turns to screaming. Elk and wolves pour Making the First Defensive Line
from the woods to the north, sending villagers scattering. Hlökk walks the characters through their very first time
Something is wrong with them—they’re unusually huge, allocating the warriors to their defensive positions.
and their eyes glint with malice. A monstrous elk pins down Warriors. The village starts this season with a min-
one of the fleeing villagers with its hooves and bares its imum of 100 warriors. If they ended autumn with more
teeth, revealing rows of fangs that it sinks into the villager’s than that number, use that number instead. Not all warri-
flesh over and over, devouring him alive. ors have to be allocated. Once an attack begins, the char-
acters can spend a turn to direct unallocated warriors to a
By a stroke of luck, the characters may have saved new position. These defensive raiding rules are described
many lives by dragging their heels. See “First Blood of in more detail in chapter 3 of Raider’s Guide to Valika.
Winter,” below. Minimum Force. Each fortification has a minimum
number of warriors required to defend it.
Maximum Capacity. Each fortification has a
Hlökk’s Defensive Plan maximum number of warriors it can hold.
Hlökk Warcrier has been handling the minutiae of Raiding Roll DC. When monsters attack a
preparing Ragvall’s warriors to defend the village when fortification, they must make a Raiding Roll. On a success,
monsters attack. She’s asked the characters to meet her at they overcome the fortification and can attack the next one
the Mannavegr Towers (area RF1) to discuss their defensive in its lane. The DC is different for each fortification.
plans. She waves at the characters from atop one of the Hlökk’s Recommendation. After explaining the above
watchtowers when they approach. Read or paraphrase the information, Hlökk recommends a balanced defensive
following when the characters climb the tower: spread, since they have no idea where the monsters might
be coming from. She notes that the characters can change
“Health and happiness, hersirs,” Hlökk says with a respectful
where their warriors are positioned at any time before the
raise of her hand. Several other Ragvallan warriors echo her
village falls under attack.
greeting—some veterans who you fought with in the summer
raids, but many new trainees, as well. “Come, we’ve much to Screams from the Village!
discuss. The sagas tell that monsters rise from the darkness Once the characters have concluded their arrangements for
with the first snows of winter. There is no time to waste.” winter’s first defensive line, read or paraphrase the following:
Hlökk explains the following “rules” of winter, based on The quiet calm is shattered by screams and a piercing,
what she learned from the monster attacks last winter: shrieking howl.
• Monsters rarely attack from the same direction twice in a Hlökk whirls—her hand is already on her blade’s hilt.
row. For example, if the monsters attack from the forest, “Gods’ breath, what the hell was that?”
All characters who make a pact with Venin can cast minor
illusion at will. Additionally, they gain one supernatural
boon from the list below. Only one character in the party
can gain each power. If all three powers are chosen and
more characters agreed to a boon, all three become
available again. You can present these boons
to the players on cards and let them squabble
among themselves to choose which one they want most.
Blood-Chilling Grasp. You can cast hold monster
without expending a spell slot. Its save DC
is 17 or your spell save DC, whichever
is higher. This spell doesn’t require
concentration when cast in this
way. A creature paralyzed by this
spell takes 14 (4d6) cold damage
whenever it fails a saving throw
against this spell. Once you
cast this spell, you must
Ása’s Fears
March of Jarl Grimskjelle
This scene only occurs if the characters did not earn the Prerequisite: Begun the eighth week of winter
“Ása’s Home” outcome in Quest: Ása’s Lost Past (see There is no attack this week, but Hlökk Warcrier
chapter 3). approaches with a grim scouting report at the week’s start.
The night after the raid, Ása comes to the characters Read or paraphrase:
in tears, sorrowful for the harm the laneshi caused to the
people of Ragvall. Hlökk hails you in her usual fashion, then gets straight
to business. “Frost giants have been spotted on Grarjord,
“I will pass judgement on myself,” she croaks miserably. “I
hersirs, just as the warriors from Hrist described. I can see
am one of the enemy. One of the same blood of the people
only two options available to us: launch a preemptive strike
who killed so many today. I can’t be trusted. I will declare
or lay low and hope they don’t come this way.
myself an outlaw and depart this village. The people have
“We must weigh our options. A preemptive strike
desired it since they first found me on this shore. It’s no less
could give us an enormous advantage if they try to attack
than I deserve.”
us, but we don’t even know if the giants are aware this
village exists.”
If the characters accept her judgment, she departs the
village silently, without goodbyes, and slips into the sea
The characters must make a risky decision with little
under cover of night. If they refuse to let her go and tell her
concrete information. What they don’t know is the giants
that she’s wrong, she stubbornly refuses to hear sense.
don’t know Ragvall Village exists. The giants won’t
If the characters continue to try and reason with Ása,
attack in the ninth week of winter unless the characters
ask one of them to make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion)
attack them now. Nevertheless, provoking the giants into
check—with advantage, if they made a persuasive
attacking and then prevailing over them would grant the
argument. On a success, she relents, smiles, and sobs
characters a great deal of treasure—if they survive.
grateful tears. She agrees to stay in Ragvall Village and
Hlökk’s message begins Quest: Preemptive Strike.
help protect them as long as they will have her.
Insightful Thinking. Mistrustful characters can “Your warm-blooded deception disgusts me. Vanguard!
make a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check. On a success, they Kill them slowly. Make them suffer until our full might is
discover that, throughout the conversation, the Herald has brought to bear.”
been assessing their village, as if scanning for weaknesses.
It seems like, no matter what happens, it will want to make The Herald grabs Afjyra and launches itself into the sky,
sacrifices of everyone in the village. flying away at full speed. If it is prevented from escaping,
The Chief’s Decision. If Hrafen av Skeir is alive, he it fights to the death. Afjyra attempts to escape as well, in
refuses to negotiate for the lives of his people, and refuses order to reunite with the full force of her legion and lead
to give in to either of the Herald’s demands. See “Refusing them herself.
the Herald,” below. If one of the characters is chief, the Skirmish with the Vanguard. The Herald brought the
choice is theirs. following forces to Ragvall Village in its vanguard:
Sacrificing their Lives. If the characters agree to
• The Herald (a prismatic drake; see appendix A)
sacrifice the lives of the Ragvallans, the Herald smiles
• Afjyra, a panjaian gormadraugon (see appendix A)
with unexpected delight. Surprised by the characters’
willingness to accede to its demands, it magnanimously • Afjyra’s mount (a withered steed; see appendix A)
allows the characters to keep their lives, and depart the • 24 rime hungers (see appendix A)
village, or live in its hollow remains. It only requests that Reinforcements Come Quickly. Regardless of
the characters find some way of subduing or tricking the whether or not the Herald lives or dies, its entire army
villagers so that they can be sacrificed without a struggle. attacks 12 hours after the characters attacked. Run Event:
This course of action is obviously unpopular among the Tide of Rime early, before the beginning of the twelfth
villagers, and they will fight tooth and nail to survive. week of winter. This is a raid defense scenario.
Trading the Idol. The idol of Ragvall is of deep
spiritual importance to the people of the village, but they
are willing to part with it in exchange for their lives. The
decision is not a popular one, but it is accepted as one of
the sacrifices that must be made in winter. However, the
idol is of great personal significance to Ása Lögmaður, and
she refuses to give it up. Even if the characters demand it,
“It’s not all over,” croaks Ása. She creeps toward you and
reveals from her heavy cloak. A wooden icon of a heroic
woman bearing a shield and defiantly holding a blade in
front of her chest. “Ragvall,” Ása says simply. “Hope.”
All eyes turn to you.
0 150 300
RF7
River Ymor
RF8
RF9 River Heilag
Akkeri Bay
RF10
RF3
River G
RF2 RF1
RF6 art
hor
RF5
RF4
Position: Lane A, second position (zone RF1 must be Position: Lane B, second position (zone RF4 must be
conquered) conquered)
Minimum Force: 10 defenders Minimum Force: 10 defenders
Maximum Force: 20 defenders Maximum Force: 20 defenders
Raiding Roll DC: 15 Raiding Roll DC: 15
Upgrading Upgrading
This fortification can be upgraded once by spending 100 This fortification can be upgraded once by spending 100
pounds of timber, 50 pounds of iron, and one week of pounds of timber, 50 pounds of iron, and one week of
downtime. As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll downtime. As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll
DC increases to 17. DC increases to 17.
Position: Lane A, third position (zone RF2 must be Position: Lane B, third position (zone RF5 must be
conquered; the stronghold is attacked when this zone conquered; the stronghold is attacked when this zone is
is conquered) conquered)
Minimum Force: 10 defenders Minimum Force: 10 defenders
Maximum Force: 50 defenders Maximum Force: 50 defenders
Raiding Roll DC: 11 Raiding Roll DC: 11
Upgrading Upgrading
This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 and then This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 and then
Rank 3 by spending one week of downtime and either: Rank 3 by spending one week of downtime and either:
• 100 pounds of iron to create rows of shields along the • 100 pounds of iron to create rows of shields along the
outside of the wall, or outside of the wall, or
• 100 pounds of timber to create a line of pointed stakes to • 100 pounds of timber to create a line of pointed stakes to
deter enemy charges deter enemy charges
As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll DC As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll DC
increases to 13. As a Rank 3 fortification, the bonus to the increases to 13. As a Rank 3 fortification, the bonus to the
Raiding Roll DC for having more than the minimum force Raiding Roll DC for having more than the minimum force
is doubled. is doubled.
Position: Lane C, second position (zone RF7 must be Position: Special fortification; can only be attacked by
conquered) flying or swimming creatures (the stronghold is attacked
Minimum Force: 10 defenders when this zone is conquered)
Maximum Force: 50 defenders Minimum Force: 10 defenders
Raiding Roll DC: 13 Maximum Force: 10 defenders
Raiding Roll DC: 17
Upgrading
This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 and then Upgrading
Rank 3 by spending one week of downtime and either: This fortification can be upgraded to Rank 2 and then
• 100 pounds of iron to create rows of shields along the Rank 3 by spending one week of downtime and either:
outside of the wall, or • 200 pounds of timber, or
• 100 pounds of timber to create a line of pointed stakes to • 50 pounds of iron
deter enemy charges As a Rank 2 fortification, its Maximum Force increases to
As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll DC 30. As a Rank 3 fortification, the bonus to the Raiding Roll
increases to 13. As a Rank 3 fortification, the bonus to the DC for having more than the minimum force is doubled.
Raiding Roll DC for having more than the minimum force
is doubled.
Customizing Fortifications
RF9: Woodworker’s Barricade One of the fun aspects of having a village to defend is
Rank 1 Fortification customizing the buildings that you have within it. These
fortifications are no different. If your players want to create
Position: Lane C, third position (zone RF8 must be
custom fortifications, allow it! The fortification on Benna’s
conquered; the stronghold is attacked when this zone
Bridge doesn’t have to be a barricade; it could be row of
is conquered)
metal rods etched with arcane runes that creates an arcing
Minimum Force: 10 defenders
line of lightning when activated. You could choose to alter
Maximum Force: 20 defenders
the material cost for upgrading this fortification, or simply
Raiding Roll DC: 15
allow it to be a flavorful change with no mechanical impact.
Upgrading
This fortification can be upgraded once by spending 100
pounds of timber, 50 pounds of iron, and one week of Damaged Fortifications
downtime. As a Rank 2 fortification, its base Raiding Roll Whenever raiding monsters break through a fortification,
DC increases to 17. it’s damaged. Until it’s repaired, Raiding Rolls made
against that fortification have advantage.
If monsters break through a fortification that’s already
damaged—which could happen because it wasn’t repaired
after the last raid—the fortification is destroyed. Any upgrades
that had been made to that fortification are lost.
A destroyed fortification is the same as its Rank 1 form, but
Raiding Rolls made against it have advantage.
Repairing Defenses
The people of Ragvall Village can repair a damaged
fortification by spending 100 pounds of timber or iron, and
one week of downtime.
Downtime in Winter
Winter frost has made the roads out of Ragvall icy and
treacherous, and the sea has all but frozen. Downtime
can be spent on any of the activities that were available in
autumn: Gathering Ore, Gathering Timber, or Training
Warriors. It can also be spent upgrading or repairing
fortifications (see “Defensive Fortifications,” above).
Invader Bonuses
The Darkwater Alliance have an attack bonus of +1d4, and
can attack in two waves. Each wave can attack two lanes,
using this bonus as they wish (+1d4 against one lane, +0
against another).
Questgiver: None
Location: Ragvall Village
Downtime: None
This is a raid defense scenario. See “Defending Ragvall
Village” for more information.
Questgiver: None The mass of flame writhes and expands, solidifying into an
Location: Ragvall Village immense, scaled wyrm made of shifting ice, with countless
Downtime: None clawed legs. A head emerges from the mass, like that of a
This is a combat encounter which uses the map and area monstrous wolf with wild eyes and a ravenous, toothy maw.
descriptions of the Ragvall Village square and longhouse, Prismatic coldfire surrounds its long body like an aurora. It
which is dungeon A in chapter 5 of this adventure. raises its head and howls with a sound that foretells the end
of the world.
Hrafensheim Features
Then it focuses its deadly gaze on you. There’s nothing
The general features of this area are described in chapter
left to do but fight.
5. If Hrafensheim was collapsed in Event: Stomp and Burn
but not rebuilt, then the floor of the entire longhouse is
difficult terrain. This creature is a Coldfire Premonition (see appendix
A). It is vision of what could come to pass if Gormadraug
Battle Conditions is awakened, as imagined into reality by the Herald.
There is only one objective: defeat the apparition that It is a mindless avatar of destruction whose only goal
heralds doom for Ragvall Village. All defenseless villagers is to enact the Herald’s dream of sacrificing Ragvall
have fled the scene of the battle, and all remaining Village to keep Gormadraug in slumber until the proper
Ragvallan warriors have steeled themselves to battle it. moment of awakening.
Warriors Dealing Damage. Before this battle begins,
count the number of warriors the village has left at the end
Invader Tactics
of Event: Tide of Rime. At the start of each round of com- The Coldfire Premonition starts this battle by using its
bat, the Coldfire Premonition takes an amount of piercing Rain of Coldfire action. Then it uses one of its attacks
damage equal to the number of warriors still alive without each turn to crush a building in Ragvall Village. Once it’s
cluttering the map with dozens of NPC warriors. reduced to half its hit point maximum, it stops rampaging
Warrior Casualties. At the end of each round, 2d6 and focuses all of its attacks on killing the characters.
warriors die. This represents collateral damage during the Afjyra. If Afjyra is alive, she fights to the death beside
battle and reduces the busywork of rolling attacks against the premonition in hopes of gaining favor with her
NPC warriors. primordial master. Her goal is to be the first line of defense
Village Chief. If Hrafen av Skeir (see appendix A) is for the Coldfire Premonition.
alive, he also fights in defense of Ragvall Village. If one of End of the Apocalypse
the characters is the village chief, then that character’s life
When the Coldfire Premonition is defeated, read or
holds special meaning for the Ragvallan people. If the chief
paraphrase the following:
dies, the people despair, but do not blame anyone for their
leader’s death—falling in battle against a foe as mythic as The beast shrieks and writhes. The sound of shattering ice
this coldfire beast is a glorious thing for any Valikan. is magnified a hundredfold as the wolf-headed apparition
Successful Defense rears up on its hind legs and stretches into the sky, howling
Ragvall Village ends this battle in tatters regardless of all the while. Then, with a final, sickening roar, its body
how the battle ends. The only condition to successfully explodes, sending shards of burning ice showering over
defending the village is defeating the Coldfire Premonition. Ragvall Village.
Your people scatter, and some brave warriors rush
The Battle Begins to find oil and wood, and make bonfires to quench the
If the Herald is alive when the Coldfire Premonition
coldfire. Amidst the chaos, a gentle snow begins to fall.
appears, read or paraphrase the following:
Winter is almost at an end.
“Rise! Rise, premonition of the end!” crows the Herald. A
long, writhing tendril of blue flame uncoils from the crackling
mass of icy flame and wraps around the Herald’s body. The
drake turns to you with manic triumph in its eyes, and says,
“I seen this beast once before, as a wee lass. Our
“In this moment we are all blessed! I am chosen to become village witch tried to burn it with her magic. It
one with the premonition of Gormadraug’s return—and you worked well, all right. Hurt the beast. But froze the
are blessed to be the first to see the master’s wrath in an eon!” witch forever.”
The Herald’s voice is abruptly choked as it is engulfed - A village elder
in coldfire and vanishes from sight.
Following the White Fox “A fearsome jarl of Frostmere who goes by the name of
The white fox is bound to return to the druid who sent Grimskjelle. The Grim Hunter.” Lefsi’s face looks suitably
it. This druid is a member of the warriors called the grim, too. “They say he commands a warband of ten giants;
Snow Hawks, who are currently stranded on the wastes more than enough to reduce a city to rubble in a matter of
of Grarjord. hours. We managed to slay one straggler, but we had to flee
The white fox does its best to lead the characters, but it to survive. We got lost in a snowstorm during our flight and
is small, hard to track, and blends in easily with the snow. many of our number froze to death on the wastes. We are
At the end of every two hours spent following the fox (first the only survivors.
along the Álfavegr Roadway through the Sheltering Wood, “You must be cautious, hersirs. I fear your village is
then across the Grarjord snowfields), one of the characters at risk.”
must make a DC 18 Wisdom (Survival) check.
On a success, the characters follow the fox masterfully,
The journey to Ragvall Village concludes without event.
staying at its side the entire time. On a failure, they lose
track of the fox and spend an hour searching for it. This Conclusion
also reduces the number of warriors they can gain at the If the entire party of Snow Hawks are brought back safely,
end of this quest (see “Conclusion,” below). their crew stays in the village, bolstering the number of
After making three Wisdom (Survival) checks (regardless warriors defending Ragvall by 75.
of success or failure), they reach a frozen field surrounding
a snowdrift. Atop the snowdrift is a tattered battle standard • Reduce this number by 5 for each failed Wisdom
of Hrist, depicting the heraldry of Hrist. (Survival) check the characters made while following the
white fox.
Battle on the Ice • If the characters chose to leave some of the Snow Hawks
The ice field is vast, surrounding the snowdrift for about behind, their actions also reduce this number by 10.
1,000 feet on all sides. Once the characters have traversed
500 feet into it, they hear a sickening cracking sound
beneath their feet—then four burly, ice-blue trolls burst Quest: Preemptive Strike
through the surface of the ice, surrounding the characters. Prerequisite: Begun the eighth week of winter
One pair of trolls starts 40 feet away from the characters,
while another pair starts 60 feet away from them. Questgiver: Hlökk Warcrier
This hunting party of four icefisher trolls was hiding Location: Outside Hrafensheim (area R1)
beneath the surface of the frozen lake, thinking over how Downtime: 1 week
best to ambush the warriors on the snowdrift island in its The characters are faced with a choice: preemptively
center. However, they’re impulsive enough to abandon the attack the giant warband led by Jarl Grimskjelle, or hunker
element of surprise once they notice the characters walking down and wait to see if the giants will pass them by.
directly over their heads. They use seaborn troll statistics
(see appendix A) with the following changes: Wait and See
• They are immune to cold damage If the characters choose not to attack, the giants don’t even
realize that Ragvall Village exists.
• They have a burrow speed of 20 feet (ice only)
Take the Initiative
Meeting the Snow Hawks If the characters decide to launch a preemptive strike on
The Snow Hawks heard the sounds of battle from their Grimskjelle’s camp, Lefsi Mannison shows them on a map
encampment in a snowdrift. Their hersir, Lefsi Mannison, where they’ve been spotted traveling across Grarjord. It
left the heat of their fire and crested the hill to see what was looks like they’re headed toward Summerhelm. The charac-
happening. He appraises the characters with suspicion until ters can determine several possible locations for the giants’
he is certain they are Valikan (seeing the white fox is enough camp by making a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a
to convince him), then welcomes them with open arms. success, one of the potential camp locations is correct.
T
he vast lands of Valika are flush with locations brimming with ancient secrets and hidden treasure. These monster lairs,
shipwrecks, and longhouses are related to the many quests that the heroes of this adventure can learn about in the seasons
of spring, autumn, and winter—in summer, they'll be raiding beyond the borders of Valika itself.
These locations are intended to be explored fully in a single session of gameplay. That also makes them useful for GMs to
plunder and use piecemeal in their own homemade Grim Hollow campaigns.
Valikan Dungeons
Location Name Description Recommended Level
Bennuson Farmstead A prosperous farm house in Ragvall Village. Kobolds lair beneath it. 3rd-level
Headwater Cave An ore-rich cavern near Halsfjord. A druidic curse has halted mining. 3rd-level
Hrafensheim Ragvall Village’s longhouse and stronghold. —
Hvitrfjall Peak A wind-scoured peak hiding a shrine to the Prismatic Wyrm. 5th-level
Jarl Grimskjelle’s Camp A camp of frost giant raiders seeking to plunder Valikan cities. 10th-level (Not discoverable until winter)
Oceantide Cave A troll-infested cavern in the Teeth. 8th-level (or lower, if stealth is used)
Ófeigur’s Beacon A lighthouse in Ragvall Village with a daemonic artifact buried beneath it. 3rd-level
Sheltering Wood Elf-inhabited woods protecting Ragvall Village from the elements. 3rd-level and higher
Snow’s Respite A hot spring in a distant mountain. In ancient times, a red dragon laired there. 9th-level
Steðihaugr The “Anvil-Barrow,” resting place of a mythic Valikan smith. 3rd-level
Wreck of the Blade-Blessed A wrecked ship containing a blade sought by laneshi necromancers. 8th-level
Wreck of the Sea Dragon A wrecked ship picked clean by wretched keppmir. 8th-level
H1
H2
H3
H4
Headwater Cave
1 Square = 5 feet
A2
A1
A6
A4
A3
A5
A7
A8
Hrafensheim
1 Square = 5 feet
P3 P2
P2
Hvitrfjall Peak
1 Square = 5 feet
P1
J1a
J6
J1
J4
J3
J2
J1a
J5
O2
O4
O1
O3 O5
Oceantide Cave
1 Square = 5 feet
Areas within Ófeigur's Beacon A ladder leads down to the first floor (area B2).
The following areas are keyed to the map of this dungeon. During the night, the stack of firewood is set ablaze.
Every morning, Ófeigur emerges from the basement just
B1: Ground Floor long enough to stack fresh wood atop the beacon.
The interior of the lighthouse is in utter disarray. There are B4: Secret Basement
planks scattered across the wooden floor. A hand mirror
The ladder descends into a circular natural cavern.
rests haphazardly on a desk. Beside it, a portrait has been
Stalagmites jut out of the ground, and a strange stone seal
tossed to the ground. The only unscathed objects are some
occupies the center of the floor.
bookshelves and an empty chamberpot. A set of stairs
ascends upwards out of the wreckage.
A ladder leads up to the ground floor (area B1). This area is
described in Quest: The Immortal Hermit (see chapter 1).
The stairs lead up to the first floor (area B2).
The seal blocks the way to the sealed grotto (area B5)
Hidden by the scattered planks is a hole in the corner
and can only be opened by the touch of a keppmir, or
of the room. A ladder leads in the hole down to the secret
Ófeigur himself. The seal is immune to damage.
basement (area B4).
A character taking a closer look at the portrait isees that B5: Sealed Grotto
it is of a human man whose features seem to be melting,
revealing something crimson beneath. The characters A large statue of an aquatic spearman is the centerpiece of
recognize this figure as Ófeigur. this partially flooded grotto. Tide pools surround the base
of the statue.
“Just as my light keeps the ships off the reefs, let my This area is detailed in Quest: Eggs Over Easy (see
light be a warning to you. While it shines, steer clear chapter 1).
of my tower, if you value your life.”
- Ófeigur Lightraiser, his final words
before disappearing
B4
B2
B3
B5
Ófeigur's Beacon
1 Square = 5 feet
W4
W2 W6
W1 W3
W5 W8
Sheltering Wood
W7 1 Square = 5 feet
These dozens of small pools have become dangerous. Two mjork chargers (see appendix A) are loudly butting
A creature that falls in one takes 10 (4d4) fire damage. heads to alleviate boredom while they guard their allies in
A character who makes a successful DC 18 Intelligence the ancient dragon’s lair, behind them. If the characters are
(Nature) check discerns that the lair must be active again, spotted trying to enter, they cease their clashing and bellow,
which would only happen if a dragon or its kin returned. alerting the mjorks working their magic in the Abandoned
A character who makes a successful DC 16 Intelligence Lair (area N5). They attack and fight to the death.
(Investigation) check finds scorch marks on the ground,
like that of a burning body or flaming tail moving across N5: Abandoned Nest
the stone.
Veins of eerie magma light the vast cavern’s interior. The
light gleams upon hundreds of red scales littering the
ground. In the center of the chamber is an egg as large as a
hound, guarded by hulking beasts made of swirling flame
and soot. Behind them, a crimson sliver, like a scar upon
the very air, hisses with steam and smoke. Off to the side,
an unconscious half-orc woman lies on the stone.
Snow's Respite
1 Square = 5 feet
N1
N2
N3
N4
Steðihaugr, the
Ethereal light illuminates this chamber in a deep and chilling
Anvil-Barrow
1 Square = 5 feet
blue. Suspended in the middle of the room by dozens of
heavy chains is a thick, glass box etched with runes; the glass
looks like it is about to shatter. Within, pressed against all
sides, is an undulating being of blue flame.
G1
G3
G4 G5
G2
G1
G1
D3
D4
Crashing waves wash against the rocks, shifting the D3: Fallen Mast
wreckage back and forth with the tides. Among the smell The mast is charred and the flag is partially burned,
of salt and fish, an odor of rotten meat and the sound of
revealing it was struck by lightning. Beneath the mast,
two keppmir stalkers are dragging down an empty crib.
guttural Valikan is carried on the wind. The salty air is
Inside the crib is a silver rattle (worth 10 gp) and a tiny
unseasonably warmer than expected.
water-logged silken pillow.
The broken bow of the longship hides two keppmir D4: Deadly Rocks
stalkers under its canopy. The characters can detect them The rocks surrounding the wreck are as they appear. The
with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. In central rock, however, is the top of an ornery, recently
addition to the keppmir, two corpses, a male human and awakened sea drake named Bigirsten. Bigirsten is furious
half-elf, are found tightly embracing. They are wearing if bothered and hostile to all. Bigirsten awakens if
ornately engraved matching silver rings worth 5 gp. anyone stands on them or hits them with a weapon. This
Examining the corpses and succeeding on a DC 14 enormous, serpentine sea drake has thick armored scales;
Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals they died by drowning it uses the statistics of a dragon turtle with the following
and not from the keppmir. additional trait:
Magic Resistance. The armored sea drake has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
Once awakened, Bigirsten attacks all creatures around
it, keppmir or otherwise, until all are dead or it is reduced
to half its hit point maximum. At that point, it dives
beneath the water and swims away.
Actions
Shillelagh Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. This
damage is magical.
Stonespur (3/Day). Alvíss causes a blunt spike of stone, rough-
ly 1 foot wide and 15 feet long, to erupt from the ground at
a point he chooses within 60 feet. Each creature hit by the
spur must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed
save, a creature takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and is
pushed 20 feet away from the spur in a direction of Alvíss’s
Alvíss av Dvergholt
choice. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much dam-
age and isn’t pushed. The spur then cracks and falls apart.
Spellcasting. Alvíss casts one of the following spells; Wisdom is his
spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks): This surly dwarf has lived in the woods at the edge of the
At will: druidcraft, produce flame Akkeri Bay for decades. He was not pleased to see a group
2/day each: cure wounds (at 3rd level), stone shape, thunderwave (at of Valikans settle on his shore, led by the infamous raid
3rd level) leader Hrafen av Skeir.
1/day each: barkskin, heat metal (at 4th level) Alvíss is a druid of an order that practiced the ancient
ways of the Stoneraisers (see chapter 3 of Raider’s Guide to
Reactions Valika). However, his fellow druids and much of his family
Diamondskin (1/Day). As a reaction to taking damage of any type were slaughtered by Valikan raiders two centuries ago.
except psychic, Alvíss gains resistance to it until the end of his Alvíss has since traveled to the Akkeri Bay to nurture and
next turn. protect a tree called the Morfar Ash, which contains the
If the damage he took was bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing dam- spirit of his archdruid.
age, he instead gains immunity to it until the end of his next turn. More of Alvíss’s background is discussed in his profile in
chapter 1 of this adventure.
Animated Perception 7
Languages —
Flame Tongue
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Salvage
The animated flame tongue is made from an enchanted
metal. Someone who collects four animated flame tongues
Lore
can craft a +1 longsword This requires a proficient weap- DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): The animated flame tongue
onsmith to succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check is resistant to fire damage.
after working for 24 hours and using 250 gp of compo- DC 15 Intelligence (History): An animated flame tongue’s
nents. It’s rumored that the longswords can be turned into attacks are magical.
flame tongues again with the proper ritual, but no one has DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): An animated flame tongue
confirmed those rumors yet. can be rendered incapacitated by the dispel magic spell.
Salvage
The melted leavings of a candlelight daemon’s candle
act as oil of sharpness against aberrations, celestials, fey,
and fiends, as well as against the creature that created
the candle.
Salvage
Dragons are rare on Etharis, so materials from their
corpses fetch a good price. A dragon’s corpse can be sold
for at least 100 gp times the Challenge of the monster.
Someone who has proficiency with alchemist’s supplies
can reduce the brain of a prismatic drake into an oil
that can be used to fashion one arrow of dragon slaying.
Brewing the oil takes 5 days of work, reagents worth 2,000
gp, and a successful DC 17 Intelligence or Wisdom check.
Making the arrow is a trivial task, but treating it properly
with the oil takes 5 more days of work.
Lore
DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): Sea drakes are cunning grap-
plers resistant to cold, sky drakes are adept fliers and have
a bite charged with lightning, and blight drakes collect
diseases that don’t kill them but make for a toxic bite.
DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): Prismatic drakes are the
rarest drakes, rumored to be sorcerers transformed
into dragons after they foolishly connected their minds
to Gormadraug, the slumbering Prismatic Dragon.
These drakes can cast spells.
Actions Actions
Multiattack. The sky drake makes one bite attack and one attack Multiattack. The prismatic drake makes one bite attack and one
with its claws. attack with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13
(2d6 + 4) piercing damage and 5 (2d4) lightning damage. (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15
(2d8 + 4) slashing damage. (2d10 + 4) slashing damage.
“In places where the land is twisted from its natural Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
state, elementals can be affected. Their poison spreads Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
quickly, creating more of their kind, until the blight Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
covers everything.”
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 5 (–3) 18 (+4) 5 (–3) 10 (+0) 5 (–3)
Blight Elemental. Deathmoss is but one of several known
versions of these corrupted elementals.
Damage Vulnerabilities cold
Affront to Nature. Whether through a brush with
Damage Immunities poison
powerful malevolence or unwise experiments, elementals
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
can be corrupted, turning them into blighted forms. Fey
from nonmagical attacks
and others with a connection to nature have an instinctive
aversion to these creatures. Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned,
unconscious
Toxic Magic. Blighted elementals are sources of poison,
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10
carrying their corruption with them and spreading it to
Languages Terran
new places. They multiply rapidly and carry death to the
unwary. For those with sinister intentions though, they can Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
be an excellent source of dangerous, potent ingredients for
potions or poison. Blight. Any creature that touches the deathmoss or hits it with
a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15
Salvage Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until the end of that
creature’s next turn.
The remains of a blight elemental can be used to produce
one of two concoctions. Each elemental leaves enough Earth Glide. The deathmoss can burrow through nonmagical,
residue for three doses, which can be divided among the unworked earth and stone. While doing so, it doesn’t disturb the
brews created. Someone who has proficiency with alche- material it moves through.
mist’s supplies or a poisoner’s kit can use one portion of False Appearance. While the deathmoss remains motionless, it
the residue and other materials worth 50 gp to produce is indistinguishable from a moss-covered mound.
one pale tincture. Producing the tincture requires 1 day of
work and a successful DC 13 Intelligence or Wisdom check. Siege Monster. The deathmoss deals double damage to objects
Someone who has proficiency with alchemist’s supplies or and structures.
an herbalism kit can instead use one portion of the residue
and other reagents worth 50 gp to make one potion of re-
Actions
sistance (poison) that also confers the benefits of antitoxin. Multiattack. The deathmoss makes two slam attacks. It can use
Making the potion requires the same amount of work and a calming spores in place of one attack.
similar successful check. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit:
13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and
Lore Blight. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving
throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to
DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): Blight elementals arise
the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target
when nature or the substance of an elemental plane
finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit
is corrupted. These elementals can resemble non-
point maximum to 0.
elemental creatures, but they’re still elementals. Blight
elementals have elemental resistances, including to Calming Spores (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The
nonmagical attacks. deathmoss emits a cloud of spores in a 20-foot-radius sphere
DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): A blight elemental is always that goes around corners. Each creature in that area must succeed
poisonous, in addition to its other powers. Some, such as on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become indifferent toward
deathmoss and forgeblights, have supernatural abilities to the deathmoss for 1 minute, becoming unable to take hostile action
spread rot to creatures or objects. toward the elemental. The target can repeat the saving throw at the
DC 20 Intelligence (History): Some legends say a lich end of each of its turns, when the deathmoss or its allies harm the
created the first blight elementals to gain the favor of the creature, or the creature witnesses any ally being similarly harmed,
Arch Daemon Malikir. If such stories are true, finding ending the effect on itself on a success. If the initial saving throw
the lich’s notes might allow someone to return blight is successful or the effect ends for a creature, the creature is then
elementals to their original forms. subjected to Blight.
Skills Perception +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Sylvan but can’t speak
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Multiattack. The gasdra makes three beak attacks.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
(1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Salvage
Once every two months gasdra lay 2d4 eggs. These eggs
never hatch and are inedible by humanoids, though hags
find them delicious. However, the yolks of gasdra eggs are
Gasdra the deepest black and can be used to make fine pigments.
Each intact egg sells for 20 gp. Those proficient with
alchemist’s supplies or painter’s supplies and succeed on a
“Nothing scares me more in the deep wood than the DC 15 Intelligence check turn an egg into 50 gp worth of
honking of the witch’s goose.” pigment with one day of work.
Guard Geese. Gasdra look like a three-headed goose with Lore
snow white feathers. They are often created to serve as
guards for the homes of hags or similar fey. DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): Gasdra are vicious watch
Born of Foul Ritual. To create a gasdra, a goose egg must animals kept by hags that look like geese with three
be placed in a golden bowl worth 200 gp and bathed in the heads. Their three brains make them hard to affect with
blood of a newborn infant. The egg is then left in the dark abilities that blind, charm, deafen, frighten, stun, or
of a new moon for four hours, after which a fully formed knock them unconscious.
gasdra hatches. DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): The eggs of gasdra are a
valuable ingredient in black pigments.
Vicious Temperament. Gasdra are extremely protective DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): A gasdra can be turned into
of their home and attack anyone who trespasses. Conven- a giant gasdra by a foul ritual that involves feeding the
iently, they are carnivores who can strip a human of flesh monstrosity seven newborn infants under a new moon
in a day, so there’s not much mess. and painting the creature’s feathers with seventy of its
Giant Gasdra. Giant gasdra are grown when a coven uses own eggs. When the new moon sinks below the horizon,
their powers to grow a regular gasdra to an enormous size. the gasdra grows four more heads and becomes massive,
These seven-headed monstrosities can decimate a small its feathers forever stained dark as night. Giant gasdra are
village if provoked. suitable as mounts for hags and other evil creatures.
Armor Class 11 in humanoid form, 13 (natural armor) in wolf or Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
hybrid form reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target
Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving
throw or be cursed with werewolf lycanthropy.
Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. in wolf form)
Claws (Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) Spear (Humanoid Form Only). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +4, Performance +6, Persuasion +6 damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if wielded with two hands
Damage Resistances lightning to make a melee attack.
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from Lightning Breath (Recharge 5-6). Gondul exhales lightning in a 30-
nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a
Senses passive Perception 16 DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) lightning damage on a
Languages Castinellan, Valiki (can't speak in wolf form) failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 Legendary Actions
Gondul can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options
Shapechanger. Gondul can use her action to polymorph into a below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and
wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf, or back into her true form, only at the end of another creature's turn. Gondul regains spent
which is humanoid. Her statistics are the same in each form, unless legendary actions at the start of her turn.
otherwise stated. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn't
transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. Move. Gondul moves up to her speed without provoking
opportunity attacks.
Keen Hearing and Smell. Gondul has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Lash Out. Gondul makes one attack with her Claws or Spear.
Recharge (Costs 2 Actions). Gondul recharges her Lightning Breath.
Reactions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Shield Parry. While holding a shield, Hrafen adds 4 to his AC
17 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) against one attack that would hit him. If the attacker is within 5
feet of him, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +3, Persuasion +6 knocked prone.
Senses passive Perception 13 Valkyrie’s Pinion. When a creature Hrafen can see within 30
Languages Dwarvish, Higher Bürach, Valiki feet of him makes a saving throw, he can choose to give it either
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 advantage or disadvantage on the roll. That creature can’t be
affected by this reaction again until the next dawn.
Arcing Iron. Hrafen’s strikes are wide, striking multiple targets.
When he makes a melee weapon attack against one creature, he Legendary Actions
can also target up to 2 other creatures within his reach, using the Hrafen can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options
same attack roll for each target. below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and
only at the end of another creature's turn. Hrafen regains spent
Bad Leg. Hrafen’s old raiding wound doesn’t hinder him much
legendary actions at the start of his turn.
in daily life, but it does make quick movement difficult. He has
disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, and his walking speed is Reposition. Hrafen moves up to his speed without provoking
reduced by 5 feet (included above). opportunity attacks.
Armor-Crushing Blow. Hrafen makes an Armor-Crushing Blow attack.
Raid Commander. Hrafen and friendly creatures within 30 feet of
Furious Recovery (Costs 2 Actions). Hrafen gains 17 (1d10 + 12)
him have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
temporary hit points. If he has half of his hit points or fewer, he
Actions gains 5 (1d10) additional temporary hit points.
Multiattack. Hrafen makes two +1 Warhammer attacks.
+1 Warhammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., up to
three targets. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 2 (−4) 12 (+1) 6 (−2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (−4) 12 (+1) 6 (−2)
Lore
DC 10 Intelligence (History): The story of the Keppmir
clan is known to many.
DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): A keppmir has a heated
body, which provides them with some resistance to the
cold. Although they attack ships and coastal settlements,
they can’t breathe air.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 15 (+2)
Skills Animal Handling +3, Athletics +4, Perception +3 Skills Arcana +4, Medicine +6, Religion +4
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Damage Resistances psychic
Languages Laneshi and one other language Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Languages Laneshi and one other language
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Amphibious. The laneshi soldier can breathe air and water.
Beast Whispers. The laneshi soldier can innately cast speak with Amphibious. The laneshi necromancer can breathe air and water.
animals. Its spellcasting ability for this spell is Wisdom. Beast Whispers. The laneshi necromancer can innately cast speak
Skirmisher. The laneshi soldier can take a bonus action to take the with animals. Its spellcasting ability for this spell is Wisdom.
Disengage action. Death Strike (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When the laneshi
necromancer hits with a melee attack, in addition to that attack’s
Actions effects, the target takes 27 (5d10) necrotic damage. A humanoid slain
Multiattack. The soldier makes two melee attacks. by this damage rises at the start of the necromancer’s next turn as a
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 zombie under the necromancer’s command.
(1d10 + 2) piercing damage. Duality of Spirit. The laneshi necromancer has advantage on
Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 5/15 ft., one Large or Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
smaller creature. Hit: The target is restrained. A creature can use Necrotic Mastery. Resistance to necrotic damage is ineffective
its action to make a DC 10 Strength check to free itself or another against necrotic damage the laneshi necromancer deals.
creature in a net, ending the effect on a success. Dealing 5 slashing
Spellcasting. The laneshi necromancer is an 11th-level spellcaster. Its
damage to the net (AC 10) frees the target without harming it and
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
destroys the net.
attacks). The necromancer has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, light, mending, spare the dying,
thaumaturgy
Salvage 1st level (4 slots): bane, bless, guiding bolt, healing word
2nd level (3 slots): enhance ability, hold person,
Laneshi prepared for combat often carry spears or other lesser restoration, silence
weapons that function underwater. Some jewelry and 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, mass healing word, revivify,
other accessories considered pedestrian in the Llana’Shi spirit guardians
Empire are significantly more valuable to surface dwellers, 4th level (3 slots): blight, control water, death ward, divination
such as pearls, shells of deep-sea creatures, and aquatic 5th level (2 slots): greater restoration, scrying
predator teeth. 6th level (1 slot): harm
Lore Actions
DC 13 Intelligence (History): Laneshi are an ancient Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range
aquatic species divided into two castes: warriors 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage or 4 (1d8 +
and mystics. 1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack,
DC 13 Intelligence (Religion): Laneshi practice and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
necromancy and employ mindless undead as laborers
and soldiers.
A World of Ash. Mjorks have a narrow worldview, having Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the mjork moves in water, or
been raised in the grind and heat of volcanic stone. To them, for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 1 cold damage.
the environment they spawned from is the only place of
Actions
safety they have known, and they wish to spread it across
the world. To bring about this ideal, mjorks wander sparsely Multiattack. The mjork makes two slam attacks.
inhabited areas where they spread fires and watch the world Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6
around them burn. These expeditions of destruction last (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage and 3 (1d6) fire damage.
until the mjork returns to the volcanic area that gave it life.
Elemental Nature. A mjork doesn’t require food,
drink, or sleep.
The smaller crystals from sootlings or broken mjork
Salvage crystals are like smoky quartz. These gems can be
worth from 1 sp to 1 gp each, or more to collectors who
Within every mjork is a heart of ash hardened into
believe they are mjork crystals. Someone who polishes
smoky crystal. This crystal might already be broken in
them using jeweler’s tools can increase their value as
the remains of a slain mjork, making it useless. An intact
semiprecious stones.
crystal can be broken or hurled at a point up to 60 feet
away as an action. When it breaks, which it does upon Lore
landing if hurled, the crystal releases a 20-foot-radius
sphere of sooty smoke, centered on a point in the breaker’s DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): Mjorks are made from earth
space or on the point where the crystal landed. The smoke and fire clashing together. These elementals often dwell
spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. near volcanoes.
It lasts for 1 minute, but a moderate wind (at least 10 DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): Mjorks are vulnerable to
miles per hour) disperses it in 4 rounds. A strong wind (20 thunder damage, which cracks their rocky skin. They
or more miles per hour) disperses the smoke in 1 round. can also sense through smoke as if the haze provided
These crystals sell for 15 gp or more each. them blindsight.
Smoke Shroud. While the mjork asher has 41 or more hit points,
Mjork Asher smoke renders a sphere within 20 feet of it heavily obscured. This
Large Elemental, Chaotic Neutral smoke goes around corners. Even while the mjork has 40 or fewer
hit points, tendrils of this smoke extend to 60 feet from the mjork,
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) providing smoke for the Smoke Sense of all mjorks. However, the
Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) whole shroud dissipates during any round the mjork is exposed to
Speed 30 ft. moderate (at least 10 miles per hour) or stronger wind.
Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the mjork asher moves in water,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 1 cold damage.
15 (+2) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 7 (–2) 13 (+1) 7 (–2)
Actions
Multiattack. The mjork asher makes two attacks.
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Damage Immunities fire, poison Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage and 7 (2d6) fire damage and
nonmagical attacks Blinding Soot.
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, Hurl Soot. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 30/60 ft., one target.
poisoned, unconscious Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) fire damage and Blinding Soot.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Create Sootlings (1/Day). The mjork asher chooses a point within
Languages Ignan, Terran 60 feet of it that it can sense. Smoke fills a 20-foot radius sphere
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 centered on that point. The sphere spreads around corners, and
its area is heavily obscured. This smoke lasts until the start of the
Blinding Soot. A creature that takes fire damage from a mjork mjork’s next turn or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at
asher’s attacks must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. Unless dispersed before the
blinded until the end of the mjork’s next turn. start of the mjork’s next turn, a sootling swarm forms in a space in
the area, favoring a space a creature hostile to the mjork occupies.
Fiery Body. A creature that touches the mjork asher or hits it with a
The swarm takes its turn just after the mjork and obeys the mjork’s
melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) fire damage.
verbal commands (no action for the mjork). If issued no commands,
Smoke Sense. A mjork asher in contact with smoke has blindsight in the swarm acts independently, often attacking a creature that isn’t
that smoke’s area in a radius of up to 120 feet. its ally. The swarm can survive indefinitely after being created.
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
Speed 25 ft.
Hot Soot. A creature that ends its turn in the sootling swarm’s
space takes 5 (2d4) fire damage, or 2 (1d4) fire damage if the swarm
has half of its hit points or fewer. The creature must also succeed
on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded and unable to
breathe until the end of its next turn.
Mjork Sootling
Tiny Elemental, Chaotic Neutral
Smoke Sense. A sootling swarm in contact with smoke has
blindsight in that smoke’s area in a radius of up to 120 feet.
Armor Class 12
Swarm. The sootling swarm can occupy another creature’s space
Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large
Speed 25 ft.
enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain
temporary hit points
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the sootling swarm moves
4 (–3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (–3) 10 (+0) 3 (–4)
in water, or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 2
cold damage.
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Actions Damage Immunities fire, poison
Burns. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified,
swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (4d4) fire damage, or 5 (2d4) fire damage if poisoned, unconscious
the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands Ignan and Terran but can’t speak
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Heated Body. A creature that ends its turn grappling the sootling
Variant: Sootling Familiar takes 1 fire damage.
Sootlings that have become familiars have the Smoke Sense. A sootling in contact with smoke has blindsight in that
following trait. smoke’s area in a radius of up to 120 feet.
Familiar. A sootling can partner with another creature Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the sootling moves in water,
as a familiar, forming a telepathic bond with this willing or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 1 cold damage.
partner. While the two are bonded, the partner can sense
what the sootling senses while they are within 1 mile of each Actions
other. If the partner harms the sootling, the sootling ends the Burn. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
telepathic bond and ceases being a familiar. (1d4 + 2) fire damage.
Salvage
Mud zombies often contain or still wear equipment and
jewelry left on the zombie’s constituent parts.
Lore
DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): Mud zombies look like large
piles of gore.
DC 13 Intelligence (Religion): Stories tell of
these writhing masses breaking into smaller
monsters when attacked.
Lore
DC 10 Intelligence (Nature): The veil between the world
and the fey world is thin here. A dark fey spirit has
corrupted this place.
DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): The trees themselves are
hindering your steps. They are in cahoots with a fey
spirit. Anything you say or do is probably sensed by the
spirit. Your senses might become targeted by the spirit.
Do not trust anything you see.
DC 20 Intelligence (Nature): You are within the domain
of a puck, pitiful creatures who scorn humanity and
dominate nature. It uses plants as its weapons and
concealment as its defense. Finding it may prove difficult,
as the forest will protect it, but once found, it is frail.
A Puck’s Lair
Puck Soil within a puck’s lair occasionally twinkles as if filled
with sparkling fertilizer. Many of the trees and plants are
“I’ve heard pixie dust is beautiful, magical stuff. The dust I likely to be the puck’s thralls, and allied plant creatures
saw was definitely magical, but it wasn’t beautiful.” might also dwell there. Within the lair, only creatures of
the puck’s choice leave tracks. Tracking such creatures is
Crushed Spirit. A puck is a pixie whose hopes and dreams, possible only with magic.
loves and playfulness, have been erased by mistreatment, A puck makes their hidden home in small crevices
betrayal, or loss. Once a beautiful and merry being, a puck beneath the interlaced roots of plant thralls. These roots act
is now a sad, twisted monster. Once the transformation as labyrinthine hallways connecting all parts of the grove,
happens, the pixie’s dust dissipates. Without pixie dust, a which the puck uses to sneak around. While hidden in this
pixie can’t fly, can’t use its magic, and can’t turn invisible. maze, the puck whispers to the trees and telepathically
They lose their ability to commune with nature. commands them. Hiding and commanding the plants to
Puck Dust. Taking the place of pixie dust, puck dust allows protect the puck is crucial, for it knows that despite its great
the puck to retain magical powers that resemble those of a power, it is physically frail.
pixie. The substance corrupts soil, vegetation, and beast,
and it enthralls plants and trees to do the puck’s bidding. Lair Actions
Plants under the dust’s influence become telepathically and On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), while the
emotionally bonded to the puck. Despair drives these plants. puck is inside its grove, it can take a lair action to cause
Each feels the harm done to one. one of the following effects. A puck can’t use the same
Corpse Gardener. Pucks farm their glittering soil, using effect two rounds in a row:
animals and other living creatures to produce fertilizer. • Six images of the puck appear in multiple locations in the
The puck force feeds the grove’s dead material and soil to lair, each moving and speaking independently during the
animals and humanoids. After a ripening time, the puck puck’s turn. At the start and end of the puck’s turn, and
opens these unfortunates up to take refined soil from their one time during the puck’s movement, it can teleport to
innards. The puck keeps the creatures alive until this grisly the location of one of these images. The images remain
harvest, earning the terrible epithet “corpse gardener.” until initiative count 20 on the next round.
Actions
Thorns. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6
(2d4 + 1) slashing damage. The puck shrub can deal half damage instead
and grapple a Medium or smaller creature (escape DC 11). Until this
grapple ends, the shrub can use its thorns only on the grappled creature.
Hurl Thorns. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, Range 30/60 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Damage Vulnerabilities fire Fling. The puck tree throws a Medium or smaller creature grappled
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing by it up to 30 feet horizontally. That creature takes 1d10 damage
per 10 feet thrown and lands prone. If the target is thrown at
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive
saving throw or take the same damage and fall prone.
Perception 12
Languages understands Sylvan but can’t speak Reactions
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 Deadfall. When the puck tree drops to 0 hit points, it falls in a
direction of its choice in a 15-foot line that’s 5 feet wide. Each
False Appearance. While the puck tree remains motionless, it is creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw,
indistinguishable from a tree. taking 17 (5d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one.
Siege Monster. The tree deals double damage to objects
and structures.
Lore
DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana): A rime hunger is immune to
cold and vulnerable to fire damage. It can’t be poisoned.
DC 15 Intelligence (Religion): One should avoid the
grasp of rime hungers. They can feed on the life and
warmth of creatures they hold, which strengthens the
rime hunger.
Rime Hunger
Medium Undead, Neutral Evil
Skills Perception +5
Damage Immunities acid
Seaborn Troll Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Large Giant, Neutral Languages Giant
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 105 (10d10 + 50) Amphibious. The troll can breathe air and water.
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Aquatic Camouflage. The troll has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
checks made to hide underwater.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Flexible. The troll can enter a space large enough for a Medium
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 9 (–1) 11 (+0) 8 (–1) creature without squeezing.
Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
Skills Perception +3 that rely on smell.
Damage Immunities acid
Magic Weapons. The troll’s weapon attacks are magical.
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Giant Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn.
If the troll takes cold or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
the start of the troll’s next turn. The troll dies only if it starts its
turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
Amphibious. The troll can breathe air and water.
Aquatic Camouflage. The troll has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) Actions
checks made to hide underwater. Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks, only
Flexible. The troll can enter a space large enough for a Medium one of which can be a bite. It can use call fog in place
creature without squeezing. of two attacks.
Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8
that rely on smell. (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13
If the troll takes cold or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
the start of the troll’s next turn. The troll dies only if it starts its Spit Acid. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target.
turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. Hit: 14 (4d6) acid damage.
Actions Call Fog. The troll creates a 30-foot-radius sphere of fog centered
on itself. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily
Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks: one with its bite and
obscured. It lasts for 1 minute or until a wind of moderate or
two with its claws.
greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8
The troll can choose to make this fog caustic. If it does so, a
(1d6 + 4) piercing damage and 5 (2d4) acid damage.
creature that enters the fog for the first time on a turn or starts its
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 turn there takes 10 (4d4) acid damage. Once the troll makes caustic
(2d8 + 4) slashing damage. fog, it can do so again only after it finishes a short or long rest.
Shatter Corpse
throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the shatter corpse to 0 hit
points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 +
“The sound of breaking glass startles most, but the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical
think twice before going to see what caused it if it is hit. On a success, the shatter corpse drops to 1 hit point instead.
followed by the sound of moaning.”
Actions
Covered in Glass. When someone dies with glass embed- Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
ded in their skin—such as being stabbed by a shard of glass (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage and 2 (1d4) piercing damage.
or killed by a falling window—they may rise as a shatter
Volley of Glass (Recharge 6). The shatter corpse flicks a volley of
corpse. Shards of glass continually grow through the skin
glass shards in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make
of a shatter corpse, covering them in razor-sharp weapons.
a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) slashing damage on a
Ponderous and Noisy. Shatter corpses are no more failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
mobile than an average zombie, and the constantly
breaking glass makes them even easier to hear coming.
Dangerous Volley. Shatter corpses can flick hails of glass
shards at nearby creatures. The shards grow back within a Lore
few seconds.
DC 10 Intelligence (Religion): Shatter corpses are a
Salvage stronger kind of zombie that arises when someone dies
from being impaled on broken glass.
The glass from ten shatter corpses can be used to create DC 15 Intelligence (History): Those that attempt to use
a suit of glass-studded armor with a successful DC 10 a melee attack against a shatter corpse are likely to cut
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check by someone proficient themselves unless they attack with carefully.
with jeweler’s tools. Crafting this item takes 10 days and DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): Shatter corpses can launch
costs 1000 gp. volleys of broken glass.
Armor Class 10
“In a world fraught with danger,
Hit Points 5 (2d4)
sometimes even the underfoot flora
Speed 10 ft.
is deadly.”
Cursed Grass. Stories claim that imps plant svangras, but it STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
really grows in places where travelers died, particularly from
1 (–5) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 1 (–5) 6 (–2) 1 (–5)
exhaustion. Svangras is a bulb plant that looks like a large
onion that can move on small tendrils. When svangras forms,
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened
grass in its area falls under its control. Anyone walking on
svangras is said to be doomed to unending exhaustion. Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive
Perception 8
Salvage Languages —
Where svangras grows, treasure and remains might be Challenge 0 (10 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
found. Finding valuables could require searching the area,
and a search could turn up almost anything. The value False Appearance. While the svangras remains motionless, it is
tends to be 50 gp or fewer. indistinguishable from an ordinary wild onion.
Actions
Lore Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2
DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival): (1d4) necrotic damage.
Svangras can easily be mistaken for an ordinary onion. Sapping Grass (1/Day). Each nonplant creature on the ground within
DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): Svangras is immune to 20 feet of the svangras must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving
being blinded, deafened, and frightened. throw or take 5 (2d4) necrotic damage. Those who fail by 5 or more
DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana): Being close to svangras also gain one level of exhaustion. If the svangras uses this action
allows the plant to sap your life force. while motionless, it doesn’t give up its false appearance.
Lore Reactions
Whipping Strand. When a creature being grappled by the tangle
DC 10 Intelligence (History): Tangle weed looks like weed is subject to an effect that moves it, the tangle weed can use
normal lake-grown seaweed, but it feeds on the rotting its reaction to make another constrict attack against the creature.
corpses of those it drags into stagnant lakes.
DC 15 Intelligence (Nature): Tangle weed constricts its
victims, dragging them underwater.
DC 20 Intelligence (Nature): When a creature is broken
out the tangle weed’s grapple, it makes another attack
against them as a reaction to potentially grapple
them again.
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 3 (1d4 + 1)
Speed 30 ft.
Unusual Beasts Keen Smell. The frostbite fox has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on smell.
If somebody casts gentle repose on the remains of a False Appearance. While the whelmer remains motionless, it is
whelmer within 1 minute, someone who has proficiency indistinguishable from a pool of water.
with alchemist’s supplies can boil the water down over 1
hour and add other materials worth 25 gp. If the alchemist Freeze. If the whelmer takes cold damage, it partially freezes,
succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence or Wisdom check, the reducing its speed by 20 feet until the end of its next turn.
result is one potion of water breathing. Undertow. The whelmer’s speed is normal when it moves a
grappled target.
Lore
Water Form. The whelmer can enter a hostile creature’s space and
DC 10 Intelligence (History): Whelmers are evil stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide
elementals that drag their victims into water to drown without squeezing.
them. These elementals are stealthy and lie in wait as
still pools of water. Actions
DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): Whelmers lure their prey Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
with illusions of drowning humanoids. 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller
creature, it is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the
target can’t breathe and the whelmer can’t slam another target.
Illusory Distress (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The
whelmer creates an illusion of a drowning humanoid in a space it
can see within 120 feet of it. The illusion seems completely real,
including sounds, smells, and temperature. The whelmer can use
its action to move the illusion to another spot in range and change
its sensory aspects. The elemental can change minor aspects, such as
sounds, without using an action.
Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion,
as creatures and objects can pass through it. A creature that uses
its action to examine the image can determine that it’s an illusion
with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If a
creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see
through the image.
Alter the Board (3 points) This blade has a bone white metallic basket hilt, and wails
as it swings through the air. You have a +1 bonus to attack
Your control of the earth allows you to alter the positions
of other creatures by shifting the very ground they stand and damage rolls made with this rapier.
on. As a bonus action, you can spend 3 maneuver points While attuned to this weapon, you are resistant
to target a number of Large or smaller creatures that to necrotic and radiant damage, and can speak and
are touching the ground equal to your proficiency bonus understand Laneshi. You also gain a swimming speed of 30
within 60 feet. Unwilling creatures must succeed on a feet and can breathe underwater.
Dexterity saving throw to avoid being pushed up to 15 feet
along the ground in any direction.
Suffocate
Scale of Gegazol 3rd-level conjuration
Shield, Rare
The largest scales shed from the undead dragon Gegazol Casting Time: 1 action
can be used as a shield, though few Valikans are foolhardy Range: 60 ft.
enough to try and steal one from her lair. Components: V, S, M (a leather glove)
This magic shield grants its bearer resistance to cold Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
damage, even cold damage dealt by coldfire. You create a pair of grasping hands made from invisible
forces. Make a spell attack against one creature that you
Scraglung Helmet can see within range. On a hit, the creature is restrained as
Wondrous Item, Uncommon the hands crush their throat or bodily equivalent.
If the creature requires air to breathe, it begins to
This gruesome helmet is fashioned out of the flesh and
suffocate. A suffocating creature can survive for a number
innards of a seaborn troll. You can breathe underwater
of rounds equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum
while wearing it.
of 1 round). At the start of its next turn after those rounds
Acidic Biology. You take 5 (2d4) acid damage when you
are over, it becomes unconscious, and it can’t regain hit
don this helmet, and again at the start of each hour you
points until it can breathe again.
spend wearing it.
A conscious creature restrained by the hands can use its
Mithra’s Pinion action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice)
Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement) against your spell save DC. On a success, the spell ends on
the target.
This golden feather is said to have lined the interior of the
hero Mithra’s cloak. While you carry this feather, you use
your reaction to wave the feather and give a creature you Steal Shadow
can see within 30 feet advantage or disadvantage on a saving 4th-level necromancy
throw, including death saving throws, before it attempts the
roll. Once a creature has been the target of this item, it can’t Casting Time: 1 action
be affected by this item again until the next dawn. Range: Touch
Location. This magic item is kept on the person of Components: S
Hrafen av Skeir, or in his chambers in his longhouse, Duration: 1 week
Hrafensheim (see chapter 5). You attempt to curse a creature by stealing its shadow.
Make a melee spell attack to grab the creature’s shadow.
Wyrmbreath If you hit and the creature is not an Undead or a
Weapon (Warhammer), Rare (Requires Attunement) Construct, you steal its shadow. Until the curse ends,
This beautiful smithing hammer shimmers with a faint the creature casts no shadow, and it has disadvantage on
prismatic light. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
rolls made with this magic weapon. While you are attuned As a part of that spell attack, you can make a Dexterity
to this item, you gain expertise in checks you make with (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the target’s passive
smith’s tools. Wisdom (Perception) score. On a success, the target
This weapon has 2 charges and regains both charges doesn’t notice you’ve taken its shadow. If the target notices,
at dawn each day. When you hit a creature with a melee it can make a melee attack against you as a reaction. If this
attack, you can expend a charge to unleash a burst of attack hits, you fail to take the creature’s shadow, but your
elemental fury. The attack deals an additional 2d6 cold, spell slot is still expended.
fire, or lightning damage (your choice). Until the end You can handle the shadow like a wispy gray handker-
of your next turn, you have resistance to the chosen chief. As long as you carry it, you leave tracks identical to the
damage type. target’s and you cast a shadow that resembles theirs rather
than yours. If the shadow cloth is touched to the victim or
unattended for 24 hours, the spell ends.
This dispel magic spell ends this spell early if cast on the
shadow cloth. The remove curse spell ends this spell early
if cast on the creature whose shadow was stolen. If the
creature dies while its shadow is stolen, the shadow cloth
becomes a shadow that is hostile to all creatures.
Spring Summer
Winter Autumn
An abridged version of the raiding rules described in Raider’s Guide to Valika is presented herein. Refer to that text for a
full description of raiding rules, particularly if you plan to create new raid sites for your own campaign.
Rural Settlement or 3 9 1d6 × 10 lbs. lumber, 1d4 Livestock, weapons, toolkits, game kits, and jewelry.
Homestead captives, 1d4 horses (see Their value in gp is a number of d4 equal to the
“Supplies,” below) Raiding Roll DC (e.g., 8d4 gp).
Fortified Village 4 10 2d6 × 10 lbs. lumber, 2d8 Livestock, weapons, toolkits, game kits, and jewelry.
captives, 2d10 horses (see Their value in gp is a number of d4 equal to the
“Supplies,” below). Raiding Roll DC (e.g., 10d4).
Fortified granary or other 6 13 Food, which adds 1d4 to the Livestock, weapons, toolkits, game kits, and jewelry.
rural storage first Raiding Roll made next turn Their value in gp is a number of d4 equal to the
Raiding Roll DC (e.g., 13d4).
Monastery 10 14 1d6 × 10 lbs. iron, One uncommon magic item, one potion of healing. Reli-
2d6 captives gious iconography and art; their value in gp is a number
of d6 equal to the Raiding Roll DC (e.g., 7d6 gp).
Military Encampment 12 14 2d6 × 10 lbs. iron, 2d8 captives One uncommon magic weapon or armor, one common
(watch tower, camp, potion. One piece of jewelry worth up to 100 gp.
roadblock, etc.)
Military Fort (hill fort, 15 15 2d10 × 10 lbs. iron, 3d8 captives Two uncommon magic weapons or armor. Three
bivouac, gate, etc.) pieces of jewelry worth up to 100 gp each.
Redoubt 20 18 6d10 × 10 lbs. timber, 4d10 × 10 One rare magic item and one uncommon consumable
(castle, university, cathedral) lbs. iron, 4d8 captives item, and up to 100 gp of other items. One piece of
jewelry worth up to 500 gp.
Conquering a Conflict Zone might choose to have won through stealth, or brute force.
They might decide to slaughter everyone in the zone, or
Each conflict zone has several traits:
they may let them flee. The GM can decide if the narrative
Type. The settlement’s description and purpose.
method of conquering the zone has any mechanical
Minimum Raid Force. The minimum number of
implications for future attacks in this raid.
raiders needed to attempt a Raiding Roll at a conflict zone.
Note the result of this roll and compare it to the
Raiding Roll DC. The number that the Raiding Roll
“Casualties in Victory” or “Casualties in Defeat” tables
needs to meet or exceed to conquer this zone. This is a
below to determine how many raiders were lost in the
suggested DC, and it might be higher or lower depending
attack. In all cases where a percentage is referred to, round
on the specifics of a zone.
down. However, there is a minimum of 1 in all cases.
Plunder (Resources). This conflict zone has resources
or supplies that can be plundered, in addition to gold. Victory: Plunder and Casualties
When you conquer a conflict zone, you gain these When you successfully conquer a conflict zone, you gain
resources. resources and any benefits inherent in the zone, but
Plunder (Wealth). This conflict zone has items or possibly lose raiders.
money that can be plundered. When you conquer a zone,
you gain these items. Casualties in Victory
Assigning More Raiders. Assigning more than the
minimum number of raiders to a conflict zone grants you a Raiding Roll Result Casualties
bonus to the Raiding Roll. Every time you assign an extra Same as DC Pyrrhic Victory. One Special Raider is
number of raiders equal to the minimum number of raiders killed, if any are present. Half of all plunder
to a conflict zone, you gain a +2 bonus to that Raiding at this location are lost. 50 percent of
assigned warriors are killed.
Roll. However, the maximum bonus you can receive for
assigning more raiders is limited to +4. Succeeded by 1–5 Hard-won Victory. Half of the plunder
Making the Raiding Roll. Once you’ve determined at this location are lost. 25 percent of
assigned raiders are killed.
all the modifiers from the size of your raiding force and
any special resources you’re using (see “Supplies” below), Succeeded by 6–10 Excellent Victory. Victory with minimal
losses. 10 percent of assigned raiders lost.
roll 2d10, add them together, and add all bonuses and
penalties you have on the roll. If the result of this roll Succeeded by 11–15 Remarkable Victory. Victory with no losses.
meets or exceeds the DC of the Raiding Roll, your raiders Critical Victory! Epic Result! Victory with surprising good
successfully conquered the conflict zone. Succeeded by 16 fortune. One warrior becomes a Special
The type of victory is up to the player to decide—they or more Raider, and twice the listed plunder is found.
Gathering Resources
If the characters are running low on resources, they can spend
1 week of downtime to lead an expedition into the wilderness.
Party Size. The characters can bring up to 50 warriors
with them.
Below are the guidelines for creating a basic raid defense Creating Waves of Invaders
scenario. Other raids, such as the one in chapter 4 of Saga The Raiders Guide to Valika includes guidance for
of the Seasons, are more elaborate. designing the attackers in a Raid Defense scenario.